Equipment
Forum Thread of the Day: “Best Distance Irons for Seniors?”
Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from disco111, who asks fellow GolfWRX members for their opinion on what are the best distance irons for seniors. Plenty of different clubs get a mention, and some of our older members also offer their advice on how to solve the issue of decreasing length.
Here are few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- jjfcpa: “I’m 71 and been looking for more distance since I started playing just three years ago. Took a few lessons last year from Golftec just to make sure I had the fundamentals down and was not grooving a bad swing. I have pretty good luck with the short irons, but the long irons are a real problem for me. I’ve tried many irons and brands and just recently acquired a set of Z585’s from Srixon with lofts jacked 2 degrees and UST Recoil senior flex shafts. I’m finally seeing distances that I’ve expected from my mid irons and long irons.”
- Cslade: “Rogue X are very strong lofts, but they also have a very low and deep CG. They should launch at about the same angle as more conventional lofts, spin a little less and go really far.”
- farmer: “At 68, I play hybrids through the 7 iron. Easy to hit, easy to get into the air, distance is as good as any iron I’ve hit in my senior years. Easily 150 with the 6, easily 140 with the 7, good decision for me.”
- wmblake2000: “I’m 66 and this getting older is a real thing. But I also notice I still have days and swings where I still hit it like I think I should. It just takes a better swing than it used to.”
Equipment
Neal Shipley, AKA, the “Big Fridge’s,” custom stamping
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.

“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
Equipment
From the GolfWRX Classifieds: L.A.B. Purple DF3 with Masters cover
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.

From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Whats in the Bag
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4

3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms

Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105

Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Methusalem
Jan 14, 2019 at 4:40 pm
Sorry but this makes no sense. What does that even mean „Distance irons for seniors“? Distance irons need a certain amount of clubhead speed so the proper question would be „Are there any distance irons for people with a low clubhead speed?“ And there is only one answer to this: If you can‘t generate enough clubhead speed for your distance iron, replace it with a hybrid. Why is this the forum thread of the day? Its a stupid question.
budT
Jan 14, 2019 at 10:58 am
Don’t mess with Senior Golfers. We’re the ones who have the time and the money to play golf.
Tom
Jan 10, 2019 at 12:21 pm
Senior golfers are more concerned about peeing every other hole than distance of their iron shots.
Brad
Jan 9, 2019 at 6:36 pm
The irons that the majority of seniors should be playing with are the Cleveland Launcher HB irons, or similar from Tour Edge or even the older Cleveland Altitude hybrid irons.
Most of the “distance” irons on the market have lofts that are far too strong for the swing speeds of most senior golfers. Because of D-plane, stronger lofts are also harder to hit compared to clubs with more loft, no matter how low or deep the CG.
Golfers need to get off of the ego train and stop drinking the kool-aid from the marketing machines of these golf companies, so they can actually play better golf and save a few dollars.
Johnny Penso
Dec 26, 2018 at 4:17 pm
The best distance irons for seniors are called hybrids.
/end thread
MARK
Aug 14, 2019 at 5:41 pm
WHICH HYBRIDS DO YOU RECOMMEND.
abe
Dec 26, 2018 at 1:18 pm
If your core is compromised with a loose weak enlarged belly and no x-factor between your hips and shoulders, you will never be able to generate enough kinetic energy to power up your kinetic chain. You are terminal.
geohogan
Dec 27, 2018 at 12:05 pm
Power in the golf swing comes from the turning of the torso. Clubhead speed from LAG.
So called X factor is simply an illusion created by proper use of the scapula(loosest joint in the body)
Jamie
Dec 26, 2018 at 11:28 am
Lofts being equal, it’s the shaft that will help seniors hit it further in a meaningful way and not the head.
smz
Dec 26, 2018 at 2:18 pm
Nothing will help seniors hit it further… it’s ‘old age despair’ creeping into the rest of their life on the golf course. Pathetic.
JAMES BERRY
Dec 27, 2018 at 8:28 am
Just remember, getting old is a pleasure denied to many. I hope you get the pleasure.
geohogan
Dec 27, 2018 at 12:08 pm
A truth for every golfer, the day will come when we will have hit our last golf ball.
True at any age, we know not when that shot is our last.
dixiedoc
Dec 28, 2018 at 11:40 am
Really, the slow play at our club is the 25 to 45 y/o who think that the pro tour is only a step away. Excessive times deciding which iron to hit, excessive times on the greens and you stroll along like you’ve got all the time in the world. The old guys play in about 3hrs and 40 minutes or less. We’ve timed the members so don’t say I’m making it up. You will be old one day too so learn to keep pace.
Jim K
Dec 28, 2018 at 12:47 pm
Really? Then why are our two foursomes of old men in their 60s and 70s always waiting for the young guys ahead of us to get out of our way so we can finish in less than four hours and get to the bar for a few beers? By the way, most of us usually score between 75 and 85….how about you?
Vic
Dec 29, 2018 at 11:08 am
LOL well said.
joro
Dec 28, 2018 at 1:07 pm
Abe, just remember this, you will get old also, at least I hope you do not leave us early. When you do just remember this shitty remark you made when you are wobbling around the green and trying to crawl out of a trap. It affects everyone that makes old age, but I hope your not hinting that we should just go away.
Drbopperthp
Dec 28, 2018 at 12:46 pm
GFY
Howard
Dec 28, 2018 at 2:38 pm
The cultured and educated reply from a moron. No/fewer seniors = fewer players = higher costs.
If you are lucky you will live long enough to reach our “old age”.
Robert Dicks
Dec 29, 2018 at 9:48 am
SMZ, if you worded your comment more cleverly, it might be taken tongue-in-cheek or as satire. But nope, it’s just mean. And the #1 reason for slow play is jerks of all ages playing from the wrong tee, not seniors on the course. And for distance as seniors, nothing beats a hybrid, as others have mentioned.