What's crazy, wedges are not distance minded. Golfers tend to think of them as precision instruments. I don't think anybody has really ever seen massive distance gains from wedges, I could be wrong, but I don't believe so.
Why is More Distance a Problem?
What's crazy, wedges are not distance minded. Golfers tend to think of them as precision instruments. I don't think anybody has really ever seen massive distance gains from wedges, I could be wrong, but I don't believe so.
For me, gap dispersion between clubs has been an issue in the past with some "jacked" irons. I find it harder to get my wedges to fill those gaps. I have also found difficulty getting the ball to stop. If a 6 iron has 5 iron loft it's likely to stop more like a 5 iron rather than a 6 iron. Holding greens becomes challenging.
- Admin
- #28
This is actually not accurate.
And I dont say this to take away from your findings or your opinion, but to make sure people do understand what is happening in most scenarios.
The first thing is the difference in spin from a 5 iron to a 6 iron is going to be more about how far back the weight is in an iron and how thin the face is in an iron, far more than it is about loft.
To use an analogy take two drivers that are both 9 degrees. If loft was what was dictating spin entirely, they would fly the exact same way regardless of design. Yet we know from cameras and doppler (as well as testing) that this is definitely not the case and design plays a larger role than most realize.
my only issue is gapping at the bottom end of my bag. it's put more pressure on my wedges than i'm accustomed to, but that just exposes a deficiency i should have worked on long ago. i don't know about the rest of you, but i get jittery when i have a 5i in my hand; i don't get as jittery when i have a 7i in my hand. so i'm all for more distance, as long as it doesn't lead to difficulties holding greens.
From what I've seen the PW seems to be most affected by loft changes, SW not so much, and I'm pretty sure I've never seen a "lob" wedge marked higher than 58/60* I was mostly just using hyperbole to make a point. =)
Honestly, I think you're making the cardinal sin and associating loft with distance instead of associating loft with launch angle and spin. There's a reason why many of the recent iron sets do not include a lot of tech in the short irons.
I think that "jacking" lofts and lengths is a real thing in some instances, and even Mr. Vrska thinks so. Its not a full on conspiracy theory.
As far as gapping goes - when I move to a set with a 44 PW as opposed to a 47 or 48 PW I need to add an additional wedge and I drop an iron at the top. Is it just me that needs to do this? For me gapping DOES become a little out of whack, but mainly because I insist on keeping my 56/60 wedge setup.
Overall more distance isn't a bad thing as long as the individual can still hold a green with an iron IMO. Every bag needs to be built around your set of irons IMO and you can't always just swap sets with zero issues.
As far as gapping goes - when I move to a set with a 44 PW as opposed to a 47 or 48 PW I need to add an additional wedge and I drop an iron at the top. Is it just me that needs to do this? For me gapping DOES become a little out of whack, but mainly because I insist on keeping my 56/60 wedge setup.
Overall more distance isn't a bad thing as long as the individual can still hold a green with an iron IMO. Every bag needs to be built around your set of irons IMO and you can't always just swap sets with zero issues.
Scrap Iron
On The Eh Team
I think it's great. It's helped my dad enjoy the game into his mid 70's and a few guys I know who are new to the game have some success.
For those who get upset I think it's that they are happy with an older set of clubs and now their friends are hitting it further than them iron to iron and are a little envious because they are stuck in their tradition. I also don't think they understand the science of it and get fed up with the distance marketing even though distance marketing has been around since the second golf ever club was produced.
For those who get upset I think it's that they are happy with an older set of clubs and now their friends are hitting it further than them iron to iron and are a little envious because they are stuck in their tradition. I also don't think they understand the science of it and get fed up with the distance marketing even though distance marketing has been around since the second golf ever club was produced.
I do the samething. I think a lot of the trepedation with that is we seem to have it engrained in our brains that a bag is set up as Driver, 3w, 5w, 3i-PW, SW, LW. with maybe a hybrid replacing an iron(s). There is not rule that says we can't go 4i-GW.
It's never been a problem for me other than a couple times a year when some braggadocios member at my club would say something like this on a par 3, "wow I only needed a 6 iron, I can't believe you needed a 5 iron." My ego was sometimes mildly annoyed but I only once got annoyed enough to ask him if I could hit his 6 iron and proceeded to air mail the green. It was easier than trying to explain lofts to him.
I've since learned to avoid all those members and also switched to the XR Pro's so that problem will never pop up again! Seriously, the dozen or so guys that I play with who can hit their irons farther than me certainly know it and don't brag about it.
I've since learned to avoid all those members and also switched to the XR Pro's so that problem will never pop up again! Seriously, the dozen or so guys that I play with who can hit their irons farther than me certainly know it and don't brag about it.
I think I mis-stated my point. Pitching wedges seem to be getting longer, sand wedges not so much, and the high loft wedges don't seem to be getting any longer, which is kind of my point, if you stretch these gaps out long enough then people end up needing 14 different swings with their PWs to make sure they hit the right distance to the green, while at the top end of the bag you end up with a 5 iron that goes 225, and a driver you can only use on 1 hole out of 18. Personally I'm much more concerned that the club off the tee goes where I want it (the fairway) If I have to hit a 7 iron instead of a PW on an approach shot, that's not a huge deal to me, if my 7 iron is accurate.
tbuis13
Slacker
If a "jacked loft" 7i flies 20yrds farther than an old 7i, but still stops as expected on the green. Who cares what the precise loft is? These are probably the same people that hate the DH in baseball.
adamw238
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This right here.
Shouldn't matter how far someone else hits their clubs. Should only matter how far you hit yours. If someone I'm playing with has a set of clubs that isn't "traditional" in a sense of loft and length and hits the ball better, I don't care. I worry about my game and what's in my bag.
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It was the case for me testing several irons offered over the past few years. I game the Burner 2.0, so it isn't always the case when paired well with the proper shaft. I have hit the C200 and F5 recently and was impressed with the ability to reach certain numbers with the C200 but that doesn't give a clear and precise indication of how it will perform on the course. I look forward to hitting them outside and not on an indoor simulator.
My point is, how you feel something performs for you and how someone else feels something performs may vary. Whether you feel it is accurate or not, I feel like the longer clubs are harder to stop, therefore, they are for me!
stevie-a
Yeah boyeeeee!
Completely agree with this above... I think people get way too caught up in the loft/club # correlation. In the end, if someone is able to use a 6-iron with 4-5 degrees less loft than what you game, so be it. Stop worrying about everyone else and use what works for you.
gizmo3putt
Active member
Gapping would be my issue. No point hitting a longer iron if it leaves a big gap at the bottom. A good example of this is a guy I played with last summer that put on a 'stripe show'. His 9i was his 200 yard club (sob) so I tried to imagine how accurate my wedges would be at say 175, it didn't look pretty in my head.
This right here! That's what I was trying to say. Thanks gizmo for saying better than I could!
- Admin
- #44
I dont disagree, just that perceptions are not always reality and thankfully there are devices that measure this exact thing.
You should come out to the THP Event in your home state (signups are today) and you can test TONS of gear on the THP FlightScope.
True. My PW with my set is about 135yd. My 56 is about 105yd. Had to order the gap after i bought my set to compensate; however, from less than 130yd I hit primarily 3/4 shots or less anyway, but its nice have those options at the bottom.
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Oregon Jack
Let's real 'er back in.
because if you can't hit it far, you suck at golf, right?
kinda seems like that's what a lot of companies are trying to make you think, subconsciously.
kinda seems like that's what a lot of companies are trying to make you think, subconsciously.
MDGolfHacker
New member
Probably has to do with Machismo... It's a power thing for a few out there saying they can hit a PW 150yds. Manufacturers build products to appeal to the vanity in us and maybe that our mental thought that short clubs are easier to hit and will allow greater scoring opportunities. BTW...I'd have to hit a 7 iron for a 150yd shot, LOL...
asw7576
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Me too .... I dont care if my friend can hit 200 yards with his 5 irons while me must use a hybrid. For me as long as the ball fly straight and right on target, I feel awesome.