Yardage loss ....

[Gerald]

When I paused golf about 20 yrs ago (at hc 5) I played with even then old Wilson Staff Fluid Feel blades with DG 300S shafts at 1" plus (standaard lie) .... no idea of swingspeed, but those had quite normal lofts and a 5 iron was about 180 yds.

I picked golf again last year and allthough I am back on about the same hc as 20 yrs ago, I am shorter. Now I play Mizuno MP-57 with PX 5.5 at 1" plus and 2* upright ..... bit mixed feelings ..... not as solid as the Wilsons were (but maybe I only think so ..... a lot can happen to a memory of the past).

For sure is that I have lost distance ...... really and the only way I compensated this, was by becoming very much better in scrambling and putting than I was 20 yrs. ago.

Currently a 5 iron is about 160 yds. while at the same time lofts went about 3-4 degrees stronger, so the actual comparison would be todays 160 yds. vs the 4 iron distances of about 20 yrs ago ..... at about 195 yds....... That is a lot !!!!

Maybe it is time to go for Regular shafts, but what would I expect to gain ? (distance wise)

[CrazyXGolfer]

I highly doubt 4* difference. Just saying :P
Maybe your golf swing still is not as good. There are lots of reasons why this would happen. You could have a reverse pivit or somthig.
Post a vid of your golf swing. You also may not be compressing the ball correctly.
I would go a "good" golf coach and ask them. Nobody can really tell you without seeing your golf swing back then and now. Maybe you have just lost alot of STR in thoese 20 years.

[Old1964]

Probably need to do some stretching to develop the flexibility that you once had.
Barring any serious flaws in your swing, it's about club head speed.
If you are not getting the stiff shafts "flexed" your distance will suffer - little kick.
A quick Mizuno fitting (cheap too $49 at Golf Galaxy) with a computerized 6 iron and the computer will recommend not only the proper flex, but a shaft that fits your transition, release, and the like.

[CrazyXGolfer]

I highly recomend the Mizzy shaft fittings. Ive been having some trouble with my Irons and I went in last night Put in on the launch mointer with the shaft opitmizer aswell and work out I was not loading the club enough for the X in the KBS. And I went from hitting my 6 iron 175 yards, to 200 yards. Just looking at some luanch stats in increased my club head speed by 7 MPH

[wrx_junki]

And I went from hitting my 6 iron 175 yards, to 200 yards. Just looking at some luanch stats in increased my club head speed by 7 MPH

What shaft did you switch to that you gained 25 yards? I'm pretty sure 7 mph swing speed increase with a 6 iron does not equate to a 25 yard gain.

To the OP, you can get on the Mizuno shaft optimizer at any Mizuno demo day or any Mizuno fitter. I'm sure your golfing muscles are still coming around and you have lost a lot of flexibility in the 20 years off. Check out DGSL S300 shafts which are lighter versions of the DG S300's.

[CrazyXGolfer]

I went from X to S. I also ment 185***
Honestly did not help golf today though! If I can hit the green whats the point in hitting in long haha

[wrx_junki]

I went from X to S. I also ment 185***

How do you go from a 200 to a 185, that's quite a typo. More likely a case of internet exaggeration.

[CrazyXGolfer]

Might want to get your facts stright.
People like you (wrx_junkie) really make me laugh, trying to be a big man over the internet :P

185-200

So why don;t you stop trolling everything I say and get a life?

[Gerald]

I highly doubt 4* difference. Just saying :P

Well actually I never thought that I ever had a good swing, but it is solid enough to play scratch as I did a few times at our first nine this year, loosing the length because of a "Reverse Pivot" was good thinking ..... well first I had to find out what that meant.

Friday I went to the driving range and shifted some more Weight from back to front and I have "enough" to shift, instantly added about 20 yds to my mid irons .... Pfewww where did these come from. Anyway went into the course and at a 180 yds par 3 my 4 iron went about 25 yds too long and the hc 11 I played with said I was hitting long distance with my irons On the orther hand I was also trying to find some extra yardage on the driver and took a Regular shafted driver with me from the shop at the course, which was a R9 Supertri ...... I don't know if it was the shaft, but the ball came off with a more than decent accelaration ........ many went well over 275 yds. with remarkably little effort (don't know ..... but these drivers should be forbidden !). Our Pro has such a Mizuno iron with a shaft optimizer installed, maybe I should try this ...... I would like to have great matching shafts...... on the other hand most my iron shots are deadstraight, so I would think I square the "blades" very well.

[Magdalena]

That may not apply to you, but I remembered I have been played with my Callaway X-14 for years. Then I decided that I need to do sth fancy so bought mizuno blades. Well,what happened really didn't make me happy - I lost about 15 Yards!

[WUTiger]

Three things...
* What kind of overall shape are you in physically, compared to 20 years ago? Titleist Performance Institute trainers say the average golfer who works out has strength, but not much power (strength + speed). Increasing power helps you increase distance.
* Related to first item, do you have any recent injuries which hamper your swing?
* A teaching pro told me that the early 50s is when male golfers could consider the shift from S to R flex in shafts. R-flex would give you more clubhead speed, and more loft on shots, than a similar S-flex shaft.

[Gerald]

I have never been a strong guy, but at 6'7" my clubs are coming from somewhere...... My swing has always been smooth, but fast, however not that fast...... With my driver I reach about 95 mph ..... I allways am told it is between regular and stiff and with my build (length) it is best to go for stiff.

I square the the clubface most of the times and the balls are dead straight, must be my swing is quite good, maybe the swing isn't that good, but most of the youngsters overhere, playing in our first competition team say I have a nice swing for such an "old" guy.... anyway I somehow manage to come straight through the ball with a straight face (otherwise ball flights would have been different I guess), but lately I have been hitting lots of straight to the right pushes ..... so maybe it is time to go for R shafts.

Anyway .... I will ask my pro and have it measured.