How important is club length?

pakman

After taking a few lesson and getting a talking to about my crappy old clubs I decided to get something half decent to take around with me.

I had two old cheap sets. One was a set of RAMs of standard length and the other some taylormades that were +1 inch that I bought for 20 quid to see if they helped me any considering I'm 6'2 and that what I read you need. I never really noticed much difference but I'm high handicap player so hard to tell.

Anyway I ended up going with standard length Ping G15s and wondered if I made a mistake and should have tried +1 inch again? Had some practise swings with the ones I bought and G25 +1 inch clubs and hit both in the right area on the clubface so I am not entirely sure if I made the right move. G15's were cheaper too which helped my choice a little

mighty magpie

what's your usual miss? Do you thin the standard length clubs at all?

Are you gripping down on the +1 inch clubs at all?

pakman

mighty magpie wrote: »

what's your usual miss? Do you thin the standard length clubs at all?

Are you gripping down on the +1 inch clubs at all?

No don't grip down at all and hit them as well really as the standard length. My usual is pulling the ball left. Not a hook but straight out to 11 o'clock.

With so little in my shots I'm wondering if it makes all that much difference really

golfguy1

Makes a huge difference to quality of strike/accuracy and distance maybe more noticeable for the better golfer due to a more consistent swing.
Would certainly get measured and maybe lenghten clubs if recommended

pakman

golfguy1 wrote: »

Makes a huge difference to quality of strike/accuracy and distance maybe more noticeable for the better golfer due to a more consistent swing.
Would certainly get measured and maybe lenghten clubs if recommended

Yeah I might stick with new one for the minute and see over time. trying swing changes now anyway so probably not best time to judge. cheers

spacecoyote

I'd be around the 6' mark & have been fitted for clubs twice. One fitter recommended 1/2'' longer, the second standard length.

I'm playing the standard length now & have no issues at all.

You've already bought the set, so maybe just go in to a golf shop to do a bit of shopping around, without intention to buy (they're not going to know that). They should be able to do some basics without going down a full fitting route, and one of those basics would likely be to look at the required length of clubs

pakman

spacecoyote wrote: »

I'd be around the 6' mark & have been fitted for clubs twice. One fitter recommended 1/2'' longer, the second standard length.

I'm playing the standard length now & have no issues at all.

You've already bought the set, so maybe just go in to a golf shop to do a bit of shopping around, without intention to buy (they're not going to know that). They should be able to do some basics without going down a full fitting route, and one of those basics would likely be to look at the required length of clubs

I did something similar a year or two ago but the guy was very non-commital about his recommendation. I think at my current standard of being back struggling to break 100 again I might just get my swing in order first.

mike12

If the clubs are too long or short then it can affect the lie angle.
If they are sitting flush to the ground and your divots are even they will be fine.
If the toe is digging in they maybe short for you or the lie angle wrong.

mighty magpie

go onto ping's online fitting. i think there's a measurement WTF (wrist to floor). If you put that in with all other details it should let you know whether you need longer clubs and if standard lie suits you.

Just a quick way to check but obviously an actual fitting would be best.

ShivasIrons

mike12 wrote: »

If the clubs are too long or short then it can affect the lie angle.
If they are sitting flush to the ground and your divots are even they will be fine.
If the toe is digging in they maybe short for you or the lie angle wrong.

There’s is no way you can tell from a divot whether a lie angle is incorrect. Can you see whether one side is one or two degrees deeper then the other side? The answer is not. The collision between the club and ball changes how the club enters the turf.

ShivasIrons

Length dictates posture, where you hit the ball on the face and how easily the middle of the face can be found.

Static fittings only looks at one of these. Spend money on advice, it always saves money in the long term.

ShivasIrons

I’m also seeing standard lengths, +1/2 and +1 inch being mentioned. These figures mean absolutely nothing. There’s no standard measurement amongst manufacturers. So ones standard is another’s +1/2.

Get an actual measurement I.e. 6 Iron length 37.25 or 38 or 38.5 inches.

Wombatman

Unless you are 6ft+ or -5'4 off the shelf clubs should be fine.

Unless you are a a low handicapper fitting is a bit of a con IMO.

Much easier to adjust your grip, posture, proximity to the ball, club face open\closed than to adjust a hunk of metal.

If you commit to fitting and then change your swing chances are the fitting becomes redundant.

Your club faces can become more open over time and this is worth checking yearly and adjusting if possible\necessary.

ShivasIrons

Wombatman wrote: »

Unless you are 6ft+ or -5'4 off the shelf clubs should be fine.

Unless you are a a low handicapper fitting is a bit of a con IMO.

Much easier to adjust your grip, posture, proximity to the ball, club face open\closed than to adjust a hunk of metal.

If you commit to fitting and then change your swing chances are the fitting becomes redundant.

Your club faces can become more open over time and this is worth checking yearly and adjusting if possible\necessary.

Is there a difference in performance between clubs? If there is, and there clearly is, how do you pick clubs? Random advice off a stranger on the street? Or an expert? Most average players will see a bigger gain from fitting then better players. Average players are much more likely to be using equipment that doesn’t suit them.

As for the height range, what if someone is 5 10 with short arms or 6 2 with long arms, maybe ‘standard’ length clubs won’t fit them.

It’s much much easier to get the right set (hunk of metal) then adjust grip, posture, proximity to the ball etc to a wrong set.

Wombatman

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Is there a difference in performance between clubs? If there is, and there clearly is, how do you pick clubs? Random advice off a stranger on the street? Or an expert? Most average players will see a bigger gain from fitting then better players. Average players are much more likely to be using equipment that doesn’t suit them.

As for the height range, what if someone is 5 10 with short arms or 6 2 with long arms, maybe ‘standard’ length clubs won’t fit them.

It’s much much easier to get the right set (hunk of metal) then adjust grip, posture, proximity to the ball etc to a wrong set.

The right set is only the right set in a moment in time.

Ball above your feet, hanging lie, gain weight, loose weight or even have to work with an injury.

Learn to work a set of clubs you are comfortable with. Don't work the club for a moment in time. The pros change what's in the bag every week depending on practice and the course they are playing. I for one don't have the budget for that.

Golf equipment marketing is the worst type of snake oil sales. Club fitting for recreational golfers is an extension of this.

First Up

Wombatman wrote:

The right set is only the right set in a moment in time.

Ball above your feet, hanging lie, gain weight, loose weight or even have to work with an injury

Learn to work a set of clubs you are comfortable with. Don't work the club for a moment in time. The pros change what's in the bag every week depending on practice and the course they are playing. I for one don't have the budget for that.

Golf equipment marketing is the worst type of snake oil sales. Club fitting for recreational golfers is an extension of this.

Absolute, complete and utter nonsense. Every word of it.

ShivasIrons

Wombatman wrote: »

The right set is only the right set in a moment in time.

Ball above your feet, hanging lie, gain weight, loose weight or even have to work with an injury.

Learn to work a set of clubs you are comfortable with. Don't work the club for a moment in time. The pros change what's in the bag every week depending on practice and the course they are playing. I for one don't have the budget for that.

Golf equipment marketing is the worst type of snake oil sales. Club fitting for recreational golfers is an extension of this.

What evidence do you have to support this view?

Wombatman

ShivasIrons wrote: »

What evidence do you have to support this view?

That you have have to grip up or down depending on the lie? That you can open or close the club face depending on the shot you want to play? That your swing changes over time?

That an industry that brings out new versions of the same thing every year promising "explosive distance" or "our longest driver yet" are prepared to do anything to sell you a better game? The new Cobra Driver has built in GPS ffs. You need it!!

I'm not the one with the one line responses. "You are wrong". Fantastic argument well delivered :rolleyes:

First Up

Wombatman wrote:

I'm not the one with the one line responses. "You are wrong". Fantastic argument well delivered

Club length has little or nothing to do with fitting and pro golfers do not change their equipment week to week.

Knowing what your clubs do is critically important to all golfers and having clubs that suit you is the foundation of confidence and progress.

Stance, ball position and swing length are the tools available to adapt to situations. Trusting your clubs is something completely different.

ShivasIrons

Wombatman wrote: »

That you have have to grip up or down depending on the lie? That you can open or close the club face depending on the shot you want to play? That your swing changes over time?

That an industry that brings out new versions of the same thing every year promising "explosive distance" or "our longest driver yet" are prepared to do anything to sell you a better game? The new Cobra Driver has built in GPS ffs. You need it!!

I'm not the one with the one line responses. "You are wrong". Fantastic argument well delivered :rolleyes:

Your argument is akin to saying that it doesn't matter what club you use that the player is the only determining factor behind what result will accrue. But every golfer knows that you can make the same swing with two different clubs such as a ping or a taylor made driver and get two different results. My argument is how do you know which one to pick?

Or even in the example of the original poster, length, different length clubs will give different results, so how do they pick, the answer is to get advice.

To say that because a golfer encounters different shots and lies on the course means they can't use a custom set as a result is frankly rubbish.

Also please explain how a swing changes over time? Golfers seem to have this idea that their good swings look like Adam Scott and their bad swings look like Jim Furyk, which is not the case, there's very little variance from swing to swing.

Wombatman

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Also please explain how a swing changes over time?

Look at Tiger's or Rory's swing history.

Have you ever gotten coaching? Did your coach recommend swing changes?

ShivasIrons

Wombatman wrote: »

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Also please explain how a swing changes over time?

Look at Tiger's or Rory's swing history.

Have you ever gotten coaching? Did your coach recommend swing changes?

So are you saying as somebody might change their swing in a couple of years then they shouldn’t get fitted clubs now?

pakman

Lots of debate here and what made me ask the question the first place but I wen tout and played a round on Saturday and I think at my high handicap I'll stick with the standard lengths I got and assume a lot more improvements can be made elsewhere in my swing.

With nearly everywhere closed on Saturday, I ended up playing a round in Highfield Golf Club & FootGolf Kildare which really should have been closed. A broken bridge over one of the water hazards and one of the flags replaced with a stick meant it mightn't have been the best place to test out new equipment.

Saying that I actually scored 45 on front nine which for me is fantastic even with the temporary forward tees but was maybe more down to inexplicably decent driving from me rather than any iron play. Thanks for all the advice.

backspin.

Shaft weight is a very important factor too. You can get iron shafts weighing 75g or up to 130g. I like the 110 to 115g range. In my experience unless you are a very slow swinger or a very hard hitter of the ball in which case you may need senior flex or x stiff. For the average golfer getting a suitable weight shaft is more important that the distinction between a regular or stiff shaft. I could play a 110g stiff or regular shaft without a problem but i couldn't play a 75g or 130g shaft. Everyone is different though.