My journey from steel to graphite and back again

Nat

Not sure if this story needs to be told, but here it is....
A few months ago my beloved TS2's began to fail me. They had been as reliable as any iron I ever had for several years, in the past few months i realized I rarely hit the 5i well, then the 6i , and soon the 7i followed. They just felt "off". So it was time for a change. I had built a few test clubs a few months ago (TS3, TS4, TE+), and the clear winner was the TS4 on a KK graphite shaft. I decided to take the plunge and built a set of TS4 on the Swing Science 200 (same specs as the KK less $). And for 3-4 rounds they were money. Interestingly the graphite did not give me a boost in yardage (even when corrected for diff lofts), they were if anything shorter than I expected. But they were straight and high and looked cool. Then the balloon popped. In one round I lost my swing. Range time, a few more rounds, and it only got worse. I lost the feel. I was hitting it all over the place, all over the face. During one round I picked up my buddy's steel shafted iron and it felt so much better - heavier, and i could feel it on plane.
So I did what any buzzer would do and promptly reshafted my irons with steel (D4-5, with TT Score, +3/4"). It is only a few range sessions and one round on a par 3, but WOW! Not only has my ball striking improved, but I hit these further and higher. I flew my 9i 135 easily, I hit my GW 115 and it stopped on a dime.
On another note, i put on the Lamkin UTX cord grips. I've never used cord before and these are great. Softer than other cords, but still very cord-y. On sale for $8/grip now

johnnydoom

I do hit steel a little farther than graphite. I guess since my swing speed isn't all that high, the extra mass in the steel contributes a little more than the extra speed of the graphite.

However, my knuckles, wrists, and elbows aren't too fond of steel these days. I feel much better after using graphite for a round than when I try to go back to steel. I don't notice any change in strike, probably because I play so infrequently that strikes are all over anyway most days.

scotts33

It's a heft issue and always is if the shaft profile and shaft weight "fits" you. People get hung up on swing weight but the only way to know real heft (at the end of the club where you grip it, is thru MoI (kg-cm ^ 2). You could find out your target heft thru extensive impact label testing but most don't want to go thru the effort. You can hit the target and use progressive swing weight heft matching heavier as the clubs get shorter. Which is basically what golf brands do when they hit wedges. It's the 7g between clubs 1/2" stuff that the industry is wrapped around tyhat causes a lot of this grief. True custom build out/fit clubs are built one at a time to a correct MoI heft match, lie/loft/playing length and you can't do that when you are foisting off equipment on the unsuspecting public. Like my old shade tree mechanic buddy used to say after a repair.... "ahhhh that's good enough for the girls that will ride in that car."

azgreg

I've got steel in everything but my driver, the 14° hybrid I got from Landon, and my putter (titanium).

KCee

I have gone back and forth. Currently have DG105 steel, but I have an older set with Recoil 110. They are built to same length (+3/8"), overall weight is very close and pseudo MOI matched. No difference in distance as lofts are same, but I do like the feel of graphite. Might do a new set with RT105 graphite soon.

sdandrea1

I'm happiest right now with 71g graphite in my irons (Rapture V2). I tried some PING G430 irons with 45g graphite and they're difficult to control. Like swinging feathers. No steel for me.

Par4QC

I'm just a rainbow fella, I guess. Can readily swing either with same results from same heads.😲

😆🤣

Typhoon

I read something a while back that said if you swing something too light you don’t activate your bigger, more powerful muscles. If it’s heavier just use the stronger muscles and swing faster.

sdandrea1

Typhoon I read something a while back that said if you swing something too light you don’t activate your bigger, more powerful muscles. If it’s heavier just use the stronger muscles and swing faster.

I believe this or something like it. When I swing the featherweight clubs (SMBOs, XXIO, PING ALTA Quick) nothing "feels right".

Taki27

I have been using graphite since around 2005. The heavy graphite shafts felt like garbage back then. I had been using 95 for a while but needed counterweights to make them more playable. Just shafted up 110 Prototypes and they are a bit boardy but my slightly over the top has gone away. I’m never going back to steel.