One length clubs? Experience-thoughts?

[jdf267shay]

So recently my instructor told my wife she might benefit from One Length Clubs from Cobra?? Reason being she is 5'0 & left handed- think I could get a picture of Bigfoot better than finding her decent clubs.. plus she struggles hitting ball far..anyone else have thoughts or experiences with this? What about other  companies or is Cobra it for the one length? 

[Hacker60521]

@jdf267shay this is a really interesting topic, and single length irons have always interested me. They’ve been around a long time, but Bryson DeChambeau raised current interest.  I’m sure there will be plenty of opinions on this. The biggest “pro” — especially for a newer player would be that single length clubs make things a lot simpler. You can use the exact same setup and exact same swing with every club. So there should be far more consistency in shots since you’ve taken out a variable. The “con” as I see it is probably shot shape and distance on the longer end.

But for a beginner why not. And if you’re a low handicapper you can always get a set of single length clubs fitted. But that’s another story. 

Edited March 3 by Hacker60521

[Bobbers]

I'm not as short as your wife but I swing slowly.  Tried the first generation Cobra one length irons and they didn't do a darned thing for me.  I abandoned them.  Sold them actually, often I'll "retire" a set of irons with the thought that they may speak to me in the future.

If it were me I might look at test driving something like the Cleveland Launcher XL Halo clubs.

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, jdf267shay said:

So recently my instructor told my wife she might benefit from One Length Clubs from Cobra?? Reason being she is 5'0 & left handed- think I could get a picture of Bigfoot better than finding her decent clubs.. plus she struggles hitting ball far..anyone else have thoughts or experiences with this? What about other  companies or is Cobra it for the one length? 

The advantage of one length clubs is that they are all the same length so the swing is basically the same for all clubs so hitting a long iron is the same as hitting wedge.    For someone that has learned with traditional clubs the use of one length is a little odd at first but it works.   There really are no cons from a swing or playing perspective.    

One length irons are a niche type product and Cobra is the only major OEM that makes them;  there are a few smaller DTC companies that make them.  I have hit the cobra and a couple of the older models and i think any single length would be fine as long as you make sure they were the right length for your wife.   

[Dules]

I have tried the one length & love the concept but ultimately I am in the camp that ultimately they can benefit beginner golfers mostly.  I found that the lower - can"t say long - kind of all went the same distance. Maybe high speed swingers could generate the appropriate gapping on the lower end of the set. Some players struggle with longer "high"irons as you are chipping with a 7 iron length gap wedge. I believe incremental improvements over sets on lie/loft has better addressed potential gapping issues  

I had my wife in a set of one length Pinhawk irons and it helped her get the swing groove going but she has graduated to variable length after a few lessons.  

My final thought that I hear quite a bit is something like 5-6-7 iron 1 length 8-9-PW in another set length & GW - SW normal length.  

One length does make the same distance you stand from the ball & position within your stance a no brainer which I think is a huge plus.

[Kbek]

I used the Cobra One Length irons and One Length hybrid for about 18 months about 4 years ago. I found it easier to make solid contact from SW through hybrid than with a standard set.  The consistent swing plane proved very repeatable even with longer time spans between rounds. My problem was at each of the set. At the “longer” end of the set my yardage gaps were too tight. Only about 4 yards between the 4 and 5 iron. At the “short” end the gapping was good but my wedges were crazy high. Okay on a calm day, but inconsistent with wind.

I passed the clubs along to my son. He plays infrequently and practices even less.  These have proven to be a great set for him. He is not overly concerned with yardage gaps. He just wants the feels of solid contact.

[Bap1130]

I experimented with a one length set briefly, but like everyone says above, could never get used to the feel, especially with the 8-GW. Had a really hard time hitting a 130 yard shot with what felt like a 7 iron.

I do think there is some merit to the concept and it could likely help beginner or intermediate golfers. However, there is probably a reason why there's only one professional golfer who uses them.

[dinoma]

I've spent 6 years using one-length clubs (GW-5 & H19, Cobra Forged-Tec) and, in that time, went from an 18 to a 5 handicap. I have a lot of good things to say about them, especially the ease of practice, the same swing on every club, etc. 

Interestingly, most people I spoke to over this period said they liked the idea in the 7-5i range but were not keen on the wedge area. I would say, in my experience, it's the opposite. One of the tweaks to separating the distances is ball flight (wedges higher, 5i lower), so the wedges worked wonders for me, and the longer end of the bag, not so much. While I got decent gapping, my 6i/5i came in far too hot and, on harder greens, would struggle to stop quickly. 

I have just been properly fitted for new clubs for the first time (ended up with titleist T150) the fitter was complimentary about the clubs for beginners but said that they have found the longer irons will be an issue for most people either with them all going a similar distance or coming in too low and fast. The spin numbers, peak height and descent angle on trackman all backed this up.

Despite this, I will be sad to see my one-length go. They have been an integral part of my improvement over the last few years, and I would highly recommend them for either beginners or higher handicappers with anything above slow swing speeds.

[Hacker60521]

@dinoma I’m surprised that you’re changing from single length clubs. While I’m not usually a “if it’s not broken don’t fix it” person, it sounds like they’ve been working well for you. Please post an update after you’ve played with your new clubs for a bit. Thanks in advance 

[StrokerAce]

I have 2 sets - Sterling (Tom Wishon) and Cobra forged tec all black

if you're new to golf it certainly makes things easier. I shot my lowest round ever with a set.

https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/trend-or-fad-single-length-irons/

[StrokerAce]

4 hours ago, dinoma said:

I've spent 6 years using one-length clubs (GW-5 & H19, Cobra Forged-Tec) and, in that time, went from an 18 to a 5 handicap. I have a lot of good things to say about them, especially the ease of practice, the same swing on every club, etc. 

Interestingly, most people I spoke to over this period said they liked the idea in the 7-5i range but were not keen on the wedge area. I would say, in my experience, it's the opposite. One of the tweaks to separating the distances is ball flight (wedges higher, 5i lower), so the wedges worked wonders for me, and the longer end of the bag, not so much. While I got decent gapping, my 6i/5i came in far too hot and, on harder greens, would struggle to stop quickly. 

I have just been properly fitted for new clubs for the first time (ended up with titleist T150) the fitter was complimentary about the clubs for beginners but said that they have found the longer irons will be an issue for most people either with them all going a similar distance or coming in too low and fast. The spin numbers, peak height and descent angle on trackman all backed this up.

Despite this, I will be sad to see my one-length go. They have been an integral part of my improvement over the last few years, and I would highly recommend them for either beginners or higher handicappers with anything above slow swing speeds.

My experience was similar to yours; I think there's a ceiling with one length and I went from a 16 to a 7 hc and switched to standard length. They are very very good for working on swing mechanics - shaft lean, center face contact, staying on plane, etc. - but I think on the edges 5/6 ... 9/P the std length outperform them and give you better distance gaps.

Just for fun I will occasionally pull them back out though... and I keep my set in case my son or a friend wants to use them. They are stupid easy to hit.

[dinoma]

@Hacker60521 For sure I will.

For context, the decision was based on my shotscope numbers showing the weakest part of my game was approach irons between 170-200, and when I was discussing it in a lesson, we realised I was struggling to get enough spin and height on my lower lofted one-lengths. 

I then went to a specialist fitter who confirmed the above. 

One-length's are in the garage just in case, and I've not ruled out a mix setup of one-length GW-7 then normal for longer. Time will tell, all the above could just be down to me!

[russtopherb]

Like some of the others in the thread, I tried them a few years back and had issues with the 6i & 5i going too low. The "shorter" irons and wedges were awesome - I haven't hit that type of towering shot that stops on a dime with another club since then. 

From what I've heard & read, the newer Cobra lines have addressed the issues in the "longer" irons so the ballflight is improved. 

[lakland5strng]

On 3/22/2024 at 9:04 AM, StrokerAce said:

My experience was similar to yours; I think there's a ceiling with one length and I went from a 16 to a 7 hc and switched to standard length. They are very very good for working on swing mechanics - shaft lean, center face contact, staying on plane, etc. - but I think on the edges 5/6 ... 9/P the std length outperform them and give you better distance gaps.

Just for fun I will occasionally pull them back out though... and I keep my set in case my son or a friend wants to use them. They are stupid easy to hit.

How did you know it "was time"?  In my 3rd year of single length and I still really enjoy them and the "one stop shop" for setup if you will. 

Edited March 31 by lakland5strng
typo

[StrokerAce]

On 3/30/2024 at 7:29 PM, lakland5strng said:

How did you know it "was time"?  In my 3rd year of single length and I still really enjoy them and the "one stop shop" for setup if you will. 

I think it was when my gaps got too close together. When I started to hit the 8 and 7 about the same distance. Possibly I could have had them reshafted or adjusted?

glad you're enjoying them. sure makes the game easier; at times it felt like I was cheating...