Callaway discussion about club lengths

DonM

I love to listen to what club companies say about golf club engineering and fitting. Here is a video where they talk about club lengths, including single length irons. Now, they definitely are not channeling Tom Wishon here. They talk about when older guys might want longer clubs, that the average guy squares up the face on an OEM length driver better than on a shorter one (???), the effects of length on other specs, what LPGA players do, etc. It's interesting, and food for thought and challenging of some clubmaking notions if nothing else.

My wrist to floor is short (32-33") but I've been playing my irons 1/2" long this summer, with 7i at 37.5". And I am going to add another 3/4" based on a test I did. I choke down 1/4" so essentially my clubs will be 1" longer than most companies' standards. I find the ball goes straighter, farther, higher. Much more consistent swing. The swingweight is D6 but the club is not heavy what with the 64 gram shaft. Well, it feels like a DG shafted wedge weight in the swing, which is a great feel for me. And I'm a weakling. I just stumbled onto this on my own, and would never get this out of a custom fit, I don't think.

Here it is. Some commenters complained about the audio. It's a bit sketchy for the one guy, but on an iPad I had no real issue.

Par4QC

DonM but I've been playing my irons 1/2" long this summer, with 7i at 37.5". And I am going to add another 3/4" based on a test I did.

I played the past 2 days with my Rogue irons, after reshafting them at +1", and with soft-stepped S flex, instead of R. I never had the opportunity to hit many irons either day, but I can say, I've never hit an AW that far in my life. I do need to get the lie angles flattened, then they should be just that much better for me. My W-F is 33. I've been playing long drivers, 46-47.5" the past few years; I've even experimented with longer FW clubs, and hybrids, but they do have to have the lie angle that will accommodate such. Very few do. Us old, weak, short guys, do what we gotta do. 😁

scotts33

DonM wrist to floor is short (32-33") but I've been playing my irons 1/2" long this summer, with 7i at 37.5". And I am going to add another 3/4" based on a test I did. I choke down 1/4" so essentially my clubs will be 1" longer than most companies' standards. I find the ball goes straighter, farther, higher. Much more consistent swing. The swingweight is D6 but the club is not heavy what with the 64 gram shaft. Well, it feels like a DG shafted wedge weight in the swing, which is a great feel for me. And I'm a weakling. I just stumbled onto this on my own, and would never get this out of a custom fit, I don't think.

Been saying this for years. The D-6 with a light weight graphite 64g shafts knocked up your MoI ( kg-cm^ 2) heft match. And with a single plane swing longer playing lengths might just be what the Dr. ordered. Again this works for Don but it ain't gonna work for everyone. Look back at some of my posts about light weight graphite iron shafts.

accufitgolf

I tried two sets of SL irons and the thing it taught me was I do like my shorter clubs to be longer but I did not like my longer clubs being shorter. My 9-P-G are now only one inch shorter than my 5 instead of the typical 2in shorter. My S is 3/8in shorter than my 9-P-G

azgreg

accufitgolf
Sounds like you're a Pinhawk Vertex candidate.

candukid

accufitgolf
and i was the exact opposite. I hated the short irons. They flew way too high and I couldn’t be consistent with them. The 5 and 6 on the other hand were golden

Par4QC

scotts33 My Cobra F9 head weighs 207 with adapter. Shaft, 56 gr.. @ 47 1/4". Swingweight is around E4. Thing is a beast! 😂

scotts33

Par4QC Swingweight is around E4.

But if you measured the MoI or could measure it you'd be surprised as well would Don. Hobbyists are stuck on D-0 to D-4 on irons look at major brands website specs and have no idea how they fit with longer playing lengths (depending on their type of swing) and/or higher heft match.

Oh when I built these for myself I stick with this playing length/lie and this swing weight doesn't matter what the shaft weight is, profile or shaft balance point.

Par4QC

scotts33 Oh when I built these for myself I stick with this playing length/lie and this swing weight doesn't matter what the shaft weight is, profile or shaft balance point.

I have built a few sets 'to swingweight' in the past. Now I build to 'suit', then check swingweight only for amusement. I have no clue to the swingweight of the Rogues I just rebuilt. They just 'feel' damn good, and produce better shots. And that's what I wanted.

scotts33

Par4QC I have built a few sets 'to swingweight' in the past. Now I build to 'suit', then check swingweight only for amusement. I have no clue to the swingweight of the Rogues I just rebuilt. They just 'feel' damn good, and produce better shots. And that's what I wanted.

You are one of the few Rex. People are stuck on the swing weight scale. Keep looking at major brand websites at the club specs.

I run across clients that say to me I need this and that and that. I trick them into trying other fitting clubs (I label fitting clubs so only I know what they are testing). Many times they will be way off their so called perfect specs. Once they know the truth of what fits better for best performance they are floored. Keep an open mind. Don found that out.

Tinker

I agree with these video guys. The trick for slower speed and or senior players is longer clubs to gain back a few mph. Lie angle is the key. At 5’11” I went a half an inch longer in my irons with 2 degree flat lie. The ball is only a half inch farther from your body, not a hard adjustment to make. The only irons that feel a tad heavy are my one set with dynamic gold. To keep competitive with slower speeds you have to learn( practice) using all your clubs. A 4 iron at a given speed works as good as a 6 iron at a higher speed. I also caution slower speeds to watch out for lower lofts. Carry in the air most always works out better through the entire set.

fatshot

Tinker To keep competitive with slower speeds you have to learn( practice) using all your clubs. A 4 iron at a given speed works as good as a 6 iron at a higher speed. I also caution slower speeds to watch out for lower lofts. Carry in the air most always works out better through the entire set.

I never used to practice the fairway woods much.....now I never practice without hitting at least a few of them. I have also learned that the lowest lofted wood I can hit consistently is 20 degrees. So I carry a 20, a 23 and a 26* that I have reshafted with senior flex 60 gram graphites and hit each one 10-15 yards less than the lower lofted one. From there I have a 5 and a 6 hybrid (again, with the same distance gaps), and only then do I get into the irons 7-GW.

KCee

I haven't looked at swingweight in years. I have a headweight, total club weight and moi I shoot for and swingweight is what it is. If the club is too light I won't swing it well. I have started using a bit lighter shafts, but really just because their profile fits me better so then I add a backweight to get the heft back.

Weirfan

KCee I haven't looked at swingweight in years. I have a headweight, total club weight and moi I shoot for and swingweight is what it is.

This is the correct way
" swingweight is uninteresting "

azgreg

candukid
How were they on partial shots?

candukid

azgreg
behaved like any other club on a partial. But i choked down for those

sdandrea1

I find the swingweight scale very useful when repairing/reshafting a club for a buddy or family member. Trying to match the set that club goes with.

DonM

Weirfan This is the correct way
" swingweight is uninteresting "

That's funny!

DonM

I have to wonder about their findings saying that longer (45.5") drivers are easier to square up for the average golfer.

I do see a lot fewer big banana slicers playing golf than I did 20 years ago. And I doubt that the golfer population has gotten that much better.

scotts33

DonM do see a lot fewer big banana slicers playing golf than I did 20 years ago.

IMO that's because they slicers are playing more closed face angles and 460cc heads than in 2000. 250cc - 360cc heads were more prevalent in 2000 with square face angles hence more slicers. I don't see any difference in OTT slicers swings of today vs. back then.

Taki27

scotts33 This may be the only forum with members who remember under 300 cc drivers. Plus, the golf balls today don’t spin the same as the old extra spin balls of 2000. (Balata was gone by then. I used the Precept EV extra spin)