Who are same length irons for? Anybody that wants to get better. Is that all of us? I don't know. Maybe it is.

Here's the general rule I use: same length helps everybody... to a point. There's a point where the benefit starts introducing new challenges, and you've got to figure out where that spot is for you. So let's go golfer by golfer. I'll stick to what I've actually seen and what Avoda says, and I'll tell you who it isn't for.

Standard, combo and same length side by side, and where same length stops helping.

Beginners and newer golfers

Why would a beginner go same length? Well, Avoda calls it "a strong starting point for newer players who want to groove one repeatable swing before adding variables." I agree. A newer golfer has enough to learn without a different ball position and posture for every club.

Then there's the multiplier: every shot you learn with one club, you've learned with all of them. If you don't have time to be at the range practising a different swing for every club, that's a big deal.

The catch is that newer golfers often don't have the speed to launch a 7-iron-length 4- or 5-iron. That's why the online fitting asks for your 7-iron speed or carry distance. Let a fitter tell you how far down the bag same length should go.

Mid-handicappers (10 to 25)

If you're a general 10 to 25 handicapper, here's what I'd do: same length 6-iron through lob wedge, then hybrids or high woods for the rest. You're going to have an easier time hitting a 7-wood, a 9-wood or a hybrid than any long iron, whether it's same length, combo or standard. That fits where I've landed overall: if you go same length, go lob wedge to 6-iron.

Bad backs

If you have back problems, go with the same length, so you don't have to bend over as far. With a 7-iron-length wedge or short iron in your hands, you're not reaching down as far for those shots as you would with a standard short club.

That's one of the two places I'd point a senior golfer. I'm not going to promise you magic, but bending over less on every wedge and short iron is a real thing.

Slower speeds (80 to 90 mph 7-iron)

If your 7-iron speed is somewhere around 80 to 90 mph, I'd go combo. The long irons are a little lighter and a little longer, so they give you a bit more clubhead speed, and you'll have an easier time hitting them the way you want.

That's the other place I'd point a lot of senior golfers. If your speed isn't what it used to be, combo keeps the scoring clubs the same and helps the long irons get up in the air.

Fast swingers (97+ mph 7-iron)

These days my recommendation is combo length unless your 7-iron swing speed is 97 mph or above. Above that, full same length becomes a real option, because you've got the speed to launch the long irons. Avoda says much the same: same length suits players with higher swing speeds and a high-launch, high-spin ball flight, and taller players who are already comfortable with a longer wedge. If you're tall, I'd lean same length too.

Combo unless you're at 97 mph or above. Here's why, in 24 seconds.

Juniors growing out of junior sets

This one's personal. My son Jack outgrew his junior clubs, and the options were rough. Cut-down men's clubs are too heavy, generally steel-shafted and too stiff. Ladies' clubs? Jack, do you want a set of ladies' clubs? No. Exactly.

So I reached out to the fitters at Avoda. They fit him with a lighter graphite shaft, the KBS TGI 60, at the right lie for him, built about an inch longer than he needs so he can grow into them. Now he has 5-iron through lob wedge that he can learn on and grow into.

I'm not saying every junior needs same length. I'm saying a growing junior needs clubs fit to them, because they'll develop a swing around whatever equipment they're given, and you don't want them building habits they spend the rest of their life trying to fix. The whole story is in Too Big for Junior Clubs?.

Who it's not for, honestly

Avoda is upfront about this, and I appreciate it. They say if you're not a higher-speed, higher-spin player, or not on the taller side, you may find the long irons launch a little low or the wedges a touch long. And if you need a high, soft long iron to hold firm greens, a full 4-PW same length set isn't it. Look at combo, or a shorter same length makeup with woods and hybrids on top.

My own experience, being a short guy at 5'7" with a 90-ish mph 7-iron: I love the accuracy, but at about the 5-iron and into the 4-iron, I couldn't get enough height in the summer to land and stop the ball on the green. That's exactly why I wanted a combo set too.

Where's your point?

Think of same length like a dimmer switch, not an on-off switch. For some golfers, it's just the wedges, all three the same length. For some, it's all the scoring clubs. And for some, it's the whole set.

If the wedges are where you start, match the sole to how you hit it. Four quick questions (your miss, your conditions, your shots, your highest-lofted wedge) and it tells you W1, W2 or W3. Take the WedgeFit quiz →

The fitting tells you where your same-length point is. Avoda's lineup has all three set types, and the head-to-head is in Same Length vs Combo Length. My full review is in Same Length Irons Review, my fitting test is in Can You Really Get Fit Online?, and the recommendations chapter of my showdown video goes golfer by golfer. Questions? Text me from my same-length page.

Don't guess. Get fit. I bought all three of my Avoda setshrough their online fitting, and when I got fit in person later, the specs came back exactly the same. It takes a few minutes: a down-the-line 7-iron video, your height, your speed, and a real fitter emails your specs within 48 hours. Start your free online fitting →

 

If you buy through my links, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you, and I appreciate it very, very much. Buy through my link and message me, and I'll give you my mini course on succeeding with same length and combo length irons.

 

Learn to hit it where you want it to go. All of my courses, from ball striking to chipping, putting and bunkers, are in the Big Swing Kings store →