Light weight shafts and spring face irons

lambo

I have been playing TM RocketBladez irons with the light weight graphite shafts and spring faced iron heads. I went to them because I was losing distance (age - now 75) and thought it would help my game. I have always been up and down with my score, but looking back at posted scores my ups and downs really increased with the TM irons. I also noticed this with one of my playing partners who bought the latest TM irons last year. His game has become much more inconsistent.

This winter I took some of my old irons to the range and hit them alongside my TM irons. All were graphite shafts, but instead of 55 gram the older irons were heavier and the heads solid - not spring faced. Very quickly I realized the older irons were at least a club shorter, but I was much more consistent. I decided going into this spring I am going to put an older set of irons into my bag for at least a month. I know I will lose some distance, but I am pulling a wedge, maybe two and adding the 4 iron of the older set to my bag. Frankly, the newer clubs are a full loft stronger, but it seems like I am about a 1 1/2 clubs shorter. Looking at the OEM quest for distance with all the strong lofts and spring faced technology, I am thinking it may be the worst thing even for a mid handicapper. You don't see any pro's playing this type of iron. I want to skip the distance factor and focus on consistent length and accuracy. I really feel like my scoring will improve. Have any of you been down this path and tried doing this?

fatshot

lambo
I had just about the same experience last summer with a Taylormade M2 driver! Bought new, but luckily got
a real good deal on it, so I was able to resell it easily. But it was light as a feather, and I was also inconsistent
with it. If I made PERFECT contact I would gain a few yards, but if I didn't I lost LOTS of yards, which (also at
74 years old!) I can't afford to do.

So, I sold it and went back to my old Integra head with a 55 gram Aldila NVS shaft that I have used for years.

I am a little gunshy now looking at the "latest and greatest" new drivers, b/c I'm afraid they are all using the same formula to sell distance: lighter weight, which, in theory, a golfer ought to be able to use to develop more clubhead speed. It just didn't work for me either......good luck.

JeffTilley

Yep, went to heavier shafts after dicking with light shafts the last few years. My consistency has went up, haven’t really lost yardage. I had those Rocketbladez a few years ago with the 85 gram steel shaft, and while they were the longest iron I had ever hit up to that point, they were also the most inconsistent. That’s when my experiment with light shafts began. I now play Taylormade M5 irons with KBS Tour shafts.

Typhoon

JeffTilley

Heavier shaft will keep you on plane better for more center strikes. I know it depends on the golfer, but shaft weight is crazy important. My Ping ie-1 irons with the modus 105 have been sitting since last year. The shaft is too light for me. I hit the Nikes with a 115-120 gram DG pro shaft and my draw came back along with finding the center of the face.

Typhoon

If you have 10 minutes, this is an eye opener, even to the TXG guy hitting the shots.

Sparky

Typhoon

That is an interesting video. I am curious how with all things equal except loft, the power spec (25.5) has a higher launch angle than the retro spec (29). They comment on how the power spec gets to a higher apex, but it would have to with a higher ball speed AND a higher launch. If the launch was actually 3* lower (as the loft would dictate), I wonder how it would have compared.

KCee

I think many off the shelf clubs are too light for players that don't have a nice smooth tempo. Some of use can get them working on the range, but then not so much on the course. I like the 105-110g iron shafts mostly because the profile fits me, but then I add a backweight so they are about 125g when I'm done. I was pretty inconsistent with a utility iron and a hybrid with a 95g shaft until I swapped in my 110g iron shaft.....and still added a backweight. I

Typhoon

Sparky

I had to watch it a couple times because the launch numbers had me curious as well. So he said with the launch being the same for all of them, it was the initial velocity of the ball speed that had it go higher right away. At a lower initial velocity, even though the launch angle is the same it’s slower so it’s lower.( that’s my take on his explanation).

They talked about why he launched all 3 at the same launch angle and they had no explanation other than all people are different and that’s why you have to test them yourself.

Hoss7504

I switched to a lighter shaft (FST 90) and became MORE consistent. At the same time I don't feel like I have to muscle my full shots to get my desired distance, so that might be the reason right there. Either way, I'm ok with it.

sdandrea1

I have gotten used to 70g graphite iron shafts, tempo wise. Hot faced irons still surprise me occasionally with the OMG launched rocket that airmails the green. Some of my most consistent ball striking is with Eye 2 irons and 70g graphite shafts. They're weak lofted, but I know how far the shot is going.

I have a set of Maltby TE Forged that are very predictable too.

scotts33

In my experience, shaft weight can have a pronounced effect. Shaft weight has less fitting effect when you MoI heft match vs. swing weight heft match.

I have experimented with Wishon 771CSI and S2S Green 65g graphite also Alpha VX and FST Pro 115 steel. Both perform well and both are MoI heft matched. I have compared some Swing Science irons swing weight heft matched both steel and graphite they tended to be more iffy overall.