wide sole or narrow sole irons for a "picker"

[Corgidog]

I originally wanted to get the G10 irons but have heard that the wide sole is not best for a "picker" who doesn't take divots and a narrower sole is better. Will I be better served with a club like the x20 with its narrower sole? I am a 15 handicap player with decent club head speed and a bad back which prohibits me from hitting these clubs until my bowling season ends in a couple of weeks so I am seeking some input from knowledgable posters in the interim. thanks

[Corgidog]

no response? I would think that most mid to high handicappers do not take divots and yet the wide soled G10 is geared to that market. Am i wrong in thinking that wide soles are not good for "pickers". Some feedback please.

[DavidFehertysBike]

Im a little confused by the term "picker" but i dont take much of a divot either. A playing buddy of mine calls them skidmarks..lol. With my longer irons (5-3) I dont take a divot at all. But I do still hit down and through the ball, just not as steeply as many people do. I do perfer thinner soles on my irons, though - if that helps. I find with the thicker soles of game improvement clubs I chunk the ball alot.

[iacas]

A thicker sole tends to be better for a digger. A thinner one for a picker.

Thicker soles have more trailing edge, which translates into more bounce, which helps the digger get the club back out of the ground.

[iWALK18]

I think "Sweeper" is the more common term for what we are calling a "picker"... but i got what you mean.

I am not an expert at all, but I would think that a wide sole would be fine for a sweeper, as it would keep the club gliding across the surface of the ground. Plus the low CG would help get the ball up in the air. If you tend to take excessive divots i could see the wide sole helping as well as the above post points out, but it seems like its just as good for a sweeper. Am I wrong about this?

[x-forged]

  iacas said:

A thicker sole tends to be better for a digger. A thinner one for a picker.

i thought it was opposite. aren't game improvement irons made with a wider sole to reduce the tendency of digging? i could be wrong, but thats what i've thought for a long time.

[GOLFSALOT00]

sounds like me i play with cleveland cg golds and they have a fairly narrow sole 19 mm

[iacas]

  x-forged said:

i thought it was opposite. aren't game improvement irons made with a wider sole to reduce the tendency of digging? i could be wrong, but thats what i've thought for a long time.

That's what I said. Diggers like wide soles to help them get out of the ground. It's like having more bounce in a bunker shot. It helps the club from getting stuck in the ground.

Pickers/sweepers prefer skinnier soles because they want the leading edge to get under the ball and that's about it. They don't want much else, and they don't need any trailing edge bounce interacting with the turf. The club's back up off the ground again by then.

[x-forged]

Oh okay, I just misunderstood you. I always thought that wider soles were more difficult to take a divot with in general because of the wider sole. i see what you're saying now. i take good size divots with my shorter clubs and notice that my finish isn't always completed because the club is slowed down so much when trying to get out of the ground, hence the thin sole.

[Maverick]

Yes, the more bounce your have the better it is if you're a "digger". If you have more of a shallow style swing/ "picker" less bounce. If you go to the Titlest website and checkout the bounce angle on the Vokeys you'll see what I mean.

I'm a digger..lol

[Corgidog]

Logically:

Most GI irons have wider soles and are made for higher handicap players
Generall higher handicap players do not take divots and are pickers
Therefore wider sole clubs must be good for pickers.

[Bignose]

  Corgidog said:

Logically:

Unfortunately, logic and golf equipment manufacturing don't always go hand-in-hand.

Logically, there is no point in having a 43 degree pitching wedge while still keeping a 56 degree sand wedge, as there is a very large gap in those close-to-the-green shots where the true scoring of the game is performed, yet that is all too common today. Logically, a driver is 45" is too long for the average high handicapper -- the same one you bring up in your post -- yet today you'd be hard-pressed to find an off-the-rack driver that is less than 45", and many that are 45 1/2", 46" and even a few that are 46 1/2". Most people would benefit from hitting a shorter driver because of the improved control -- and in fact, the PGA Tour average driver length is less than 45". Logically, all the extra trinkets and gadgets and other silly wastes of money shouldn't sell at all because there is no proof that any of them work. Yet, there are numerous magnetic bracelets and tees that claim you'll gain an extra 10 yards from using them and shoes that claim extra distance and many other things like this in most golf shops around the world. I'm sure that more examples can be made, but I think that my point is clear. Manufacturers only are looking out for their bottom line, and rarely are doing what would really and truly be logically best for the game and their customers. GI irons are made with a large sole because most high handicapper's divots bottom out behind the ball, not in front the ball. Most high handicappers hit the ball fat in some way shape or form. Hence, they need the anti-digger sole. Also, a wider sole allows for more mass to be pushed down and back, helping raise the launch angle of the clubs helping the ball get in the air more. Mass farther down and back also increases the club's MOI and if you put some of that to the sides as well, the club's forgiveness increases, too. Finally, I think that the sole doesn't actually matter too much for the average sweeper -- they are sweeping so the sole-ground interaction isn't significant anyway. I can see how a sweeper may prefer a smaller sole, but I don't think that it is a necessity if you are a sweeper.