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To cut down irons or not

Nippon Shafts
lilbilly

lilbilly

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So I'm 5'5 and have always played stock irons since I was a teen and just choked down on the grip. I've never had a set that was either custom or cut short.

I always have about an inch or more sticking above my top hand (left). Lie has always been standard, I've hit on a hitting board, although not lately and it seemed fine as is.

I'm getting ready to regrip my irons and was thinking about cutting an inch off of all of them but am unsure of how it will change the feel.

Will it change the weight? Or the feel in my hand of not having extra club sticking out top? Who's done it and has some thoughts for me?

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As far as the weight, you shouldn't notice a difference. The club's actual swingweight will change, but assuming you're consistent in your choking down and you take off the appropriate amount, you shouldn't notice any change in the effective swingweight because you've been effectively lowering it by choking down. The only real difference would be that the grip might be slightly larger under your top hand since you've been gripping down a little all this time.
 
If you're used to it, it might be worth just rolling with it. Brooke Henderson on the LPGA tour chokes down a bunch, so there's precedent for playing really good golf while choking down on the club.

Feel wise it shouldn't change much - swingweight changes when you cut a club down, but IIRC choking down feels the same - I'm not super sensitive to swingweight so I'm not the right person to ask there though.
 
OGputtnfool said:
As far as the weight, you shouldn't notice a difference. The club's actual swingweight will change, but assuming you're consistent in your choking down and you take off the appropriate amount, you shouldn't notice any change in the effective swingweight because you've been effectively lowering it by choking down. The only real difference would be that the grip might be slightly larger under your top hand since you've been gripping down a little all this time.
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Hadn't thought about the top of the grip feeling a little fatter.

One thing I was figuring is that it would help insure that I am gripping the club at the same length every time. As of now I sort of look down and check every time.

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If you are comfortable choking down, I would continue doing that.
 
The one variable that would make leaving them long and choking down more attractive, not sure whether it matters to you, would be that resale value on a standard length set would be substantially higher, I'd think, than a 1" short set. Even if the shorter length didn't devalue them, it would certainly lower your pool of prospective buyers.
 
OGputtnfool said:
The one variable that would make leaving them long and choking down more attractive, not sure whether it matters to you, would be that resale value on a standard length set would be substantially higher, I'd think, than a 1" short set. Even if the shorter length didn't devalue them, it would certainly lower your pool of prospective buyers.
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Yeah, I agree on resale. I'm already several years into this set and at this point will probably play them a couple more years until my boys are teens and then I'll pass them down. But you never know if that itch will hit me before then.

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lilbilly said:
Yeah, I agree on resale. I'm already several years into this set and at this point will probably play them a couple more years until my boys are teens and then I'll pass them down. But you never know if that itch will hit me before then.

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Understood. I know there are many of us who play irons for decade(s) and resale wouldn't mean much, but not sure where you fit on that spectrum. There are also those who the length wouldn't matter to because they'd just reshaft them, but that's not an easy option for everyone.
 
Yeah I hear ya. A few years ago I would have been in the boat. Have sort of settled in now and am trying not to drop $$$ on clubs just to scratch an itch for something shiny and new.

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In regards to lie angles, I know shortening your irons makes the lie angle more flat. Am I already effectively doing the same by choking down?

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lilbilly said:
In regards to lie angles, I know shortening your irons makes the lie angle more flat. Am I already effectively doing the same by choking down?

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Yes. Cutting them down doesn't "make" them flat, but they will play flatter when you choke down. Every 1/2" of shaft length = 1° lie. So, if you're choking down because they're too long, then cutting them down or continuing to choke down is the route to take. If you're choking down because you were hitting shots consistently left because they were too upright, then having them bent 1° to 2° flatter might be the ticket.
 
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