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Tom Wishon Golf - Sterling Irons Single Length Set

SuperStroke
Since the first time I picked up a club I've wondered why irons were different lengths. This idea makes total sense to me, and I'd like to give it a shot. I doubt I will, because I won't buy them without being able to try them (and I have no idea how that could happen).
 
It is an interesting concept. And it makes a lot of sense. We are golfers, we experiment constantly. We try new clubs, our friends clubs, we try new balls by the dozen. We will try anything to help us play better. So why not try this idea?

Reading the article in SI Golf about Bryson (BDS from here on) it sounds like he figured this out for himself and put together the math regarding head weight, length, etc. He was working for a club that allowed him to play effective and efficient golf. And BDS found it. I saw him play at the US AM last year and the Western AM the year before. It clearly works very well for him. At a practice round at Augusta National BDS found that Bobby Jones' irons were all the same length. Yes I know, different time and place, hickory shafts, etc. but a similar idea.

Golf needs new ideas like this. Hopefully it will make golf easier to play and bring in new players. Hopefully it will give current golfers another club methodology to try and see
if it helps them. Hopefully a company (like Ping, since they are more of an engineering company) will try to make a set like this for the public. I have also read that Edel will be coming out
with a single length iron as well (thought this was announced at the PGA show last month)

Will it work for me? Not sure until I try this system. It seems like the sticking point is getting test clubs into our hands so we can try them. Given that I will find a set to try or will build a few clubs (5, 7, 9).
 
To be fair, this is not really a new idea however. It was done decades ago at Tommy Armour in the EQL set.
 
MY partner uses equal length Nova Hybrid Irons, as she is short they are only 36.5" (they work out the length by the Wrist To Floor measurment) she found she couldnt hit the 3 and 4 iron, I think it was due to lack of clubhead speed so she uses a 4 Hybrid and that works well for her. She started playing golf about 2 years ago and strugled with hitting irons for 12 months she was using a very good super game improvemnt ladies iron but just couldn't hit them consistently. So I got her fitted for these irons and she hasn't looked back, same swing same ball position for every iron she has gone from a 45 handicap to 25 in 12 months, I said maybe you should try a convential set of irons now you have improved but she will have none of that she says she loves her Nova's LOL. Here is the link for them http://www.griagolf.com/home.html
 
Aussie Dave said:
MY partner uses equal length Nova Hybrid Irons, as she is short they are only 36.5" (they work out the length by the Wrist To Floor measurment) she found she couldnt hit the 3 and 4 iron, I think it was due to lack of clubhead speed so she uses a 4 Hybrid and that works well for her. She started playing golf about 2 years ago and strugled with hitting irons for 12 months she was using a very good super game improvemnt ladies iron but just couldn't hit them consistently. So I got her fitted for these irons and she hasn't looked back, same swing same ball position for every iron she has gone from a 45 handicap to 25 in 12 months, I said maybe you should try a convential set of irons now you have improved but she will have none of that she says she loves her Nova's LOL. Here is the link for them http://www.griagolf.com/home.html
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As much as I love the idea, there is absolutely zero chance I'd spend $800 on something I couldn't try out first...especially from a website that looks like it was built in 1998.
 
Annhl8rX said:
As much as I love the idea, there is absolutely zero chance I'd spend $800 on something I couldn't try out first...especially from a website that looks like it was built in 1998.
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You can send them back after 30 days if you are in the US but we didn't have that option being in Australia so was a big gamble thankfully they were great for her.
 
Love the idea.
I'd love to demo them, and see how the concept plays out in real life for us regular folks.
I think these irons are surprisingly ugly.

If I were committed to giving this a go, without having an opportunity to demo them, I'd buy the cheaper Pinhawks (or at the very least research them).

edit: ^^^
actually, the 30 day return policy is pretty great
 
I'm curious how this would feel but really don't know that I'd try them unless someone happened to have a lefty set where I was. Just seems gimmicky to me. :shrug:
 
Very interesting idea and concept. I do remember the TA EQL irons but never tried them. I wouldn't be opposed to trying them out and even if the results are similar to my irons I don't think I would switch. Now if they made my long irons fly as well as my shorter irons, they might have something.
 
This is interesting. I actually had my iron shafts lengthened because I didn't like bending over so much with the shorter irons.

Is there anyone here who knows - are there head and swing weight adjustments too?

I think it's not enough for lofts to be different. I think the clubhead weights also need to be adjusted - lighter heads for the higher lofts than standard.
 
Let's compare aesthetics to some of today's OTHER irons for those that say they look awful or like a cheap box store setHere are just a few comparisons.....I don't get it.

SterlingIrons2-347x420.jpg
PING_IE1_IRONS-gr-3_zpsdlsmvati.jpg
taylormade-rsi-tp-irons_zpszr7ldtng.jpg
j15dfirth_zpsrl29m9uy.jpg
CobraIrons-847-Wall_zpsuzbaqjv5.jpg
 
I believe a slow swinger like myself would have better gapping by using half a set, i.e. 5, 7, 9, GW.
 
theoverswinger said:
This is interesting. I actually had my iron shafts lengthened because I didn't like bending over so much with the shorter irons.

Is there anyone here who knows - are there head and swing weight adjustments too?

I think it's not enough for lofts to be different. I think the clubhead weights also need to be adjusted - lighter heads for the higher lofts than standard.
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That would affect the swingweight
 
BigMan1020 said:
Let's compare aesthetics to some of today's OTHER irons for those that say they look awful or like a cheap box store setHere are just a few comparisons.....I don't get it.

SterlingIrons2-347x420.jpg
PING_IE1_IRONS-gr-3_zpsdlsmvati.jpg
taylormade-rsi-tp-irons_zpszr7ldtng.jpg
j15dfirth_zpsrl29m9uy.jpg
CobraIrons-847-Wall_zpsuzbaqjv5.jpg
Click to expand...

Ill admit that I dont have a dog in that debate, but the pictures posted make me think "yeah, not so good". Perhaps better "hero shots" would work as the lighting on the cavity makes them come off as exactly what was described here by a number of posters.
 
JB said:
Ill admit that I dont have a dog in that debate, but the pictures posted make me think "yeah, not so good". Perhaps better "hero shots" would work as the lighting on the cavity makes them come off as exactly what was described here by a number of posters.
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After 35 years of reading and writing code my reading comprehension is Evelyn Woodhead level, so I'm not sure what you mean.
 
Aside from not having the name of a major manufacturer stamped on them, I don't see what's wrong with the way these look.
 
Annhl8rX said:
Aside from not having the name of a major manufacturer stamped on them, I don't see what's wrong with the way these look.
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Its just cool that people can, and do, have opinions either way.

Me, I'm not a fan compared to all of those irons, and I loathe the way TM's look. But I get that some dig them. No biggie.
 
I would think somebody like me who gets steep and sometimes hits the ball too high that these would just not work....I can imagine hitting moon shots with a SW the same length as a hybrid
 
The fitting process should involve hitting more than just 1 club to validate the distance gaps. I Don't believe I would buy them otherwise.
 
Blazer said:
The fitting process should involve hitting more than just 1 club to validate the distance gaps. I Don't believe I would buy them otherwise.
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I agree. My fittings have included hitting all clubs. I do like the looks and the idea of what TW is doing with these single length irons. I'd love to try a set, but there are more less no chance for me to try them on the range and on the course.
 
I inquired about these irons with a local TW fitter. While the fitting cost money (and needed) and no price on the TW irons, I am hesitant to splash the money even to try these irons.

yeah, its a novel concept and it has potential but the cost (at the moment) is prohibitive - for me. I got my RSi2 3-PW irons for $440 preowned, classy irons so how can I justify the $100+ for the fitting plus more $hundreds for the Sterling or Hybrid or 1 iron sets?!?! Plus the Sterling goes low to 5 iron only and I play up to a 2 iron UDI...

I guess when I stop hoing the drivers, and I got a some hundreds lying around, I'll think about it. So far NO ONE with a low cap has reviewed & backed up these 1 length irons, unless I missed a post. I guess if I bought a 8 iron RSI2 and got that bent to 6 irons, I wonder if it will go the same distance as the standard 6....still be cheaper than a fitting....huh?

Intriguing indeed but DAMN expensive, my 2c.

great discussion by the way, luv this forum :bananadance:
 
They're definitely interesting, but of the things that influence how far a club (can) go, the length (and therefore the clubhead speed) seems to have at least as much of an impact as the loft of a club when it comes to distance. Perhaps there's something about CG placement that would help make up for that, but to my understanding longer irons are longer because the increased speed helps generate spin and therefore lift. That means if all the clubs are the same length, and assuming CG is similar throughout the set (I don't know for sure, but since the intent is similar or near-similar feel with all your irons, I'm going to assume CG placement and swing weight will be as close to the same as practicable), then you simply have to have a greater gap in lofts than you would have in a conventional set. I mean, you can get away with gaps of a couple of degrees when you're also manipulating length and offset, but I don't think you can when the only variable is loft. Using a comparison between my current irons and these...their 6 iron and mine are identical loft and an inch shorter. I don't know much about physics, but I'm really not sure how these are expected to go a comparable distance. I'm also not sure the 5 iron, being now more than an in shorter but 1° stronger than my 5 iron, is going to generate a worthwhile gap. Bear in mind, that's with the longest possible length shown in TW's website. And when we're talking about, say, the 9 iron, why, they're identical in loft, but the TW iron would be more than an inch longer.

Either the heads themselves are some deep magic, they do some amazing things with CG placement (despite that being against Wishon's idea of identical feel throughout the set) or there's bound to be some kind of gapping issues.
 
Blazer said:
That would affect the swingweight
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That's correct. But I think the weights have to betinkered with for correct gapping.
 
This is the manufacturer my golf teacher recommends for my improvement.Sad to say I thought Wishon was his brand name :( as he custom makes clubs for his students.This all makes sense now,as he said something about 5 iron length for my irons.Since the 5 iron is one my favorites and the club he gave me to use in practice.The only thing holding me back is the price right now.These custom clubs are sure not on the cheap side.Before I make the commitment I have to contemplate if golf is my main priority
 
And he told you to stay away from Callaway haha
 
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