Friday, May 2, 2008 - New servers are in! Click-in for more info!
VoyForums

[ VoyUser Login optional ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 18:02:19 03/07/08 Fri
Author: Kelly (Sad)
Subject: Loss of Distance - Why?

First off, I want to be clear that I am not questioning this concept or the quality of these clubs. I am a BIG fan of the concept: it makes so much sense to me. I also really hope to become a big fan of the clubs (and I'm still optimistic that I will). My objective with this message is just to get some feedback from other users as to what their transition experience has been. Mine, I'm afraid, is not going all that well (and I'm a strong iron player).

I have only had my 1-irons a couple of weeks, and have only hit them about five times at the range. So far, my impression is that the shaft length feels really short from the 3 through 7 irons (but for anyone who is worried about the longer short irons, they are my favourite part of the set - I find them much easier to hit accurately than conventional short irons). However, the sensation of the clubs feeling short is probably to be expected after 30 years of playing conventional clubs. The fact that I am slicing the ball, which has never been a problem for me, is of some concern, but I suspect that this is just part of the growing pains and I'll work that out.

What I wasn't expecting is that I seem to be experiencing a really significant loss in distance, even on flush hits (I've also lost trajectory in the 3 and 4 irons). I say I "seem" to have lost distance because I have only had the clubs on the range and in a simulator, which aren't always the best indicators. However, on the range I'm hitting a full nine iron shorter than I used to hit my Callaway PW. My experience in the simulator today (it's cold here) was even scarier. The simulator was only registering between 146-148 for my seven iron (I hit my X-16 9 iron 150 and my 7-iron 172-175). I thought, "This machine must just not be accurate," and was going to leave it at that when I noticed a demo club sitting against the wall. It was a Snake Eyes Python 7-iron. I picked it up and hit six balls with it: 2 at 173, 3 at 174, and 1 at 176. I grabbed the 1-iron 7-iron again, and hit 5 more balls with it, none of which went over 148!

I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced a significant loss of distance at first and then had it come back? If so, what kind of adjustment did you have to make to gain it back? (Please tell me that it will come back!!! I don't want to go back to conventional clubs - I'm already a believer in principle, I just need the experience to confirm it. I also don't want to have to tell my non-believing friends that they were right and I was wrong - that phrase always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.)

P.S. On a more positive note, I think anyone who is just learning the game should definitely buy these clubs. I believe it takes a really big obstacle from learning the game. I bought a set for my wife, and it has had a tremendous impact on her ball striking, and she has only used them three times! For one thing, off the rack clubs are just too long for her (she petite). However, even more importantly, she now doesn't have to worry about playing different clubs all the time. She used to go around the course using only her 9 iron because it was the only club with which she could make solid contact. The other day at the range and today at the simulator, she was hitting her 5 and 7 consistently solid, and much higher and longer than ever before. Even if I end up switching back to my Callaways (or Snake Eyes Pythons, apparently), I suspect my wife will be using these clubs for a long time to come.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Re: Loss of Distance - Why? -- Harry, 12:24:31 03/08/08 Sat

I initially lost distance when I first tried the irons and also had the tendency to slice with the #3,#4, and #5 irons just like you. I emailed Mr. Lake about what he thought and his reply was that since I had'nt lost distance or sliced the ball with the #6 iron through the wedges and since all of the irons are identical except for the loft angle that my swing was obviously different with the lower lofted irons. He said that I was unconsciously trying to swing harder with each lower lofted iron and that I had not fully developed the feel for single-length clubs yet. He was right about everything because as soon as I read his reply it all made sense and I knew that's what I'd been doing. Within the next week I was hitting the ball farther, straighter, and with a higher trajectory than I had ever done before. My suggestion is to slow your swing down and let the club do the work and don't try to overpower the low lofted irons.

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]
[> Re: Loss of Distance - Why? -- Chance, 12:37:32 03/08/08 Sat

If you follow the playability instructions that come with the irons you won't have any problems. I've easily gained 10 yards per iron over my old Pings and I never seem to miss hit shots anymore. It's not going to happen overnight and it takes a few trips to the range but when it starts to click it's fantastic. David Lake suggested to me to only take my 3-iron to the range because the reasoning is that once you master the iron with the least amount of loft your skill with the higher lofted irons grows exponentially. It was the best advice I've ever gotten and since then the 3-iron is the only club in the car when I head for the range. It might take half a bucket or even a full bucket of balls the first time out before you start to develop your feel and timing for these irons and the single swing. But once you do the ball shoots off the clubface with a high trajectory - long and straight.

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]
[> Re: Loss of Distance - Why? -- Sam K, 14:14:09 03/08/08 Sat

I played regular golf clubs for 30 years before switching to the 1 Irons. The main obstacle I found was that when I had the 1 Iron #3 iron in my hand I would swing it like my old #3 iron which does not work at all. This was a habit that was hard to overcome even though my 1 Iron #3 was 2" shorter than my old #3. The trick is to use a #7 iron swing with all the irons and this sounds simple but really takes some getting used to.

When I started with the 1 Irons I had a 5 handicap and after one season I'm now down to a 2 handicap. I hit the ball farther and with exact yardage gaps between irons - 10 yards. I truly wish that I'd bought these clubs years ago.

Sam

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]
[> Re: Loss of Distance - Why? -- Kelly, 11:24:09 03/09/08 Sun

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. I will persevere and continue in my effort to slow my swing down for longer irons. I fully understand that it will be the long irons that will pose the greatest challenge in making this transition.

However, I'm still a little confused about the results I was getting in the simulator. As I understand it, the 1-Iron approach is to build all the clubs to the length of the club that is generally considered to be the easiest to hit - a properly fitted 7-iron (or thereabouts - my 1-Iron 7 iron is about 1/2 shorter than my previously custom fitted clubs). As a result, while the other clubs in the bag may involve a transition and a mental shift, there should be no transition moving between the 1-Iron 7-iron and any other 7-iron. Why, then, would I be hitting the 1-Iron 7-iron 25 - 30 yards shorter than a Snake Eyes Python 7-iron that I just picked up in the simulator without ever having held (or even heard) of one before?

I wonder if this is a matter of making a transition between graphite and steel shafts? The Python 7-iron was graphite, as were my Callaways. I know that when I went to steel shafts in a previous set of clubs, I lost more than one club in distance. Anyone have a similar experience?

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]
[> [> Re: Loss of Distance - Why? -- Matt, 15:37:25 03/09/08 Sun

The switch from graphite shafts to steel should'nt have any impact on your distance but you'll probably have to get used to the new timing and feel. I went from graphite to steel in my 1 Irons and immediately gained 5-yds per club. The 1 Irons just felt so much more balanced than my old set that the transition was easy. Give it some time at the range and you'll surprise yourself once you get your timing down.

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[Edit]

[ VoyUser Login ] Not required to post.
Post a public reply to this message | Go post a new public message
 * Notice: Posting problems? [ Click here ]
 * HTML allowed in marked fields.
Message subject (required):

Name (required):

  Expression (Optional mood/title along with your name) Examples: (happy, sad, The Joyful, etc.) help)

  E-mail address (required):

* Type your message here:


Notice: Copies of your message may remain on this and other systems on internet. Please be respectful.

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 2.94, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2008 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.