Okay, let’s talk about this single-length iron thing. I’d been playing golf for ages, you know, the usual way with irons getting shorter as the number went up. Felt normal. Then I started hearing chatter online and from a couple of guys at the club about these ‘one length’ or ‘single length’ irons.
My First Reaction? Skepticism
Honestly, it sounded kinda gimmicky. All irons the same length? Usually a 7-iron length, they said. How’s that supposed to work? My 4-iron swing feels nothing like my pitching wedge swing. Seemed like it would mess everything up. But the idea stuck in my head – the promise of just one swing, one setup for all your irons. Sounded simpler, maybe more consistent? I’m always tinkering, trying to find an edge, or at least trying to suck less.
Down the Rabbit Hole
So, I started looking into it more seriously. Watched some videos, read some forum posts. The main pitch was consistency. Same ball position, same posture, same swing thought for every iron shot. Made sense on paper. Less to think about, less to go wrong. The counter-arguments were mostly about distance gaps, especially at the top and bottom of the set. Would the long irons go high enough? Would the short irons have too much or too little distance between them?
Taking the Plunge
After humming and hawing for a while, I figured, what the heck. You don’t know until you try, right? Buying a brand new set felt like too much commitment, too much cash for an experiment. I looked around for used sets, but they weren’t that common back then. So, I decided to build a trial set myself. Found some affordable component heads designed for single length, ordered some identical shafts (steel, regular flex, nothing fancy), and got some grips.
Putting Them Together
- Got all the shafts cut to the same length – decided on 37 inches, a typical 7-iron length.
- Installed the ferrules, prepped the shafts and hosels.
- Mixed up the epoxy and carefully glued the heads onto the shafts, making sure they were aligned right.
- Let them cure properly, took ages it felt like.
- Finally, put the grips on all of them. Holding a 4-iron and a pitching wedge that felt exactly the same weight and length in my hands was… weird.
First Swings: The Weird Zone
Took them to the driving range. Setting up to the 4-iron felt really strange, way more upright than usual because the club was shorter than my old 4-iron. The first few shots were thin and low. Felt like I couldn’t hit down on it properly. Then I grabbed the pitching wedge. Setting up felt equally odd, standing taller than I normally would for a wedge shot. The first few went flying way higher and sometimes further than I expected. It was disorienting.
The Grind: Getting Used To It
This wasn’t an overnight magic fix. Far from it. I spent a good few weeks just hitting balls at the range, trying to find a consistent setup and swing that worked for all the clubs.
- Long Irons (4, 5, 6): Had to learn to trust the loft and just swing. Standing closer because of the shorter shaft actually helped me stay more centered, I think. Launch was lower than my old long irons, but surprisingly playable.
- Mid Irons (7, 8): These felt the most natural, obviously, since they were closest to the standard 7-iron length I based the set on.
- Short Irons (9, PW, GW): This was the biggest adjustment. Standing taller felt powerful but controlling distance was tough initially. Had to focus on smoother tempos and not trying to kill it. They went high, really high.
Ball position was key. I settled on playing it slightly forward of center for pretty much every club, making only tiny adjustments. It simplified things mentally.
On the Course: The Real Test
Range practice is one thing, playing is another. The first few rounds were a mixed bag. Some surprisingly good iron shots, especially from awkward lies where the consistent length felt helpful. Didn’t have to think “okay, this is a 9-iron lie” versus “this is a 6-iron lie” quite as much in terms of setup. But distance control with the wedges was still shaky under pressure. My gapping wasn’t perfect either; the jump between the 4 and 5 iron wasn’t huge, and the PW and GW felt a bit close together in distance.
Where I Am Now
So, did I stick with them? Yeah, actually. It took time, probably a couple of months of consistent play, to really feel comfortable and dial in my distances. My iron striking has become more consistent. Not dramatically better scores every round, golf isn’t that simple, but fewer really bad misses with the irons. The bad shots aren’t as destructive. I feel more confident standing over an iron shot, knowing the setup and basic swing thought are the same whether it’s 180 yards or 120 yards. They aren’t magic, you still need to practice and have a decent swing, but for me, the simplification has been a net positive. It was a fun experiment that actually panned out.
