Recommendations for a never golfer- one length or no?

[ephmen]

Thank you all in advance for your advice. My wife is thinking of taking up the game. Theoretical question, if you were starting from scratch having never played before, would you start with one length irons or a traditional set? Of course, first she will take lessions, yada, yada , yada......

[Mcgeeno]

I'm a single length player and a low(ish) handicap.

 

I do find the practice, setup, ball position and swing seems easier to repeat with single length.

 

If I could do it all over again I would have gone this way as a junior golfer. I would have bought them for my wife too.

 

Its worth considering. I never force SL on anyone in this forum but I hope people would keep an open mind and try them.

[TKS]

I'm in favor of single length. Just watch club set makeup. stop irons at the 6 or 7. move to fwy woods or hybrids

 

[Jeff58]

IMO/

The most significant potential advantage of single length is that it simplifies setup and swing mechanics for your iron set. While that’s true for your irons, you still have to understand setup positions and adapt for all the other clubs, whatever they may be. Now, instead of a steady progression, you have a gross gap between your radically upright long irons and your longer normal-length clubs.

Single length will make longer irons easier to hit to the expense of short iron trajectory, ease of use, and distance gapping. The problem with this advantage is that few new players, particularly women, should be carrying an iron longer than a 6 regardless of it’s length. Is it really an advantage for her to be hitting a short 4 iron?

/IMO

[alfriday]

I pay single length and love them. This past summer, I bought my wife a set of single length. She plays maybe 10 times a year; she is not a new golfer. Nevertheless, she likes the one length much better than her old set. Several of her friends have borrowed her clubs and a few have ordered one length. Over all, the response has been positive.

 

As to set make up: What type of "woman golfer" do you think your wife will be? I ask because my wife is a fairly typical "social" golfer. She plays in couples events and as an alternate in the ladies league. A good drive goes 140 yards. My sister is a "serious" golfer. She has been club champion at three different clubs, plays four plus times a week, and when we play, she tees off from the "men's tees." Obviously, they have very different set requirements.

 

I looked for a mixed set of irons and hybrids for my wife. I ended up ordering a full set of irons that I found that were inexpensive and added in a one length hybrid. The 5 and 6 iron from her set stay in our basement. It was cheaper than the combo iron/hybrid sets I found from the major manufacturer. Given my wife's swing speed, she could probably get by just fine with only the odd numbered irons, but she has the full set, so why not leave them in the bag.

[ephmen]

Definitely a social one.

[dmeeksDC]

I think single-length is great in mid and long irons. I don’t like them in the wedges and didn’t feel like they were easier in those scoring clubs. Might be different if I had started with them. I do know a couple of players who are single-length for 4-7 irons only.

[Davidv]

I would go with a traditional set versus one length. The one length is a nice niche market but really offers nothing tangible to your game or furthering your golf skills.

[CasualLie]

I would find the usual SL debate/issues pointless for a woman new to the game. Unless she shows natural talent to generate significant ball speed and can launch a mid-long iron, then keep it simple: traditional length irons stopping at 7 iron, add hybrids as needed. I have played with a lot of women over the years who are just weekend golfers, index around 20, and never have I seen them with the need to have 14 clubs in the bag. The tees they play are up so much but still they do not get a lot of distance with the driver so it is almost always the same 5 - 6 clubs used. Driver off tee, 3W only on par 5s, hybrids, occasional short iron, wedges on every hole, putter.

It's key to make the game fun for a newbie and not overthink it. SL really does not factor into the discussion.

[TM_HOYER]

I would say no to single length unless you are ready to be a do it yourselfer and have the ability to experiment and adjust the clubs to get them right. You will find the number of single length club sets to be very small. You would jealous of the number of iron options lefthanders have if you went single length. Also very few club fitters are trained to properly fit single length. Stick with standard set that club fitters and builders can get built to your needs.

[Z1ggy16]

Never got the point of SL irons. Data I've seen shows that they tend to be wacky with gapping and probably takes a pretty consistent ball striker to make sure the gaps created are consistent. Furthermore, if you play the right tee boxes for your driving distance, you should be hitting 7i and up for most of your approaches. Most rounds I play, I rarely have to touch my 4i, maybe I use the 5i and 6i 2 times? So...if I'm hitting mostly mid and short irons into greens, how is SL helping me if theoretically as the club gets shorter, the swing becomes a little easier? If I had a PW into a green, I wouldn't want what is essentially a 7i in my hand. I also wouldn't want to be chipping with 7i length clubs either.