Interesting comment about one length irons.

I wondered about the wedge aspect and the top of the bag as well. Do you play your wedges and top of the bag closer to the OLs, or do you leave them standard lengths? I, like you, have developed a decent wedge game and not sure how using a OL would affect that. I was more thinking that the irons would be OLs and maybe adjusting my hybrids and driver to about only an inch difference and possibly wedges at one inch as well. Don't know yet, just speculating ideas.

I'm Playing Traditional length Dr, 3w, 3H, 50*, 56*, and 60*. So the OL is just 4i-PW. I didn't do anything on either end to "make it closer to OL". I love the current bag and there is only 1 gap I have problems with. My PW is 136yd and my 50* is like 118yds. So If I get a 125yd shot i'm in a grey spot I don't love. I don't do well taking much off the PW, and I have a partial pitch I can do with the 8i but its not the greatest if a forced carry is in play.

I think I'm going to re-gap my wedges this Fall. I'm playin with the idea of doing a 50* (+1/2" or 3/4"), 54* (traditional), 60* (traditional). I'm speculating that may help out my 125 yd gap a bit but soft stepping from OL to VL. The other option is to utilize the OL GW but I love the feel and performance of the MIM wedges.
 
How long did it take you to adapt to them?
Almost no time. Talking with OU at the Morgan Cup he had a similar experience. If you can hit a 7i you can hit them all, It was more of a mental adjustment to trust the club and not swing harder for a 4i etc. And a few rounds to trust and learn your new gaping.
 
My cousin switched to one length irons earlier this year. He used the time while golf course's were shut down to get use to them. He had them fitted to his 7i (?) swing.I believe.

At any rate, the switch helped his game immensely, by as much as 2.8 strokes off his handicap.

I should also note this guy has always been a pretty good golfer, and continually works on his game to get better. At age 70, he has been with in a few strokes of shooting his age.

He has a brand new, second set of Cobra SLIs he wants me to try, and I have entertained the thought of giving them a shot. I would have to get them bent to fit my swing specs.

I have two medical proceedures coming up, and after they are over, (hopefully) with a positive out come, I think I will take him up on his offer.

He wants a $100 for them which I will agree to, then forget about paying him. He won't care....lol
 
I really like having one length irons. I am a big believer in less variation can help consistent contact.

I know Cobra has been the only company incorporating the One Length idea, but hoping to see other companies include this in he future. I understand the likelihood is not great due to sku and inventory/cost issues.
 
He was actually a very good instructor, and helped me improve my game quite a bit. But, he definitely had a low opinion of OL irons.
Or understanding equipment in general. Based on his logic you should play muscle backs, since guys on tour do :D
 
I really like the idea, and tried a set of the OLs. I don't think I'm a good enough player to make most of them, and additionally, they were simply too long for me. (Bought used, not ted.) Now, when Thommo hit them, he hammered them.
 
being 6'2 and always needed a fitting to actually know where im at, one length irons may be something i need to look into.
would i try them? yes and they would probably work to my advantage.
the issue becomes for me is how do i try them without buying them and that goes for anything in the golf industry, i gotta shot from the hip and just pony up if i want to try them and spend the money..
 
I think the idea makes a ton of sense. Not having to adjust ball positions on iron shots unless you are trying to manipulate flight would be great. My problem is all of the other new shiny irons that come out every year that aren't one length. I have wandering eyes when it comes to golf equipment.
 
When I played the F7 OL the issue was the technology was new and the long irons didn't function optimally. I suspect those things have changed with the newer iterations. But if I was going to dip my toes in these waters the first thing I'd do is hit a lot of 4 an 5 irons and make sure I was seeing ball flights and other performance characteristics that match what I want at that end of the bag.
 
I don't see the appeal, mostly just a gimmick IMO, golf has been around for a very long time and lots of money to be made for the best, if single length had any advantage we would have seen it often at the top level long ago.
 
When I played the F7 OL the issue was the technology was new and the long irons didn't function optimally. I suspect those things have changed with the newer iterations. But if I was going to dip my toes in these waters the first thing I'd do is hit a lot of 4 an 5 irons and make sure I was seeing ball flights and other performance characteristics that match what I want at that end of the bag.
I think they made great strides since F7. That said, the OL hybrids didn’t work for me. It isn’t that I can’t hit them, but if I put them in the same ball position and same swing, my 4i is 195-200, 4h is the same, 3h is 200-205. I
 
He sounds fantastic...:D

This comment sounds very similar to the one that I got from my previous instructor when he told me I needed to ditch the hybrids and for sure get a 4 and probably a 3 iron in my bag. This was also the lesson he wanted me to start working the ball left and right when I was fighting a two way miss. Strangely this was our last lesson together and I have had much better success with a new instructor whose only bag set up advice was to look at lie angle at some point.
 
I don't see the appeal, mostly just a gimmick IMO, golf has been around for a very long time and lots of money to be made for the best, if single length had any advantage we would have seen it often at the top level long ago.
The problem with this notion is that the highest skilled players are not necessarily looking for the benefits this technology offers because they already hit every club in a sweet spot the size of a dime on every club nearly every time.
 
This or some variant of a few lengths is wave of future as upside is So high. They can vary shaft weight so well and consistently and move other weight and other specs with AI these days so easily so no brainer - plus gives me an excuse shop new set down the road! I believe Hogan (a premier iron maker and striker) would be doing something like DB if he was alive.
 
The problem with this notion is that the highest skilled players are not necessarily looking for the benefits this technology offers because they already hit every club in a sweet spot the size of a dime on every club nearly every time.

i could be wrong, but I believe that variable length irons didn’t become the standard until around the 1950’s. Ben Hogan played a variation of one length in 1953.
 
The problem with this notion is that the highest skilled players are not necessarily looking for the benefits this technology offers because they already hit every club in a sweet spot the size of a dime on every club nearly every time.
The theoretical advantage even for the best is there IMO.
 
I don't see the appeal, mostly just a gimmick IMO, golf has been around for a very long time and lots of money to be made for the best, if single length had any advantage we would have seen it often at the top level long ago.
What is the gimmick? We all have a 7 iron.

I’ll never understand why a technology that might help golfers has to be used at the top level to be effective. They were late to adopt graphite. Late to adopt hybrids. Late to adopt larger driver heads. These guys are playing a different game and don’t necessarily need the benefits. But they did just win a major.

It’s important to note they didn’t exist so someone growing up playing and making the tour isn’t going to make a vast overhaul. More youth are using it now than ever before so it won’t be solely one player at that level in the future.
 
The theoretical advantage even for the best is there IMO if can apply same force with mass varying and speed varying due to shaft length same but adjusting loft and weighting it can work. Time will tell. If another top ten tour member from TM or PING or Titkeist starts adapting it might spread rapidly.
 
Makes a lot of sense to me in the long irons: wouldn’t mind playing 5 and 6 irons the length of a 7. But I have no desire to play wedges (even a PW) at that length.
 
New tech and ideas always get me curious. I tried @phoffer OL Forged Tec bag for a week.

I could game OL anytime. Whether I would improve would be a big debate but here are some of the pros:

#1 Practice Time - I was able to get very comfortable with the irons very quickly. Why? They are all the same. Hit one consistently. Hit all consistently. I feel this is the biggest advantage for Ams. We don't have the time to practice and groove a swing for each club as the pros.

#2 OL Wedges - He had OL wedges and it actually improved my chipping and pitching. This was very surprising.

#3 Ability to control shots - I found these incredibly comfortable for all types of shots. I did not think that was going to be the case. I thought all trajectories would be a stock 7 iron. Not the case.

Downside - I did grab the wrong club a couple of times (couldn't tell at address). :cautious::cautious::cautious::cry::cry:
 
I don't see the appeal, mostly just a gimmick IMO, golf has been around for a very long time and lots of money to be made for the best, if single length had any advantage we would have seen it often at the top level long ago.
With that logic, does that mean SGI clubs are a gimmick too? Since they aren't used on tour
 
If we view this as the aeronautical and ballistic equation golf has become (isn't Bryson's caddie a former sharpsman?) The same length irons I think I see a very large shortfall for people not built like Bryson, and a certain net loss of yardage at the top end of the bag for the average player.
Longer shaft in the longer irons, combined with their stronger lofts, provide the distance.

If the shafts are the same length, you have a harder time controlling distance with the shorter clubs, and easier time with the longer irons as their shaft is now 7 iron length and easier to control. BUT.... you have to provide the "horsepower" yourself with the stronger lofted long irons, which is hard to do for the average player. In theory, the best players in the world, like Bryson with his strength now, can benefit most from the one-length setup.
Its maybe time for a 5 hybrid too if that's hard to hit. I think hybrid setups are probably where its at for ams. Cobra and others have had many hybrid sets over the years.

The longer the shot in pretty much any sport, the more difficulty. The 460cc driver changed that end of the bag a lot.
 
Every time I read a thread about OL irons I feel like I need to try them for myself, then I'll have an opinion. With that said, I'm always looking for a used forged set for a reasonable price.
 
i could be wrong, but I believe that variable length irons didn’t become the standard until around the 1950’s. Ben Hogan played a variation of one length in 1953.
I read some history and I found the same thing. Variable length came in and was adopted later.
 
Back
Top