Why am I always attracted to...

[cloran]

Why am I always attracted to fringe equipment manufacturers?

The first set of irons I ever bought for myself were these (see youtube vid) from David Blake at 1irongolf.com. I'm convinced that his ideas hold merrit, but at the time the irons and my swing just didn't mesh. Actually, I didn't have a swing so NO iron would have meshed... I sold them on ebay.



The second set of irons I bought were these:



The Nike's are a bit more "conventional" than the 1irongolf system, but not exactly blades. At this time in my swing "development" I was just starting to read about various theories and swing styles. I was sold on needing a hybrid set of irons... a COMPLETE set of hybrid irons. These were as close as I could get for the price I could afford.

Since then I've flirted with:



and these...



and these as well...



I'm forever searching for the holy grail of golf equipment and golf swings. I've researched Moe Norman and Todd Graves to no end. I've participated in their webinars, bought the books and videos, everything... lol. I'm probably nuts but it's like a hobby. The never ending search for the EASIEST swing.

All that work brought me to Jack Kuykendall. His history with Moe interested me as well as his e2e swing. I was close to buying his irons (close, verrrry close, lol).



Just yesterday my mind began to wander and I put a bid on these "pretty" ladies:




Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind I will always think that there is an easier way. Hybrid-ish, wood-like irons MUST be easier to score with... right?

Maybe I should just buy the set of Spalding EX irons, put in super stiff shafts, figure out a way to bend the heads 6* flat, fill the heads with hot melt to dull the sound and bring the swing weight up to D7 or D8, cut them all to the length of a 7 iron, and top them off with some oversized grips?

THAT'LL DO IT!!!!!

[Richie3Jack]

I think it's part of wanting to try and 'outsmart' everybody else and to be the guy who was using a mfg. before they became popular. I kinda have that mentality as well. Used to be really bad back in the day, but having played so much golf and having been around the block a few times, I realize it's very very rare when a manufacturer is really onto something.





3JACK

[cloran]

That's part my mental disability for sure, lol. I want to "discover" something... but I don't have the spine to bag this gear with confidence. When I played the 1irongolf irons I would get asked about them at least once per round. I felt the need to defend them and describe why they were such a great idea... only to chilly-dip a 9i (or is it a 7i?) and put a 95 on the scorecard.

I'm still so ingrigued by the complete hybrid or wood set. The Spalding EX's are fascinating to me, seriously... I'm ill.

[Richie3Jack]

What's funny is I usually have to defend whatever blades I'm using.





3JACK

[cloran]

Lol...

That too. Defending a set of '59 Dynapower irons can be just as frustrating.

I may be bi-polar. I am looking at both the Spalding EX and perhaps picking up another set of Hogan Precision blades. Can you get any more extreme?

[jonnygrouville]

Sorry, but I’m in Richie’s camp here as well. I need to make life as absolutely difficult for myself as possible. Blades are like pretty girlfriends – love having them around, love being seen with them, love telling your friends how great they, whilst keeping it to yourself that they are incredibly demanding and are making your life an absolute misery. I have to admit to owning a set of Zing 2s as well those. Ugly, but have a certain je ne sais quoi – and work. Those Spalding Executives though? Not sure I could ever see myself using a pitching wood.

I was in the US with work a couple of years back, fixed up a game with guys from the office and rented a set of Nike clubs at the course. Can’t remember exactly, but I think I had about 160 or something into the first and pulled out my newly hired Slingshot seven iron. After impact, we all looked around as it had made a noise like a driver, and then looked up to see the ball in flight, still going up as it flew over the pin and sailed over the trees at the back. I think I was closer to the second green than the first. That whole round was funny. The driver was about twelve degrees with a regular shaft and I was hitting it so high there was a concern that a ball landing might awaken Mothra.

Old Pings used to be like this as well – as if they had another super-sweetspot right in the middle of the proper sweetspot that if you really compressed the life out of one would make a noise like artillery and fly yards and yards over any green.

How did Jack Kuykendall have time to invent a golf swing? Did he do it whilst he was sailing that raft across the Atlantic?

Love your last idea. After leaving college, a guy I was on the team with went this way and the longest iron he carried was a six or something like that. Above that was a collection of all kinds of contraptions. He had a ladies seven wood head with a four iron shaft, a four wood head with a six iron shaft, and I think a couple were the same length. It was like playing golf with a traveling Victorian freakshow, wondering what sort of monstrosity he was going to produce next.

[jonnygrouville]

Apologies again, but I’m enjoying my own metaphor. When it is obvious you are punching above your weight, with a girl much too attractive for you, you can be standing at a bar right next to them – honestly right there – and guys will wander over and make a pass at her right in front of you. Next time I see someone at the range with a set of blades and no idea how to use them, I might slip on over and start chatting up their clubs. Do you come here often? What are you hanging around with this loser for? Is that a regular shaft in his driver? I bet he hasn’t even checked your lofts this year.

[gmbtempe]

I really have been contemplating the move to blades, I did about 3 hours of Flightscope testing this weekend and its painfully obvious, when I hit blades I need Viagra, cant get em up.

I was launching them a good degree and half lower than the next closet iron I was testing. The carry was 5 yards less despite the same swing and ball speed.

I have tried out lots of irons and follow along with the mentality of try it you will never know.

I remember the first time I got a good set of Pings, the G2 which to me was their first real good iron in a while. Problem was if you flushed a 7 iron instead of it going 160 it was liable to go 180. I think think they were made with it in mind that golfers only make great contact 1/10 shots, at least the market they were going after. Of course they threw in the super light setup to boot.

[mchepp]

Dec 13, 2010 11:17:14 GMT -5 jonnygrouville said:

Apologies again, but I’m enjoying my own metaphor. When it is obvious you are punching above your weight, with a girl much too attractive for you, you can be standing at a bar right next to them – honestly right there – and guys will wander over and make a pass at her right in front of you. Next time I see someone at the range with a set of blades and no idea how to use them, I might slip on over and start chatting up their clubs. Do you come her often? What are you hanging around with this loser for? Is that a regular shaft in his driver? I bet he hasn’t even checked your lofts this year.

Good post.

If you do execute on your plan please capture the event on video and post it here for us to see. Please be sure to catch the reaction of the other guy as well.

[ioz]

Dec 13, 2010 11:17:14 GMT -5 jonnygrouville said:

Apologies again, but I’m enjoying my own metaphor. When it is obvious you are punching above your weight, with a girl much too attractive for you, you can be standing at a bar right next to them – honestly right there – and guys will wander over and make a pass at her right in front of you. Next time I see someone at the range with a set of blades and no idea how to use them, I might slip on over and start chatting up their clubs. Do you come here often? What are you hanging around with this loser for? Is that a regular shaft in his driver? I bet he hasn’t even checked your lofts this year.

That's hilarious ;D
Please let us know how it goes!