who plays blades and do you have to be a low handicapper to play them?

[Flavzz]

Hey all, have an opportunity to buy some blades, I have always had cavity back irons but I hear about the workability of blades and the sweet feel off the clubface, and also the penetrating ball flight. I hit my irons ok although a little inconsistant, and score anwhere from low 80's to mid 90's. Am I just lured by the sexyness of the blade or are there benefits to be had from them for a mid handicapper??

So ppl with experience please let us know :smt023

[AndyP]

http://www.trainfortopdollar.com/trainfortopdollar/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/canofworms1.jpg

[henno]

Aaaah! Pictures! My Eyes!

[Flavzz]

come on guys, give me some real world experiences you have had...

[Ferrins]

I think you'll have plenty of rounds where you shoot high scores but can reminisce about that iron shot you pured.

[henno]

I think you'll have plenty of rounds where you shoot high scores but can reminisce about that iron shot you pured.

Speak for yourself. I can't remember the last time I pured an iron. :D

[markTHEblake]

but I hear about the workability of blades

Myth


and the sweet feel off the clubface

Myth


and also the penetrating ball flight

Myth


I hit my irons ok although a little inconsistant, and score anwhere from low 80's to mid 90's

Then the last thing you need are irons that are harder to hit then.

[3oneday]

Why make the game harder....



Buy them ;) who cares, u'll never know if you never try.

[just]

They're not going to make your game any better, but what the hell, if you feel like it and it makes you happy, buy them!

[Flavzz]

so they are really a lot harder to hit then? how so? just a smaller sweet spot etc thanks anyway fellas

[Hux]

Try the compromise of muscle backs like the TM MB's or Cobra Pro MB and see if they are playable.

Even try a progressive set like the Titliest ZB which blend from MB in the short irons to CB's in the long's.

But consider this - how many pro's actually use full blades these days? Ogilvy varies between MB's and CB's for ball flight reasons but his 2 iron is always a CB.

Personally I'd love a set of MB's or even full blades but reality says I don't need any help to make golf any harder.

[3oneday]

Do you use the middle now ? There's your answer.

[Flavzz]

ok thanks for telling me what I didnt want to hear guys, I think i'll just move on and try improve my game with what I've already got.. sometimes you know what to do already in your head, you just need some confirmation that you are kidding yourself ;)..

[AlexMc]

I got a set of Ping S57's playing off 11 a few years ago. I got rid of them 18 months later when I was off 16. The game is hard enough without punishing yourself further.

[Russ]

I'm a high handicapper, I use Blades - and I love them!

Here is my theory, and why I use them: It all comes down to what you want to achieve, and how much time you're willing to put into your game.



Cavity Backs can help you get a better score.



Blades can help you become a better Golfer.



With Cavity's, I never know whether I've actually hit a good shot, or if the forgiveness of the Cavity's just forgave my mistake.


That is the reason I play Blades. I don't care about a quick & easy way to knock 4 shots off a round. I want to improve! When I play, I like knowing if I've done something wrong. I want to know if I make a mistake, because I want to get it right, regardless of how subtle a mistake it was. I may only a social golfer, but I want to learn.

At the beginning of the year I got my 1st lesson from a Professional Coach. He corrected my posture, and he fixed my grip. He explained to me what my body/hands/grip was doing - how that effected the way the club made contact with the ball - and that told me how & why the ball goes where it goes & does what it does.

Because I'm using Blades when I play/practice, my miss-hits/bad swings are a lot more noticeable. By the flight of the ball & the feel of the club, because of what I'm learning from my Lessons, I can tell what mistakes I'm making. I can either try and fix them then and there + I let my Instructor know at my next lesson & he instantly has it sussed.

Frustrating? Sometimes. Productive? Yes!

I'm always hearing/reading "don't use Blades, only Pros use them - you're a poser if you use blades on anything over a 5 handicap - blah, blah, blah". Bollocks! - By all accounts, your scores/handicap will initially suffer, but if you really want to improve - not just your score, but your swing & how you hit a golf ball - and have the patience to do so, Blades are definitely worth considering.


... but that's just me. :)

[zigwah]

I know nothingggggggggggggg!!

[Johnny Canuck]

i play off between 4 and 5 depending on the month.

i gave up blades for a player's cavity due to the extra forgiveness. if you're mid capper, you would be crazy to switch. as nice as blades look, they won't help you score better at all.

[ParMaster]

I'm a high handicapper, I use Blades - and I love them!

Here is my theory, and why I use them: It all comes down to what you want to achieve, and how much time you're willing to put into your game.



Cavity Backs can help you get a better score.


Blades can help you become a better Golfer.


With Cavity's, I never know whether I've actually hit a good shot, or if the forgiveness of the Cavity's just forgave my mistake.


That is the reason I play Blades. I don't care about a quick & easy way to knock 4 shots off a round. I want to improve! When I play, I like knowing if I've done something wrong. I want to know if I make a mistake, because I want to get it right, regardless of how subtle a mistake it was. I may only a social golfer, but I want to learn.

At the beginning of the year I got my 1st lesson from a Professional Coach. He corrected my posture, and he fixed my grip. He explained to me what my body/hands/grip was doing - how that effected the way the club made contact with the ball - and that told me how & why the ball goes where it goes & does what it does.

Because I'm using Blades when I play/practice, my miss-hits/bad swings are a lot more noticeable. By the flight of the ball & the feel of the club, because of what I'm learning from my Lessons, I can tell what mistakes I'm making. I can either try and fix them then and there + I let my Instructor know at my next lesson & he instantly has it sussed.

Frustrating? Sometimes. Productive? Yes!

I'm always hearing/reading "don't use Blades, only Pros use them - you're a poser if you use blades on anything over a 5 handicap - blah, blah, blah". Bollocks! - By all accounts, your scores/handicap will initially suffer, but if you really want to improve - not just your score, but your swing & how you hit a golf ball - and have the patience to do so, Blades are definitely worth considering.


... but that's just me. :)

Incredibly true. Good post matey.:-s

I use Maxfli Australian Blades myself. I play off 2 however i have only ever used blades. When i started golf, i used blades.

As Russ said they make you a better golfer. Yes they are harder to hit sweetly but they are worth it in the long run because they improve your ball striking...

So if i were you i'd buy them and keep using them because you will hit the ball much better. Then you could go back to your current irons and you'd be hitting the ball amazing.

IMHO;)

[Flavzz]

thanks for the honest opinions guys and I have been putting in the time this year to work on my game and am striking the ball better already, this would also give me the incentive to work even harder, but I also agree that it will make it harder in the short term.

Russ, i agree with the fact that forgiveness of cavity backs can deceive you into thinking you are striking it well and I would like to give blades a crack as my backup set just for experimenting but we'll see how it goes..

thanks for your input guys and I agree with almost all comments made in some way. I'll keep you updated on if I get them or not ;)

[LarryLong]

As Russ said they make you a better golfer. Yes they are harder to hit sweetly but they are worth it in the long run because they improve your ball striking...

I'm always skeptical about that theory. Is there any proof to that, or is it just one of those things that sounds like it should be true?

[parlyboy]

Its all in the mind. Use whatever makes you feel confident.
Massive difference when your addressing the ball and feel positive when looking at the grooves. I use Ben Hogan blades myself.
Nothing worse then looking down and seeing something ugly down there.

[virge666]

Here is the question you need to answer.

What are the advantages of blades ?

Once you find an answer to that - come back to us.

[LarryLong]

Massive difference when your addressing the ball and feel positive when looking at the grooves. I use Ben Hogan blades myself.
Nothing worse then looking down and seeing something ugly down there.

This is the other one I don't get at all. I wouldn't care if I looked down and saw a two inch thick topline with a set of dog's balls hanging off the back of my club if the results were good when I hit the ball.

And if blades are actually harder to hit, why does having your club look like that make you feel more confident? It's counter-intuitive when you really think about it.

[goughy]

I was using a set of old cobra cavities which had a smaller sweet spot than probably most or all current market blades. After playing in my third pro-am where the pro was using shovels (ping i3's or Cally x16's) I asked one why. He said the game was hard enough, why make it harder.

I changed shortly after that. I love the look of a nice blade. But especially on a cold morning I don't miss the feeling of a miss hit!

Then again, it's not like I play golf!!

[parlyboy]

This is the other one I don't get at all. I wouldn't care if I looked down and saw a two inch thick topline with a set of dog's balls hanging off the back of my club if the results were good when I hit the ball.

And if blades are actually harder to hit, why does having your club look like that make you feel more confident? It's counter-intuitive when you really think about it.

I never said blades are harder to hit???
If anything i find them easier. I did play off 3 many years ago so i think i have some idea.

[Tongueboy]

go the cavity back with plenty of assistance built in. we need all the help we can get so take advantage of it.

[virge666]

Here is another question . . .

When are blades more forgiving than cavity backs ?

and that is not a trick question . . .

[parlyboy]

Are you a school teacher?

[Dotty]

...
So ppl with experience please let us know :smt023
Started with hand-me down blades and slowly got down to a 23 handicap in 4 years. Since then alternated between perimeter-weighted and muslceback styles, for similar reasons to the OP.

Most improvements and consistency came from the cavity-back clubs. I still swing like a 23 marker, but now maintain a 10-12 handicap with Cobra S9 irons, that are classed as 'super game improvement'.

On the flip side, I prefer three Vokey wedges, over cavity-back wedges.

[Tongueboy]

Here is another question . . .

When are blades more forgiving than cavity backs ?

and that is not a trick question . . .

sir! sir! never!!!! :smt023

[virge666]

Are you a school teacher?

Nope - but you guys need to think more about questions before just taking the "consensus" of a bunch of old wives tales.

There are two kinds of swing patterns that blades are more forgiving than a cavity back. You cannot answer the question until you know what kind of swing pattern you have.

[markTHEblake]

When are blades more forgiving than cavity backs ?

anything to do with hitting the ball slightly towards the heel?

[Sydney Hacker]

Nope - but you guys need to think more about questions before just taking the "consensus" of a bunch of old wives tales.

There are two kinds of swing patterns that blades are more forgiving than a cavity back. You cannot answer the question until you know what kind of swing pattern you have.

But can a high handicapper have a consistent swing pattern ? That is where the forgiveness of the cavity back comes in doesn't it ? We all have some days where it feels like we can pull off any shot, but it sure as hell doesn't happen every week.

I know I struggle to bring the same swing or rythm out each week (currently off 9).

[virge666]

anything to do with hitting the ball slightly towards the heel?

Your way too clever to be here !!

As for consistant swings.. yeah. If you miss a shot you usually miss it on a particular side. This is why even though you swing feels like you have made a major change - the video looks almost identical.

Check out Zig's last 4 weeks of changes...

[markTHEblake]

Here is my theory, and why I use them:

there are too many contradictions in your theory :-k


Russ, i agree with the fact that forgiveness of cavity backs can deceive you into thinking you are striking it well

How does it deceive you?

The feeling of missing the centre of the club is distinctive with any club, its impossible not too. They cannot make clubs with MOI high enough to achieve that, due to physical and rule restrictions.

The advantage of a cavity back is mis-hits will go a little straighter and further, thats it.

[virge666]

The advantage of a cavity back is mis-hits will go a little straighter and further, thats it.

And the spin rate is a higher.

More backspin = less side spin, longer flight for mid-high markers.

The control arguement as Mark said... crock of shit. I can hit 8 iron 130m 10 meters of the ground with a set of PING I10's. I can also put it in the stratosphere with the next shot without moving the ball position.

And I am a chopping around off 5 at present. (and can't even play to that)

[markTHEblake]

Your way too clever to be here !!

No need to state the obvious.

I have never consider this before, but your question just gave me a revelation. I have always tended to hit the ball towards the heel. So maybe perhaps, I should get some old fashioned blades that way when i make a skanky swing, it will feel nicer.

[Russ]

Can you be specific?


there are too many contradictions in your theory :-k

[idgolfguy]

I've been using blades for the last ten years. Used my Ping Eye 2s before then. Played off 25. Changed to blades now off 11 and will get to single figures by the end of the year. Last year, I changed over to a set of Ping I10s. Great clubs but they just didn't feel good. I tried them for 6 months before I got rid of them. Could be a combination of factors that hindered their effectiveness to me. Dropped another 3 storkes when I got back to the blades.

Find the set of clubs you're comfortable with blades or cavities. We play golf for enjoyment - stroking the ego or id is part of that. If blades do it for you go ahead - they do for me.

Pros require the tools that will get them the most amount of money, in general. Note, that I did not say help them play better.

For me enjoyment in golf means improving - blades do it for me.

[idgolfguy]

anything to do with hitting the ball slightly towards the heel?

The old school blades work that way. The muscle-backs we get nowadays tend to have thesweet spot closer to the middle. Probably have more control in the manufacturing process.

You'd need to test a few out find one that suits your impact pattern I expect.

[markTHEblake]

Probably have more control in the manufacturing process.

Nothing fancy, its called weight distribution.

[idgolfguy]

Yes - to make blades more forgiving for the masochists out there.

[AlexMc]

I'm a high handicapper, I use Blades - and I love them!
Tell me - how long have you been a 'high handicapper', and how many shots have you lost in your "blades help make me a better golfer" theory?

[Russ]

Tell me - how long have you been a 'high handicapper', and how many shots have you lost in your "blades help make me a better golfer" theory?


Decided to start putting some effort into my golf game in January, soon after I decided to get the CG Tours. Before then I would have only averaged about 1/2 dozen games a year. Never scored better than 110 - would usually shoot 115-120.

Had my first coaching lesson in February, and have had on average 1 every fortnight since.

Now shooting around the Mid-High 90's - best is a 92 - normally shoot 95-98.

That also includes:


3-putting about 9 holes per round (something I'm yet to work on);



My wedge game at times is hilarious! Trying to learn how to hit a 60º Wedge properly is an odd combination of frustration & fun - I'd never hit anything with that sort of loft before this year.



... and up until the last few weeks, 7 out of 10 Drives would be 1 fairway to the right :)


I don't care what anybody else says or thinks - using blades has helped me understand everything my coach is trying to teach me.

The difference between Blades, GI & SGI Irons may be subtle - I'm under no illusion about the real differences they can make. A really bad shot will be a bad shot, regardless of the iron type, but there are times that a GI/SGI Iron can & will mask mistakes made and won't give me a true indication of what happened - and that's something that I don't want.

If I **** up, I want to know - and other than having a coach on 24 hour stand-by, right there with me every single time I swing a golf club - Blades are the best way for me to get a true gauge of the mistakes I'm making.

[adlo]

I find the "cavity back irons give no feedback" theory a crock of shit.

Every iron I have ever hit gives plenty of feedback. Sure cavity back irons will still give a decent ballflight and distance off a mishit, but you can feel exactly where you hit that ball.

If you can't you must have no feeling in your hands.

Blades give you feedback and punish the poor shot. Yay! That sounds like fun.

[zacdullard]

I don't care what club i play.

It is the end result that will make me happy or angry.

[Ferrins]

Blades are easier to clean.

[AlexMc]

Russ - I think you are doing things the wrong way round. I'm all for exploring the faults of your swing and working on your game, however I would think that when you are shooting mid-90's your main focus should be getting your score down and making use of any advantage you can get while doing so. There is a reason why they call irons a 'game improvement iron' - it helps improve your game. That is exactly what you need right now.

Once you get down to low B Grade or A Grade - then go looking for a players iron. I really think you are making the game a lot harder for a high handicapper than you need to...

I went down this path and it was just too hard - and that was playing off 12. If you insist on sticking with blades at least get yourself some hybrids and cavity long irons (3-5 irons). I found 6-PW easy to hit, but really struggled with long irons. Cavity's make a world of difference...

[idgolfguy]

A matter of opinion, Alex Mc. I can see where Russ is coming from.

I'm off 11 and use 2I-SW. I have a couple of sets of good cavities and got rid my Ping I10s after trying them for six months last year. The Pings were brand new and custom fit. My 2 iron is an S59. Prior to that I had used Srixon Pro100s from 1999.

Periodically tried the Srixon i302s, Nike Pro Combos, Callaway X-18 Pros for around 6 months each. Pretty much after reading threads like this or speaking to some better golfers talking about forgiveness and making the game harder etc.

Everytime I went back onto the blades I dropped a few strokes. The last batch of 6 strokes came in the six month period after I sold the I10s. The I10s were the best feeling and quality built set of cavity irons (other than the blades) I have owned.

The only issue I have is that everytime I get off the cavities, I buy a new set of blades. I now have three sets of blades.

[oncewasagolfer]

The last few months I have been using mizuno blades and yes they do punish your bad shots but I find the dispersion of my shots to be a lot more consistent then the i3 blades I was using and they are a lot better to chip with. Of course this could be to do with the different shafts/length/lie angles between the two but I find I have a lot more distance control as well. Use whatever gives you the best results and enjoyment I say.

[LarryLong]

This would be a great final year thesis for a sports science student. Find a large sample of golfers who are between 20 and 30 handicap, and evaluate them so that you remove players who are brilliant hitters with woeful short games.

Get them all to do a one-hour range session where you map out the percentage of balls hit for distance and accuracy, or better still just use hitting tape and measure how many come out of the sweet spot.

Get all of them to agree to a one-hour range session twice a week for, say, 10 weeks, and not play golf at all during that time. For half of them, make them use the most unforgiving blades you can find on the range. For the other half, give them some full-on game improvement irons. Maybe have a control group who get to keep using their current set as well. No lessons, no coaching.

After ten weeks, check them for accuracy. Most will improve I'd imagine, because many low handicappers just don't practice enough to reach their potential (Me included). Will the blades group be:

- More accurate?
- Better at swearing?
- Arthritic?
- Tiger Woods-like?
- Cooler?

I don't know. I'd love to see somebody do it though.

[idgolfguy]

Ever seen children learn? It is human nature to adapt to whatever difficulties they face.

As an example, I had let my 7 year old (at the time) have a cut down 3 iron (blade out of the 70s). It was an awful club, the shaft was way to stiff and the head was smaller than most of the standard blades these days. A pro at a course gave it to him to use while he walked a 9 with me. He loves that club because it was given to him.

He was watching me play pitches and high shots. Over a period of a few days he had worked out how to hit the ball over a 7ft fence with that club without me showing him or even saying that you shouldn't try it with that club as it is too hard.

[markTHEblake]

but there are times that a GI/SGI Iron can & will mask mistakes made and won't give me a true indication of what happened.

How can you know this?

If the mistakes are masked, for all you know, you are not making any mistakes.


Everytime I went back onto the blades I dropped a few strokes.

We could take a rank hacker and give him two sets of clubs; blades, and the biggest set of berthas you ever saw, and it is entirely possible that the he will find the blades are easier to hit.

Doesnt prove at all that the blades made him a better golfer. It just means that the big berthas suited him less for all the other factors that are necessary for a golfer to be suited to specific clubs.

[idgolfguy]

I agree, but the non-blades I used were custom fit for me and not off-the-rack.

[Scottt]

Will the blades group be:

- More accurate?
- Better at swearing?
- Arthritic?
- Tiger Woods-like?
- Cooler?

I don't know. I'd love to see somebody do it though.

:smt038

You're not far behind Dotty, LL. Love your work :lol:

[rebjon]

Choppers with blades.....

Easy money....

[goughy]

As I said, did the same thing - tried something akin to blades with the intent of focusing my golf and improving. Got to 16. Listened to my 4 marker friend and got rid of them and bought shovels. Got to 11. But that's my story. You do whatever you want and play with whatever you want. If your happy that's all that matters.

[peter_rs]

I like blades because I don't hit it in the shit as far :) ....sorry MB's and they make divots easy ;)

[moree golfer]

I subscribe to the "blades are cool" theory but don't always have the game to use them correctly. I noticed that Brian Gay WITB contains Mizuno MX200 3 and 4 iron then MP60s mid irons and MP32 for short irons http://blogs.golf.com/equipment/2009/06/brian-gays-st-jude-classic-winning-clubs.html. He has showed that accuracy often wins tourneys, winning twice on tour this year, and he chooses some forgiveness in his longer irons.

[virge666]

and he chooses some forgiveness in his longer irons.

It is NOT forgiveness - it is a higher spin rate - which means he hits the ball HIGHER.

[Webster]

I find that blades give a little more consistency in terms of distance control, but less directional consistency than cavities (especially offset heads) which go crookeder but with less distance control.

And of course they feel as soft as butter, spin like crazy and look sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet in the bag (unless you put wanker iron covers on them)

[idgolfguy]

Covers on them work for me - don't like bag chatter when my bag is on my back.

The whole blade-cavity discussion is akin to daylight saving. The emotional content has more bearing than the factual content.

[Webster]

The whole blade-cavity discussion is akin to daylight saving. The emotional content has more bearing than the factual content.

So if I am using blades does that mean my curtains will fade?

[adlo]

Where's Mr Maltby when we need him?

[Webster]

Where's Mr Maltby when we need him?

Chiselling new grooves on his wedges?

[adlo]

:lol:

[razaar]

I've always played blades until 2003 when I moved to Mizuno MP30's. In retrospect the blades were too light in the head for me and I needed to have a light grip to be able to work the ball. The Mizuno heads are a much better weight and easier to use but I still can't seem to work the ball from left to right like I was able to with the blades. What the pros use is of no interest to me, they play a completely different game.

[Veefore]

I read a report a couple of years ago put out by Ping that most blades were bought by 9 to 12 handicappers with 12 handicappers being the biggest buyers. That seems to be the area where players start to think that they are pretty good ballstrikers and are lured by the belief that they could now play blades. The joke at the time was that the biggest sellers of second hand blades were 15 to 20 handicappers, who were the 9 to 12 handicappers when they bought them.

I have this theory that blades infact hurt the better player more than the hacker. When a hacker misses a shot he misses it because his swing path is off line, his club face is not square AND he doesn't hit the centre of the club face. Some times missing by a LOT.
In most cases it wouldn't matter how forgiving the club was nothing is going to save that shot. Maybe his 50m slice might become a 45m slice.

On the other hand, when a really good player misses a shot it is generally a slight miss from the centre of the club.

Swing path rarely varies and so does face angle.

So instead of attacking that front right pin and putting the ball just over the front edge of the bunker to a couple of feet he misses the shot slightly (1/8th of an inch) toward the toe. This shot then comes up 4 or 5 metres short and a couple of metres to the right. Instead of being stone dead to the hole it just catches the front bunker. Now he is left with a difficult up and down to save par instead of a short birdie putt.

As for workability, I play Ping G2's and can work the ball any direction or height. Not consistently mind you because I am simply not that good but I can work the ball with the Pings as well as, maybe even more consistently, than I can with blades.
I love hitting the ball with blades but won't play with them simply because in the end, golf is a game where the score counts.

[Flavzz]

Nice input guys, appreciate it, keeping my cavities for now and the opportunity to buy the blades has passed, gonna get my ball striking much better before I do anything..

[idgolfguy]

I read a report a couple of years ago put out by Ping that most blades were bought by 9 to 12 handicappers with 12 handicappers being the biggest buyers. That seems to be the area where players start to think that they are pretty good ballstrikers and are lured by the belief that they could now play blades. The joke at the time was that the biggest sellers of second hand blades were 15 to 20 handicappers, who were the 9 to 12 handicappers when they bought them...

I love hitting the ball with blades but won't play with them simply because in the end, golf is a game where the score counts.

Good take V4. Does make some sense. However, played Div 4 on the weekend (got beat unfortunately). Wish I could blame the blades. Div 4 is played off scratch. I was 3 up at the end of 7 and then tightened up till 14. Went down 3/2.

Out of the 8 matches. I counted 6 sets of blades. Interesting to see the Nike Victory twice. 2 sets of Mizuno cut-muscle, Titleist 690 MB and my Callaway X-Prototypes.

[Veefore]

Good take V4. Does make some sense. However, played Div 4 on the weekend (got beat unfortunately). Wish I could blame the blades. Div 4 is played off scratch. I was 3 up at the end of 7 and then tightened up till 14. Went down 3/2.

Out of the 8 matches. I counted 6 sets of blades. Interesting to see the Nike Victory twice. 2 sets of Mizuno cut-muscle, Titleist 690 MB and my Callaway X-Prototypes.

Nuffy and I were wondering how you would do on sunday playing off the stick. Our Division 4 were all 5 or better handicappers and two of them I think play blades. Our Division 1 team had no blade players at all.

I am still of the opinion that anyone who chooses to play blades is making it harder for themselves than they need to but there are lots of reasons that people choose to play golf. Some play it for competition, some play it for leisure and some play it because it is the only sport that they have ever been able to do. Whatever the reason, if you like the look of your clubs and feel comfortable with them then you are probably going to hit them better than anything else on the course.

As I said before, the better the ball striker, the more important that little bit of forgiveness that the cavities provide becomes.

[acem8]

Have played blades most of my golfing life, it comes down to personal preference of what is nice to look down at. For me the sight of a big cavity 9 iron off a tight lie does not look very inviting but not a problem with blades. I also have some X20 tours and it is only on the very bad days I would notice a difference in results.

If you are going to use blades it is essential you have the correct lie and maybe weaken the lofts slightly. Also ditch the 3 iron and probably the 4 iron in favour of hybrids.

A very forgiving iron can give a false sense of security, a blade focuses the mind. How many times do you catch a 460cc driver right on the toe, a swing that would have been an air shot if it had been a 3 wood?

[Ferrins]

I'm giving these a run on the paddock. Should be amusing!

[razaar]

I'm always skeptical about that theory. Is there any proof to that, or is it just one of those things that sounds like it should be true?
The only way you would get proof is to play with blades for 6 months and then switch to cavity irons or GI irons. Well the only proof that will matter to you.

[razaar]

Have played blades most of my golfing life, it comes down to personal preference of what is nice to look down at. For me the sight of a big cavity 9 iron off a tight lie does not look very inviting but not a problem with blades. I also have some X20 tours and it is only on the very bad days I would notice a difference in results.

If you are going to use blades it is essential you have the correct lie and maybe weaken the lofts slightly. Also ditch the 3 iron and probably the 4 iron in favour of hybrids.

A very forgiving iron can give a false sense of security, a blade focuses the mind. How many times do you catch a 460cc driver right on the toe, a swing that would have been an air shot if it had been a 3 wood?
Spot on mate.

[zigwah]

6 cap mate, you'll be fine.

[markTHEblake]

I'm giving these a run on the paddock. Should be amusing!

You would be needed a Honma driving iron to go with those blades. I got one FS in the pro shop somewhere.


The only way you would get proof is to play with blades for 6 months and then switch to cavity irons or GI irons. Well the only proof that will matter to you.

I will shortly have a couple of blade irons made up to exact same specs as my CB's, same shaft, same grip, same MOI. Then I am gunna find out the truth!

[LarryLong]

The only way you would get proof is to play with blades for 6 months and then switch to cavity irons or GI irons. Well the only proof that will matter to you.

Not me. I haven't played golf for at least 5 months. I probably couldn't hit the side of Parliament House (or even Adlo's fridge) from five paces with Callaway's newest super-shovels at the moment.

Besides, I've already designed the experiment earlier in this thread. Now all we need is for some sports science Uni student bum to save himself two days of planning and use my idea for his thesis. There's got to be some golf-obsessed trackies out there somewhere?

[razaar]

In their book "Search for the Perfect Swing" Alastair Cochran & John Stobbs gave more importance to the shaft (personal preference of flexibility and torsion = feel & timing) length of shaft and grip thickness. Although this scientific study was first released in 1968 (updated in 2005) it raises some very interesting paradoxes about improvements in the design of clubs and balls on one hand and the physical improvement of the modern pros and how this may relate to the the average golfer. In the opinion of the author, further performance improvements in the design of clubs will be small and eventually limited, but genuine enough to keep the dream of a magic club alive that will transform our game. Welcome words for some.:-k

[razaar]

Sorry almost a double post.

[3oneday]

Phew.

[Lucasto23]

In their book "Search for the Perfect Swing" Alastair Cochran & John Stobbs gave more importance to the shaft (personal preference of flexibility and torsion = feel & timing) length of shaft and grip thickness. Although this scientific study was first released in 1968 (updated in 2005) it raises some very interesting paradoxes about improvements in the design of clubs and balls on one hand and the physical improvement of the modern pros and how this may relate to the the average golfer. In the opinion of the author, further performance improvements in the design of clubs will be small and eventually limited, but genuine enough to keep the dream of a magic club alive that will transform our game. Welcome words for some.:-k

Are you saying new clubs dont make me play better:-k

Anti Ho;)

[oncewasagolfer]

I dont think drummonds and the like would want to hear people talking like that:)

[parlyboy]

Doesnt matter what you use, if you can chip and putt like a demon your 99% there.

I use Hogan Apex blades. No harder to hit that cavities.

[Ferrins]

Honma blades are sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

[PeteyD]

Particularly at the price you paid!!

[razaar]

Some blades I played with in the bad old days. Slazenger Gary Player stainless, Brosnan handforged.
http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo283/bennie_065/blades001.jpg
http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo283/bennie_065/blades002.jpg

[markTHEblake]

cross out the Brosnan and write Mizuno on it and all the crowd will go all gushy over them.

[Daves]

A set of MacGregor Golden Bears that I need to get reshafted;