Pinhawk SL Single Length Iron Heads

Looking for more consistency from you or your customers iron game? You need to seriously consider the Pinhawk SL single length iron heads! They are extremely popular for a reason.

What exactly is the difference between a “regular” iron set and a set of Pinhawk SL Single Length irons? Well, as you probably know, a conventional iron set has ½” length increments between each club. This forces the player to “learn” many different swings throughout the iron set, and ball striking consistency can be an issue. The Pinhawk SL irons are a solution to that problem. The SL heads are all the same weight throughout the entire set, so that you can make the length the same throughout the set. In addition, the swingweight and flex would also be the same. This allows the golfer to use the same swing, on the same plane, with the same feel, for each iron in the set.

The Pinhawk SL’s heads are not only are all the same weight to be built the same length, but they also feature the very latest in iron technology. They incorporate a game improvement design without looking “clunky”, and they have extreme perimeter weighting and a true deep undercut for the ultimate in forgiveness.  And despite having a game improvement design, the SL’s have a very manageable sole width, and a low (3 mm) offset on each iron.

The loft gapping is slightly larger than traditional irons; this is to maintain a proper distance gap between clubs. You will find that your distances will be very similar to a “conventional” set of irons (studies have proven that, along with "real world" play).

If you are a clubbuilder building your own set, or you are in the business and are reselling assembled Pinhawks, we are confident you will be pleased! 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Are they USGA legal?

Yes. They are listed as conforming irons on the USGA Informational Club Database, listed under Pinhawk, right after Ping.

What handicap are they good for?

All handicaps. We’ve had success with these irons from hackers all the way to club champions. They help with consistency, and any of your customers can use that.

Has anyone I know played single length irons?

Depends, do you get out much? Moe Norman, who is considered one of the best ball strikers of all time used single length irons. Also, Bryson DeChambeau won the NCAA Individual Championship and also the US Amateur playing single length irons. With his US AM win, we are excited to report that he will be playing in the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship with his single length irons. Can’t get any better “proof of concept” than that!  For a little more on Bryson, you can watch a video that talks about his single length irons here.

UPDATE: Coming off a great showing at the Masters (winning low Am with his single length irons) he has now turned Pro, and we look forward to watching his career on the PGA Tour with great interest!

ANOTHER UPDATE: Bryson wins the DAP Championship and is now a full time member on the PGA TOUR! 

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: Bryson wins the John Deere Classic! Single Length irons are now officially PGA Tour winners.

We're also excited to mention that Gareth Shaw, a European Tour player is putting the Pinhawk's in play! Gareth is no slouch, he's finished 5th in the Irish Open, beating the likes of Donaldson, Lawrie, Willett, Bjorn, Molinari, Harrington, and 13th in the French Open, beating Dubuisson, Poulter and more big names. We are looking forward to see how Gareth does on the Tour in the future!

Have any studies been done on the efficacy of single length irons? 

We just wanted to get the word "efficacy" in a sentence. But seriously, the answer is yes. Besides being proven by real world play, studies have been done to prove that they are a concept that works. Dave Tutleman, a veteran golf industry engineer, did a study on contant length irons. If you have some time, grab a cup of coffee and read Dave's extensive academic investigation here.

UPDATE: Mr Tutleman wrote a new article detailing his experience of personally playing the Pinhawks. The article is here, if you have time take a look. In short, they are "in the bag"! 

You may also want to check out some press we've been getting from this article in Golf Digest and this article from the LA Times. 

Do you have any competitors for Single Length Irons? Who else sells them? 

We do have a few competitors. The only one that we feel has the quality and expertise behind their product is found here. If you don't purchase from us, we urge you to purchase from them. Keep in mind they only sell assembled clubs. 

What tip trimming instructions should I follow?

Follow the shaft manufacturers tipping instructions for a 7 iron. For example, if you are building a set with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts, they recommend tipping 3” for a 7 iron. You would tip trim ALL the shafts in the set the same 3 inches off the tip. Remember, all the head weights are the same weight. Then butt cut to your length. It’s as simple as that! 

What length is best for me or my customers?

We suggest 7 iron length (37”); that is generally the “sweet spot” for most players.  If you (or your customer) are exceptionally tall or short, however, 37” may not be for you. Here is a very general WTF (wrist-to-floor) chart to get you started. For more details on how to measure your wrist-to-floor, look under “Club Length” of our fitting page.

Do they come in Left Handed?

Not as of yet. Tooling is extremely expensive and we would have to sell a LOT of left handed irons to make up the cost. That doesn’t mean it’s not a possibility in the future though.

UPDATE: We caved - now available in Left Handed!

What are the lofts of each club?

Here you go:

Can the irons be bent?

Yes, they can. Because they are made of high quality 431 Stainless Steel, they can easily be bent up to 2 degrees.

What do the heads weigh?

Each head weighs approximately 272 grams.

What is the lie angle of each club?

62.5 degrees.

How long do they take to get used to?

It depends on the player. We’ve had some shoot low scores right out of the gate, and we’ve had some say that it takes a few rounds for their brain to get used to the concept.  We are confident you will like them, and we can count on one hand any complaints that we’ve had about them.

Can you compare the Pinhawk SL specs to a regular iron set?

Sure, we will compare them to a typical iron set in the charts below. Notice how the typical iron set specs are all over the map!

What kind of steel are Pinhawk heads made of?

They are made of high quality 431 Stainless.  Our competitors use a harder steel (17-4).

Why don’t major companies do this?

Because no major manufacturer is going to take a risk and try and change the design perception of the entire golf industry. It would be too much of an uphill battle to fight to educate the consumer. Jaacob Bowden (who runs swingmangolf.com, and is a proponent of single length irons) had a sit down with a major golf company CEO and he had this to say about the subject:

"Same length has been done, personally I've been a fan but it's a tough concept to sell. Reality; In the US golf industry there are 6 major chains that buy product that is sold to what constitutes 85% of the market. All but roughly 2-3 % of the rest is sold in golf pro shops and they are influenced by the retailers. The buyers for these major chains only buy what is played on tour and pretty much in order of market share. Like it or not we dance to that tune. To introduce something like single length after investing in the design we'd have to spend millions on marketing and not so minor get tour credibility because no product is successful at retail without it." 

So there you go. Major companies aren't going to take that kind of "risk". We aren’t a "major" company, and thankfully for you don’t have stockholders to answer to. Although we do have to answer to our wives!

Can’t I just buy some other iron heads and make the irons the same length?  

You could, but it won’t work. The short iron heads would be way too heavy, and the long iron heads would be way too light. This would cause a multitude of problems. Unless you are adept at grinding and are very creative with your weighting, it's not possible. In addition, your loft gaps on regular iron heads would not be correct for single length irons application.

My customers have trouble hitting 4 irons, do you have any options for them (or me)? 

Yes. We designed a 4 hybrid for just such an occasion. Many players find a hybrid easier to hit than an iron in their long irons. The Pinhawk Hybrid weighs the same as the iron heads, and you can make it the same length as your irons.