question for lowpost

[bill reed]

hi lowpost
i was reading about the new ping G10 irons and there shafts and it said that there shafts were lighter in the longer irons and the shafts got heaver as they went up to the wedges. i always thought the same shaft was used and just cut to size.
what it said was that the lightest shaft would be in the driver and the heaviest in the l-wedge. and doing that would help provide a consistent weight progression from the driver to the wedge and that would give more head speed in the long irons but more control with the short irons.
is that something new and what are your thoughts.
thanks
bill

[LowPost42]

Re: question for lowpost

I'll start by saying that, to my own detriment, I don't keep up with the OEM stuff (as I'm quite convinced my head would explode with all the hype).

I've heard of flighting irons (using softer tipped shafts in long irons and stiffer tipped in short irons to give all irons a similar trajectory), but this is the first I've heard about changing shaft weight to try and achieve something.

1) I disagree with lumping driver and FW in with irons in just about any progression. I look at the driver and putter as specialty clubs that should not be involved in any progession. I would match FW's to one another, but not to irons - they're not swung the same way, so why would I do things to promote the same swing in each?

2) Let's take the idea and apply it simply to irons - lightweight shaft in the 3i, heaviest in the PW.

The interesting thing is that weights are absent. How much weight between shafts? How much weight between heads? In a math model, every 7g of shaft weight moves the swingweight 1 point. Every 2g of head weight moves the swingweight 1 point.

I think a set where the swingweight increases by a half point is the best 'heft' match at this point (also known as a dirty MOI match, but works pretty well). So, everything else being equal...

Assuming a 7g step for headweights, a 1/2" step between clubs, a 38" 5 iron, and 50g grips...

In a math model, we'd have ~87g shafts (raw) in the 3, 4, 5 irons, move to a low 90's shaft for the 6, high 90s for the 7, 105 for the 8, 115 for the 9 and 128 for the PW, to step 0.5 SW points from C6.5 in the 3i to D0 in the PW.

Even for a SW matched set, the shafts don't get heavier or lighter (they all hand around 117, save the 9i and PW at 124ish).

Now, unless they're doing something to the lengths, or headweights, or gripweights, these irons will 'feel' all over the map.

Yes, you'll get more head speed in the lighter, longer irons, and more control in the short irons (as you'll be swinging a sledgehammer, comparitively), but I don't know that I'd use this method to fit someone.

Especially as a TLT fitter, (where I believe that you're in more control from an optimum position versus standing more or less upright, closer or farther to the ball, that kind of thing), I don't know why I'd want to vary the feel of the clubs... truly, this is a departure from where the fitting world has been headed (trying to get your irons to swing/feel the same; iron to iron) and seems to be media hype - more speed and distance with your long irons, more control with your short ones. The inverse hype would read: less control with your long irons, and less distance with your short ones. They'd have to play with the lofts to offset this phenomenon...

That said, now I'm tempted to demo them to see if there's any real world merit to it. Sometimes you have to have the 'tech in your hands' before you see what all the hoopla is about.

[bill reed]

Re: question for lowpost

hi lowpost
as ever you explained that so well, i only read about it when the G10s were released last week and they say it does help make all the clubs feel the same when swinging. i am not sure how well this works as there are not many reviews of the G10s yet and not on sale her in the uk for another few weeks. but i think I'll see if i can test out a set of iron at my local ping pro and I'll let you know how they feel.
thanks again lowpost for your valuable input.
bill