Short hosel vs. Long Hosel irons

[Woodridge]

I'm curious about the differences between irons with short hosels and ones with long hosels.

 

• Is there a performance differences, a feel difference?

 

• Were club designers trying to achieve something specific with one or the other? 

 

• Or was it a manufacturing decision that had nothing to do with the playability?

 

• Finally, does anyone have preferences between the two?

[Steele47]

Was probably a quality of the epoxy of the time issue. 

[Joe S]

In the old days a club had to have a long hosel to support the hickory shaft or else the shaft would break.  That made it tough to design a club with the sweet spot in the middle of the face.  It was usually closer the heal than it was to the toe.  Through the years manufacturers have made the hosel shorter and shorter to move more mass where they want it in the head.  I think the question a player would really want answered instead of "is a long or short hosel preferable?" would be "where is the sweet spot located?".  I clever club designer these days could make a long hosel club with the sweet spot in the center of the face or a short hosel club with the it closer to the heal.  A center of the face sweet spot would probably be more forgiving, especially on toe hits.  Some people say that a sweet spot slightly on the heal side of the center line makes an iron more workable.  

 

 

[Steele47]

4 hours ago, Joe S said:

In the old days a club had to have a long hosel to support the hickory shaft or else the shaft would break.  That made it tough to design a club with the sweet spot in the middle of the face.  It was usually closer the heal than it was to the toe.  Through the years manufacturers have made the hosel shorter and shorter to move more mass where they want it in the head.  I think the question a player would really want answered instead of "is a long or short hosel preferable?" would be "where is the sweet spot located?".  I clever club designer these days could make a long hosel club with the sweet spot in the center of the face or a short hosel club with the it closer to the heal.  A center of the face sweet spot would probably be more forgiving, especially on toe hits.  Some people say that a sweet spot slightly on the heal side of the center line makes an iron more workable.  

 

 

 

 

Yes.   I remember as a kid when I shanked a shot,  there was usually some good natured smart alec saying, "gee, that was quite close to a a perfect strike."  

 

Stronger adhering epoxy means club manufacturers have been able to redistribute weight throughout the head in ways they could not in the old days.  

 

 

[MrFlipper]

9 hours ago, Woodridge said:

I'm curious about the differences between irons with short hosels and ones with long hosels.

 

• Is there a performance differences, a feel difference?

 

• Were club designers trying to achieve something specific with one or the other? 

 

• Or was it a manufacturing decision that had nothing to do with the playability?

 

• Finally, does anyone have preferences between the two?

 

Hey, I'll throw in my 2 cents, but of dubious value. 

 

Long hosels were just how it was always done, esp through 50's and 60's. Shorter hosels came about because they were easier to hit from a weight standpoint, legend was the original Hogans with super long hosels were so hard to hit that only Mr. Hogan could get them airborne. 

 

I've grown very conscious of static weight as I've aged, really long hosels just too heavy now. 

 

Feel difference mostly weight related to me, although there is some difference due to weight concentrated near shaft vs farther towards toe. I grew up with sweet spots closer to heel so I'm comfortable with it, but certainly not the norm nowadays. I'd assume current clubs have the sweet spot near the center of the blade, very difficult if not impossible with long hosels.

 

I've found that, given a preference for lighter clubs, I'm good with somewhat longer hosels combined with lightweight shafts, such as bounce soles with apex4's. Certainly not modern really short hosel SGI's (ugh), or say older longer hosel clubs with heavy shafts of their time (way too heavy for me at my age). Never hit the original precisions with really really long hosels, out of my price range, but prob feel very heavy to me.

 

I think the old long hosels look really cool, would love to hit them well, but just too sledgehammery for me now.

[BIG STU]

On 9/11/2021 at 3:26 AM, Steele47 said:

 

 

Yes.   I remember as a kid when I shanked a shot,  there was usually some good natured smart alec saying, "gee, that was quite close to a a perfect strike."  

 

Stronger adhering epoxy means club manufacturers have been able to redistribute weight throughout the head in ways they could not in the old days.  

 

 

Light Bulb goes on click---- So that is where my old man got that from that a shank was darn near a perfect shot--- He used to say that all the time--- Now I know thanks Steely

[mocokid]

The Mac irons Miller won the 73 open with, had the hosels cut down.  That's all you need to know, guy's the best ball striker of that era arguably, and he knew he could hit it better with less dead weight and a better sweet spot.

[Steele47]

19 hours ago, BIG STU said:

Light Bulb goes on click---- So that is where my old man got that from that a shank was darn near a perfect shot--- He used to say that all the time--- Now I know thanks Steely

 

You're quite welcome but I was merely repeating what I read on here from another member about stronger epoxy these days.  So my light bulb moment from the reading of that thread was probably within a year or so ago.  

 

Funny,  even though I know irons these days welcome a center strike I'm still stubborn to believe a truly solid shot is closer to the hosel.  

[NRJyzr]

I admit I avoid clubs with a CG too close to the hosel.  Call it a personal preference quirk.  🙂

 

[chipa]

On 9/21/2021 at 3:02 PM, mocokid said:

The Mac irons Miller won the 73 open with, had the hosels cut down.  That's all you need to know, guy's the best ball striker of that era arguably, and he knew he could hit it better with less dead weight and a better sweet spot.

 

If he had the hosels cut down the swing weight would have dropped. Maybe he added lead weight or extended the length marginally.

[chipa]

On 9/10/2021 at 10:11 PM, Woodridge said:

I'm curious about the differences between irons with short hosels and ones with long hosels.

 

• Is there a performance differences, a feel difference?

 

• Were club designers trying to achieve something specific with one or the other? 

 

• Or was it a manufacturing decision that had nothing to do with the playability?

 

• Finally, does anyone have preferences between the two?

 

A lot of pros today still have long hosels in their wedges (and some in their short-mid irons). This does affect the CG of the club by having it closer to the hosel which makes it much easier to fan the clubface open for short shots and pitches. I have a handsy takeaway so I recognized this when I bought an old wedge. In fact I changed my irons for this same reason.

 

From what I can tell only the least forgiving blade irons today would have the longer hosels while the majority have additional weight on the toe to help golfers with toe hits. I also believe part of this may be the antiquated takeaway method of turning the left hand over first to start the swing is no longer taught but instead the one piece takeaway where it is not recommended to turn the left hand over so the toe weight of the club is not felt.

 

At least for me getting weight off the toe has helped me a great deal to control my hooking, plus now my left wrist doesn't bother me near as much when I play a lot. Certainly toe mis hits cost an additional 10-15 yards but at my home course that's ok.

Edited October 10, 2021 by chipa