Iron Shafts

[saevel25]

Just been pondering this, does the weight of the shaft really matter? I mean, use to play heavier shafts in my Ping eye 2's, when i switched to Taylormades, they seem lighter. I've Demoed some other clubs, that have heavier shafts, and I can hit them good as well. So i am wondering if this whole play of swing weight, and total club weight really matters? Can a person really tell the difference between a D2 and a D4 swing weight? Will the golfer just be able to adapt?

[iacas]

Yes, the weight matters. Both the swing weight and the static weight.

If the club gets too light, my contact suffers. Generally speaking, you want to swing the lightest shaft you can control.

[saevel25]

Ok, that makes sense. Is there a way to determine this, or is it just trial and error?

Also, I know the trend for golf irons is, jack up the MOI, increase the club lengths and make the club head loft stronger. This lets club makers get away with claiming distance and improve accuracy. But is it really improved accuracy? Would it be better to get the club lengths of the irons a little bit shorter? Just wondering if people who get new clubs are getting ham-stringed.

[WUTiger]

Shaft static weight also interacts with shaft flex.

I went from S to R shafts for woods and irons in 2008. In my irons, I was losing distance with the Stiff flex (and fairly heavy) TT Dynalite S300 shafts.

Right now I have some firmer R.Flex PX 5.0 (about 115 grams) in my irons, which generally work well.

At recent demo days, I've noticed I can handle a stiff flex OK if it's a NS Pro 8950 or a TT GS-95 (both weigh about 103 grams). These Stiffs also play on the softer side of S.flex.  Also got good action in some graphite shafts for irons, although they were almost too light and hard to feel at the top.

[saevel25]

Yea, i found that out. Looking at Dynamic Gold's shaft flex, it looks like the shaft flex increase proportionally to the shaft weight.

I am going to be getting new irons, and I am trying to figure out how to go about this. Not sure if I should go get fitted. There is a whole divergence of ideas on what needs to be fitted. Swing Weight, MOI, frequency matching, ect...

[k-troop]

TMs (Burner, RBZ, and Rocketbkadez) stock shaft is now like 85 grams. That's significantly lighter than TTDG, PX, and KBS which all come in between 115 and 130 grams. Swing weights are all relatively close in D2-5, but major difference in overall weight. It definitely matters. #feelisreal

[guiseppe]

Can a person really tell the difference between a D2 and a D4 swing weight? Will the golfer just be able to adapt?

Perhaps someone better than me can, but I certainly cannot tell the difference a few grams makes.  Or even if the club feels a little different, I couldn't tell you why and I adjust to it easily.   Now, perhaps different weights will do something to my ball flight that I am unaware of, but at least in terms of confidence and ability to hit it where I want to, after a session or two at the range, I don't notice any difference.

I recently bought a used hybrid and it came with a heavy shaft; felt like a shovel when I first picked it up; couldn't hit it at all.  A few sessions at the range and I have as much confidence in it as all of my other clubs.