Haney's Opinion: GI vs. Players irons

[ajschn06]

I don't know if anyone else here follows Hank Haney on twitter(if not you should, some great info and tips) but I found this tidbit interesting.  Someone asked him the other day when amatuers should make the switch from GI irons to a players irons.  Hank's response, "Never, stick with GI".  I know there are plenty of folks who knowingly play clubs beyond their abilities, but I thought it was interesting to hear this from one of the great teachers out there.....

[WUTiger]

OK, but what terms are we using.

Are we dividing the club kingdom into player's and GI?

Or, are we using the Golf Digest splitout of Player's, GI, and SGI?

Using GD categories, the Ping I15 and S56, the Callaway X20 Tour, and the Mizuno JPX800 are all GI clubs. The G15 would be SGI.

Just wondering what Haney meant.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by ajschn06

I don't know if anyone else here follows Hank Haney on twitter(if not you should, some great info and tips) but I found this tidbit interesting.  Someone asked him the other day when amatuers should make the switch from GI irons to a players irons.  Hank's response, "Never, stick with GI".  I know there are plenty of folks who knowingly play clubs beyond their abilities, but I thought it was interesting to hear this from one of the great teachers out there.....

I would also strongly recommend students of Hank Haney stick with GI irons.

[max power]

Boosh!  BTW, I can't imagine something lamer than following Hank Haney on twitter.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I would also strongly recommend students of Hank Haney stick with GI irons.

[Clambake]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I would also strongly recommend students of Hank Haney stick with GI irons.

Touche!     And some of his, like Barkley, should probably stick with a different sport altogether......

[nuck81]

Did Haney make Ray Romano switch to Blades?  How did that work out?

[just hit it]

Originally Posted by nuck81

Did Haney make Ray Romano switch to Blades?  How did that work out?

I think you misunderstood the quote!

[ajschn06]

Why all the Haney hate?  I guarantee you he would improve your game....

[ajschn06]

It wasn't something Haney said directly.  Another follower posed the question, he actually said when should you move from GI irons to a forged club and Haney said never, stick with GI.  I assumed he was by forged he meant more of a players club....

Originally Posted by WUTiger

OK, but what terms are we using.

Are we dividing the club kingdom into player's and GI?

Or, are we using the Golf Digest splitout of Player's, GI, and SGI?

Using GD categories, the Ping I15 and S56, the Callaway X20 Tour, and the Mizuno JPX800 are all GI clubs. The G15 would be SGI.

Just wondering what Haney meant.

[tweaky]

Alpha C1 Pros are forged AND a GI due to them being a perimeter weighted (and cavity back) head.  GI to me would infer that the mass of weight has been moved to the perimeter to increase the MOI of the head.  like the difference between having the weights of a barbell close to the hands (i.e. "blades") vs having the weights at the ends of the bar ("GI and SGI", cavity back, etc.).  if you've played your best golf with cavity backs/GI/SGI then why switch at all?  just to prove you can do it?  some would say that GI and SGI heads don't allow you to "work the ball".  to that i call SHENNANIGANS (thanks Kyle!)!  i and not a few others have proven that GI and SGI heads can work the ball quite the same as blades.  if your whole goal in starting with GIs and SGIs is to eventually work up to "players" then go for it.  i see many of the pros on tour using cavs and they don't seem to be doing to badly with them.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by ajschn06

Why all the Haney hate?  I guarantee you he would improve your game....

That's a fairly general statement with a specific guarantee.

Some methods work well for some, but not for others. Hank will not cure everyone's game. Just like any instructor won't help every student that comes to them for instruction. We're all different and respond differently to instruction and instructors. Some won't like the Haney "push-pull" you into positions and hardly any talking. Some like an instructor who says something or explains his method.

[GaijinGolfer]

Haney certainly has the right to his own opinion but that doesnt mean he is right.  A bad swing is going to result in a bad shot no matter what club is in your hands.

[golf4fun12]

I am not in any way bashing hank, but I made the switch about a month ago from gi to players irons and am never looking back. I can't believe the difference in my iron game. the ability to control and shot I want. fade it, draw it, do whatever. with gi irons, I would just hit is straight all day. not saying I hated it, but never really could fade the ball and have it just bite and sit on the green.

[WUTiger]

Quote:

...some would say that GI and SGI heads don't allow you to "work the ball".  to that i call SHENNANIGANS (thanks Kyle!)!  i and not a few others have proven that GI and SGI heads can work the ball quite the same as blades. ...    i see many of the pros on tour using cavs and they don't seem to be doing to badly with them.

Well said. If you know how a golf swing works, you can fade or draw a ball with almost any club.

Only possible drawback to SGI (and UGI) is that it's harder to hit a knockdown - due to the lower center of gravity + perimeter weighting, it's more difficult to hit a shot low.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by WUTiger

Quote:

Well said. If you know how a golf swing works, you can fade or draw a ball with almost any club.

Only possible drawback to SGI (and UGI) is that it's harder to hit a knockdown - due to the lower center of gravity + perimeter weighting, it's more difficult to hit a shot low.

Doesn't it follow that if a lower COG head inhibits making low shots it would also inhibit applying side spin to the same degree as a higher COG iron?

[allin]

Originally Posted by WUTiger

Quote:

Well said. If you know how a golf swing works, you can fade or draw a ball with almost any club.

Only possible drawback to SGI (and UGI) is that it's harder to hit a knockdown - due to the lower center of gravity + perimeter weighting, it's more difficult to hit a shot low.

Although SGI and GI clubs can be worked, in any grouping there is variance.  In general players clubs are easier to work and will punish poor contact more.  I agree completely with the comment about knockdowns.  Offset might be part of this as well.  The size of the clubhead and weight distribution are more important than the forging vs cast debate. It just easier to push weight to the edges in a cast club. I believe that each club type has true believers who infer a larger difference than really exists.  If the difference was as great as club companies state then handicaps would have come down a lot more.  If you add up the changes in clubs, balls, course conditions, etc then handicaps should have come down 4-6 shots, and that just not the case.

[Puttsalott]

Not to try to send traffic away from this site but after I read this last year, I switched from GI cavity back clubs to Mizuno MP-32 "cut" muscle blade style clubs I and dropped 10 strokes last season.  I'm looking to drop 10 more this season.  Blades are for anyone who wants to improve and be able to feel what's going on when they hit it good or bad.

http://oobgolf.com/content/the+wedge+guy/golf+equipment/5-2032-blades_versus_cavity_backs_a_golf_club_epiphany.html

[max power]

I like blades, I encourage anyone to play blades who wants to.  But the desire to improve does not necessitate the use of any particular type of irons.  I can feel whether I hit a good or bad shot with any type of iron, and I'm assuming most others can as well.  If you're dropping strokes (congrats btw) it's due approximately 99.9% to your dedication and practice and the rest is the clubs you use (margin of error 0.1%).

Originally Posted by Puttsalott

Not to try to send traffic away from this site but after I read this last year, I switched from GI cavity back clubs to Mizuno MP-32 "cut" muscle blade style clubs I and dropped 10 strokes last season.  I'm looking to drop 10 more this season.  Blades are for anyone who wants to improve and be able to feel what's going on when they hit it good or bad.

http://oobgolf.com/content/the+wedge+guy/golf+equipment/5-2032-blades_versus_cavity_backs_a_golf_club_epiphany.html