Equipment
Today from the Forums: “When did the 1-iron phase-out on the PGA Tour?”
Today from the Forums shines a light on a discussion between members over when the 1-iron began to phase out on the PGA Tour. Our members have been having their say on the topic, with some believing the club has simply evolved.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- llamont: “My own opinion is that the 1-iron is alive and well in the evolved form of the modern-day driving iron/utility club (not hybrid). TaylorMade, Callaway, Srixon, Titleist, etc. all make driving irons used by professionals and amateurs alike. The number used to identify a club and the loft of the club are completely subjective when comparing equipment from different eras, but the intended purposes remain the same.”
- dalehead: “The 1 iron was never in the bags of most tour pros even back to the Hogan era. The most common bag set up was 3 woods, 2-PW, SW and putter. There was a big surge in 1 irons with the introduction of the Ping Eye 2’s which featured a 1 iron that even the less skilled could use (ask me how I know). It usually replaced the third wood in the bag. Several factors lead to the demise of the 1 iron. The lob wedge. Room had to be made in the bag for it. 2 and even 3 irons with the loft of older 1 irons. The hybrid. As others have said we have the modern driving irons, but they’ve come a long way from say a Wilson Staff button back 1 iron which was my unicorn when I was a kid.”
- Dr. Block :”I have a Wilson staff 1 iron from the early ’80s. I checked the specs, and its loft is equivalent to a modern 3 iron or 3 hybrid. So maybe the 1 iron died when club companies starting strengthening the lofts of irons to create extra distance.”
- 3jacker: “The most correct answer thus far is the ones stating that 2 and 3 irons are the same club as the old 1 irons. It is easy to compare today’s lofts/lengths with the clubs from the 90s and before. Second-biggest cause is the changes to the ball. Third is that hybrids replaced them, but at the professional level hybrids do not perform the same way as a low-lofted iron (utility or 2 iron today). Easier to hit but harder to keep down when desired. I had a full set of those Hogan PCs shown above back in the late 80s. Loved them, that 1-iron was a joy to hit well (when things were working). Still have them stashed away somewhere…”
Entire Thread: “When did the 1-iron phase-out on the PGA Tour?”
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Whats in the Bag
Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)
- Chesson Hadley what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.
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Whats in the Bag
Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)
Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5
- The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!
3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X
Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron
As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)
What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!
View this post on Instagram
I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…
To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”
On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.
Here’s what he had to say:
You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?
MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.
And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.
When did it come back in the bag?
MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.
What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?
MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?
Do you remember how much you paid for it?
MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.
The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?
MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.
It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?
MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.
What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?
MT: Like high 170’s.
Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.
MT: Yeah. The butter knife.
Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons?
MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.
How far do you carry that?
MT: Like 235.
A good little wind club, I’m sure.
MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.
I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man.
MT: Absolutely.
To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.
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Rich Douglas
Feb 7, 2020 at 11:15 am
The 1-iron died when people kept repeating a Lee Trevino joke about it.
juststeve
Feb 7, 2020 at 9:01 am
The modern golf ball doesn’t spin enough to make a one iron playable.
Steve
Gurn
Feb 7, 2020 at 7:53 am
I remember when Long John Daly had a zero iron… seriously, 10,000,000 smokes ago
Gman
Feb 7, 2020 at 6:42 am
In the 70s and up to the mid 80s a PW had ca. 50 degrees of Loft and a 1 iron ca. 17 degrees
A PW now has maximum 46 degrees and normally a lot less. A corresponding 1 iron would now need to have about 13 degrees ????