Bryson DeChambeau is using them on the Tour. Here is some additional information on the theory behind them
Through his own study of the golf swing, his desire for a repeatable single plane motion, and the fairly diligent work of the clubfitting team at Edel Golf, Dechambeau is getting attention for using the only set of clubs like his at the U.S. Open. He plays a set where all the irons and wedges are the same length, approximately that of a standard 7-iron.
But is this success the precursor of a new equipment trend average golfers should explore? A quick read from a survey of Golf Digest’s 100 Best Clubfitters suggests not quite yet, although there is intrigue.
The main enthusiasm for the single-length shaft method is a more simplified swing, theoretically more repeatable and consistent center face impacts. Bill Choung from Dallas-based CompuGolf says it’s a fact that average golfers struggle to make contact as clubs get longer.
“I truly believe that the worse the golfer you are you will benefit more from a club that is altering your swing to help you hit the sweet spot more often,” he says. “And length of shaft is a way to do that.”
The idea has been tried before. In the late 1980s, Tommy Armour Golf pushed a set of irons called E.Q.L., based on the idea of a single swing. These clubs were built to 6-iron length. That set never gained real traction, perhaps in part because the company’s 845 irons were exceedingly more popular. While there is something of a technology lull in the iron market today, Dechambeau’s method is at least getting some buzz.
But before you head out and cut all your iron shafts to 7-iron length, you better recognize that you’re going to need more than one adjustment to make it work. And it might be an adjustment that standard golf clubs can’t possibly make.
“We are all used to swinging a golf club that’s basically D0 to D4,” Choung says. “So if we just arbitrarily cut these things down and didn’t have the ability to adjust the weights on it, you could end up with a 3-iron that’s super stiff with a swingweight of C3.”
Dechambeau had his clubs custom made by Edel Golf. There are non-standard head weights through the set to accommodate the single shaft length and the shafts change throughout as well. Even the lofts are tweaked from standard to provide distinct distance gaps. The long irons start with five-degree increments between 20-30 degrees, the middle irons are 4-degree gaps (30-50 degrees) and then the wedges go back to 5-degree spacing (50-60 degrees).
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