Cub, I've used flat-line clubs for the past ten years. My hdcp was 4 when I changed, and now hovers between 0 and 2. It is not all because of the clubs, but I have been generally very happy with the feel and performance of my clubs. Some general observations of the differences: 1. The long irons are stiffer than a traditional set. I have found this to actually be one of the bigger advantages. I feel that I have more control with my long irons, I can swing them without worrying about the directional aspect of the shots. I do not feel like I have lost much, if any, distance. I would agree, however, that forged blades certainly offer less forgiveness using this system! Generally, I use forged cavity back iron heads for myself. 2. The short irons are more flexible than a traditional set. The advantage that I have found is that slight misshits are more forgiving. With a traditional shaft flex, if I slightly misshit a shot with a wedge, I would lose more distance than I now do with my flat-line clubs. The disadvantage of flat-lining, however, is the fact that the short irons do tend to go higher, and generate more spin. Into the wind, there is more of a problem of ballooning the ball, because of the extra spin. Knockdown shots are a little more difficult to hit. On balance, though, I think that the benefits are worth the disadvantages. Through experimentation, I have found that the Rifle shafts seem to work best for me, because I find them a little easier to knock down, when I need to. One thing that I must mention, however, is that the Rifle shaft plays about 8-9 cpm stiffer than a corresponding Dynamic shaft. In other words, if you decide that a Dynamic shaft playing at 300 cpm is good for you, then you should build the Rifle shafts at about 291-292 cpm. The other main advantage of flat-lining, in my opinion, is that it encourages you to swing the same way with all clubs. With a traditional set, I felt that I had to swing my long irons more slowly and smoothly because of their additional flex, and felt that I had to be more aggressive with the short irons, in order to get the shafts to flex sufficiently. That is no longer the case with flat-line clubs. If I were to experiment further, I could see possibly stiffening the short irons slightly, just so that it would be easier to keep the ball down. Generally, though, I am happy enough with the benefits of flat-lining to leave well enough alone. Hope this helps, Mike
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Steve "Cub" Culbreth Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 8:22 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: ShopTalk: Flatline I've discounted flat-line freq matching in the past but had a little time to ponder it lately. Besides the fact that the short irons may hit longer and higher, wouldn't you lose control all the way around? I mean, using a 4cpm slope we try to maintain the feel and playing flex throughout the set. If you flat-line a set based on your current 7-Iron freq, because you hit it the best, wouldn't you end up with long irons that are way too stiff and short irons way to soft? Seems a no-brainer to me, but I have to wonder. Have any of you played a flat-line set? Have any of you played a set with only 2cpm of slope throughout? I'd like to hear your thoughts before I get too tempted to test the principle. TIA, Cub
