Irons for accuracy, better impact, etc

DonM · 2022-09-17T01:26:29+00:00

Have any of you tried to build to encourage a smoother swing, better contact, that sort of thing? I’ve fought irons for years and I’m sick of it. My Moe No...

DonM

I’m not changing the way I grip or swing. That’s out. I know that sounds crazy but you don’t know the context. This swing took me from guy who struggled to break 90 to guy who breaks 80 now and then. I drive great. Everyone has that thing that is harder than the rest. Irons are mine. Even the couple of 72s I’ve shot, my irons were not great.

rsvman2

DonM Fair enough.
But I still agree with Sneaky and that video he linked is fantastic.

garyt1957

DonM Everyone has that thing that is harder than the rest. Irons are mine.

Hello, you called me?

DonM

I think I grip pretty lightly. That’s why I asked about JumboMax. Anyone tried them?

Sneakylong

DonM But face control is a problem.

This is what you posted as your problem. For some reason you can't square the face with you irons consistently. That's fine that you don't want to change your grip, but somewhere in your swing the face is twisting and from there it's all timing. All a grip change does is eliminate the need to twist the club. But all that said good luck in finding something that works for you.

Here's a video explaining the elimination of rotating the clubface. Again, good luck.

DonM

Sneakylong
I know I'm going to get swing advice because that's how it goes on a golf forum. 🙂

I don't have a face rotation issue. The Moe swing is very low on face rotation. I have a face control issue that is rooted in body drive versus arm drive. My driver swing is unbelievably accurate, and it's definitely arm driven with the body supporting. With my irons, for whatever reason, it's a lot harder to let that happen. So I have sync problems. I am able to have the same straight divot every time, and good contact, but if the hips are too fast, the face is open. If the arms are too fast, the shot goes left.

So, I was just wondering if anyone has built an extreme iron build for accuracy sake. Moe's irons certainly were extreme! 🙂

scotts33

DonM I’ve never seen the connection. SL irons make the same amount of sense (or not) for any swing.

I disagree it makes more sense for a single plane swinger IMO. The sets that I have built for single planers work as well or better than for double planers. Especially if face control seems to be that your irons aren't on plane with face down the line per Moe Norman. As you know Moe was one of the most accurate players in the professional ranks of all time.

If you keep coming back to a heft issues/total weight then that's the fitting issue and that needs to be replicated to test.

DonM

I think it is a heft issue.
I'll dig myself a deeper hole on the face issue in the next post. 🙂

scotts33

DonM I think it is a heft issue.
I'll dig myself a deeper hole on the face issue in the next post. 🙂

So Don are you saying you have 2 different swings? Moe Norman single plane for longer clubs and another swing for shorter clubs? Inquiring minds. ☺

DonM

scotts33 I try to only have one swing. I have the same grip and setup with all clubs. I swing on the shaft setup plane with all of them. But irons seem to engage a different power source than long clubs.

scotts33

DonM OK I agree on heft. Note all the threads on G'Buzz with I like this shaft and I need graphite or steel it's always a heft issue for the majority.

What I am trying to understand if you are using Moe's swing why the face issues?

DonM

scotts33 Go up to my reply to Sneaky.

DonM

Very typical: My hips drive through the 7 iron shot, and the ball starts right and curves right. When I take a slow practice swing, I see the face is wide open. It's all in the timing of the lower and upper body.
Different iron builds produce different body reactions.
scotts33

scotts33

DonM Go up to my reply to Sneaky.

Ahhhh I see now. Missed that when I posted. OK why not extreme? This is why I build out/fit MoI heft match. We are not attached to the club 14" down the from the butt of the club. I have fewer issues fitting this way solid center impact doing it this way. Are some how the JumboMax grips skewing this?

DonM

scotts33 I'm not using the JumboMax.

DonM

scotts33 So a question would be, let's say I build very short heavy irons. I only swing in the low 70s. How bad is it going to be?

scotts33

DonM So a question would be, let's say I build very short heavy irons. I only swing in the low 70s. How bad is it going to be?

You won't know until you build a test club or take one of the ones you have and add lead tape and see what happens swing and impact wise. I think that's where I'd start.

What do you normally use for irons shafts?

DonM

scotts33 Hah, you'll roll your eyes. I'm using 66 gram UST iRN R flex. They are even counterbalanced by design. BUT. They have been by far the best I've found for getting the middle of the clubface onto the ball, and hitting the low point in the right spot.

They are probably too light. But everything heavier (that I've tried) causes the hits to start moving all over the face. Except for the heavier wedges. (Which I swing with a different intent. Hmmm.) I keep thinking there is some heavier shaft that will suit me. Russ Ryden does clubfitting 40 minutes from me, I was thinking about going to see him. But I think I'm asking for the impossible from a fitting.

DonM

Also I tried running lead tape along these shafts. At first it seemed to really help, but then it didn't. Of course.

scotts33

Are the wedge shafts also UST iRN R? The shaft profile of a UST iRN is stiffer than the majority of graphite iron shafts in the same weight range.

Russ is a good fitter but costly. Guess it comes down to can I figure this out myself as you are very knowledgeable and do I want to tinker or just pay the man?

DonM

scotts33 No, the wedge is a heavy Fuji graphite wedge shaft from Callaway. I get pretty similar swings with a DG shaft in the wedges. But the graphites fly higher and spin more.

It's interesting that the iRN profile is stiffer. The butt CPM is soft. I know, I know....
Throughout my life I've done better with soft butt, stiffer tip section in my irons.

I have to think outside the box on this, if there even is an equipment solution.

Typhoon

scotts33 Are the wedge shafts also UST iRN R? The shaft profile of a UST iRN is stiffer than the majority of graphite iron shafts in the same weight range.

Russ is a good fitter but costly. Guess it comes down to can I figure this out myself as you are very knowledgeable and do I want to tinker or just pay the man?

Wow… I thought I’d be the only one to suggest spending the money to get fit. And then get lambasted for saying it🙄. I’ve said before, the time and money some of you spend on crazy ideas makes no sense to me. Scott does this as an occupation… dials in his own weight and shaft material… done. And plays it day in and day out and sees his game improve. Also maybe a couple lessons if You’re hitting it right to right.

I don’t want to sound like a prick but if I have trouble with an electrical issue in the house I call an electrician rather than spend 2 weeks of my time and end up burning down the house.

scotts33

DonM I'm trying to figure out why the face control issues with the Norman swing with irons? Do you do the vertical drop like he did and drive? Maybe the correlation is you can't "feel" the head/shaft when you do that Norman move? With the clubs you can "feel" with lighter shafts the longer club length gives you that "feel"?

Par4QC

DonM Not sure if you have the problems talked about in another thread, but have you considered just going with steel shafts?
Or, like me....just need to get your ass out of the way?? I can't hit irons for anything as I don't remember what to do with my ass during the swing. I also hit wedges good, but anything longer is just a POS in my hands any more.