Head Covers for Your Irons

The big debate in the clubhouse last night, was about the pro's and cons of iron head covers. I admit to using them now, simply because I hate the ammount of bag chatter I get when using my electric trolley. My irons are now forged and the sound is different from cast clubs. I worry, rightly or wrongly, that forged irons are more liable to damage than cast. So for my own piece of mind I use 'Big Fish' iron covers. They're expensive (ish) but no sweating and breathable and are a quality make (Japanese)

I invested in a set of neoprene covers when I bought my irons last year. I carry my clubs so they've undoubtedly saved a lot of noise and more importantly wear and tear on the clubs. On the downside, the bloody things keep falling off. I've tied them together in pairs, but even so the wedge & 9-iron covers are prone to going awol at least once a round. They also cause me to faff around getting them back on, unhooking them from one another and so on, which although I do while walking is still a pain. I guess I won't know whether they're worth it till I sell or px the clubs!

tarts

LondonJonnyO wrote:tarts

Don't hold back LJ, say what you mean

There is something uncool about iron head-covers.

I play with forged irons and after 2 years they're still not in bad nick despite the lack of head-covers (although, simply out of interest, I'd like to know what state they'd be in if I had used head-covers).

As I retain my old clubs and expect to buy new irons every 3-4 years, I don't see any reason to use them.

As an aside, I did notice the racket coming from someone walking on another hole as I was teeing off elsewhere last Sunday. He definitely didn't have head-covers, the noisy git. I could hear the clubs rattling from 150 yards away. It sounded like he was skipping down the fairway!

I dont even have head covers on my utilities, just on the driver. Shoot me now...

Merc, my forged irons are in mint condition thanks to the covers. I have a set of KZG CBIII's which are 5-years old and mint and shiny. The Miura's which I will never replace are also in great 'new' condition, but only had them sice November last year. I guess that with forgings being softer are easier to ding if not protected. But as LJ's says, yes I'm a tart

I understand the clanking... but wear and tear? On a lump of steel?

raycastleunited wrote:I understand the clanking... but wear and tear? On a lump of steel?

Ray check out your sand wedge as a bit of gravel in the sand can put a ding in the club face. So if that can happen in sand, what about your bag or trolley going over and potential for worse?

I get it, I'm just interested in how many people use them. I always see a few when out on the course but appreciate that most don't. But then I suppose most don't have forgings, but I also bet that many with casts use them too. We users must all be gay

Metrosexual Doc, Metrosexual.

Must admit I am thinking about getting some to protect my forged Wishon MC560s. If that makes me a tart, so be it, been called far worse

This is my old 9 iron, which was never covered. Although it's about 22 years old, I only used it for probably 7 or 8 years, and it lost its sheen very quickly through all the banging together with other clubs in the set.

Spoiler:

This is my current 9 iron, just over a year old, and has been covered all the time.

Spoiler:

Is that why Muslims cover their women, do they like them all shiny?

But the little scrapes all over my irons do not affect its performance and aren't distracting.

On a driver for example, a scratch on the head could prove distracting initially, and ultimately lead to the deterioration of the club head as you are scratching away the protective coating. So head covers makes sense there. But I don't see this as an issue with an iron unless the club face is really deeply scratched, and this is only likely to occur from swinging the club when you aren't using the head cover.

LJ said it perfectly Smithers, your shiny pro combos make you look like a tart

My original nike blades are just as shiny after i don't know how long. And no need for covers.

Oh I know I'm being a tart, you'll get no argument from me about that!

smithersjones wrote:Oh I know I'm being a tart, you'll get no argument from me about that!

Good job you don't hit the ball like a tart SJ.

Never seen the need for iron headcovers myself and wood headcovers were only used because they were to cover 'wood', metal woods probably don't need them - but as soon as someone finds a way to make a silk purse out of a sows ear and promise me that iron headcovers will make me hit the ball straighter, then I might consider them.

With graphite shafts i see a need. The sock prevents wear on the bag. Plus woods are painted. The headcover will ensure that paintchips are minimal.

I'm sure you're right LJ - and I do use wood covers with the graphite shafted clubs as the uncovered iron heads could 'clatter' against the graphite. But it just seems to be too much of a fag to bother with iron covers. However, I haven't got a set of miura blades like doc!