Discussion
How far your club goes only matters if you can hit them!
The pro is right, spend some time practicing, not changing inputs. Build a repeatable swing that you know will deliver the same results each time.
I'd wager that your 7 iron is slightly easier to hit than the other guys down the club.
What clubs are you using?
For what it's worth my 7 iron, I typically expect to come out about 140 yards. It's probably the most consistent club in my bag.
I play with a guy who can hit his 7 iron 160/170 yards but also a couple of guys who are around my 140/150 distance.
The pro is right, spend some time practicing, not changing inputs. Build a repeatable swing that you know will deliver the same results each time.
I'd wager that your 7 iron is slightly easier to hit than the other guys down the club.
What clubs are you using?
For what it's worth my 7 iron, I typically expect to come out about 140 yards. It's probably the most consistent club in my bag.
I play with a guy who can hit his 7 iron 160/170 yards but also a couple of guys who are around my 140/150 distance.
I'm using callaway x22 tour irons. He was using new callaway mavrik irons. I was just wondering as what he said seemed pretty absolute that if you wanted to put up a score you need new irons. He is far more experienced than me and has been playing for years off 23. At the moment I'm aiming to break 100 so I will take any help I can get from more experienced players.
milkround said:
I'm using callaway x22 tour irons. He was using new callaway mavrik irons. I was just wondering as what he said seemed pretty absolute that if you wanted to put up a score you need new irons.
Absolute 100% nonsense. Give your clubs to a good “playing” pro and they will still score low.
You need to be able to be hitting the middle of the clubs with some accuracy before new clubs will make a difference. (There are a few if and buts)
Tip. Don’t listen to advice from anyone that has a handicap, especially one with 23hc. Take advice from your golf pro.
I guess if you were absolutely dead set on spending money on new clubs (everyone likes new things, right?) you could find something that is closer to a game improvement iron than the x22's. As far as I can see they are more suited to a mid / low handicapper.
You could look at something a bit more forgiving? (they probably won't look as pretty though)
You could look at something a bit more forgiving? (they probably won't look as pretty though)
Dan_1981 said:
I guess if you were absolutely dead set on spending money on new clubs (everyone likes new things, right?) you could find something that is closer to a game improvement iron than the x22's. As far as I can see they are more suited to a mid / low handicapper.
You could look at something a bit more forgiving? (they probably won't look as pretty though)
Tbh after reading what you and the other poster have said I'll stick with what I have and just practice. I'm getting better with my irons, and I'll wait until I really know what I'm doing before spending more money. You could look at something a bit more forgiving? (they probably won't look as pretty though)
I don't have a handicap yet - but when I do have one it will be very high. I am putting off handing cards in until I can regularly shoot sub 100. Seems no point in having a handicap of 40 when all the competition needs with 28 or more commonly 18 at the club anyway. At this rate, I might self identify as a women as they have easier tees, and their competitions you can enter with a 54 handicap if you want.
milkround said:
Well I'm two lessons into my starting out on the golf. And it's about the most frustrating game I've ever tried playing. When you get one thing working the other goes to bits. I was working with the pro on my irons. And he slowed my swing right down. Pointed out I was using mainly my arms and got me using me shoulders and hips. And I got some traction with that. Then I couldn't hit the fairway woods... Then I get the fairway woods going okay but the irons are not working again. Let's not even think or talk about chipping and pitching... I'm actually looking at getting a chipper as it's soul-destroying being 20 yards away on a par 5 after two good shots and then scoring an 8 because you bladed the chip over the green into a bunker, then take 2 or 3 to get out. Then 2 or 3 put. The pro says to not buy anymore clubs but just practise and get confident... Easy for him to say when he can hit all his clubs properly.
Yeah, but he only got there via lots of good quality practice. You're doing the right thing. Keep doing it. There are no short-cuts.milkround said:
Out of interest how far is everyone else hitting their clubs? When it's working my 7 iron is consistently going about 150 yards. But I met a lad on the range who's 7 iron goes 165... Now I know it doesn't matter as I could just use a 5 iron. But he was telling me more modern clubs go much further because they have taken the loft down, and if you want to put any sort of decent score up you need some of these new clubs. My 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft according to google and he said that is far too much. I will discuss this with the pro but I wanted to get a feel for what everyone else is doing. I can't be making this game any harder for myself.
That guy is talking absolute, absolute rubbish. There's no mention on a scorecard about the number embossed on the club you used.Iron loft-drift has been going on since manufacturers realised that if a new set of irons goes further than the old set, then they're an easier sell. So a very simple thing to do is just make them all steeper. So they do. Extra bonus for the manufacturer: now you need a gap wedge at the top!
He's boasting that his lower-lofted club goes further than a higher-loft club? Well, duh, it will, won't it!
But if his 6 iron is the same loft as your 5 iron, then they're effectively the same club. He's effectively hitting a 5 iron, and getting the results of a 5 iron, but getting to call it a '6 iron'. Johnny Large-Potatoes.
The flip side of the argument, if we're getting into the weeds, is that he'll be getting the dispersion of a 5 iron from his '6 iron', which is a bad thing.
Edited by SpeckledJim on Wednesday 8th July 09:02
milkround said:
Well I'm two lessons into my starting out on the golf. And it's about the most frustrating game I've ever tried playing. When you get one thing working the other goes to bits. I was working with the pro on my irons. And he slowed my swing right down. Pointed out I was using mainly my arms and got me using me shoulders and hips. And I got some traction with that. Then I couldn't hit the fairway woods... Then I get the fairway woods going okay but the irons are not working again. Let's not even think or talk about chipping and pitching... I'm actually looking at getting a chipper as it's soul-destroying being 20 yards away on a par 5 after two good shots and then scoring an 8 because you bladed the chip over the green into a bunker, then take 2 or 3 to get out. Then 2 or 3 put. The pro says to not buy anymore clubs but just practise and get confident... Easy for him to say when he can hit all his clubs properly.
Out of interest how far is everyone else hitting their clubs? When it's working my 7 iron is consistently going about 150 yards. But I met a lad on the range who's 7 iron goes 165... Now I know it doesn't matter as I could just use a 5 iron. But he was telling me more modern clubs go much further because they have taken the loft down, and if you want to put any sort of decent score up you need some of these new clubs. My 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft according to google and he said that is far too much. I will discuss this with the pro but I wanted to get a feel for what everyone else is doing. I can't be making this game any harder for myself.
First thing to do is don't worry about how far anyone is hitting anything. Out of interest how far is everyone else hitting their clubs? When it's working my 7 iron is consistently going about 150 yards. But I met a lad on the range who's 7 iron goes 165... Now I know it doesn't matter as I could just use a 5 iron. But he was telling me more modern clubs go much further because they have taken the loft down, and if you want to put any sort of decent score up you need some of these new clubs. My 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft according to google and he said that is far too much. I will discuss this with the pro but I wanted to get a feel for what everyone else is doing. I can't be making this game any harder for myself.
Second thing, ignore any "advice" from said person.
I have some of the strongest lofted clubs you can get, it's not because I want to say I hit my 7 iron 190 yards, it's just due to them being the clubs that I liked the look of and what worked for me. I play with people whos 7 iron loft is 6 degrees weaker and as far as golf and scoring goes its of no real disadvantage.
There's so much more to golf than how far does it go, yet its about 90% all I hear about around the courses.
There's a reason so many of the pros / v good players stick to the traditional lofts.
thebraketester said:
milkround said:
I'm using callaway x22 tour irons. He was using new callaway mavrik irons. I was just wondering as what he said seemed pretty absolute that if you wanted to put up a score you need new irons.
Absolute 100% nonsense. Give your clubs to a good “playing” pro and they will still score low.
You need to be able to be hitting the middle of the clubs with some accuracy before new clubs will make a difference. (There are a few if and buts)
Tip. Don’t listen to advice from anyone that has a handicap, especially one with 23hc. Take advice from your golf pro.
Just practise with what you have, learn to improve strike and just enjoy playing. Spend your money on lessons, and green fees.
I don't honestly believe that iron technology is really progressing at all.
If they were going through an iterative process of converging on the 'perfect' shape then we wouldn't see the large differences from generation to generation.
Cavity-backs and 'players clubs' get lumps and bumps and humps and hollows, only to lose them again in 2 years, only to grow them again in another 2 years. It drives people to change, but I don't believe for a second that each time is an actual upgrade from the last.
Blades have been essentially the same since god-knows when, with only very small changes.
In my humble, the biggest step forward on new irons is sharp grooves and fresh grips, both of which are great to have, and the chance to get clubs that suit you better (which can also go the other way, and not suit you as well as the last ones did).
If they were going through an iterative process of converging on the 'perfect' shape then we wouldn't see the large differences from generation to generation.
Cavity-backs and 'players clubs' get lumps and bumps and humps and hollows, only to lose them again in 2 years, only to grow them again in another 2 years. It drives people to change, but I don't believe for a second that each time is an actual upgrade from the last.
Blades have been essentially the same since god-knows when, with only very small changes.
In my humble, the biggest step forward on new irons is sharp grooves and fresh grips, both of which are great to have, and the chance to get clubs that suit you better (which can also go the other way, and not suit you as well as the last ones did).
Rosscow said:
Blackpuddin said:
My handicap high (ie low) point of 13 seems like a distant memory now. I'm supposedly on 18 these days but can't remember when I last shot that. Neck, shoulder and back are all buggered on the right side, think I've got a trapped nerve somewhere, desperate to get some acupuncture but will have to exit Wales to have any chance of that.
Blackpuddin said:
milkround said:
But he was telling me more modern clubs go much further because they have taken the loft down, and if you want to put any sort of decent score up you need some of these new clubs.
And welcome to the world of misinformed nits. "you'll never get anywhere until your 6 iron goes like a 5 iron!"
"It's ok. When I need something to go like a 5 iron, my 5 iron goes like a 5 iron."
"...!"
danneth said:
milkround said:
Well I'm two lessons into my starting out on the golf. And it's about the most frustrating game I've ever tried playing. When you get one thing working the other goes to bits. I was working with the pro on my irons. And he slowed my swing right down. Pointed out I was using mainly my arms and got me using me shoulders and hips. And I got some traction with that. Then I couldn't hit the fairway woods... Then I get the fairway woods going okay but the irons are not working again. Let's not even think or talk about chipping and pitching... I'm actually looking at getting a chipper as it's soul-destroying being 20 yards away on a par 5 after two good shots and then scoring an 8 because you bladed the chip over the green into a bunker, then take 2 or 3 to get out. Then 2 or 3 put. The pro says to not buy anymore clubs but just practise and get confident... Easy for him to say when he can hit all his clubs properly.
Out of interest how far is everyone else hitting their clubs? When it's working my 7 iron is consistently going about 150 yards. But I met a lad on the range who's 7 iron goes 165... Now I know it doesn't matter as I could just use a 5 iron. But he was telling me more modern clubs go much further because they have taken the loft down, and if you want to put any sort of decent score up you need some of these new clubs. My 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft according to google and he said that is far too much. I will discuss this with the pro but I wanted to get a feel for what everyone else is doing. I can't be making this game any harder for myself.
First thing to do is don't worry about how far anyone is hitting anything. Out of interest how far is everyone else hitting their clubs? When it's working my 7 iron is consistently going about 150 yards. But I met a lad on the range who's 7 iron goes 165... Now I know it doesn't matter as I could just use a 5 iron. But he was telling me more modern clubs go much further because they have taken the loft down, and if you want to put any sort of decent score up you need some of these new clubs. My 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft according to google and he said that is far too much. I will discuss this with the pro but I wanted to get a feel for what everyone else is doing. I can't be making this game any harder for myself.
Second thing, ignore any "advice" from said person.
I have some of the strongest lofted clubs you can get, it's not because I want to say I hit my 7 iron 190 yards, it's just due to them being the clubs that I liked the look of and what worked for me. I play with people whos 7 iron loft is 6 degrees weaker and as far as golf and scoring goes its of no real disadvantage.
There's so much more to golf than how far does it go, yet its about 90% all I hear about around the courses.
There's a reason so many of the pros / v good players stick to the traditional lofts.
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff