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Analyzing Irons: How Important is Distance to You?

SuperStroke
Distance isn't my number one factor in any club choice I make.

But if club A and club B produce the same launch, spin, dispersion, good looks and feel then I will take the one that goes further (assuming it could happen.)
 
No to Distance. they have to match my clothes. No wait! thats my wife. It's the feel/forgiveness etc for me
 
i wont shop specifically for distance but if the iron has it, so be it. equally feeling and looking sets at the same price point, who would by the "short" set?
 
im not concerned with distance when i choose an iron. I have an idea of where i want to be with each iron and as long as my gapping is good through my whole bag then i am good. I don't want to hit a PW 150+ and have a 30 yard gap to my next wedge.
 
Consistent distances are what I care about. An extra 5-10yds isn't a real game changer for me in irons. I have no problems clubbing up
 
fupresti said:
Anyone who says distance isnt a motivator is lying. Yeah, I want accuracy and the ability to control ballflight, but I cant see anyone saying "I wish I could hit the ball shorter".
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With irons? You're dead wrong, at least for me.

For a driver? Sure. But my irons start where my woods end--who cares how long an individual club in the middle of your bag is, as long as it gaps correctly?

I'm not interested in whipping out my 9 iron and comparing it to some other dude on the course. I'm confident it's long enough to get the job done.
 
Yes important, I just bought a set of XR's. I'm a good enough striker to play i20's, which I own, but I just have no length with them at all. I hit an XR 7i on a better (slightly lower but much more boring) trajectory almost 15y longer than the i20, with no loss of dispersion and in fact better overall due to the added forgiveness. And that's still only ~145-150, so you can see how I can use the added distance.
 
Analyzing Irons: How Important is Distance to You?

This is amusing.

For the folks saying that distance does matter and that no one wants to go shorter....

I believe the standard thought process to be that with technology where it is, we are unlikely to go backwards.

When I said that distance doesn't matter, it was on the basis of GAINING distance in irons.

Hell, I've played likely 6-7 iron sets over the last 3 years and 1 thing is common throughout: 7i remains 150 regardless of club, loft, shaft, etc. for all the talk of 17 yards and 2 clubs longer...its a joke to me as it simply hasn't held true.

I'm not BS'ing when I say distance isn't important cause it's not.

Golf is won and lost within 100 yards.....
 
rjb01camaross said:
Consistent distances are what I care about. An extra 5-10yds isn't a real game changer for me in irons. I have no problems clubbing up
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Those 5-10 yards gained through out the set may be the difference between an 8 or a PW. That's a huge difference in my mind. If you are willing to give up a club or more into a green for a little tighter dispersion, on clubs that really don't disperse that much, more power to you. I will take the GAINZ everyday of the week
 
#Brownie,
Didnt you play Pro Combos?
If you are hitting the Pro Combos and Big Bertha's the same distance, something is amiss.
 
Dave Alvarado said:
With irons? You're dead wrong, at least for me.

For a driver? Sure. But my irons start where my woods end--who cares how long an individual club in the middle of your bag is, as long as it gaps correctly?

I'm not interested in whipping out my 9 iron and comparing it to some other dude on the course. I'm confident it's long enough to get the job done.
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Sorry. I forgot that this was the Internet where a 30 handicap has the confidence and precision to know his gaps perfectly and where he has no preference of a PW to 130 or an 8 iron, cause he knows he has that shot in the bag regardless.
 
JB said:
#Brownie,
Didnt you play Pro Combos?
If you are hitting the Pro Combos and Big Bertha's the same distance, something is amiss.
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Assuming this was directed to me, yes.

Well struck 7 irons with both were roughly 150.

My issues with VPC's was that I really had to be on my game to get to 150 while the BB's delivered it more consistently.

The thought of 2 clubs more or whatever was simply not accurate for me.

From the DPC's to altitudes to BB to 545's: my 150 club is a 7i.
 
Throughout the years I've only played "players" type of clubs. I like the size, overall appearance, and I like the yardage gaps they give me. My yardage difference between my 2002 Nike Forged Blades and my Callaway X-Forged is only 5 yards and that's about pushing it for me. For me it's all about yardage gaps, and then appearance. I might be weird, but if I don't like looking down at the club I'm using, I don't have much confidence in that club. About the only club that I don't like to look down at, but have confidence in, is the Ping G20 driver (club is fugly).

I just don't need to hit my irons any further than I already do.
 
#Cookie said:
Assuming this was directed to me, yes.

Well struck 7 irons with both were roughly 150.

My issues with VPC's was that I really had to be on my game to get to 150 while the BB's delivered it more consistently.

The thought of 2 clubs more or whatever was simply not accurate for me.

From the DPC's to altitudes to BB to 545's: my 150 club is a 7i.
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While I agree 2 clubs more was a stretch for me, I am literally shocked that two well struck shots with a 7 iron went the same distance carry. I mean you are dealing with so many things that say nearly impossible. From lower CG to produce higher, to stronger loft to bring it down, to thinner face to reduce spin. Most amateur golfers hitting those 2 irons see a minimum of 10 yards difference, similar to hitting Speed and Pro Combos. Im a bit baffled here.
 
Analyzing Irons: How Important is Distance to You?

For all of you saying distance doesn't matter I ask you this: you are looking at a 180 yard shot, would you rather be hitting a 4 iron or a 6 iron? People who get the difference between the two understand the importance.
 
I for one love distance in irons...it isn't #1 desirable trait in a iron but if I can hit an 8 iron as long as someone else's 7 iron or 6 iron meaning that it has a better chance to land softly than by all means sign me up for more distance
 
JB said:
While I agree 2 clubs more was a stretch for me, I am literally shocked that two well struck shots with a 7 iron went the same distance carry. I mean you are dealing with so many things that say nearly impossible. From lower CG to produce higher, to stronger loft to bring it down, to thinner face to reduce spin. Most amateur golfers hitting those 2 irons see a minimum of 10 yards difference, similar to hitting Speed and Pro Combos. Im a bit baffled here.
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Me too. I was expecting a change in distance on well struck shots and it simply hasn't happened for me.

Perhaps it's because I just don't hit the ball well enough consistently to see a gain.

Wish I knew but alas it's why I really don't care about distance. Playing less than 6600 yards I don't have to hit the ball further to score decently as I'm very comfortable and won't hesitate to pull hybrid into a par 4.
 
fupresti said:
For all of you saying distance doesn't matter I ask you this: you are looking at a 180 yard shot, would you rather be hitting a 4 iron or a 6 iron? People who get the difference between the two understand the importance.
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Give me 5 hybrid. Just as comfortable hitting that as a 7 iron.
 
#Cookie said:
Give me 5 hybrid. Just as comfortable hitting that as a 7 iron.
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I can hit a 5hy into the green too, difference is, with a 7i I can try to score instead of just focusing fully on hitting the green. I'll take the 7i.

Its a good convo.
 
#Cookie said:
Give me 5 hybrid. Just as comfortable hitting that as a 7 iron.
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I'll rescind my opinion when JB posts the statistics showing that amateur golfers are as accurate with a 5 hybrid as they are with the equivalent length iron.

I figure I'll be waiting a while.
 
Jman said:
I can hit a 5hy into the green too, difference is, with a 7i I can try to score instead of just focusing fully on hitting the green. I'll take the 7i.

Its a good convo.
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Perhaps that's the difference. At my golfing ability I'm rarely trying to score unless I'm inside 125. Outside of that I want to hit the green and go from there.

BUT if I was able to hit a 9i 160 yards that would change.

I'm just being brutally honest and saying that I don't consider distance when purchasing irons. Right or wrong, it's not in my thought process.
 
fupresti said:
I'll rescind my opinion when JB posts the statistics showing that amateur golfers are as accurate with a 5 hybrid as they are with the equivalent length iron.

I figure I'll be waiting a while.
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Huh?

Never said anything about accuracy.

I was simply answering a question in the thread about MY thought process and what works for ME.

This is absolute crap what this thread is being turned into at this point.
 
#Cookie said:
Perhaps that's the difference. At my golfing ability I'm rarely trying to score unless I'm inside 125. Outside of that I want to hit the green and go from there.

BUT if I was able to hit a 9i 160 yards that would change.

I'm just being brutally honest and saying that I don't consider distance when purchasing irons. Right or wrong, it's not in my thought process.
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I hear ya dude, thats the beauty of the convo and seeing how people address it and think about it.
 
#Cookie said:
Huh?

Never said anything about accuracy.

I was simply answering a question in the thread about MY thought process and what works for ME.

This is absolute crap what this thread is being turned into at this point.
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Distance and accuracy are not mutually exclusive. I don't care about distance as a means to measure junk size, I know I am more accurate and confident with each club progressively lower in my bag. I know I am better with a full 8 iron then a full 7 iron. The entire process is mental.
 
I can say that when I am looking at new irons I am not necessarily looking to add distance, but I don't want to lose it. I also don't have a problem with distance so that could play into it not being a factor for me. Personally I am looking at other factors such as forgiveness and feel before looking to increase distance. I have a relative idea of distances I get with clubs so I am looking to see how they fit in with the rest of my bag.
 
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