• Welcome To ShotTalk.com!

    We are one of the oldest and largest Golf forums on the internet with golfers from around the world sharing tips, photos and planning golf outings.

    Registering is free and easy! Hope to see you on the forums soon!

Conventional-look irons in a graphite shaft?

Boulder

The Boulder is rolling
Jun 3, 2007
79
0
I've played Titleist DCI 990s for a long time. I have always preferred conventional 'simpler' looks of irons - thinner top line, smaller head, very little if any offset, etc.

Has been suggested a few times to me this year (mostly by guys older than me) that due to some tendonitis in recent years that I consider a switch to graphite shafts.

Have always liked the looks of Titleists ... something like the Cleveland CG2 Tour (Googled graphite-shafted clubs that showed up on some hot lists) caught my eye today.

Any quick impressions from anyone? I still got some relative game left. Index has sneaked down to 8.0 and can still hit a 7-iron 160-165. Not anything to write home about, still keeping the day job, but I'm still doing ok striking the ball.

Any thoughts too on the tendonitis issue - classic 'tennis elbow' side of things.

Thanks much.
 

Victory

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2007
279
3
if you like the irons- than its a good buy. graphite in the irons will help with the golf elbow.. also- rest it, rehab it- strength training and graphite will boa good remedy. make sure the flex is current with the steel shafts you play.
 

mddubya

Hybrid convert
Nov 6, 2007
6,029
2
I was suffering from a killer case of golfers elbow. I got a shot of cortisone and took 3 weeks off from golf and it's doing much better. Have you tried one of those bands with the gel pack?

As far as the graphite shafts, I can't help you there.
 

JEFF4i

She lives!
Supporting Member
Jul 3, 2006
13,545
95

Pa Jayhawk

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2005
7,196
62
Country
United States United States
Can't help but ask the same that was asked before about putting Graphite shafts in your existing irons.

Unless of course you are just looking for a change, in which case I can't help but mention the Mizuno MP60, or even the MP52, MP62, or MP57. I changed to my MP60's for the same reasons you mentioned, less offset being my primary reason. Even though I have never considered myself a very good ball striker, I consider these clubs not only a good match for my game but fairly forgiving.

Some of the latter ones (52,62) that I mentioned look fairly similar to your current sticks.
 

RCI

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2008
159
0
One of the issues with graphite shafts in irons is weight, or the preception of weight called "swing weight." Overall mass is also very important to hitting a ball. Changing a set of clubs to graphite is going to be a very different feeling if the shafts weigh 30-40 grams less than your old steel shafts. Recently, I have seen some graphite shafts that come closer to traditional shaft weights, and have torque that is only slightly more. I'm looking forward to the day that a player's club comes with a graphite shaft and feels the same as the traditional club's weight and torque -- less vibration would be nice.

On the general topic of weight, remember, mass times velocity is what hits a ball (momentum is conserved.) Many years ago, some thought making ultra light club heads would make it easy to swing faster and hit more reliable shots. Some testing showed that the swing speed curve is fairly flat for typical club head weight variations, so having less mass in the head did not result in enough increase in swing speed to overcome a mass much less than a traditional clubhead. Some thought 1/2 mv2 was the key (kinetic energy is actually not conserved so this is wrong) so if velocity increased a little while the mass came down a lot, the squared increase in velocity might be worth it. Turns out that really was wrong, otherwise we would all be using much lighter club heads in our irons. While the physics is what it is, the real issue is feeling the club as it swings and controlling the release about the club's unstable moment of inertia. For some reason, most golfers tend to like what we used to call swing weights in a range from C9 to maybe D6 for gorillas, with D0 to D2 being the most common (I think.) While swing weight is not an exact measure of mass, if you get a shaft too heavy or too light, the swing weight starts feeling strange.

Modern drivers are designed knowing graphite shafts with lighter weight will be used. I shudder to think of my old E2 steel shafted wooden headed driver with 6 degrees of loft -- that was my long drive contest club as a young man... today, I could not use the club at all. Not sure I could lift it out of my bag.

Perhaps the clubmakers who drop in here could talk a great deal more about this if the topic is interesting.
 

Wi-Golfer

Golfer on hiatus.
Supporting Member
Jul 25, 2007
8,147
1,474
Madison, Wi
Country
United States United States
I love the graphite the shafts in my irons, wouldn't play steel if you paid me....well ok maybe I would for enough $$.
 

Victory

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2007
279
3
good points RCI-- and yes- there are now graphite iron shafts that can match up weight wise to steel.. so that is a huge point to make clear. get all the facts on the irons- shaft weight, spec;s etc and let all kow and we'll really get it nailed down for you.

:usflag:
 

RCI

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2008
159
0
Ken,

Thanks for the confirmation. And I visited your website -- you have some good looking clubs there.

I've actually written a well known, leading club maker asking them why they would not use traditional (meaning normal steel) weighted graphite shafts in their blades... and did not get a meaninful answer. I don't really accept the idea that better golfers will only use steel shafts. I think better golfers use steel because of the traditional weight and torque they are used to hitting.

I think there is a market for a player's (meaning MB or MB/minor cavity forged blade) iron set that uses something around 122 gram graphite shafts. I'm talking about something that feels like a dynamic gold or similar shaft but is graphite. I think they might well feel great and be easier on the hands during those 3 large bucket practice sessions.
 

SolderJockey

Well-Known Member
Oct 31, 2007
94
0
I think there is a market for a player's (meaning MB or MB/minor cavity forged blade) iron set that uses something around 122 gram graphite shafts. I'm talking about something that feels like a dynamic gold or similar shaft but is graphite. I think they might well feel great and be easier on the hands during those 3 large bucket practice sessions.


I'd be interested. I just switched to a set of MX 23s (yes I know they're technically not "player's" clubs) with graphite because of hand and arm pain, and I'm still trying to adjust to the lightness.
 

Victory

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2007
279
3
still in the golfing world - when a set of irons is offered with graphite shafts - they are usually light weight- assuming the player - maybe being older - needs help generating clubhead speed etc.. for those whom may have gotten golfers elbow- or looking for a better feel and still needing the benefit of a heavy weighted shaft- the Tour weighted graphites are what is needed.. 95-130 grams.. the 115 to 130's are excelletn optins and the ones i have seen work the best > and give that steel stability are ust rv2 115's, aldila nv 130, fujikura rombax 115's amoung a few goodies. so this needs to be taken into effect for the reshaft- something you should talk about with the club builder before hand.. and sure most would.. sweing weight wise- all factors for weight need to be looked at- grips, shafts,length, head weihgt.. and add where needed depending on length.. usually going very light weight graphite - you need to add some head weight to give a sense of being of the club during the swing. .. good talk- hope some helped..
ken:usflag:
 

🔥 Latest posts

Top