Progressive Shaft Length?

Tbonafide

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Wondering if anyone has ever considered going to shorter (relatively) shafts as the irons get longer. I'm really frustrated with my accuracy with my 6,5,4 irons and I'm wondering if going with shorter shafts on these irons might help with control. By shorter, I mean going down to standard length as my set is +1" currently. Has anyone ever tried this? Would it dramatically effect my distance gaps?

Next time I'm going to play around with my grip and see if choking up an inch or so helps any. Just curious if anyone has tried or been custom fit to different lengths (relative to standard) for different irons.
 
If everything stays consistent, you shouldn't experience too much gapping issues. If you do you can always bend the oft to compensate. You might lose some overall distance, but the accuracy gains will be worth it.


THPing on Tapatalk
 
If everything stays consistent, you shouldn't experience too much gapping issues. If you do you can always bend the oft to compensate. You might lose some overall distance, but the accuracy gains will be worth it.


THPing on Tapatalk
Keep in mind when you bend irons strong it creates more offset in the club. This may actually create more sidespin.

Shortening clubs may be a good test, but 1" is a considerable amount. I would do as you thought, and choke down before you go cutting off 1" from each of those irons, as you won't be able to take that back.
 
Yeah, I'm going to be sure before I go hacking anything off :act-up:

It just got me thinking that a full-set fitting might uncover different needs for different clubs. When I was measured, I only hit one iron and "Yep, you're +1." I'm still knocking the rust off after a long winter with very little golf, so I'm hoping things will improve without an equipment change. It turns out that watching golf on TV and reading THP for 3 months don't make you any better of a ball-striker....
 
Keep in mind when you bend irons strong it creates more offset in the club. This may actually create more sidespin.

Shortening clubs may be a good test, but 1" is a considerable amount. I would do as you thought, and choke down before you go cutting off 1" from each of those irons, as you won't be able to take that back.

That's good info, I didn't know that.


THPing on Tapatalk
 
Sounds like you would be a good candidate for 3/8 inch steps between clubs rather than 1/2 inch. This way you have shorter (relative to a standard set) long irons and longer wedges. I use this set up for myself (6'3" with a 38" WTF).

Wondering if anyone has ever considered going to shorter (relatively) shafts as the irons get longer. I'm really frustrated with my accuracy with my 6,5,4 irons and I'm wondering if going with shorter shafts on these irons might help with control. By shorter, I mean going down to standard length as my set is +1" currently. Has anyone ever tried this? Would it dramatically effect my distance gaps?

Next time I'm going to play around with my grip and see if choking up an inch or so helps any. Just curious if anyone has tried or been custom fit to different lengths (relative to standard) for different irons.
 
Yep, it is about .75 mm of offset change per degree you move the club - most people cannot see that but will begin to notice when you move 2* or more.

Keep in mind when you bend irons strong it creates more offset in the club. This may actually create more sidespin.

Shortening clubs may be a good test, but 1" is a considerable amount. I would do as you thought, and choke down before you go cutting off 1" from each of those irons, as you won't be able to take that back.
 
Sounds like you would be a good candidate for 3/8 inch steps between clubs rather than 1/2 inch. This way you have shorter (relative to a standard set) long irons and longer wedges. I use this set up for myself (6'3" with a 38" WTF).

Yep, I'm about your size. Can I ask how you determined this was the way to go (I didn't know it was an option)? Is this common for +1"ers or strictly based off performance?

So, if I keep my GW as is and take off 1/8 of PW, 1/4 of 9i, and so on. I'd be a full inch shorter on the 3i, 7/8 shorter on the 4, etc. I think it would definitely take some getting used to, but seems like it might be just what I need. I'd even be fine with tightening the gaps some, if that were to happen.

Thanks for the advice!
 
Wondering if anyone has ever considered going to shorter (relatively) shafts as the irons get longer. I'm really frustrated with my accuracy with my 6,5,4 irons and I'm wondering if going with shorter shafts on these irons might help with control. By shorter, I mean going down to standard length as my set is +1" currently. Has anyone ever tried this? Would it dramatically effect my distance gaps?

Next time I'm going to play around with my grip and see if choking up an inch or so helps any. Just curious if anyone has tried or been custom fit to different lengths (relative to standard) for different irons.

I did this and have never been more accurate with my long irons. Love it.
 
I did this and have never been more accurate with my long irons. Love it.

Good to hear! Did you take them down incrementally or just chop the amount off each one?
 
I build my own clubs so no issue for me to put them together that way. Now that you mention it, I have never asked an OEM about building a set this way although I am sure Ping at least would. It is an old idea just not talked about much - it was taught to me by the clubfitter who trained me in the 80s.

The best way to figure your ideal length is to start with a club more in the center of your set like the 6 or 7 iron and get the length set for that club. For me I go from the 5 iron (which I play at 38.5"), and move down to the gap wedge at 36.25". That is as short as I like my wedges so the sand and lob are also 36.25.

Yep, I'm about your size. Can I ask how you determined this was the way to go (I didn't know it was an option)? Is this common for +1"ers or strictly based off performance?

So, if I keep my GW as is and take off 1/8 of PW, 1/4 of 9i, and so on. I'd be a full inch shorter on the 3i, 7/8 shorter on the 4, etc. I think it would definitely take some getting used to, but seems like it might be just what I need. I'd even be fine with tightening the gaps some, if that were to happen.

Thanks for the advice!
 
Tommy Armour made a set (in the late 80s I think) called EQL. The shafts were all the same length and I think they were all 6 iron length.
 
Tommy Armour made a set (in the late 80s I think) called EQL. The shafts were all the same length and I think they were all 6 iron length.

There is a brand still doing that today, One iron I think it's called.

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First off, there is NO standard length or lofts for clubs. Every manufacturer is different, right down to gaps between clubs.

- loft controls trajectory and contributes to yardage gaps
- lie controls direction and contributes to club % error

The fancy, or a cool way to do what you're after is to Google 'True Length Technology' and find a fitter that is certified for that system. You'll end with up clubs of different lengths, some longer, some shorter.
 
First off, there is NO standard length or lofts for clubs. Every manufacturer is different, right down to gaps between clubs.

- loft controls trajectory and contributes to yardage gaps
- lie controls direction and contributes to club % error

The fancy, or a cool way to do what you're after is to Google 'True Length Technology' and find a fitter that is certified for that system. You'll end with up clubs of different lengths, some longer, some shorter.

Interesting reading. Surprised I've never heard of this theory before, actually. I might look into it for my next set.

For now, I took some measurements and found 1/4" differences in my wedges, and moves up to 1/2" for the rest. I marked the grips where the lengths would if they were set to 3/8" increments. Came out to be 3/4" shorter on the 3i. I'll grip down to the line and see what happens at the range.
 
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