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Date Posted: 10:51:21 06/28/19 Fri
Author: Anthony Guidice (Highly satisfied)
Subject: Loft Angle Indicators on Blackstone soles
The Blackstone Irons have a nice thin topline, the nice 1 Iron high toe, the feel is very nice, and of course you get that beautiful consistency and confidence which comes from single length clubs. But what I find most satisfying about them is the loft angles on the soles instead of numbers; Numbers - which have become meaningless.
I've grown very tired of unreasonably strong lofts in golf clubs. Lower center of gravity necessitates stronger lofts? - perhaps . . . That's what the manufacturer's reps say. But I doubt it.
I consider a 3 iron 23 degrees. If you can hit a 17 degree iron - which is a 1 or 2 iron - wonderful. If you can't, and need more distance, you use a fairway wood or a hybrid. Hybrids are really just short fairway woods - necessary because by the modern numbering system, there no longer is a hittable 1, 2, 3, 4, or sometimes even 5 iron anymore. An approach wedge is a pitching wedge. Argue all you want, I tell you it is so (to quote Sherlock Holmes).
The Ping Eye 2 3-iron was 21 degrees . . . Even that was probably too much.
Enough is enough. If the 37-39 degree 7 iron doesn't go as far as the 28 degree on demo day, well too bad. The idea with irons is accuracy, not distance. The goal is to score on a golf course, not hit a 7 iron the farthest on demo day.
(The topic of yardage gaps I'll leave for another post. In these strong lofted mid-iron sets of clubs, you have no consistent yardage at the extremes. Sometimes the difference between a 5 and 4 iron is 2 degrees . . .)
Have you seen the specs on the Callaway Rogue X Irons? The 4 iron is 18.5 degrees; the 5 iron is 21. The pitching wedge is 41 degrees - that's an 8 iron. You need 2 wedges with a set of these irons, a "utility" and an "approach." Incredible that they have the gall to market this. The 6 iron is really a 3 iron; think about that . . . (If Callaway put loft angles on the Rogue X soles, they'd look delusional . . . or like a pack of robbers, eh?)
This is one reason the Blackstone Irons remain my favorites. A 3 iron is a 3 iron again, and a pitching wedge is a pitching wedge. My head is now clear. Put loft angles on the ProLines and I'll buy another set of those too . . .
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Re: Loft Angle Indicators on Blackstone soles -- Stephen (Lancaster), 14:40:16 07/05/19 Fri
Agree. If you look at the specifications and compare like numbers of different brands sometimes there 10 degrees difference. How can the average golfer navigate all of that and get what they need to get consistency in yardages.I think there should be a standard in the industry for all golf irons and maybe woods.
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Re: Loft Angle Indicators on Blackstone soles -- Anthony Guidice (Of course), 12:34:23 07/08/19 Mon
If there was an industry standard, the manufacturer's would just lie about it, finding some gray area condition to skew the numbers - although I don't think Japanese manufacturers would lie. They answer to a higher authority . . .
By the way, do you ever wonder why golf commentators always give Bryson DeChambeau the short shrift? - calling him an eccentric, and a "character" instead of talking about how well he plays? And especially why they never seriously discuss his single length equipment? - equipment allowing him to repeat the same swing over and over?
Because Cobra is the only advertiser that sells single length equipment, and Cobra doesn't spend nearly as much on advertising as TaylorMade, Callaway, and the others. The commentators need to please the advertisers. The advertisers need the public to believe that variable length clubs constitute the proper "normal" standard. And those advertisers also need the public to believe that only borderline nuts like DeChambeau play single length equipment.
The advertisers do a good job. Most golfers use variable length clubs and are terrible ball strikers. Correct or not?
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Re: Loft Angle Indicators on Blackstone soles -- Stephen (Lancaster), 22:52:13 07/15/19 Mon
Have you ever noticed that the clubs in golf pros bags are pretty close to the same length. The clubs that pros use and what are sold to the public are different. I will say that whatever clubs you use you have to have a sound swing.
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Re: Loft Angle Indicators on Blackstone soles -- Anthony Guidice, 05:32:27 07/31/19 Wed
Yes - of course, you need a sound swing. I should have written this: with variable length, I couldn't hit all my clubs consistently; and with single length I can. In fact, during my first practice session with 1 Irons - years ago - I thought, "Wow, no more excuses now . . ."
Conventional equipment manufacturers have 2 great marketing advantages: (1) bad golf instructors and (2) a desperate audience.
1. An ineffective golf instructor (there are few effective ones) can mention dozens of elements in a given golf swing, none of which matter in the least. If any of about 6 "non-negotiable" factors aren't present in a golf swing, the swing won't be sound. Those 6 or so elements are true for everyone and few instructors know about them and so can’t teach them. Why? I don't know. Why are there so many lousy lawyers? Beats me . . .
2. Most golfers willingly grasp the thinnest reed if it provides the tiniest bit of hope. They'll believe anything. So you combine (a) a subpar instructor working for (b) a shop that sells golf clubs, and you have a formidable brew: endless non-answers about the golf swing combined with promises that these new clubs will solve the problem. The result is a golfer that never improves. Equally or more desperate next year, they'll repeat this regrettable process.
Well made, single length, fitted irons simply eliminate most "mass" and "acceleration" variables in golf equipment. They won't compensate for poor swing factors.
(Who's a good instructor? - - email me and I'll tell you. I've sent people from NY to Ohio to see him.)
What are the 6 or so non-negotiables? He'll tell you. Woods and Furyk - for example - look completely different, but both employ these 6 elements. Everyone with a repeatable, sound swing does.
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Re: Loft Angle Indicators on Blackstone soles -- Stephen (Lancaster), 22:57:51 08/04/19 Sun
Yes I think you are pretty right. I have never really derived much benefit from golf lessons. I recently read Ben Hogans 5 lessons and got more out of it than any other golf lesson book or lessons. The book covers the basics of a golf swing in pretty simple and illustrated terms.
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Re: Loft Angle Indicators on Blackstone soles -- Anthony Guidice, 05:08:01 08/07/19 Wed
Yes. But a good instructor can fix fundamental hitches in a swing. There are very few of those - less than 10% probably, just like lawyers (or auto mechanics!)
Golf-wise, most instructors - and manufacturers - have another agenda that has nothing to do with how well you play.
I love Lake's interview where he's asked, "What were you doing that convinced you to do this?" Lake answers, "What I was doing was playing bad golf."
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Re: Loft Angle Indicators on Blackstone soles -- William Peck, 11:27:29 03/01/20 Sun
Yes, the Ben Hogan book says it all. I've read it twice and get something new and useful from it every time.
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