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Jose
15th June 2004, 04:24 PM
Hi guys and girls

Ill quickly introduce myself first, my names Andrew, im 24, and have just come over from New Zealand to live in the Gold Coast for a while. Im a real avid golfer, play off scratch and was in quite a few developments squads for Auckland as a junior.

My question concerns any advice you can give me on graphite shafts in irons. Which ones are good for a low handicapper with a fairly powerful action?

I currently play Ping I3 blades with stiff steel shafts (had them for 4 years). I have had moderate success with them but a recent event has made me think of going to graphite. I bought some new clubs over to Australia for my dad. I was able to get "mates rates" on them as I know the distributors for Precept gear in NZ. They are Stuart Appleby Irons with regular graphite shafts. Well Man, a few hits of these and I couldn’t believe the results! Probably an extra 20 metres per iron and the feel was so much softer which I liked and the ball flight was a very high but strong trajectory.

I am not really a shaper of the ball with my irons. I am more of a 'slugger' for want of a better term. I have always just naturally thought that steel in all my clubs (except my driver) was the best for me. But I have always struggled for distance and consistency with the pings, yet with the driver I can generally hit it around 280 metres in calm conditions. I have also never tried any other irons in the 4 years I have had these.

I am really interested in any feedback anyone will have or any suggestions or similar experiences. I have had two rounds since I have been here, one at Arundel Hills (my parents live on the course) and one at Parkwood International. I used my clubs for Arundel and had a 79 then at Parkwood I took my dads clubs out for an experiment and had a 72! Even though the heads are big and clunky they performed exceptionally except in the 9iron upwards which I struggled to control.

Any help, suggestions, or personal experiences will be greatly appreciated. I thought it would be LONG time before I thought of going to graphite but it seems it may be sooner than I thought.

Regards
Andrew

PS. Does anyone here play much golf in the gold coast? Don’t know many people here and really missing my beloved home club (Pakuranga Country Club) in Auckland. I am starting to practice at Parkwood Driving range so if anyone goes up there much let me know. I like to talk while I practise :)

Fishman Dan
15th June 2004, 04:30 PM
Hey mate,

There are quite a few Gold Coast golfers on this site and are keen to get together regularly, check out the 'First Tee' area.

Best part about playing with them is that they always shout the first 2 rounds at the bar after the game, and if they play well then you usually keep your wallet in your pocket for 3 or 4 rounds ;)

shu
15th June 2004, 04:53 PM
They are Stuart Appleby Irons with regular graphite shafts. Well Man, a few hits of these and I couldn’t believe the results! Probably an extra 20 metres per iron and the feel was so much softer which I liked and the ball flight was a very high but strong trajectory.


Are you talking about the Tourstage Z101s? I have a set of them too, but I didn't notice any increase in distances :cry: I actually lost a couple of metres in distance compared to my older Hogan blades, but the forgiveness in the long irons are worth the compromise.

Jose
15th June 2004, 05:29 PM
Not tourstage. They are a base line set. Very large head called SA71. A beginners model really! Huge sweet spot....

goughy
15th June 2004, 05:56 PM
Hi Jose, and welcome. You'll find plenty of games going around south east qld. Sometimes we've had as many as 16 or even 20 turn up for a game. Trung actually flew up from sydney once to have a couple of games with the qld boys. That was dedication.

What shafts are in your current irons and in the precepts. The extra distance could be from the graphite shafts being more flexible and often graphite shafted irons are longer than the equavalent in steel. Could be some factors to consider.

Jose
15th June 2004, 06:45 PM
Cheers guys, sounds like a good bunch. Once I get settled I will definately get in touch for a hit

The length of clubs are the same. Im sure the graphite is the cause for the greater distance. Thats really my problem. I guess what im trying to say is that with these graphites going further and being easier to hit, why do most better players use steel. When I was playing regular competitive golf no one used graphite in their irons due to a the so called 'unreliability'?

I have noticed that KJ Choi uses some type of graphite shaft in all his clubs (the only pro ive seen doing it) so I may look into the type of shafts hes using. I think im gonna get rid of the pings.

BrisVegas
15th June 2004, 07:44 PM
Hi Jose and welcome aboard! Hope to catch up with you at one of our social/friendly games!!

I'd be looking at the swingweight of the clubs for one reason to the increased distance. The graphite shafts are probably 30grams or more lighter than steel, which would allow you to generate higher clubhead speed. I've had one set of graphite shafted irons and found I was easily 1 - 1.5 club longer with them versus the steel shafted set prior and post. Usually, graphite shafts are 0.5 inch longer than steel, but as you said they are the same length, that's not really an issue.

I believe most pros use steel is because it offers much lower torque (twisting) than graphite. Even lightweight steel shafts are inherently better than graphite in this respect. There is also no reason to chase extra metres with irons, as consistency of direction and distance are much more important.

I have a scratch player friend who plays the same sticks as you and swears by them. If you really want a change, get to a range that offers demo clubs (lie Victoria Park in Brisbane) or go to a demo day so you can try a bunch of different setups.

It's also worth getting your swing checked on a launch monitor and a strike board to see what length and lie angle you need, as well as the frequency of shaft that best matches your tempo and club head speed.

Good luck! Let us know what you find. 8)

markTHEblake
15th June 2004, 10:54 PM
Jose, best thing for you to do is to jump in your car and go see the guru's at http://www.golfclubinnovations.com.au/ and they will give you the good oil. Thats who I use, as well as a few others here.

Or you could just consider all the advice from the amateurs here :-)

I guess you would be looking for a club to join, but I guess that will be another thread. I will be happy to give you an opinion on some of the clubs and have competed against most of them at one time.

AndyP
16th June 2004, 12:00 AM
Welcome to the site, Jose. Hope you can come to one of our OzGolf Days. It would be nice to see a scratch player in action. 8)