GI clubs are they bad for you?

[DaveM]

The question arose when I was cleaning my clubs this weekend. When I started to play golf (back in the mists of time). I learnt on Blades, You had to learn a good swing so as to hit the sweet spot. Or the shot was rubbish(still is). As I said when I was cleaning my clubs the wear marks(old clubs) where all in the center of the face(you could cover the marks with a 10p, I tried, ok sad I know). Now with the modern GI clubs even off center hits are pretty good. So the need to hit the sweetspot everytime has gone. Even a dodgy swing get a fair result. So in the long run would not your game improve better with Blades than GI clubs? There would be less chance of ingraining faults in your swing that you were unaware of? You would have to learn from the off a good swing, or at lest one that hit with the sweetspot? Would like your views on this guys.

 

[CMAC]

its an interesting point and I can't disagree as I also learned with blades and just got a new set of MP69 blades.

One thing I do feel though is the majority will have more enjoyment out of GI clubs rather than the punishing blades, and isn't that why we all play the game........for fun?

 

[Ethan]

I too learnt on blades, and still like them. I don't think GI clubs are bad for you per se. It is a preference thing really. Also, there is a large range of GI clubs. Some, for example TM Superlaunch, are hideous shovels but others, for example, Mizuno JPX 800 Pro are pretty good clubs and good enough for Tour players to use.

Most amateurs don't need to 'work' the ball, but having more bladey or reduced cavity short irons probably allows more subtlety in the short game. Baldey clubs may also force you to develop better ball striking, although it might also make you give up the game!

A hybrid set which moves from GI clubs in the longer irons to more bladey clubs in the wedges is a decent compromise.

 

[Philm]

agreed it may help to punish yourself with blades.

but it also may help ones confidence to slowly learn to strike the ball well with GI irons.

afterall, beginners arent struggling to hit a 5yard draw or a sweet 220yard 3iron.

they are struggling to strike the ball full stop. fat/thin and fresh air are the order of the day and a blade isnt going to give a whole lot more beneficial feedback in this situations.

granted for a decent golfer a set of blades for midweek bounce games might be an idea but GI irons certainly arent making beginner golfers worse, thats impossible.

they both have there place. ive certainly no problem with a bladed GW for 100 and in but id rather see my players iron behind a 190yard approach than a bladed one.

Phil

 

[MadAdey]

I think it all depends on what you want from golf. I know blokes who have played for years and have no ambition of ever getting a low handicap and just happy to play off a 15 handicap. They now they do not have to practice as they use GI's and that enables them to not worry too much about hitting the ball spot on every time. On the other hand if you want to be a scratch golfer then you need to get away from them ASAP, as I have always noticed that GI's only ever hit the ball up in the air as they are meant to. Trying to manipulate the ball with them is not easy at all.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Someone on the forum has a bladed 6 iron for using at the range, but then GI clubs in his bag for the course. Seems sensible to me

Also, Lee Westwood uses cavity back irons, and he's pretty good

 

[Tommo21]

On the other hand if you want to be a scratch golfer then you need to get away from them ASAP

Dont think so............quite a few top tour pros dont use blades.

 

[MadAdey]

Dont think so............quite a few top tour pros dont use blades.

Yeah I know they do not all blades I never said they did, but I'm sure don't use game improvement irons. They will use irons with the blade appearance but that also offer a slight cavity to give more consistency, things like the TM Muscle Cavity or the Mizuno MP 59 and MP 63. Hardly what you would call game improvement irons are they?

 

[GB72]

GI Irons are not bad for me, and I can honestly say that without them I may never have taken the game up in the first place. That said, I really can see the benefit of practicing with a blade to encourage focus and concentration on the range (something that I struggle with).

 

[Alex1975]

I think that no matter if you have GI or Blades if your topping, slicing or hooking the ball there is no club that will help you (offset a little maybe) as you have a fundamental problem with your swing that is more to do the how your swinging at the ball than where your making contact with it on the club face. You can hit a ball square in the sweet spot but it still slice hard right.

However well swung at shots that comes off the toe will go a lot further with a GI than any blade.

If that is the case then I think your options are:

GI club that will help your distance on miss hits but be ugly and maybe not as predictable on dispersion

OR

Blade/Players club that may help your dispersion be beautiful but will hurt your distance on miss hits.

 

[Clueless]

How could hitting high, straight shots hurt anyone playing golf for pleasure?

 

[chris661]

How could hitting high, straight shots hurt anyone playing golf for pleasure?

Because you might not want to hit it high and straight Around my course hitting it high is the devils work as it's a links you also need to be able to hold the ball against the wind (shaping) most of the time as the fairways are quite narrow and the rough is extremely penal.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

When I first started hacking around, in the late 1970's you could only buy blades, I had a McGregor set and I was useless, didnt enjoy it and consequently it was easy to walk away from the game when other attractions came on the scene.

When I then decided to take the game up again in 2005, I got some mizzy cavity backs, much easier to hit and started to enjoy the game, Then a back operation curtailed my golf till 2 years ago and I got my Ping G15's

I see the purpose of game improver clubs as not to make your best shots better, but to make your Bad shots less bad.

If I had the skill to hit a sweet one every time, i'd be on blades. But im a hacker, so I need all the help I can get.

All I ask is that I can hit it fairly straight and at a reasonably consistant distance for each club

then i'll be a happy Fragger

Fragger

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I use to play blades but back in the day the sweetspot was as big as a Tory majority in Glasgow. I did have the TM TP's which are a smaller cavity but have converted to the R11 as my game isn't good enough to do the TP's justice at the moment. I'll put up with a bigger sole and face in return for more forgiveness and confidence. Once I get a game and swing that is better, tighter and more consistent I can think about the TP's again or upgrade to a similar version of the day. Sometimes you have to take two steps back to move forward and I see no shame in using GI clubs if they get the job done.

 

[Steve In Spain]

I am sorry, but I cannot see any harm or shame in playing with irons that suit your game and make it enjoyable for you.

I am older than most, maybe than all on here, but in terms of golf, I'm a rookie. Only played seriously for about 4 years before an accident on my Harley knackered my rotator cuff 7 years ago..so I've never played with blades, never even seen them, but who cares what you play with? The score card doesn't show the irons you use or the driver or anything...it only shows you the score per hole.

Isn't the intention of the game to knock that ball into that small hole in the least number of shots!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I played a guy at Sunningdale Ladies Artisans a few years back. He was in his 80's had a trolly on two old pram wheels and about 8 different types of metal wood and maybe 3 or 4 irons and a putter. I was playing with a 9 handicapper and this guy gave a lesson in not how but how many. He was hitting this 9 wood from about 130 yards to within inches, and seemed to have a wood for every shot including chip and runs. Funnily enough it was captivating to watch

 

[Tommo21]

Yeah I know they do not all blades I never said they did, but I'm sure don't use game improvement irons. They will use irons with the blade appearance but that also offer a slight cavity to give more consistency, things like the TM Muscle Cavity or the Mizuno MP 59 and MP 63. Hardly what you would call game improvement irons are they?

Wrong again. I can give you the name of one man who's won 14 PGA tour events.........he uses R7 irons with KBS shafts....not R7TP irons. Std R7 GI offset irons. I'm sure there's more but this myth, we’re all being brainwashed into thinking we need blades to be a good player is BS. I know a few genuine scratch players who use large cavity back irons. We don’t see small headed drivers, but would you be saying you need a small headed driver to be a good player. Blades to be a good player...no chance.

 

[Tommo21]

Who would use these clubs.



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[Mr_T]

Who would use these clubs.



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If they improved my game then me

 

[Mr_T]

I hack around with blades that were given to me, tbh I hate them, the ones that come out the middle are sublime with an amazing amount of feel even for an old set, but those are few and far between, if I get it even slightly wrong it ends up being a 30yard shank, which is why I want to get some proper GI's, to be honest I don't really care how they look if it's going to improve my game I'll use them