New Life for Old Clubs

[NHpro]

Hi All,

I went back recently to an old set of irons I built years ago. What I noticed were (2) things.

1. I'm hitting my iron shots much better to the green.

2. I am hitting higher shots than I'd like.

I then had my scoring clubs, 7 thru SW bent 2 degrees stronger, that is delofted. The older clubs tend to have higher lofts than the more modern irons of today.

So now I'm hitting the shot shape to the green that I like best.

Also, I haven't noticed any difference in "bounce" and the clubs certainly aren't "diggers"

Play well.

 

Edited July 7, 2020 by NHpro

[NHpro]

So my new, or should I say old, iron set that I am playing with has been working out pretty good.

The Golfsmith Tour Model IV is a very good iron based on the Ping Eye 2. 

I noticed my iron shots have been higher than I like so I decided to make the lofts 2 degrees stronger. I haven't noticed any difference with bounce.

This has helped my shot making but not quite there yet., so I decided to try a 3-4 degree stronger loft.

My original lofts were based on the old club lofts of the 80's and not the newer more modern lofts of 2020.

[Double Mocha Man]

34 minutes ago, NHpro said:

So my new, or should I say old, iron set that I am playing with has been working out pretty good.

The Golfsmith Tour Model IV is a very good iron based on the Ping Eye 2. 

I noticed my iron shots have been higher than I like so I decided to make the lofts 2 degrees stronger. I haven't noticed any difference with bounce.

This has helped my shot making but not quite there yet., so I decided to try a 3-4 degree stronger loft.

My original lofts were based on the old club lofts of the 80's and not the newer more modern lofts of 2020.

Are you bending them or are you having a shop do it?  I'm curious 'cause it would seem you're getting to the point where the head will snap off.  Are they forged or cast?

[NHpro]

54 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Are you bending them or are you having a shop do it?  I'm curious 'cause it would seem you're getting to the point where the head will snap off.  Are they forged or cast?

I am bending these myself, the heads are a soft cast material.

 

[billchao]

4 hours ago, NHpro said:

This has helped my shot making but not quite there yet., so I decided to try a 3-4 degree stronger loft.

My original lofts were based on the old club lofts of the 80's and not the newer more modern lofts of 2020.

If they're older lofts, the clubs are likely 4° apart as it is. You're essentially just hardstepping them while reducing the bounce and possibly risking them breaking.

[NHpro]

3 minutes ago, billchao said:

If they're older lofts, the clubs are likely 4° apart as it is. You're essentially just hardstepping them while reducing the bounce and possibly risking them breaking.

Thank you for your insight. I've gone 2deg. and haven't noticed any difference with bounce yet, I plan to go 2 deg. more. I'll try it out on my 9 iron first and then I'll know if I should go ahead with the other clubs.

[Club Rat]

A stiffer shaft would also lower ball flight, to use exiting shafts you could remove all heads and tip trim the shafts to lengths.
As @billchao mentioned, "you're just hard stepping them"

Also you will need one new shaft for the set.
Tweaking metal of any type, reduces the integrity of the material.

Also, to lower ball flight one could make changes to ball position, AOA of swing, use more club and swing easy, etc.
The end result is having good shot zones with all clubs with distance control.

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, Club Rat said:

A stiffer shaft would also lower ball flight, to use exiting shafts you could remove all heads and tip trim the shafts to lengths.
As @billchao mentioned, "you're just hard stepping them"

Also you will need one new shaft for the set.
Tweaking metal of any type, reduces the integrity of the material.

Also, to lower ball flight one could make changes to ball position, AOA of swing, use more club and swing easy, etc.
The end result is having good shot zones with all clubs with distance control.

Be careful. Tapered shafts shouldn’t be tip trimmed. He did not state the shaft type.

[NHpro]

Well, it's time for the old Golfsmith Tour Model IV Irons to be adjusted to modern specs.

These irons from the 80's are based off of the Ping Eye 2 and are great irons but the  lofts are outdated compared to the new more modern specs.

I have determined that all irons will need a 3 degree stronger loft and a .5 degree upright adjustment over stock specs.

The bounce will change of course but my initial check indicates I will still have positive bounce after the adjustments are made.

[burr]

Ah yes, the TourModel was almost an exact clone of the eye2s for a fraction of the $$, and originally from WestGeorgiaGolfCo.  I would estimate a dozen or so co-workers had sets.  and it's the reason I've played PingEye2 to this day.

You are still playing these today ?

 

[NHpro]

9 minutes ago, burr said:

Ah yes, the TourModel was almost an exact clone of the eye2s for a fraction of the $$, and originally from WestGeorgiaGolfCo.  I would estimate a dozen or so co-workers had sets.  and it's the reason I've played PingEye2 to this day.

You are still playing these today ?

 

Yes, a great club that I recently went back to playing. I built them back when I started playing.

My iron shots have improved with them, but I don't like the high flight of the ball.

I am looking for the lower trajectory and hoping the upgrade in loft from OEM specs. will give me the results I am looking for.

[NHpro]

Hello,

The Golfsmith Tour Model IV was a great component head from the 80's that was designed to be a lot like the Ping Eye 2.

I have renewed my love affair with them because of my improved iron shots to the green

The only complaint is that these clubs were made back in the late 80's and the lofts reflect this.

My iron shots are higher than I'd like, so I decided to change the lofts to a more modern, stronger spec. on the bending machine.

After completion the bounce changed, but still maintained a positive degree.

Here is the breakdown:

3 iron  21 deg to 20 deg

4 iron 26 to 23

5 iron 27 to 26

6 iron 32 to 30

7 iron 36 to 34

8 iron 41 to 38

9 iron 45 to 42

PW 49 to 46

SW 55 to 54

 

Thoughts?

Edited January 14, 2021 by NHpro

[iacas]

@NHpro, if you've not been formally welcomed to TST, welcome.

Second, please stop creating new topics to discuss closely related things. This one you started today, which I've merged into an existing topic, had the very same title. The same image. Much of the same information.

The same attachment (image) appears four times.

Just post in this topic if it's at all related to this "stuff," please.

[NHpro]

7 minutes ago, iacas said:

@NHpro, if you've not been formally welcomed to TST, welcome.

Second, please stop creating new topics to discuss closely related things. This one you started today, which I've merged into an existing topic, had the very same title. The same image. Much of the same information.

The same attachment (image) appears four times.

Just post in this topic if it's at all related to this "stuff," please.

Will do, thanks for the heads up!

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, NHpro said:

My iron shots are higher than I'd like, so I decided to change the lofts to a more modern, stronger spec

Maybe I’m missing something but you do realize ‘stronger lifts’ are not just what’s modern about today’s irons?

Your old 7i being bent stronger to match a 7i of today doesn’t make it modern. The face technology is important.

[NHpro]

Hi, Anyone out there playing with Ping Eye 2 irons still? 

I have acquired a set and would like to deloft these clubs 2-3 deg. 

What are your suggestions for final loft specs on these irons?

[weberd27]

There is a similar discussion going on here: 

 

[onthehunt526]

On 5/18/2021 at 9:35 AM, NHpro said:

Hi, Anyone out there playing with Ping Eye 2 irons still? 

I have acquired a set and would like to deloft these clubs 2-3 deg. 

What are your suggestions for final loft specs on these irons?

Don’t. Just play one more club. And those are  Eye 2+ irons. So the wedge is 48.5° the sand wedge 53° and the lob wedge 58° the short irons are a little stronger lofted than the regular Eye 2.

Edited May 19, 2021 by onthehunt526
Bad, bad grammar.