Popular Post sirchunksalot Posted June 5, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted June 5, 2020 So, as many of you saw over in the “What Have You Bought Lately” thread, I went to a thrift store and found an older set of blades. I was originally going to just get a single iron to play with from time to time, but then found a complete set. My weapons of choice? A set of Wilson Staff Fluid Feel irons 2-PW. Why would I do this? I’m a huge golf YouTube fan and one of the channels I enjoy is Stacked Golf. It’s a husband and wife team who go around thrift stores and flea markets and hunt old clubs. Also, there’s a lot of debate over traditional lofts vs loft jacking. I thought this might be a fun little experiment to see if a golfer like me could play an older set and still score well. This is in no way a scientific experiment, I just want to have fun and share my experiences with all of you. Plus, I thought it’d be nice to restore an old set to its former beauty. Right now I’m cleaning them up and really loving how they look. They started out a bit rusty, but a little Bar Keepers Friend, some steel wool, and a little elbow grease has them looking good. I haven’t had a chance to hit them since my driving range took some damage in a tornado back around Easter. I have gotten them out and hit foam balls a few times, but that’s just not the same as the real thing. It’s probably the worst idea ever, but I’m planning on taking them to the course soon just to see how I can make them perform. I’m planning on alternating rounds between my current gamers and these. Speaking of which, I’m currently playing with a set that is the polar opposite of these butter knives: Tommy Armour Atomics. These are super jacked, with large heads, and loads of forgiveness. This is going to be a long process, but I plan on having fun with it. Hopefully I’ll at least be able to advance the ball toward the hole with the Wilson's. PMookie, Headhammer, Rickp and 23 others 22 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyHawk Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Interesting experiment, I'll be interested in your results. Mostly how ball flight is affected between the 2 types of irons. Chris JohnSmalls, sirchunksalot and cksurfdude 3 Quote Far and Sure...... GBB Epic 11* GBB Epic 7W (Heavenwood) : G410 4 thru GW MD3 54*,60* Huntington Beach Soft #4 Tour B RX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shankster Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Oh... what is this?!Pretty sure that was the same model as my first set!Enjoy the zip you’re gonna get with those grooves. Cool project. Nunfa0, cksurfdude, sirchunksalot and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Nice job on making them look good!! That alone should be with a shot or two. My fluid feeling is that you will hit a few great shots and a bunch of terrible shots, and believe me, you will know which is which!! Don't get discouraged. I would be interested in knowing if you hit your Atomics better after a round or two with the Staffs. cksurfdude, sirchunksalot, JohnSmalls and 2 others 5 Quote “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 9 minutes ago, Shankster said: Oh... what is this?! Pretty sure that was the same model as my first set! Enjoy the zip you’re gonna get with those grooves. Cool project. Now that's cool! I'm going to be interested to see how they spin. I'm not a high spin guy, but I have a feeling they might do pretty good. 7 minutes ago, Kenny B said: Nice job on making them look good!! That alone should be with a shot or two. My fluid feeling is that you will hit a few great shots and a bunch of terrible shots, and believe me, you will know which is which!! Don't get discouraged. I would be interested in knowing if you hit your Atomics better after a round or two with the Staffs. I'm wondering about this, too. With just the little bit of foam ball practice I've had I'm noticing it takes a little more focus to not hit one bad. I can get away with it with the Atomics, but I think these might not like me getting sloppy. PMookie, JohnSmalls, Shankster and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommc23 Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 You'll enjoy that nice smooth feeling of a well struck shot though it feels amazing. cksurfdude, JohnSmalls and sirchunksalot 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 8 hours ago, LeftyHawk said: Interesting experiment, I'll be interested in your results. Mostly how ball flight is affected between the 2 types of irons. Chris I already tend to hit the ball rather high, so I'm hoping to see if I can eventually bring that down a little bit. My course typically is rough on windy days as it seems every shot is in to the wind. Once things stabilize, I would like to get in to a launch monitor and get an idea of things like launch and spin. I'll try to compare my 8i and PW since they're the two clubs that are identical in loft. Another issue I'm going to have will be learning how far I can hit each club. I'm debating taking Arccos out of my Atomics and using it for the Wilson's. Shankster, cksurfdude and JohnSmalls 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommc23 Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 So I'm looking at the lofts of my clubs and my lofts are in between your Wilson and a modern set, but closer to the Wilson lofts. This explains why my distances are shorter than most of the guys I play with who use GI clubs or SGI clubs. cksurfdude, silver & black, sirchunksalot and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik-M Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 8 hours ago, sirchunksalot said: Now that's cool! I'm going to be interested to see how they spin. I'm not a high spin guy, but I have a feeling they might do pretty good. I'm wondering about this, too. With just the little bit of foam ball practice I've had I'm noticing it takes a little more focus to not hit one bad. I can get away with it with the Atomics, but I think these might not like me getting sloppy. I think it's gonna make you dial in strike. I compare it to playing baseball with wood bats for training. In spring if your missing the barrel you will know it, kinda feels like you have holes in your fingers when you hit it off the end of the bat or the handle, And it will happen. Then the more you use it and hone in where you wanna make contact all of a sudden your smashing sweetspots and swinging harder and crushing the ball.! NRJyzr, cksurfdude, sirchunksalot and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 11 hours ago, Erik-M said: I think it's gonna make you dial in strike. I compare it to playing baseball with wood bats for training. In spring if your missing the barrel you will know it, kinda feels like you have holes in your fingers when you hit it off the end of the bat or the handle, And it will happen. Then the more you use it and hone in where you wanna make contact all of a sudden your smashing sweetspots and swinging harder and crushing the ball.! That's what I'm hoping for, I tend to spray it all over the face and I really hope these force me into better habits. I get a little quick with my tempo and swing too wildly with the Atomics and maybe these will smooth that out. It's going to take a lot of concentration on my part, but in the end I think it'll make me better. I appreciate the encouragement! Nunfa0, Erik-M, cksurfdude and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sirchunksalot Posted June 6, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 6, 2020 I took the wife out to the course and played my first round with the Wilson's. I only played nine holes due to having other places to go afterward, plus I was expecting a complete and total disaster of a round going from SGI irons to a more traditional set. I shot a 47 and the driver was the worst part of my game. I hit almost everything low and left off the tee. I had originally not planned on taking anything but the irons and chickened out at the last moment. On to the irons. Oh...my...god. They are so sweet. I was basically throwing darts with these. Nobody ever told me that they made Game improvement blades. They launched high and went where I wanted them to. My only issue was the loss of distance with them, but I scored good with them and I'm not complaining. Honestly, I think I was presenting too much loft at impact possibly due to lack of shaft lean. I also noticed these still performed on off center hits fairly decent. I had shots both of the toe and heel that still got airborne. I hit the 2 iron off the turf twice. The first shot I chunked about 90 yards and the second went 170 with just a bit of fade. These things are almost stupid easy to hit. I hope I didn't just jinx myself. I'm extremely pleased with how the round went, considering this is the first time I've hit actual balls. My range has been closed for the last couple of months due to storm damage. Of course, I show up today and they've finally been able to repair it. Almost forgot, my shot of the day was an 8 iron on 3 that ended up 2 feet from the hole. Darts. These clubs throw darts. I'm planning on hitting up the range tomorrow and getting some more quality time with them. PMookie, cksurfdude, Rickp and 18 others 18 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik-M Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 On 6/4/2020 at 8:28 PM, sirchunksalot said: Now that's cool! I'm going to be interested to see how they spin. I'm not a high spin guy, but I have a feeling they might do pretty good. I'm wondering about this, too. With just the little bit of foam ball practice I've had I'm noticing it takes a little more focus to not hit one bad. I can get away with it with the Atomics, but I think these might not like me getting sloppy. That's awesome! You make me very excited to get those icons in the mail and in my bag! Maybe your next round you'll pull the trigger and go only irons? sirchunksalot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyHawk Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 That's awesome, Sometimes we get caught up in all the hype out there about equipment, and the need for "new" toys....other than a loss of yards due to loft, which I'll bet if you matched loft to your current irons they would be about the same distance wise. Your experiment sure has me thinking I need to get my Beryllium copper irons dusted off and give them a try... Chris cksurfdude, cnosil, tommc23 and 1 other 4 Quote Far and Sure...... GBB Epic 11* GBB Epic 7W (Heavenwood) : G410 4 thru GW MD3 54*,60* Huntington Beach Soft #4 Tour B RX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyHawk Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) So, I'm curious, I'm guessing that the 7 iron is about 38 degrees, pretty much a 9 iron today, how does the distance compare between the Wilson 7 and your current 9? So, reading back thru the posts I see you have posted the lofts. So this post is kinds pointless....at any rate, I'm looking forward to your results between the 8i and PW.. Chris Edited June 7, 2020 by LeftyHawk sirchunksalot and cksurfdude 2 Quote Far and Sure...... GBB Epic 11* GBB Epic 7W (Heavenwood) : G410 4 thru GW MD3 54*,60* Huntington Beach Soft #4 Tour B RX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommc23 Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 3 hours ago, sirchunksalot said: I took the wife out to the course and played my first round with the Wilson's. I only played nine holes due to having other places to go afterward, plus I was expecting a complete and total disaster of a round going from SGI irons to a more traditional set. I shot a 47 and the driver was the worst part of my game. I hit almost everything low and left off the tee. I had originally not planned on taking anything but the irons and chickened out at the last moment. On to the irons. Oh...my...god. They are so sweet. I was basically throwing darts with these. Nobody ever told me that they made Game improvement blades. They launched high and went where I wanted them to. My only issue was the loss of distance with them, but I scored good with them and I'm not complaining. Honestly, I think I was presenting too much loft at impact possibly due to lack of shaft lean. I also noticed these still performed on off center hits fairly decent. I had shots both of the toe and heel that still got airborne. I hit the 2 iron off the turf twice. The first shot I chunked about 90 yards and the second went 170 with just a bit of fade. These things are almost stupid easy to hit. I hope I didn't just jinx myself. I'm extremely pleased with how the round went, considering this is the first time I've hit actual balls. My range has been closed for the last couple of months due to storm damage. Of course, I show up today and they've finally been able to repair it. Almost forgot, my shot of the day was an 8 iron on 3 that ended up 2 feet from the hole. Darts. These clubs throw darts. I'm planning on hitting up the range tomorrow and getting some more quality time with them. The feeling of a nice struck blade feels good don't it? I agree with Lefty the loss of distance was due to the loft changes over the years. sirchunksalot, cksurfdude, Rickp and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 On 6/6/2020 at 7:04 PM, Erik-M said: That's awesome! You make me very excited to get those icons in the mail and in my bag! Maybe your next round you'll pull the trigger and go only irons? I think I'll do that, the way my driver was working today I don't believe the differentiation in distance will be a factor. More fairways couldn't be anything but a benefit. I can't wait to see you hitting those Hogan's. They are absolutely gorgeous. 23 hours ago, LeftyHawk said: So, I'm curious, I'm guessing that the 7 iron is about 38 degrees, pretty much a 9 iron today, how does the distance compare between the Wilson 7 and your current 9? From what I saw, the distances are the same from irons of similar loft. My 8 iron and PW are both 41 degrees and they seemed to be flying the same distance. Nunfa0, HardcoreLooper, cksurfdude and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 54 minutes ago, tommc23 said: The feeling of a nice struck blade feels good don't it? I agree with Lefty the loss of distance was due to the loft changes over the years. I actually hit a few more on the center of the face them I thought I would. It was an amazing feeling. I can usually get an idea with my normal gamers where I hit on the face, but these have better feedback. tommc23, PMookie, Nunfa0 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fixyurdivot Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 Great find and cool project. It's great seeing vintage equipment getting a makeover and more play time . cksurfdude and sirchunksalot 2 Quote G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w ZX5 Irons 4-AW Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW (removed from double secret probation ) ER5v Putter (Evnroll ER5v Official Review) AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 I took the Wilson's to the range and the results were night and day from the round I played yesterday. I guess I might have jinxed myself saying these were game improvement blades. It was not pretty...at all. My swing was a bit in flux and I don't think it helped that the grass on the range looked like it had been attacked by a large, angry cheese grater. I couldn't find a nice piece of grass anywhere. I wish people would learn how to properly manage their divots on the range. I think I got in a bit of a rush and need to develop a better routine on the data I go to the range. I tend to get in a hurry and hit ball after ball after ball. It didn't help that the temperature was low 90's and humid. I've got to remember that one o'clock range sessions this time of year are not smart. Still, I had fun with them today. I'm seriously considering an iron only round next before going back to the Atomics for two weekends from now when I play against my normal golf buddy. Nunfa0, russtopherb, PMookie and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 On 6/6/2020 at 7:24 PM, LeftyHawk said: So, I'm curious, I'm guessing that the 7 iron is about 38 degrees, pretty much a 9 iron today, how does the distance compare between the Wilson 7 and your current 9? So, reading back thru the posts I see you have posted the lofts. So this post is kinds pointless....at any rate, I'm looking forward to your results between the 8i and PW.. Chris It's no problem, Chris. I like the question and it really makes me think about paying attention to both the distance and flight when I go to the range. From what I could tell, they both flew around the same distance in relation to the marker on the range and if anything, the 8 might have had a slightly lower trajectory. It would be hard to tell without getting on a launch monitor if there's any difference. They looked similar to me. The biggest difference in the setup of the clubs is the shaft. The Atomics are a True Temper XP85 in regular flex and the Wilson's sport a True Temper by Wilson in stiff. I actually don't know anything about this shaft, except it was specially made for this club with the rubber insert that is in the hosel used to move CG toward the toe. I need to see if it's similar to the S300 shaft, which I got along extremely well with when I got fit for my F8's. PMookie, Rickp, cksurfdude and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerospace_ray Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 I played those back in the day. $ from #6 iron down, inconsistent with 3-5. Actually preferred Hogan Apex long irons. Nice model and definitely in demand in their time. Sent from my SM-N960U using MyGolfSpy mobile app sirchunksalot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 7 minutes ago, aerospace_ray said: I played those back in the day. $ from #6 iron down, inconsistent with 3-5. Actually preferred Hogan Apex long irons. Nice model and definitely in demand in their time. Sent from my SM-N960U using MyGolfSpy mobile app I appreciate the feedback! I'm really liking them, especially in the shorter irons. They feel like butter when I hit them right and I'm really pleased with how straight they fly. I was worried that the lack of offset would make my normal fade worse. aerospace_ray, Nunfa0, GolfSpy BOS and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerospace_ray Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 So growing up playing blades and especially blades with shafts that were probably not properly fit to me (most sets in those days had two options, a regular and stiff -- most course pro-shops I could go to carried stiff in Wilson Staff, Macgregor, and Hogan Apex). So I got stiff flex shafts and probably even back then when I young should have at least had the long irons soft stepped for the S flexes and/or different flex/extra tipped regulars. Regardless you learned where you mishit the ball on the blade faces and adjusted your swing accordingly. The clubs today are so good at disguising the misses and are so good as saving distance on mishits compared to the blades of the 70's/80's. The clubs that most of us make consistent center strikes with, the 8 iron down were still imo just as good in the blades as today's irons because those are your "feel" clubs. Todays clubs can mute the feel. I mean if you can't hit 8 iron down lets be honest, its your swing and/or club entirely may not be fit for you..... (caveat-- a modern jacked lofted 8 iron which in those days would have been a 5/6 iron probably). You got me wanting to get some blades again...... Well at least for a round or two. sirchunksalot and Nunfa0 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy BOS Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Great stuff! I like hearing about your early success and comfort with those blades. And nice work on the restore. Not sure how I missed this thread to this point! Haha 8 iron and PW from the atomic are the same loft!? That’s insane. Knowing that have you tried using one for green side work? Seems like those nice small blade profiles would look good to me for chipping and pitching. I prefer the look of my SM7 52 to the AP2 GW green side and for no other reason than it looks like I can be more delicate with the SM7 shape. I bet a MB like those would look nice too. HardcoreLooper, JohnSmalls and Nunfa0 3 Quote Epic Max LS 10.5 - Motore X F3 6X | Speedzone 5-wood - Ventus Blue 8S | TSi3 20* Hybrid - KBS Proto 85S SMS Pro 4-PW - Steelfiber i110S | MG3 Raw Black 50.09, 54.11, 58.11 - DG TI S200 ER2B | Pro V1x | NX9 Slope | Jones Trouper R | CaddyLite EZ v8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 1 minute ago, B.Boston said: Great stuff! I like hearing about your early success and comfort with those blades. And nice work on the restore. Not sure how I missed this thread to this point! Haha 8 iron and PW from the atomic are the same loft!? That’s insane. Knowing that have you tried using one for green side work? Seems like those nice small blade profiles would look good to me for chipping and pitching. I prefer the look of my SM7 52 to the AP2 GW green side and for no other reason than it looks like I can be more delicate with the SM7 shape. I bet a MB like those would look nice too. I haven't tried anything around the green, yet. I will make sure to do it and let you know how it turns out. I had a guy that joined me since the course was crowded and I didn't want to potentially embarrass myself. I'm usually a one or two club guy around the green and my confidence with bump and runs isn't the greatest. I just stuck with the 56 for anything near the green. Yeah, the loft difference is crazy and its taking some adjustment on my part to figure them out. I am tracking them using Arccos and hopefully after a few rounds I can get an idea of my yardages. The funny thing is I took the sensors off my PW and 60 and placed them on my 2 and 3 irons. I didn't feel like unpairing everything, so remembering which is which gets a little tricky. JohnSmalls, Erik-M, tommc23 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy BOS Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 I haven't tried anything around the green, yet. I will make sure to do it and let you know how it turns out. I had a guy that joined me since the course was crowded and I didn't want to potentially embarrass myself. I'm usually a one or two club guy around the green and my confidence with bump and runs isn't the greatest. I just stuck with the 56 for anything near the green. Yeah, the loft difference is crazy and its taking some adjustment on my part to figure them out. I am tracking them using Arccos and hopefully after a few rounds I can get an idea of my yardages. The funny thing is I took the sensors off my PW and 60 and placed them on my 2 and 3 irons. I didn't feel like unpairing everything, so remembering which is which gets a little tricky. One good skull with a 60 looks like a 3 and a chunk with 2 looks like pw lolSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk sirchunksalot 1 Quote Epic Max LS 10.5 - Motore X F3 6X | Speedzone 5-wood - Ventus Blue 8S | TSi3 20* Hybrid - KBS Proto 85S SMS Pro 4-PW - Steelfiber i110S | MG3 Raw Black 50.09, 54.11, 58.11 - DG TI S200 ER2B | Pro V1x | NX9 Slope | Jones Trouper R | CaddyLite EZ v8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sirchunksalot Posted June 13, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 13, 2020 It was a beautiful Friday with temperatures in the mid 80's and windy, so I decided to take the Wilson's out to the course for a nine hole irons only round. I ended the round shooting 61, hitting one fairway, with no greens in regulation, and 20 putts. My ball striking wasn't there today and I definitely paid the price. I think I nearly bladed everything, including my tee shots. I wanted to hit lower shots but it was getting a little ridiculous. I'm not saying I didn't hit a few good shots, but I felt like I might have hit a lot more bad ones. The good ones I hit showed promise and gave me hope that I can eventually play an iron only round with them and score decently. I hit two 2 irons that went 196, for example. One was off the tee and the other was off the fairway. @B.Boston asked how the other irons were around the green, and I'll say they were solid. I usually don't play anything other than my 56 and 60 when I'm in close, but today I was able to play bump and runs with several irons. The best shot came on the 4th hole when I overshot the green. I was left with an uphill chip, landed it on the edge of the green and it rolled out to 10 feet. It wasn't a good round on the scorecard, but I had a great time and was able to get outside my comfort zone and experiment with some things I normally don't try. I've gotten an idea on things I need to work on and will just have to hit the range and hone my strike. I'm going to put the Atomics ball in the bag for next weekend. I have a game planned with my normal golf buddy and I need all the help I can get to take him down. My ability with the Wilson's is not quite ready for Prime Time, yet. Kenny B, tommc23, Nunfa0 and 9 others 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 I forgot to mention it, but I really feel like I'm getting along great with the shaft in these clubs. I had a lot of mis-hits today but the ones I struck well were still dead on accurate, with only a little movement from side to side. I know feel is subjective, but these clubs just feel right when I'm swinging them. tommc23, JohnSmalls, Nunfa0 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shankster Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 What ball are you using with these? JohnSmalls 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 18 minutes ago, Shankster said: What ball are you using with these? Bridgestone Tour B RXS. I'll be switching to the Srixon Z Star XV soon and see how they play with them. JohnSmalls and Shankster 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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