Why I Play Single Length Irons
You’ve heard of golf’s Mad Scientist, right? We’re talking about Bryson Dechambeau. Believe it or not, I played a pretty significant role in building his infamous single length irons up until he signed with Cobra. We’re talking about all the way back when he was a college stud at SMU. Believe it or not, I play single length clubs myself.
That’s what this week’s podcast is all about. There isn’t enough time for a single episode to go over everything I’ve learned about club fitting from the process building single length irons. However, if you’re curious about this new phenomenon, hang out for the next few minutes as we dive a little deeper.
You might not know it but, Bobby Jones won the grand slam with single length clubs. Funny how arguably the game’s greatest player ever was on to something that was all too soon forgotten until recently.
When you think about how many variables the game of golf has, it’s a curious question why we wouldn’t make the tools of the trade as simple as they can be. “Tennis doesn’t have 14 different racquets, basketball is only played with one round ball… Golf is the most variable sport in the world… Why are we playing a complicated set of golf clubs when we don’t have to?”
The technology is here now where we don’t have to make different swings with every club in the bag. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that single length allows me to “have low point control…” Because I’m able to have the same ball position, I’m able to make the swing over and over. Talk about taking some variables out of the golf swing!
Trust me, throughout the process of learning about single length, I wondered if “I’m drinking the Kool-Aid…” However, when I recently took out my set of variable-length irons, it was the most foreign thing in the world. I wondered, “What do I do? How do I hit this shot?” Everything seemed complicated. That was all the proof I needed to see that the simplicity of single length makes absolute sense.
One of our viewers wrote in and asked, “What are your thoughts on why these have not become more widely accepted, especially for higher handicap players?”
This is an interesting question. I think there’s a fear factor for a lot of the CEOs at the big OEM’s. “Nobody wants to get behind something that’s not going to gain traction in the industry… If they do that and end up with big losses, they’re going to have egg on their face.”
There’s also a big concern among folks in the industry, as well as recreational players, that higher lofted irons are going to balloon, and lower lofted irons aren’t going to fly high enough. In my opinion, that’s why the fitting process for single length is so important.
While single length makes the playing the game so much simpler, the fitting process is complicated and it isn’t something that a lot of people know much about. I think that could be another reason why we haven’t seen the idea become more popular.
For golfers, cost has to be a factor too. Single length clubs are more expensive than a cast set of variable lengths you buy off the shelf at your local retailer.
In the end, I think single length does have the capability to significantly change how the game is played and taught. When will that happen? Time will tell.
Hopefully, this podcast has given you some greater insight into the concept of single length irons. We appreciate you taking the time to listen and are happy to answer any questions you might have! See you next time on the Edel Golf Podcast.