Are club golfers making it harder on themselves?

[Slicer30]

im not buying this! ive seen a million people with GI clubs put bad swings in them clubs and end up with a bad shot.


to flip this around, are you sure its not the GI club who have swallowed the marketing guff? play theses, they are far easier and better for your game as you still score the exact same score as you did before but feel better doing it .



ive played with jpx800 irons and my distance control was shot. even playing chip and runs was a lottery as the ball seemed to blast off the face. touch of an elephant.

I had the same issue with the JPX800(cast) irons. I could never truly work out the distance an iron went when hit perfect

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

I'm actually slightly of the opinion that having Blades, or less forgiving shots, could result in a saving of shots for some high handicappers, as opposed to SGI's.

Hear me out!

One of the biggest problems a high handicapper could have is the wild swing, that results in a big slice or hook or such like.

My theory (and it is only a theory, never tested out), is that with an SGI, the club is so forgiving, that the ball rockets off, going miles, but in significantly the wrong direction. With a blade, I am led to believe that the ball wil barely go anywhere, therefore, you're more likely to find the ball, and not have to drop one, playing 3 from the same spot.

Like I said, just a theory, but those who have played both, does the above stack up?

 

[duncan mackie]

There are two reasons for this...

1) Marketing. Golf companies do it to sell products to those stupid enough to fall for the hype.
2) Club golfers buy kit because they think it might make them better. Pro's only use new kit once they have proved it gives them an edge.

3) golfers will try anything to find (buy) an improvement (in distance accuracy trajectory whatever!)
4) people believe what they read on forums......
5) perceived ego factors - see (4)

 

[garyinderry]

I'm actually slightly of the opinion that having Blades, or less forgiving shots, could result in a saving of shots for some high handicappers, as opposed to SGI's.

Hear me out!

One of the biggest problems a high handicapper could have is the wild swing, that results in a big slice or hook or such like.

My theory (and it is only a theory, never tested out), is that with an SGI, the club is so forgiving, that the ball rockets off, going miles, but in significantly the wrong direction. With a blade, I am led to believe that the ball wil barely go anywhere, therefore, you're more likely to find the ball, and not have to drop one, playing 3 from the same spot.

Like I said, just a theory, but those who have played both, does the above stack up?

again, I would like to look at data that looks at what club was hit when a ball gets lost. the vast majority of my lost balls come off the tee with driver, hybrids or woods.

 

[duncan mackie]

Like I said, just a theory, but those who have played both, does the above stack up?

no - as the most obvious example an off centre hit with the blade may well curve left, or right, but still go (and disappear) whilst the GI will still go straight'ish but not as far.

 

[garyinderry]

LOL @ these GI clubs going straight! how do people ever miss target with them!

 

[Alex1975]

no - as the most obvious example an off centre hit with the blade may well curve left, or right, but still go (and disappear) whilst the GI will still go straight'ish but not as far.

???? How does a super GI club help the ball go straight if the club is wide open and the path is out to in for example? No club will help that. GI clubs are about helping off center hits... this is only about distance, no club in the world can fight the laws of physics..

 

[Oddsocks]

Blades are sexy though

 

[duncan mackie]

???? How does a super GI club help the ball go straight if the club is wide open and the path is out to in for example? No club will help that. GI clubs are about helping off center hits... this is only about distance, no club in the world can fight the laws of physics..

which bit of my post are you questioning? I made no reference to the club being open, or swing path - you have bought that in all by yourself (it wasn't a factor in the post I was responding to either).

I stand by my post...

"as the most obvious example an off centre hit with the blade may well curve left, or right, but still go (and disappear) whilst the GI will still go straight'ish but not as far."

if you it a GI club slightly towards the toe it will loose a little distance but the weighting will attempt to minimise the right to left shape that a bladed (non-peripherally weighted clubhead) will deliver for the same impact conditions.

 

[garyinderry]

I thought a toe shot would cause a ball to move right to left? is that only with bulge and roll?

 

[Alex1975]

which bit of my post are you questioning? I made no reference to the club being open, or swing path - you have bought that in all by yourself (it wasn't a factor in the post I was responding to either).

I stand by my post...

"as the most obvious example an off centre hit with the blade may well curve left, or right, but still go (and disappear) whilst the GI will still go straight'ish but not as far."

if you it a GI club slightly towards the toe it will loose a little distance but the weighting will attempt to minimise the right to left shape that a bladed (non-peripherally weighted clubhead) will deliver for the same impact conditions.

Ball cant curve if the club head and path are neutral?!

I am not out and out questioning you, I am trying to understand what your saying based on my understanding.


Are you saying that a perimeter weighted club can help a ball go straight? and a blade of muscle back club cannot?

 

[guest100718]

Ball cant curve if the club head and path are neutral?!

I am not out and out questioning you, I am trying to understand what your saying based on my understanding.


Are you saying that a perimeter weighted club can help a ball go straight? and a blade of muscle back club cannot?

I think he is getting at the perimeter weighted clubs are less likely to twist at impact, so should help a bit in keeping the ball straight.

 

[shewy]

the one thing I've found is blades look small, and the thin topline to a hacker like me is intimidating. The mahoosive heads on SGI irons at least instils some confidence that your going to hit the thing, physically they are bigger as well. Don't get me wrong irons are the strongest part of my game, I love my 4 iron but give me a pure blade 4 iron and likelyhood is the battle will be lost in the mind even before I take my backswing

 

[RobertB]

Biggest miss is always more likely off tee, IMHO.

I switched back to blades last year with express intention of being more relaxed and controlled with my hitting of irons which for me equates to shots from 200 yds in. Not forcing shots but getting swing tempo, and in the 11 months I've had the MBs, if the swing is smooth and tempo OK then the, twist at impact, with difference between an off and true hit is not crippling as many suggest.

I'm now working on translating that smoothness to driver off the tee and trusting on the physics rather than forcing it.

From what I see of other people playing with GI etc. is a similar thrash it mentality that they apply to driver....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I use to play blades back in the day. Loved them to pieces. These days my swing isn't great and I know I wouldn't enjoy using them. Loved my TM Tour Preferred's (08) and hit them great. Tried other clubs since looking for that "something" but they all came and went. Ended up with the I25's which I love and still got the TM TP's sitting in a bag in the spare room. They feel softer than the I25's and who knows, they may make a comeback at some point

 

[BoadieBroadus]

Biggest miss is always more likely off tee, IMHO.

I switched back to blades last year with express intention of being more relaxed and controlled with my hitting of irons which for me equates to shots from 200 yds in. Not forcing shots but getting swing tempo, and in the 11 months I've had the MBs, if the swing is smooth and tempo OK then the, twist at impact, with difference between an off and true hit is not crippling as many suggest.

I'm now working on translating that smoothness to driver off the tee and trusting on the physics rather than forcing it.

From what I see of other people playing with GI etc. is a similar thrash it mentality that they apply to driver....

i agree with a lot of this. blades are more difficult to hit, but not so much more difficult that i think they make too much of a meaningful difference. the last poor round i witnessed was a 20 handicapper getting 14 points. blades or not wouldn't have made much difference to his score, his expensive shots were all either on / around the green or off the tee. his default approach to a poor tee shot was then to muller a 3 wood off the fairway, routinely topping / fatting / into the clag etc.

i think if you statistically analysed the effect of blades v sgi's on a round the actual result would be pretty miniscule. 4 iron and below i doubt are hit frequently enough in most rounds to provide much difference (and many can't hit a gi 4 iron that well anyway), 8 iron and above aren't that much harder to hit, so really the marginal improvement of the 5,6,7 irons are the clubs that might make a statistical difference, and even that wouldn't be huge I wouldn't have thought.

we probably do make the game harder for ourselves, but my thoughts are that the biggest improvement in scoring would be by:

1. ditching the driver and taking nothing longer than a 5 wood
2. never hitting anything longer than a 5 iron off a non teed lie
3. sensible course management in always taking the easiest method back to the fairway

blades v sgi's i think is the wrong argument

 

[JCW]

I got fitted for my blades , I wanted a Titleist product and tried all the clubs on offer with the guy i was having lessons with , we used all the up to date equipment and i was told i hit the blades best , i was looking at getting the AP2 , well i am now waiting for my TM CB tour prefferred irons , lot easier to hit ..............i have seen others as i like to be nosey and look at what clubs they got , some got blades and hit it so poor , i ask them did you get fitted for them , oh yes , they the best for me , i know they not , its a man thing i guess , seen many with clubs that don`t suit them ..................but you can`t tell them , after a few years i am new clubs and help , looking forward to seeing how it goes

 

[moogie]

I'm actually slightly of the opinion that having Blades, or less forgiving shots, could result in a saving of shots for some high handicappers, as opposed to SGI's.

Hear me out!

One of the biggest problems a high handicapper could have is the wild swing, that results in a big slice or hook or such like.

My theory (and it is only a theory, never tested out), is that with an SGI, the club is so forgiving, that the ball rockets off, going miles, but in significantly the wrong direction. With a blade, I am led to believe that the ball wil barely go anywhere, therefore, you're more likely to find the ball, and not have to drop one, playing 3 from the same spot.

Like I said, just a theory, but those who have played both, does the above stack up?

Ditch the G25s and give your theory a go........??

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Ditch the G25s and give your theory a go........??

Hahah, I much prefer to live in theoretical worlds, my wallet prefers that as well!! I may see if anyone I know has a set of blades to borrow for a few rounds, to see what does happen. Can't say I've ever really played with blades much!

If they help me score more than my 42 points on saturday, i'll be ditching the G25s quicker than a quick thing. Unfortunately, my theory has already been shot down, so I can't see that happening!

 

[Maninblack4612]

im not buying this! ive seen a million people with GI clubs put bad swings in them clubs and end up with a bad shot.


to flip this around, are you sure its not the GI club who have swallowed the marketing guff? play theses, they are far easier and better for your game as you still score the exact same score as you did before but feel better doing it .



ive played with jpx800 irons and my distance control was shot. even playing chip and runs was a lottery as the ball seemed to blast off the face. touch of an elephant.

Good argument for combos. The long irons in my MP53 set are easy to hit and the blade type 8 to PW give loads of feel.