Comparing Current Clubs to Older Clubs

[cnosil]

14 minutes ago, Donn lost in San Diego said:

In 1982 the new Ping Eye 2 PW was 49 or 50 degrees.  My 2018 model of the I 500, the PW is 44 or 45 loft.  Anybody know where to find lofts of 1960s and 1970s Macgregor and Wilsons?  Were PW lofts even higher than 50 when Arnie vs Jack was the weekly battle?

Just have to search the internet.  Can find some resources.  
 

here are some typical lofts from that era

[NM01]

16 minutes ago, Donn lost in San Diego said:

In 1982 the new Ping Eye 2 PW was 49 or 50 degrees.  My 2018 model of the I 500, the PW is 44 or 45 loft.  Anybody know where to find lofts of 1960s and 1970s Macgregor and Wilsons?  Were PW lofts even higher than 50 when Arnie vs Jack was the weekly battle?

in the 60s and 70s pw was 52° it moved to 50° in the 80s but clubs were also starting to change then. In the 90s as more club options became available pw moved to 48°.

The i500 is a hollow body players distance club. It’s a completely different design than clubs from early 2000s and older. Comparing lofts between a blade and this type of club is nearly pointless. The design for the hollow body is going to be far less spin than an mb. Even between the i500 and i210 on similar strikes I saw a 500 rpm difference in spin and a couple degrees difference in launch.

It would be no different than comparing the i500 to the Titleist T100, their CB and MB lofts. They are different designs and thus lofts have to be different to account for the launch and spin

[Donn lost in San Diego]

I finally learned how to move pix from phone to laptop (too complicated for an Excel spreadsheet power user circa 1995).  Here in all its' glory is my Don Martin 25 degrees loft, brass and copper, Up-N-In chipper.  Dates back to the Rat Pack era in Palm Springs.  His company was founded in 1959.  Grip is flat on top side, length 36".  USGA says I can't put a flat side new superstroke style grip on it, permitted only on putters and the max loft for a putter is 7 degrees.  These sell for $20 used online.

I obtained it about 6 years ago.  I use it up to about 20 yards out where putting is not an option.  Since the shaft is putter length it is easier than a longer iron to handle it like a tennis racket or a knife on a dinner plate. I can chop it down through thick rough.  Practice, practice, practice.  I use a 60 deg wedge only to go over sand or crocodiles and snakes.  I also had a Stan Thompson (of Ginty fame) Closup but gave it away.  The Closup shaft is an inch or two longer, stainless & chrome grooved head, and I could use it for longer pokes than the flat Up-N-In.  I find the Martin to be more accurate.

Does anybody need it?  No, but I carry one less long club in the bag so I can carry this.  I only need 3 clubs between driver and 6 iron.  Of course, I only drive 250 yards max. For now.  Unlike most of you bruisers.

Edited June 22 by Donn lost in San Diego
Didn't finish my writeup.

[Rob Person]

3 hours ago, Donn lost in San Diego said:

I finally learned how to move pix from phone to laptop (too complicated for an Excel spreadsheet power user circa 1995).  Here in all its' glory is my Don Martin 25 degrees loft, brass and copper, Up-N-In chipper.  Dates back to the Rat Pack era in Palm Springs.  His company was founded in 1959.  Grip is flat on top side, length 36".  USGA says I can't put a flat side new superstroke style grip on it, permitted only on putters and the max loft for a putter is 7 degrees.  These sell for $20 used online.

I obtained it about 6 years ago.  I use it up to about 20 yards out where putting is not an option.  Since the shaft is putter length it is easier than a longer iron to handle it like a tennis racket or a knife on a dinner plate. I can chop it down through thick rough.  Practice, practice, practice.  I use a 60 deg wedge only to go over sand or crocodiles and snakes.  I also had a Stan Thompson (of Ginty fame) Closup but gave it away.  The Closup shaft is an inch or two longer, stainless & chrome grooved head, and I could use it for longer pokes than the flat Up-N-In.  I find the Martin to be more accurate.

Does anybody need it?  No, but I carry one less long club in the bag so I can carry this.  I only need 3 clubs between driver and 6 iron.  Of course, I only drive 250 yards max. For now.  Unlike most of you bruisers.

That's awesome! It looks like someone took a 9i and just cut the face in half and rounded the edges. 

[schooner44]

I think finding the right shafts (weight and flex) are the most important factor. I also think that clubs with stronger lifts are just a mind game by manufacturers. They want you to hit the new 7 iron with a lower loft and see that you hit it 10 yards further but in actuality you're really hitting the same club as your old 6 iron... Need to compare apples to apples. So much of golf is what feels comfortable and what's in your head so if you feel comfortable with what you swing, it will give you more confidence and likely produce better results on the course.

[NM01]

1 hour ago, schooner44 said:

I think finding the right shafts (weight and flex) are the most important factor. I also think that clubs with stronger lifts are just a mind game by manufacturers. They want you to hit the new 7 iron with a lower loft and see that you hit it 10 yards further but in actuality you're really hitting the same club as your old 6 iron... Need to compare apples to apples. So much of golf is what feels comfortable and what's in your head so if you feel comfortable with what you swing, it will give you more confidence and likely produce better results on the course.

Flex isn’t important at all. Theres no industry standard so it’s not even used. The stiffness profile is far more important in creating the right feel for the golfer along with weight. But the head is more important to get the ball in the right window and the shaft is to fine tune.

Lofts aren’t jacked, they are the lofts used on players distance, gi and sgi clubs that didn’t exist before. Not to mention lofts having been getting stronger since the 60s and not something that new.

The numbers are irrelevant and the goal is to have clubs that are designed to help get the ball in the air with cg placement.