----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday,
July 28, 2003 11:23 AM
Subject: RE:
ShopTalk: old Dynamic iron head
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
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 6:49
AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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
