I Blame "Golf in the Kingdom" - A Step Back in Time

[Ken Moum]

A long time ago, someone who called himself Chipman put together a history of iron lofts on the 4GEA.com forum.  I saved it:

(FWIW, even though a serial case of the shanks has forced me to stop using normal irons, i play some with my Dad's 1958 Hiag Ultras and a set of Honma persimmons with graphite shafts every summer. Last year, I shot my low roud of the year with them, 74... then 5 days later shot 101... back to the full hybrids set.)

Iron Loft History

From: ChipMan (STEVEJS)
5/30/2000 12:04 pm
To: ALL
15746.1

I've been doing a bit of investigating on lofts of irons and their progressions, and their history throughout the last century. It appears that loft strengthening is not a new phenomena. It's been going on for over 50 years! Here's a look at some of the data I've acquired from various sources...
c. 1930
-------
1 20
2 24
3 28
4 32
5 36 (35.5")
6 40
7 44
8 48
9 52
c. 1950
-------
1 17
2 21
3 25
4 29
5 33 (36.5")
6 37
7 41
8 45
9 49
P 53
S 57
c. 1970
-------
1 17
2 20
3 24
4 28
5 32 (37.0")
6 36
7 40
8 44
9 48
P 52
S 56
 
c. 1980
-------
1 17
2 20
3 23
4 26
5 30 (37.5")
6 34
7 38
8 42
9 46
P 50
S 55-57
c. 1990
-------
1 16
2 19
3 22
4 25
5 28 (37.75")
6 32
7 36
8 40
9 44.5
P 49
S 55
L 60
c. 2000
-------
1 16
2 18
3 20
4 23.5
5 27 (38.0")
6 30.5
7 34
8 38
9 42
P 46
G 50
S 55
L 60

[Colin Macqueen]

Gentlemen,

"If I tried to go to hickories it would be like going to a monastery, i.e. I'd be attracted to the idea, but I wouldn't actually be able to give up the pleasures of the world for very long.... "..

aahhhh the august Peter Pallotta!

Cheers Colin

[Ronald Montesano]

It's out on DVD already...use a search engine or, if you prefer the time-honored method, see it on Broadway...

[Mike Policano]

Kevin,

Given your posts, you are a candidate to get hooked on hickories. I have played my last dozen or so rounds with hickories. It is addictive. And if you have a smooth swing, (I don't), it is shocking how well you can play.  A friend of mine just won a hickory tournament last week on a 6100 yard course with a 75.

IM me and I will give you the scoop on clubs, authentic vs reproduction, which balls to play and the ups and downs of using eBay.

Cheers, Mike

[Kevin Lynch]

Kevin,

Given your posts, you are a candidate to get hooked on hickories. I have played my last dozen or so rounds with hickories. It is addictive. And if you have a smooth swing, (I don't), it is shocking how well you can play.  A friend of mine just won a hickory tournament last week on a 6100 yard course with a 75.

IM me and I will give you the scoop on clubs, authentic vs reproduction, which balls to play and the ups and downs of using eBay.

Cheers, Mike

I certainly don't have a smooth swing, but I'm hoping a switch to hickory can help change that.  Without a preconceived idea of how far I "should" hit the ball, I may resist the urge to lunge.  Due to my "non-smooth" swing, I've been forced to manufacture creative recovery shots, which is something I think will come in handy.

Maybe I will become addicted, which wouldn't be the worst thing. I will take you up on the IM offer.

[Melvyn Morrow]

"If I tried to go to hickories it would be like going to a monastery, i.e. I'd be attracted to the idea, but I wouldn't actually be able to give up the pleasures of the world for very long.... "

Old Tom, Forgive him for he knows not what he is doing  Reported in Melvyn 23.34  Then ‘they went on to cast lots, dividing up his golfing clubs among themselves’

Alas the truth…
Golf and many of the good courses were designed with the Hickory in mind as the clubs of choice. Old courses played upon with modern clubs are a gross misunderstanding of the game not to mention the GCA. Not only Land Fit For Purpose but also Equipment suitable for the Task.

How can any honourable man play an old course with modern equipment while knowingly reducing his score in the process, clearly deceiving others is one thing but to deceive oneself as well……  its makes a clear statement upon the state of our modern game, not to mention many of the players.

Sad, very, very sad indeed.

Melvyn

[jeffwarne]

A long time ago, someone who called himself Chipman put together a history of iron lofts on the 4GEA.com forum.  I saved it:

(FWIW, even though a serial case of the shanks has forced me to stop using normal irons, i play some with my Dad's 1958 Hiag Ultras and a set of Honma persimmons with graphite shafts every summer. Last year, I shot my low roud of the year with them, 74... then 5 days later shot 101... back to the full hybrids set.)

Iron Loft History

From: ChipMan (STEVEJS)
5/30/2000 12:04 pm
To: ALL
15746.1

I've been doing a bit of investigating on lofts of irons and their progressions, and their history throughout the last century. It appears that loft strengthening is not a new phenomena. It's been going on for over 50 years! Here's a look at some of the data I've acquired from various sources...
c. 1930
-------
1 20
2 24
3 28
4 32
5 36 (35.5")
6 40
7 44
8 48
9 52
c. 1950
-------
1 17
2 21
3 25
4 29
5 33 (36.5")
6 37
7 41
8 45
9 49
P 53
S 57
c. 1970
-------
1 17
2 20
3 24
4 28
5 32 (37.0")
6 36
7 40
8 44
9 48
P 52
S 56
 
c. 1980
-------
1 17
2 20
3 23
4 26
5 30 (37.5")
6 34
7 38
8 42
9 46
P 50
S 55-57
c. 1990
-------
1 16
2 19
3 22
4 25
5 28 (37.75")
6 32
7 36
8 40
9 44.5
P 49
S 55
L 60
c. 2000
-------
1 16
2 18
3 20
4 23.5
5 27 (38.0")
6 30.5
7 34
8 38
9 42
P 46
G 50
S 55
L 60

It does put a lot of what you read and hear in perspective when you're told so and so hit a 4 iron to a certain green, when you realise that's the same loft as today's 7 iron!

Or how no one hits 1 or 2 irons today-That's because nobody hit 16 degree irons back in the day!

I had a set of NIKE's this summer with a 19 degree 3 iron and a 45 degree wedge...leaving me with a 11 degree and 35 yard gap between wedges!
back to the Mizuno's

[Michael Goldstein]

I carry two 2 irons (occassionally a wood if I must)

One is much easier to hit than the other - which is somewhat explained by this.  It's very old school and 20deg.

Technology makes me cringe and it's unnecessary to enjoy most courses worth their salt.

[PCCraig]

A long time ago, someone who called himself Chipman put together a history of iron lofts on the 4GEA.com forum.  I saved it:

(FWIW, even though a serial case of the shanks has forced me to stop using normal irons, i play some with my Dad's 1958 Hiag Ultras and a set of Honma persimmons with graphite shafts every summer. Last year, I shot my low roud of the year with them, 74... then 5 days later shot 101... back to the full hybrids set.)

Iron Loft History

From: ChipMan (STEVEJS)
5/30/2000 12:04 pm
To: ALL
15746.1

I've been doing a bit of investigating on lofts of irons and their progressions, and their history throughout the last century. It appears that loft strengthening is not a new phenomena. It's been going on for over 50 years! Here's a look at some of the data I've acquired from various sources...
c. 1930
-------
1 20
2 24
3 28
4 32
5 36 (35.5")
6 40
7 44
8 48
9 52
c. 1950
-------
1 17
2 21
3 25
4 29
5 33 (36.5")
6 37
7 41
8 45
9 49
P 53
S 57
c. 1970
-------
1 17
2 20
3 24
4 28
5 32 (37.0")
6 36
7 40
8 44
9 48
P 52
S 56
 
c. 1980
-------
1 17
2 20
3 23
4 26
5 30 (37.5")
6 34
7 38
8 42
9 46
P 50
S 55-57
c. 1990
-------
1 16
2 19
3 22
4 25
5 28 (37.75")
6 32
7 36
8 40
9 44.5
P 49
S 55
L 60
c. 2000
-------
1 16
2 18
3 20
4 23.5
5 27 (38.0")
6 30.5
7 34
8 38
9 42
P 46
G 50
S 55
L 60

It does put a lot of what you read and hear in perspective when you're told so and so hit a 4 iron to a certain green, when you realise that's the same loft as today's 7 iron!

Or how no one hits 1 or 2 irons today-That's because nobody hit 16 degree irons back in the day!

I had a set of NIKE's this summer with a 19 degree 3 iron and a 45 degree wedge...leaving me with a 11 degree and 35 yard gap between wedges!
back to the Mizuno's

Interesting stuff, thanks for posting.

I believe a few years ago Ryan Moore had a set of Scratch irons that didn't say "3", "4", "5", etc... but had the actual loft listed in degrees instead. Look and sounded odd at first, but really it makes a whole lot of sense. Especially when you get goofy sets of irons like the Nike's mentioned above where you had a 35 yard gap.

[jeffwarne]

Pat,
to be fair.
The Nike set cam with a gap wedge, but I don't do gaps

I've used an Eye- 2 50 degrees PW for many years regardless of iron set
My SW is a 25 ish year old eye-2 with 56 degree

[David_Tepper]

Many sets of irons are now being marketed/sold as 4-iron thru PW & GW, rather than the traditional 3-iron thru PW, to compensate for how much stronger lofts have gotten. 

[Craig Sweet]

Some recent and future showings:


http://golfinthekingdommovie.com/now-playing/

[William_G]

Mac, wish I was there today as the course cam shows "blue bird" weather with little wind...I could play balatas for sure...