I just wanted to write up a quick review from a recent fitting I went through and to touch on a topic that is always coming up regarding blades vs cavity back irons.
I recently just went through a fitting for the new Titleist 712 MB irons. I spent a lot of time researching and hitting a variety of different irons trying to find the right fit for my game. I have for the most part always been an MC iron player, simply for the fact of extra forgiveness. While I was searching for a new set I tried the Titleist 712 CB, Taylormade MC & MB, Ping S56 & i20 and finally the Mizuno MP-69. I also tried a variety of different shafts ranging from the DG S300, Project X 6.0-6.5, FST KBS Tour S-X and finally the FST KBS C-Taper.
Not to drag this thread on and on, I will jump straight to the point. The biggest difference I noticed between the newly designed blades compared the MC iron, is that the forgiveness is so minimal but the workability is greater with a MB type iron. I found this to be pretty well the case between all the different brands I tried. I found a slightly higher ball flight with a MC, which is too be expected but I prefer a slightly more penetrating ball flight. Again by playing around with different shafts this would be pretty easy to adjust to your preference. I was presently surprised with how similar the different brands performed. For me, the look, finish and feel of the Titleist MB was the right choice for me. I found that I had more workability with a blade and with the new technology designed into blades I found that it was forgiving enough for my liking. I also found that I was able to work the ball from LR or RL a lot easier.
By playing with different shafts and weighting I found I was able to easily customize my desired ball flight. I ended up choosing the FST KBS Tour S simply because I preferred the 120g feel over the X 130g and compared to the KBS Taper or Project X 6.0, I found I was able to hit the ball slightly higher with a better ball flight.
I ended up with a new set of Titleist 712 MB 3-P with the FST KBS Tour shafts. These are by far the nicest irons I have hit to date. I would highly suggest to anyone who is looking at a new set of irons to choose a large variety and start hitting them. Also play with shaft selection because it can make a huge difference in the feel and flight you might be looking for. Also if you have been debating the idea of blades because you are not sure if you can handle the forgiveness factor, I would say that the forgiveness is just fine with the newer blades. Just get out there and give them a smack!
If you have any questions regarding any of those different irons or shafts just ask and I can let you know my opinion and what I noticed with them.
