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Modern iron loft rant

Nippon Shafts
DaveGolfer15

DaveGolfer15

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There's a reason why the 7 iron that the sales rep gave you to hit on the simulator is longer than your old 7 iron. It's because it's a 5 iron with a 7 stamped on it.

The Callaway Mavrik 7 iron for example has 27 degrees of loft!!! 27 degrees on a 7 iron is absolutely outrageous!

1 irons went out of fashion many moons ago; the very mention of a 1 iron is guaranteed to elicit 1 of 2 responses:

1) "I used to have a 1 iron when I started playing in X year. God they were difficult to hit! Especially a bladed one on a cold morning! It used to sting your hands!"
2) You know what Lee Trevino said about 1 irons! "When it starts to thunder and lightening on the golf course I waive my 1 iron in the air. Even God can't hit a 1 iron!"

Funny thing is... a lot of people still carry a 1 iron. It's got a '4' stamped on it now though.
 
There is a lot more to it than just loft though

Modern day technology and materials means that 'traditional' lofts wouldn't work as balls would launch into orbit
 
So what loft "should" a modern 7 iron be? Is it just because "that's how things used to be"?
 
LOL a friend just bought a set of Callaway Epic Forged Star irons. 7 iron is 26 degrees. My Srixon ZX5 7 iron is 31 degrees. 5 degrees difference. his 7 iron is really a 5 iron. ;)
 
Lets say I agree with you and it is as simple as the are now numbering 5 irons as 7 irons.. Why does the number on the club matter?
 
DaveGolfer15 said:
There's a reason why the 7 iron that the sales rep gave you to hit on the simulator is longer than your old 7 iron. It's because it's a 5 iron with a 7 stamped on it.

The Callaway Mavrik 7 iron for example has 27 degrees of loft!!! 27 degrees on a 7 iron is absolutely outrageous!

1 irons went out of fashion many moons ago; the very mention of a 1 iron is guaranteed to elicit 1 of 2 responses:

1) "I used to have a 1 iron when I started playing in X year. God they were difficult to hit! Especially a bladed one on a cold morning! It used to sting your hands!"
2) You know what Lee Trevino said about 1 irons! "When it starts to thunder and lightening on the golf course I waive my 1 iron in the air. Even God can't hit a 1 iron!"

Funny thing is... a lot of people still carry a 1 iron. It's got a '4' stamped on it now though.
Click to expand...

If I had you a driver that is 9 degrees and a driver that is 12 degrees, will the lower loft always go further? Or will weight placement, spin, launch and other facets of design play a role?

The good news is that lofts can be adjusted for fit. And irons come in a myriad of different lofts available.
 
tomcat said:
So what loft "should" a modern 7 iron be? Is it just because "that's how things used to be"?
Click to expand...
My main bugbear with the loft issue is that it's being used to trick consumers into buying a set of irons that 'help them hit it further' when actually a nasty trick has been played on them. The majority of golfers being custom fitted, unfortunately, do not discuss iron lofts with their fitter. Golfers that know the loft on their 7 iron are in the minority.

Rather than saying what a 7 iron loft 'should' be, I think it'd be more productive to print a loft on an iron rather than an iron 'number' like Ben Hogan do. This way there's more transparency and it'd help golfers with their gapping, especially when blending an iron sent into their wedges.

I'm not a "that's how it used to be" kinda guy, I'm only 30 :ROFLMAO:.

I happen to play old Mizuno blades where the 7 iron has 36 degrees of loft. People are impressed that I can launch a bladed 3 iron into the air. I keep my mouth shut and don't tell them it's the same loft as their 5 iron :ROFLMAO:.
 
This is not unlike the jeans you buy that say 32" but are really 34" (or are stretch fabric, much more common in the women's sizes). They are catering to the egos of the baby boomers like myself. I was really tickled with my new clubs and had a 7 iron that now goes 20 yards farther than when I was 20 years younger ;)
 
With that in mind, should we go back to hickory shafts and round rocks?
 
 
NVGOLFER80 said:
Lets say I agree with you and it is as simple as the are now numbering 5 irons as 7 irons.. Why does the number on the club matter?
Click to expand...
The number itself doesn't matter at all. The issue is more so manufacturers trying to trick consumers into buying clubs that they think will help them hit it further. As I said to another poster, I like how the Ben Hogan golf company print iron lofts on their irons rather than numbers. It gives transparency and helps golfers make more informed decisions. And also helps blend a set of irons into the wedge section of the bag sensibly. Additionally, many golfers don't appreciate how difficult it is to hit an 18 degree iron; if they new it was the dreaded 1 iron they probably wouldn't have it in the bag.
 
TheDoctor said:
There is a lot more to it than just loft though

Modern day technology and materials means that 'traditional' lofts wouldn't work as balls would launch into orbit
Click to expand...
There is most certainly technology factors in play too as you say. I play traditional lofts but in an older set of irons for that exact reason.
 
DaveGolfer15 said:
The number itself doesn't matter at all. The issue is more so manufacturers trying to trick consumers into buying clubs that they think will help them hit it further. As I said to another poster, I like how the Ben Hogan golf company print iron lofts on their irons rather than numbers. It gives transparency and helps golfers make more informed decisions. And also helps blend a set of irons into the wedge section of the bag sensibly. Additionally, many golfers don't appreciate how difficult it is to hit an 18 degree iron; if they new it was the dreaded 1 iron they probably wouldn't have it in the bag.
Click to expand...

Ben Hogan Golf doesnt do that anymore and hasn't for a number of years.Screen Shot 2021-03-23 at 11.43.54 AM.png
 
DaveGolfer15 said:
The number itself doesn't matter at all. The issue is more so manufacturers trying to trick consumers into buying clubs that they think will help them hit it further. As I said to another poster, I like how the Ben Hogan golf company print iron lofts on their irons rather than numbers. It gives transparency and helps golfers make more informed decisions. And also helps blend a set of irons into the wedge section of the bag sensibly. Additionally, many golfers don't appreciate how difficult it is to hit an 18 degree iron; if they new it was the dreaded 1 iron they probably wouldn't have it in the bag.
Click to expand...


Hogan does not print lofts anymore.. have not for a few years.
 
I totally get new tech, launch windows, descent angle, etc. But I agree to an extent with the OP, but that’s in part because I’m a lower spin player. Give me more loft please. My Apex 21s with high launching shafts are fine, but any stronger than that is no bueno for me. And shaft lengthening is very noticeable to me. It was definitely a factor in why the Epic Forged didn’t work out long term.
 
What if you were the one that was tricked?
 
I don’t think anyone is being “tricked”. Weight placement and modern materials mean that a 27* 7 iron launches in the same window that a 34* 7 iron used to. There isn’t any trickery involved. Would rather the modern iron set be marketed as 1-8 iron vs 4-GW?
 
Jaymo37 said:
I don’t think anyone is being “tricked”. Weight placement and modern materials mean that a 27* 7 iron launches in the same window that a 34* 7 iron used to. There isn’t any trickery involved. Would rather the modern iron set be marketed as 1-8 iron vs 4-GW?
Click to expand...
No, I wouldn't necessarily prefer that, I'd just prefer lofts on irons rather than numbers. They may launch in the same window, but regardless of technology, I guarantee a 36 degree iron is easier to hit consistently than a 28 degree iron...
 
These are always fun conversations.

How can one be tricked, when the specs of every club are out there for all to see...
 
Solution to much of above which is both fair criticism of the loft and good explanations to also why it has changed.. Just ignore the noise and get fit carefully. I spent an hour and half in a range fitting with PXG and in the end all I was most concerned about was dispersion and a consistent ball flight with various clubs between various shafts and a couple heads. I used to make custom clubs and even bent forged heads and now as a senior I don't care what number it is stamped with or what club I hit.
 
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