Low loft irons

Tinker

So I’m reading up on why modern irons are so low lofted and the general consensus is that modern irons get the ball up much easier so manufacturers counter this by delisting. Does this whole concept make any sense or am I not getting something?

Sparky

I think the consensus is that for advertising to say their irons are "longer" they need to (1) deloft them, and (2) make the shafts longer. To make them playable at the lower lofts and longer lengths, they have needed to change from blades to "GI". Mortals can't hit a 27* blade at 38".

Rickochet

Marketing "ego lofts" perhaps. If your old school PW is 48° and your new PW is 44° then you should be able to hit the new one farther and they are marketed as being longer. I was looking at some Integra Sooolong iron specs recently and they list their PW at 41°.

JeffTilley

I believe the marketing is legit. Using lighter materials, they can move the weight lower than ever before. Without strengthening the lofts on modern irons, we’d all be hitting moonballs. Let’s compare my Aeroburner irons vs my old Wilson’s from 1986. Loft on that Wilson 3-iron is 24. I used to knock it out there 220 as a young man, now I have a tough time even getting it airborne. The Aeroburner 4-iron is 19 and it’s easy, peasy, macaroni and cheesy. Same swing, much different results. Game improvement irons are not all hype, they really do work as advertised........

Spuzz

JeffTilley Game improvement irons are not all hype, they really do work as advertised

So do the new fangled shafts...

JeffTilley

Spuzz

What’s a fangled shaft? JK. I agree, modern shafts help too, but I’ve put modern shafts in older iron heads and you still don’t get the same results you will with modern heads.

Spuzz

JeffTilley What’s a fangled shaft? JK

Old folks shaft
lol
😉
The golf ball also has a lot to do with it.
I don't believe irons have changed all that much since 1986 aside from the size and the perimeter weighting and more bounce.
Most old school blades had all the weight in the bottom so it's not a new concept, imo, and getting the new balls airborne is not an issue (unless you got tip stiff old school shafts which was my point)
🙂

JeffTilley

I’ve got 30 dozen Titleist DT Wound balls to prove you wrong on old ball vs new ball flights. Those old wound balls go just as high for me, yet 5-10 yards shorter. And they suck on a super windy day because of increased side spin, but they still dance like a cat on a hot tin roof on the greens. There’s not a ball today that feels as soft imo. I don’t know the specs on those Wilson shafts, but they’re TT Lites, green bands. I’ve tried both balls with both irons too......

Typhoon

JeffTilley

Recently I was out alone and had some old Titleist 384's with me. I wanted to hit my Ping ie-1/Nippon Modus 105 using that ball and compare it to the prov-1 i use now. I also did it with my Eye2 irons. I used the coppers right up until a few years ago and noticed they were too high , short and spinny compared to years ago.

Results were this... The eye2 irons with 384 went further than with a pro-v 1. Flight was lower ball checked and stopped. ProV1 went too high, then backed up 6 feet.

Using the Ping ie-1 irons the 384 went nowhere but the prov1 was fine, drop and stop.

So if I were to use my old coppers, I'd be better off using a 384.

If I were to use my new Pings, I'd stick with a prov1.

Tinker

The goofy part is that instead of selling 3 to pw they now sell 4 to gw which is the same set of clubs. Then they say it’s because people can’t hit 3 irons. 20 degrees loft is 20 degrees loft is it not?

Spuzz

Tinker
The smarter companies don't bother with the 3+4 and offer hybrids instead, in the GI line.
Blades are another story, regardless of stronger lofts.

I used to think I should have invested in a Gap Wedge making company as the OEMS "manufactured" a gap in a set of irons for no particular reason, but people kept buying into it.
🙁

ZWExton

Tinker I don't think a 15deg iron and a 15deg fairway wood would perform the same - length is a factor, but I imagine the design of the head plays some kind of role.

Overall though, yes, this vanishing loft stuff is bullshit. "Omg I added 12yds per club with my new Callaway set, but I can't hit the 5i, and I use the 4i to putt! Who cares, I'm hitting the 8i 210yds!"

The Sterling irons actually have wild lofts. You need to totally recalibrate what you think a 6 7 8 9i distance is. It's not that these irons are magic - they're just different. This 6i is not meant to be a direct replacement to your previous 6i. This 6i goes a little lower and a little farther than this 7i, and a little higher and shorter than this 5i.

I love the Sterlings, BTW. They're very honest about the 4i and 5i jot being viable for many. They don't even make a 3i.

Spuzz

Have at 'er.
For me, the Rifle 6.0 and DGS300 hit the ball (any ball) lower than Apollo Shadow Stiff Graphite and TT GS75 in my Maxfli Aussie blades, (and the latter shafts were put in after my SS went down by at least 10mph) which is my point.
YMMV

JeffTilley

Spuzz

Ok, I see where you’re going. As I’ve said, I’ve tried modern soft tipped shafts in old school heads with both balls and the modern heads with lower lofts still win out for me. I have hit modern heads with soft tipped shafts that went too high for me also, but never had that with old heads. Results can vary........

JeffTilley

Spuzz

The modern gap wedge has taken the place of the old pw. Some of gap wedges look garish, like my Aeroburner. I’d love to play Blades, but my ball striking isn’t what it used to be.

JeffTilley

I can’t hit a 22* hybrid as far as I hit my Aeroburner 4-iron, so no hybrids in that bag.

bad9

Here is just one of the times Wishon has given his take on this issue over the years, on various forums. I'll take his view on it. http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/581411-does-anyone-still-game-ping-eye-2s/pagest1140p16385124#entry16385124

Tinker

The Wishon piece really says it all. I actually prefer older irons with traditional lofts, it gives me the opertunity to use all eight irons plus two wedges to cover all the shots necessary . A punch four iron in the back of my stance is a shot I couldn’t go without. I see guys under tree branches and swinging like their in the middle of the fairway and wondering why the ball didin’t come out.

sdandrea1

I tried the PING G irons and hated them. Hot faced and strong lofted, so much so that I could not control distance. I'm a much better player with G10 or even Eye 2 irons.