KCNick

I don't even have a handicap, I just put that in there when I registered because the last times I've been on a course, what maybe 1.5 years ago I shot something like a 127. If we're in the mood to tell people what they should be fixing, fix your people skills and then try to start an intelligent reply. In the words of George Brett, "What an ass." If you don't like this thread, because it's so "exhausting" maybe you should stop reading it. There's nothing wrong with someone wondering about a single shaft length idea. It's been proven again and again in this thread that manufacturers have created these setups, so no I am not unintelligent. In fact, I thought of the concept before I even heard of it, and that seems pretty intelligent to me. Gosh, I mean... you have to be a 2 handicap to understand how clubs make the ball go zoom-zoom onto the long green-green thing? Give me a break.

I had been ranging near my house on practice mats, feeling the same issues as you. Then I called some courses near my work to try and find grass. I ended up finding one 5 minutes from work where the greens fees are twice the fees near my house, but for some reason their annual range pass is dirt cheap - $225 a year/unlimited balls. Definitely call around, you never know what you might find.

Everything aside, this seems like the reason current setups win over standard shaft length. Eventually, if you could hit your longs as accurately as your shorts, you'd willingly sacrifice a little accuracy down a wide fairway for more distance.

I found one set called Purefit Imatch SL that actually made all the irons except the sand wedge the same. They said trying to hit a sand wedge in the bunker with a 7-iron shaft just wouldn't work well. So maybe you'd have to account for that specific club also. I think the more groupings of shafts you get into, the more it seems like current setups are preferable. It's more different swings, but the same concepts to get to that swing each time. And I think those concepts would end helping more on the course, as iacas said, the course can change your swing based on the lay of the land and ball.

I did say that loft creates different distances. But I also said that longer shafts create more distance. Don't selectively omit what you want and then try to say I've missed your point. I got your point before you even made the point. It's right there in the original post. And then you made the mistake of changing tiny shaft length difference to tiny component of distance difference. If you're going to try to be so exact with quotes, please, be exact. I clearly noted the differences in shaft length are tiny (to me). I then pondered how much distance that tiny length difference translates to. If you think it's 4-5 yards, then that's interesting and valuable. Also, people are creatures of habit. Just because everyone is doing it, doesn't mean no one can dare to change or be different. I agree that the small amount of people doing it is to be considered, but I don't just write things off because not a lot of people do it. And I think your assumptions about beginning golfers are a little off. I can consistently nail my wedge right at the pin. Ask me to consistently nail a 5 yet, and I can't... not like my wedge. And yes I'm aware that the further the ball travels, the more left/right it moves as a result of distance. So, I do think there's a point where a golfer of some level can hit 1 or more irons well, but not all of them. There has to be, otherwise the minute you could hit the PW like clockwork, you'd be nailing your 2-irons down the fairway. And you are ignoring the point. You reply, just hit the 3-iron accurately. But your original example makes no point of control. Only that hitting a really tiny 3 iron will get you nowhere compared to a regular 3-iron. To which I reply, try a 48" wedge from 250 if shaft length is everything. So again, to reply to your adjusted comment of just hit the ball right... I guess you just have to hit the 48" wedge accurately. I do appreciate half your post though.

Walmart Specials, but I really want a used set of Ping Eye 2s. I have promised to wait until I break 100.

Actually, it is apples to oranges. No one is disputing that shaft length controls distance also, that would be silly. Your example only illustrates shaft length controls distance. And at that, massive shaft length change is completely destructive. The questions asked relate to whether or not accuracy gained from consistent shaft length would be worth the changes in distance, if somewhat negligible. Hence... the 12" 3-iron vs. a 12" 5-iron example (as compared to your standard 3-iron vs a standard 5-iron) shows the impact to your club yardages. Are those changes still reasonably playable? Say your standard irons vary 10 yards, and now they vary more like 7 yards. As a beginner, I would have to seriously contemplate taking that type of compression to swing all my irons the same. And the 13" 5-iron vs a 12" 5-iron example, although similiar to your example in nature as it's a shaft length change, is not in fact the same, because in this example the change is not destructive, nor insane with the assumption other clubs in the set use a 12" (which is a really silly number to begin with). I mean, if I wanted to use your own example right back at you - why don't people who want to absolutely nail the green from 250 yards out whip out a fantastic 48" Wedge that can drop it right in there with no chance to skid off. Obviously people who can play the game right can swing any shaft length perfectly to obtain those longer distances so I guess that means control doesn't even factor into the equation. Exaggeration isn't king to explain all, that's why. Control vs. Distance is a major equation in the game of golf. You can't just ignore the control factor. But that aside, I see other posters have shown people trying to do it and I've also found someone that did it and has no regrets. I have no intention to invest in this idea myself, but found it to be a curious one and wondered if anyone here had ever messed with it. Thanks for all the replies.

That would be a great example, except it's apples to oranges. A better example would be.. give me a 12" 3-iron and a 12" 5-iron and lets see which one goes farther. And exactly how much father can you get say... a 13" 3-iron over a 12" 3-iron. And is THAT difference worth not using the exact same swing on all your irons?

Who said it has to be 45"? Geez, relax some guy. I googled it just out of curiosity and clubmakers have tried to offer this before, so obviously someone else has had this thought. On a set of Pings I'm looking at on their website, it's a 2" difference from a 1 to 5, a 2" difference from a 5 to 9 iron. And a .75" difference from 9 to LW. You could just find a middle ground around the 5 or 6 iron, and that wouldn't be too outrageous I don't think.

I was just thinking yesterday... why not make all clubs in your set the exact same length? If the loft in the head makes the trajectory/distance difference, wouldn't this allow for a completely consistent swing from club to club? I think, and it makes sense, that longer shafts create more distance (how much??), but if you just ignored that tiny shaft length difference, wouldn't more accurate results be more desirable? Any thoughts?

I've been looking at annual passes in my area just because it would make a lot sense moneywise if I end up practicing a ton. The public ones around me are about $795 to walk M-F anytime, and Weekend/Holiday after 1pm. Then it gets progressively more expensive as you add in cart, and open tee times. The pass works at 4 courses. I could never afford to join a private club, but for curiosity's sake... what's the extra money get you?

Great video Ringer - As a newbie, I've never read or seen anything on bunker play until your video. Thanks for making it! Now I see what I'm supposed to be accomplishing with the sand between the club and ball.

Couldn't resist going to the range tonight after thinking so much today... I have never hit a 5 or 6 iron so beautifully in my life, and without even trying to smash the thing. It actually flew in the air and down gently with a little fade. Basically, I tried to focus more on starting my downswing with my hips, not trying to speed up anything, and keeping my eye on the ball as I turned through. I never even thought about my hands or my arms... I can't believe I actually hit the ball without thinking about either of those. Still have a ton to work on: tempo, transition, finishing; but I feel great about the basic principles of my downswing and release right now... certainly the potential I saw today. I can't believe I made my 6 iron look like my old 9 iron in flight, and each club I hit seemed to go at least 10 yards farther than what I was doing before. Thanks so much!

Yeah definitely. I haven't been to the range since I watched all the videos on driving the hands in front of the club. But before when I was basically arm-swinging, my 9 and SW were looking pretty good. I'm pretty sure my trouble with longer irons is I try to swing harder/faster because I think there is no way this 5 iron is going to go anywhere if I swing it like my wedge. I am aware of that though and trying to make all my iron swings the same, just moving ball position slightly. Everything feels pretty good now, just trying to solve the open club face thing. I just watched that Tiger iron video in the other thread and I see what Ringer is saying about the hip. Tiger is turning his hips much more open to the target through impact. I'll try working on that and see what happens next time out.

Mmm that does sound very unfortunate lol. I definitely would want a long-term fix. Probably something I should take up with a pro if I ever end up getting a lesson. The twisting was the other thing I was thinking about working on instead of rolling my hands. If I was looking down at a clock on the ground, and the ball was on 12 o'clock... my chest would be pointing at maybe 11 through impact. Maybe that's way too little twist forward at impact?

I came to the forum today to ask about this exact thing. I just got back into golf and hacked away at the range about 3 times. Never been able to hit the ball consistently, never really had a set swing until I started watching every golf lesson I could find on Youtube, especially on setup, legs, and swing. So far I got my setup down pretty good and had really great results striking the ball with my 9 and PW. Things were getting crazier the longer the iron I pulled out though. So I get back and I look at more video specifically on backswing and notice this one about creating space with my pivot. Basically making sure I'm not laterally moving right, and am instead spinning my right hip inside its original line to create my backturn. Then I understood (correctly I hope) that I should be driving my hands down and inside to create great loft and distance. This would allow the hands to get ahead of the club at impact. So I go test this out on my little ball-attached-to-a-rope thing, and sure enough I can drive down on it and make contact. Seemingly able to make a divot at or in front of the ball. Most of my club marks were actually under the ball so I figure since it's solid plywood, that the actual turf would be gone ahead of it) BUT... the thing was swinging like a mad slice had just occured. So I slow-motioned what I was doing to find out driving my hands forward was leaving the club head behind and insanely open. To correct it I tried consciously rolling my hands before impact to square the clubface, and was able to get the ball swinging around in a straight line. I couldn't help thinking though that this conscious rolling of the hands is something I've never done before and seems a little awkward in thought. The rolling itself is pretty smooth and seems to generate a little snap, but my question is: Should I actively be trying to roll through impact, or is this something that should be happening naturally that I am preventing somehow?

Tiger hands down

www.minorparkgolfcourse.com/

Ditto the above on the newbie thing! I am the senior programmer for a major manufacturing company out here in KC : ) Pretty much an all-Microsoft shop... ASP.NET, VB.NET, MSSQL, etc. As for golf... a complete hack, but I love it : )