Shaft Length

[Adam C]

  On 8/8/2020 at 12:59 PM, CharlieB said:

@AdamC I have Ping G15 irons with TFC149 Soft R flex shafts -1”.

I am looking at buying a set of Titleist 714 AP1’s with Graphite Kuro Kage 65 R shafts in standard length. Do you think I will lose distance with the Titleist being a R flex? 
I would not be able to hit the Titleist before buying them. Thanks

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The flex will only play a very small part in the distance and that only comes from increased loft and face closure on the softer flex. The longer shaft length should provide more distance assuming you are still making center face contact. Also the weight may feel quite different as the Pings are naturally lighter feeling in swing weight vs. Titleist and combine that with the fact that the Pings are 1 inch shorter than the Titleist so that the Titleist clubs might feel a bit heavy to start with. That will probably just be something that takes some getting used to though.

Only other consideration would be the lofts of the two which I am not sure about off the top of my head.

[CharlieB]

  On 8/8/2020 at 10:36 PM, Adam C said:

The flex will only play a very small part in the distance and that only comes from increased loft and face closure on the softer flex. The longer shaft length should provide more distance assuming you are still making center face contact. Also the weight may feel quite different as the Pings are naturally lighter feeling in swing weight vs. Titleist and combine that with the fact that the Pings are 1 inch shorter than the Titleist so that the Titleist clubs might feel a bit heavy to start with. That will probably just be something that takes some getting used to though.

Only other consideration would be the lofts of the two which I am not sure about off the top of my head.

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They are both 32* loft on the 7 iron. The D1 swing weight does feel a lot better than the shorter Pings. They have the Kuro Kage Low Balance R flex shafts in standard 37”. Hopefully I can stay in the center of the face! Thanks for your input. I got a great deal on a set In 5-48* wedge, plus excellent condition. Now I just have to put some Golf Pride standard size +4 Tour Velvet grips on them.

[Release]

  On 8/8/2020 at 12:59 PM, CharlieB said:

@AdamC I have Ping G15 irons with TFC149 Soft R flex shafts -1”.

I am looking at buying a set of Titleist 714 AP1’s with Graphite Kuro Kage 65 R shafts in standard length. Do you think I will lose distance with the Titleist being a R flex? 
I would not be able to hit the Titleist before buying them. Thanks

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Charlie,  Beside getting the equipment to help, you'll need to get some kind of exercise to build back the lost muscle owing to aging.

Equipment alone will not be the magic pill to cure your issue of lost distance.  Find a specialist related to golf ( they had come up with designation for this as with everything else ) and stick to the program designed for you.  With proper diet, you should see some result in a few months of time.

I had never known the golf swing involving almost all the muscles on the back.  The power of the golf swing comes mostly from your back and the legs, fingers and wrists will be the last fine tune for extra effort .  

Don't depend on the equipment to solve your dilemma of losing distance.   This is the road which everyone will journey with aging, no exceptions.

Conditioning your physical ability will prolong the aging process and allowing you to enjoy the game a bit longer.

[CharlieB]

Went to the range again this morning. Did not hit the Pings, or the Titleist well at all. All the ball marks are low on the face and towards the hosel, but not on the hosel. It has to be swing related, but I don’t know what? I wish I could post a video, but I’m not tech smart enough to do that. Any suggestions on the cause of this effect? I know I try hard to swing from inside out, but I keep hitting grounders. Maximum Frustration!

Edited August 22, 2020 by CharlieB

[CharlieB]

@Adam C Do you think the Titleist with a A flex shaft will help that much more than the R flex?

 

[Adam C]

  On 8/22/2020 at 6:55 PM, CharlieB said:

@Adam C Do you think the Titleist with a A flex shaft will help that much more than the R flex?

 

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Minimal difference between the two. Not enough to worry about in most cases.

Would not put two much stock in one bad range session. Change takes time and changing equipment is like a swing change, takes time.

[Release]

Theoretically, the shorter the length, the thicker the shaft, the heavier the weight of a shaft will feel a stiffer flex.  

When you need to play an iron length 1" shorter than the standard , you may wish to explore at least one flex softer than what you used to ( or been fitted for at standard length ).  Typical graphite shaft length in the irons is 1" longer than the steel counterpart.  

Cutting 1 " off across the board is never a good idea.  You're not looking for uniform staggered length across a set of iron at 1/2" - 3/8" between each.  The best way will take more effort but you should target a distance and trim the shaft according to the desired gap between the clubs.  Usually 10-15 yards between the clubs but in your case going shorter and more flexible, you might consider 7/8 - 10 yards gap between each of the clubs.

Your total package should not be taken from a spreadsheet , built with only static measurement.  If you have time, it should be built one club at a time with loft/lie angle considered with the length of the shaft to achieve the target total carried distance/ apex angle.  Besides the equipment side, have a knowledgeable instructor take a closer look at your golf game.  Approach it from both the golfer and the equipment sides, to achieve the maximum result you as an individual.could.  

There is no short answer to solve your issue of lack of distance.  If there is such an easy way, this game will never be as attractive to so many throughout the history.

 

 

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 8/23/2020 at 2:34 PM, Release said:

Theoretically, the shorter the length, the thicker the shaft, the heavier the weight of a shaft will feel stiffer

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I've been telling my wife this for over 20 years now.

[boogielicious]

  On 8/23/2020 at 2:37 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

I've been telling my wife this for over 20 years now.

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I’m glad I didn’t have a mouth full of coffee when I read this!😜

[Release]

  On 8/23/2020 at 2:37 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

I've been telling my wife this for over 20 years now.

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Length and mass do matter, just as important, if one knows how to swing;  time of staying afloat..  One can taste the first shot of vodka, but everything taste about the same after the 2nd, 3rd..... as long as it keeps coming.

[CharlieB]

@Adam CI took my new to me 714 AP1’s in for re-gripping at Golf Galaxy yesterday. I asked to have them measure the length and lie angle. The 7 iron was standard length, but the lie angle is 1* upright. The guy that I bought them from told me they were both standard. I am a 100 player, so how much is that 1* going to make? When I pick them up should I have them check another club in the set? All of this is really messing with my head!

[Adam C]

  On 8/25/2020 at 2:56 PM, CharlieB said:

@Adam CI took my new to me 714 AP1’s in for re-gripping at Golf Galaxy yesterday. I asked to have them measure the length and lie angle. The 7 iron was standard length, but the lie angle is 1* upright. The guy that I bought them from told me they were both standard. I am a 100 player, so how much is that 1* going to make? When I pick them up should I have them check another club in the set? All of this is really messing with my head!

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Just knowing the number (and this assumes that the person measuring knows what they are doing) does little good by itself. You need to take the club and hit it with a vertical line check to actually see what the club is doing at impact. From there you can decide if you need any adjustments. That being said, one degree will be a small influence on face direction, maybe 1 yard offline for the 6 iron assuming you hit it around 150.

Here is the way to check in case you need it.

 

[CharlieB]

Thanks Adam, I think I am over thinking this. Actually I thinking I’m just trying to get my ball striking confidence back.

[iacas]

  On 8/25/2020 at 4:15 PM, Adam C said:

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Though I will stand up for the idea that people can see angles of 3° or so… this method has always seemed fraught with issues. First off, what if you can't put it down perfectly vertical?

[Adam C]

  On 8/27/2020 at 1:04 AM, iacas said:

Though I will stand up for the idea that people can see angles of 3° or so… this method has always seemed fraught with issues. First off, what if you can't put it down perfectly vertical?

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One degree of line angle actually comes out looking like 10 degree move off the center line on the club face because of the geometry so it's very obvious when looking at the result if you need to make a change. If the line is only "leaning" slightly one way or the other, then better to leave it where it is. The graphic at the end of the video makes it easy to compare and calculate what needs to be done.

[CharlieB]

@Adam C

The Titleist did not work out. All I did was to keep digging into the turf behind the ball, so I sold them. Now I’m back to my short Ping G15’s. They are a yellow dot +1.5* and were shortened 1”. I may have asked this before, so please excuse me if I did. By cutting a club shorter, does that change the lie angle? I found a nice set of G25’s with senior flex shafts, standard length and standard lie angle. I am trying to get a used set of irons that will fit, but without hitting them first.

[Bonvivant]

  On 9/13/2020 at 3:41 AM, CharlieB said:

I may have asked this before, so please excuse me if I did. By cutting a club shorter, does that change the lie angle?

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The static lie angle isn't influenced by length. How you work the club may change however.