Over the past twenty years the loft on your golf clubs have changes massively. When I was a trainee back in the late eighties the loft of a seven iron was around 36 degrees however many of the modern seven irons have a loft of as little as 30 degrees (This would have been about a 5 iron)
What is the loft of a 4 iron golf clubs?
Each iron has a different loft, shorter shafted clubs have greater lofts and vice versa. Irons are designed for use on the fairway when golfers get closer to the green. The 4-iron, the longest iron used by many golfers, has a long shaft and a low loft of approximately 25 degrees. A typical man will hit a 4-iron 170 yards.
What is the truth about loft of a golf club?
The Truth About Lofts. Since this article was written many of the golf manufactures are stating that the loft of a golf club has to be reduced by so much to as the clubs they produce hit the ball so high. If they kept the loft at it’s usual specification the consumer would not be comfortable with the flight of the golf shots.
Why do some golf irons have different loft angles?
This all changed when one brand decided, as a marketing ploy, to strengthen the loft angles of their mid-irons and advertise that their irons produced greater distances due to advanced technology.
What is the evolution of iron lofts?
The “Evolution” of Iron Lofts 1 The consumer . Golfers are being fooled into thinking that their new irons are magically longer than their old ones... 2 Egos . Specifically, the egos of better, stronger players. If I drive it 40 yards past you, we should not be hitting... More ...
What are traditional iron lofts?
Today's traditional 5-iron lofts are 26 to 27 degrees, though game improvement iron sets can have 5-irons with as low as 21 degrees of loft.
Why do newer irons have lower lofts?
A stronger(lower) loft in newer irons will produce a higher ball flight than the weaker(higher) loft in older clubs. At least that is the marketing pitch. The intent is to make it easier to launch the ball higher and in the process easier to hit.
What are the standard lofts of golf irons?
Ping iron loftLoft SpecsStandardPower6-Iron29.5°28°7-Iron33°31.5°8-Iron37°35.5°9-Iron41°40°5 more rows•Jun 30, 2020
Are 30 year old golf clubs still good?
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.
What is a normal 7 iron loft?
A typical loft angle for the 5-iron is 28 degrees, while the 6-iron is 31 degrees and the 7-iron weighs in at 34 degrees.
Are all 7 irons the same loft?
If your iron set is more than 5 years old (... ish), its not always that these clubs are designed with better technology, its only because of strong lofts....The Data (if NEW 7-iron Loft is 32º) of 59 clubs surveyed:OEMNumber of Models ≤32º (NEW Traditional Loft or weaker)Number of Models ≥ 33º (Strong Lofted)PING2410 more rows
How far should you hit a 7 iron?
Average 7 Iron Distances are following: Beginning golfers- 100 yards (men) or 60 yards (women) Intermediate golfers- 135 yards (men) and 75 yards (women) Advanced golfers- 165 yards (men) or 140 yards (women)
What golf club has a 22 degree loft?
Hybrid Loft Most tour players with hybrids in the bag will have them between 18-22 degrees to replace their 2, 3 and 4 irons. They're easier to hit and will launch higher and come down softer on the greens. In our experience a 3 hybrid is usually around 19˚ and a 4 hybrid is around 22˚.
What loft do pros use on irons?
Professional golfers tend to play with a driver that has about 9.5 degrees of loft. Of course, there are some golfers who find 10.5 or 8.5 to be more effective, but you will generally see most players end up in the 9 to 9.5 range.
Do iron lofts change over time?
With use, iron lofts tend to increase, so shots fly higher and lose distance. But these changes can happen unevenly through a set. If you have two irons that seem to fly the same distance, chances are good their lofts are too close. A good custom-fitter can return each iron to its original loft.
Are 60 year old golf clubs worth anything?
Many clubs produced as recently as the 1950s and '60s are considered "classics." Some are worth $1,000 a set, and the right kind of sand wedge can bring $500 or more all by itself.
How often should you replace golf irons?
every five yearsUnless you are playing extremely irregularly, you should be replacing your irons every five years to make sure you are getting the most out of them.
What to notice about lofts in golf?
In addition to realizing how strong lofts have gotten over time, the other thing to notice is the lack of standards in the golf industry . You can walk into a store and try two different 6 irons that are going to be a club to a club-and-a-half different!
Why are lofts so strong?
They will tell you that because the center of gravity (CoG) is so low in modern clubs, they need to make the lofts strong to create playable trajectories. This explanation has never held water for me.
What is the meaning of "egos" in golf?
2) Egos . Specifically, the egos of better, stronger players. If I drive it 40 yards past you, we should not be hitting the same club into a par 3.
What is the average 3I?
The average 3I is 20 or 21 degrees. 7 irons are 34 or 35 degrees, and pitching wedges can be found as weak as 47 degrees. On the other end of the spectrum, today’s super game improvement irons ditch the 3I in favor of a 19 degree 4I. You can find 7 irons as strong as 27 degrees and pitching wedges at 41. In short, today’s irons are as much as two ...
What is the longest iron in golf?
Irons are designed for use on the fairway when golfers get closer to the green. The 4-iron, the longest iron used by many golfers, has a long shaft and a low loft of approximately 25 degrees. A typical man will hit a 4-iron 170 yards. Women’s clubs may have slightly more loft, and women will typically hit the ball shorter for each club.
What is the loft angle of a 5 iron?
Middle Irons. A typical loft angle for the 5-iron is 28 degrees, while the 6-iron is 31 degrees and the 7-iron weighs in at 34 degrees. These irons achieve distances of 160, 150 and 140 yards respectively for typical men, and 110, 100 and 90 yards for women, making them useful clubs on the fairway. Some players who are having trouble hitting ...
What is a wedge in golf?
Wedges are specialized irons for use close to the green. A pitching wedge is usually included in a set of irons. With a loft of around 45 to 50 degrees, it is used when the golfer is around 105 yards from the pin or less for women. A sand wedge is also usually included in an iron set, and it can be lofted around 55 to 58 degrees. The sand wedge is used to get out of sand traps or bunkers around the green. The gap wedge is purchased separately, and is lofted at 50 degrees or more.
What is the loft of a lob wedge?
Advanced players sometimes carry a lob wedge, which may have a very high loft of around 60 degrees for a short, controlled shot that stops on the green quickly. Most players favor a 4-degree loft gap between wedges. Sorry, the video player failed to load.
Why is a 2 iron used?
Because the 2-iron has such a low loft at below 20 degrees, it is seldom used. Many golfers from beginners to the pros are starting to replace long irons with hybrids, which are easier to hit and are designed for distance and accuracy.
How many degrees of loft is a 7 iron?
To complicate matters, in recent years some golf club companies have changed the loft of their irons, so that the 7-iron, for example, may have had somewhere around 38 degrees of loft in years past, ...
How many yards does an 8 iron get?
The 8-iron will get around 130 yards, 80 for women, and is usually lofted at around 37 degrees. The shorter 9-iron will achieve 120 yards, 70 for women, and it typically has a loft of 41 degrees. These clubs can also be used for pitch shots and chip shots such as the “bump and run.”.
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.
What is the old adage about persimmon drivers?
The old adage on persimmon drivers was that you had to “hit it on the screws,” which requires a bit of precision since the faces of the club are so much smaller.
Is golf harder than playing?
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.
Is the PXG loft higher than the McGregor?
So while the loft on the PXG is much lower, it has the ability to travel farther, straighter, and higher than the McGregor, which is what the technology claims to do. For an approach shot, you certainly want enough height to stop the ball on the greens, which is exactly what my irons are able to do on the course.
When was the steel shaft invented?
For the sake of this piece were going to stick with the modern evolution of the game’s equipment starting off with the invention of the steel shaft in the early 1900s. Some of the first steel shafts came from a fishing rod producer in Britain by the name of Apollo and we’re developed in the early 1920s. The shafts were much more consistent ...
Why is the golf club called the "driver"?
Now to the “big stick.”. The term “driver” comes from the idea that the longest club was meant to be driven as far as possible from the teeing area and hence the name stuck. The club heads were made of persimmon, because of the strong dense nature of the wood.
How many degrees of loft does a 3-iron have?
As lofts have gotten stronger, a 3-iron that may once have offered 21 degrees of loft now has just 17 degrees, making it very hard for most amateurs to hit. That's why fewer and fewer of us now carry 3-irons, instead favouring easier-to-hit hybrids.
How much loft does a Taylormade 7 iron have?
How much do lofts vary from manufacturer to manufacturer? A lot. Ping's S55 7-iron has a loft of 33 degrees. TaylorMade's RSi1 7-iron has 30.5 degrees . Callaway's Big Bertha 7-iron has just 30 degrees of loft, which is the same as a Ping S55 6-iron and one degree less than the 6-iron in some other sets.
What does 7 mean on iron lofts?
The problem is that there is no industry standard when it comes to iron lofts, meaning the '7' stamped on the sole of one 7-iron may mean something very different to the '7' stamped on another. The numbers help you sequence your irons, but beyond that, they are almost meaningless.
Is it harder to hit long irons?
Long irons are now harder to hit. It's a common question on the golf course: "What club did you hit there?". But, unless the person you're asking is someone you play with regularly, so you know exactly how far they hit their clubs compared to how far you hit yours, it's a pointless question.
Can you hit a 7 iron at 160 yards?
Looking at that question in isolation, the answer may well be yes. Being able to hit your 7-iron 160 yards instead of 150 yards sounds like it will help your game – and well it might. The problems come with your long and short irons.
Do you need to hit an iron with the same loft as you?
So if someone wants to hit a club with the same loft as you, they may actually need to hit an iron one or two clubs removed from the one you just hit. In reality, when someone asks you that question, nine times out of ten it's because they're planning to hit a shorter club than you, and want to feel big when they tell you ...
Evolution?
Change Over Time
- How much have the lofts of irons changed over time? A lot. Tiger Woods serves as the standard for traditional iron lofts. His PW is 50 degrees, his 7I is 36, and his 3I is 22.5. If we look at the most traditionally-lofted modern sets (blades), we see a slight change from this. The average 3I is 20 or 21 degrees. 7 irons are 34 or 35 degrees, and pi...
Why Has This Happened?
- There are at least two different explanationsfor why lofts have gotten so strong. The first comes from the OEMs. They will tell you that because the center of gravity (CoG) is so low in modern clubs, they need to make the lofts strongto create playable trajectories. This explanation has never held water for me. Every set, regardless of design, has a club around 30 degrees with a par…
Does It Matter?
- There is a vocal group of golfers who believe that stronger lofts are a crime against the game. But why? Who is being harmed?I’ve seen a couple answers put forward. 1) The consumer. Golfers are being fooled into thinking that their new irons are magically longer than their old ones or that one set is longer than another. 2) Egos. Specifically, the egos of better, stronger players. If I drive it 4…
Resetting The Discussion
- If we were to start this discussion over again, I think we would begin with the question, “What should an iron set do?” My answer would be, “An iron set should be a group of clubs that you can use to hit the ball onto the green from a variety of distances.”