Are the bad effects of too short irons underrated?

[Peter_b]

With 5"8 and long legs short arms (tyranosaurus type) 37" wrist to floor I thought standard clubs would be OK. Now this forces me to bend my knees too much, I can turn badly, clearing the left hip is really hard and the grip end is forced too close to me. My spine to club angle is about 90 degree. Now I took an old 1" longer club and looking at the spine to club angle it is still not much more than 90°. When I look at Rorys or Tigers setup the spine is to club is somewhere around 110° at least. 

Still no fitter would tell me to take 2" longer clubs according to the tables floating around the net.

Here is me forced into position by a standard  PW:

I will make them 2" longer this week when I get the elongations to glue in and post a new picture.

 

 

Edited June 27, 2016 by Peter_b

[SavvySwede]

7 hours ago, Peter_b said:

With 5"8 and long legs short arms (tyranosaurus type) 37" wrist to floor I thought standard clubs would be OK. Now this forces me to bend my knees too much, I can turn badly, clearing the left hip is really hard and the grip end is forced too close to me. My spine to club angle is about 90 degree. Now I took an old 1" longer club and looking at the spine to club angle it is still not much more than 90°. When I look at Rorys or Tigers setup the spine is to club is somewhere around 110° at least. 

Still no fitter would tell me to take 2" longer clubs according to the tables floating around the net.

Here is me forced into position by a standard  PW:

I will make them 2" longer this week when I get the elongations to glue in and post a new picture.

2" club extensions will compromise the structural integrity of the shafts.

[Peter_b]

OK, I was testing setup with different clubs and my legs straightens more and upper body leans gets steeper at 39" for the 5 Iron so its an inch an 1/4 more. Is that OK with an elongation or do you recommend new shafts? 

[David in FL]

5' 8" and a 37 inch wrist to floor?! 

Wow...just wow!  I'd think a fitter would accommodate that though.

Agree with @SavvySwede though, I think you might be compromising the shaft with a 2 inch extension.

[WUTiger]

12 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

2" club extensions will compromise the structural integrity of the shafts.

This involves safety also. Advice from GolfWorks school: never extend a non-putter shaft more than 1 inch.

As far as shafts not the right length, it can hurt physically. Successful 1950s tour pro Cary Middlecoff was 6-foot-2 and played with standard length clubs in the pre-custom era. He retired from tour about age 40 due to back problems, which were attributed in part to his too short clubs.

Middlecoff obit

[Peter_b]

Now I remeasured myself and I am 180cm the calculator says that’s even 5 foot 9, The 37 stays as it is, so yeah call me Rex. OK so new shafts, like the idea more than extensions. 

Now I play S300 shafts in Mizuno MP 69. Before I played Dynamic SL true temper shafts. I like the heavy feel at 38" 5i. Now a 39" or 39.5 inch 5 iron could really be a brick?

What is recommended for long club short arm? 

Fitter I dont know any I would trust. Most want to sell clubs. 

[WUTiger]

Peter_b,

Do any of the golf resorts have clubfitters with good reputations? And who will talk to everyday people? Several resorts were springing up in Bavaria circa 2004, the last time I visited. 

[ASUslacker14]

I'm not a club fitter but what charts say to add 2" to the shaft?

Based on PING's chart it says to keep the shaft's length the same just make the clubs more upright by 3 or 3.75 degrees.

 

[Peter_b]

None, no chart says add 1", I just feel it could be a bit more than 1" as the chart says. 2 is exaggerated of course but I was thinking of trying at least with one club. If Ping says upright 3 then I wonder what plane they want me to swing on. The club gets steeper, its harder to set the wrist and do the takeaway as the angle between the club and arms almost vanishes and the th swing will get steeper. I cant see how all this is good. Also bending 3 is a lot couldn’t a club or two snap?

WUTiger there are fitters here and I am in Bavaria. Just no one to trust and bad experience with one of them.

[Peter_b]

Sorry, edit, no chart say 2"