STERLING
SINGLE LENGTH IRONS
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:
-
- 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, I have a 5 iron swing speed of only 75 mph and thinking of getting these with graphite shafts (old set is steel shafted irons). Wanted to get these from wedges to 5 iron but wasn’t sure I could get the 5 high enough with my swing speed. Wonder if the graphite shafts would give me a few extra mph.
ERIC If you are a natural high ball hitter with your current conventional irons and you’ve not had any problems hitting a 4 iron reasonably high to fly with your current set, then likely you’d be ok with the 5 iron in th Sterling set. But if you are not a high ball hitter with your current irons, I’d recommend starting out with a #6 iron as your lowest loft Sterling iron and seeing how the trajectory of that iron is. If you hit the 6 iron high enough with no real effort then go for the 5 iron. But… Read more »
Thanks for the advice Tom. Much appreciated. I am a high ball hitter but I will try it with the 6 first to see how well I hit it.
I use graphite shafts (Wishon S2S white) on my Sterlings, which are at 37.5″. My iron speed is 75 mph measured with a Flightscope Mevo. If I jump out of my shoes I can get to 80, but I never ever swing that hard on the course. And even with that measly swing speed, I happily use a Sterling 5I and even a Sterling 4I. I don’t get a lot of height, but the gapping is okay even so. I play in the wind a lot, so the lower ball flight can be seen as an advantage.
when will the new clubs taking the Sterling’s place be available
Late March based on current schedules.
TOM
Hi Tom, Just wanted to add to the chorus of people that have found improvements in switching to Sterling irons, I started playing them last Feb. While my true handicap has come down by three strokes, my simulator handicap is now down by 6 strokes (from 5.9 to +0.5), best round is a 66 on the St Andrews Old course off back tees! Since the simulator really measures iron play more than anything else I think that’s a testament to the Sterlings. One thing I thought I would post about, despite having a lot of club head speed – I… Read more »
ROB Thanks so much for taking your time to stop by and share your experiences with the Sterling irons. More than that, thanks very much for taking the leap of faith to be fit for a set of the single length irons. It’s always nice to be able to hear that a serious player like you has done the research and ended up liking the new clubs you decided to get. Makes my day!! And 66 at the Old Course??!! I know it’s not the same as being there but that’s very impressive, for sure! TOM
Hey Tom there is a second hand set of sterling irons I’m looking at. I currently can not afford a brand new set but am thinking of getting this second hand set to take to my local club fitter to tweak to my specs. It’s obviously not perfect but do u think this would be a good introduction for me to one length? Also I am interested in your thoughts on Milfords version of the one length irons. TIA
Lachlan I’m not very familiar with the Milford single length irons so I looked them up on line. They are a 7 iron length for their standard spec and they are an all one piece cast construction with usual 4* loft gaps. If the Sterlings are 8 iron length, I do think that there is a bit better chance of better shot consistency with the Sterlings because of that but in all honesty, a half inch difference to a 7 iron length is not huge. What you might have a little tougher time with is adapting to a 7 iron… Read more »
Thanks so much for the in-depth response it will really help me moving forward.
Hey Tom, I live near Brisbane in Australia so unfortunately don’t really have anyone close to go and get fitted for a set of sterlings but love the concept of one length and have been wanting to try them for some time now. I have tracked down a set of used(very good condition)sterling irons 5-PW for a reasonable price. If I was to purchase them, could I go to my local club fitter and get them tweaked to my specs? Also I found a set of used Milford one length clubs, 4-LW, that have only been used a handful of… Read more »
Any clubfitter/clubmaker can modify a set of Sterlings to your specs. It might or might not involve replacing the shafts – but even if it does, shaft replacement is a routine task for a clubmaker, and good quality shafts do not have to be expensive. When I was living in the Gold Coast area south of Brisbane, without access to my usual clubmaking tools, I modified/reshafted clubs for several people using tools I got at the secondhand store. Sterling irons are among the easiest to build/refit because every shaft is the same, and the hosels are easy to bend for… Read more »
Thanks Mitch much appreciated
Happy 2020 Tom, so thank you for the unparalleled benchmark you have set over the years, to this wonderful game that has made it more fun & easier for all to enjoy! 😊⛳️
TODD
Thanks very much, I really do appreciate your kind words. I’ll keep trying to do my best to share everything I learn along the way and to keep working on new designs and products as I keep clicking along!! Thanks again and the very best to you in this great game !
TOM
Me too, Tom. Don’t feel like you have to respond in case this particular thread gets huge! I’ve been a Sterling golfer for 3 years now and I just can’t imagine ever going back. The day I picked up my clubs from my fitter I went to the driving range, bringing three clubs from my old (brand new) set of Pings and my entire set of Sterlings. I hit a few of each for comparison, and then never touched the Pings again. (And I was a long-time Ping player.) Eventually, I traded them in on a starter set for my… Read more »
Hello and happy Christmas everyone, I went to a range with a trackman simulator the other day and noticed, that I have a different Angle of Attack with all my Single Length Irons. I hit more down on the ball with the higher lofted clubs. Am I doing something wrong, should I hit every club with the same Attack Angle because all have the same Length & Lie? Or is this not so important as long as my gapping is fine?
Best regards, Jon
JON It is true that if the ball position and length are exactly the same for each iron, the A of A should be the same, allowing for a little +/- variations just due to the hands position relative to the ball for each swing. Regular golfers do not deliver the clubhead precisely the same way for each swing with the same club so there is always some variation there from that. There is also the fact that no launch monitor is absolutely accurate for measuring A of A, even Trackman or FlightScope. In the end, as you say if… Read more »
May be it’s a mental issue. A leftover from playing your whole life with traditional irons.
Took me some time to wipe out these old habits. The moment you know you have a
5 iron you act differently than with a wedge .
Martien Yes, it is difficult to not put the ball position for the single length #4, 5, 6 irons a little more forward than with the other irons in the single length set. We are all trained with normal iron sets made to incremental lengths so we get used to having the ball position move a little more forward as the length increases and the loft decreases on the irons in the set. In a perfect world, the ball position should be the same for each single length iron since ball position is dictated by the length of the iron… Read more »
Actually I‘ve only playing golf for a few years and I guess the fear to hit the high loftet clubs thin just makes me hit them with a steeper attack angel. So its a bad habit, not an old one 😉
I can agree that after 6 months of using the irons and loving them. Every once in a while I find myself getting tight with a 5 or 4 iron in my hands and needing to remind myself it is an 8 iron. With that said, I do swing slightly different at my 4,5,6, a little further up in my stance and a bit flatter of a swing, but not as much as if I had a traditional length. With that said…TOM in an absolutely perfect world, with the testing you have done and what you have seen, is it… Read more »
To me, changing the ball position with same-length irons invites mis-directions. Moving it back makes it more likely to hit it right, moving it forward biases a shot left. Unless those are your intention, it would seem better to leave it where it belongs; loft alone (which is the only variable we’re dealing with here) shouldn’t change ball position.
Maybe you have to give your clubs other names forget these old numbers, they are all the same only the loft is different so I play with my 50 degrees club or with my 35 degrees or my 27… that will help you to get away from traditional thinking. You have to reprogram your brain from scratch
I’m a little late to this discussion, but I’d like to mention a few things that might help. While I recommend the 8iron length when I build a set of Sterlings, I continue to stay in touch with my builds as they get some course time in. Almost to a person, they end up playing the same ball position, but it is not always the same position as their traditional sets 8. After they make the mental adjustments and find the best position for them, they begin to find they can still create shots with SL set. Knockdowns, high cuts,… Read more »
Hi Joe, I’m not that far from you and have been a Wishon dealer for a long time. I am confident that I can help so please reach out to me for any additional info.
I have know Tom for a long time and have built many sterling sets.
Dan,
Thanks for taking my call and expanding my knowledge. I’ll be seeing you soon!
HI Tom,
I’m sure you’ve seen the excellent YouTube review by Ian Fraser and Matt at TXG in Toronto.
TXG is not a Wishon Fitter but they are local to me. Would it be possible for me to buy 5i-GW heads from your company directly and take the heads there to be fit?
Also, I saw in the YouTube video comments that you are releasing a SL GEN2 set in January, is this official or just a rumor?
JOE Wishon Golf clubhead models are distributed by Diamond Golf International to custom clubmakers worldwide. Under their business model, the account has to be a custom clubmaker as they will only sell to the trade and not to non clubmaker golfers. One of the reasons for this is to ensure quality in the assembly of the designs but another one is the fact that the vast majority of clubmakers really get angry when non clubmaker golfers walk into their shops with a box of heads to have the clubmaker build them. Many of the clubmakers feel this undercuts their business.… Read more »
Tom, I want to re-shaft my sterling irons (LW to i4 at 37″) from graphite to steel. Do I need to get 10x shafts in 37″ or could I get a set for variabel length and cut it down to 36,5″?
Dennis When a single length set is being made so each iron is the same length, you use the same shaft for each head. In your case where you are looking to make them 37″ playing length, that is a 7 iron length so you’d tip trim all shafts as if you are making a set of nothing but 7 irons at 37″ length. Be aware that the Sterling irons are made only with a 0.370″ parallel iron bore diameter. So that means you’d be using 0.370″ parallel iron shafts which means that you buy the same master shaft untrimmed… Read more »
Hi Tom.
I’ve bought a Stirling Set 4-SW a couple of years ago. The results with these clubs are impressing. I really like to play my blades Mizuno MP-18 but compared to the Stirling irons, the consistency is not as good as with the Stirling’s. For me, the optimum would be a mix of playability with the Stirling’s an feel of a forged blade like the Mizuno’s. Do you plan to launch/invent a single length, forged iron set?
Take care,
Harald
HARALD Thanks so much for your post and your comments on the Sterling irons that you have been playing. I am pretty sure what you are experiencing with the better shot consistency of the Sterlings is the concept of single length itself. When you make each iron exactly the same for length, lie, shaft, total weight, swingweight, MOI, and balance point – and you use them with the same ball position and swing plane and angle of attack, you then have a much better chance of having the identical swing feel of the irons contribute to better shot consistency because… Read more »
Hi Tom. I really appreciate that you have taken the time to give me such a detailed answer. The most important thing is that they work – and they do…
Take care, Harald
Tom, I got your single length irons soon after taking up golf. I’ve tried other clubs but always come back to the Sterlings for my most consistent game. The problem I have is that, even though I’m not tall (5’10”) I still feel uncomfortable bent over to proper “golf position.” This discomfort leads me to feel like I’m bend over and squatting too much (think sumo wrestler stance for what it ‘feels’ like) which then hinders my ability to rotate and move my body weight. I say ‘feels’ because I look to be in a normal golf stance but it… Read more »
TED: Comfort over the ball and through impact is very important without a doubt. If memory serves me well the longest set of Sterling irons we’ve built has been 38.5″ and that was for a man who was very tall and did not have that long of arm length to go with being that tall. The problem with going that long or longer than that is the final swingweight/head weight feel. The 40″ hybrid you have which is comfortable was built with that length in mind so the swingweight of that club is more than likely in the normal range… Read more »
Thanks for the detailed description, that makes sense.
Ted: Your clubs should fit you, not the other way around. Depending on your setup, you might benefit from a longer shaft which, in turn, will affect your lie angles. But a competent club-fitter can take care of all of this. Also, your Sterlings are quite “bendable” for lie angles, so they should accommodate the adjustment. (Longer shafts with the same arm-length and swing and distance from the ball should be less upright.) You’ll also have to consider the impact on swing weight. A longer shaft is a heavier shaft, so it will feel different because the balance point will… Read more »
Dear Tom I purchased my sterling irons in Jan 2018. I have to say they’ve been great, you no doubt hear this all the time. I started playing just over three years ago, being new to golf I found the sterling’s much easier to hit. I’ve gone from a 21 handicap down to 9.9 and consistently shot in the late 70’s. The sterling irons have simplified my game, they make practising much simpler too. If you ever build a v2 model might you consider the following modifications: 1: slightly smaller head size, blade length. 2. sound/vibration absorption on the back… Read more »
MARK WOW! From 21 to 9.9 and under 80? That’s fantastic and I am sure you’re at the top of the list for happy golfers these days! Well done! For a V2 I can definitely take care of #2 and #3. I’ll be honest and tell you that #1 is a little tougher to do because right now the primary market for single length irons is with the players from say, 7-8 hdcp on up and not so much with the sub 7 hdcp players. Thanks so much for stopping back by and letting us know how well you are… Read more »
No need change about sound/vibration. I love this feedback, i know i make a good shot when i hear this.
I agree. Before buying my Sterlings I had heard comments from others discussing the ‘ting’ you hear with the High COR 4-7 irons. I was starting to get worried about it. Well when I finally tested my set, I must admit, I REALLY like the sound. As Richard said above, I know when I hear it I made a more solid strike. Plus, the combo of the feel of hitting the sweet spot AND hearing the distinctive ‘ting’ is something I look for on EVERY shot.
Tom,
I have played sterling irons for about one year now and my iron game Has considerably improved. My clubs were fitted by Andre thaon who made the length of my previous 8 (771). My distance with the 6 iron being 125 m (110 y) do you think i could play a 5 iron?
Thanks for your answer,
Sylvie
I
Sylvie based only on your information about your 6 iron distance, that would say that the 5 iron would probably not be such a good addition to make to your set. However, for many golfers a 6 iron distance of 125m would not be quite enough clubhead speed to justify having the 6 iron yet you have it and you seem to like it. The real evaluation for the 5 iron decision is one that I feel Andre would best be able to make for you because he is your fitter. He has seen your swing and your clubhead speed… Read more »
Tom, I have seen recommendations to have wedges fit with a flatter lie than the irons to 9i. What is your view on this and if you agree then generally how much flatter? Thanks.
JOE
There is no rule or trend to make the lie of the wedges flatter than the 9 iron. Lie has to be custom fit to each golfer individually for each iron in the set, one at a time, with the lie fitting always to be done dynamically with the ink line on the back of the ball method or a lie board method. With the ink line method being better and more accurate. If a golfer does choose to make the lies of the wedges flatter it would strictly be a personal preference thing and nothing else.
TOM
It just so happened that after my sterlings were built, when I went in for a gapping session we found that I was pulling my wedges so we flattered with them a bit. I am not sure if that is a standard thing or has to do with the longer wedges, but it has worked great for me.
RYAN Most certainly when a golfer pulls the ball with some consistency with ANY of the irons or wedges, going flatter can definitely be a solution. When the toe is up at impact the face is actually pointing left due to the compound angle of the loft in such a position of the clubhead. Comfort also rules in this. If the golfer gets over wedge shots and just senses that he would feel more comfortable with his hands lower in the address position to better achieve rhythm and timing through the ball, that too can signal a need to go… Read more »
ah, that’s very interesting! I changed to a flatter swing plane after some lessons and found that I was definitely pulling my shots. Checking the strike position showed that I was indeed striking toe-up.
Do you have left hand clubs? Tks
Hi Leon,
Yes, the Sterling Irons are available in Left Hand in #5-9, PW, GW, SW.
Hope this helps,
ASH
Can you tell me the bounce of the original Sterling lob (60 degree) wedge?
RICK
Sure thing since I just saw we omitted that from the catalog. Oops! The Sterling bladed SW bounce is 12* and the LW is 8*.
TOM
Hi Tom, is there a reason Sterling Irons aren’t offered in an X Flex? Do single length irons not work that well with stiff low launch shafts? I was fit for one length Cobra F9’s and KBS Tour 130 X shafts at 37.5″ I love the GW through 6 iron, but then hit the 5, 4, and even the hybrids on too low of a trajectory and don’t get much farther than my 210 yard 6 iron. In case it helps, I’ve got a 93 mph swing speed with them (115 driver). I have a quick transition and while my… Read more »
MARK Please understand that we do not build or sell any of my designs in a finished form to anyone. We sell my head designs as components to independent custom clubmakers around the world who then fit and custom build them into custom fit finished clubs for their golfing customers. If you worked with a custom clubmaker to have a set fit and built you could get any shaft of any flex installed in the heads for your set. If you are referring to the direct sales website at sterlingirons.com, we do not have any business relationship with that company… Read more »
Hi Tom,
Got a set from a friend and length is 37″.
Will there be a difference if i cut down to 36.5″?
Thanks
ENZO The biggest difference to watch for would be the effect of the half inch of length reduction on the swingweight of the clubs. In other words, the clubs will swing as if there is very slightly less head weight in the irons because of the half inch length reduction. But with only a half inch change, the key word in that is SLIGHT. Many golfers do not notice that the head weight feel feels a little lighter when a club is shortened by only a half inch. At a one inch length reduction, yes, far more golfers sense that… Read more »
Should he not also be concerned about lie angle?
RICH
Yes since he got the set from a friend the lie is always something that should be investigated and I should have mentioned it to him. Thanks for your post on this and hopefully he may see it.
TOM
Hello Tom,
I’m looking to purchase the SL in LH and I can’t find a fitter in the Chicagoland area, so I’m going through the website. I have tried the 1 club fitter suggested here but no responses. Do you have any recommendations? Or should I just go with my previous specs? My current 8-iron is 36.75″. I’m not sure what adjustments can be made through the online purchase?
TERRENCE Very sorry for the delay in responding as I was out of town for some time and did not have the chance to see the comments to respond promptly. The Chicago area has been very strange in that there just have never seemed to be very many independent custom clubmakers to offer full specs custom fitting to golfers in that area. And Chicago has always been a great golf city and area. Did you try to contact Clubs by Kadin (Kadin Mahmet) in the Crown POint, Indiana area? Kadin has been doing a fair amount of work for Chicago… Read more »
Tom
Was wondering how your SL wood/hybrid project is coming together? I play the Sterlings 4-SW including the hybrid. I’m specifically interested in how your thinking about swing speed vs length. My driver speed is 100-105. Based on this what is the shortest feasible length to play driver, fw woods and hybrids ?
Thx
Pat
PAT Yes it is coming along fine with the expectation for very late winter to early spring 2020. The woods will be set up at an initial design head weight that will allow assembly either to normal lengths or with the additional internal weight addition capability they will be able to be made to be a single length of 40-41″. The woods will be available in #3, 4, 5, 7 but there won’t be a driver. You just cannot make a driver to be as short as 40-41″ and have it ever be able to generate a distance that a… Read more »
Hello Tom, I’ve been playing the Sterlings for a while now and love them. I’m continuously impressed with how good they feel (especially the 8 on down) and how straight they fly.
A friend on mine wants to sell me his used set of Sterling Irons. I might need to customize them to my swing speed and FTW measurement. I have a normal club speed of about 80 and my FTW measurement is 34.5 . His old set is 36 1/2 in club length, and the marking on the shaft has the following — A Flex Iron, SwSpg 55-65, WGT 73 G, TRN 2.225, TEM 2.225, RLS 175.225, STRGTH 175.2. The question I have is wheather I need to send these clubs in for to be customize to my specs, or can… Read more »
Terry: You did not say whether your 80mph swing speed is for the driver or for the irons. If you are 80mph with the driver then the shaft flex is likely OK or pretty close. But if you swing your irons at around 80mph then no, you’d need a stiffer shaft for sure. The 36.5″ length is OK for your 34.5 wrist to floor measurement but you did not state what the lie angle of the irons is so there is no way to know if the lie of these irons would fit you or not. Same with the swingweight.… Read more »
Hi Tom, I’ve had your sterling set for about 3 years now. HAven’t golfed better. A question for you…for those of us that don’t have enough clubhead speed for the 4-iron, what about having the 4-iron at a longer length? I know its not “single length”..but when you go to a hybrid, it is longer also. I have the 4-iron and hit it good on the range when I really go after it, but real on course playing I don’t swing that hard, so I have it out of the bag. I was just thinking that adding a 1/2″ or… Read more »
KEVIN Thanks so much for taking your time to drop in and share your positive experience with the Sterling irons. I’m very pleased to hear that you are playing better than you ever have and enjoying the game more in the process! There are few things better than playing well and knowing you are on a positive direction in the game! Absolutely it is fine to go into longer lengths from wherever the lowest loft single length iron happens to be. Since the whole reason any golfer has a loft that they cannot get adequately airborne to achieve proper distance… Read more »
Great info as always Tom. I’m sort of in the same boat as Kevin with my set as well. I hit 5-SW with great confidence and accuracy but I get to the 4 and the wheels come off. I don’t know if it’s the extra offset or mentally thinking I need to swing harder to get the speed necessary for loft but I tend to leave the 4 iron in the bag more often than not. I’m curious why there is not 4 hybrid available of maybe like Kevin said adding some length to a sterling 5 hybrid to get… Read more »
JOE: When we were doing the original hit testing during the development of the Sterling Irons, many of the hit testing golfers even with adequate clubhead speed struggled with the 4 iron. It was very tough for most of them to look down on such a low loft on an iron with the ball position where an 8 iron ball position would be, and not have the thought that they need to really swing faster or swing up more to hit the club. For several, once we counseled them to take it easy and let their swing speed do the… Read more »
Hi Tom – I bought a set of these used and am really enjoying them. Question on the lofts of the short irons – especially the 9 iron and PW – are they lower lofted than traditional sets due to the longer shaft length? I seem to still hit them well – just really high and wicked long for those particular club lengths. Perhaps I just need to adapt a little and shape my shots a bit more. The more I use the Sterlings the more comfortable I get and the lower my scores drop! Played 9 yesterday with just… Read more »
MARK Really and truly, a loft of 40* for the #9 iron and 45* for the PW are not really strong lofts anymore when you consider where so many of the companies are taking their lofts on their irons. But if you talk only about irons such as forged traditional blade irons, they are a smidge stronger. Much more traditional irons may still have the 9 iron at 44* and the PW at 48* but even in the world of forged blade irons, lofts are being lowered little by little. Now if you are comparing to game improvement deep cavity… Read more »
Tom – I think the height is due to my ball striking/swing to a certain degree. I’m playing more now than I ever did as a kid/young adult (I’m 51 now) and still learning. I played baseball all through HS and DIII hockey in college – then kids after college. Now playing at least once – sometimes twice a week. Still working on my game…. I need to develop my swing with the One Lengths to get that penetrating type of ball flight from the 4-7 Iron as well. I’m loving how the shots with 8-PW are coming along in… Read more »
I found this very informative. The question of who should use these irons was my question and it’s been answered. These would be my choice. I’m 84 and my consistency has gone away. I may have to give up (finally) my old 770’s and try something new.