Advantages and disadvantages of single length irons

On By Menno ZachariasIn Clubs2 Comments

When you think about the concept of a set of irons that are all the same length both advantages and disadvantages become apparent.

Advantages

  1.  Because each iron is the same length (roughly equivalent to a 7 iron)  your set up position will be the same with each club in the set.  You will be standing the same distance from the ball with each club.  The ball position (forward or back in relation to your feet) will be the same for each club.
  2. Because all clubs in the set are the same length and have the same lie angle your swing plane will be identical for each club.  With conventional clubs the swing plane with the short irons is more upright (than a 7 iron) and more flat with the longer irons. Theoretically it is easier to master one swing plane than multiple swing planes.
  3. As the shafts are all the same length and the heads all weigh the same each club will have an identical shaft flex and  swing weight.
  4. MOI (moment of inertia) will be identical for each club.
  5. The bounce angle and offset for each club is identical (with the exception of the sand wedge).

Disadvantages

  1. Because each club is the same length and the heads are all the same weight your swing with the 8 iron through lob wedge (which are longer than a conventional set) will be faster and the ball will go further.
  2. With the 3-6 irons (which are shorter than a conventional set) your swing speed will be slower and the ball will not go as far.
  3. It may be difficult to achieve the traditional 10 yard ‘gap’ between clubs.

In a subsequent post I will examine the impact of club length on swing speed (and distance), as well as the effect of club loft on distance with a view to eliminating the two ‘disadvantages’ to single length irons.

 

Zach Johnson switches clubs

On By Menno ZachariasIn ClubsLeave a comment

It is not unusual for golfers on the PGA Tour to switch equipment.  Most players including Tiger and Phil did so at some point.

The question is:  is it about the equipment or is it about the sponsorship money that flows from such deals?

Brooks Koepka recently signed with Nike.  As they say in the golf industry money talks, and Nike speaks with ‘a loud voice’ when it comes to sponsorship money.

That is why Zach Johnson’s equipment change comes as a surprise.  As a 12 time winner on the PGA Tour with two Majors, the most recent being the 2015 British Open, Johnson could probably get an equipment deal from a number of big name companies. But Johnson did not sign with Nike, Taylormade, Ping or for that matter any of the big names in the golf equipment industry.

He chose instead to join Billy Horshell, Chris Kirk, Ryan Moore, Charles Howell III, James Hahn and Rocco Mediate (not unknowns but also not in the golfing elite) and signed with an equipment company called Parsons Extreme Golf.

If you have never heard of Parsons Extreme Golf  you are not alone.  Parsons Extreme Golf is an unknown.  It is a company recently formed by Bob Parsons of Go Daddy fame with the aim of manufacturing  “the best clubs in the world” regardless of price.

The clubs Johnson will be playing are the PXG model, an innovative hollow core design with tungsten screws on the perimeter.  It would appear to be a very forgiving players club with a very thin face.

 

A better look at the injection-molded TPE that's added to every 0311 iron. 

PXGIrons

The Specifications for the irons as provided by the manufacturer are as follows:

pxg-specs-900x707

In the past some players on the Tour have stumbled, some mightily, after making an equipment change.  It will be interesting to watch Zach Johnson in 2016.  Johnson is known for his ball striking, especially with his wedges.  As one of the shorter hitters on the Tour, Johnson relies on his irons and wedges to get it close on par 4’s and 5’s. That is key to his success.

I’m thinking for Johnson to have signed with Parsons Extreme Golf, they must also have spoken with a fairly ‘loud voice’.

The Mundie Putter Golf League

On By Menno ZachariasIn Playing the GameLeave a comment

The Mundie Putter Golf League is a competitive amateur  league that has run continuously in Winnipeg since 1957.  The League consists of an ‘A’ Division and a ‘B’ Division.

The ‘A’ Division is the premier division and teams move up or down between divisions based on performance. The top 3 teams in ‘B’ division move up to the ‘A’ Division and the bottom 3 teams in ‘A’ Division move down to ‘B’ Division on an annual basis.

The competition is played using the four ball format at match play.  Each team is represented by 8 players, and matches are played on Mondays.  Upon conclusion of the regular schedule, playoffs are held to determine a champion.

At the present time the League consists of 16 teams, 15 teams each representing a Winnipeg golf club and a team that consists of elite Junior players.  The 15 Clubs currently in the League are:

Breezy Bend, Glendale, Bel Acres, Selkirk, Larters, Pineridge, Elmhurst, St. Boniface, Niakwa, Transcona, Rossmere, Wildewood, Southwood, Assiniboine, St. Charles.

The 2015 League Championship was won by Breezy Bend.

Over the 59 year history of the League the competition has been dominated by Elmhurst with 23 wins, followed by Breezy Bend and Niakwa with 9, St. Charles with 5, Southwood and Pine Ridge with 4, the MGA Juniors with 3, and St,Boniface and Rossmere with 1 win each.

Scores for the Mundie Putter League are posted on the Mundie Putter website.