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how much have golf irons improved in last 10 years

by Madie Pfeffer Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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What are the best golf irons from the past 10 years?

Mizuno Golf has been known for their irons over the years, which is why it is no surprise they made the list of the best irons from the past 10 years. The JPX919 irons are another forged option that appeared in this decade, though they went in the opposite direction of Callaway Golf by designing a relatively large clubhead and focusing on feel.

How have blade irons changed over the years?

Truth be told not too much has changed in the looks of a blade iron over the years. Many companies are still producing the classic forged blade that is a symbol of craftsmanship. I purchased a McGregor Jack Nicklaus 7-iron from eBay, which is representative of a run of the mill blade iron that you could find in the 70s or 80s.

Are forged irons worth it for average players?

But for players irons, not much has changed, especially for forged CB and blades, you can do only so much to it and hammer it into so many shapes. Good players with solid swing fundamentals will score well regardless of what irons they have in their hands. Chadly643's post made a great example.

Are Ping G15 Irons still good?

I currently use a set of Ping G15 irons. I haven't had them for 10 years but I know they were released 10 years ago. Has iron technology really changed that much that it would be worth buying new clubs? Or if they work well enough, stick with what I have? They're still in pretty good shape other than probably needing new grips.

How many times do drivers hit their irons?

Who used ping eye 2 wedges?

Who are the editors of Golf Digest?

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Are today's golf clubs better than 10 years ago?

There is no evidence that golf clubs deteriorate over time. Well maintained clubs will last a lifetime. 10+ year old clubs should be checked for better options but clubs less than 5 years old do not need replacing except for wear and tear issues to which wedges and forged irons are most vulnerable.

How much better are new irons?

Here's another key point, not only are irons hotter today, it's easier to make them fly higher, too. In one of our recent tests, we found that not only did new 7-irons go farther than 6-irons from a decade ago, they flew as higher or higher than many of those old 7-irons, too.

How have golf clubs changed over time?

Golf Club Technology Golf clubs have changed perhaps more than any other single aspect of the game in the last 15 years. Factors like aerodynamics, component weight and better graphite shafts have allowed golfers to hit the ball longer and straighter. The head of the driver is now built with aerodynamics in mind.

Do golf clubs really get better every year?

Most every golfer asks at some point – “do new golf clubs make a difference in your swing or in your scores?” To start, yes, new golf clubs will make a difference. As you might suspect, that difference varies. The quality of golf clubs does makes a difference.

Do new golf irons really make a difference?

Also, new golf irons make a big difference because of two vital aspects: If the condition of your current set of irons is poor, a fresh set will help you improve height, reduce spin, and allow your shots to become more consistent.

Do golf irons lose distance over time?

As we mentioned, truly worn out irons can be hard to come across, it would take me back to the days of using my dad's old clubs that were well past their sell by date. However, if you have truly worn your clubs out, you can lose about 7-10 yards on them.

Do expensive irons make a difference?

But the high-end golf clubs must provide some advantages, right? The main difference between high and low-end golf equipment is the shaft and the quality of the materials used. More expensive shaft construction translates to better feel, potentially leading to better and more consistent swings.

How often should you get new golf irons?

around every four to five yearsA good rule of thumb to follow is if you're a golfer with a low handicap or just a casual golfer is to replace your golf irons somewhere around every four to five years or after around three hundred rounds. This can prevent the golf clubs from wearing down to the point where it seriously impacts your golf game.

Does golf iron technology change?

In terms of tech, it depends what you want in your irons. If you play traditional forged irons, nothing substantial has changed in decades. However, if you're looking for the new thin-faced, low spinning, high MOI super game improvement clubs, you're likely to see changes every three to five years.

Is it worth Reshafting my irons?

Reshafting is just one way to keep your clubs performing at a high level. You can also benefit from regripping your clubs. Replacing worn-out golf grips can help make your clubs feel new again. Adding the right shaft to your favorite clubs can get you back on the course and working toward a new personal low round.

How long do graphite golf shafts last?

Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, getting 10+ years out of your clubs is quite realistic. As we mentioned before, with minimal effort on your part, you shouldn't experience any real degradation of your graphite iron shaft.

Why am I losing distance with my irons?

Member. In general it's just poor contact. You can hit what feels like a solid shots but not have enough forward shaft lean and ended up hitting the ball at the bottom of your swing and sends them up high loosing penetrating trajectory. Sometimes playing the ball an inch or so too far forward would do that too.

How often should you replace your golf irons?

around every four to five yearsA good rule of thumb to follow is if you're a golfer with a low handicap or just a casual golfer is to replace your golf irons somewhere around every four to five years or after around three hundred rounds. This can prevent the golf clubs from wearing down to the point where it seriously impacts your golf game.

Do expensive irons make a difference?

But the high-end golf clubs must provide some advantages, right? The main difference between high and low-end golf equipment is the shaft and the quality of the materials used. More expensive shaft construction translates to better feel, potentially leading to better and more consistent swings.

Is it worth Reshafting my irons?

Reshafting is just one way to keep your clubs performing at a high level. You can also benefit from regripping your clubs. Replacing worn-out golf grips can help make your clubs feel new again. Adding the right shaft to your favorite clubs can get you back on the course and working toward a new personal low round.

How long should irons last?

Golf irons are estimated to last between eight and 12 years. This is a decent average, but if you play golf quite often, your irons will probably wear down a bit sooner. Over their lifespan, golf irons will likely allow you to play over 300 rounds. Various factors can raise or lower this number.

Has iron technology really changed that much in 10 years?

I currently use a set of Ping G15 irons. I haven't had them for 10 years but I know they were released 10 years ago. Has iron technology really changed that much that it would be worth buying new clubs?

Old irons vs. New Irons - Golf Talk - The Sand Trap .com

I'm not sure there are a lot of people that can actually attribute lower scores solely to newer clubs. I'm guessing if someone was using 20 year old irons that were not fit properly for them and then switched they likely saw an improvement but most of us aren't playing 20 year old clubs.

What is GI iron?

GI irons have imrpoved in looks and performance a lot and the advent of the so called "players distance" irons has created a new category that can fit a lot of people. For real players irons like a blade, forged CB or AP2 type of club, there has only been incremental improvements, IMO.

Do drivers have better COR?

Drivers have better COR over a wider area of the face, plus adjustment features for fine tuning fit. Irons have improved too but not to a similar extent, especially forged players irons which are pretty stagnant.

How have golf shoes changed over the years?

The look of certain shoes tends to come full circle like we often see with pants and shirts. However, comfort and durability have been the biggest improvements in golf shoes over the last few years. Most golf shoes today are not only very comfortable, but also waterproof. More people than ever are playing golf and many of those players are walkers. Keeping your feet happy while playing golf is a must.

What was the most popular golf ball in the 1970s?

In the 1970s and 80s, the ball of choice for most professionals was the balata-covered ball . This ball had a rubber core filled with liquid. It was wrapped in rubber bands and had a soft “balata” cover. At the time, this golf ball was top-of-the-line.

What is a long putter?

Long putters (belly putters) Long putters, also known as belly putters, might be the most controversial of all the innovations to our game. If you ask a golf purist about the long putter, you might want to find a chair and get ready for an earful on why it is a cancer to the game.

What is the shaft of a golf club?

Many consider the shaft the “heart ” of the golf club. Throughout the history of golf, the shaft, more than any other part of the club, has undergone the biggest transformation. Going from hickory to steel is still the biggest step up in shaft technology. Even though most golfers still play with steel shafts in their irons, graphite shafts in drivers and fairway woods have become the norm. Graphite shafts are lighter than steel, increasing club head speed and distance. Like the ball, but to a lesser extent, graphite shafts are responsible for much of the increase in distance off the tee.

How do soft spikes help putting surfaces?

Soft spikes, made of plastic, have drastically reduced the amount of spike marks on greens, thus making for a smoother putting surface. Looking back, all of these improvements and innovations have made the game better in one way or another. It can be argued that some of them lean against the spirit of the game. However, make no mistake about it, technology and innovation in equipment play a bigger role in golf than in any other sport. With competition for millions of dollars between equipment companies and golfers always wanting that extra edge, don’t expect equipment manufacturers to slow down their efforts in finding the next big innovation or improvement. This constant effort to come up with the next big idea is as much a part of the history of the game as the gutta-percha ball and the hickory shaft.

Why shouldn't you anchor your golf club to your body?

The purist, Tom Watson, will tell you that you shouldn’t be able to anchor your club to your body as a way to deal with a balky putting stroke. If you ask a “user”, Bruce Lietzke, he might tell you it added over 10 years to his career because of the improvement in his putting.

What was the difference between metal wood and persimmon wood?

In the late 1970s, metal woods made their way onto the scene. The immediate difference these clubs made was an increase in distance off the tee. A firmer hitting area with more of a trampoline effect quickly made persimmon woods a thing of the past. Metal woods also proved to be more durable and required less maintenance such as replacing the insert of a persimmon wood, which would eventually wear out. If there is a negative to the invention of metal woods, it is the fact that those beautiful, hand-made persimmon woods of the past aren’t produced anymore. Many feel the persimmon woods were a work of art, much like a classic car.

What is boron in golf irons?

Mizuno added boron to the composition, which allows the irons to be classified as “better player” irons as well as game improvement irons for the masses. The boron supports the clubface, allowing you to swing faster and hit it further with more consistency.

What is Taylormade Golf?

TaylorMade Golf used a unique method to reach their scientifically backed driver design: observing golfers. TaylorMade discovered that most professional golfers hit the ball off-center (and amateur golfers even more), which meant TaylorMade needed to completely rethink their design.

What is CF in Callaway irons?

While the feel behind these Callaway irons were improved in later models, the Apex irons implemented Cup Face (CF) technology, which allows you to gain more distance off the tee by increasing your ball speed; these irons also have a larger area of forgiveness, which is impressive considering their clubhead sizes are relatively small.

What is the best fairway wood?

In 2019, the TaylorMade M5 fairway wood was the first to incorporate the Twist Face technology first utilized in the M3 and M4 drivers. With more distance, more accuracy and more weight adjustability, the M5 fairway wood set a solid foundation for the rest of TaylorMade’s fairway woods to follow.

Is a putter still effective?

While putter designs advance each year, putters are the one golf club that can still be effective decades later. That being said, there are still some classic putters whose designs have been significantly improved. Below are some of the best putters of all time, not just of the decade.

Which company makes the best wedges?

Two companies have stood out when it comes to the best golf wedges: Cleveland and Titleist Golf. With both companies leading the way in wedge innovation, you have plenty of grinds, lofts and bounces to choose from.

Did Taylormade buy Adams Golf?

Yes, TaylorMade acquired Adams in 2012, but Adams still produced a final hybrid -- the Adams XTD hybrid -- before they slowly fizzled out of the picture. Known for their hybrids, Adams Golf had leading technology in the area, all of which can be found in the XTD hybrid.

How has golf equipment changed over the years?

Golf equipment has changed dramatically over the past several decades. Manufacturers have hired top engineering talent and invested massively in research and development in an effort to win over consumers. Compared with the persimmon drivers and blade irons of old, there is now a real opportunity to get clubs that are completely dialed in for your particular golf swing.

Why do golfers use drivers?

Modern drivers offer much larger faces , which allows golfers to increase their ball speed (and distance) on off-center strikes . Additionally, the lighter weight of the head and shaft makes it easier to generate more swing speed .

What Changed?

A lot of advancements have been made over the past several decades. The golf world has attracted top-level engineering talent from places like aerospace industry. These brilliant minds have been able to design, manufacture, and measure club performance better than ever. Every manufacturer is investing major dollars each year trying to push things forwards in order to capture market share.

How fast is a Titleist golf ball?

Additionally, the ball speeds were very different – 139mph versus 151 mph.

Is a 7 iron the same as a 9 iron?

The lofts on newer irons like the PXG are extremely aggressive – at only 31 degrees it would be roughly the equivalent of a 5-iron from that era. The 7-iron I was testing from McGregor would likely be the equivalent of my 9-iron. However, the stamped loft can be somewhat irrelevant. For this test, I was interested in how far the ball was traveling, and how high. Again, this was just a fun test to see how a 7-iron from decades ago would perform against the modern 7-iron.

When did Woody start building clubs?

He first started building clubs in the 1980s and since then has seen massive changes in technology and club design. Back in the early 80s when Woody first started in the industry, there were no means of measuring club performance – it was mostly about how the equipment looked.

Is golf harder than playing the wrong club?

As you know golf is a very challenging game, and playing the wrong equipment will make it that much harder for you. On the whole, the clubs being produced now are very impressive. It would be difficult to argue that any golfer could pick up a club from 40 years ago and have better performance than one produced today. How much of a difference exists will always be up for debate.

How many times do drivers hit their irons?

Drivers are hit at most 14 times a round while irons are hit 40+ times a round. Plus the average golfer hits less than 20 percent of their greens in regulation. So why not a bigger effort to create more forgiving, longer irons? —@TedWilliams2017

Who used ping eye 2 wedges?

Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington started using original Ping Eye2 lob wedges because its grooves were grandfathered in and Stewart Cink even went so far as to practice with duct tape on the face of his wedges, feeling that would be the equivalent of the new, less-aggressive grooves.

Who are the editors of Golf Digest?

And they are sharing their golf equipment knowledge with you. Golf Digest's equipment editors, Mike Stachura and E. Michael Johnson, have covered the golf equipment business for decades, and there are few who know the equipment industry better. We've asked them to answer your questions in a weekly equipment round-up.

How many times do drivers hit their irons?

Drivers are hit at most 14 times a round while irons are hit 40+ times a round. Plus the average golfer hits less than 20 percent of their greens in regulation. So why not a bigger effort to create more forgiving, longer irons? —@TedWilliams2017

Who used ping eye 2 wedges?

Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington started using original Ping Eye2 lob wedges because its grooves were grandfathered in and Stewart Cink even went so far as to practice with duct tape on the face of his wedges, feeling that would be the equivalent of the new, less-aggressive grooves.

Who are the editors of Golf Digest?

And they are sharing their golf equipment knowledge with you. Golf Digest's equipment editors, Mike Stachura and E. Michael Johnson, have covered the golf equipment business for decades, and there are few who know the equipment industry better. We've asked them to answer your questions in a weekly equipment round-up.

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