Strike While The Irons Are Hot!
It will not be complete without this. A friend working abroad requested this but it took sometime coming. Apologies...
Some folks wonder if I really wrote all these things as an old well-meaning friend enquired. He may be thinking that I copied and paste them from some magazines. Haha. That, besides being illegal will be lacking in class and style. I do read a lot of these stuffs some years back from magazines but much of these are telling you what the manufactures are marketing. Through my personal experience in playing, testing and buying equipment, I have learned much (imagine emoticon of $$$ flying...) because I have many questions unanswered and was flabbergasted.
I sat under different trees and nothing happened except a few ant bites. At least Newton got an apple, life is not fair I would be thinking. What if it were a durian? I cringed and so after meditating at the mountains under a tree, I felt the time was ripe to come out before the durian drops to digest and decipher worldly things like golf. I break the truth down into bite-sized easy to understand information to share with you. They tell us all the equipment are good but how do you know which is suitable for you? Ping gave the golf world "extreme perimeter weighting" first in their putters then later to thier irons, drivers, woods, hybrids. TaylorMade's original founder gave us metalwoods and they now make technologically advanced stuffs for many different types of golfers in a myriad of styles and shapes with their tech stuff visible. Cobra was reported to have given us the first hybrid and Callaway was late in the game of making hybrids, etc.
Understanding the history, engineering and the works can give us further insights and as I write I am re-learning the old stuffs and learning the new stuffs. There's even a new golf swing technique called Stack and Tilt. I continue to experiment and discover. I leave you this article on the bread and butter clubs of golf - the irons.
I sat under different trees and nothing happened except a few ant bites. At least Newton got an apple, life is not fair I would be thinking. What if it were a durian? I cringed and so after meditating at the mountains under a tree, I felt the time was ripe to come out before the durian drops to digest and decipher worldly things like golf. I break the truth down into bite-sized easy to understand information to share with you. They tell us all the equipment are good but how do you know which is suitable for you? Ping gave the golf world "extreme perimeter weighting" first in their putters then later to thier irons, drivers, woods, hybrids. TaylorMade's original founder gave us metalwoods and they now make technologically advanced stuffs for many different types of golfers in a myriad of styles and shapes with their tech stuff visible. Cobra was reported to have given us the first hybrid and Callaway was late in the game of making hybrids, etc.
Understanding the history, engineering and the works can give us further insights and as I write I am re-learning the old stuffs and learning the new stuffs. There's even a new golf swing technique called Stack and Tilt. I continue to experiment and discover. I leave you this article on the bread and butter clubs of golf - the irons.
I have received compliments, encouragement and appreciation for the articles and readers found these articles useful, informative, interesting, enjoyable, a pleasure to read and even to destress. Thank you! I'm also sure that some are left wondering - you talk so much but can you play? Everybody can play. I can hit some magical shots and at the same time botch the simplest attempts which puts me into most of your categories with a few exception. It means that I'm still in popular demand since I can be milked for some extra cash on the go.
The worst thing in life is to be in the sandwiched class (not attending a class teaching you how to make sandwich) or mid-management. This is equivalent to the middle-class in life or the mid-handicappers in golf. If it so happens that you are at an age in the middle which some people tells us is a mid life crisis, andropause and so on then you are the most suffered lot. I happened to be the "middle" in many of the categories, so imagine standing up like a middle finger with lots of angst and an axe to grind. Mid-handicappers suffer more because better players are too stingy in giving you strokes while high handicappers demand too much from you. You are also at the crossroad where physically nothing is growing except your mid-torso.
The worst thing in life is to be in the sandwiched class (not attending a class teaching you how to make sandwich) or mid-management. This is equivalent to the middle-class in life or the mid-handicappers in golf. If it so happens that you are at an age in the middle which some people tells us is a mid life crisis, andropause and so on then you are the most suffered lot. I happened to be the "middle" in many of the categories, so imagine standing up like a middle finger with lots of angst and an axe to grind. Mid-handicappers suffer more because better players are too stingy in giving you strokes while high handicappers demand too much from you. You are also at the crossroad where physically nothing is growing except your mid-torso.
Strike While The Irons Are Hot!
The information which I have been sharing are not instructions and are information that will be useful for golfers to forge an understanding on the game when armed with the right details. Even if they were, always do as I say and not do as I do. Even the late great and legendary Bruce Lee did not win every fight especially in his early years. He would sometimes loose or even gets beaten but he absorbed information like a sponge would with water on the the strengths and weaknesses of other exponents, their weapons, style, etc. and then evaluated it. He would enhance the good stuffs and discard the poorer ones. He kept bouncing back. His was an evolving art and not just an art by itself but a philosophy amalgated with art. Let's talk about iron play.
Irons
Irons are made from metal which is why they are called irons. Many of today's woods are also made of metal though originally they were wood which first evolved into metal-woods (invented by Gary Adams who founded TaylorMade). Pros and better players prefers to play with muscle-back or blade irons as they were built for precision while the rest of us needs cavity back. The former features a slim sole and a thin top line when looked down at address whereas cavity back has a hollow at the back like a cavity so that extra weight can be placed at its perimeter to achieve more forgiveness. They are built with broader soles to prevent digging. A typical set of irons comprise 3-PW (8 clubs) but increasingly more modern sets are from 4 to PW or even 5 to PW. Each club has less loft and longer shaft right down to the 3 iron which just means that lower lofts with longer shafts give greater distance and at the same time greater difficulty in hitting it flush on the sweet spot. Ping is an industry leader in club fitting where they fit you to correct grip, shaft flex/length and lie angle and you do not need to buy a full set, just get what you need say, 5 or even 6 iron to PW. They assemble the clubs in the USA only after receiving your orders. How does a typical set of clubs measure up? As a guide, please find:
How the Clubs Stack Up?
A standard set of irons may look like these specs:
PW, Loft: 50 degree, Distance: 100-110m, Length: 35-35.5", Lie Angle: 66 degree.
9-iron, Loft: 45 degree, Distance: 115-120m, Length: 35.5-36 ", Lie Anlge: 65 degree
8-iron, Loft: 40 degree, Distance: 125-130m, Length: 36-36.5", Lie Angle: 64 degree
7-iron, Loft: 35 degree, Distance: 135-140m, Length: 36.5-37", Lie Angle: 63 degree
6-iron, Loft: 30 degree, Distance: 145-150m, Length: 37-37.5", Lie Angle: 62 degree
5-iron, Loft: 25 degree, Distance: 155-160m, Length: 37.5-38, Lie Angle: 61 degree
4-iron, Loft: 20 degree, Distance: 165-170m, Length: 38-38.5", Lie Angle: 60 degree
4-iron, Loft: 20 degree, Distance: 165-170m, Length: 38-38.5", Lie Angle: 60 degree
3-iron, Loft: 15 degree, Distance: 175-180m, Length: 38.5-39", Lie Angle: 59 degree
3-wood, Loft: 13-15 degree, Distance: 190-210m, Length: 42-42", Lie Angle 50 degree
Driver, Loft: 8-12 degree, Distance: 210-230m, Length: 44-46", Lie Angle: 46 degree
The nos. 3 & 4 are the long irons while the nos. 5, 6 & 7 are mid-irons and the nos. 8, 9, PW are the short irons. The shorter the club the greater its ease of use, relatively. Unless you have the proficiency, do not pull out a 3-iron and hope to hit it 180m if you could only do it well once out of 5 times (that's only 20 per cent). You should always go to your favourite and most confident club even if you get 20-30m less. Put it this way, take a 3 ft., 6 ft., and 9 ft. pole and try using it to hit a target with the other end. Which is easier? This is why some golfers lay up their shots to their favourite distance on approach to the green. This is percentage play.
Lee Trevino and The One Iron
If you can't play a solid 5-iron, why do the 4,3,2? What about the one-iron? It could probably be extinct by now. Lee Trevino was not just a superb golfer but a witty character. Back in 1975 he was struck by lightning during a tournament. He would later quip: "In case of a storm, stand in the middle of the fairway and hold up a one-iron. Not even God can hit a one iron".
Jack Nicolson is a famous award-winning actor and an avid golfer. At the back of his home he has an open space where he would treat as a range and he would hit balls into the woods or into a nearby pond. Jack is well known for getting hot under the collar at times and one day while driving on his way to golf, a vehicle cuts into his path suddenly and got him fuming mad. He stepped on the accelerator and overtook the vehicle to cut back into the other car's path and pulled to an abrupt stop.
At this point, both drivers got out of their vehicle. Jack walked over to his car boot and whipped up a golf club, walked over to the other guy's car and smashed the windscreen. Then like a true gentleman, he wrote a cheque to pay for the damages. In an interview someday, the gutsy reporter popped the question most are dying to know - "Which iron did you use to hit the windscreen?" Jack obviously thought it funny and said: " I used the two iron". The moral of the story is to always know which club to use in a particular situation. You see, Jack may have been mad but he ain't stupid. He carefully selected a club (a two-iron) that is seldom used and had chosen the right club to use for the occasion.
At this point, both drivers got out of their vehicle. Jack walked over to his car boot and whipped up a golf club, walked over to the other guy's car and smashed the windscreen. Then like a true gentleman, he wrote a cheque to pay for the damages. In an interview someday, the gutsy reporter popped the question most are dying to know - "Which iron did you use to hit the windscreen?" Jack obviously thought it funny and said: " I used the two iron". The moral of the story is to always know which club to use in a particular situation. You see, Jack may have been mad but he ain't stupid. He carefully selected a club (a two-iron) that is seldom used and had chosen the right club to use for the occasion.
What Distance?
It really doesn't matter what each advertisement says, you just have to learn your own distance. What the pros can do are different. Even though they are using basically the same brands and models, theirs are very often customised and tweaked to their specific preference be it on lie angle, lofts or opened or closed club faces. All these affects distance and trajectory. Truly, everybody plays to a certain distance depending on swing speed, loft, length of clubs. Without being too technical, there is no such thing as a right distance for each club but only just "your distance".
However, the advantage of a stronger player is that he may need a shorter, therefore, more forgiving club to hit a similar distance to that of a weaker player who need to use a longer club for the same distance. Every year, manufacturers are rushing to come out with ideas and concepts for clubs that can be hit longer and you have to bear in mind that the best shot one can get is still to hit it flush on the sweet spot. Today's 5-iron was yesterday's 3-iron 20 years ago as technology of lighter metal, multi-material, extreme perimeter weighting, longer and lighter shafts, stronger lofts all adds up to distance. Your friend's 7-iron may come with a longer shaft and stronger loft thus he could hit it a few yards further. Many should seriously consider to switch their no. 3 & 4 irons to hybrids which are basically easier to play with. It also has to do with your swing. Are you hitting them correctly?
However, the advantage of a stronger player is that he may need a shorter, therefore, more forgiving club to hit a similar distance to that of a weaker player who need to use a longer club for the same distance. Every year, manufacturers are rushing to come out with ideas and concepts for clubs that can be hit longer and you have to bear in mind that the best shot one can get is still to hit it flush on the sweet spot. Today's 5-iron was yesterday's 3-iron 20 years ago as technology of lighter metal, multi-material, extreme perimeter weighting, longer and lighter shafts, stronger lofts all adds up to distance. Your friend's 7-iron may come with a longer shaft and stronger loft thus he could hit it a few yards further. Many should seriously consider to switch their no. 3 & 4 irons to hybrids which are basically easier to play with. It also has to do with your swing. Are you hitting them correctly?
Usage
Irons are meant to be played with by taking divots on the fairways. You would have seen PGA Tour pros on TV where they just swing out and a piece of turf would fly up from the ground. We all should too and not feel bad about digging up chunks of grass even if it were bigger than necessary. Well, just pour sand to fill up the divots so that the next guys who come along would not get his ball into your divot and curse you like you may have cursed others earlier. The right way to play an iron is to take a divot. The only problem is that recreational golfers tend to not take any divots or when they do, they do so too early such that their divots are as much as 3 inches before the ball. This results in tremendous loss of distance and direction.
A good picture book iron shot is one where the shots are taken on the downswing with a descending blow and contact with the ball and a divot is taken after impacting the ball and three inches after. This will lead to the ball being properly compressed against the ground before scooting off in a hurry. When used expertly on approach to the green, the pros's shots usually generate solid back spin so that the ball bites and hold on to the green with out rolling out. I'm sure you have seen these kind of shots played slightly over the pin, hits the green with solid back spin and rolls back close to the pin and sometimes straight into the hole. However, do not attempt this unless you are highly proficient or what you think of as pro shots shall surely turn out as pro-blem shots.
A good picture book iron shot is one where the shots are taken on the downswing with a descending blow and contact with the ball and a divot is taken after impacting the ball and three inches after. This will lead to the ball being properly compressed against the ground before scooting off in a hurry. When used expertly on approach to the green, the pros's shots usually generate solid back spin so that the ball bites and hold on to the green with out rolling out. I'm sure you have seen these kind of shots played slightly over the pin, hits the green with solid back spin and rolls back close to the pin and sometimes straight into the hole. However, do not attempt this unless you are highly proficient or what you think of as pro shots shall surely turn out as pro-blem shots.
Categories of Irons
Basically, there are three categories of irons - (i) Super-Game Improvement, (ii) Game Improvement and (iii) Players' irons: (Only Gold-rated clubs will be mentioned here)
Super-Game Improvement (SGI) - These irons are most suitable for beginners and high handicappers and are maxed out in all areas in order to create extreme forgiveness to help you get more hits on the sweet spot, obtain maximum distance, direction, a higher trajectory and max offset to help slower swingers square on impact. This often comes with oversize club heads and face, thicker soles (to prevent digging), has a thick top line when you look down (so that you feel more confident), extreme weight placed behind the club head to assist club head rotation to square on impact which is also known as MOI (Moment of Inertia) meaning resistance to twisting. In other words, it only wants to hit straight and high as many golfers need help to get the balls up and flying and without losing too much in direction even when hit off-centre. Due to its very forgiving nature, these clubs are less workable and not fond of by better players.
For everything they are, the player's irons are the opposite. Clubs in this category are: Mizuno MX-100 which provides nice feel and like a hybrid set. Cobra SZ - very thick soles so you won't chunk your shots and they fly high. Cobra S-9 (similar characteristics). Callaway Big Bertha - the latest ones looks like iron hybrids with very thick soles and the previous model was higly popular. Callaway FT series - it's what Callaway call Fusion Technology using multi-material and when first introduced was very expensive. Cleveland HiBore XLi - this one is a full hybrid with larger face/sole (See 1st pix) . Good for those having problems with irons or struggle with getting the ball up. The club head is actually hollow but you won't feel it.
For everything they are, the player's irons are the opposite. Clubs in this category are: Mizuno MX-100 which provides nice feel and like a hybrid set. Cobra SZ - very thick soles so you won't chunk your shots and they fly high. Cobra S-9 (similar characteristics). Callaway Big Bertha - the latest ones looks like iron hybrids with very thick soles and the previous model was higly popular. Callaway FT series - it's what Callaway call Fusion Technology using multi-material and when first introduced was very expensive. Cleveland HiBore XLi - this one is a full hybrid with larger face/sole (See 1st pix) . Good for those having problems with irons or struggle with getting the ball up. The club head is actually hollow but you won't feel it.
Game Improvement (GI) irons are built for mid-handicappers but better players can still use them. Club heads are considered mid-size and sole width and top line are thinner too. The offset here is also smaller. It is the in-between of SGI and Player's club. They are still forgiving but at the same time they are somewhat workable. Workability involves being able to work the ball with the club to play high, low, straight, fade or draw shots. Some low handicap players actually prefer these clubs as they offer more forgiveness than Player's type. The latest such clubs in the market are: Callaway X-22 which is forgiving and confidence building (X-22 evolved from the famous X-14, into X-16, X-18 and X-20 series). Mizuno MX-200 are superb too as they are forged they will feel soft. It is workable and easy to use. Mizuno MX series are the easier to play clubs whereas their MP series are for low handicappers. Ping G10 - It has everything in a club - consistent trajectory, nice sound and feel, is forgiving and a master in club-fitting. The matt finish is lovely and I personally think all irons should be made with a matt or non-glare finish. You will know what I mean when you stare down and gets hit by the sun's glare. Ping's previous G5 is still a very much desired club (See 2nd pix).
G10 is an enhancement over the G5 but for all clubs it is difficult to make them better each time if the previous one were already that good. TaylorMade Burner (2009) - I'm talking about the latest version. TaylorMade has many version of each club for drivers, woods, hybrids and irons even for the same model. This one has a unique two-colour tone with a dark grey face. It is designed to play long because of its longer shafts and stronger lofts which is a clever concept but you will need to adjust to new distances. Before this, were the Burner Plus, Burner XD, Burner, r7 CGB Max, r7 Draw, r7. The older r7 are still superb and I will share on it another time together with the G5.
G10 is an enhancement over the G5 but for all clubs it is difficult to make them better each time if the previous one were already that good. TaylorMade Burner (2009) - I'm talking about the latest version. TaylorMade has many version of each club for drivers, woods, hybrids and irons even for the same model. This one has a unique two-colour tone with a dark grey face. It is designed to play long because of its longer shafts and stronger lofts which is a clever concept but you will need to adjust to new distances. Before this, were the Burner Plus, Burner XD, Burner, r7 CGB Max, r7 Draw, r7. The older r7 are still superb and I will share on it another time together with the G5.
Player's irons - these clubs are unforgiving just like the golfers who plays at this level. Smallest club heads, thinnest topline and sole with minimum offset. Past designs usually look like the specialty wedges some of us may use and these bladed clubs require precision which means very small margin for errors as the sweet spot is smaller and off centre hits could be disastrous. In contrast, a precise strike brings forth immensely superb result. These are built for pure ball striking. But even the pros today are gravitating towards a new breed of Player's irons commonly know as "TP" or Tour Preferred. These are almost like bladed irons but has some help from weightings in precise areas to give it some forgiveness without losing playability. Callaway has the X-22 Tour, Mizuno has the MP-62 and the more forgiving MP-52. In fact Mizuno is soon releasing the MP-68 and MP-58 while Titleist offers the AP2 and Ping S57. TaylorMade has the TP model for almost every one of their models. Ping has just released the i15 (G15 too in the Game Improvement Cat).
Shafts
When it comes to shafts, this is considered the engine of the golf club. Stronger and better players prefer steel shaft which was the original type of shaft before the invention of graphite shafts. Steel shaft has less flex and therefore offer a more consistent, solid and more accurate strike. However, having less flex means that distance reached will be shorter but players with good swing speed are already good with their distances and they would crave for more accuracy and control over distance. One important consideration here is that prolonged usage of steel shaft may caused problems to your hands with conditions like tennis elbow as steel does not dampen vibration as well as graphite and if you are not highly proficient then you are going to dig out a crater more often than not and your elbows suffer.
For graphite shafts, remember what I mentioned in a previous article that there is no standard in regulating what is Stiff or Regular in terms of flex. Stiff in Japanese specification is equivalent to Regular in American specification. Even among the American brands, the same R flex can differ. If you are still unsure, always err by going for something with more flex. There are basically five classes in shaft flex - X, S, R, A and L meaning Xtra-Stiff, Stiff, Regular, A (is for Senior) and L for Ladies. I'll touch separately on shaft at an appropriate time. If you get the wrong flex, you can't inject Viagra. You have to get new replacement.
So What Is Good For Me?
Unless you are a superb iron player or one with great proficiency, go for the Super Game Improvement or Game Improvement irons. Please also do the originals not the copy version. Where Ping and Mizuno can be simple to choose, TaylorMade can get some confused. Ping's easiest to use irons are the Rapture. Rapture means "taken up in a state of joy". But they are costlier because of the titanium faces. Their game improvement version is the G10 or the previous model G5 which is still very higly rated and finally their player's type is the S57. They have just inroduced the latest Ping G15 (the i15 is for better players). Mizuno can be classified as MX series = easy to play and MP = player's irons. For TaylorMade, it is easy to differentiate player's clubs as they are designated a "TP" with a logo with a couple of flags.
The rest are easy to use but their range is very wide. The r7 are superbs irons (See 3rd pix)and rated equal with Ping's G5 and right after r7 they introduced the r7 Draw then the Burner, Burner Plus Burner TP. Now they have the r9, Burner 2009 arrived a couple of months back with clever marketing, tagline and a new way to address the distance gap. Instead of creating their irons from the 6-iron, they started with a 4-iron i.e. to make the easiest to use 4-iron and from here to the shorter clubs. Add on the r7 CGB Max, the Japanese have their own market version and before all these were the r5. Are you confused by now? They came in fast and furious with each model. Some of these TaylorMade technologies and concepts can be very interesting.
The rest are easy to use but their range is very wide. The r7 are superbs irons (See 3rd pix)and rated equal with Ping's G5 and right after r7 they introduced the r7 Draw then the Burner, Burner Plus Burner TP. Now they have the r9, Burner 2009 arrived a couple of months back with clever marketing, tagline and a new way to address the distance gap. Instead of creating their irons from the 6-iron, they started with a 4-iron i.e. to make the easiest to use 4-iron and from here to the shorter clubs. Add on the r7 CGB Max, the Japanese have their own market version and before all these were the r5. Are you confused by now? They came in fast and furious with each model. Some of these TaylorMade technologies and concepts can be very interesting.
Brands and models are important but yet again the most important criteria are those that are suited to you. Does the grip fit you? Grips too fat or too thin affects how you swing. Does it come with a correct length for your height and arm length? Very critically, is it the correct lie angle? Which shaft is suitable - Stiff, Regular, etc.? What about the look, the feel, the sound?
Can you hit it consistently without struggling? In this situation Ping is the undisputed market leader in club fitting as theirs is a very comprehensive one where your clubs are assembled in the USA only after you have your customed measurements done and you can order just from the 5 or 6 irons to PW no need to order every club. Ping too have their own iron foundry in Arizona, USA to make their clubs whereas mostly others are made in China. If you play for the love of the game and intend to do so for the long haul, it makes sense to go get a very good set of irons as irons are really your scoring, bread and butter clubs and a good and proper set can last you for a very long time so to speak. Do it right, strike while the irons are hot! There are plenty of choices out there. Anything from five years ago needs a relook. Now is yet and yet is now! Get your shots raptured!
Golf as in life, play as it lies!
Can you hit it consistently without struggling? In this situation Ping is the undisputed market leader in club fitting as theirs is a very comprehensive one where your clubs are assembled in the USA only after you have your customed measurements done and you can order just from the 5 or 6 irons to PW no need to order every club. Ping too have their own iron foundry in Arizona, USA to make their clubs whereas mostly others are made in China. If you play for the love of the game and intend to do so for the long haul, it makes sense to go get a very good set of irons as irons are really your scoring, bread and butter clubs and a good and proper set can last you for a very long time so to speak. Do it right, strike while the irons are hot! There are plenty of choices out there. Anything from five years ago needs a relook. Now is yet and yet is now! Get your shots raptured!
Golf as in life, play as it lies!
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