[jeffwarne]

Serious question.
I have a set of hickories I use as decoration and I've observed countless other iron sets.


Were there ever alterations to irons to add bounce and/or improve turf interaction?
Obviously Srazen famously altered his niblick to form a sand wedge-surely many others experimented to improve contact off less than ideal or soft turf.


The ones I've seen look like I would have zero chance of hitting off anything other than a firm fairway.

[Angela Moser]

Angela,


You bring up an interesting conversation. Of the three courses, I think Black might be MOST conducive to Hickory play...

Interesting... lets try the next time Ill be around.

[Peter Flory]

I played the Red and Blue with hickories last Spring.  I had a hickory tournament right beforehand and had to go directly there afterward, so taking 2 sets was not practical. 


It's actually really hickory friendly there, if you go up a set of tees.  Firm and fast with wide fairways and you can putt from anywhere off the greens.  Plus, it's usually windy, so keeping the ball low is a good play anyway. 


I just played the Black with modern clubs, but I agree that it would also be good for hickory play. 

[Thomas Dai]

Serious question.
I have a set of hickories I use as decoration and I've observed countless other iron sets.
Were there ever alterations to irons to add bounce and/or improve turf interaction?
Obviously Srazen famously altered his niblick to form a sand wedge-surely many others experimented to improve contact off less than ideal or soft turf.
The ones I've seen look like I would have zero chance of hitting off anything other than a firm fairway.

Jeff,


There were some slightly flanged hickories made, circa WWI and after I believe. Strangely not so many were higher lofted although I believe I've read that Hagen for one, used a higher lofted flanged head prior to Sarazens 'invention'. Note that Sarazens club wasn't actually hickory shafted.


Some higher lofted clubs of the 1920's had concave faces, aimed at sand paly....Bobby Jones is supposed to have used one. Concave faces were banned at some time.


Have a look at Ebay under 'hickory golf' and all sorts of head shapes will appear.


As to playability, yes, thin flanges aren't so user friendly on soft, lush or "water guzzler" (to use Ally's phase on another current thread) type fairways. Massive divots time!


I reckon if you got some hickories in your hands and played with them at your beloved Goat you'd have a hoot of a time. Go on, I dare you!


One other thing, playing hickories can give an interesting insight into yee olde days architecture and construction.


atb

[Sam Andrews]

I have a collection of my grandfather's 1920s/30s clubs, which have steel shafts (he was an engineer and believed in the latest materials). How different are steel shafted clubs from that period to hickories in terms of play? Does anyone play with them anymore?

[Jon Wiggett]

Sam,


the early steel shafts were certainly easier to master than hickory though still no where near the modern versions. They allowed the player to hit the ball a bit further but possibly more importantly to hit the ball out of heavy rough and bad lies much better than the hickory.


Jon

[Thomas Dai]

Sam,
Not many steel shafts even in the late 20’s, hickory still dominated.
Not all wooden shafts were hickory though....bambo, danga-wood for example were also used. Depended which part of the world golfers were, especially if re-shafting was needed. Indeed hickory isn’t native to Scotland/UK so back in the very early days of golf it wouldn’t have been readily at hand to use at all. I believe woods such as ash were used way back in time.
Steel was more consistent and less likely to need repair, it travelled better and wasn’t influenced by temperature changes, wet/dry weather conditions etc. But it took a while to become dominant in the club/amateur game...I imagine that effects of WWII may have influenced this.
I’ve hit a few early steels and I prefer hickory, but I have a slow, rhythmic swing rather than a ‘hit’. I’ve found early steel not to be great from the ‘feel’ aspect, but that could be me.
Atb

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