"Jacked" Lofts in 2020

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What I mean is I can't simply compare distances from one set to the next based on loft and ignoring the arbitrary iron number because the shaft lengths correspond to the iron number. I was hoping the AP1's would be a consistent distance further for each loft but they are all over the place.
Do the two sets have the same shafts? Were you fit into the shafts or just going with the stock builds?

Lofts are one small component of club gapping.
 
Lofts are getting pretty up there. I mean look at the Mavrik irons from yesterday. 27 degrees for a 7 iron sounds outrageous. 41 for a PW. But as long as they are able to keep flights as they should be and not something like a roped 9 iron only getting 20 yards off the ground, then do whatever makes us as amateurs and weekend warriors feel better about our game. They aren't making those lofts for the pros. I mean my new Forged Tec's are even pretty lofted but damn if it doesn't feel good hitting them and seeing the launch they still give with a one hop stop. At a certain point it may get to be too much but right now it still seems all good.
So follow up question, how do we do wedge gaping if the PW is 41? I normally carry a 52/56/60. But sounds like id have to space that more now...
 
If you compare the original AP1's to the latest AP1 iteration, you're inevitably going to see a difference in launch and spin due to the technology applied to the product. If they were to standardize lofts, it could potentially hinder the benefits of new technology.

That's more or less where the 'jacked lofts' commentary comes from.
That makes sense and not really complaining as I love the new set for a beginning golfer like myself. Whatever manufacturers have to do to make the game easier I'm all for. Just having a hell of a time trying to figure out distances on these and what club to hit which makes me less inclined to buy an even newer set anytime soon.
 
That makes sense and not really complaining as I love the new set for a beginning golfer like myself. Whatever manufacturers have to do to make the game easier I'm all for. Just having a hell of a time trying to figure out distances on these and what club to hit which makes me less inclined to buy an even newer set anytime soon.

This is why getting fitted is important. That really helps you determine your gaps
 
So follow up question, how do we do wedge gaping if the PW is 41? I normally carry a 52/56/60. But sounds like id have to space that more now...
Gap to the distances, not the numbers on the clubs, too many do that. 4* gaps doesn’t mean your distances will automatically be equal. Best and surest way is always to focus on the distance it travels based on how you use the club.
 
The loft thing is a double edged sword. It is partly due to faster faced irons. Every time you had speed you add spin. It is very hard to have one and not the other. Speed and spin add launch so how do they combat that? They decrease loft. That all makes perfect sense. But, do we need to add speed to the ball off the face of an iron? A club that should be used to promote accuracy and consistency?

That is where i am torn.
 
Do the two sets have the same shafts? Were you fit into the shafts or just going with the stock builds?

Lofts are one small component of club gapping.
I bought them used on offer up, the new ones have much newer shafts as well. I know there is a ton that plays into distances and even more that I don't understand. I don't have the budget for a new set and fitting and all the changes definitely makes it tough for a casual golfer. I guess its just part of learning the game though.
 
So follow up question, how do we do wedge gaping if the PW is 41? I normally carry a 52/56/60. But sounds like id have to space that more now...

The easy answer is add a precision loft in between there.
The practical answer is you are only gapping based on loft, rather than carry distance, which would make more sense.

Look at it like this.
If you have a driver and 3 wood in your bag, how do you choose them? My 12* driver is still a driver right? I might carry my driver 255. Should I choose my 3 wood based on the loft stamped on it? Or how far I hit it?
 
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That makes sense and not really complaining as I love the new set for a beginning golfer like myself. Whatever manufacturers have to do to make the game easier I'm all for. Just having a hell of a time trying to figure out distances on these and what club to hit which makes me less inclined to buy an even newer set anytime soon.
One thing to think about though, is that new tech improves this benefit, especially for those who aren't making center contact strikes. A forgiving club built in 2020 is more than likely going to have tech that is superior to something built in 2015, which will likely be superior than 2010 etc.

It's a natural progression, and loft is one of those things that has to change with it.
 
The loft thing is a double edged sword. It is partly due to faster faced irons. Every time you had speed you add spin. It is very hard to have one and not the other. Speed and spin add launch so how do they combat that? They decrease loft. That all makes perfect sense. But, do we need to add speed to the ball off the face of an iron? A club that should be used to promote accuracy and consistency?

That is where i am torn.
I think this is why we will always have some sets that are in the categories focused on precision, and there will be some who love them. The majority though will always need more launch and more forgiveness and these sets can def do that.

I play my best with players irons, but these irons have been a ton of fun lately, and they’ve closed the gap on the whole precision argument as well.
 
Where do you stand on this in 2020?

Necessary for tech that we are seeing?
Excuse to make people think they hit the ball far?
A fad that will go away?

Give some strong reasoning on how you feel, and what matters to you.

It's just a name on the club. so that you know which one to select for a given distance. Do I have a club for any distance I need...good. Let's play.
 
The easy answer is add a precision loft in between there.
The practical answer is you are only gapping based on loft, rather than carry distance, which would make more sense.

Look at it like this.
If you have a driver and 3 wood in your bag, how do you choose them? My 12* driver is still a driver right? I might carry my driver 255. Should I choose my 3 wood based on the loft stamped on it? Or how far I hit it?

Completely agree. Gapping based on any number other than carry is not the best way..
 
OK, stupid question time:

In order to minimize your score, you need an array of clubs that you can get them to go a known distance consistently. The gap between those clubs should be about half a green. For me, I play best when I have a set of irons and wedges that cover the range between 100 to 200 yards evenly. Does it really matter what the loft or "number" is on the bottom of each club?

IMO, the real issue with loft jacking is the jerk offs who brag about hitting their 25 degree 8 iron 210 yards or something. Its a competitive testosterone thing that may or may not have anything to do with your ability to golf.
 
One thing to think about though, is that new tech improves this benefit, especially for those who aren't making center contact strikes. A forgiving club built in 2020 is more than likely going to have tech that is superior to something built in 2015, which will likely be superior than 2010 etc.

It's a natural progression, and loft is one of those things that has to change with it.
Makes sense and if loft has to change I would say it's worth it for sure. The first thing I noticed going to the AP1's is that when I top the ball I still get a straight shot with decent distance. Topping is my most common miss and my old sent meant a shot going nowhere.
 
I think this is why we will always have some sets that are in the categories focused on precision, and there will be some who love them. The majority though will always need more launch and more forgiveness and these sets can def do that.

I play my best with players irons, but these irons have been a ton of fun lately, and they’ve closed the gap on the whole precision argument as well.

Totally agree. I just wonder at times if these irons are really helping or not. I am guessing they are to some extent but I just don't know. They do not help me. I am not saying everyone should play blades either. Thats stupid talk.
 
The easy answer is add a precision loft in between there.
The practical answer is you are only gapping based on loft, rather than carry distance, which would make more sense.

Look at it like this.
If you have a driver and 3 wood in your bag, how do you choose them? My 12* driver is still a driver right? I might carry my driver 255. Should I choose my 3 wood based on the loft stamped on it? Or how far I hit it?
Fair enough, i'm not hitting a ton of full wedge shots with my wedges right now (seem to be opting for other options), but its a better thought to gap it on carry distance regardless of loft.

Good thought, thanks,
 
OK, stupid question time:

In order to minimize your score, you need an array of clubs that you can get them to go a known distance consistently. The gap between those clubs should be about half a green. For me, I play best when I have a set of irons and wedges that cover the range between 100 to 200 yards evenly. Does it really matter what the loft or "number" is on the bottom of each club?

IMO, the real issue with loft jacking is the jerk offs who brag about hitting their 25 degree 8 iron 210 yards or something. Its a competitive testosterone thing that may or may not have anything to do with your ability to golf.
Isn’t it cool though when they’re hitting that 8i that far with that loft but it’s the same launch and height as the “traditional” 8i loft?
 
Totally agree. I just wonder at times if these irons are really helping or not. I am guessing they are to some extent but I just don't know. They do not help me. I am not saying everyone should play blades either. Thats stupid talk.
Same dude, I’m the minority. They don’t do as much for me as for others, but I’m also not the majority of golfers.
 
Isn’t it cool though when they’re hitting that 8i that far with that loft but it’s the same launch and height as the “traditional” 8i loft?

Yes! Very
 
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OK, stupid question time:

In order to minimize your score, you need an array of clubs that you can get them to go a known distance consistently. The gap between those clubs should be about half a green. For me, I play best when I have a set of irons and wedges that cover the range between 100 to 200 yards evenly. Does it really matter what the loft or "number" is on the bottom of each club?

IMO, the real issue with loft jacking is the jerk offs who brag about hitting their 25 degree 8 iron 210 yards or something. Its a competitive testosterone thing that may or may not have anything to do with your ability to golf.
People who brag are going to find something to brag about no matter what scenario is put in front of them. Low score on an easy course? Driver distance with the wind that bounces off a cart path?

To me, who cares. If that's what makes them feel relevant, go for it. Distance of an iron individually is hardly worth celebrating and maybe that's all they have to get excited about.
 
many have said it better than me, but this is a non story. Anyone who takes the time to understand modern iron design/technology knows this is necessary to achieve the correct launch window. It's not for vanity or anything like that, it's to get the iron to perform as designed.

People who claim these lofts now introduce "gapping issues" are not gapping based on distance and instead are looking only at lofts and not the distance for each club. We've seen it time and time again, we all don't hit it as far as we think we do every time we swing the club. if you gap to your yardages (in my case all I want is carry distance) instead of loft, this argument holds no water.
 
Isn’t it cool though when they’re hitting that 8i that far with that loft but it’s the same launch and height as the “traditional” 8i loft?
This x100! What I personally like is the spin management. I can tend to spin the mid and short irons too much and my distance dispersion can suffer. These help in that regard too!
 
So follow up question, how do we do wedge gaping if the PW is 41? I normally carry a 52/56/60. But sounds like id have to space that more now...

That's what the Mavrik wedges are for ;)

But being serious, yes that can be the issue that people are having now. My PW is 45 and I have 52 56 and 60 as well so I have a slight gap issue too. But having full "set" wedges solves that problem for the beginner. For others though, me included, makes you think more about your bag make up for the best gaping. That is another reason OEM's are making wedges with lower lofts as well. To try to fix that gaping issue for those that don't want a 4-SW set. Callaway has a 46 degree Jaws right now which would solve the gap issue for those with the jacked loft PW. That would take a club away from the top end of the bag though so it's all about preference at this point. The options are there
 
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