So I bent my irons for optimal lie and loft…what more should I worry about?

Well, a lot actually, and it’ll depend on how far you bent your irons or wedges.

First, here’s what’s affected by bending loft angle either stronger or weaker: offset, bounce, and perhaps iron or wedge COG if the bend is more than a few degrees. A lie angle bend won’t affect any of the aforementioned, save for COG if it’s extreme enough, so let’s focus on loft changes.

A stronger loft will increase offset, and a weaker loft will lessen offset. A 1 degree change is somewhere between .25mm and .50mm depending on the type of iron. Now, that might be a small change or a major change. You have to ask yourself, “does the one or two degree loft change outweigh the impact the change will have on offset?” For example, if your miss is a hook and you increase loft, you may be exacerbating the hook and the loft change isn’t worth it. Then again, if you struggle a bit in closing the face at impact, increasing offset would likely help you.

With bounce, a one degree loft change is a one degree bounce angle change. So, here too, what’s the loft change worth relative to increasing or decreasing bounce? With wedges, this is something to consider. A stronger loft is less bounce, so if the wedge you love digs a little and you’re looking to get 5 more yards, you may want to forego a stronger loft adjustment and instead, weaken the loft to get more bounce and dig less. Then, fill in the distance gap with another wedge. Note too that a stronger loft has the leading edge closer to the ground, so not only are you decreasing bounce, you’re making the iron or wedge less forgiving….unless that’s what you’re looking to do to better handle tight lies, firm fairways and the like.

So how do you know you have the right bounce for you in an iron or wedge? Get a lie board and see where the impact is on the sole. If it’s the middle of the sole, you’re set. If it’s closer to the leading edge, you need more bounce and the opposite for impact towards the trailing edge. The exception could be a sand wedge where all sole impact is likely towards the trailing edge based on the design of the wedge, so that’s ok.

Lastly, drastic changes to loft can alter iron or wedge COG, depending on the design, so you want to be mindful of how much you bend certain type of clubs. A drastic change in COG can negatively affect the playing characteristics of the iron.

All titaniums are the same, right?

You would think so, but no. The more important question is, does it matter to me? And for most…..no :)

So what are we talking about then, what’s the difference and why should I care? You MAY care if you swing a driver more than 120 MPH. Let me explain…

I’ll keep things simple as there are a lot of specifics here that matter to engineers but not to you. You essentially have 6-4 titanium and different Beta titaniums. The former is the workhorse for manufacturers. For one, it’s cheap. Most of your modern day drivers, and the vast majority of TI drivers over the past 20 years have used 6-4 in the body of the driver, and many have used in the face. The cheaper TI models for sure. The one hitch with 6-4 is it’s brittle, meaning, it doesn’t have the tensile strength of Beta TI, which means it needs to be thicker in the face - at least 3mm. Now, that doesn’t sound thick, but believe me, 3mm and up is thick. This thickness assures little risk of fracture…not zero risk, just little risk.

Beta, such as 15-3-3-3 or SP700, which is a Japanese grade TI, have a stronger tensile strength and can be made thinner, closer to 2.7mm, which, for some who swing big, can lend a little more ‘pop’ in ball speed. Yes, one runs the risk of fracture but the gains can be 5-10 more yards for those that really go after it. This occurs even with C.O.R. regulated to .83 for all drivers. For those needing a reminder about C.O.R. or Coefficient of Restitution, when a driver is hit with a ball traveling at 100 MPH, the ball can’t rebound at a speed greater than 83 MPH, otherwise it’s deemed illegal per the U.S.G.A. Characteristic Time, or CT, is another way to regulate driver faces.

So, if you’re swinging fast, and you want a little more ball speed from the driver head without using an illegal C.O.R. face, seek out a driver with a Beta TI face option.

Interested in game improvement? Ditch your game improvement irons.

That’s right, I said it, you need to ditch your game improvement irons in order to improve. Now, there’s just one thing… and that is you’re a single digit or better golfer whereby foregoing this type of club is always the answer. Let me explain.

Game improvement irons are that category of iron that has a very low COG, a lot of bounce or at least a wide sole that digs less, and is long heel to toe and leading edge, back. The vast majority of the weight is positioned low, and that’s terrific for the sweeper swinger who’s consistently sweeping the ball off the turf. But what happens when a better player uses these clubs? I’ll tell you. They hit flyers, and often when playing out of the rough. which is a distance consistency and accuracy killer.

With all that mass and weight low in the club head, there’s very little up near the top line and when a better player compresses the golf ball out of the rough, they’re leaning in more than higher handicap sweepers and applying force to the golf ball high on the face. Very little good can happen at that point as the ball will become what’s called a ‘flyer’, which essentially knuckelballs with low spin. This leads to inconsistent distance, trajectory and overall accuracy.

So, better players that compress properly should forego the game improvement category and stick with what’s designed for you as either the player, or player distance category. There you’ll find irons with COGs middle-up, and with some, closer to the hosel, ideal to maximize compression and avoid those flyers out of the rough.

Forged, cast…who cares? It’s all metal so why should I bother knowing the difference? Let’s forge ahead with this topic…

Forged irons and wedges are VERY DIFFERENT in a lot of ways than cast irons and wedges, and knowing the difference is paramount to making a buying decision and overall fitting. Let’s explore.

First, forged usually means billet forged, so a club head pounded out of a single piece of carbon metal. If you see an iron set or wedge you like and the metal the manufacturer touts on the website is 1020, 1025 or 1030, it’s billet forged. The “10” in the number is the key. That’s a true forging.

If you see a set of irons that tout 8620 steel as the type used, that’s a cast set of irons. The “86” is the indication, and this means that molten carbon steel was poured into a cast mold and set, then shaped from there with grinding, etc.

So how does this impact the selection process you say? First, fitting is key. If you are on the short side, or the taller side, you likely need to adjust lie angles more than 1-2 degrees from standard. You absolutely need forged irons and wedges to make that happen. They’re more malleable and in most instances, can be adjusted up to 4 degrees one way or the other. 8620 or any cast metals won’t be able to go that far.

With wedges, for me, it’s about wear and tear too. Forged wedges, being softer metals, will wear more and quicker in the grooves, and, with heavy use, you’ll have to loft and lie adjust more often to get both back to measures you were fitted to. Cast wedges can hang in there longer. Examples are Vokey wedges from titleist, which are 8620 cast carbon. Callaway wedges are forged. Read up and you’ll see more about endurance with Vokey than Callaway for this very reason. And to those that say feel is sacrificed with cast, not true. It’s more design than type of steel that matters in the feel department.

There are other types of metals that are out there too that are worth explaining too given fitting preferences. 17-4 cast, which is very common and cheap for manufacturing, won’t move beyond 1 degree when bent. A fitter can try for 2 degrees one way or the other, but i urge you to close your eyes when he or she attempts to bend the hosel. 431 stainless is another that’s used in some irons with perhaps another degree of bendability available over 17-4. Lastly, Mizuno will promote ‘grain flow forged’ which is actually not billet forged but a grain flow casting that’s then pounded into shape. Forged? Yes, sort of, but not true billet forging.

For my money, I like forged for irons so I can get fit properly as I’m 6’1”, and cast in wedges so they handle the pounding all year and the grooves stay fresh longer. Be smart, and ask yourself how much you think you need to bend for lie. Your fitter will know and that’ll guide the buying process.

Another word on woods and hybrids…

Two words actually…bulge and roll. Bulge is the lateral curvature of the face and the lower the number, the more bulge. Roll is the vertical curvature of the face, so from crown to sole, and here too, the lower the number, the more roll. The measurement is in inches, so a fairway wood with high bulge and roll will be something like 12x10.

the roll measurement matters more with fairway woods. The trick is getting this particular detail from the manufacturer. Some companies still post bulge and roll specs for their products, but fewer do each year. A phone call to the manufacturer might lead you to the answer.

So what’s the deal? Well, a fairway wood with a lot of Roll, or crown to sole curvature in the face, will reveal a very low loft at the bottom of the face. This can be a major problem for slower swingers and those still trying to tag a 15 degree 3 wood. You hit it low, and you might be only leveraging 7 or 8 degrees of loft in some cases. Good luck getting that ball to go anywhere. Bulge is used to correct mishits and bring them back to center. A lot of bulge is a good thing.

Tom Wishon at www.wishongolf.com creates woods with Graduated Roll Technology, or as little roll as possible. They’ll look a bit different at set up, but the idea is sound, and you’ll be getting true loft through the entire face of the wood.

Can’t find a wood you like with less roll? Opt for a shallower face wood. COG lower, and less roll on the face to contend with.

Hybrids and Fairway Woods…no brainer? No…definite brainer, and you could be doing more hurt than help

All the marketing says something like this…”Improve your game and make the game a whole lot easier by adding a hybrid or fairway wood.” Terrific! Well, maybe not. Let’s talk about it.

First, yes, the way a hybrid or wood is designed is certainly a benefit versus say, a 2 iron or 3 iron option. By now, we all know why (bigger sole, lower COG, bigger face, cambered leading edge, sole camber…). However, what’s not in evidence in a lot of marketing is how to select the option, hybrid or wood, because one is definitely not the same as the other, and the wrong choice could be killing you! (your game, that is).

There are a few scenarios that I see with friends who hit hybrids when they should be hitting woods, and visa versa. First, is the massive hook left. Both options have weight low, which is great for us mortals. But both also have weight back, with woods more than hybrids. This can be a major issue. Weight back can mean a ‘slingshot’ of weight forward at impact, which can mean a major closing of the face, hence, a hook. Imagine all the great distance, but due left, for right handed hitters. O.B., rough, whatever, awaits. You’d be better off thinning a 2 iron down the fairway. So, if you see a massive hook with a wood, it might be the low and back COG. In this case, check out a hybrid to lessen this phenomenon.

Now there’s the matter of steep versus sweep type of swings. Here too, a hybrid or a wood is the right answer, but not either. Sweeper? wood. Steep with decent divots with irons? Hybrid. It’s part the sole design, leading edge, COG location, length and head size. Here too, you could be saying, “I’m bound to improve, I ditched the 3 iron and have a fairway wood” and think this is the magic move, and killing your long game to your detriment.

Lastly, check the specs on woods in particular. Some have closed face angles to help high handicaps not slice. This, exacerbated with a low/back COG, could have you scaring folks BBQing in their backyards that front a lot of fairways. That’s a drop and a stroke, and maybe distance, when the half punch 3 iron would have been better for the scorecard.

The lead tape myth and what adding weight is actually good for

Let’s talk about this. The tip we’ve heard, and continue to hear, is that lead tape, or a few heavier gram screws, will allow for fades and draws if applied in the right areas on the club head. Folks, it’s a myth. The only three things that adding lead tape or additional weight of any kind will do is (1) soften the shaft flex, (2) change the swingweight, and (3) add MOI to the club head.

Now, that’s ok! If you’re looking for a softer feel in the shaft, and in the hit, extra weight on the head can achieve this. 2 grams added to the club head will change Cycles-Per-Minute (CPM) by 1 point, and 5 CPM renders a shaft 1/2 flex softer. But…you should know that this is ultimately a feel thing, as there aren’t industry standards defining stiff, or regular, etc.

You must as always be mindful of what a softer shaft will do, not just how it’ll feel. You’ll get more spin, and you may lose some accuracy (hooks and slices) and even some distance (too much spin) if the shaft becomes too soft. Something to think about.

As for swingweight, every 2 grams of tape is 1 swingweight point heavier. To get a clubhead to enable a draw or face would require 25 grams or more on one side of the head which is nearly impossible to achieve, would render the swingweight otherworldly, and the shaft spaghetti. So, forget that idea and plop the tape on anywhere you’d like. It won’t matter. What will matter is the changing swingweight, and in this case, achieving a heavier swingweight, which could help you strike the ball more towards center, if you’re hitting more on the heel, and improving the feel of the head throughout the swing.

Lastly, a word on MOI. Every gram of tape added to the head will increase the MOI of that head 35 gcm-squared. Hard to notice, but a few grams will get you a few hundred gcm-squared and that might be something. Here too, it’s a feel thing.