Need more height from 5i/200 yard shot

[JamesFisher1990]

Gaming zx7 mkii 5i with Axiom 125 shaft. My launch monitor tells me good swings produce about 16-17* launch, 133-135 ball speed with a small draw, 3400-3600 spin. Ball is currently TP5. The issue is that my peak height is around 80ft but all the rest of my clubs are 95ft or more. This makes holding greens hard. I can hit cuts to gain more height and spin, but it's less controllable for me and I lose about 7-10 yards.

 

Should I:

1) Use a 5h - Peak height might be TOO high but thats potentially better than too low

2) Try a players GI iron like a zx5 to get more ball speed and thus peak height, maybe even go 1-2* weak

3) Try a lighter shaft like Axiom 105 to swing the zx7 a little faster, thus gaining more ball speed and height

3a) Combine 2 & 3

4) Do nothing and just accept my 5i flies lower and take that extra roll into account

 

[Urb]

80' is low but maybe OK if you had more spin.  Guessing you're on the lower side of spin for all your clubs?

 

If yes, I'd seek height, so probably 5h or some kind of utility.

 

You could consider a higher spin ball.  Pro V1x and Chrome Tour both spin and retain good ball speed.  

 

There are pros out there hitting 120' peak heights, so it's hard to go too high unless you play in a ton of wind.  

[vonbonds]

The ZX5 will definitely go a little higher but it should spin a bit less. This is one of those instances where you definitely need to hit them to see if it’s a big enough improvement. I personally play a 5 hybrid but that’s due to getting better outcomes on bad swings more so than tweaking to the level you’re looking at. 

[CallawayLefty]

Do you have different shafts in your 6 iron down?  If yes, just change to that shaft.  If not, have you checked the loft?  That’s awfully low spin for a 5 iron.  So maybe add a degree of loft from where it is now.  Easier fixes than outright switching clubs, assuming you like that club.  

[dsmil]

I use ZX5's in the 4 and 5 irons and my height is great with those clubs. I didn't adjust lofts and I probably have 15 yards between my ZX7 6 iron and ZX5 5 iron.

 

Your launch actually seems pretty high so I'm wondering why your spin numbers are on the low end.

Edited May 14 by dsmil

[J13]

Always had a simliar issue and went to utility irons which have lower CG along with a graphite shaft.  Fixed the issue completely.

[Judge440]

Beefier head with graphite in 105 weight range.  Deliver less shaft lean is the real key.  

[Ty_Guy]

Between those choices, I would choose either a higher launching iron head in the same shaft as the rest of your irons or a hybrid that meets your number needs.

 

You will see a small jump in ball speed going to the Zx5 leading to a higher apex. If you're happy with how you deliver the Axiom 125, I wouldn't change that as a first step. If the Zx5 doesn't give you what you're looking for, then the driving iron approach of lighter shaft, possibly longer is where I would mess with the 105. If Axiom 125 had a lighter flex, that would be an option too.

 

A 25(ish) degree 5h to match will go very high at your ball speed. Maybe because you're a low ball hitter, it could stay under 120ft. Hard to say. A quick demo at any big box store will answer that one easily.

 

I bet the Zx5 in a matching shaft is the way to go. They combo very well and has been proven to solve your exact problem in many similar sets (Mizuno 243/245, T150/T200, etc.).

[Ben B]

5 hours ago, JamesFisher1990 said:

Gaming zx7 mkii 5i with Axiom 125 shaft. My launch monitor tells me good swings produce about 16-17* launch, 133-135 ball speed with a small draw, 3400-3600 spin. Ball is currently TP5. The issue is that my peak height is around 80ft but all the rest of my clubs are 95ft or more. This makes holding greens hard. I can hit cuts to gain more height and spin, but it's less controllable for me and I lose about 7-10 yards.

 

Should I:

1) Use a 5h - Peak height might be TOO high but thats potentially better than too low

2) Try a players GI iron like a zx5 to get more ball speed and thus peak height, maybe even go 1-2* weak

3) Try a lighter shaft like Axiom 105 to swing the zx7 a little faster, thus gaining more ball speed and height

3a) Combine 2 & 3

4) Do nothing and just accept my 5i flies lower and take that extra roll into account

 

You could try moving the ball a touch forward in your stance and see if that helps. Seems like a delivery issue where you are hitting down and turning the face over. Another possibility is your grip. I find myself having this issue every once in a while and it is almost always that my top hand has gotten too strong and it causes me to deliver too little of loft.

 

As mentioned, going with a lightly shaft may help. Or you could try counterbalancing your current 5 iron. Wrap 10-15g of lead tape around the butt end of the grip and see if that has any effect in increasing clubhead speed and possibly delivering more loft. 

[Climbhard]

I vote 2

[redshirtgolfer]

Try a 6 hybrid with a stiff shaft. That was my 190-200 club for the last two seasons. Currently playing a 5 hybrid, but thats definitely longer than 200. 

[JamesFisher1990]

6 hours ago, dsmil said:

I use ZX5's in the 4 and 5 irons and my height is great with those clubs. I didn't adjust lofts and I probably have 15 yards between my ZX7 6 iron and ZX5 5 iron.

 

Your launch actually seems pretty high so I'm wondering why your spin numbers are on the low end.

[JamesFisher1990]

Just now, JamesFisher1990 said:

6 hours ago, dsmil said:

I use ZX5's in the 4 and 5 irons and my height is great with those clubs. I didn't adjust lofts and I probably have 15 yards between my ZX7 6 iron and ZX5 5 iron.

 

Your launch actually seems pretty high so I'm wondering why your spin numbers are on the low end.

Weird won't' let me type a reply to the above - anyway, for whatever reason the spin loft I'm producing with that club is just very low I guess, and maybe the CG is a little more forward.

 

I am launching it about the same angle as both the 6 and 7i, and overall I am a lower spin player which is why I use a TP5 right now. I'm not overly steep but I must be taking loft off the club without leaning the shaft too much.

[JamesFisher1990]

1 hour ago, redshirtgolfer said:

Try a 6 hybrid with a stiff shaft. That was my 190-200 club for the last two seasons. Currently playing a 5 hybrid, but thats definitely longer than 200. 

I'd likely play a 5h short. Im playing my 4h 1* weak and 1/2" short, otherwise it goes 230.

[JamesFisher1990]

6 hours ago, J13 said:

Always had a simliar issue and went to utility irons which have lower CG along with a graphite shaft.  Fixed the issue completely.

Would love to hear your story/experience. What irons were you using, what were the numbers like and what iron did you switch to and what was the result?

[JamesFisher1990]

6 hours ago, dsmil said:

I use ZX5's in the 4 and 5 irons and my height is great with those clubs. I didn't adjust lofts and I probably have 15 yards between my ZX7 6 iron and ZX5 5 iron.

 

Your launch actually seems pretty high so I'm wondering why your spin numbers are on the low end.

Just a lower spin player. I'm evening working with a coach now and we've weakened my grip a touch (was very strong, is now neutral but still that didn't add much height, just less curvature on the draw).

 

When I hit a good cut with the zx7 5i, Spin goes up to 4600-4800 but bc ball speed drops a little bit, peak height only goes up about 7ft. It does stop faster but I tend to really curve cuts a lot, whereas draws now are curving maybe 5-15 yards. My cuts are just glorified push slices tbh.

[JamesFisher1990]

7 hours ago, Urb said:

80' is low but maybe OK if you had more spin.  Guessing you're on the lower side of spin for all your clubs?

 

If yes, I'd seek height, so probably 5h or some kind of utility.

 

You could consider a higher spin ball.  Pro V1x and Chrome Tour both spin and retain good ball speed.  

 

There are pros out there hitting 120' peak heights, so it's hard to go too high unless you play in a ton of wind.  

Oh I know, I've been to tons of PGA events, guys hit it incredibly high for the most part. I don''t play on crazy firm greens so I don''t need 120ft peak height on any club really other than maybe the 5w. Right now all my irons are 90-92ft but the 5i is 78-80. The woods and 4h go higher obviously.

[speedeuphoria]

Zx5 mkii will be great, I have a set of zx5 mkii 5-6i with zx7 mkii 7-pw.

 

The zx5 mkii 5i is the easiest 5i I've ever hit with and launches high so much so I was considering picking up a 4i

 

Currently playing king tours and have same issue with 5i

Edited May 14 by speedeuphoria

[me05501]

I play a similar setup of ZX5/ZX7's and have rolled through a few experiments in the past. 

 

I agree with the poster who suggested taking off 1-2 degrees of loft as a first option. 

 

My last set was built on MMT 125's in stiff and I used an MMT 105 in the five iron. It wasn't a perfect solution because it felt different from the rest of the set, but it did help me get more speed. 

 

Srixon irons are very easy to blend so trying a different head would be reasonable. The ZX5 would probably be enough but you could even go ZX4 or ZX-U without it being too jarring to the eye. 

 

If I was in your shoes I'd probably just buy complete clubs to try first, even if the shafts aren't quite perfect. Once you find the head that suits your eye and gives you the stats you want you can shaft that one up with an Axiom to match the others. I'd probably keep your current 5i intact to make it easier to sell the set whenever you move on. 

Edited May 15 by me05501