Single Length Irons

[Red_on_the_head]

I built them with my limited club building knowledge.  They are solid.  Nice sole design.  They have a thick topline which most people like but I do not...  That is really their only downfall and it is just a personal preference.  The 5* loft increments are a great idea.  The offset is perfect.

Give them a shot-- they are worth it.

[Red_on_the_head]

Originally Posted by mdaddy

red ...do you still have those sl i match purefit irons ?

mdaddy@verizon.net

PM sent mdaddy!

[Red_on_the_head]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deryck Griffith

Personally, I think the single length irons is band aid solution.  I have traditional 3-PW irons and my swing is not by any means "drastically different" throughout the entire set.  Sure, my 3i may flatten out on the backswing more than a PW due to the length but my "swing" per se isn't different.  I still have to hit all the proper positions with my body, shoulderes, arms; hinge correctly and transfer my weight correct (ie. to the left foot at impact).

If I don't execute those positions correctly, a single length iron set won't magically help my ballstriking.

How much has your game improved (handicap wise_ since you purchased the irons?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red_on_the_head

The idea is that once all of the other variables are gone you can become more consistent with your ball striking. Imagine having the same swing for your 3 iron as your favorite club length.

It is not a band aid solution.  It is simply different than you grew up with.  The simple fact of the matter is that they are more consistent.

Every OEM has it wrong in my opinion when it comes to length and lie angles of their clubs....  Single length irons are just an alternative to the OEM's established "standards".

[mlf16507]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I personally like the longer shafts in my current long irons. The extra clubhead speed is necessary to ensure proper distance gaps, in my opinion.

A clubmaker addage is 25/38 - No average golfer(slow swing speed, over the top with early release) should use an iron of less than 25* or longer than 38" long .In the old days(pre-1980) that was a 3 iron. With today's shrinking lofts and longer clubs that is a 5 iron. To me the same length irons(based on 6 iron length with 5* difference in loft) makes  sense, With the same set up at address  (because the length and lie is the same) makes it easier to hit all irons. I have talked to Aaron @Value Golf and I am going to make a set for me. The only difference is I am going to put wedge length on all the irons http://www.amegrips.com/precise-golf-grips/wedge

[Deryck Griffith]

Originally Posted by Red_on_the_head

Every OEM has it wrong in my opinion when it comes to length and lie angles of their clubs....  Single length irons are just an alternative to the OEM's established "standards".

So how much has your game improved since you've gone to single length?  And what about your driver or FW wood?  By the same logic, those clubs should be the same length as well considering we all have multiple swings throughout the bag vs your singular swing.

[Red_on_the_head]

Originally Posted by Deryck Griffith

So how much has your game improved since you've gone to single length?  And what about your driver or FW wood?  By the same logic, those clubs should be the same length as well considering we all have multiple swings throughout the bag vs your singular swing.

I lose most of my strokes off the tee and on the green.  I am not confident in those departments.  I don't know how much SL irons have actually lowered my HC(I've never kept one).  All I know is that with SL irons there is a feeling of confidence when I step up to the ball with the 4 iron through 9 iron.  Confidence is king.

If I can post a link on here to another golf forum, you would find nearly every review possible for SL irons-- good and bad.

[mlf16507]

http://www.tutelman.com/golf/clubs/OneClub.php?ref =

This is a link to Dave Tutelman, a designer I feel is top notch.

[Farm_kid]

I play with One Iron Golf.  I think they are the perfect clubs for me since I don't play on a very regular basis.  They allow me to gain confidence in my swing during a round of golf.  I often have a better score on the back nine than I do on the front nine.

[xiphos888]

Quote:

So how much has your game improved since you've gone to single length?  And what about your driver or FW wood?  By the same logic, those clubs should be the same length as well considering we all have multiple swings throughout the bag vs your singular swing.

It is a fact that when you have different length clubs, you the club has different release points.  This is a fact of physics not "my" logic or opinion.  When you have different release points, you have to set up differently to compensate for that, or ad least you should.  This adds more complications to the process.  You also may have noticed that when the length of the club change so does the distance you stand from the ball and the plane of the club shaft.  This effects your swing plane as well due to the fact that the club shaft dictates the initial swing plane.  You may not notice that you swing differently with each club, but you most likely do.  So using logic we can say that generally speaking, if we were to add more steps or more complications, a wider variety of end results could arise.  Single length golf clubs make setting up to the ball easier, in return it helps return to the ball  a little easier.  I think we can agree that the longer a club shaft is the harder it is to hit.  Single length clubs off set the modest distance loss in the long irons with increased impact consistency.

In a precious post you said that this would be a band aid.  I would say that it is no more a band aid than having the lie angle adjusted properly, or using graphite shafts, or having the right loft on your driver etc.

[ImaDuffer]

I have a set of 1-Irons,  5-LW.  My wrist to floor measured 34", so the set came in 9 iron length.  36 inches.  Also, they only come in non-stepped steel shafts with oversized grips as their standard set up.  I am a low speed senior.  Here is my review:

Accuracy=definitely improved

Distance (after 3 months of constant use)=about 8 yards shorter.

Comfort=amazingly smooth for steel, but the added weight at 450 gm per club was a bit fatiguing.

So at that point, I reshafted with grafaloy blue regular shafts which I spined first.  Made the clubs about 1/4 inch longer, and did not add weight to the heads (they are 274 gm).  Standard Winn Exel grips.

Distance= regained most of distance,

Accuracy= unchanged and excellent

Weight= 385 gm

They have standard bounce of 3* except for the SW which is 6*.

Bottom line:  They are definitely game improving on the short game but I can't get used to the longer irons.  No doubt my slow swing is the culprit.

Plan: They will be for sale, along with the steel shafts that were removed.  Would make a good experiment for a hobby club builder to try out as graphite or convert to steel again.  I can be reached at hlgaspar@mac.com if you are interested.

[danieldrieberg]

I am just about done building a set. I had some Hogan CFT heads and some spare shafts. I've settled on the 5 iron length and lie and the final head weight of the PW. I adjusted the other heads weight with lead tape. The set will be 3 iron through PW with a swing weight of  apprx d-5 depending on grip I choose.

I will post as I try out this experiment.

Also am rejuvenating a 1930' thru1980s era set ,Wilson/ Dan Ford woods and irons, an old Spaulding  Dot Niblick and light Titleist bulleyes or a Shaler's putter (Made in Milwaukee in 1930).

I am also creating a bag of hickories. The driver, brassie, spoon, mid iron, spade mashie, mashie,niblick and putter are ready. I need to reshaft a speciality niblick and all should be ready.

i guess I've taken hoing to a new level. ----This summer should be fun with these novelty sticks.

[ImaDuffer]

Just put the 1 irons on eBay.  Will include the steel shafts if wanted by the buyer.  Chance to get 1-Irons cheap.  I plan a set of Pinhawks at 37.5" and will use my Ping SW, LW.  The Pinhawk wedge is 50*, so the 9 will serve as a wedge and the Pinhawk wedge will be more like U wedge.  The SW and LW are only 4* separated, but close enough.  Also, the Ping Wedges have the extra bounce needed for the tighter lies and traps.  The SW and LW are 35.5".  Meanwhile doing fine with my Ping irons for now.

Why take the loss and then do it again with another club?

Head design problem for me.  the leading edges  on the 1-Irons are more rounded and sharper than I am used to and tend to dig in on tight lies and sand.  Hard for me then to use the wedges, esp. since they have so little bounce.  My plan then is 3,4 Hybrid; 5,6,7,8,9,PW Pinhawk;  SW,LW Ping.  No U wedge needed to fill the gap.

Comments?

[Red_on_the_head]

Originally Posted by ImaDuffer

Just put the 1 irons on eBay.  Will include the steel shafts if wanted by the buyer.  Chance to get 1-Irons cheap.  I plan a set of Pinhawks at 37.5" and will use my Ping SW, LW.  The Pinhawk wedge is 50*, so the 9 will serve as a wedge and the Pinhawk wedge will be more like U wedge.  The SW and LW are only 4* separated, but close enough.  Also, the Ping Wedges have the extra bounce needed for the tighter lies and traps.  The SW and LW are 35.5".  Meanwhile doing fine with my Ping irons for now.

Why take the loss and then do it again with another club?

Head design problem for me.  the leading edges  on the 1-Irons are more rounded and sharper than I am used to and tend to dig in on tight lies and sand.  Hard for me then to use the wedges, esp. since they have so little bounce.  My plan then is 3,4 Hybrid; 5,6,7,8,9,PW Pinhawk;  SW,LW Ping.  No U wedge needed to fill the gap.

Comments?

First of all, the Pinhawks are out for a little bit. They were popular and sold out quickly.  He is getting another run in a little bit though I think(May 10th).  I would also wait and get his Pinhawk SL Hybrid at 20*, 265 grams, 62.5 lie.

You may not need a 3 hybrid if you go with this set up.

Good luck

[ImaDuffer]

The 1-Irons sold today.  I ordered the Pinhawks today also at 37" with Integra Tour shafts.  I am currently in love with my TaylorMade Hybrids 3,4,5,6. But will probably drop the 5 and 6 at first to see how I do with the Pinhawks. No sense in having single length irons if you are only going to use 4 of them.

Will report on my new experiment this fall.  It takes about a month or more to start getting consistent with sl irons.  During which you cannot play standard irons (or you will never get your "uniswing").  You just have to suffer some higher scores until you are in the groove.

Best.

[Gerald]

I used to play Tiger Shark irons about 25 years ago, they had a higher swingweight and 1/4" increments, it was a nice concept, but since I need lengthened clubs the swingweight became huge.......

[mlf16507]

Golf season has hopefully arrived in NW PA and  I can play the set of Pinhawks SL I put together this

Winter. I will pass on info as soon as I can make an assesment.

[ImaDuffer]

Got the new Pinhawks June 13th.  Have played them twice now and find them well balanced and easy to hit.  Although described as having game improvement features, I would say they are intermediate in that regard.  A bit smaller than my Ping G5s, and with smaller sweet spot.  I was a bit concerned that the 50* P wedge would result in some lost of distance but find that the extra inch in length (I chose the 37"--7 iron-- length) results in only 3- 4 yards difference.  At least that was my experience on the range.  At the other end, the five iron seems to be about the same as my Ping 5 iron.  When I get "grooved in" with them, I expect to be hitting them farther.

Otherwise, I was pleased with the finish, and the spined Integra IDrive shafts are excellent.  I will report back in a couple of months, which should be enough time to get it right.  (I play 3 to 4 times a week).  I am using Taylormade 3 and 4 hybids, Taylormade 5 wood, Callaway Great Big Bertha II 415+ driver.  Thats it.  I have a Taylormade 3 wood but can hit the hybrid easier and as far.  Ping B64 putter with tungsten inserts. Current handicap 21 to 23. We shall see.

Imaduffer

[ImaDuffer]

Brief follow up after a month (3 or 4 times a week).  Over all as I described earlier, but now notice a definite disadvantage for a slow swinger like me. Mainly because they are not really game improvement in design, i.e. my Ping G5's.  Particularly missed is the bounce in the wedge and "shorter irons".  Not a real problem if you have an average or faster swing and can take a nice divit on decent turf.  Also a smaller sweet spot, so-- less forgiving which translates to more uncomfortable strikes compared to the G5's.

I am still using them to give it a fair testing.  But I really wonder what the results would be if I took a good set of game improvement irons(i.e. G5's), removed the heads, and then somehow carefully made them the same weight as the 7 iron head.  It would require a careful approach to removing weight on the 8,9,P, and adding weight on the 6 and 5.   Around 30 gms off the P wedge head done in such a way as not to change the basic configuration, bounce and distribution of the remaining weight would be the challenge.  Then shaft them up at 37 inches.  Then I suspect it would eliminate my concerns above.  At the least it would allow for a fair comparison.  Unfortunately, I am not a club maker.

Any ideas?