the switch: graphite to steel shafted irons

[itzzzberny]

i'm going back to steel shafted irons. Everyone i have played w/ and talked w/ recommended me for steel shafts, so i figure to give them a shot. hopefully it will help me out. Anyone else here make the jump from graphite to steel? any things to remember or tips to help the transition easier?

[JtotheD]

I switched a couple months back after two shafts eventually broke...(they were cheap knockoffs anyway)

I picked up a set of Maxfli's with a steel shaft and will never go back to graphite shafted irons.

IMO, the consistency I get with steel shafts is fantastic. I did make a few swing changes since I've played with the graphites, so maybe those are contributing to better ball striking as well, or maybe a combination of the two. Could be the clubs are just way better...

Also, when I hit it pure with these new ones, its quite a bit better than when I hit it pure with the graphite. Avg. 7-ron was 155, now it's 170, but like I said before this could be from a number of factors.

Not sure if this helps much but my $0.02 anyway.

[itzzzberny]

I switched a couple months back after two shafts eventually broke...(they were cheap knockoffs anyway)

wow. thanks for the reply, i really appretiate it. hope the new x-20's i just picked up will help me out.

[jcrew]

you should probably only be playing graphites if you have bad joints or something like that.. I just made the switch a month ago... an old set of graphite mizunos to steel shafted taylormade r7's... the control and consistency advantage i get was well worth it....and I hit them just as far if not farther.... the only thing that took a little getting used to was the impact because it's obviously not as soft... but then again when I hit the sweet spot it feels that much better. No swing changes for me

[bklynbenz]

how old are you? why'd you go with graphite in the first place? (just curious)

[itzzzberny]

how old are you? why'd you go with graphite in the first place? (just curious)

24. i just recently picked it back up and my grandpa lent them to me, now i got the callaway x-20 steel irons. relearning my swing (with graphite clubs) is better than sitting around (no clubs) waiting til i saved up the money. i also have to pay for rent for my apartment and stuff. took me a couple months to save up.

[fusioncal]

As you can see in my bag, my Fusion is shafted with 950GH instead the factory stock 990GH. The story is I bought them new in graphite RCH75i. I was still a beginner back then and struggling to bear the weight of a club. It was not too long until I decided to switch to steel. The main reason was because I couldn't really control the ball although I had more distance with the graphite. Besides all my golfing friends are using steel, so I felt like out of place.

Anyway, the transition took like a month or two to get used to the feel of steel. Frankly, my score roared the first month of using steel. Probably because they felt heavier and I hadn't gotten used to it. But now, I play better than when I was still using graphite. Even now the 950GH feels too light for me. I feel like heavier shaft helps me to hit the ball more solidly, because I think I let the weight to work at impact to lift the ball.

Generally, using heavier shaft will lower the trajectory of the ball and you'll always know and feel where the club is when you swing. If you don't have any problem with your joints or whatever, I personally think it's better to use steel shaft for better control and feel.

[supercow]

I switched a couple months back after two shafts eventually broke...(they were cheap knockoffs anyway)

Helps distance a bit when you have a 45 degree PW

http://www.amazon.com/Maxfli-Mens-Po.../dp/B000OI5DY6

[JtotheD]

Helps distance a bit when you have a 45 degree PW

that does explain a few things... now i'm two clubs longer than my buddies... lol... I'll never tell 'em cuz it's too much fun wedgin' 130-140 from where they hit 8-iron...just took a rew rounds of knockin' over greens to realize the distances though really ticks em off and gets em off their game...

[lamebums]

i'm going back to steel shafted irons. Everyone i have played w/ and talked w/ recommended me for steel shafts, so i figure to give them a shot. hopefully it will help me out. Anyone else here make the jump from graphite to steel? any things to remember or tips to help the transition easier?

I made the transition from graphite irons to steel ones because when I hit it fat, I really hit it fat. I rip up a vegetable garden, and I've had the shaft snap and the clubhead bounce on down the fairway several times. I still bring up a pretty big mound occasionally, though...

If I could help it, I would get graphite shafts. I always preferred the feel, and how much lighter they are. I'm always looking for ways to get more clubhead speed.

[itzzzberny]

so switching over actually helped your distance as well as accuracy?
w/ graphite i would hit my pw 120 sw 100 9i 130...

[lamebums]

so switching over actually helped your distance as well as accuracy?

Switching hurt my distance for sure. But since I had the clubs fitted (and extended two inches), I probably break even. My distance increases this year are mostly from swinging harder. I used to hit 3 iron 160, now it's well over 200. I am now hitting 7 or 8 from 160.

[itzzzberny]

wow... the callaway x-20 were mighty impresive. was hitting nice crisp shots. hit my 5i about 185. i've had and eye infection, so had to wear glasses. i cant wait til i play w/ my contacts. i hate wearing glasses....

[mceb]

I switched back to steel shafts for my irons about a year ago and it's the best decision I've made in a while. With graphite I always had trouble feeling the club head. I've seen no loss in distance and increase in accuracy with steel. They have many lightweight steel shafts.

Next up I'm heading to steel shafts on my fairway woods. I just ordered 2 of those "perfect clubs"

[redi630]

Switching hurt my distance for sure. But since I had the clubs fitted (and extended two inches), I probably break even.

That is some serious length on those clubs!

I switched this year from graphit to steal, X-20 tours, and I had no problem doing so. I feel like I have better control with the steel and I didn't loose much distance.

[putterboy]

Before I understood the differences between steel/graphite reg/stiff/x-stiff - I thought it was cool to have graphite. (when my steel king cobras were stolen many years ago I bought a used set of cobra graphites. It really hurt my game - they had too much flex for my swing speed)

When consulting with a pro I came to find that if you are young - less than 50 you should probably be using steel shafts....again it really depends on feel and swing speed. After buying x-14's in steel, I am like most, and will not go back to graphite until much later in life - or if there is a breakthrough in graphite technology that it makes sense to switch. In fact after getting fitted by Ping for my latest i5's I now have steel stiff PING Z-Z65 shafts. here's what they say about that Z-Z65 shaft

a lightweight, stiff flex shaft with a high flex point for players desiring a lower ball flight. For most players, the Z-Z65 produces a lower trajectory than the CS-Lite Stiff, but higher than the Dynamic Gold.

I would highly recommend getting fitted so you know exactly which shaft is your best option. I know Ping offers this as a free service and you don't even need to own ping clubs at the time nor plan to purchase in the near future.

Check out their web site for when their fitting van will be in your area or make a special trip to their headquarters. I am fortunate enough to live close to the Canadian Ping headquarters and give full marks to their club fitters.

[kafka01]

I switched from Steel MP67s to graphite (Aldila-shafts) since i had some problems with my wrists. That was about 4 months or so ago. Hadnt had any problems with my wrists since then anymore.
Today i was hitting shots on the range and the head of the 5iron went off. I checked the other shafts and found damage on my 6/7 and 8 iron. So i guess i just have to let my irons get reshafted to steel shafts since graphite doesnt looks like it has a long durability if you use it intensivly.

[supercow]

I switched from Steel MP67s to graphite (Aldila-shafts) since i had some problems with my wrists. That was about 4 months or so ago. Hadnt had any problems with my wrists since then anymore.

This doesn't sound right... Were the pulls (a set of shafts that were previously used) or brand new?