Pat:
I can answer that
one – The model #2003 Dynamic weighted investment cast irons from the
Golfsmith 2004 catalog was a model that I inherited and did not
design. I came to GS in May of 2003 and while a lot of the new models
for 2004 were my first designs for the company, this one was a carry over
from before. But I know and remember the model. The reason that
it is so easy to bend is two fold. For one, this is a fully offset
iron in the area of 7-8mm of offset that also has a thin dimension at the
very base of the hosel where the hosel curves into the blade. That
means far less thickness of metal to have to bend and less resistance for
the force of bending for loft and lie. Second, most iron designs that
have such offset and such a thin base of hosel area are normally investment
cast from 17-4 stainless so that there is less chance of the thin area down
at the base of the hosel happening to bend from hard “fat shots” or hard
hits behind the ball on a driving range mat. This one was done in 431,
which while much more resistant to bending that a softer stainless like 18-8
or 303/304, will then have far less resistance to your loft and lie bending
because of the thin hosel section area. So when you look at ANY
iron and evaluate it for ease or difficulty of bending, the first thing is
the material but just as important is the design of the area of the head
where the bending has to take place. Anytime you have considerable
offset on an ironhead, you will
almost always get a much thinner dimensional section where the base of the
hosel fans into the blade so this will mean easier bendability, but that can
be counteracted if the head were to be made from a much less ductile
material. In this case you have a slightly more ductile steel with 431
combined with the thinner base of hosel section so that you get easy bending
even though you are thinking of 431 being tougher to bend from your
experience with other iron models.
There is also one
more thing that comes into play for sure and that is the heat treatment
process that is used on the steel from whatever foundry made the
heads. Virtually all metals used in the manufacture of
ironheads will change
their mechanical properties depending on the heat treatment process that is
employed after the head is formed. Normally, if you choose a heat
treatment procedure that uses lower heat, you get higher strengths and with
that, less elongation or ductility of the metal for the heads would be more
difficult to bend. Or if you use a heat treatment process that uses
higher temperatures in the ovens, you get lower strengths and a lot more
elongation and ductility and the heads will be very easy to bend. For
example, with common 17-4 stainless if the heat treatment is done at 900degs
C, you can push the yield strength up to 180,000 psi and with that, the
elongation down to under 15% which would mean you would have a heckuva time
getting a 1 degree bend. But if you do the heat treat up at 1150
degrees C, you would lower the yield strength to 85,000 psi and move the
elongation up over 22%, which would make it bend pretty easy in
comparison. Most foundries use a common std heat treatment unless the
designer of the heads specifically tells them what he wants.
Therefore, the ease of bending on these had to be because of the normal 431
bendability being reduced in your feel by the much thinner base of hosel
area in the head’s design.
Hope this helps,
TOM
W
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Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 6:49
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To:
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Subject: ShopTalk: old Dynamic iron
head
I asked this question about a
week ago and don't know if it ever went thru, if it did, my
apologies. Ten years ago I built my first set of clubs with Golfsmith's
Dynamic weighted irons Model #2003 from the 1994 catalog. Recently I left my
PW out on the course and whom ever found it never turned it in to the club
house. Would anyone out there have one or know where I could get one? If
anyone is familiar with this model( aside from Tom Wishon ), this iron is
431SS with a floating firing pin and it is VERY SOFT and Easley
bendable up to at least 5*. First club I ever lost and I would like to keep
as a set if possible. TIA
Question--Tom or anyone else?
Could anyone explain why this Iron is so easily bendable? Is it because it
has a 2" long hosel?
Pat McGoldrick On Target
Golf