I messed with single length clubs (two sets) and it was interesting. My take was the shorter long irons (4 to 6) were not good for me. To much distance loss. I liked the longer short irons (8 to W's). In my present set, the longer irons are standard length (4 to 7) and the shorter irons (8 to W's) are longer. Works for me.
First impressions, SK Fiber TT75 iron shaft & Vertex irons
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DonM Same question still. Do you use wedge tip trim for 38 inch wedge? And how is the flight?
For a non SL wedge I tip trim the shaft per the trim chart for a wedge then butt trim it to 38". It plays like any other wedge for me. For an SL wedge at 276g head weight I tip trim it for an 8 iron per the trim chart them butt trim to 38.5" like all of the other SL clubs (except for the Vertex 3,4 & 5.
Today I plan to pull the AW and try a shaft with 3.5" tipping, which is close to maximum.
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I was able to tip a shaft to 4" for the AW. So far, range only, it does keep the ball flight down. Still quite high, but not crazy like with the 2" tip. I need to get on course with regular balls to see what it does.
Comparing the Vertex to my MMB-17 gap wedges. The MMB flies the right height and distance.
Vertex 50 deg, MMB-17 52 deg.
TT75 81 gram shaft tipped like 7 iron vs Aldalite 64 gram tipped for wedge
TT75 is softer tip bend profile
37 vs 36 inches, shallower attack with the longer club
Probably 1 MPH more speed with the longer club
SGI shovel with wide sole vs muscle back skinny sole
So, which of those things are causing the Vertex to fly so high and short for me?
My best guess is the head design differences first, then the shallower attack, then the shaft.
What do you think?
I have now built the 6-AW. Gonna put them into play and see if I can score with them.
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I think I made a mistake.
It's not the heads, it's the shafts. Boy I thought I had a great fit, but they are too something. Too soft, I think. I'm not hitting the center of the face any more. They work pretty well with an easy swing, but if I have to hit a full shot, it's not working out. I actually did best with the AW that I tipped extra hard. I'm going to shelve this project and let the pain of the expense fade, lol.
I think the Vertex heads are good if you like SGI shovels. And that's not a knock, just a description. Same thing Aaron said here about them too.
DonM I think the Vertex heads are good if you like SGI shovels. And that's not a knock, just a description, which Aaron said here too.
Me likey shovels and can't wait to hit my Vertex clubs. Perhaps take a shaft that you hit well in a non SL head tipped for an 8 iron and give it a go in a Vertex head.
DonM Did you install and measure the grips?
Yes, I posted this about 5 days ago in the what did you buy thread.
DonM Rick, if you have calipers, Iād love to know the installed size of the LT grip at 2ā, 5ā, and 7ā from the butt. Depends on the shaft too, I realize.
Shafts are KBS Tour 90 Satin. No butt trim. .600 at end and the same at 2", 5" & 7" then .590 at grip end at 10". Grip is Winn Dritac LT Oversize. Installed OD at 2"- .985, 5" .930, 7" .928", grip end .927. I really like the feel of these grips.
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Those experiments can be costly but here is my take on it. There is not a simple rule for anyone. The Vertex at 36.5( short irons) suit me just fine. Of course I've never been a high ball hitter and I have played wedges and 9 iron at 36 inches for quite some time. So a half inch is not going to make a huge difference. That being said you might want to experiment with a flighted set. The shafts made for Edel are just that:
https://edelgolf.com/collections/single-length-irons/products/single-length-iron-shafts
Cobra moved on to progressive shaft weighting for the same purpose I believe:
https://www.cobragolf.com/king-f9-one-length-irons/
Progressive Shaft Weighting
Premium aftermarket KBS shafts in three different weights (KBS Tour 80 in the 4-6i, KBS Tour 90 in the 7-9i, and KBS Wedge in the PW-SW) optimize launch, feel and trajectory through the set.
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colej Well as time is going on, I've found more things for me to ponder.
I was mis-hitting my gamers, which are very light shafts. Now I'm hitting them great. The difference was in my setup. I was crowding the ball. Before I figured it out, I tried the Vertex AW, and the shaft is heavier. It seemed to put me right onto plane, and that's why I jumped on the whole set.
Now what I think happened is that for whatever reason I made a good setup with the Vertex, that I wasn't with the gamers. Why? In a few words, I had to think about it with a new look in front of me, instead of just stepping up without thinking.
When I built the Vertex set, I am pretty sure the TT75 turned out to be too soft. The only way I can save them is to extend the butts so I can tip them some more. I probably will get around to that, and also try an S flex with more normal trimming. I am not a fan of extensions because the added weight throws off the balance. But we'll see.
As to trajectory, I am sure that for the 9 and wedges I need something less SGI than the Vertex. I might just pull the Vertex heads and sell them and move on. For now the SL plan is on the back burner.
DonM Now what I think happened is that for whatever reason I made a good setup with the Vertex, that I wasn't with the gamers. Why? In a few words, I had to think about it with a new look in front of me, instead of just stepping up without thinking.
I think this is true of lots of golfers. Change the factors of the components making up a club and subconsciously make huge swing changes....usually tempo is the largest change and waaallllaaa complete chaos. Go back to your usual set up keep same tempo and there you are in a great performing club again. This theory assumes you have correct playing length, lie, grip size etc etc.