The difference will be minimal in the shorter sticks. If the shaft profile is out of your range, it’ll show more impact with the mid to long clubs.
You may not see more than a few yards difference in your short irons but will be very obvious with your mid to long irons.
You can consider using different shaft for mid-long irons.
I don’t carry the deuce any more, switched it to hybrids with graphite shafts for all my woods and hybrids. I can no longer swing the 2 iron with confidence throughput the rounds.
That is fair. Perhaps I should have used the word suitable instead of best.
It is all very interesting to me also how psychological this game can be. Some folks are in a better place mentally playing the same thing for years an others are in a better place with a “fresh look”.
For me, I got in a better place when I better understood the various aspects of what made a club good or not as good for me personally. It was like the missing piece to a puzzle that had been under the table the whole time. I don’t care about brand or model, but weight, lie angle, bounce and spin profile mean everything to me at this point in my life. I honestly don’t feel like shaft flex is as important as those other factors, but that is just me.
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99.999% of the golfers play this game for enjoyment. Only the elite golfers could make a living grinding on competition tour.
With your agreement that there is no perfectly fitted golf clubs for all occasion. Getting a premade set of golf clubs off the shelve is probably most of us do at the beginning. There were a few touring professional who will basically use the same equipment as we could purchase in the stores.
Think of some of the fitting terms.
Lie angle? Is is important? Of course it is, only if the spec is way out of the golfer’s range. Most the sets of golf clubs in the stores will fit 90% of the golfers out there. It is designed that way.
Length will be the same except for extreme cases. Had a guy only 5’3" and he had been using the men’s standard set for years. Finally convinced him to try a women’s set of irons and he has been using it for quite a few years now. Reason being, it is very difficult to reduce weight instead of add weight to the iron heads. Making the golf club lighter and shorter will be more difficult if not impossible using the standard components.
To understand how a golfer relate to the golf clubs is not a lengthy learning. A good fitter can fit a golfer into approximation within 30 minutes then fine tune the details. The issue with the changing measurement in which we fit golf clubs to a golfer will be difficult to observe.
If one change the golf shoes with new spikes and new insoles, it might elevate the heel by as much as 1/4". The soggy fairway might lower the elevation from shoulders to the ground by as much as 1/2"…
the truth is, what we carry above our shoulders will make those fine adjustment. With practice and experience one’s mind will make the necessary adjustment with the information feed back from what one sees and feels.
Professional do not hit perfect golf shots all the time. They just adapt quicker and better than the amateurs.
What I learned from long ago, some golfers will sell their older sets of golf clubs but ended up buying similar sets back years later. I tend to be very careful before I purchase any golf equipment, in the same fashion, I do not get rid of them easily because a set I feel not fitting my preference today might be in a few years.
It is great that you embarked on the journey to pursue a better golf game and better fitted golf equipment for yourself.
The journey should bring you lots of joy.
Really thought that all TI meant was that the shafts had tighter weight tolerances that the regular line. Doubt very much that I’m good enough to tell the difference, swinging them blind. I have them in my set because they came that way used, and my wedges were a no-cost upgrade for them. Shrug. Fine with me.
I’m likely re-shafting soon to some LA Golf L-series pulls I picked up. Tired of golfers and tennis elbow. Need to find time for that, and to actually play a little.
I’ve picked up a club once in the last two months. And that only to get an hour’s trackman time in (Hudson Golf in Hoboken. Nice, but pricey. NYC area, so not surprising.)
Stupid work.
Though I figured out I get along with hybrids now, so that was interesting. They’ve TM rental equipment, and while the S shafts were a touch soft, the Stealth 3H was nice and consistent. A boring 215 -220 baby draw all day 'erry day. Still missed my sticks though.
As I have said before… it’s not the clubheads on the irons once you find something that works, it’s the shaft, the weighting and the grip and obviously the the swing that make the ball go. I only carry in my bag, 5,6,7,8,9. I have 4 “wedges” 60/54/50/46. I have a Driver, 3W, 7W and an 18* Hybrid. Add a putter to that and I’m maxed out. I hit my 5i consistently 180 I lost 5 yards on the switch but I am so much straighter. The perimeter weighting on my clubs with the “stabilizer bar” (yes that was also invented in the 80’s) still gives me good distance on a mishit. The 7W goes 185-200, the hybrid goes 190-210, 3W goes 210-220, Driver goes 240 on up depending on the strike. Basically my clubs work backwards from that 180 in seven to 10 yard increments. I hit the 50* 10/20, the 46 20/30 9i 30/40, 8i 40/50 7i 50/60, 6i 60/70 5i 70/80. It is very helpful to know your distances…LOL! That said on a smoked Dr of 260 that leaves me with 6iron from the FW perfect conditions on a 425 Par 4. I can live with that, but I’d much rather be hitting Wedges and 9 irons in. The X100s have a lower kick point and less torque. You don’t have to be a beast to swing them, The ball goes much straighter than with the R300…100%! I also own a replica set of my clubs…just in case something happens. I would just have to re-shaft them and adjust the swingweight for me. BTW, I do get joy out of tinkering with my clubs, Everytime I tinker it’s a brand new club… and we see how it goes. I don’t do it often, but I have taken a look see with weighting every couple of years and I’m on my 4th set of shafts and at least 25 grip changes over the 35 years of ownership.
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Darn, according to the yardage from your bag, you have the tools to be a scratch.
I don’t golf enough. Was at a point before I started a family.
Now with my youngest one getting ready for the first residency position I will have more time but, I’m also not able to swing the golf club like I used to.
That’s life. As most of us saved up enough money to get their dream sports car, they won’t enjoy the speed, owing to the deteriorated vision and slower reflexes. Or maybe we’re smarter to appreciate and reserve our time here.
If you can utilize the 60 degree in your bag often than you’re a better golfer than most of us. I could never get along with the 60, not even the 58 I have. Even my SW has 54 degrees of loft.
I’ve learned the game with two wedges, the PW and SW and that’s my comfort zone.
This just came over the News report that more than 500 home runs of last year of Major League Baseball could be attributed to the climate change from global warming . They say the warmer air promoted longer air time.
I don’t see my drive getting any longer, perhaps because the fairways were so damp which produced less roll-out.
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Yes I do, I have 1 major flaw in my game. I have suffered since around age 46, it appeared from out of no where and has seriously plagued me ever since. It has prevented me from being able to score on a very consistent basis. I’m a better than average putter. I average 7 to 9 GIR per round. I Have to work on other parts of my game to make those that much better, I suffer from chipping and pitching yips. I have done so for the last 17 years 
. It’s totally mental. I have hit hundreds of thousands of balls in practice, when I get on course they appear like a virus that never goes away. It can last a whole round or just a few holes. I have had some of the best instruction available to cure them. It is something I can overcome on occasion but I cannot shake them. For instance, I had a round last year that started 3-3-3-3-3-5-3-4=31 With a 37 back 9—add em up 68 with 2 blown chips…but it’s always lurking to turn a round like that into a 74. My instructors are baffled, I put in the work. I am better than what I was, but if you average 1.4 birdies per round. But average 5 missed chipping opportunities out of 9. I can be less than 15 yards from a hole, I will flub one hitting the ground and watch the ball go 2 ft, then take a deep breath, and blade the next one over the green and turn a 4 into a 7. Do that 2x a round…Well there is your 8 hdcp. I no longer play competitively so to be honest I don’t care, I celebrate the good ones and laugh off the bad ones. I have no issues getting into people’s pockets when the chance comes up. They see me struggling on the practice area and think I’m a mark. I always welcome those maroons BTW I’m very good with the 60 on a full swing just not on a 1/4 swing. Totally mental. I used to have a 64 in my competitive days. The instructors have used Popsicle stix, duct tape, tried a putter grip, cross handed, one handed, drill after drill… the right hand slightly flips at impact, the left wrist breaks down and there you go. I’m so not confident sometimes I’ll use a putter from 20 yards out once the virus appears on course. That’s why golf spelled backwards is FLOG!
Here’s what I can tell you regarding my last fitting experience. I hit my clubs that had S300 shafts in them. We tried the X100s, the S400 (which I have had prior) and R300s. For whatever reason, I found the X100s really felt great, had a lower ball flight—which is what I wanted— and I didn’t lose much distance. I never tried the X because I was afraid to (mental). They worked great for me. The regular shaft went further with a 6 iron but was kinda all over the place according to trackman, The X100 had a slightly lower spin rate and according to Trackman, a much tighter dispersion. So a couple years ago I traded out the shafts and mentally again felt like brand new clubs. The TI shafts are much more consistent and most likely required less tinkering to get the club swing weight correct for a player…so you are correct there. What I really meant that they are a different animal, the shaft stamp on TI is cool looking and cost like $45 a piece compared to $21. So most likely a big marketing difference more than anything. We, or rather I don’t have access to the club builders the pros do, but I know what I like. I did not “feel” any discernible difference except on the R shaft, everything felt the same…Trackman data was the piece that made me switch. For me the X100 performed best so there you go
The shaft label is pretty bling-y, LOL. Your experience mirrors mine with them. Lower flight, less spin, tighter groups, but not harsh or telephone pole-like. I don’t feel I load them as well as I could, but in best Skinner-conditioning style, I load them properly every so often, and they feel and sound fantastic. Keeps me coming back…
Just not digging the elbow pain. Theraband + Reverse Tyler Twists help a bit, but still…
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You know, a few suggestion for you since I had seen quite a few golfers went through what you are experiencing.
If you used to be a decent around chipping and putting, but experiencing changes now. This phenomenon could be attributed from a few things, definitely not your nerve as we were lead to believe.
No precise diagnosis, these are just a few possibilities which you can find out if they apply to your case.
-have a trust worthy optometrist exam your vision.
-have a physical therapist specialized in sport injury exam your hands and shoulders. Perhaps referring you to further exam from other specialist for injury resulting from repetitive activities.
Seek a trust worthy optometrist as you would seek someone to operate for open heart surgery. As we age, our vision will deteriorate over time from all the hours under the Sun on the golf course. What you see will lead to your decision on executing the golf swing. All great golfers have sharp vision. I seriously believe the famous celebrity golfer Jack Lemmon who was dedicating his life besides his work and family to golf had never achieved his dream of making the cut for the Bing Crosby Claim bake ( now AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am). He had poor vision.
All top athletes in their field of sports have sharp vision. Without exception. So your vision had probably changed since your 46. In a subtle way not enough to influence other activity just yet.
Have someone check your hands ( carpal tunnel ) , this will happen to most the golfers from hitting thousands if not hundreds of thousands of range balls. The vibration and shock wave will damage the nerve to give that involuntary twitch. I had my left hand done and it made a difference in how the hand feels comparing to the right without the correction.
The shock wave from hitting the golf ball and the ground will travel through your hands, arms, shoulders, and to your spinal core. Injured core will interrupt your motion through the complete golf swing. Especially those finest move like 1/2 to 1/4 swing. The chain of motion is broken down because subconsciously your brain will try to stop you from hurting yourself further. I was diagnose with such and had gone through therapy for about 8 months, still doing the exercises they taught me every week.
If you have a bad experience of not able to execute the golf shot like you know that you had done it a thousand times in the past with ease, that, will put a question mark in your mind. Like you said, like a cancer and it will grow on you, lurking in the back of your mind every time you’re in the situation.
I’d bet those might be the cause, and if you’re able to pin point the cause, the healing will take a little bit of time.
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Physically I’m good, I have always played with built up grips since I turned 30, I don’t have pain, nor carpal tunnel. Vision is checked every year, I’m slightly near sighted, so vision is strong there, meaning things start to get slightly blurry 15ft out, It would not affect anything within 6ft on in. My chipping and pitching goal is from like 15 yards is a 10-12 foot circle. When my left hand breaks down, the seed is planted and its a confidence thing… I think about it all the time once it happens, sometimes it self corrects, sometimes it continues throughout the round. It’s the worst when it begins on the practice green. It’s 100% mental, the technique breaks down, nothing more, it sucks! I’ve gone through several maladies like hosel rockets or fats or toe hits or the dreaded castings…we all have. I can and have corrected those quickly, the chipping yips is just always there. I try not to think about it because that’s the worst. I try to trust what I’ve been taught and for the most part it works, but it’s what keeps me from being a better player. In match play it’s less of a problem, if my opponent makes a 3 or a 4 and I blow up it’s one hole. Medal play is a different story. Nine years ago I won the county matchplay and I lost a few holes and my opponent actually scored better than me, but I could win a match 2&1 or 1up and who cares what the medal play count was Right?
At 64, I just have fun now…elation and frustration, a few choice words for the hole, but on to the next, every hole, every shot is a different adventure…for me that’s what brings me back!
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Do you wear RX glasses while golfing?
There is a difference between seeing well within 10’ to seeing everything all the way to the green from way out.
Believe me when I say the vision will determine the execution of the play. There is nothing wrong between your ears ( we hope, 
).
Good vision that carry one’s day to day routine is very different than the sharper vision a top athlete has.
When I was good at the physical activities , they used to call me eagle eyes ( albeit with the aid of RX lenses ). I could see the pin position from over 300 yards away and the hair on the back of a fly, didn’t require extra lighting when the room gets dark with the sunset… Lost it after the cataract surgery and now according to my optometrist, I’m still close to a 20/20 with corrective lenses. Used to be 20/30 with the lenses.
I have heard that’s true. TI stuff like heads and shafts are sorted out so they do get more consistent stuff. If the pro wants constant weight, descending weight or whatever they can easily get it. They also like heads with a certain loft and face angle and even adjustable stuff can’t always get them where they want so heads are sorted too. I used to like buying heads from Wishon for this reason as they would hand select the closest thing in stock to your specs for a few extra $$.
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I only wear Rx glasses while driving per the optometrist. It’s not the eyesight. I can see pins, I can follow ball flight. I can see dimples on the ball. I’m not kidding it’s an actual confidence issue. It’s like hey there’s OB on the right. Inevitably, seed is planted and you hit the double cross right! It is 100% a physical breakdown about a 1/2 inch before impact. It’s been videoed. The instructors have set up drills and I practice thru the gamut. I hit at least 60 chips before every round and I play 2 rounds every Saturday. Do the math, and that’s like 80 rounds a year and that doesn’t include instruction and just practice. Maybe before I die I’ll get it. I keep saying this is the year I’ll get it cured. LOL!
Well, good if you confirmed that.
Then it could be the fear of potential failure?
This happens to every golfer sometime, more often to a particular group for some reason.
If I could figure this out, I’d be following the Tour to render my service to the millionaires to make millions.
We say if one had not been pushed to the limit one will not know how to handle the pressure when they’re near the limit of their ability.
One other thing which the top golfers could handle better than those not in the loop is the ability to go from being relaxed back to focus on demand.
Brooks Koepka failed to claim his major not because he was lacking the ability but he got it from following a slow playing group ahead of his own group. Someone else handled the situation better than he did. That cost was humongous.
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Just curious, did you ever try chipping cross handed? I’ve never seen it person, but Matt Fitzpatrick seems pretty good at it and I think a few other pros have done it. Putting Left Hand Low is not that hard, but I’ve never tried chipping that way.
Yes, I’ve tried putter grip, one handed, cross handed, baseball grip, interlock and my standard Varden grip. Everyone of those have worked for a minute. But once on course, and I get that mishit. It’s mental. I can make decisions based on a poor tee or poor long fairway iron. I’m I’m really good with a putter as long as go through my routine. I just really struggle from like 50-60 yds in. My putter saves me a lot. I’m able to get out of green side bunkers within 3 shots 97.3% of the time At best for me a birdie with luck, about a 24% conversion rate for par, but usually no worse than bogey. A mishit chip for me and I’m staring at double…I mean I always found bunkers easier for me because it’s the only strike you are purposely missing the ball. The short pitch/chip once I let the negative slip in and then it’s a battle for me. I think everyone has their demons on course. One of my partners can chip like a pro, he can’t hit a fw wood. I can turn away and just listen, if I hear click, he’s struck it well, usually I hear thud click. He grounds out a lot He works on it all the time, once he gets that thud click something creeps in. For me I will keep working hard and hopefully this year is the year the yips go away.
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Which club and what method do you use from 50-60 yards in? Where and what would be your typical misses which would trigger your mental paralysis?
You don’t need to answer if you don’t feel comfortable sharing.
Even with your feedback, without seeing what you are doing, will be like the Chinese pulse diagnosis. Remote control but still a myth whether it works or not.
Sure I can share what I do and the club(s) I use and I will tell u it all depends. Depends on lie, wind, slope, you know uphill, downhill, side hill. I keep a very neutral, close together stance, no more than a 8 inches between the feet, I utilize a neutral grip, I play the ball on a flat lie towards the front of the stance, weight distribution toward the lead foot probably 60/40, sometimes more. The shaft is more straight up and down as I don’t like using the leading edge and I utilize bounce on the wedge. I usually use anything from a sw to a 9i. The closer I am I will use a 5/6/7/8 iron like a putter. The technique is correct, what happens at the bottom of swing my right hand gets twitchy and it gets ahead and the left wrist breaks down it’s an instant. So what happens the leading edge digs in. Golfers call it a “ chili dipper”. The momentum is stopped and the ball goes 2 ft. That’s when on the next shot I have to then be careful of blading it, u know, hitting the bottom 3rd of the ball. My instructors (PGA pro) are baffled because it comes and goes like a virus. It can last a round, it can last a hole. The worst thing is when the right hand speeds up I have double hit the ball. At least now it’s not a penalty…. Lol… on the other note I wouldn’t call it fear of failure, but it is a confidence /mental issue. I have played my best when I only prepare a strategy and I’m not thinking about mechanics of the swing. I don’t think using a full wedge, I just pull the trigger and execute and do I hit a push or pull, sure, not often, but that extreme confidence in my swing, or with the putter, I go through a routine and I’m pretty good. According to the app I use I gain 4-6 strokes per round with the flat stick. It’s those short pitches, it’s a combined mental and mechanical breakdown…I fight it all the time, if I can keep the bad chips down to a couple and not compound the bad mechanics, I’m happy. I’m going to attempt this year to stop thinking about the pin and the 12ft circle to just get it on the green…, kinda take my bunker approach, For now, I’m gonna try making bogey acceptable as a start, taking the larger number out of the equation and try that approach to curing the malady.
It sounds similar to one of my playing partners. He drives the ball better than most of us, his irons are so so, his putting is great, but his chipping and pitching are hit or miss.
He doubles hits it more than anyone I have ever seen. I’ve seen him double hit it on our #6 hole at least half a dozen times from the left side. It’s near impossible to pitch it well from that side as the green is steeply running away from you so need the perfect lob shot. Most either leave it short in the rough or it’s running off the other side. Give him that shot or similar and he’ll double hit as often as he’ll chunk it.
He’s tried to help me with driver and I’ve tried to help him with a wedge, but we both have mental blocks there at times. It’s annoying, but we still love playing and trying to figure it out.
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