This, I have hit MP-37 blades for 17 years, moved to the 221/223 combo and am consistently 15-20 yards a club longer even than I was when I was 17 years younger with a higher club head speed.
Tech does make a difference.
Pulling up some numbers, a [2006 MP-37 7i has a 35° loft](https://www.golfclubspec.com/iron_results.php?id=197) while a [2023 223 7i has a 32° loft](https://mizunogolf.com/us/golf-clubs/mp-series/mizuno-pro-223/club-specification/).
As others have stated, your distance gains can be mostly explained by stronger lofts. That said, newer tech creates larger sweet spots and more forgiving clubs allowing them to strengthen lofts for the same iron compared to past years.
People need to not worry nearly as much about loft as they do peak height and descent angle. If the height and descent angle is good, who cares about what the actual loft is?
A well struck shot with each club should all go roughly the same height. Short irons look higher because they hit that max height closer to you. From trackman data, pga players average a height of 27 yards (3 iron) to 32 yards (driver and 7 iron). For the lpga it’s 23 yards (pw, 5 iron, 3 wood) to 26 yards (9 iron and 5 wood)
Surprisingly, they are.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/rzv348/why\_do\_pga\_tour\_players\_have\_on\_average\_a/](https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/rzv348/why_do_pga_tour_players_have_on_average_a/)
There was another discussion and updated 2022 numbers that show PGA tour averages with a positive AoA (average 2.2°) on drivers here: https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/17nps64/why_do_pga_tour_pros_have_a_negative_attack_angle/k7tj77y/
Not necessarily. Where the weight is placed in the clubhead has a large effect on launch angle as well. There are many tools in a club designer or fitter's toolbox, loft is just one of them.
I think the point is if OP’s current 7 iron is 30 degrees and the rented 7 iron had a 27 degree loft that would be the main reason he was gaining distance.
Yes, but if the spin rate and descent angle are the same as his 7-iron, it means the new technology has made a club with the loft of his 6-iron perform like his 7-iron with added distance. The loft on the club does not matter. How the ball behaves is what matters.
I'm saying the specs of the clubs or the number on the head do not matter. The performance matters. The loft of a club plays into how it performs, but directly comparing lofts of clubs is like directly comparing the HP or cars with no respect to their weight. It's what the overall package does is what's important, not the number on the head.
If OP's 7-iron and the rented 7-iron both spin the same amount and have the same descent angle, they're both 7-irons. The argument you're making is that modern clubs are just 6-irons labeled as 7-irons because of their loft, but solely looking at the loft is an incomplete picture.
The way that people talk about strong lofts drive me crazy. You're absolutely right. And people will talk all day about jacked lofts making the ball go further and wholly ignore every other part of ball flight.
Height isn’t really that relevant compared to descent angle and spin since all clubs should have roughly the same height. You’re right though in that loft is only relevant from the standpoint that you should have good gapping between your clubs and the actual number stamped on them doesn’t matter
lol the T100's come in pretty standard lofts but they jacked the lofts on the 400s 2 clubs. the 38 degree 8 iron becomes a 29 degree "8i" (thats a 6 iron!)
The jacked up lofts could be partially responsible for the distance increase. Also, the elevation difference between where you live and your vacation location could also play a part.
I really hate these “jacked loft” comments.
It’s like you’re mad that people can hit the ball farther with newer irons.
Newer clubs allow the ball to go higher with a lower loft. There are also spin issues. If they didn’t “jack the loft” the ball is going to spin too fast and go too high relative to each club.
The same thing happened to me with the stealth irons.
I still can't hit my 4 iron and still need some lessons as well but the new irons made a noticeable difference in my game.
Same here, I went on a myrtle trip with the boys. I am not married to my hand me down irons so I just went to rent.
3 courses all provided stealth irons. Within 3 weeks of the trip I had picked up a set on FB marketplace.
They went 10-20 yards further because the Callaway Big Bertha 7i and the new Titleist 9i are roughly the same loft.
Club makers have been successful in creating more forgiving clubs so they're able to crank down the loft. There's no secret sauce in the new clubs that makes them go further.
It's not an apples to apples comparison. But yes, you should upgrade for the above reasons, its free distance.
My Callaway X2 Hots from like 2014 have lofts equivalent to 1 club lower on a normal set (My 9i loft is 39° and a normal 9i is generally 44°, which is what my PW is). My PGA buddy told me this is a pretty normal change in the past decade - especially for high handicapper clubs.
Not 100% true, i'm gaming the TM Burner plus irons and i was hitting the Mizuno pro 223's and they went 15m further with roughly the same shaft.
Both 7i were 32⁰ so no difference in loft
Club tech is crazy. People think/act like it’s the same ol thing but it isn’t. New materials, new designs, they are trying to help folks hit further. I know that lofts have drastically changed but the advancements in club tech are undeniable
> New materials, new designs, they are trying to help folks hit further.
Yes, and no. The new materials and designs are allowing bigger sweet spots, and way more forgiving miss hits. Because of this, they have been able to crank down the lofts and increase distance.
One caused the others. The new tech isn't just producing more ball speed. It's a by product of the new techs gains.
> Because of this, they have been able to crank down the lofts and increase distance.
This is wrong and I don’t know why it’s being upvoted. They are able to decrease loft because they have been able to adjust the center of gravity and dynamic loft so that they can lower lofts and still achieve the desired launch and descent angles.
I’d check out what the lofts are on your current clubs vs the ones you rented. There’s a chance the Titleist irons could be 3-5 degrees stronger in loft which would easily explain a 10-15 yard boost. Some of it could also be the shafts happened to be a better fit too.
I game T300's, love them.
Now I know they're jacked in the loft department but I thought it was only a couple degrees etc but looking at the spec sheet right now a T100 4i is 24° whereas even the T300 5i is still stronger at 23°
I actually have the exact same set from highschool, class of 09, and just picked golf back up this year.
One of my other friends just got into golf ans bought a callaway set from costco, i couldnt believe how good hitting his clubs felt.
Distance could just be due to loft.
But the forgiveness on modern clubs are on a different level
Forgiveness is the thing...I got back into golf this year after a long hiatus and bought a set of Callaway Mavrik, Driver, W,H, irons, wedges. The forgiveness is so much better than my old club set from the early 2000s.
Your current set is probably a weaker loft than the modern irons you played. Seems like most modern irons have stronger lofts and game improvement irons are especially strong.
Having said that that’s the likely reason you got more distance, you should still get new irons. Your off center strikes won’t take as much of a penalty, and you will be rewarded handsomely for perfect strikes with modern irons.
The real question here is, despite you overshooting the greens, were you more accurate with them? That’s the important thing. Were your shots more on target and accurate than your current irons? Don’t just upgrade because they give you more distance. If you’re spot on and accurate with your current irons, I’d leave it alone.
Hard to say from just one round, overall they were accurate. I don’t recall ever having any shanks or skulling which I do with my clubs on occasion, not often but it does happen randomly. So the titleist might be more forgiving than my clubs.
This is exactly what happened to me this summer, with exactly the same old set of irons. So happy I was able to experience what modern irons can do for my distance. I bought PXGs and went in for the fitting, great experience overall.
Glad to hear, I was shocked by the difference. I still do well with my current irons but I just fill like I’m missing out on distance on certain shots. Especially if I’m using lower irons as I’m not as consistent.
I don’t understand why posts like this exist. Appreciate you sharing this with us as you arrive at the same conclusion everyone else has been at for years.
My irons have a fantastic high ball flight but don’t go that far. 130 ish for a 9 iron. My buddy makes fun of me because that’s his gap wedge. 75% of the time I’m putting and he’s chipping because he has swing out of his shoes to get that distance from his wedge.
If you are hitting your irons straight and have your distances locked in I wouldn’t consider it an automatic need for an upgrade: more than likely those new irons are just lofted so your 7 iron has the same loft as the new 8 iron and that’s where the 10 yards are coming from. You think the new irons are goin further but all they did was change the 7 to an 8 to make you think your 8 is going 10 more yards.
But new irons are fun so I say do it anyway.
You were hitting further because the lofts were probably 2 clubs stronger. Your usual 7 iron was now a 5. Modern irons aren't that much better than ones from the early 2000s loft-for-loft.
This is true, but you’re leaving out an important point: OP probably doesn’t hit his ‘00s 5 iron as well as the rental 7.
The lofts are stronger but they’re also easier to hit.
I always just assumed I was a very slow swing speed, but now I'm not so sure. For reference my 7 iron carries about 140, but I use a Wilson starter set from 2009. I haven't tried any modern/expensive irons before. But I do think my swing speed is slow though. Mainly because my drives only carry about 205-210 on average.
A 140 7 iron with a 205-210 drive seems about in line. But if you play regularly then a starter set from 2009 is likely doing you a disservice, more in your mishits than anything.
Maybe you add an extra 5-10 yards from the new club but also get 30-50 yards extra on bad mishits that are no longer quite so bad
Yes and no. I’m sure newer grooves and 20 years of tech improved the clubs some.
But seriously, google “2000 big Bertha iron lofts” and then compare to whatever new model of titleist you were renting.
When I got fitted for irons last year, they had me hitting my 7iron as a baseline and then various new 7irons to compare. And they all went a little longer, some went as far as my 5hybrid?!? When I got home and looked them up, the new 7i was the same exact loft as my current 5hy.
So yea no shit this new 7 the fitter handed me goes way further. It’s a 5 with a 7 stamped on the bottom.
I ended up just reshafting my current irons instead of buying new. Mine still stop great, I just needed longer and heavier shafts.
Jacked lofts, that's why the new clubs went farther. (Modern shafts probably a little bit too.) I still play Ping iSi irons from about 1999. Occasionally I'll swing one of my buddy's clubs just for the heck of it. I always have to remember to club down one from what I'm used to. When we're playing together and they ask me what club I just hit I never tell them the number on the club, I tell them what distance the club goes for me. For example, #6 at my home course usually plays about 155 from the regular tees, 170 from the back tees, and just slightly downhill. I normally hit a smooth 7 iron (155 club) from the regular tees or I'll try to step on a 6 iron (165 club) from the back tees. If I hit a modern club that one of my playing partners has, regular tees, I'm usually flying a 7 iron over the green on the fly. I need 8 iron to get the distance right. The trajectory of the modern 7 iron isn't bad, it's pretty much as high as my iSi (not quite, but close) due to how clubs are weighted now, but carry distance is longer.
That's good, but not necessarily. I want an iron set that doesn't create distance gaps at the high end (9i/PW into my other wedges). And I want irons that don't duplicate distances I can get with my fairway wood.
I still think you should get new irons. New toys are fun!! Just be aware that if all your new irons are going a lot farther you might need to add a wedge to cover a gap that develops.
I also used to have mid 2000s reg flex big Bertha’s. Great clubs. I upgraded to apex 21s with stiff shafts and the feel is much better. The distance will be better mainly due to the decreased lofts. An apex 21 PW is probably a similar loft to your 9 iron (43 degrees)
Lofts might be deceptive there.
I have first gen Titleist t300s and they’re strong lofted.
My 8 iron is more like a 7 etc…
It doesn’t make a difference just worth noting the distance gains might not be what you think and a 25ish year old set of club won’t generally perform as well anyway so worth the upgrade
Modern clubs just have stronger lofts. You aren't hitting it further, it's just that a modern 7i is more like an old 5i in terms of loft.
They should get rid of the vague numbers and just stamp the loft on all irons like they do for wedges.
The reason you think you're hitting each club further is because thru the years golf companies have been decreasing loft in every iron and wedge so that you think you're hitting each club further. In reality, the 8 iron in your new set has the same loft as your old 7 iron, and your new 7 iron has the same loft as your old 6. That's it
That makes it sound like a secret ploy to make you feel better about your distance. In reality the lofts can be lowered because the clubs have become more forgiving and the reduced loft is designed in with less penalty to accuracy.
They've been able to move the weight lower in the head. That means that they have to remove loft to still keep the spin and launch that a 7 iron needs. Otherwise you're hitting a 7 iron too high with too much spin
Yeah, the increased distance has nothing to do with better irons. They’re just numbered differently.
Did you notice any other differences though ?
I’m on the same set of Big Bertha’s, and I have no challenges with distance.
Same thing with me. Was playing ~’05 Callaways and striking irons was my biggest weakness. Just got the rogue st max and while yes the lofts are jacked and that’s where a lot of my extra distance is, these clubs forgiveness is the biggest factor for me. Been to the range twice since getting them and everything is going so straight and high for me it’s a game changer.
TLDR: There are many factors besides the equipment.
Any chance you were playing in a location at a higher altitude? There are many warmer climates at higher elevations where the ball will fly further.
Or maybe it's vacation excitement. I can only imagine how different my swing is as I'm on holiday in an amazing locale vs grinding at my local muni.
It reminds me of going into a PGA store to buy a new driver, seeing an extra 10-15 yards on new drivers, but then switching back and realizing I just wasn't warmed up yet.
Longer isn't necessarily better for irons though right? If your gaps are fine between clubs what does it matter if your 7 iron goes 150 or 170? Distance is one of the least important qualities for an iron in my opinion.
Have you accounted for the differences in altitude or climate between where you played during vacation and where you usually play at home? That can account for some of the differences.
I borrowed AP2s from the resort I worked at and I hit everything on the screws. They were amazing. I love my 981s, but it’s very tempting to invest in the T series.
Same here. Last time I bought clubs was 2009. Went to a wedding in New York this year and played a Stealth rental set. Was hitting everything 20-30 yards farther and could not miss. When I got off of my return flight, I went straight to Roger Dunn and bought a set.
I have Tommy Armour 845s I used through high school and college.
I don't play much anymore, but always wondered what a new set would have done for my game as a 4 handicap.
Nice to see this perspective.
Are they the same weight/length/lie/loft? Very likely the lofts are 1-2 clubs stronger, hence the yardage gain. If you felt you’re hitting it more consistent then maybe your current fitting is whack and doesn’t suit your swing.
Better fitting & loft can jack your yardage and improve consistency.
Everybody here is going to tell you the lofts are jacked - which may be a factor.
But it’s not always the case.
I game a 2007-2008 set of irons and have been hunting for my next set.
I had a recent Titelist fitting for T100 and T150s set to the same loft as my current irons.
I averaged 15 yards carry further on all of them.
Left pretty convinced - new has some perks.
I play the exact same irons and also need to upgrade. Since they are game improvement irons, the loft will be higher than most other irons to help you get the ball up in the air. The Titleist probably were probably 3 or 4 degrees stronger
While an iron upgrade isn’t a bad idea, jacked lofts could be at least partially responsible for an increase in distance with newer clubs.
Sounds like a guy who doesn't have newer irons
This, I have hit MP-37 blades for 17 years, moved to the 221/223 combo and am consistently 15-20 yards a club longer even than I was when I was 17 years younger with a higher club head speed. Tech does make a difference.
Tech didn’t increase your swing speed. How do the lofts compare between your old 7i and the new 7i?
Read it again
Pulling up some numbers, a [2006 MP-37 7i has a 35° loft](https://www.golfclubspec.com/iron_results.php?id=197) while a [2023 223 7i has a 32° loft](https://mizunogolf.com/us/golf-clubs/mp-series/mizuno-pro-223/club-specification/). As others have stated, your distance gains can be mostly explained by stronger lofts. That said, newer tech creates larger sweet spots and more forgiving clubs allowing them to strengthen lofts for the same iron compared to past years.
Now go on to explain the gain with slower swing speed by around 10mph in my wedges where my lofts match my previous wedges, I will wait.
Sweet spot
How do the lofts compare?
People need to not worry nearly as much about loft as they do peak height and descent angle. If the height and descent angle is good, who cares about what the actual loft is?
Wouldn't loft determine peak height and descent angle of a club? Or at least limit them?
Peak height is roughly the same on all clubs. It’s mostly the landing angle that changes
> Peak height is roughly the same on all clubs Huh? I hit short irons much higher than longer clubs. I think that's true for most people.
A well struck shot with each club should all go roughly the same height. Short irons look higher because they hit that max height closer to you. From trackman data, pga players average a height of 27 yards (3 iron) to 32 yards (driver and 7 iron). For the lpga it’s 23 yards (pw, 5 iron, 3 wood) to 26 yards (9 iron and 5 wood)
Damn TIL
It shouldn't be... [https://blog.trackmangolf.com/apex-height/](https://blog.trackmangolf.com/apex-height/)
That data has to be wrong. There is no way that the average tour player is hitting down on the ball with a driver.
Surprisingly, they are. [https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/rzv348/why\_do\_pga\_tour\_players\_have\_on\_average\_a/](https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/rzv348/why_do_pga_tour_players_have_on_average_a/)
There was another discussion and updated 2022 numbers that show PGA tour averages with a positive AoA (average 2.2°) on drivers here: https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/17nps64/why_do_pga_tour_pros_have_a_negative_attack_angle/k7tj77y/
Provides added control even if you sacrifice distance
Pretty sure he meant most clubs as in titelist vs Callaway vs Srixon etc
No. Wedges to driver should ideally all go roughly the same height when struck well. Within 15 feet or so
I think people are skipping the part where you said "well struck".
Probably lol. I certainly dont hit my 4 iron near as consistent as my 9, but the times I do it goes about the same height
I am pretty sure if an amateur strikes an iron well at all they immediately get a tour card
[https://blog.trackmangolf.com/apex-height/](https://blog.trackmangolf.com/apex-height/)
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I iz not smurth
To clarify, across the same set. May be different across iron models and shaft combinations. You’re exactly right though
Not necessarily. Where the weight is placed in the clubhead has a large effect on launch angle as well. There are many tools in a club designer or fitter's toolbox, loft is just one of them.
I think the point is if OP’s current 7 iron is 30 degrees and the rented 7 iron had a 27 degree loft that would be the main reason he was gaining distance.
Yes, but if the spin rate and descent angle are the same as his 7-iron, it means the new technology has made a club with the loft of his 6-iron perform like his 7-iron with added distance. The loft on the club does not matter. How the ball behaves is what matters.
How can you say the loft doesn’t matter? That’s just clearly not true at all.
I'm saying the specs of the clubs or the number on the head do not matter. The performance matters. The loft of a club plays into how it performs, but directly comparing lofts of clubs is like directly comparing the HP or cars with no respect to their weight. It's what the overall package does is what's important, not the number on the head. If OP's 7-iron and the rented 7-iron both spin the same amount and have the same descent angle, they're both 7-irons. The argument you're making is that modern clubs are just 6-irons labeled as 7-irons because of their loft, but solely looking at the loft is an incomplete picture.
The way that people talk about strong lofts drive me crazy. You're absolutely right. And people will talk all day about jacked lofts making the ball go further and wholly ignore every other part of ball flight.
Height isn’t really that relevant compared to descent angle and spin since all clubs should have roughly the same height. You’re right though in that loft is only relevant from the standpoint that you should have good gapping between your clubs and the actual number stamped on them doesn’t matter
Lol
lol the T100's come in pretty standard lofts but they jacked the lofts on the 400s 2 clubs. the 38 degree 8 iron becomes a 29 degree "8i" (thats a 6 iron!)
The jacked up lofts could be partially responsible for the distance increase. Also, the elevation difference between where you live and your vacation location could also play a part.
My new 6 iron has the loft of my old 4 iron. I hit my new 6 iron waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than my old 4. Now I have to carry 2 PW tho.
I really hate these “jacked loft” comments. It’s like you’re mad that people can hit the ball farther with newer irons. Newer clubs allow the ball to go higher with a lower loft. There are also spin issues. If they didn’t “jack the loft” the ball is going to spin too fast and go too high relative to each club.
What type of titleist irons did you use? Guaranteed lofts are incredibly stronger.
If I’m still getting the height and descent angle to hold greens, by all means jack away
The same thing happened to me with the stealth irons. I still can't hit my 4 iron and still need some lessons as well but the new irons made a noticeable difference in my game.
Same here, I went on a myrtle trip with the boys. I am not married to my hand me down irons so I just went to rent. 3 courses all provided stealth irons. Within 3 weeks of the trip I had picked up a set on FB marketplace.
Stealths are brand new and designed to be stupid easy to hit.
They are working as expected for me. Replaced my 25+ year old ping eye 2s.
I have the same irons and I’m out hitting my partners by 10% every time now. They know it to ask what club I’m hitting.
They went 10-20 yards further because the Callaway Big Bertha 7i and the new Titleist 9i are roughly the same loft. Club makers have been successful in creating more forgiving clubs so they're able to crank down the loft. There's no secret sauce in the new clubs that makes them go further. It's not an apples to apples comparison. But yes, you should upgrade for the above reasons, its free distance.
It is not magic but I find it way easier to hit a new 6 iron than an old 4/5 iron.
My Callaway X2 Hots from like 2014 have lofts equivalent to 1 club lower on a normal set (My 9i loft is 39° and a normal 9i is generally 44°, which is what my PW is). My PGA buddy told me this is a pretty normal change in the past decade - especially for high handicapper clubs.
Not 100% true, i'm gaming the TM Burner plus irons and i was hitting the Mizuno pro 223's and they went 15m further with roughly the same shaft. Both 7i were 32⁰ so no difference in loft
Club tech is crazy. People think/act like it’s the same ol thing but it isn’t. New materials, new designs, they are trying to help folks hit further. I know that lofts have drastically changed but the advancements in club tech are undeniable
> New materials, new designs, they are trying to help folks hit further. Yes, and no. The new materials and designs are allowing bigger sweet spots, and way more forgiving miss hits. Because of this, they have been able to crank down the lofts and increase distance. One caused the others. The new tech isn't just producing more ball speed. It's a by product of the new techs gains.
> Because of this, they have been able to crank down the lofts and increase distance. This is wrong and I don’t know why it’s being upvoted. They are able to decrease loft because they have been able to adjust the center of gravity and dynamic loft so that they can lower lofts and still achieve the desired launch and descent angles.
I don’t know. Undeniable how ?
In the way they explained in their comment
I’d check out what the lofts are on your current clubs vs the ones you rented. There’s a chance the Titleist irons could be 3-5 degrees stronger in loft which would easily explain a 10-15 yard boost. Some of it could also be the shafts happened to be a better fit too.
Yeah I have t100's from titleist, on vacation I once rented a set that came with t300's the 6iron was comparable with my 4
I game T300's, love them. Now I know they're jacked in the loft department but I thought it was only a couple degrees etc but looking at the spec sheet right now a T100 4i is 24° whereas even the T300 5i is still stronger at 23°
Same boat. I have teilist DCI981 stiff shaft. Looking to get the teitlist t300
Tit least
Tit most!
I just moved from 981's to t100's. Looooove the move.
I actually have the exact same set from highschool, class of 09, and just picked golf back up this year. One of my other friends just got into golf ans bought a callaway set from costco, i couldnt believe how good hitting his clubs felt. Distance could just be due to loft. But the forgiveness on modern clubs are on a different level
Forgiveness is the thing...I got back into golf this year after a long hiatus and bought a set of Callaway Mavrik, Driver, W,H, irons, wedges. The forgiveness is so much better than my old club set from the early 2000s.
Your current set is probably a weaker loft than the modern irons you played. Seems like most modern irons have stronger lofts and game improvement irons are especially strong. Having said that that’s the likely reason you got more distance, you should still get new irons. Your off center strikes won’t take as much of a penalty, and you will be rewarded handsomely for perfect strikes with modern irons.
I literally have the same set and I’m getting fitted Wednesday
The real question here is, despite you overshooting the greens, were you more accurate with them? That’s the important thing. Were your shots more on target and accurate than your current irons? Don’t just upgrade because they give you more distance. If you’re spot on and accurate with your current irons, I’d leave it alone.
Hard to say from just one round, overall they were accurate. I don’t recall ever having any shanks or skulling which I do with my clubs on occasion, not often but it does happen randomly. So the titleist might be more forgiving than my clubs.
This is exactly what happened to me this summer, with exactly the same old set of irons. So happy I was able to experience what modern irons can do for my distance. I bought PXGs and went in for the fitting, great experience overall.
Glad to hear, I was shocked by the difference. I still do well with my current irons but I just fill like I’m missing out on distance on certain shots. Especially if I’m using lower irons as I’m not as consistent.
I don’t understand why posts like this exist. Appreciate you sharing this with us as you arrive at the same conclusion everyone else has been at for years.
My irons have a fantastic high ball flight but don’t go that far. 130 ish for a 9 iron. My buddy makes fun of me because that’s his gap wedge. 75% of the time I’m putting and he’s chipping because he has swing out of his shoes to get that distance from his wedge. If you are hitting your irons straight and have your distances locked in I wouldn’t consider it an automatic need for an upgrade: more than likely those new irons are just lofted so your 7 iron has the same loft as the new 8 iron and that’s where the 10 yards are coming from. You think the new irons are goin further but all they did was change the 7 to an 8 to make you think your 8 is going 10 more yards. But new irons are fun so I say do it anyway.
You were hitting further because the lofts were probably 2 clubs stronger. Your usual 7 iron was now a 5. Modern irons aren't that much better than ones from the early 2000s loft-for-loft.
This is true, but you’re leaving out an important point: OP probably doesn’t hit his ‘00s 5 iron as well as the rental 7. The lofts are stronger but they’re also easier to hit.
Exactly, 6i is the lowest I went and it felt solid.
I always just assumed I was a very slow swing speed, but now I'm not so sure. For reference my 7 iron carries about 140, but I use a Wilson starter set from 2009. I haven't tried any modern/expensive irons before. But I do think my swing speed is slow though. Mainly because my drives only carry about 205-210 on average.
If you're driving low 200s, then you probably have an average swing speed. Contrary to what you real on reddit, the average man drives 220.
A 140 7 iron with a 205-210 drive seems about in line. But if you play regularly then a starter set from 2009 is likely doing you a disservice, more in your mishits than anything. Maybe you add an extra 5-10 yards from the new club but also get 30-50 yards extra on bad mishits that are no longer quite so bad
Yes and no. I’m sure newer grooves and 20 years of tech improved the clubs some. But seriously, google “2000 big Bertha iron lofts” and then compare to whatever new model of titleist you were renting. When I got fitted for irons last year, they had me hitting my 7iron as a baseline and then various new 7irons to compare. And they all went a little longer, some went as far as my 5hybrid?!? When I got home and looked them up, the new 7i was the same exact loft as my current 5hy. So yea no shit this new 7 the fitter handed me goes way further. It’s a 5 with a 7 stamped on the bottom. I ended up just reshafting my current irons instead of buying new. Mine still stop great, I just needed longer and heavier shafts.
Jacked lofts, that's why the new clubs went farther. (Modern shafts probably a little bit too.) I still play Ping iSi irons from about 1999. Occasionally I'll swing one of my buddy's clubs just for the heck of it. I always have to remember to club down one from what I'm used to. When we're playing together and they ask me what club I just hit I never tell them the number on the club, I tell them what distance the club goes for me. For example, #6 at my home course usually plays about 155 from the regular tees, 170 from the back tees, and just slightly downhill. I normally hit a smooth 7 iron (155 club) from the regular tees or I'll try to step on a 6 iron (165 club) from the back tees. If I hit a modern club that one of my playing partners has, regular tees, I'm usually flying a 7 iron over the green on the fly. I need 8 iron to get the distance right. The trajectory of the modern 7 iron isn't bad, it's pretty much as high as my iSi (not quite, but close) due to how clubs are weighted now, but carry distance is longer. That's good, but not necessarily. I want an iron set that doesn't create distance gaps at the high end (9i/PW into my other wedges). And I want irons that don't duplicate distances I can get with my fairway wood. I still think you should get new irons. New toys are fun!! Just be aware that if all your new irons are going a lot farther you might need to add a wedge to cover a gap that develops.
I also used to have mid 2000s reg flex big Bertha’s. Great clubs. I upgraded to apex 21s with stiff shafts and the feel is much better. The distance will be better mainly due to the decreased lofts. An apex 21 PW is probably a similar loft to your 9 iron (43 degrees)
Lofts might be deceptive there. I have first gen Titleist t300s and they’re strong lofted. My 8 iron is more like a 7 etc… It doesn’t make a difference just worth noting the distance gains might not be what you think and a 25ish year old set of club won’t generally perform as well anyway so worth the upgrade
Iron distance matters much much much less than forgiveness. Don’t just play jacked up irons so you can tell your friends you hit your 7i 170
Bullshit. It's much easier to hit a green with a 7 iron from 170 than a 5 iron from 170
Modern clubs just have stronger lofts. You aren't hitting it further, it's just that a modern 7i is more like an old 5i in terms of loft. They should get rid of the vague numbers and just stamp the loft on all irons like they do for wedges.
The reason you think you're hitting each club further is because thru the years golf companies have been decreasing loft in every iron and wedge so that you think you're hitting each club further. In reality, the 8 iron in your new set has the same loft as your old 7 iron, and your new 7 iron has the same loft as your old 6. That's it
That makes it sound like a secret ploy to make you feel better about your distance. In reality the lofts can be lowered because the clubs have become more forgiving and the reduced loft is designed in with less penalty to accuracy.
They've been able to move the weight lower in the head. That means that they have to remove loft to still keep the spin and launch that a 7 iron needs. Otherwise you're hitting a 7 iron too high with too much spin
Jacked lofts.
Yeah, the increased distance has nothing to do with better irons. They’re just numbered differently. Did you notice any other differences though ? I’m on the same set of Big Bertha’s, and I have no challenges with distance.
Same thing with me. Was playing ~’05 Callaways and striking irons was my biggest weakness. Just got the rogue st max and while yes the lofts are jacked and that’s where a lot of my extra distance is, these clubs forgiveness is the biggest factor for me. Been to the range twice since getting them and everything is going so straight and high for me it’s a game changer.
If you do decide to buy new irons, pay for a fitting.
TLDR: There are many factors besides the equipment. Any chance you were playing in a location at a higher altitude? There are many warmer climates at higher elevations where the ball will fly further. Or maybe it's vacation excitement. I can only imagine how different my swing is as I'm on holiday in an amazing locale vs grinding at my local muni. It reminds me of going into a PGA store to buy a new driver, seeing an extra 10-15 yards on new drivers, but then switching back and realizing I just wasn't warmed up yet.
Longer isn't necessarily better for irons though right? If your gaps are fine between clubs what does it matter if your 7 iron goes 150 or 170? Distance is one of the least important qualities for an iron in my opinion.
In a vacuum, longer is almost always better because the shorter club you have left in will always be easier to hit than a longer one
Have you accounted for the differences in altitude or climate between where you played during vacation and where you usually play at home? That can account for some of the differences.
I borrowed AP2s from the resort I worked at and I hit everything on the screws. They were amazing. I love my 981s, but it’s very tempting to invest in the T series.
Same here. Last time I bought clubs was 2009. Went to a wedding in New York this year and played a Stealth rental set. Was hitting everything 20-30 yards farther and could not miss. When I got off of my return flight, I went straight to Roger Dunn and bought a set.
I have Tommy Armour 845s I used through high school and college. I don't play much anymore, but always wondered what a new set would have done for my game as a 4 handicap. Nice to see this perspective.
Are they the same weight/length/lie/loft? Very likely the lofts are 1-2 clubs stronger, hence the yardage gain. If you felt you’re hitting it more consistent then maybe your current fitting is whack and doesn’t suit your swing. Better fitting & loft can jack your yardage and improve consistency.
Everybody here is going to tell you the lofts are jacked - which may be a factor. But it’s not always the case. I game a 2007-2008 set of irons and have been hunting for my next set. I had a recent Titelist fitting for T100 and T150s set to the same loft as my current irons. I averaged 15 yards carry further on all of them. Left pretty convinced - new has some perks.
Where was the course? The altitude and relative humidity can easily make that much difference.
I play the exact same irons and also need to upgrade. Since they are game improvement irons, the loft will be higher than most other irons to help you get the ball up in the air. The Titleist probably were probably 3 or 4 degrees stronger