Which Iron is Right for You?

All golfers are aware that there are different genres of irons available to them, yet many are not aware of what the actual differences might be. This article is designed to help you sift through some current offerings, give you insight into the differences in ball flight you might expect and thus make a selection that better suits your game.

With this in mind I gathered three current models sent to me by my friends at PING: the new G440, the very new i240 and my current gamer, the Blueprint S. I used the 7i from each set and each club has the same shaft, grip, length, flex, swing weight and lie angle. This way the differences in ball flight can only be attributed strictly to the differences in the clubhead.

While each of the 7 iron heads have standard lofts, the G440 has 29º of loft while the i240 and the Blueprint S each have 33º of loft. Yes, modern day, larger club head models have lowered lofts to aid in helping the ball fly further, but that lower loft is also in place to manage trajectory concerns. The “flex-face” technology increases ball speed, reduces spin and increases height. The decrease in loft serves a dual purpose of increasing distance and ball speed, but it also deters the ball from flying overly high.

The test involved hitting 12 shots with each club in randomized three-ball increments. I used a very low tee for all shots in order to keep grass and debris from influencing the outcome. Once I had hit 12 shots with each club I culled the worst 4 shots with each club to eliminate any outliers that could corrupt the data. All the data was captured using TrackMan in normalized mode which keeps any temperature, altitude or wind effects out of the data. The blue shots were the Blueprint S, the red shots were the i240 and the purple shots were the G440.

PING G440

Angle of Attack -6.1, Dynamic Loft 19.9º, Club Speed 83.6 mph

Spin Rate 4956 rpm, Ball Speed 121.7 mph, Carry 177.2 yds, Peak Height 88.4 feet, Land Angle 44.5º

The ball stopped 10.8 yards after landing

PING i240

Angle of Attack -6.2, Dynamic Loft 21.3º, Club Speed 84.3 mph

Spin Rate 5637 rpm, Ball Speed 118.1 mph, Carry 167.1 yds, Peak Height 87.5 feet, Land Angle 45.7º

The ball stopped 9.8 yards after landing

PING Blueprint S

Angle of Attack -6.1, Dynamic Loft 21.7º, Club Speed 83.5 mph

Spin Rate 5710 rpm, Ball Speed 117.3 mph, Carry 165.4 yds, Peak Height 87.7 feet, Land Angle 45.9º

The ball stopped 8.3 yards after landing

What can we take away from this test?

• Any interesting note was that while the G440 had 4º less loft I only delivered the clubface with +/- 1.5º less loft relative to the i240 and the Blueprint S. The peak height was virtually identical with all three models.

• Modern day “face-flex” (my term) technology makes the ball fly further, with less spin and while the stopping power will be decreased, the gains in distance for those in need far outweigh any negative effects.

• In my professional opinion anybody who swings a 7 iron at 75 mph or faster does not need the distance help a “face-flex” iron provides. You currently hit the ball far enough to sacrifice the distance gains for improved predictability and stopping power.

And that’s the big question: do you need more consistency and improved ability to stop the ball once it lands? Or is distance more important? Personally, I will be switching to the new i240 iron (5-UW). I like the look and feel of the clubhead and know that the slight bump in forgiveness from the Blueprint S model will serve me well.

As you decide which direction to take before purchasing your next set of irons, please consider some of the information I have shared here. I hope this info helps you play your best and experience more joy out on the golf course.

(Many thanks to Peter Egazarian and Farmington CC outside Charlottesville, VA for allowing me to teach and conduct my test.)

Equipment Factoids

So often golfers are tempted into believing their equipment is the reason for the poor results they have been experiencing.  Sometimes they may be correct, yet most times, this leads to the decision to make a change.

Here are a few simple things to keep in mind when considering making a change to your set:

• The latest and greatest is not necessarily all it is hyped to be.  It is more than likely the same old thing with a new and exciting paint job.  Decide what you like and stick with that!  I am currently using a set of irons with the same type of heads (blades), shafts (Dynamic Gold s-400) and grips (rubber with reminders) that I used when I first started to play the game.  (Titleist 690.MB)
• When it comes to irons there are three options: blades; the oversized helper set; and something in between the two.  Get something you know you will be comfortable with.
• As far as fitting for irons we all need to know two numbers: the length and lie angle that we prefer!  Not 2 degrees over standard or plus a half inch on length!  This is because all companies have different standards (don't we all?) and if you know the length and lie of your clubs you are immune to any problems that might arise.  My 6 iron is 37.50 inches long and has a lie angle of 60.50 degrees.  I will use those numbers for as long as I can swing.
• Get clubs that fit your body and not strictly your impact position on the day of fitting!  Lose the lie boards and tape on the bottom of irons please.
• Find a  shaft that fits your swing and feels good to you and then stay with it for as long as they make it!  Make sure it is not too strong.
• When it comes to putters keep in mind that there are essentially two genres: face-balanced and toe weighted. If you are considering making a putter change try to stay in your genre unless things have just been horrific on the greens.
• There have been very few to no improvements made in the field of fairway woods.  Titanium is very light and thus the heads tends get too big, so find a simple and small stainless steel head that you like the look of and set about developing a long lasting relationship with it.
• When selecting a fairway wood decide whether you would like to use it predominantly off the fairway or more as a tee club.  Select the loft of the club accordingly.
• Limit the number of wedges in your bag to a maximum of three - that means a PW, SW and an LW at most!  If you struggle with the wedges stick to a PW and SW so as to not cloud any decision-making around the greens.  Tour players practice enough, are skilled enough and play the kind of courses that require precise enough shots to justify four wedges being in the bag.
• There should be an even number of degrees between each of your wedges.  Most PW's are 48 degrees and I have a 54 and a 60.  Other viable options are a PW and a 52 and 56 or a PW and a 53 and 58.
• When selecting your wedges be sure to incorporate enough bounce in each club.  Unless your name is Eldrick, Phil or Vijay you need more than 6 degrees of bounce on any wedge you own.  That's why manufacterers build clubs with 14 degrees of bounce!
• There are two shapes of grips folks - rounds and reminders!  Find out what shape you like and ask for it by name the next time you refresh your grips. 
• When it comes to grips forget the latest cool colors or which ones your favorite player is using - they are more than likely getting paid to use the ones on their clubs.  Decide which grips are for you and your preference and now you don't have to worry about the latest fad.
• The driver is the one club in the bag where it pays to stay current.  Find a reputable club fitter in your area that uses a launch monitor and go and get fitted.  Whenever you get the urge to replace your current big stick get back on that launch monitor to compare the latest offering with your trusty old steed!
•  The current fitting carts that most companies have make it very easy to try multiple different heads with various shafts.  Be patient, try them all and then find a club that gives you good numbers and looks great to you!

Enjoy watching the world's best wade through the quagmire that appears to be the 2009 US open this weekend.....

Setting Up for a Great Impact (Part 2 of a Four Part series)

So often I read that it is important to be "behind the ball".  While this statement is almost correct I would prefer for a golfer to be "over" the ball and this sense initiates with the set up position.

 The set-up encompasses ball position, stance width and spine/shoulder tilt.  Let's take a look from the ground up.

With the irons I would like to see the ball played from the middle of the stance - keep in mind, that in order to hit down on the ball, a must, the weight must be in front of the ball.  Notice that I said weight and not body or head!  When the ball is centrally located it is that much easier to hit down on.  As you get to the longer clubs(woods) slide the ball up toward the inside of the left heel.  In the Ben Hogan illustration you'll notice how his ball is not quite in the center but a little forward.  This is due to his pronounced hip slide into impact which still allowed him to be able to hit down on a more forward ball position.

As far as the stance width goes, I prefer a narrower stance than a wider one and here's why.  A narrow stance allows for the weight to get to the front foot easily - that's why you should be chipping and pitching with a narrow stance.  Too wide and you'll have a hard time getting onto the front foot without excess movement.

Head position and spine tilt is the most important factor in the set-up!  I read an article yesterday pontificating about if you tilt away from the target you'll reduce your slice.  Well, you might reduce the slice, but you'll have a hard time making solid contact with the ball.  All the best ball strikers set up as Hogan has here, with the head positioned between the feet, the left eye over the ball and the spine just about vertical.  There should also be a minimal amount of shoulder tilt when the spine is vertical.  Make sure you avoid any excess tilt into your back side as this will make it almost impossible to get "over" the ball at impact.

Set yourself up to get into a great impact!

Things to ponder:

• Harbourtown and the TPC Louisiana are both Pete Dye golf courses. They look like they are from different planets!
• Can Steve Stricker finally get the job done on Sunday? It's been a while!
• Tiger Woods is a great champion, but does he play golf the way it was meant to be played? Does modern equipment let him play the game "his way"? I offer Greg Norman and Nick Faldo as contrasts.
• I was going to ask, " When will Sergio grow up?" but I'm not sure he ever will.
• Will Sergio ever grow up?