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Master "Forged vs. Cast" or "Blade vs. Game-Improvement" Iron Thread


muskegman
Note: This thread is 1375 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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I look forward to reading the comments from members who have played both game improvement irons and forged irons cavity and or blade style.

I started out playing Maxifli Revolution irons, which are mildly cavity-backed with reduced offset. I loved them. They had a little forgiveness, but you could still work the ball. I have since tried several different styles of clubheads, but always migrate back to something with minimal forgiveness and very little offset. That usually translates to forged.

I currently have a set of TA V-31 Reduced offset blades which I just love. I agree that they are not harder to hit than cavity back. You still have to hit the middle of the clubface. The big difference is you know when you hit it good or bad. I just cannot get used to setting up with a club with a thick topline. I have a set of Wilson Fat Shaft irons but I feel like I am trying to aim an anvil. I also have a set of DCI990 Titleists that are sweet hitting clubs. Yeah, I know I am a club wonk.... At least I don't drink and chase women, my wife is satisfied that this addiction is fairly harmless to our marriage.

****************************************
Roy McEvoy is my hero.

In My bag
TM Burner 9.5 S Flex

Wilson Invex Strong 3 and 5 wood

Maxfli Revolution 3-PW Irons

Cleveland 54/60 wedges

Odessey XG #7 Putter

 

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The first set of clubs I ever had (and still have) are Wilson X31 blades from the late 60s. When I really started playing about a year and a half ago, I got a set of Wilson Deep Red II tour clubs. They're really nice, but very harsh on mishits as far as stinging. I found out that forged stainless can be bent more than the chrome (I'm 6'7"), so I chose to go with Titleist 804s to get started and then moved up to the 735s in the 410 stainless. I love the feel, but honestly I needed the forged clubs to be able to bend up enough for my height. Cast and the forged chrome clubs can only go up 2 degrees and extend out 1", or so I'm told.

I can sincerely say that I got forged clubs out of necessity. I'm glad I did. I can't imagine going back to a cast set.

Scott Sandlin
ROLL TIDE!

Driver: Taylormade R7 425 10.5 deg, Stiff
Fairway: Taylormade R7 Steel 13 deg, Wilson Deep Red II Distance 18 deg, StiffIrons: Titleist 735.cm 3-PW, DG S300, +1.5", +4 deg upWedge: Titleist Vokey SM 53 deg and 59 degPutter: Scotty Cameron Santa Fe 33"Ball: Titleist...

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I just recently switched (about 2 weeks ago) from TM rac OS's to The Titleist 755 which are forged cavity/muscle back....I LOVE THEM. Im 6'6" so they are 1 inch longer and 2 degrees upright..I had them fitted and im thrilled with them. When i make solid contact its the best feeling ive had when it comes to ball striking, BUT I do feel miss hits but they dont sting just enough feedback to know i didnt hit the center of the club face.


forged have my vote

B.Nichols
10.2 HCP
Playing for 1.5 years on a once a week basis.

SasQuatch 9.5 SasQuatch 3 wood 15*755 Irons 3-PW +1 Inch 2* upright Vokey 52*Vokey Spin Milled 56* 10 Bounce CG10 60* XG9 ( Phil Replica)TP Black

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My first set was a AMF Beginner Set "Custom Fit".
The Irons were cast and had a very deep cavity back.

Whenever i played a ball wrong i was wondering why. It didnt matter though because these irons were so forgiving that the ball would always fly somewhere.

After giving these Irons to my father this summer who wants to start playing golf I switched to Mizuno MP60 (also custom fit).

Now it is the complete opposite, whenever I dont hit the sweetspot I feel it in my whole Body, especially the arms and back

I really love that feeling and i would recommend any mid-handicapper to get some forged muscle backs or slight cavity backs even if you cant use them like a pro because it will improve your game a lot when you train with a high responding iron.

Another intresting fact is: I really like the look of the Mizunos and therefore play much more golf then i did with the AMF Cast Clubs

WitB

R7 Superquad 10.5
R7 Steel 3 Fw
2 Iron Rescue Dual MP 60 3-PW Vokey SM 56.10 Vokey SM 60.08 White Hot XG # 9

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I switched from Cast Deep Cavity Back AMF Irons to Mizuno MP60 and the feeling of these forged muscle Back irons is just awesome.

The deep cavitys where so forgiving that i could play with my lousy swing style and think I was good.

Now I really feel what I do wrong. It is heaven to hit the sweetspot and a tiny Divot and hell if it is an off-center, socket or what-so-ever-hit where the gras flys farther then the ball.

I recommend forged, non-forgiving irons and a nice Pro if you want to learn fast.

There is an old saying: "Learning through pain" (I am not american so I dont know if that is good english but I think you all get the meaning )

WitB

R7 Superquad 10.5
R7 Steel 3 Fw
2 Iron Rescue Dual MP 60 3-PW Vokey SM 56.10 Vokey SM 60.08 White Hot XG # 9

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I love the look of blades, but have never gone to them. I grew up on Wilson, then Ping irons....Call me a cavity-back kid.

For me, I'm a solid ball striker, and I just enjoy the feel of a solid cavity iron. Maybe playing my teens with Pings "forged" that identity. (Everyone get my pun? Haha...I'm a cheese ball!)

Currently, I play the X-18 Pro Series, and am in no hurry to switch to blades. I've been around scratch (+3 at best, about a 3 right now working down coming back from injuries), and I personally think blades are overused in the general public.

"Keep it in the short grass."

Driver: Titleist 905R 9.5 deg., w/ ProForce V2 shaft
3W: Callaway X-Hot 15 deg., Grafalloy Blue stiff
Hybrid/Util: Callaway Heavenwood 2H, 17 deg., Grafalloy Blue stiff Hybrid/Util: Hogan 3H 21 deg., TT Dyn.Gld stiffIrons: Callaway X-18 Pro Series, 3-PW, TT Dyn. Gld...

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FEEL FEEL FEEL FEEL.....and the reward of hitting it just like the club was designed to be struck.

I will Never own anything other than forged

B.Nichols
10.2 HCP
Playing for 1.5 years on a once a week basis.

SasQuatch 9.5 SasQuatch 3 wood 15*755 Irons 3-PW +1 Inch 2* upright Vokey 52*Vokey Spin Milled 56* 10 Bounce CG10 60* XG9 ( Phil Replica)TP Black

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  • 4 weeks later...
I play Titleist 735. CM irons , which are the perfect combo of cavity back and blade irons (still forged for feel response)
In My Bag:
Driver:
Nike SasQuatch 460 9.5 deg - Fujikura Prototype X
3 Wood:
Orlimar Trimetal Plus 14 deg - Fujikura Prototype XIrons: Titleist 735CM (3-PW) - TT DG 300SWedges: Titleist Vokey 50 & 54 & 60Putter: Scotty Cameron Laguna Oil Can - Custom Shop Restored to Pro...
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I told my wife I wanted to get some new clubs this year, and am currently just trying to figure out which way to go.

I love the clean, pure lines of forged blades i.e. Mizuno MP67 and Nicklaus JNP but I am not sure if my game is on that level yet. I may get a good set of cavity back irons to increase the sweet spot and then as my ball striking improves move to the blades.

Dual Point 10.5 Stiff Driver
Dual Point 3 Wood
NPS-1 Irons
Dual Slot 52, 56, 60 Wedges
Newport 2

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I would have thought someone would have jumped in with this point by now, but follow this link for a discussion about forged vs. cast irons. It reflects what I have always understood to be true about the two different club types.

In other words, it isn't the manufacturing process you guys are noticing in the way the club plays. It's in the design.

http://golf.about.com/od/faqs/f/cast_forged.htm
A Mixed Bag

Driver 320Ti, 10.5 R, stock graphite
Ovation 3W, Aldila 65R graphite
Dunlop DDH 5W Edge CFT Hybrid 3-iron, #3 graphite CFT irons 4 - E wedge, #3 graphite Apex Edge F wedge 60 degree LW Bobby Grace M5K putter Laddie X A3
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There was an article printed not too long ago where one of the Ping players was handed a forged Ping and didn't even notice the difference. That's how good the casting process has gotten. I have always had Pings (Ping Zing2, Ping ISI, Ping I3), with the exception of Tommy Armour 845's, and have always loved them. I figured the cavity back cast club would save me on mis-hits. about 3 years ago a friend of mine had a set of Snake Eye blades he built and let me borrow. I shot 81 not even warming up and hitting balls with them. which is great at my home course. My mis-hits with the blades went just as far as my Ping I3's. And I liked the thin top line. I gave them back to him and went out that day and demo'd all the Mizuno irons and settled on the MP-37's. Workability and top line is everything to me so I was hooked. I just recently switched to the MP-67's and the feel of those are like butter. Put a blind fold on and I can't tell the difference in feel between the MP-67's and my old Ping I3's.

I'm hooked on forged.

What's in my bag
Driver: Taylor Made R7 425 9.5 degrees UST Proforce 65 shaft
3 Wood: Taylor Made V Steel 15 degrees
Taylor Made Rescue Dual 22 degrees (UST IROD shaft)
Irons: Mizuno MP-67 (bent 1 degree upright)Gap Wedge: Mizuno R Series Black Nickle 52 Sand Wedge: Mizuno R Series Black Nickle...

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well as i read the article saying that their is virtually no difference between the forged and the cast clubs, i was curious....so i set out to see if i could find any contradictary articles...i found this at Wikipedia

"Irons are mainly produced by two processes, casting and forging. Cast irons are produced by casting molten metal in a pre-shaped cast. Forged irons are heated and beaten into the desired shape. Cast irons (Example: Ping G5 Irons) provide the user with less feel , but are less difficult to hit consistently, and are therefore preferred by the higher handicap golfer. They are impossible to alter more than a degree, as the casting process causes the metal to set firmly. Forged irons (for example the Wilson OS Irons), have a softer feel and are less forgiving to a user - they cause the ball to turn more off line, otherwise called more workability, and the club heads can be bent to the user's specifications, though the bending also naturally occurs during play, forcing players to check the lies and lofts of their irons periodically."

so which is it...having hit both...I would say that Wikipedia is correct because nothing feels as smooth as a well struck blade....i have hit wonderful shots with cast irons but they dont feel nearly as good as the the great strikes with my Mizzy's......

and if there is no difference in the hardness/softness why cant you bend cast irons more than one degree and how come you have to readjust your forgings so often? simple, the forging bends easier because it is SOFTER....

Here is the URL that i got that info from.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_club_(equipment )
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well as i read the article saying that their is virtually no difference between the forged and the cast clubs, i was curious....so i set out to see if i could find any contradictary articles...i found this at Wikipedia

good post. :) i think this debate will rage on forever.. people will be arguing over cast and forged irons even when they arent made out of metal anymore. :P haha i would say take that wiki with a grain of salt, as i know for sure that ping cast irons, and most others that are made from 431 SS can be bent up to 4*. also there have been studies done to try to define what exactly "feel" really is. the conclusion has been that a large component of feel is sound. i would say "feel" is something very subjective and comparitive. who is to say that well struck blade shot doesnt just feel better to you because an off center shot with the same blade feels comparitively worse than with a cast cavity back. im not saying one is better or worse, but if your initial starting point is skewed in either direction, it can change your whole point of view. anyway, i play mostly cavity backs, and i have used both forged and cast cavities... both in soft carbon steel and different types of SS. they all felt the same to me respective to each other. if i were to compare a cavity to a blade it is certain to feel different no matter how it is made.
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Note: This thread is 1375 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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