Are club golfers making it harder on themselves?

[Oddsocks]

While I was at the open at the weekend I took a bit more time watching pros warming up/down on the range, and something become very apparent early on which I found quite shocking and a bit of a wake up call.

Drivers:- next to no players were using 430/440 drivers, nearly every pro we're using the big old 460 monsters. Why is it the case when we are sold 430/440 drivers as a better players driver who wants to be able to shape the ball easier.

Fairways/hybrids:- most players were gaming old faithfuls, not current models. Obviously about what works than what's new, this was despite most running newest head covers on older bats,

Irons:- again we are sold blades as a pro/cat1 club, yet a good amount of players has stuff like ping I/g series, rocketbladz, xhot, ap2's and so on, so obviously these great swings that we see on the tele still need something that has some forgiveness. Not cb's mb's or mc's again like the marketing geeks allow us to believe. Maybe the elite few use them, but a good amount are still playing a forgiving cavity club,

So, why is if that club golfers in the area of 5-15 hc feel they need blades, they need small headed drivers and need the newest longest fairways when the tour pro' scant get the best from them.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've always advocated making it as easy as possible. If the pro's are using cavity, even player type cavity, then I agree it seems to make it clear that the age of the blade is over. It still has a place in the game if you are pro, top amateur or a quality ball striker but with the difference in cavity and blade abundantly clear why make it harder?

 

[nemicu]

Again for the most part there are two sides to every coin.
Pros are "showcases" for the the latest equipment from OEM's and the best way to advertise new products is by player endorsement of what "average joe" should be playing.
Newer, longer, more forgiving are all buzz words touted by brands to promote news items for sale, but in reality if you're that bad at golf - no amount of GI enhancements are going to help you out.
On the flip side, pros certainly have a lot more at stake that "average joe" in the money stakes - and consequently they need all the edge they can get- if that means a missed fairway, green or putt, then it can add up to a lot at the end of the tourney.
But even so, I've still seen enough pros using blades to realise that even though there is so much at stake, they still prefer something a bit classic. Which all makes modern gear bunk really - if it hasn't been fitted around your game.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

I go forgiving where possible but I love looking down on my irons so I can't see me going back to big GI irons now, don't think I will ever consider blades though.

 

[sev112]

Totally agree
Some will believe they play better with "better player" clubs, the odd one or two might actually.
I still remember some truly wonderful shots with my blades.
I remember all the really good rounds with my SGIs - there are a lot more of them

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

You make some valid points Oddsocks and I think a lot of it comes down to vanity and also the fact we are playing for enjoyment, not for a living. I use blades and the feeling of nutting a long iron is lovely. If I hit a bad one then OK, bit of a bummer but doesn't affect my livelihood.

If I was a pro I'm pretty sure I would use cavities.

 

[Dave1980]

totally agree with this-

This is something I am considering, changing from the Ping S series to either the Ping I series or the TM Speedblades just to try and make the game a bit easier. I'm not sure I could go to the full on GI clubs as they just look terrible behind the ball

 

[3565]

I'm a blade player always have, always will be, so long as my swing is repeatable and I'm physically able to.

 

[garyinderry]

adam scott says no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.golfwrx.com/190180/adam-scott-witb-2014/



allez l'blades :thup:

 

[JCW]

I play with Titliest Blades , have done for a few years now and have won much with them , hit lots of great shots and some poor ones but i am now changing to the New Taylormade Tour preffered CB irons , if i can hit blades i hit these in my sleep , they are on order and the vouchers I got from my retirement on the Railway will more then pay for them , all for making the game easier to play and may even get my handicap going back down .............................EYG

 

[MarkHK]

I have been playing with a set of Mizuno MP-68's for the last few months as they looked beautiful and I got them for a good price, did OK with them but the slight miss hits really do punish you. After beating myself up for having a few bad holes wrecking every medal card I went back to my R9 irons. Massive improvement and the last three medal rounds have been two cuts and a buffer, I am now firmly in the camp of why make the game harder for yourself. The MP-68's will probably appear in the for sale section in the next few weeks.

 

[garyinderry]

I only play 5-pw in my irons. changing to cavities is not going to help my all that much.


its driving, woods, hybrids that get me into trouble. hitting irons is easy peasy.

 

[Oddsocks]

It's good to see the percentage of this thread is of the same thought train, it also relates to something that come up recently.

I was having a playing lesson and as general chat me and the pro was talking about irons and I was going through some of the irons I had my eyes on.... He said

" why do people shop for clubs that reward them on good days, when really we should play clubs they help us on bad days "

They makes perfect sense, on a good day when your swing is groved you will be able to hit anything , it's the bad days that matter.

 

[chrisd]

All fair comment OS, when I posted on here that I was thinking of switching from my AP2's to XHot 2, game improver irons, in the hope that I would strike a few more shots a round better with more forgiveness than afforded by the Titleist clubs, the general consensus was " the Titleist got you to 10 handicap so there's no point to changing"

I did change, unfortunately coinciding with a major swing crisis, but the X2 Hots definitely are easier to play with, I can hit the 4 iron every bit as well as my rescue clubs so I've ditched one of them and haven't used the other one at all in play. My swing is now coming back together it seems and the GI clubs are staying in the bag!

 

[davidy233]

While I was at the open at the weekend I took a bit more time watching pros warming up/down on the range, and something become very apparent early on which I found quite shocking and a bit of a wake up call.

Drivers:- next to no players were using 430/440 drivers, nearly every pro we're using the big old 460 monsters. Why is it the case when we are sold 430/440 drivers as a better players driver who wants to be able to shape the ball easie.

The guy who's won last two weeks (Justin Rose) uses a 430 SDLR

 

[nemicu]

The guy who's won last two weeks (Justin Rose) uses a 430 SDLR

..and quite a few blades too. (4-PW)

 

[Oddsocks]

I think there's a difference between world top ten players and the rest though,

 

[Birchy]

IMO definitely yes. Too many people are more obsessed with how they look to others. Its great when you play with one of them guys with all shiny pro issued gear then struggle with it. Makes me chuckle all the way around

"Them Ping G irons are so ugly" well mate not half as ugly as your scorecard. Looks like you've been playing bingo :rofl:

 

[guest100718]

How many shots per round will swapping to SGI clubs mean? I cant help thinking a 28 handicapper with blades who plays once a week and doesnt practice will still be a 28 handicapper with a set of uber SGIs.

 

[nemicu]

I think the average club golfer makes it harder on themselves by not getting fitted. All the forgiveness in the world is lost if it doesn't fit the end user - for example if the shaft is too long (classic for drivers), incorrect flex or weight. Loft and lie forms an important part too in order to get the most out of any "tech' built into clubs. Most golfers simply purchase "off the shelf" or use trial and error rather than getting fitted. It's entirely possible that a correctly fitted set of blades will perform better than a poorly fitting set of cavities - but because this aspect is rarely looked at, most folks gravitate to what they think "fits" rather than what does​ fit.