Has this happened to anyone else...

[Started2k3]

This has happened to me twice now.

My 3 iron and 4 iron have developed a crack where the hosel meets the blade. When this first happened to my 3 iron, I thought that I had gotten mad at a shot and (in)appropriately smashed down my club against the ground and broke it. On friday I was playing at Edgewood and I used my 4 iron twice and both were great approach shots (no anger hence no smashy-smashy), but when I went to grab it the third time...there is the crack. This is the first time I have used it this year and I checked all of my clubs over the winter, so it must have occured during these two swings.

My clubs are cheapo "no name" brand clubs, but it is only the 3 season of use for them.

I have heard about shafts and driver heads breaking during a swing but not iron heads.

Has anyone else ever had this happen?

[jvincent]

It has not happened to me personally, but my brother-in-laws cheapo clubs did this to him once.

It's a combination of cheaper materials and inadequate thickness of the metal at the hosel / blade junction.

[bobblehead]

I was golfing with my buddy and his 7-iron head snapped off during his swing...can't remember if it went further than the ball I think he uses it as a paper weight now. It was a cheapo set too.

[jmr73]

I have seen it twice with my brother's cheapo set. A friend of mine had the same cheapo set (was a popular one) and the exact same thing happened to him. I think it was pro select??? or something like that. Was a dark grey metal... looked like lead and not a shiny iron.

[mberube]

You get what you pay for.

My first set of clubs were el cheapo. After a few years the face on my irons were starting to cave in. The face was domed inwards. They even started to crack in the middle and the top edge.

Now I have Hogan’s and never looked back.

[Chieflongtee]

I . Was a dark grey metal... looked like lead and not a shiny iron.

Exactly. Don't try to remove the shafts using a propane torch. They will melt.

["Richard"]

My friend just bought an Adams tight lies driver and on the 15th-20th shot at the driving range and the head flew off. Crap driver, obviously that was going to happen. Never heard of anyone cracking an r7

[GarthM]

I have had 2 cheapo irons break in half over the years.

As for better equipment I have had a Callaway Steelhead wood crack right at the crown, and a 975 J crack right along a groove last year.

These things happen...

[Started2k3]

I am glad it is not just me.

Thanks guys (and girls don't want to offend).

[wrxforsale]

yup, bought a cheap driver, graphite shaft - broke in two...

[Slammin' Stever]

Started2k3,

I have replaced iron heads that have cracked in the past.

How tall are you?

This problem is quite common with taller stronger players using standard length clubs.

I have had personal experience where OEM's have replaced 431 investment cast iron heads with 15-5 stainless steel to try to prevent the hosel from cracking.

15-5 is a harder steel then 431 on the rockwell hardness scale, thus their reasoning is it will stop the hosel from cracking.

This logic was after the fellow two cracked 431 replacement heads.

Typically a taller golfer will toe up his irons at address and thus catch (trap) alot of shots in the hosel side of the iron head.

Over a period of time this fatiques the metal and cracking or breakage will develope.

I suggested getting measured for your proper length if you have not done so.

Hope this helps.

Steve

[dbleber]

Never heard of anyone cracking an r7

Are you kidding? That stuff happens to Taylor Made drivers all the time. Just at Golf town last night I saw 2 guys pick up an R7 and a R5 because the head flew off and when I was leaving anther guy was bringing in a 580 for the same thing. Stuff like this happens when you have a mass production assembly line, quality control is harder to maintain.
Denny

[Started2k3]

How tall are you?

I am 6 ft 2 inches tall, I think this puts me in the tall category.

I have only had my driver shaft lengthened, but I have been thinking about adjusting the rest of my set. But with the loss of the 3i and 4i, I think I will wait until I can afford to buy a new set.

Thanks.

[Ty Webb]

I had a Callaway Steelhead 3 wood with a UST Proforce 65 shaft. This happened twice to this club. I now use steel.

Ty

[Marmotte]

... Not only cheapos my friend, I have a few Pings, Callaways and Titleist with hosel cracks. I yet have to find a forged head, because they will bend instead of cracking. The 3, 4 and 5 irons seem to be easy victims.... An engineer from Ping told me that frequent chilly dips or hits with the toe may be the cause. This would support the theory that taller people using irons with the wrong lie may be more frequent victims.