"Vanity Sizing" in clubs (aka: "But this one goes to 11")

Yup, this has been going on for about 40 years now. Unless the PW in your set of Titleist DCIs has about 50 degrees of loft, it's strong by, say, pre-television standards. Then there's offset, shaft length, light and weak stock shafts, thinner faces in irons, and upright lie to make a slice straighter, launch higher, and add some length, particularly on the longest hits. Taylormade is infamous for this, but others do it too. If you get a lucky swing and hit a hot spot on the face, the ball flies longer on the monitor, but it's hard to do this consistently and it hurts distance control. Doesn't matter as far as selling though.

Generally the accepted lofts these days are 21 degrees for the 3 iron up to 47 degrees for the PW. Generally player's irons are around that range regardless of brand, while Game improvement clubs are stronger lofted but hit the ball higher. Wilson Di11s, which are nice clubs and I do like Wilson for what it's worth, have a 42.5˚ pitching wedge. You need both an approach wedge and a gap wedge for that set, 46 degrees for the GW and a 9˚ gap to the 55˚ sand wedge. Given that they're unashamed of this, it's not a problem, but they do stick to decent lofts on their other sets.

Lie angle and length have not remained close to the same . I have a set of 70s titleists that are almost an inch short and 3˚ flat. The lofts are actually very poorly gapped, but for the most part the set isn't too far off my current one otherwise in terms of range.

When Ping started producing perimeter-weighted clubs, there was actually a valid reason for strengthening the lofts. The perimeter-weighting really got the ball up into the air better than traditional blades of the 1980s. But, the extra loft it generated cost the irons a little distance.

Not wanting their irons to be labeled as short hitters, Ping engineers strengthened the club lofts about 2* so that the Eye series 7 iron went as far as, say, a Titleist 7 iron.

Then, the marketing bunnies across golfdom got hold of it, and launch the major arms race of vanity lofts to see who has the longest-hitting 7 iron. Among other fallout from the loft wars:

• Moved the 3i from 24* to sometimes 19*, making long irons even harder to hit (enter hybrids, or actually hybrids return: golfers circa 1900 played the bulldog , which was an early hybrid).
• Created the need for the gap wedge, to bridge the space between the often-46* PW and the 56* SW.

I respect companies that can keep their "marketing bunnies" in check but it's difficult when everyone has marketing bunnies running amok.  With that said, I'm seriously (pun intended) considering a set of Wilson Di11s.  They feel nice, look great, and are a great value.  The only annoyance is that I'll need a gap wedge after the gap wedge.

Why do so many people care about the evil marketing tactics of Taylormade and other large companies. If you like the clubs, buy them. Dont worry about what the TV says about distance and accuracy. If strengthed lofts bother you, dont buy them. Clubs today are better for the average to below average golfer unlike many years ago.

I have an Engineering/Science background, so it's only natural to take shots at the marketing folks who like to live in their marketing fantasy world.  Damn....there I go again. Can't help it.  Anyway, I actually like the Wilson Di11s.

Funny because i have a marketing background. As long as you dont claim you hit your 6 iron farther than everyone. Then the science/engineering will take affect because of the strengthened lofts.

but, come on bro.......10 yards! That's a lot.

17 yards gained is the bare minimum

duh! Stupid me.

I don't understand your pun....

spinal tap the movie , i believe

Ah come-on.  Haven't you seen the commercials for Wilson irons with Ricky Barnes and the guy that acts like a douchebag.   The catch phrase is "Seriously."

I get so vexed when I'm in the clubhouse, and I mention I hit my niblick an honest 150 yards, just to have the other gentlemen scoff at me and say "I hit the niblick in MY set 160 yards"! I try to be civil and say "Sir, your niblick is so strongly lofted it's the same as my mashie niblick"! But some just seem not to care. All the popinjays at my local club are so keen to say they hit the ball far, but they're a bunch of snappy dressers.

"Niblick be damned", I said, "You preening princox!" Well, the fellow took offense to that, and we very nearly had fisticuffs right there in the lounge! Luckily the bartender brought over a few drams of Whisky and reminded us to be gentlemen. I always thought golf was a noble sport, one that humbles her players. It seems though, that some are bent on carrying their narcissism on the course along with their fallacious niblicks. Bollocks, I say, if you'll pardon the language.

I do not own a TV.

....Nice pun

Nice tele !

Born to run ?

I just google'd '72 deluxe and found this badboy. I'm more suited to a squier affinity y'know. UNfortunately.

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