Do new irons have too much distance?

[Berryhill]

Hello all,

I played a lot a few years ago and I'm just now getting back into the game.  In 2008 I bought some Taylormade r7XD irons and was amazed at the distance that I got out of them.  I later learned  that they were lofted one club higher so they were all essentially misnumbered.  The 6 iron was really a 5 iron etc.  As a result of this, I had a huge gap between my PW and my 52* wedge so I bought a 47* wedge.  As I'm getting back into golf, it seems like most irons have this problem of having too much distance.  The goal of irons is not to go super far, but to go a specific distance, so I'm confused by this.  So I guess my question are:

1. Is this really as big of a problem as I think?

2. How do people deal with having irons that go super far now?  Do people carry more 47* wedges or just take more 75% PW shots?

3. Are there certain irons that do not have this problem? 

Thanks!  And I apologize if this topic has been talked to death, I am genuinely curious about what people think.

[newtogolf]

It's all about managing your distance gaps.  You may find that buying new irons that are longer than your current ones will leave you a distance gap that can be resolved by adding an additional wedge to your bag or changing your wedge lofts.  

Most people play a pitching wedge, gap wedge, and sand wedge but the actual lofts vary based on the set.  Many SGI and GI iron sets now offer gap wedges and even sand wedges so you can purchase those to maintain the proper gaps or use them as reference when buying new wedges.    

[Patch]

"Super far" and a " specific distance" would go hand in hand with each other I would think. So, instead of 6i, the golfer would use a 7i. The golfer adjusts to the distances their bag make up gives them. 

As far as a gap problem, again, the golfer adapts. The either buy an extra club or two, or they learn to use what their bag make up gives them, by using abbreviated swings, or opening the club faces. 

I don't think there is such a thing as a club that sends the ball too far. I wish there was. 

[Berryhill]

Thanks for the reply.  I understand that people need to adapt, and I'm just trying to figure out how people do it.  I also agree that my distinction between distance and specific distance doesn't make sense.  Maybe it just comes down to me feeling foolish carrying around a PW and a 47* wedge in my bag...

[JxQx]

A lot of people just add clubs as needed to fill gaps. Another idea would be to move back a set of tee's if you find yourself having constant 3/4 swings, that would most likely put you back into the mid-high irons for your second shots.

[Patch]

12 minutes ago, Berryhill said:

Thanks for the reply.  I understand that people need to adapt, and I'm just trying to figure out how people do it.  I also agree that my distinction between distance and specific distance doesn't make sense.  Maybe it just comes down to me feeling foolish carrying around a PW and a 47* wedge in my bag...

There is nothing foolish about a golfer's bag make up, as long as it gets the job done for them. Golf clubs are just "tools" that are used to get the lowest score possible for the golfer using them.

I have a friend who only uses 7 clubs and a putter. He's 66 years old and is a 9 hdcpr . 

My own game has changed over the past year or so, to the point that I am now getting rid of clubs. Example is I use to carry 4 wedges. Now I only carry two. (I could probably get rid of my driver, and not miss it that much.) I have adjusted to the wedge change by trying different swings, and club face adjustments through practice and play.

One of the fun parts of playing golf for me is tinkering with different clubs to see what I can get them to do. 

[RayG]

Too much distance? Apparently, you can't have ENOUGH distance. from ANY club. As an example, the new M2 6 Iron (got in on the free tester giveaway) has a loft of 24*. That is the same loft as my FIVE iron. Of course it's going to go further than a 6 iron that has a normal 27 or 28 degrees loft. It's why I laugh when Rory pulls an "8" iron for a 190 yard shot. That "8" iron is probably custom lofted closer to 24* as opposed to my 35* lofted 8 iron.

[Mop Bucket]

25 minutes ago, RayG said:

Too much distance? Apparently, you can't have ENOUGH distance. from ANY club. As an example, the new M2 6 Iron (got in on the free tester giveaway) has a loft of 24*. That is the same loft as my FIVE iron. Of course it's going to go further than a 6 iron that has a normal 27 or 28 degrees loft. It's why I laugh when Rory pulls an "8" iron for a 190 yard shot. That "8" iron is probably custom lofted closer to 24* as opposed to my 35* lofted 8 iron.

Club manufacturers have been tinkering with lofts a ton in recent years. There's a couple other threads talking about the fact that a lot of brands are forgoing either 3 and sometimes 4 irons to add hybrids, while at the same time strengthening the lofts of the rest of the set in order to compensate. But as far as Rory goes, he's probably hitting a legitimate 8 iron at least 180 yards on still conditions, he plays the Nike Vapors which have pretty traditional lofts.

Edited April 15, 2016 by Mop Bucket

[freshmanUTA]

34 minutes ago, RayG said:

Too much distance? Apparently, you can't have ENOUGH distance. from ANY club. As an example, the new M2 6 Iron (got in on the free tester giveaway) has a loft of 24*. That is the same loft as my FIVE iron. Of course it's going to go further than a 6 iron that has a normal 27 or 28 degrees loft. It's why I laugh when Rory pulls an "8" iron for a 190 yard shot. That "8" iron is probably custom lofted closer to 24* as opposed to my 35* lofted 8 iron.

Rory uses 1° strong lofts from standard of the VR Pros. so his 8 iron is 38°.

[arturo28mx]

Manufacturers have strengthened lofts AND lengthened shafts

[DrvFrShow]

I need all the distance I can get.

[ppine]

Berryhill I think you are absolutely right. Club makers like to advertise that their product hits it further than the other guys. Over time there has been a strong shift to deloft irons.  That leaves some serious gaps, otherwise people would not be talking about carrying 5 wedges.

[newtogolf]

It's all relative, drivers, fairway woods and hybrids have all been designed to hit the ball farther which would leave most mid - high handicappers with a gap between their woods / hybrids and irons since most golfers at that level can't reliably hit a 3 or 4 iron.  

It doesn't really matter what the distances the clubs in your bag go as long as you cover all the gaps.  

[WUTiger]

9 hours ago, Berryhill said:

  ... The 6 iron was really a 5 iron etc.  As a result of this, I had a huge gap between my PW and my 52* wedge so I bought a 47* wedge.  As I'm getting back into golf, it seems like most irons have this problem of having too much distance.  ... 3. Are there certain irons that do not have this problem? ...

Once upon a time, a company called Ping invented perimeter-weighted irons that got that got the ball up a lot higher than conventional irons of the time. BUT, the perimeter assist meant a Ping irons went a half- to one-club shorter than other irons on solid hits. So, Ping strengthened the lofts a bit so a not to lose distance.

A good adjustment, until golf's marketing wizards heard about it. Then, everyone started making stronger lofts... the arm's race for the longest 7i, etc.

9 hours ago, newtogolf said:

It's all about managing your distance gaps.  You may find that buying new irons that are longer than your current ones will leave you a distance gap that can be resolved by adding an additional wedge to your bag or changing your wedge lofts. ...    

Solid advice above from @newtogolf. You can still find irons with well-lofted PWs, but these tend to be more in the Player's irons. The SGI irons (super game improvement) often have stronger lofts PLUS a lower center of gravity. Due to head design, an average golfer can often hit a 28* SGI 7i higher and farther than a 31* Player's 7i. But, a scratch golfer could get better distance and useful height from the 31* 7i.

Take a look at this chart. I took there three club manufacturers and put a forgiving vs. a player's iron model side-by-side. If you print it out and draw on it, you can find patterns across the different club models. Enjoy!

Also, look elsewhere in this forum for advice on selecting proper wedges.

* ** Both CB Pro and Apex MB have 2 irons available in set.

[onthehunt526]

It's not the number on the bottom of the club it's just knowing how far you hit it... so no it's not an issue... 

@WUTiger nice touch with TEE

[ppine]

The major gaps are all at the back end, after a PW.  Those are the scoring clubs, and it pisses me off to some extent that club manufacturers only care about selling their product, instead of how it gets used.

[newtogolf]

9 minutes ago, ppine said:

The major gaps are all at the back end, after a PW.  Those are the scoring clubs, and it pisses me off to some extent that club manufacturers only care about selling their product, instead of how it gets used.

I'm not sure what you mean.  Most manufacturers are concerned about selling you products not how you use them.  Porsche doesn't care if you buy a 911 Turbo and never drive it over 55.   How can golf manufacturers concern themselves with what other clubs you plan to put in your bag and how good your swing is.  

That said, most SGI and GI iron sets offer a gap wedge and some even offer a sand wedge that has appropriate loft for the set so the only concern is whether or not you carry a lob wedge and what loft that wedge is.  

[onthehunt526]

Yes the distance irons have had their lofts decrease. But as low and to the rear as the CG is, and how hot the faces have gotten it has been a necessary evil... if the new SGI irons had a 47° PW and a 31° 6i, they would be unusable.