STERLING
SINGLE LENGTH IRONS
THIS PRODUCT IS NOW DISCONTINUED
A Unique Set Design to be Built to One Length for all Clubs to Deliver a Perfect Match of all Elements of Swing Feel for shot consistency.
Features:
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- Single length construction ensures all possible elements of swing feel are identical for each club in the set – same MOI, same total weight, same headweight, same balance point – to offer the chance for improved shot consistency
- Identical length and lie allow the golfer to use the same stance, same posture, same swing plane forimproved shot consistency
- Optional high COR #5 hybrid with high COR #4, 5, 6, and 7 irons offer proper distance for the low loft clubs at the shorter single length. Other single length sets may lose distance with the low loft clubs
- Conventional cast carbon steel in the #8 to gap wedge with 5* loft increments blend with the high COR design of the low loft clubheads to offer proper distance gaps and proper
distance with the high loft clubs. Other single length sets may generate too much distance with the high loft clubs - Available in a #5 hybrid or #5 iron to match the player’s desire and ability, with #6 to 9, PW and Gap Wedge and Sand Wedge
- Sterling Irons® Single Length clubs can be built to 36.5”, 36.75 or 37” length for each club as fit by the Clubmaker for the golfer’s comfort and preference. Contrasts with most other single length sets being created for a 37.5” length – which can generate too much distance with the high loft irons
- Intended to be custom fit with any Wishon Golf S2S iron shaft model and flex to meet the swing speed, transition/tempo and release point of the golfer.
- Sterling Irons® hybrid uses standard iron shaft (.370)
- The #4 iron should only be used by golfers with a #5 iron clubhead speed of 85mph or higher to be able to make the club generate the proper trajectory and height to be able to carry the ball further than the #5 iron
- Available in RH (#5 Hybrid, 4-9, PW, GW, SW) & LH (5-SW); New Blade Wedges (LW, SW) available in RH only
For more information on the technical benefits of single length set construction, we offer this complete Q&A about single length iron set technology.
© COPYRIGHT 2019 WISHON GOLF
Tom, one last philosophical question. I’m reshafting my Sterlings. There is a little variance of hosel depth on 2 of the heads. I will tip these shafts identically, but my question is, should I compensate on butt length to make the clubs the same length, or is it better for the shafts to match? We’re talking about maybe 1/16 of an inch, if that. Previously I have adjusted butt length, but I wonder if it even matters. Thanks for all you do for us.
Mark: The spec for bore depth on all my iron models is 30mm with a +/-1mm tolerance. In having checked MANY heads over the years, I honestly have never seen any model show any tolerance of that much so the actual variation is more like +/-0.7mm or so. WHich is hardly enough to have to worry about with regard to the effect on flex or tip stiffness. From all my years of work I have found that the variation in tip to first step or variation in shaft stiffness due to tip trim variations has to be in the order… Read more »
Thanks, Tom. It certainly is easier to ignore the variance and match the shafts before installation. I’m not that obsessive. I was just curious about whether I should be.
Just purchased a set of Sterling one length irons and must say how pleased I am with them. The supplier did not have the gap or sand wedge. Is there any way I can get my hands on them?
JOE The Sterling irons were discontinued last year after 4 years in the line to make room for the 2nd generation single length iron (and wood and hybrid) that we call the EQ1-NX. No more inventory of the Sterling irons exists with us, I am sorry to tell you, so we do not have a Gap or Sand anywhere. Best thing I can say is to search Ebay – the Sterlings sold pretty well so there could be a fair number of people with them among which might be someone with an extra wedge or two or willing to sell… Read more »
Hi Joe ! I do have some Sterling heads (former demo) … and ‘as new’ GW and SW …
Hi Tom, I am about to re-shaft my Sterlings, and I can’t find the ferrule size spec anywhere. I have several sizes in my parts box, and I’m not sure that tenths of a mm are significant, but might as well do it right, right? Thanks for the info if you have it handy.
MARK I design all my iron models including the Sterling irons to have a hosel OD of 13.2mm. So any iron ferrule that has an ID to fit a 0.370″ parallel tip iron shaft that also has a bottom OD not any smaller than 13.2mm will be fine. If it is like 13.5, 13.7 for the bottom OD you can always turn that down with a ferrule turning belt or hand tool procedures and re shine them with acetone. But if the ferrule is smaller than 13.2mm for the bottom OD, then you have that situation where the iron can… Read more »
I reshafted my sterlings a couple months ago and used the Maltby Single Chrome Low Ring Ferrules (SKU: MA0307). OD = .520 or 13.2 mm. They worked perfect.
Thanks, Tom and Pat. I’m pretty sure I have a supply of 13.2s. If not, they’re easily acquired. Might as well use the right size, and this is not a rush project.
I had 5-P Legacy set with s2s black shaft over a year. Love them . I am wondering if I should get a 4 iron or a 4 hybrid . I hit my 5 irons about 175-180 and I have a regular titlist 4 hybrid . I hit my hybrid about 200 yards on and off ( my iron shots are better ) and above my hybrid I have a driver( no other woods ). I can hit my driver about 250-270. my average score is 85-88 thank you
Alvin from what you say about your 5 iron and driver distance, you are right on the edge of probably being able to hit a 20* loft #4 iron that is of the same length as your Sterling irons high enough to get it to carry longer than the 5 iron. However, the problem is that the Sterlings have been discontinued for well over a year so there is no inventory left to sell because we dropped that to make room for the 2nd generation single length design, the EQ1-NX. Also there was never a 4 hybrid in the Sterling… Read more »
My bag goes driver then 5 iron thru SW in sterling one length. Trying to close the gap at top… 1) do the 5 hybrid and 5 iron go same distance since both or 23 degrees? 2) if I bend the the hybrid to 21 degrees do you think I could bag a 4 iron , 5hybrid, and 5 iron or will I probably see to similar of distance between the three… my driver swing is 92 mph and I broke 100 for the first time last time out…( if that helps identify my skill level)
KING Always happy to help and thanks for coming to ask us your questions. 1) That depends on the clubhead speed and the angle of attack of the player. It can be different for different players. Players with a higher clubhead speed and later release would tend to get a little more distance from the hybrid than the iron because the lower CG and more rear CG of the hybrid would tend to react to the higher clubhead speed to fly higher and stay in the air a little longer than the iron. But as clubhead speed drops the hybrid… Read more »
Can i cut the length a little bit more…i am a very shot guy felt still long
WAN You can have any club cut shorter in length by removing the grip and cutting the desired amount from the butt end of the shaft. However, you must keep in mind that when you shorten an existing club, you automatically lower the swingweight of the club(s). A lower swingweight from cutting a club shorter will cause you to not feel the presence of the head weight as much when you swing the club. In most cases if you cut more than 1/2″ from the existing length, you would want to add back a little weight to the head to… Read more »
Hi Tom, for Wan’s case, is that more suitable to consider lower the lie angle, rather than cutting length?
JOE In the proper world of fitting, you fit each spec exactly as the golfer needs it, separately. Wan says even after he cut the length a little the club still felt long, so that is one indication to say that the length could/should be shorter. Once Wan gets the length where it is comfortable THEN you address the lie to make it fit along with the new length. You try to avoid changing specs just so it makes building the club easier and you change specs only when the golfer’s fit dictates it. However, there certainly are times when… Read more »
I did that once. I purchased a set of Pings that were a 1/2″ longer and went with blue dot instead of my usual green dot. You know what I got? Well-fitted and ill-suited irons. The irons were well-fitted because the lie angles were correct for that length. Ill-suited because I had absolutely no reason for going with a longer iron. None. The result: an iron set that was harder to control than was necessary, longer than my previous set, and a swing weight I could not control (due to the longer shaft). You know what they say about the… Read more »
Tom, what’s the face height of the now-discontinued Sterling 5-hybrid? From the photo it looks similar to the 34mm height of my beloved 775HS hybrids (as opposed to the lower profile of the new EQ1-NX hybrids).
Eric
Face height on the Sterling 5 hybrid head was 35mm. Face height on the EQ1 hybrids runs from 30.5mm on the #4 to 31.5mm on the #6. One more reason the EQ1 hybs hit the ball higher for any given clubhead speed and angle of attack because of that effect on CG than did the Sterling 5 hyb.
TOM
Tom, I have never been able to play game improvement type irons due to a very high ball flight. Wind destroys my game. I am tall, with wide shoulders and long arms. I have no problem getting forged single length long irons in the air and landing them softly. I am also not fond of offset in my irons. I would very much like to transition to EQ1 NX irons, but am concerned about shot height. Can the EQ1 NX irons be shafted to control trajectory, or am I better off staying with my blades.
Thanks,
Ron
RON I might ask to begin with, do you really hit your blade irons visibly lower than ANY cavity back iron model? The reason I ask is because it is very rare, and I mean that in all caps, for a game improvement cavity back iron to have a lower vertical center of gravity than a muscleback blade iron. Yes, that is absolutely true. The reason is because the number one thing that controls vertical CG is the height of the head, not how much weight is stacked up low on the back of the head or the sole. Countless… Read more »
Tom read your book Cap’n Clubmaker. It’s very interesting and any golfer interested in clubs and the swing should read same.
Page 283 , face angle.
Why not sole the club and turn the handle 2 deg. Or so Closed rather than bend the hosel?
I am going to purchase the 919 thi driver. using your data I need about 1 deg closed face. Somehow I know you have the answer.
Thanks in advance.
Steve R.
British Columbia.
Steve You can rotate the club and approximate a change in the face angle but it is darn hard to know when you have turned the club in your hands by 2* or by any precise amount of change. Since most golfers sole the driver/woods on the ground in the process of addressing the ball to hit a shot, if you have the driver hosel bent to be a precise change of 2* in the face angle, you know then that when you sole the head, the head is now sitting 2* closed. But you certainly can experiment with turning… Read more »
Good evening Tom,
I was curious if you could point me in the right direction. Currently play the sterlings and I have a connection on 5-GW heads. Looking to make them a backup set. Curious if I could get my hands on a 4 iron head.
JARROD
I’m in Durango and Diamond Golf with the inventory is over in the UK so I ask you to please contact them at sales@diamondgolf.uk.co and ask them if they still have any Sterling 4 irons left from the closing out of this model when the EQ1 model came about.
TOM
Hi Tom you don’t have any club makers in Queensland Australia.
Thanks
David
Tom,
Please make these in Lefty. We lefties are running short on single length options to turn to these days
Mark
I think that will happen although with the time involved I apologize that it will take some time before left hand inventory would make its way to the warehouse.
TOM
I’ll remain patient. In the meantime, I just got another set of Sterlings via eBay and they are darned near next to new! Happy Golfer here!
Hi, I’m one of the first players in the Netherlands that played with yourSterling Iron design. I loved them from day one and I still do. Last week i received my new EQ1-NX Irons. Past years i played the Sterling Irons 3 or 4 times a week and sometimes even more often.I have always enjoyed them. I really embrace the single length concept, only my wedges are traditional concept. The sound of the 4,5,6,7 was the only thing i did not like very much together with the progressive offset. That’s why i decided to buy the EQ1’s. Now i have played only… Read more »
MARK You know, if Europe allowed us poor behaving Americans into your part of the world I would love to have a chance to play a few holes with you and buy you a cold beverage afterward in thanks for being able to read and hear about your experience with the change from the Sterling to the EQ1 irons!! Actually I am not one of the “poor behaving” folks over here but that’s beside the point since it will be a while before I have a chance to get back over there I suspect! At any rate, I am very… Read more »
Hi. M.van Nunen
We me and my wife are olso early adaptor of the Stirling irons in the Netherlands. May I ask you who did the fitting for you. Wich shaft do you have?
Hi Martien, i had my fitting done by Kathleen Renders, emailadres: info@golfenmanagement.com
(EINDHOVEN) She is a former playing professional, no nonsense type. She is a Thom Wishon dealer for a long time.
Dear Mark : thank you very much, that’s help me very much
Hi Tom,
What are my options if i buy a single length irons set to add wedges? .. I am a left hander.
Thanks
Sylvain About the only option so far would be to look online for other brands and models of single length irons and see if any of them have the specific wedge(s) that you would need that are not offered with the left hand Sterling irons. At any rate, the Sterling irons are discontinued since we brought out the new EQ1 irons this summer. WHile we do anticipate investing in the dies and inventory to offer the EQ1 in left hand, we have not yet done that because as is always the case with new models, we need to see that… Read more »
Great! Thanks for the fast reply.
Still loving the EQ1-NXs. The other day I had a personal-best 15 greens in regulation on a difficult course, including a 4 hybrid shot where I had to work a little draw around a tree to a raised green.Brilliant design, Tom.
Mitch
Draw around a tree to a perched green with the #4h is saying a lot about how well you are playing with the new sticks! It’s great to hear and is music for this designer’s ears!!
TOM
I’ve had the Sterling Irons for 3 years. Now the PW just started making a weird vibration when I hit it. What would cause that ?
Paul The only two possibles it could be would be 1) almost every iron ever built has some final weight put in the head to bring it up to the final desired swingweight balance for the player. The weight plug that would be in the weight bore directly under the tip of the shaft could have worked its way loose and could be rattling in its weight bore. The fix would be to have the shaft removed, check and re epoxy the weight and re install the shaft. 2) Possible but not likely that the shaft could be coming loose.… Read more »
Graphite shafts sometimes crack or delaminate, especially near the tip where there is a lot of stress. If that happens the shaft must be replaced
More on the hybrid situation – removing the back weights and putting the 10g tungsten in the toe port fixed the problem. No more toe hooks!
Hello Tom, I am in the process of buying a set of the EQ1 and trying to decide between shafts. I am looking at the S2S White S, the Black S, or the Black R and was hoping you can provide some insight. Also, if there is another option I am overlooking, please advise. I “fit” into the Black S, but I prefer a high ball flight since I can readily knock down my wedges, but can’t as readily hit my 6 or 5 irons higher. Also, I play a lot of 3/4 shots which drops my ss down into… Read more »
RC Based on what you say about being able to control shot height in the wedges but wanting to have a little more help with trajectory in the lower loft irons, I would lean toward the White shaft design over the Black. While the White has been thought of mainly as a shaft for average skills/technique golfers with a midway release, the tip section is most definitely not too flexible at all. In fact even though I still have a fairly late release in my own swing, I converted to the Whites several years ago and have never sensed that… Read more »
Thank you for the response. I will start with that.
I’m really enjoying the EQ1-NX irons. Yesterday I started testing the hybrids. My irons go to 5I so as a starting point I built a 4 hybrid at 1″ longer than the 5I, same R-flex S2S White shaft as the irons, with two of the 5g tungsten weights in the rear ports. There was a ripping headwind in the practice area that accentuates any spin. I was getting gear-effect toe hooks like no tomorrow. I changed my setup to hit more toward the heel and the sidespin settled down – but I don’t think I can play this setup in… Read more »
I have a set of sterling one length in 5-SW. I’m a lefty. Could I buy a SW at 56 degrees and bend it to 60 degrees to play as a lob…I see it says plus or minus 4 degree bend, and since their is no lob wedge option in lefty trying to keep my set consistent…i know more goes into one length than just bending the club, but thinking outside the box is what one length is all about.
KING
You can use a left hand SW and bend the loft +5* to be 60* loft. But do please understand when this is done, the sole bounce angle will automatically increase by 5*. This might be OK for use in softer sand but if you play the club from firm, short mown turf or from firm sand, the increase in bounce on the sole could very well cause some problems in the form of the clubhead actually bouncing into the ball and causing a bladed shot.
TOM
I have been using EQ1-NX for about a week now, after having used Sterlings daily since they first came out. Here are my impressions so far. The EQ1-NX heads do indeed look a bit larger than Sterlings. The look inspires confidence, especially after you discover the following performance characteristics… The EQ1s are definitely more forgiving in several ways Off-center hits toward the toe and heel go straighter Thin strikes low on the face fly higher The sole interacts better with the turf; it’s less prone to “grab” in gnarly grass I really like the EQ1’s versatility for chipping. The clubface… Read more »
I concur with these observations fully.
Tom – been playing Sterlings for 3 years and love them. The Sterling heads are larger (more surface area) than average and I really like that feature.
Three questions
1. How large are the heads and how do they compare to more mainstream brands ?
2. How do they compare to the EQ heads?
3. What is the trade off of a larger head. Seems like more mass is easier to hit, particularly for off center hits
Thx
PAT: If you are asking how large are the Sterling iron heads compared to other companies’ iron head models, I am very sorry but I can’t answer that very well because I just never look at other companies’ club designs so I don’t have a frame of reference there. If you are asking how large the Sterling iron heads are compared to the new EQ1-NX iron heads, I can tell you the EQ1’s are a little tiny bit larger overall but not by more than a little bit. Otherwise you start getting the head size to a point that some… Read more »
More EQ1-NX results: I am testing EQ1-NX a few clubs at a time, trying different shafts and different shot types and turf conditions. I started with the SW built with a standard weight steel shaft (Wishon Smooth Steel) because I like extra weight in the high loft wedges that are used mostly with partial swings. Then I branched out to 8 iron, trying both a graphite shaft (Wishon S2S white R flex) and a lightweight steel shaft (Wishon SuperLite R flex). I prefer the graphite because I get a slightly higher ball flight and the dispersion seems to be a… Read more »
Tom,
Are the EQ1-NXs suitable for everyone? I’d guess that there is some minimum swing speed/strength/etc requirement. The reason I asked is that the comments have all slanted toward men of various ages. Not to be sexist but it made me wonder about women of all ages and whether they would be candidates for the EQ1-NXs?
ED Yes the EQ1-NX irons can be played by any golfer regardless of gender or handicap or ability. A big reason that I decided to reduce the offset on the EQ1 vs what I had done on the first generation single length irons was in fact to allow them to appeal a little more to a better player. Better players typically do not choose or like iron designs in which there is more than a very small amount of offset so with our first generation single length model I noted that a fair number of better players that were interested… Read more »
I really like what Tom has done with the new EQ1-NX sand wedge. The sole profile is very effective from a variety of difficult lies. That, in combination with the weight distribution and the face design, makes the ball come off with a predictable trajectory under conditions that used to cause me trouble.