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Are all 7 irons created the same? The answer is yes.

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  • #31
    I practice chipping with range balls and fairly lack luster greens. Also I play random balls and I've gotten a few chipin birdies the last few rounds . Prior to previous years where I do zero short game practice........ i've never had a chip in!






    [QUOTE=Tintin;n2651759]
    Originally posted by rgk5 View Post

    Quality green and same balls I play with .BTW if you skull or hit a fat chip it does not matter if you're practicing with a Pro V or a pond ball.
    Making 10 4 footers in a row will boost your confidence 10 fold

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    • #32
      Originally posted by mstram View Post

      Then how do single-length-irons work ?

      Conversely : Why have different lofts for traditional-length irons (surely the shaft length difference creates the carry distance(but then how do single-length-irons work?)
      They work in relation to the other irons in the set. Chris was trying to show us how different manufacturers get similar results through different methods.
      TM M2 D-type 9.5 Accra CS1 70
      TM Jetspeed tour 19* Accra CS1 80
      TM M2 tour 4-9 Accra ICWT 95
      Callaway X-Forged 48, 52, 58, 64 Pro Modus3 105
      Nike method MC3i

      Osprey Valley Century Club
      100 holes - May 2, 2016

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      • #33
        spas1 Thanks, Steve. Appreciate the support

        bdybldr Nobody wants to see my skinny legs on camera. I would do it if I had the time. Maybe we'll talk in 4 years when I'm done my PhD...

        TeeMoney I agree with you on the detrimental aspect about spin. I punched into the trajectory optimizer and find the same findings I do on my own. If we select the highest ball speed from my test on Sunday (~109) and plug it into the machine at 19.5* launch and 5500 spin we get 156 carry and 167 predicted roll out. If we do the same at 6000 spin we get 155 carry and 164.7 roll out, and then again at 7000 we get 153 carry and 160.7 roll out. So yes, more spin will help hold a green, but again, we will lose a bit of distance, but nothing extreme, approx. equal to the difference I saw in my test with the lofts. If anything this proves my point further (I think anyway) that the loft should be used to control launch and spin and will not affect distance much. However, my caveat is that yesterday I played, and again I am using clubs that would traditionally be considered low spin (strong lofts, and my 6i spin is just under 5000 when it should be closer to 6000 by fitting standards). I came to my 13th hole which is 185, and was playing down hill with a slight breeze behind me. I choked down an inch on my 6i and it hit and rolled 6-8 inches out of its pitch mark. So all things working against me in terms of stopping the ball on the green, and I still managed to hit and stick it with barely a hop. You also have to factor in that tour players are playing on courses that are a lot firmer than the courses we typically play (at least in my opinion), so more spin is going to be required to get the ball to hold.

        mstram The issue with SL irons is they don't appear to be widely applicable to most golfers. They fit a segment of players that really hit down on the ball. Hence why everything is a 7i length and meant to be played in the middle or just forward of middle of your stance. While it does cut down some of the variables (ball position, swing path, strike point, etc.), many have concluded that the long irons in the SL sets launch too low with too little spin and they knuckle out (i.e. don't carry very far) and they don't hit the required launch and spin windows of traditionally accepted shots. Is that a good thing or bad? I don't know. All I know is we have sold 3 sets out of many trials. We have sold far more traditional length F7 sets than SL, even after explaining the benefits and having them hit it. The long irons launch too low and the short irons are too erratic. And as PingNut was saying, they work in relation with one another. If the 4i has the lowest CG position due to the lowest loft, the AW is going to have the most forward position due to it having the highest loft, with everything inbetween. It might not seem like much, but the engineers have tailored the CG in both the SL and traditional sets to fly at certain trajectory windows with certain spin characteristics to get the correct distances out of them, probably all by moving the CG 1/8th of an inch from the lowest to the highest.

        woody Not necessarily. In a properly struck iron shot, yes, you should have a more penetrating flight that ascends as it flies. This will allow it to reach an optimal apex and then fall softly. This is also strike dependent too. Shots hit very far on the heel and toe will fly at virtually the same height, but a toe-bash shot will have no spin and a hell shot will spin like crazy. The long and short of it, at least based on my findings and through my fittings I have done, use the loft of the club to help dial in the correct launch and spin windows.

        TourIQ I don't think the manufacturers necessarily care about this. Let's say it is true, and build quality = better scores, would the consumer not flock to the OEM that had the best build quality? I would think so. It would also be a license for them to raise their prices and charge more (i.e. more profit) if this was the case. I'm sure you have gotten skilled enough to build a set of clubs at a decent pace without sacrificing quality. I feel the OEMs would be able to do the same, hence, more money and life long customers because they just changed someone's life in terms of golf and that tends to breed loyalty.

        Gridiron That is true, we do not have the HMT so the swing speed is an assumption based on the ball speed and the pre-programmed smash. However, as I stated in my test I only took the shots I know were centre strikes. Even if they marginally toe/heel the feel and the strong ball flight indicated made me believe they were properly struck. With that in mind, there is only ~1.5mph difference in ball speed between my lowest and my highest. That alone should be an indicator in of itself that the swing speed was within reasonable variance for an average amateur. Again, we aren't robots, I can't tell you the last time I saw somebody produce the same ball speed (and by correlation swing speed) twice (let alone 3, 4, 5+) times in a row. As others have mentioned, when there are humans, there are errors. But we want to see these errors because we are humans too and we want to see what happens in a real-world scenario.

        Pingnut Thanks for the support and glad you understand my thinking.

        Comment


        • #34
          Originally posted by Phatchrisrules View Post
          I don't think the manufacturers necessarily care about this. Let's say it is true, and build quality = better scores, would the consumer not flock to the OEM that had the best build quality? I would think so. It would also be a license for them to raise their prices and charge more (i.e. more profit) if this was the case.
          If the Name Brands cared about real golf improvement via stroke average, and not focused on distance only for a single club, or their year-end corporate profits to keep shareholders happy, then they would be guided to do a lot of things differently. At some point, there is a diminishing return to higher prices. Eventually people go elsewhere. No different than the golf course struggling to stay afloat, so they raise prices to think this strategy is viable.

          Regarding your comment, “why would the consumer not flock to the OEM that had the best build quality”. Chris let me ask this question, what % of the golfing public vs. tour players would even know the build quality of their set by virtue of measured data per club (and I’m not talking launch monitor data, as this is an Output)? It sure wouldn’t be 1 in 10 or 1 in 100. Could it be 1 in 1,000 or 1 in 10,000? At these rates, would anyone even know to flock to the OEM who had the best build quality?

          If a guy buys a new set of irons, all he looks for is matching head, shaft and grip … then he is good to go. Once all the irons are matched, then it’s assumed that they are made to complement each other, and typically the set is never measured.
          Originally posted by Phatchrisrules View Post
          I'm sure you have gotten skilled enough to build a set of clubs at a decent pace without sacrificing quality.
          I’ve never sacrificed quality in a build, nor have I ever cared what my pace is. I’ve always taken the time to do it right and the very best, regardless of the golfer level of play. Besides the majority of my clients keep their gear unchanged for years.
          Originally posted by Phatchrisrules View Post
          I feel the OEMs would be able to do the same, hence, more money and life long customers because they just changed someone's life in terms of golf and that tends to breed loyalty.
          This comment might have some validity if a Name Brand ever build a full set in specification for the several performance related characteristics, and not to my tolerances, but in many cases their own.

          The Name Brands are not here to change your life. They are like a banker, they are not your best friend.

          Adams XTD Ti 12.5* / TightLies 2 Ti / Super 9031 Tour / Ping WRX i20 Irons
          Ping WRX Tour Gorge / YES Natalie Putter B-CG / Leupold GX-4 Rangefinder
          Personal Best: 79, hoping for another sub 80 round before the Twilight Zone

          Comment


          • #35
            Like the majority I buy my quality clubs with the mindset of buying a quality wool suit, with the rare Bespoke and the rest off the rack.


            things change

            Maga Lies Matter

            Comment


            • #36
              Alright, so I re-did my test as some had asked for. Sorry TourIQ , I forgot to measure loft and length. That will be done tomorrow and added in a further post. So, as usual, we have iron1 (m2 2017; 28.5*), iron2 (GMax; 30.5*), iron3 (i200; 33*), and iron4 (iBlade; 34*). All of these clubs were 1* upright of their standard spec (to be as consistent as possible), believed standard length, and with a KBS Tour 120 Stiff. The golf ball used is a Chrome Soft, as the TP5 from the other day had since vanished.

              Results:

              iron1 - 81.1 swing speed, 110.3 ball speed, 19.5* launch, 5198 back spin, 155 total carry, 45* descent angle

              iron2 - 82.6 swing speed, 112.3 ball speed, 20.4* launch, 5830 back spin, 156 total carry, 47* descent angle

              iron3 - 82 swing speed, 111.6 ball speed, 22.9* launch, 6336 back spin,152 total carry, 50* descent angle

              iron4 - 81.9 swing speed, 111.4 ball speed, 22* launch, 6126 back spin, 153 total carry, 49* descent angle

              So, as you can all see, there was still only roughly 4 yards of carry distance again between the irons (28.5* ---> 34*), using the same shaft and same golf ball. Now as for descent angle, which Gridiron brought to our attention, according to the GolfWRX article 45* is the minimum descent angle needed to properly hold a green. All of the irons I tested have at least a 45* descent angle with reasonably adequate to optimal spin. So now over 2 days I have illustrated that even the strongest lofted 7i will fly the same total carry, with adequate spin and launch windows, as one that has over 1 club weaker loft. It just goes to show you that, yes, a 7i is a 7i is a 7i. One club will NOT cause you to hit it longer instantaneously, despite up to roughly a 5.5-6* difference in loft. Any large increase is likely due to a better performing shaft for your needs that happens to be partnered with a correct lie angle, length, and loft setting. For example, I present iron5, my own Mizuno JPX900 forged 7i with a C-Taper Lite Stiff. It is 1/2 long of Mizuno's standard (checked myself), 1* flat of Mizuno standard (checked myself), and has a loft of 30* (verified by myself). The data:

              iron5 - 85.5 swing speed, 116.3 ball speed, 20.6* launch, 5327 back spin, 165 total carry, 48* descent angle.

              As you can see, a properly fit golf club that is tailored to an individual's own unique swing can have a much more impressive change than just loft alone. Despite a 1.5* weaker loft than the M2, I am a full 10 yards more carry, with better spin, and higher launch, while swinging it a full 4.5mph faster. The shaft just feels better in my hands and the club inspires more confidence.

              So again, I feel like I have proved that we should look towards fitting irons like we fit drivers. Use the loft only as a tool to dial in optimal launch and spin, not as some sort of **** measuring contest on who ACTUALLY hits the ball furthest..."your 7i is actually a 6i in my club, so we hit the same club, but I choked down so in theory I swung easier and hit it farther".....who gives a crap! Just go out and play and have fun. Use a stronger lofted set if you have launch and spin issues in excess, use a weaker lofted set if you have trouble getting the ball airborne or can't hold a green. It's really simple, and I think I proved that. 4y of carry is nothing when, if we believed all the naysayers, we should be 12-15+ yards longer, and this hasn't been the case over 2 trials. Play what makes you happy, as I do.

              Enjoy. Actual lengths and lofts to be added tomorrow.

              Comment


              • #37
                Some links that might contribute to this discussion:

                My Golf Spy happened to do a very similar test (7 iron vs 7 iron). https://mygolfspy.com/xlabs-7iron-vs-7iron/

                https://mygolfspy.com/xlabs-7iron-vs-7iron/
                • similar to Chris, they found that launch/descent angle and peak height were not as different as you might expect based on the significant difference in lofts. This supports manufacturer's claim that the distance irons launch higher.
                • Unlike Chris, they found they found a significant difference in carry distance, with the lower lofted iron going further due to lower spin.
                • their closing words were: "I still believe many golfers, particularly slower swing speed players, would benefit from weaker lofted irons.



                Rick Shields test the M2 iron versus his current iron.
                Rick noted that the M2 six iron had similar loft with his five iron, and the ball flight, height, and distance of the M2 six iron is similar to his current 5 iron.
                • He wonders why they don't just call it a 5 iron.



                While I agree what difference does it make what you call it, but I'm more in line with RIck Shields (why don't they just call it a 5 iron if it has the loft and distance of a standard 5 iron).and My Golf Spy (most average golfers would benefit from lower loft).

                The problem with strong and stronger lofts, is that at the long end, the average golfer can't hit the 4 iron anymore (if it's about 20 degrees, it's hard a hard iron for the golfer with moderate swing speed to hit consistently). And a the short end, you have a very large gap between the PW distance and the SW distance.

                As I mentioned, I love my new irons. They go much further than my old irons, and are more forgiving. But I did weaken the lofts by 2 degrees (which is what the My Golf Spy author is more or less suggesting).
                MyGolfSpy - "The Consumer Reports of Golf."

                Comment


                • #38
                  Originally posted by multimut View Post
                  Some links that might contribute to this discussion:

                  My Golf Spy happened to do a very similar test (7 iron vs 7 iron). https://mygolfspy.com/xlabs-7iron-vs-7iron/

                  https://mygolfspy.com/xlabs-7iron-vs-7iron/
                  • similar to Chris, they found that launch/descent angle and peak height were not as different as you might expect based on the significant difference in lofts. This supports manufacturer's claim that the distance irons launch higher.
                  • Unlike Chris, they found they found a significant difference in carry distance, with the lower lofted iron going further due to lower spin.
                  • their closing words were: "I still believe many golfers, particularly slower swing speed players, would benefit from weaker lofted irons.



                  Rick Shields test the M2 iron versus his current iron.
                  Rick noted that the M2 six iron had similar loft with his five iron, and the ball flight, height, and distance of the M2 six iron is similar to his current 5 iron.
                  • He wonders why they don't just call it a 5 iron.



                  While I agree what difference does it make what you call it, but I'm more in line with RIck Shields (why don't they just call it a 5 iron if it has the loft and distance of a standard 5 iron).and My Golf Spy (most average golfers would benefit from lower loft).

                  The problem with strong and stronger lofts, is that at the long end, the average golfer can't hit the 4 iron anymore (if it's about 20 degrees, it's hard a hard iron for the golfer with moderate swing speed to hit consistently). And a the short end, you have a very large gap between the PW distance and the SW distance.

                  As I mentioned, I love my new irons. They go much further than my old irons, and are more forgiving. But I did weaken the lofts by 2 degrees (which is what the My Golf Spy author is more or less suggesting).
                  Yeah that is pretty much my point. Use the loft that is correct for you. We do it in driver's every day. You wouldn't think in a million years to use an 11* driver if you hit the ball a mile in the air and it hits and stops dead in the middle of a hard fairway would you? The same principle should be used to fit irons. Find the loft that works best for you that still gives you a good peak height, >/= 45* descent angle, 18.5-20.5* launch angle, and between 5000-6000 spin for a 7 iron. It's not that hard a concept. Maybe it comes as an added bonus of significant distance gains, maybe it doesn't. Same with drivers. Some see upwards of 30 yards once they get optimized. Some see like 4 yards. It all depends on what you are coming from, how ill fit they were before, to how good the fit is after. I have never once seen someone turn down extra yardage as long as they are still hitting it acceptably straight, or giving them a predictable ball flight that they KNOW is going to happen. You can learn to play with it.

                  Just to add a little bit here, I did a fit for a guy yesterday that had fake X-18s with regular flex 85g graphite shafts. His 7i was 40* of loft. Yes, I quintuple checked it thinking my machine was off. So goes to show you the consistency of the fakes hahaha. At any rate we tried a Cobra FMax 7i against it as he liked the looks and feel. The 7i is 31.5* and we coupled it with a 60g Regular flex graphite. At the end of the day he gained 3 yards with the FMax and was a little bit straighter. The reason his mega weak 7i worked almost as well as the 8.5* stronger 7i was because he hit the ball very low with low spin. The weaker loft got his launch up to around 18-18.5* and got his spin just over 6000, which would be needed for someone who hits the ball that low. The best the FMax could throw at it was 16* launch and about 5200 spin, which is WAYYYY to low launch and spin for someone who maxes out at about 71mph swing speed.

                  Again, it just goes to show you that a 7i is a 7i, even now at 8.5* difference in loft with 25g lighter shafts, the distance difference is only 3 yards. Why? We should see at least 20 yards of difference here due to the loft. Because he had already optimized his launch and spin for his swing speed.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    If I had some X-18 clones around, the prices would be going up. "My 8i lofted 7 goes just as far as your 6i lofted 7 ... whoa-yeahh."









                    Comment


                    • #40
                      I'll just say, if I only looked at my best 3 shots on a SIM, I could be making a mistake. What with 85g shafts, some quietly built 3/16 over manufacturer specs to enhance the experience? Who wouldn't expect a longer flight than what's in the bag? OK you took stock offerings off the table but isn't that where the engineered distance comes from?

                      Btw, forgive me I thought it might also be cool to compare an older iron to these. Like one's dad's 7i, complete with its 130g shaft. Grab one out of the lost club bucket and giver 'er a go. I'm curious now.
















                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Originally posted by MRalf View Post
                        I'll just say, if I only looked at my best 3 shots on a SIM, I could be making a mistake. What with 85g shafts, some quietly built 3/16 over manufacturer specs to enhance the experience? Who wouldn't expect a longer flight than what's in the bag? OK you took stock offerings off the table but isn't that where the engineered distance comes from?

                        Btw, forgive me I thought it might also be cool to compare an older iron to these. Like one's dad's 7i, complete with its 130g shaft. Grab one out of the lost club bucket and giver 'er a go. I'm curious now.
                        I'll give it a go, but it won't change much. The shafts I was using are 120g, and the loft of the iBlade 7i is 34*. I guess if I found an MP-14 or a MacGregor PMB (36* and 37* respectively) I might get the full club of distance out of them, I might not. I mean the guy with the 8.5* difference in loft only say 3 yards, and I saw ~4 yards over 6.5*, so what would I get, maybe 5-6? I'll look and see if I can find something with your criteria...super weak lofted and heavy to see if it changes anything.

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Nice work Chris and great effort. Interesting read!

                          Ever considered doing ball testing? If love to see your results using your gamer clubs and using a fee different classes of ball. Budget, middle of the road, and premium.

                          would love to see how my Wilson 50 stacks up!
                          Bag: PING Hoofer Camo / Moonlite Floral
                          Driver: TM SIM2 MAX @ 10.5*
                          Wood: TM SIM2 MAX @ 15*
                          Hybrids: TM SIM2 22*
                          Irons: Wishon Sterling SL 6-SW
                          Wedge: KZG Forged TRS Grind 60*
                          Putter: SGC WB Northwood
                          Lovingly built by: Dan's Custom Golf

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Originally posted by jburns View Post
                            Nice work Chris and great effort. Interesting read!

                            Ever considered doing ball testing? If love to see your results using your gamer clubs and using a fee different classes of ball. Budget, middle of the road, and premium.

                            would love to see how my Wilson 50 stacks up!
                            I can absolutely do that. Look for it in the coming days. I'll tag you in it.

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Awesome... Thanks. That will be Great!
                              Bag: PING Hoofer Camo / Moonlite Floral
                              Driver: TM SIM2 MAX @ 10.5*
                              Wood: TM SIM2 MAX @ 15*
                              Hybrids: TM SIM2 22*
                              Irons: Wishon Sterling SL 6-SW
                              Wedge: KZG Forged TRS Grind 60*
                              Putter: SGC WB Northwood
                              Lovingly built by: Dan's Custom Golf

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Originally posted by MRalf View Post
                                I'll just say, if I only looked at my best 3 shots on a SIM, I could be making a mistake. What with 85g shafts, some quietly built 3/16 over manufacturer specs to enhance the experience? Who wouldn't expect a longer flight than what's in the bag? OK you took stock offerings off the table but isn't that where the engineered distance comes from?

                                Btw, forgive me I thought it might also be cool to compare an older iron to these. Like one's dad's 7i, complete with its 130g shaft. Grab one out of the lost club bucket and giver 'er a go. I'm curious now.
                                So I found a set of Callaway X-Tours from ~2006 (the first Callaway forgings) and just for fun I bent the 7i as weak as I felt like I could go without warping the integrity of the hosel. The 7i was bent to 40*, roughly the loft of my 9i, and compared to the M2. Both clubs were shafted with Dynamic Gold s300s, a shaft that I don't really get along with anyways, but alas, it is what you wanted and coincidentally what the X-Tour had in it.

                                X-Tour:

                                Ball speed - 101.2mph, launch angle - 27.9*, Spin - 7406, descent angle - 52*, carry 130

                                M2:

                                Ball speed - 107.4mph, launch angle - 22.6*, spin - 5688, descent angle - 48*, carry 148

                                There was 11.5* of loft difference between the sets. Typical 7i gapping is 4* between the 6 and 8 iron, thus there was basically 3 clubs of loft between the 40* X-Tour and the M2 at 28.5*. With that, we should expect about 30 yards of carry difference between them. However, we again see that there isn't as much difference in the carry vs. the expected. It is absolutely significant in this case, as it should be. 11.5* is quite significant, and we see a significant distance change (18y of carry), but this is still less than the 25-30 yards we should expect from this. I will admit that in extreme situations such as this there is definitely a difference between loft and this will absolutely help ball speed and distance. On the other hand, there would never be a situation in a modern fitting scenario (unless playing massively old clubs or fakes) where the loft difference would be this striking.

                                Comment

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