You're trading off four variables: club head, shaft, shaft stiffness, and swing weight. Since it's not for a customer you can take your time. You want to fix three of the variables and vary the fourth, working your way through optimizing all of them. I suggest you start with the club head, then the shaft, then the shaft stiffness, then swing weight. You may find yourself iterating the stiffness/swing weight parameters.
With club heads you have to ask what you want these clubs to do. Do you want a set that is going to challenge you, such as blades do? Do you want something easy to hit with lots of forgiveness? Something in between? There are some nice progressive sets available now, blade short irons with cavity back long irons and a smooth progression in between. As Frank suggested, buy several heads and try them, keeping all the other variables the same. I prefer doing this with a 5-iron head. It's a little harder to hit and provides a better 'discriminator' than an easier to hit iron (such as a 6 or 7-iron).
When you have a head you like, try a graphite and a steel shaft. Decide which you prefer, then try several selections within that category. Personally, I like the Rifle Graphite iron shafts and the Harrison Pro steel shafts in my irons. Consider mixing them. I use steel in my short and middle irons and graphite in my long irons and have been very pleased with that. Match the stiffness and swing weight between your steel and graphite shafts (the graphite will be a little longer than they would be in steel)
You get the idea. After you have a shaft(s) start working on stiffness and swing weight. Keep in mind that it is difficult to discern small differences so make the differences relatively large initially, i.e. compare R, S, and X shaft stiffnesses, not S-, S, and S+. Then do the same with swing weight. With what you say about your swing I would start with an R flex shaft and D2 swing weight while you are selecting head and shaft. Those will probably be close.
And enjoy! This is a lot of fun.
Good luck,
Alan
At 06:31 AM 9/16/2003 -0500, you wrote:
I am sure that I will get a host of opinions on the question I am about to ask. That is fine, I have no problem as I need the input. What I am asking is for me personally and not a customer as I have not gotten to that stage of club building yet. I would like to build a new set of irons for myself and would like suggestions of what I should look for, heads and shafts. I have used some of the name brands on the driving range but can not afford the price of a new set of store bought clubs.
I am not a long hitter, my average score for 18 holes is 92.4, and my normal swing is a 3/4 swing with a slightly open stance. From my wrist to the ground measures 33". My range with my present clubs are; 5I=150 yards and the 7I=125 yards. I get most of the magazines and catalogs so I should be able to reference and suggestion you may offer.
My present clubs are an old Callaway knock-off set built by Brigges several years ago. They are heavy and feel like dead weight on the end of a stick. I am open to suggestion. If you would like to email me direct that is fine, [EMAIL PROTECTED],
Thanks and have a great day, Tom.
