Steel or Graphite?

[RickyBobby_PR]

On 11/18/2019 at 4:42 PM, chisag said:

 

... I think feel and vibration dampning are the real benefits of playing graphite in irons. I had tendonitis and switched from DGS300's to NV Tour shafts that were 130gm and even less torque than steel at 1.5*. Performance was equal although at first they felt dead to me after only playing steel my entire golfing life. But after a few weeks I realized the feel was still there, but with reduced vibration it just feels a little different. I think if you stick with them, you will start getting the same kind of feel on mishits, just much more subtle. And of course dead center with graphite feels like almost nothing. 

Dispersion with graphite for some gets improved for some. I’ve seen it both times I’ve switched to graphite 

[NRJyzr]

I should have been paying attention to the forums a year ago, I could have offered a timely comment, instead of committing threadomancy....

And since it's threadomancy, I'll try keep it short and sweet.  Have fought the aches and pains over the last few years, been testing graphite iron shafts while riding the fence of indecision.  Recoil (retail version), XCaliber TourX, and finally the Aldila NV105, which Chisag referenced.  Turns out the NV105 was still available at Hireko for a while (largely gone now), after disappearing from the market everywhere else.

Liked the NV105 so much I put them in a full set of irons (stiff, fwiw), also in SW/LW.  I found a slight improvement in trajectory, good wind play, and remarkable consistency shot to shot.  Played them for several months before a steel shafted iron set purchase turned my head.  Even found the aches had been bothering me more than I'd thought, when they went away.  I wasn't sure how to deal with fingers/wrists/elbows that didn't buzz a little bit.

Only issue I had was static weight; I've always preferred heavier shafts, even in drivers and fairway woods.  Dropping from 130g to 105g, I found myself sometimes overreleasing the long irons.  Curiously, only the long irons.  I'd lead taped them to D6, wasn't quite enough.

Have a set of RIP Tour 115 regular lying around, need to figure which of my absurd number of sets they should be installed in.

Graphite in irons.  Worth a look, there's a profile for everyone.

with apologies again for threadomancy

Edited January 22, 2020 by NRJyzr
my wife was right, I can't multitask

[HardcoreLooper]

Don't apologize for threadomancy - this is a great topic.

My first (abortive) attempt at fitting for the Cobra F8's had the "fitter" at GG (only place I could get fit for the Cobras) put me in Aldila Rogue iron shafts.  I was game at the time, but after I got home and looked over the specs he fit me into, I knew he didn't know what he was doing.  When I went in the next day and demanded another fitting, the guy who fit me used the Mizuno shaft optimizer on me, and that recommended the NS Pro 105s, which I love.  

I'm not against graphite iron shafts at all.  Once a fitter recommends them, I'll definitely go that route.

[russtopherb]

All I know is, after suffering from tennis elbow for the entire second half of 2019, steel is no longer an option for me and I am 100% OK with that. The graphite shafts in my Cobras right now feel so much better and given their age, I'm betting a newer shaft would have even better feel/performance. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

7 hours ago, HardcoreLooper said:

Don't apologize for threadomancy - this is a great topic.

My first (abortive) attempt at fitting for the Cobra F8's had the "fitter" at GG (only place I could get fit for the Cobras) put me in Aldila Rogue iron shafts.  I was game at the time, but after I got home and looked over the specs he fit me into, I knew he didn't know what he was doing.  When I went in the next day and demanded another fitting, the guy who fit me used the Mizuno shaft optimizer on me, and that recommended the NS Pro 105s, which I love.  

I'm not against graphite iron shafts at all.  Once a fitter recommends them, I'll definitely go that route.

I would be surprised if a fitter ever recommended them unless they were either the only shaft option in a club or the person came in and said they wanted to be fit to graphite or a lightweight shaft. With several brands having steel shafts in lighter weights than what has been the norm that is the way most fitters go especially places where the build and upcharge of shafts is the business practice. 

[braveheart]

I am so happy to have found this wonderful thread. The information and feedback are going to help me in my transition from steel to graphite in my irons. Thanks guys.

Edited February 3, 2020 by braveheart

[RI_Redneck]

On 1/21/2020 at 10:16 PM, NRJyzr said:

I should have been paying attention to the forums a year ago, I could have offered a timely comment, instead of committing threadomancy....

And since it's threadomancy, I'll try keep it short and sweet.  Have fought the aches and pains over the last few years, been testing graphite iron shafts while riding the fence of indecision.  Recoil (retail version), XCaliber TourX, and finally the Aldila NV105, which Chisag referenced.  Turns out the NV105 was still available at Hireko for a while (largely gone now), after disappearing from the market everywhere else.

Liked the NV105 so much I put them in a full set of irons (stiff, fwiw), also in SW/LW.  I found a slight improvement in trajectory, good wind play, and remarkable consistency shot to shot.  Played them for several months before a steel shafted iron set purchase turned my head.  Even found the aches had been bothering me more than I'd thought, when they went away.  I wasn't sure how to deal with fingers/wrists/elbows that didn't buzz a little bit.

Only issue I had was static weight; I've always preferred heavier shafts, even in drivers and fairway woods.  Dropping from 130g to 105g, I found myself sometimes overreleasing the long irons.  Curiously, only the long irons.  I'd lead taped them to D6, wasn't quite enough.

Have a set of RIP Tour 115 regular lying around, need to figure which of my absurd number of sets they should be installed in.

Graphite in irons.  Worth a look, there's a profile for everyone.

with apologies again for threadomancy

Holy Crap! RIP Tour 115 R is my shaft of choice and they're a rare as hens teeth. I bought the last three 4i-W sets I found a few years ago and can't find any more to save my life. If yours are new and you decide to let them go, please contact me.

BT

[NRJyzr]

On 2/5/2020 at 2:07 PM, RI_Redneck said:

Holy Crap! RIP Tour 115 R is my shaft of choice and they're a rare as hens teeth. I bought the last three 4i-W sets I found a few years ago and can't find any more to save my life. If yours are new and you decide to let them go, please contact me.

BT

 

I admit I'm thinking about it.    I'm not sure I actually *need* to go to graphite yet, one reason I've not installed them in anything.

Indecision.  Analysis paralysis.  So much fun.