Loss of Distance?!?

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By DMorrison

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  • 16 Replies
  1. DMorrison

    DMorrison
    Senoia, GA

    I FINALLY joined the Titleist community when I got my very first set of Titleist clubs in the fall. The switch was from a set of swoosh VR Pro irons to the T100's and I LOVE THEM! To be certain, there is no comparison in aesthetics or feel; however, I have lost quite a bit of distance (15 yds or so). Swing is the same (at least I think). Club speed is the same. What in the world could be the problem? Is this typical when switching to a new club? On the other hand, I'm DEFINITELY gaining distance and accuracy with my driver/woods (TSi2), wedges (SM8) and my Newport putter (alive with pleasure--ha ha!). While I'm overall scoring better, lowering my handicap, and feeling good about things, I just wish I had my former iron distances.

    Any input is appreciated!

    David Morrison Senoia, GA

  2. Dale V

    Dale V
    Surprise AZ

    First, I have to ask, were you fitted or did you make the switch to the T100 on your own? Shafts can make a big difference and during a fitting, you usually hit your existing clubs and the future clubs to compare differences. That would have been the time where a significant difference in distances would have shown up and the fitter would have altered the shafts or recommended the T100S model. And to your point, you are scoring better so if you hit the T100 more accurately (which is the job of the irons) it should not matter what the number is on the bottom of the club. Hopefully you get comfortable with them or adjust with a fitter.
  3. DMorrison

    DMorrison
    Senoia, GA

    Hey! Thanks to all who added their 2 cents. I didn't get fitted but did test them (on a mat). I was in love from the start and couldn't deny the impulse to take them home. That was stupid, but I couldn't help it. Both old and new clubs have stiff shafts (Titleist = AMT White S300)

    Update: After a couple of practice sessions, I've actually gained an average carry distance of about 10 yards with each iron. I also think that cold weather might have been playing with me, too. Now that it's warming up, I should have better comparisons between the sets. I think I'm going to do a fitting just to see if I'm getting all I can out of the clubs. If I have to re-shaft them, I will.
  4. Greg B

    Greg B
    Shelby, NC

    DMorrison said:

    I FINALLY joined the Titleist community when I got my very first set of Titleist clubs in the fall. The switch was from a set of swoosh VR Pro irons to the T100's and I LOVE THEM! To be certain, there is no comparison in aesthetics or feel; however, I have lost quite a bit of distance (15 yds or so). Swing is the same (at least I think). Club speed is the same. What in the world could be the problem? Is this typical when switching to a new club? On the other hand, I'm DEFINITELY gaining distance and accuracy with my driver/woods (TSi2), wedges (SM8) and my Newport putter (alive with pleasure--ha ha!). While I'm overall scoring better, lowering my handicap, and feeling good about things, I just wish I had my former iron distances.

    Any input is appreciated!

    David Morrison Senoia, GA

    Well to me it sounds like you may not have the right shaft in the irons, or were the lofts in your other irons stronger? If you are striking your irons good that’s seems to the only two things I could think of. Maybe some others will chime in. Good luck.
  5. Barry M

    Barry M
    Reno, NV

    I assume you were fitted for the T100's, or at least got to try them out before buying. T100's are more of a players club, and for most average golfers players clubs are going to be shorter than game improvement clubs. I play the 718 AP1 irons, and when fitted I really liked the feel and performance of the AP3 but my consistency did not fit them. My fitter was very complementary of my swing and agreed I had some very impressive results with the AP3 but consistently more accuracy and distance with the AP1.
    Give them a chance and reassess after a dozen rounds.
  6. Abdon M

    Abdon M
    Northern California (because it's a big state)

    As mentioned in another post, if you did not get fit for your new set, that could explain a lot. Did you have an opportunity to try the new clubs against your prior set? If so, I would believe you would have detected the distance difference immediately; a 15 yard difference is significant if you're talking irons.

    Another thing to check is the loft of your clubs (both old and new). Your local club repair shop should have the equipment to determine the lofts of your clubs.
  7. Agree with the other posters, probably different shafts and loft adjustments might help you gain the yards back.
  8. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    Agree with Abdon: Fifteen yards is in some instances one club difference. Agree that you should compare the lofts on both sets iron for iron. The 7 iron in your set is 34* which in some more forgiving sets would be an 8 iron.
  9. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    Did a little further research and thought you might like to read this info on your swoosh iron specs:

    QUOTE: "swoosh designed its VR Pro Series irons in only blade form or in a combo set. The combo set consists of pocket cavity low irons, for forgiveness, split-cavity mid-irons, for control and workability, and blade high irons and wedges, for maximum feel. In the standard set, 2-, 3- and 4-iron have 18, 21 and 24 degrees of loft; the 5-, 6- and 7-iron have 27, 31 and 35 degrees; and the 8, 9 and pitching wedge have 39, 43 and 47 degrees. These irons work best in the hands of an experienced golfer".

    Unless someone has tweaked the lofts stronger on your old set they both are basically the same. T100 specs: 3-21*, 4-24*, 5-27*, 6-30*, 7-34*, 8-38*, 9-42*, and P-46*. A properly fitted shaft which can be achieved thru a certified fitter utilizing Trackman can make a big difference.

    The one thing you failed to mentioned was the type of shafts used in the old set versus the new set. I picked up yardage by going from a stiff to a regular shaft. My fitter showed me the numbers, the accuracy and the distance. Good luck.
  10. Mike M

    Mike M
    Marblehead MA

    Sometimes, a 7-iron, is not a 7 iron.I'll bet if you look the lofts of the T100's are higher than those of the swoosh Pro you're coming out of.


    Just a thought.......
  11. one thing that may be overlooked is the wear on the grooves of your old set, if you are essentially hitting "knuckle balls" you can see big jumps in distance. I put impact tape on the face during fittings for a few shots, but I delete the results since the impact tape can add 15-20 yards, but they have super low spin. Just re-calibrate your new yardages and as the season warms up you might see some of your old distance return.
  12. Ron T

    Ron T
    Grapevine, TX

    One thing that might be part of this analysis...

    I recently switched from 710MB to the T100s... and it took several weeks of playing before my distances got back to what I would consider normal for me. It was almost as if I needed to break in how they felt in my swing in order to get things going how I wanted them to.

    Now, I'm back to where I was if not further and the playability is also back (being able to shape the shot).
  13. Joe M

    Joe M
    Fire Lieutenant (Ret)

    I too had the same issue the last time I got fitted for a different brand. Now I just purchased my T100s and again have noticed the distance drop. As happened in the past, hopefully the distance will come back. It did the last time. Love the look and feel of the new T100s!!!
  14. DMorrison

    DMorrison
    Senoia, GA

    One thing I noticed between my old set and the T100's was the difference in weight. The 100's seem a bit heavier, and I'm sure it was part of the issue in addition to colder temperatures. Either way, I love these irons. They feel like butter.
  15. Diego D

    Diego D
    Melbourne, VIC

    When I started playing golf, we used to adapt to the clubs, however, now the clubs adapt to the golfer. Getting properly fitted is key. Therefore, the most sensible option is to look into changing shafts or simply adapt to the new irons and sacrifice distance while you are getting better dispersion (score).

    I recently made a minor swing + grip change and I lost 5 yards on average. I do not mind losing distance because my dispersion has just gotten tighter and tighter. What else would you want from your irons?
  16. DMorrison

    DMorrison
    Senoia, GA

    That's a good point. At the end of the day, I'd rather shoot 75 with lost distance than 85 without accuracy. I'm not unhappy at all...just surprised. But as I replied to another team member, I've actually regained my former distance and then some after I took the irons for a serious couple of practice sessions. I'm confident that many things will improve as the season moves on. I'll actually be playing in my first club tournament in a couple of weeks. Can't wait.
  17. Tom B

    Tom B
    Northborough, MA

    Mike M hit the nail on the head. LOTS of clubs now have much varying lofts. Some now have lofts where a 7 iron has the loft of a 6 iron, and several OTHER manufacturers have been doing this for several years. The 100's being more closely aligned as a "players" club than a "game improvement" club, the lofts are more traditional. That's why I stayed with them. After decades of playing and knowing my distances, I didn't want to start over hitting a 7 iron when I'm really hitting a 6 iron, based on the true loft.

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