what can i expect?

ha, i just learned my irons are set back or what ever ya call it. ping i3. my budies are almost flush with the shaft.

i have began scoring in the 80 to 90/s and now wonder what i could expect if i purchase regular clubs? what is the learning curve with them.? could learning to swing with my old clubs affect the driver and fair way which are not set back amd explain why they are so difficult for me to hit.

thanks

pat

A short club is easier to use than a long club. That explains why you find it difficult to use your driver and fairway woods. It may also explain why you find it easier to use your irons. The offset (that's the term) on the irons promote the clubface to square itself. It has the tendency to promote hooks for better players.

Using blades (that's the term for player's irons because of their original physical shape) will tend to force you to improve or quit. They are not more difficult to use but they are more painful to use badly. The perimeter weighting on GI (game improvement) irons will mitigate the effect of an off-center hit. An off-center hit will tend to twist the club violently which will transmit quite a shock to the grip and subsequently the hands of the player. It is this painful feedback from a blade that will force you to improve or quit.

Another thing that will mitigate the shock of a badly struck ball is a flexible shaft. Since it is not rigid, it will not transmit as much twist and shock of a badly struck ball and thus is popular among mediocre players. Note that professional players tend to prefer very rigid shafts in all their clubs because they prefer control over comfort. Indeed, a side effect of a flexible shaft is the loss of control. Control that a more rigid shaft would otherwise give the player.

Blades have the nasty tendency to force players to improve their technique. Blades and practice go well together.



A note on the offset. Technically, the leading edge of a blade is not aligned with the shaft, it's aligned with the outer diameter of the hosel or just about. There is a distinction. My clubs, Accuform PTM irons, appear to have an offset leading edge when in fact, they are perfectly aligned with the shaft's axis. Next time somebody asks you about the offset, you'll have something unusual to say.

If by 'regular clubs' you mean those with less offset, you can expect a lower trajectory and a tendency for shots to leak right (until you change your ball position).

hi
i have used ping for over 25 years and all 3 sets i have had were offset on the irons and i use to have a set of Wilson metal woods that were offset too, when playing you don't find any difference to normal no-offset clubs. the off set is to help you get your hands ahead of the ball at contact and what it seems to do is get the ball in the air more than no-offset clubs. i really don't think they make that much off a difference and i have just got use to them i have never had any problem using offset irons and then using a no-offset drives or fairway wood, most wedges have some offset to them. i3 are good clubs and are very forgiving too and should help your game improve. like martin said that longer the shaft the further you hit the ball and the more errors will show up on your shots, with the 7,8,9 and wedges the backspin on the ball over powers the side spin and they tend to fly fairly straight but with the 3,4,5,6 irons and the woods there is not as much backspin and the side spin takes over and you get a slice or a hook.
some people hate offset clubs and some don't.
bill

ok i just bought a nike 52 degree wedge and whoa the difference. it just doesnt fit well with my eye and my shots dont feel right. its been difficult using it and i have found as some one said the trajeditery is a little lower and i am having trouble going straight but i like the way it seems to be develping as i use it. seems to be getting the ball closer to the hole on pitches and chips. presently thats all i am using it on till i get a good feel for how to use it.

thanks for the comments
pat

hi pat
you say you have trouble getting the ball to go straight with your wedge, does it tend to go to the left or to the right.
bill