Shafts and iron distance

[TaketheCannoli]

As I age, I keep losing distance. There's no surprise there. I moved up a tee a couple of years ago so a well struck driver ends up in reasonable positions. I've noticed lately I've lost about a club and a half on irons and hybrids. I've played my current irons for about 7 years or so. They have reasonably strong lofts and 85 gram R flex steel shafts.About two years ago my 7 iron with a steel R shaft carried an average of 153 yards ( based on a Flightscope X2Elite launch monitor), now just 2 years later my 6 iron with a steel R shaft will come up 5-6 yards short of 150 yards. I hit the ball pretty straight - with a tight draw with the current irons.

I'm considering getting fit for new irons and wonder if I'll get any additional distance from a lighter shaft with probably senior shafts.

What should I expect? I'm pretty satisfied with my current irons, I just have begun to hit them about 15 yards shorter and it's making golf much harder for me.  Has anyone made this switch to lighter softer graphite shafts? What kind of results did you see?  Do you have any advice or suggestions?

[revkev]

1 hour ago, TaketheCannoli said:

As I age, I keep losing distance. There's no surprise there. I moved up a tee a couple of years ago so a well struck driver ends up in reasonable positions. I've noticed lately I've lost about a club and a half on irons and hybrids. I've played my current irons for about 7 years or so. They have reasonably strong lofts and 85 gram R flex steel shafts.About two years ago my 7 iron with a steel R shaft carried an average of 153 yards ( based on a Flightscope X2Elite launch monitor), now just 2 years later my 6 iron with a steel R shaft will come up 5-6 yards short of 150 yards. I hit the ball pretty straight - with a tight draw with the current irons.

I'm considering getting fit for new irons and wonder if I'll get any additional distance from a lighter shaft with probably senior shafts.

What should I expect? I'm pretty satisfied with my current irons, I just have begun to hit them about 15 yards shorter and it's making golf much harder for me.  Has anyone made this switch to lighter softer graphite shafts? What kind of results did you see?  Do you have any advice or suggestions?

There's a myriad of possibilities here.  It may sound stupid so I apologize if you've done it but have you hit 7 on the LM?  It could simply be that the way you deliver the club minus a bit of clubhead speed means you no longer launch your 6 iron high enough or with enough spin or both and you are loosing distance that way.  A fitting three years ago revealed that I maxed out at 6 iron.  My fitter said that I could go either way and I ultimately kept the 6 in the bag but also picked up a 6 hybrid which I now game and hit beautifully.  I no longer hit the 6 iron any farther than the 7 though.

 

Getting fit makes the most sense.  It could be that a lighter graphite shaft makes sense but only a fitter is going to be able to help.  I don't think that the flex will matter nearly as much as the weight.  Good luck!

 

[RickyBobby_PR]

8 hours ago, TaketheCannoli said:

I'm considering getting fit for new irons and wonder if I'll get any additional distance from a lighter shaft with probably senior shafts.

 

Ignore flex. First theres no industry standard for flex and one companies senior flex could be another companies regular or it could be softer. Second the stiffness one needs to look at is the stiffness profile of the shaft. That’s butt stiffness, mid section stiffness and tip stiffness.

Lighter doesn’t guarantee faster. What matters is how the shaft weight and feel once it’s installed in a club feels to the golfer. If a shaft is too light it could cause the golfer to change their swing and affect swing speed 

9 hours ago, TaketheCannoli said:

What should I expect? I'm pretty satisfied with my current irons, I just have begun to hit them about 15 yards shorter and it's making golf much harder for me.  Has anyone made this switch to lighter softer graphite shafts? What kind of results did you see?  Do you have any advice or suggestions?

Get fit, but make sure it’s from a reputable fitter. It will give you an idea of what works and doesn’t work for you and take the guessing out of it

[Kenny B]

12 hours ago, TaketheCannoli said:

About two years ago my 7 iron with a steel R shaft carried an average of 153 yards ( based on a Flightscope X2Elite launch monitor), now just 2 years later my 6 iron with a steel R shaft will come up 5-6 yards short of 150 yards.

First, check how far you hit these clubs on a launch monitor to get a comparison with 2 years ago.  Losing over a club distance in two years seems like quite a lot, but you are comparing distance on a launch monitor with actual on course yardage.  

How are you launching your irons compared to 2 years ago?  If your launch is lower, it could be swing speed loss or technique.  A fitter will help you with the shaft weight and flex; we can't do that.

Yes, we all lose distance with age and a change may be in order.  However, a lot of the distance loss could be in your physical condition compared to two years ago.  I know I neglected that as I got older.  Core exercises, improved delivery of the club, and speed training can help.  At 75 I gained a club distance over last year.

[ballhawk]

Have or was fighting the same distance problem for the past few years. Tried everything from strong lofts to light shafts, which as been noted by RB causes their own set of problems. On a whim, I picked up a 7 wood from the local Goodwill and got the "light bulb" turned on. It replaced the 4 and 5 iron, hits high and lands soft. Since that was a resounding plus for the game, I also picked up a 9 wood that replaced my 6 and 7 iron. After some practice with both clubs, I just choke down a bit to hit the lower lofts 5 and 7 distances. In stead of spending a ton of money, the distance dilemma was rectified for cheap. Not saying it's going to work for everyone, but it could be worth a try. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

8 minutes ago, ballhawk said:

Have or was fighting the same distance problem for the past few years. Tried everything from strong lofts to light shafts, which as been noted by RB causes their own set of problems. On a whim, I picked up a 7 wood from the local Goodwill and got the "light bulb" turned on. It replaced the 4 and 5 iron, hits high and lands soft. Since that was a resounding plus for the game, I also picked up a 9 wood that replaced my 6 and 7 iron. After some practice with both clubs, I just choke down a bit to hit the lower lofts 5 and 7 distances. In stead of spending a ton of money, the distance dilemma was rectified for cheap. Not saying it's going to work for everyone, but it could be worth a try. 

As swing speeds slow it becomes harder to elevate the ball especially in the longer irons. using woods and hybrids as replacement for the longer irons are good options as they are typically easier to hit and launch.

 

[TaketheCannoli]

On 9/20/2022 at 5:33 AM, RickyBobby_PR said:

Ignore flex. First theres no industry standard for flex and one companies senior flex could be another companies regular or it could be softer. Second the stiffness one needs to look at is the stiffness profile of the shaft. That’s butt stiffness, mid section stiffness and tip stiffness.

Lighter doesn’t guarantee faster. What matters is how the shaft weight and feel once it’s installed in a club feels to the golfer. If a shaft is too light it could cause the golfer to change their swing and affect swing speed 

Get fit, but make sure it’s from a reputable fitter. It will give you an idea of what works and doesn’t work for you and take the guessing out of it

I'd love to get fit by a reputable fitter. I'm not sure who the reputable fitters are in either Central Ohio or Southwest Florida. We have True Spec and Club Champion, but from what friends have told me both are out of my price range. One buddy told me he paid $400 for a driver fitting at one of those. 

My golf club does fittings. Iron fittings are $150 and I would pay that. It's done by our club's pros. I'm just not sure if they are good fitters. 

Is anyone familiar with fitters in Columbus, Ohio or the Fort Myers/Bonita Springs/Naples Florida areas? 

[TaketheCannoli]

On 9/20/2022 at 9:12 AM, Kenny B said:

First, check how far you hit these clubs on a launch monitor to get a comparison with 2 years ago.  Losing over a club distance in two years seems like quite a lot, but you are comparing distance on a launch monitor with actual on course yardage.  

How are you launching your irons compared to 2 years ago?  If your launch is lower, it could be swing speed loss or technique.  A fitter will help you with the shaft weight and flex; we can't do that.

Yes, we all lose distance with age and a change may be in order.  However, a lot of the distance loss could be in your physical condition compared to two years ago.  I know I neglected that as I got older.  Core exercises, improved delivery of the club, and speed training can help.  At 75 I gained a club distance over last year.

Those are good points! A few things have changed in those two years. I'm 68 and clearly losing clubhead speed. On top of that, I've been in lessons since March of this year and my pro has been making some significant changes in my swing. I guess there is a good chance my swing is a bit tentative due to the ongoing swing changes. Hopefully as time goes on, I'll get more efficient and recover some speed. I used to have an enterprise launch monitor, but something broke inside of it- I understand it's a bad motherboard. When I got my Flightscope I was really excited. After about 6 months the buzz wore off and I rarely used it- like maybe once per year to check my club gaps.  I'm not willing to buy a maintenance agreement for over $1,000 per year for something I doubt I'll use very often.  I may buy an inexpensive personal launch monitor, something like a Rhapsodo or a Mevo but I doubt I'll use them very much.

I am certain my swing has been fundamentally flawed for many years. As you suggested, my physical condition has been neglected. I think any length I used to have was the product of strength overcoming poor technique and poor conditioning. 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by TaketheCannoli
autocorrect error

[RickyBobby_PR]

24 minutes ago, TaketheCannoli said:

I'd love to get fit by a reputable fitter. I'm not sure who the reputable fitters are in either Central Ohio or Southwest Florida. We have True Spec and Club Champion, but from what friends have told me both are out of my price range. One buddy told me he paid $400 for a driver fitting at one of those. 

My golf club does fittings. Iron fittings are $150 and I would pay that. It's done by our club's pros. I'm just not sure if they are good fitters. 

Is anyone familiar with fitters in Columbus, Ohio or the Fort Myers/Bonita Springs/Naples Florida areas? 

Not sure what your buddies are talking about but TruSpec charges $175 for driver fitting and club champion so around that price.

Truspec is your best bet in any of those areas. Just tell them what your budget is  upfront such as you want stock options only

[TaketheCannoli]

1 hour ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Not sure what your buddies are talking about but TruSpec charges $175 for driver fitting and club champion so around that price.

Truspec is your best bet in any of those areas. Just tell them what your budget is  upfront such as you want stock options only

I'm not sure, maybe I misunderstood him. Maybe it was the additional cost over a standard driver. I do remember something about a $900 driver. 

[cnosil]

29 minutes ago, TaketheCannoli said:

I'm not sure, maybe I misunderstood him. Maybe it was the additional cost over a standard driver. I do remember something about a $900 driver. 

Full Bag fittings are in the $350 range and regarding driver costs,  you can buy $800+ drivers direct from the OEMs.  Price for new stock drivers are about $550 from the major OEMs..

[RickyBobby_PR]

9 hours ago, TaketheCannoli said:

I'm not sure, maybe I misunderstood him. Maybe it was the additional cost over a standard driver. I do remember something about a $900 driver. 

It’s possible that they were fit to a $900 driver due to upgraded shaft plus the additional things like puréing the shaft which. But even so one isn’t required to buy from TruSpec or club champion or any other fitter. You are paying for the fitting service. You will get your specs and data even if you don’t buy and go elsewhere.

But also as I mentioned if you give them your budget they will fit you into shafts that meet that and you can buy from the oem directly or thru your local shop.

One thing to remember fittings are only as good as the fitter and the feedbacK the golfer gives that fitter regardless of price 

[McGolf]

On 9/23/2022 at 7:22 PM, TaketheCannoli said:

I'd love to get fit by a reputable fitter. I'm not sure who the reputable fitters are in either Central Ohio or Southwest Florida. We have True Spec and Club Champion, but from what friends have told me both are out of my price range. One buddy told me he paid $400 for a driver fitting at one of those. 

My golf club does fittings. Iron fittings are $150 and I would pay that. It's done by our club's pros. I'm just not sure if they are good fitters. 

Is anyone familiar with fitters in Columbus, Ohio or the Fort Myers/Bonita Springs/Naples Florida areas? 

I might know a guy,,,,,

[McGolf]

You may look to irons with a weaker loft, for instance the hot metal hl can very well give you a better result than regulars hot metal model.  

[cnosil]

6 hours ago, McGolf said:

I might know a guy,,,,,

@TaketheCannoli I'd recommend @McGolf for all your fitting needs.   

[Powermaker]

6 hours ago, McGolf said:

I might know a guy,,,,,

I’d like to put you in my contacts for next spring as I’m thinking about getting fitted. I would gladly drive up from Lexington Ky. for a quality fitting. I don’t do instagram or twitter . Any other ideas how I can contact you ?

[cnosil]

21 minutes ago, Powermaker said:

I’d like to put you in my contacts for next spring as I’m thinking about getting fitted. I would gladly drive up from Lexington Ky. for a quality fitting. I don’t do instagram or twitter . Any other ideas how I can contact you ?

You could start here: http://www.mcgolf.net/

 

[McGolf]

1 hour ago, Powermaker said:

I’d like to put you in my contacts for next spring as I’m thinking about getting fitted. I would gladly drive up from Lexington Ky. for a quality fitting. I don’t do instagram or twitter . Any other ideas how I can contact you ?

[email protected] or [email protected]. We just had two from Louisville this last weekend

[gmmiddle]

McGolf is highly recommended.  He did a great fitting for me, very comprehensive.  Watch his Youtube channel.