keyser, since club lengths today are much longer than in the past, 1/2” over length (meaning a 38 1/2” 5 iron) is usually plenty. However, the individuals swing plane can also dictate this and this puts both you and the golf professional in the perverbial “catch-22). You are correct in that the shot pattern on the face is important because this can tell you that the golfer either can or cannot handle the extra length. This situation you are in will require some experimenting. I would make up a 6 iron at 1” over length and see how he does. It is always easier to shorten the club than lengthen it. Accuracy should be a strong determining factor.
This kind of points out that you do need the standard length and also 1/2” shorter and 1/2” longer and 1” longer test clubs. The KE4 is best for this because they are weight adjustable.
Final point; you do not see many very good tall golfers who stand very upright to the ball. David Graham was definitely an exception and I am sure there are a number of others. The Jim Thorpes and Ernie Els have much more spine angle in their swings.
