Which way do you find yourself going?

[swanny32]

My thoughts on this are......play with what you like. I don't think it's a massive necessity to have a set of sticks with better workability, the newere clubs like Amps, G20's, Burners, RBZ's etc still allow you to work the ball in different ways and probably enough for what we need them for.

 

[LanDog]

I'd love to have Blades.
I don't have the confidence to indulge myself though. I really should go for a 2nd hand set, but my CF stats are so different to the norm. That's what I tell myself anyway!

 

[duncan mackie]

Where do you find yourself going? Is having more control over the shape and height of your shot a higher priority, or are you finding yourself putting forgiveness a higher priority?

I will take a little forgiveness everytime - any additional control options are very relative to the details of the club rather than a blade v cavity argument IMO.

I simply accept that if I want to hit a high draw I will use all swing elements rather than a combination of hitting it a little towards the toe and some swing elements - I'm not good enough to be able to pick a spot on the club face accurately enough, and know what the reaction of the ball is going to be.

There are plenty of factors in a club that impact how I feel about playing it, as well as how it wil perform, and that's before price comes into it (which it does for most) : -
1. material and finish - the forged v cast element
2. off-set - probably a bigger element in workability than perepheral weighting
3. sole - mainly how big, but some elements of how it's cut
4. Pure Cavity / perepheral weighted / blade / centre weighted blade (MB) - a lot of clubs now seem to fall into the 'cavity back with some centre weighting' ie an attempt at the best of both worlds; and they seem to do it pretty well.
5. shaft
I only see the 'top line' aspect as one of visual performance.

I have (still)
Wilson Staff Fluid Feels - forged, tiny muscleback blades
Call X -14 (? Blue - steelheads)
TM RACLTII
TM R9TP

The lack of offset in the RAC meant the club sat better to my eye, and I could get a more penetrating flight than the Steelheads

The R9 TP rewards a slightly offcentre hit more, but go the next bit and it doesn't (where the RAC would still deliver), and is certainly more workable overall than the RAC. They are shafted for dispersion at a cost to distance - which works for me.

Would I like a set of MP69s? Hell yes!

Would they improve my performance, or enjoyment of the game - not beyond looking good (which is of course important to some).

I do however feel that people should really just play the clubs they feel they want to, for wahtever reason, a little like golf balls, and that far to much is made of X Y and Z

 

[JustOne]

So in the world top 10 cavities or 'players clubs' are used by 5 of them even though they've probably played golf for 20+ yrs each, and I know Tiger doesn't use a blade for hitting his stinger.... so I'm pretty cool with the idea of club golfers sticking with cavity style clubs :thup:


(thanks for the research guys!) :thup:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Personally I love the look of blades. Sexy without question but I couldn't do enough to warrant buying them. I need a cavity for that safety net and a firm believer in trying to make the game as easy as possible so I wouldn't dream of buying a blade

 

[Junior]

Go for it. I use i15's but I got these from Lee a month or so ago and I hit them a lot at the range. To be honest, I love them and hit them both as well as the i15's. I wouldnt really say im good enough to call on a draw or a fade at will, so the only difference I see are that the golfsmith blades go a little lower and are about a club shorter......Oh, and the mi***** go feckin nowhere

http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?46267-for-sale-Pro-forged-irons&highlight=golfsmith

 

[patricks148]

I’ve got a set of Mizuno MP62 which are quite blade like and a set of MP32 which are blades I use for winter.

The 62 are less forgiving and have slightly smaller heads than the 32, but both feel sweet on a pure strike. I‘ve tried a cavity back before and just prefer the smaller head you get with a blade. Would I benefit from something much more forgiving? probably.

A mate who is about the same standard, had the same irons as me but switched to the JPX Pro and is getting 10 yards Plus from each club but it has not reduced his handicap, where mine has come down two full shots this year.

I can shape shots, but its not the reason for having those irons, I just like the feel and look and my game does not suffer that much.

 

[CMAC]

I should have bought some second hand MP62's years ago, probably get a set now to try, I've always loved their look but I've only ever bought new..........not anymore

 

[patricks148]

Nothing wrong with SH, some bargins to be had. Esp from some types who need to buy the latest kit despite no chance of being able to hit it

Got my 62 sh, 18 handicap had them for 6 months hardly used anything below the 7 iron traded in for something else £150 like new still.

We do quite well up here sh wise. A. P. Thompsons has some real bargins in all 3 of his stores and i always keep a look out. My 32 are 2-pw in great condition and those were also just over the hundred mark.

 

[Snelly]

This subject has been done to death. Only about a month ago too!

Blades are only good for aesthetic reasons for 99% of golfers. Fine - you like bladed or players irons. Go for it. Play them. But don't come on the forum saying it is because it is to improve workability or trajection control because it is just not believable. More forgiving irons are better for just about every golfer and certainly everyone on this forum. Simply because they are more forgiving!!!

If you post that you have got the latest Mizuno MP's because you think they look lovely and make you feel a bit like Luke Donald then I believe you 100%. And good for you too. I hope you play great with them.

Any other reason is delusional. You are kidding yourself. If you want to hit more good shots, get some Pings.

 

[MadAdey]

This subject has been done to death. Only about a month ago too!

Blades are only good for aesthetic reasons for 99% of golfers. Fine - you like bladed or players irons. Go for it. Play them. But don't come on the forum saying it is because it is to improve workability or trajection control because it is just not believable. More forgiving irons are better for just about every golfer and certainly everyone on this forum. Simply because they are more forgiving!!!

If you post that you have got the latest Mizuno MP's because you think they look lovely and make you feel a bit like Luke Donald then I believe you 100%. And good for you too. I hope you play great with them.

Any other reason is delusional. You are kidding yourself. If you want to hit more good shots, get some Pings.

Keep your hair on snelly....

I do not need irons that are more forgiving, I need irons that hit a lower ball flight. My natural swing hits the ball on a high trajectory, so getting something to keep the ball down a bit more will have a benefit when the wind is blowing which it does most of the time at my place.

Yes I love the look of them and that is part of the reason, I just can't look down on these GI irons with the big thick top lines and faces like pan shovels.

 

[Snelly]

Keep your hair on snelly....

I do not need irons that are more forgiving, I need irons that hit a lower ball flight. My natural swing hits the ball on a high trajectory, so getting something to keep the ball down a bit more will have a benefit when the wind is blowing which it does most of the time at my place.

Yes I love the look of them and that is part of the reason, I just can't look down on these GI irons with the big thick top lines and faces like pan shovels.

My hair is on.

Well done though for admitting that it really, when you get down to the nitty gritty, is about the way they look and you want pretty clubs....

 

[MadAdey]

My hair is on.

Well done though for admitting that it really, when you get down to the nitty gritty, is about the way they look and you want pretty clubs....

Like I said mate combination of both. The visual beauty when you look down on a blade, along with the lower trajectory that can achieve. At the end of the day Snelly remember one quote from the mad one.........."it done mean a thing if you ain't got the bling"

I only started this thread as more of curiosity rather than debate on blades. I was wondering how many people have changed to blades with success and how many have gone the other way and got something a bit more forgiving.

 

[Snelly]

I play golf with quite a few good players. There is a scratch team roll-up on Saturdays at my friends club and I join in once in a while. Some are Sussex county standard and the regular 12-15 people who play have handicaps between +3 and 4.

I think I am right in saying that none of them play with blades. I know this because we had a long chat about clubs in the bar afterwards as a group recently. The consensus was that at the level we play, what would be the point? It would just make the game that bit harder. Of the crowd I mention, two current iron sets are the most popular. These are the Callaway Razr Tours and Titleist AP2's.

If I was going to buy a new set of irons like you are, these are the two sets I would look at and I would get a full custom fit for them too, probably from Precision Golf where a wide range of shafts can be tried.

Hope this helps.

Edited to add that last time I played, the guy that took the money in the swindle went round in 5 under gross. The clubs in his bag? Ping. G15 if I recall correctly. He is a very, very good golfer.

 

[MadAdey]

I play golf with quite a few good players. There is a scratch team roll-up on Saturdays at my friends club and I join in once in a while. Some are Sussex county standard and the regular 12-15 people who play have handicaps between +3 and 4.

I think I am right in saying that none of them play with blades. I know this because we had a long chat about clubs in the bar afterwards as a group recently. The consensus was that at the level we play, what would be the point? It would just make the game that bit harder. Of the crowd I mention, two current iron sets are the most popular. These are the Callaway Razr Tours and Titleist AP2's.

If I was going to buy a new set iof irons like you are, these are the two sets I would look at and I would get a full custom fit for them too, probably from Precision Golf where a wide range of shafts can be tried.

Hope this helps.

YEs it does cheers Snelly. I have got these from Ebay for a good price and it is more of an experiment like I said in my opening post. I do not want to go spend a fortune on a set of blades to then find out that I do not need them. I will have the winter to try them out then make my decision from there next year when I purchase a new set of irons. Blades or players cavities, I do not know yet. But I am going on the opinion of if I can use these blades really well in the crappy weather of winter then using them in summer will be a doddle.

 

[Val]

Keep your hair on snelly....

I do not need irons that are more forgiving, I need irons that hit a lower ball flight. My natural swing hits the ball on a high trajectory, so getting something to keep the ball down a bit more will have a benefit when the wind is blowing which it does most of the time at my place.

Yes I love the look of them and that is part of the reason, I just can't look down on these GI irons with the big thick top lines and faces like pan shovels.

Blades wont change that but shafts will, you could go to blades with a similar shaft to what you have and have a similar ball flight.

I understand why people want to move to blades but why penalise yourself to do it? You don't have to have GI irons to get forgiveness.

 

[Foxholer]

I've had blades and 'players' CBs since I started playing seriously - can't stand the topline of GI irons!
Nothing like the feel of a middled 4 or 5 iron blade, but quite depressing to realise that they are costing shots if playing from thick-ish rough.

As I play for pleasure, that's my 'dilemna'.

Shaping shots I can do, just not to order, so I'm happy with straight!

I'm building a combo set that should (ha!) be optimum - for me. The TM300 Forgeds (Miuras) are a pretty good compromise for me.

BTW. I found blades much more forgiving than the horror stories would have folk believe. The Miura blades were easier to hit well than the CB201s. It was only with the long irons that a significant loss of distance was experienced with off centre shots compared with CBs.

 

[ScienceBoy]

IEdited to add that last time I played, the guy that took the money in the swindle went round in 5 under gross. The clubs in his bag? Ping. G15 if I recall correctly. He is a very, very good golfer.

Just because one guy can do it....

Pretty much sums up what I think, irons are personal preference! If you can make a G15 sing then fantastic! I personally really struggle to get on with the looks of offset clubs, I much prefer looking down on my MP-57s.

 

[Snelly]

Just because one guy can do it.....

No, the point I am making is that none of them - about 16 scratch or close - golfers had blades.

 

[User20205]

Just because one guy can do it....

Pretty much sums up what I think, irons are personal preference! If you can make a G15 sing then fantastic! I personally really struggle to get on with the looks of offset clubs, I much prefer looking down on my MP-57s.

but your mp57's are in no way comparable to a blade. They are a perimeter weighted cavity back, a wise choice if aesthetics are important, but you will get a degree of forgiveness also.

true blades unless you are off a plus handicap will make the game harder, I'm not sure why anyone would do that.