• Equipment

  • Playing with steel again............why is it better?

I can't seem to get away from the fact that the heft of steel shafts markedly improves my ball striking, especially with irons. Prosoft inserts and the Band-It arm brace are helping with the arthritis and tendinitis. I don't make the swing speed to be "fit" into stiff steel shafts, but the combo of the Eye 2 head and ZZ-Lite shafts just seem to be the right combo for me.

Even more interesting is I put my old 21* Perfect Club (yes, the Peter Kessler one) back in the bag. With it's graphite shaft and heavy head, the total weight is 363 grams. I have been smashing that thing off the fairway about 150 to 170 yards with roll out................keep in mind that's only about 30 yards short of my normal drives. I teed off with it on a long par 3 yesterday and hit it about 180.

What seems to be different is these heavier clubs seem to just "fall" into the right plane for me and I can just let them go through the ball and getting that "I smashed it" feeling again. I have an old TM SuperSteel driver with a Rifle R80 steel in it. It's going back in the bag for a round or two.

Anybody care to comment on the fitting science of what I am experiencing?

    sdandrea1 changed the title to Playing with steel again............why is it better? .

    sdandrea1 Paraphrasing and changing a word from the great Yogi Berra...Golf is 90% mental and the other 50% is physical...

      I don't think you keep anything in the bag long enough for any science to come into play. šŸ˜„
      I wear a Band It on my arm also. The only steel shaft in my bag is the putter.

        Sneakylong I don't think you keep anything in the bag long enough for any science to come into play

        You're not helping, smart alec. šŸ˜‰

            I definitely prefer steel in irons. Iā€™m trying not to jump around and sticking with my VIP by Nicklaus blades with TT custom lite sensicore shafts and hitting my irons better than I have in a long time.

            Whatever helps you hit the ball with the center of the face with a good strike and club path is scientifically the right setup. Could be the weight helping you keep your hands subdued and swing more with the body.

            Did you do a lot of manual labor in life? I think naturally strong paws need some weight to keep from overpowering the club.

              2 rounds of tendinitis changed my mind. I now play Xcaliber TourX sticks and I love them. I use the heaviest stiffest shafts they make and if I need new sticks with different shafts I will get the heaviest stiffest shafts I can find since it seems the Xcaliber brand won't be available any longer which makes me sad. I've used several of their other shafts, which are all very good.

              ZWExton

              I thought Manual Labor was a Brazilian soccer player...................

              No I am not Popeye. I have medium sized paws, but I do swing more with the larger muscles of my shoulders and legs than my hands. I think it's the fact that I learned with steel and developed my natural swing with steel. My only hope for graphite (when eventually required by age/health), is probably going to be the heaviest ones I can find (cha-ching$).

                It just helps your tempo Steve. Helps stop you from casting... like what ZWExton said. You see people putting heavier shafts in their wedges all the time. Keeps some types of swings on plane better which leads to better ball striking and more distance.

                The prosoft inserts are a good idea. If you can get a set of Nippon steel shafts, they are also great as far as not being harsh on the joints.

                Steelfiber shafts are great too...pricey but they have a 115 gram weight which I think is around what the zz lites were.

                  Steve...It is not rocket science. For many golfers, it is more difficult to 'come over the top' with a
                  heavier steel shaft and much easier to 'cast' or come over the top with a much lighter shaft.
                  Eventually, many graphite users acclimate to the lighter weight. JMO....YMMV.

                    Typhoon Nippon steel shafts, they are also great as far as not being harsh on the joints.

                    Steelfiber shafts are great too.

                    all the good shit is expensive....................that's life!

                      Eguller For many golfers, it is more difficult to 'come over the top' with a
                      heavier steel shaft and much easier to 'cast' or come over the top with a much lighter shaft.
                      Eventually, many graphite users acclimate to the lighter weight.

                      Makes sense Dan. Gonna hang on to steel a long as the joints will allow!

                          After going to graphite with my DTG irons I said I'd never go back, but the last 2 sets I've built with lighter steel (Spectre Lites) and Prosofts, have worked fairly well from my limited playing time. I just prepped some Matrix Studio 84s for some Topflite Tour heads (3-PW) today. Gonna shaft 'em up for Saturday's outing (Jaegermeister Open). I told myself today that this is the last set of irons I build and I mean it!!

                            LBlack14 "I told myself today that this is the last set of irons I build and I mean it!!" I think I told that to myself 8 sets of clubs ago. Or was it 11 sets ago??? I forget...

                                Several years back I was playing with steel-shafted Ping G25 irons, reg flex. I decided to switch out the shafts with graphite, which didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. Like you - I too prefer steel in my irons.

                                I also played a similar lofted Perfect Club back shortly after they first came out. Hit it pretty well... not sure why I ever got rid of it to be honest. Then again, I can say that about a lot of clubs I used to own.

                                Might be because I used to have a better golf swing back in the day! lol


                                sdandrea1 Even more interesting is I put my old 21* Perfect Club (yes, the Peter Kessler one) back in the bag. With it's graphite shaft and heavy head, the total weight is 363 grams.

                                I have some "Heavy Sole Rescue" clubs in da bag I have had for about 15 years. They are 260, 270 & 275 grams and are .335 bore. I shafted them up with some True Temper TX 90 shafts and somehow lucked into the perfect tip trim for me. They were sold as being similar to the perfect club. Last week I used the 20Ā° M3 to hit one out of 2' tall junk uphill and over a bunker at 190 yards to pin high 10' away. I have always wanted to try a driver with a heavy head in the 270 gram range. I have one made as a training aid at 270g but at 10Ā° all I hit are worm burners.

                                  I tried graphite shafted irons once, 85 gr ea and they weren't right for me. Been using Rifles with Pro Soft inserts for years. Works good.

                                  I'm seriously considering the NV Pro 105 iron shafts or sonething equal. A friend of mine uses these and loves them. I may get a set and use them in my Piranha heads.