The Iron Numbering/Loft Marketing Swindle

[iacas]

The problem with the shrinking lofts is that it's a stupid game that can't be won. TM lowers their loft, so now every other company

TM isn't targeting you with their Burner irons. They're targeting the non-discerning golfer who can't look up a loft measurement and who doesn't know by heart the loft of each of the irons in their past four sets.

[dbuck]

I voted classic iron number and my vote created a tie to date, lol.

Actually, I wouldn't care if they put the loft on the club as well, but I'd want to keep the number.

I have always felt like I was a little "underpowered" with my irons, but finally realize at my level, it doesn't matter. I don't know the lofts on my old blades, but I know how far I hit each one with a good swing. I have had them bent to even up the gaps and am about to get the lofts measured--not so much to know what they are but as a point of reference to maintain them. I am pretty happy with the spread right now.

My "new" set of Titleist DCI's, which I bought new in 1992 have both number and loft on the club. The 5 iron is 28*. All the shafts are about .5" longer than my old Wilsons. Shanks is right; TM really did not start the original "hot irons" war, it was going on back in the early 90's. I went to the golf shop to buy some Tommy Armour 845's and they were out of stock, so I got the DCI's which had just been introduced. The 845's had the same 28* 5 iron which was considered "hot" at the time. Now TM, Callaway, and others are just "kicking it up a notch".

As many of you have said, the important thing is knowing how far YOU hit your clubs, and having the right mix to get you around the course.

[Wahoo]

I vote for numbers only (i.e., 3 - P). I wouldn't want loft numbers because if I had them bent at all, the lofts listed on the clubs would be inaccurate, and this would really bug me for some reason. It isn't hard to google the specs ... plus, any pro shop will have the specs on hand.

[RC]

The evolution of iron number and distance is both a loft and ball question with shaft thrown in. It is the evolution of equipment. Hogan was pretty clear... he played a 5 iron from 155 yards. His five iron and the ball he hit has very little in common with any club or ball made today.

I don't care about loft or number... I want spacing and trajectory, and I want to know these things well. I also want to know how certain irons and balls will make the ball fly or penetrate in differing wind conditons. I have my clubs set up to favor a certain profile that I like to play... and someone looking to see what I have hit on a shot will probably not have a club whose number matches up well with mine. Spacing is the key, you do not want gaps and you do not want longer clubs bunching up with less distance spacing than your shorter irons -- if anything, you want it the other way. That is one reason to play forged blades -- you can adjust lofts to get the spacing you prefer -- I have a guy who does set-ups for tour players do my set ups.

Finally, the iron choices will also dictate the woods you carry. If my wedge is set up 48 or 49 degrees and has a certain shaft, that choice reflects all the way up into my 3 wood where, depending on long iron spacing, I might carry a 13 or 15 degree loft. An old pro once told me to write down all the numbers: loft, lie, swing weights, weights, shaft frequencies, shaft lengths, etc., of sets that one gets dialed in hitting -- so you know exactly what changes you are making when new stuff comes out. That used to work fine, but now you also need to know the golf ball and temperature because flight path can change dramatically with different balls. I find an equally difficult choice is shaft length. If I need a higher ball flight with a wood, I use a slightly longer shaft length and loft, and get the same distance but with a different flight path. Probably a little more compulsive type answer than the question of club number and/or loft.

[goblue107501]

I am fine with just the numbers, although I wouldn't be opposed to the loft being there. It wouldn't mean much to me, a club goes how far it goes. It would be nice to have a degree to compare different sets, but I know where to find that info if I need it.

If you stop and think about it, the numbers really don't mean anything other than to be a reference point. You could take 8 irons with no identifying marks at all and we could figure them out. It would just take extra time and thought to determine which club was which, having a number makes it eaisier. As B-Con mentioned, it could be Greek symbols (or colors, or any symbol, or different shapes of tree leaves, etc.) on the bottom so we would know which one was which, and how far we hit each one, as long as it was consistent from each manufacturer.

I don't care what the number is, I just want to know how far I hit each one.

[MSDOGS1976]

I just don't understand the stigma of it or the anger people have...

Not me. Of course I play the delofted clubs and knew it when I bought them.

[Leftygolfer]

I don't care. I know what lofts my clubs are and realize they are strong. I personally like the stronger lofts. And when the pro delofts his 47 degree wedge into 42 degrees, what degree should they put on the club?

[glennQNYC]

Whenever anyone buys new clubs, one of the first orders of business is to learn how far you hit each one. Once you know this information, the only issue I can see is how the new clubs fit into the rest of your set. For me, the Burner 6i mates up perfectly with my Nike 5h; and I don't have an excessive gap between my Burner 9i and my CG14 46*. So I think the stronger lofts is a non-issue. That being said, I will get fit for the first time soon and I'll see if my Clubfitter agrees.

[FHopper]

They're targeting the non-discerning golfer who can't look up a loft measurement and who doesn't know by heart the loft of each of the irons in their past four sets.

That is a little harsh, I researched the lofts of my old Titleists, considered the gaps of the rescues I bought, factored in my 56 and 60 and knew exactly what lofts I was buying. I bought safe clubs that would allow me to get back into the game with nothing to blame on hardware. I think burner buyers deserve a little more credit. We didn't buy Hibores!