Its funny when chops play blades.

[Hacker James]

Well, being a high handicapper, why would anybody listen to me?  BUT......numbers do not always reveal the whole truth. I used to be much better but never really what you would call a good golfer. I think my lowest score was an 82. Now I average 94 but am getting better as I play more. I had not played much for about ten years and am just now getting back into the swing.

I like hitting blades for all the reasons stated. I get instant feedback and I believe it will make me a better ball striker. We all have good and bad days. While it is true, some people will never get better no matter what equipment they use, I really don't think the so called "game improvement" irons yield that much of an advantage and most of it is market hype anyway. At the same time, undoubtedly changes in equipment over the years has led to longer distances e.t.c.   I also believe the skill in " working the ball" is not as prevalent as it once was. The drivers of today don't really have the "gear" effect and rely more on M.O.I., spin rate and so forth. The same could be said of square grooves.

Its easy to criticize somebody's swing. But what is considered a "correct" swing?  Look at Palmer, Nicklaus, Trevino. They did pretty well with their swings unique as they were/are. As long as you find a particular "niche" and it works for you, that is what is important. Not saying that you could not learn some basic fundamentals with guidance from a professional teacher, but that is another story as they all have their own "methods" and opinions on that also change. to wit...the "stack and tilt' has seemed to lost much of its allure.

As a previous poster alluded to, many things contribute to what makes up your game. I have a good "looking" swing, but I seem to have problems in putting the game together as a whole. i.e. some days my driver is hot, but can't hit an iron. Other days I cant hit a fairway, but can zero in on a pin and have mostly one putts. A lot of the game is what goes on in your head, it seems as though the "yips" can appear out of nowhere, last for weeks, and magically disappear.  I have only been playing for 35 years, but am only now beginning to understand this game somewhat.  I  like what Arnie has said on the commercials lately   "Play YOUR swing. I did" (or words to that effect).

[WalkTheCourse]

Tiger Woods always said "if it works, do it."

So, obviously, this dude is not a good candidate for blades. Neither am I as a mid-high handicapper. But if a beginner has a lot of emotional tenacity, and wants to learn on blades, more power to him, I suppose.

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by WalkTheCourse

Tiger Woods always said "if it works, do it."

That's a misquote, he said, "if it walks, do it."

[Stuffs]

I do understand why the rants.  Just like how I don't get why some people at the range carry tour bags with their names embroidered on it with a full matching titleist set.  All brand new. Not a single grass stain on anything.  They stand there next to it, dressed like their Sunday best and talk golf really loud.  But one look at their swing and eh, high 30s for sure heh.  And when they hit one finally "good", like a nice long ballooning and fading hard to the right ball, they would hold their follow through longer than usual and admire it.  Or when they thin a good one and call that pericing trajectory.  Those guys shouldn't play blades because they're not there to get better.

But when it comes to beginners to even mid cappers determined to get better, it can benefit them but not so much as a set they play with.  It wouldn't hurt if they had a 4 and 7 or 8 iron in a blade, same shaft and similar specs to their current set, to practice at the range with.

[WhySoSerious]

The mindset behind why this thread was even started is pretty lousy if you ask me. What kind of person thinks that way?

[Hacker James]

Originally Posted by WhySoSerious

The mindset behind why this thread was even started is pretty lousy if you ask me. What kind of person thinks that way?

I am not sure either what the thoughts of the original poster were.  I did get the impression that it was pretty self serving and the first thing that came to mind was that he was saying was "Whew, sure glad that ain't me". or in some way, blaming the choice of clubs as an excuse for a bad swing.  Also, since I am new ( to this group), I did not want to rush to judgment as to the posters motives. For all we know, the subject of the criticism may well have been he was just getting over some debilitating condition, surgery, or long hiatus. Not observing it first hand, I can not definitively say. I doubt very seriously that he was a "poser".

[BostonBrew]

It isn't wise to judge someone because of the equipment they choose to play with. Nothing says only good players can use blades and bad players use cavity-backs or game improvements. A couple of months ago, I was grouped with a middle-aged man who had a set of game improvements that were only A-6 iron and the rest were hybrids and fairway woods. He matched me stroke for stroke on the front nine and shot 40. He hit it dead straight every time. Should I have judged him for not playing a less forgiving club?

[Stuffs]

Originally Posted by BostonBrew

It isn't wise to judge someone because of the equipment they choose to play with. Nothing says only good players can use blades and bad players use cavity-backs or game improvements. A couple of months ago, I was grouped with a middle-aged man who had a set of game improvements that were only A-6 iron and the rest were hybrids and fairway woods. He matched me stroke for stroke on the front nine and shot 40. He hit it dead straight every time. Should I have judged him for not playing a less forgiving club?

I'm a pretty descent irons player and I do get asked why I play H4s "aren't they for beginners?"  I usually tell them the reason why I'm in the single digits is because I play more forgiving clubs.  Honestly though, my playing buddies and I, as we take more and more lessons, as we get better and lower scores (and older), we find ourselves moving to more forgiving clubs.  And somehow, we continue to play better that way. Weird game, golf is.

[WalkTheCourse]

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalkTheCourse

Tiger Woods always said "if it works, do it."

That's a misquote, he said, "if it walks, do it."

LOVE IT...

[Jakester23]

Are AP2's blades or GI's or kinda in between?

[BostonBrew]

Originally Posted by Jakester23

Are AP2's blades or GI's or kinda in between?

AP2s are more of a player's club. Not a blade, but less forgiving than the AP1s

[Jakester23]

So how much difference would there be between my G15's and the AP2's?

[BostonBrew]

Originally Posted by Jakester23

So how much difference would there be between my G15's and the AP2's?

I haven't hit the G15s, but from the looks of them and what I quickly read, I'd say the AP2s will be much less forgiving. The AP2 is aimed at the lower handicap player. The G15 looks to be more of a game improvement iron for higher handicaps. But the best way to judge is go and hit them.

[Dave40]

I like to practice on the range with my blades. I grew up with cheap Northwesterns, then moved to FG17s, and later to FG 51s. They make me focus on tempo and ball striking rather than how far the ball goes. If I play GI irons all the time, I find that my swing gets sloppy.  You can get a decent used set of forged blades for $100.  Doesn't really matter how old they are.  A good blade from the 1970s is not that much different from ones from today.  At least not enough difference to worry about on the driving range if you are just using them as a practice tool.

That said, when I play the course i like to use what i score best with.  So there's a place for both blades and GIs in my closet.

[Wally]

I've been really thinking about getting some blades, or at least good players irons for my next set. Reason being, as has been stated several times, is that my goal is to become a perfect (though Roy McAvoy says perfection is unattainable) striker of the golf ball. Or a perfect swinger through the golf ball I just don't want a set of GI irons hiding what I'm doing wrong. If I mis-hit I want it to slap me upside the head so I won't do it again. I don't just derive my satisfaction from playing the game (though it is fun), I'm having fun when I do very well. I'm ultra competitive, and I don't want to be held back by a band-aid on a stick. This method may cause me untold hours of heartache and swearing, but darned if I'm not gonna do it my way, lol.

We are very much alike here. I play with Callaway X-16 irons (cavity back), but I often practice with some bladed Arnold Palmer Charger II irons that I have. It helps me make sure my ballstriking is good, and I instantly know if it isn't when I hit a ball. On a side note, the Arnold Palmer Charger II 7-iron I practice with is shorter than the Taylormade Bubble PW I play with. Clubs were definitely made different back in the day.

[dbuck]

I played 9 yesterday with my 1979 vintage Wilson Staff Tour Blades. I hit some good shots and some not so good which is typical and commensurate with my handicap. I shot an ugly 46, but that was more due to as least 4 missed putts inside 6 feet than my iron play. I did have a couple of mis-cues with my irons, but my Titleist DCI's or any of the newer GI clubs would not have saved me or even made me any better on those particular shots. I also played with persimmon yesterday, and that was a bit of a challenge--my strikes were not terrible, but enough off that the result was not good. I really only connected on one drive-but that won't keep me from playing with them again. The point is, I am not really "good enough" for blades in the conventional wisdom, but my enjoyment of playing with them is not diminished. And actually, I never notice much difference in my score due to irons-maybe 1-2 shots per round at most. When I first got my DCI's, I played them exclusively for several months. I picked up the Staffs one day just to hit a few with them, and found I could barely get them in the air. I never have trouble transitioning from the Staffs back to the DCI's , though. I am not an iron snob-I like most of them. I don't play blades from time to time to puff up or think I am better than I am-on the contrary, they keep me humble, LOL! But I do think I benefit from playing with them as they require a little more precision in the strike, and plus it is just fun!

[Hacker James]

Originally Posted by dbuck

I played 9 yesterday with my 1979 vintage Wilson Staff Tour Blades. I hit some good shots and some not so good which is typical and commensurate with my handicap. I shot an ugly 46, but that was more due to as least 4 missed putts inside 6 feet than my iron play. I did have a couple of mis-cues with my irons, but my Titleist DCI's or any of the newer GI clubs would not have saved me or even made me any better on those particular shots. I also played with persimmon yesterday, and that was a bit of a challenge--my strikes were not terrible, but enough off that the result was not good. I really only connected on one drive-but that won't keep me from playing with them again. The point is, I am not really "good enough" for blades in the conventional wisdom, but my enjoyment of playing with them is not diminished. And actually, I never notice much difference in my score due to irons-maybe 1-2 shots per round at most. When I first got my DCI's, I played them exclusively for several months. I picked up the Staffs one day just to hit a few with them, and found I could barely get them in the air. I never have trouble transitioning from the Staffs back to the DCI's , though. I am not an iron snob-I like most of them. I don't play blades from time to time to puff up or think I am better than I am-on the contrary, they keep me humble, LOL! But I do think I benefit from playing with them as they require a little more precision in the strike, and plus it is just fun!

Good attitude to have!  for me, I play just about the same with my Hogan Apex's as I did with GCI. As I mentioned previously, I do sorely miss my DCI blacks (I had mistakenly described them as DTR's). When I use my Persimmons, I do fairly well and have noticed that even on errant shots, the ball does not go all that deep into the jungle, it just sort of takes a wild dive at the end and is generally stopped by the trees, where if I do the same with a 460, it goes soaring well above the tree line to disappear into never never land.

[Motley01]

Originally Posted by Jakester23

Are AP2's blades or GI's or kinda in between?

I have the 712 AP2s. They're not blades, but kinda in between. The forging process has a multi-material, so its not a full forge.

They are very forgiving, yet give you that nice solid feel. Best irons I've ever owned.