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

[wolfy21]

Phil use cavity backs, he use the callaway x-tour if im not wrong.

im pretty sure he has xblades, i remember watching something on the pga championship, and phil was like touring the 12th hole and he specifically said he changed from xtour to xblades. or something i may be wrong

[Diggitydog]

I've read this entire thread up to this point. I am looking to replace my 2004 Taylormade RAC LT cavity backs. Just started looking at irons today. After reading all of the stuff there really isn't a clear answer for this subject. I think it has to be a personal thing. The thing that I would like to know is some people say that a pure strike with a blade is the same as a pure strike with a cavity back. Is this the case?
Other thing that is often said is that mishits with blades are way off line. Players with blades do you agree with that statement?

What is coming out for 2008 on iron sets?

[janzaruk]

What is coming out for 2008 on iron sets?

I'd check out the Mizuno MP-57, I believe they just came out this month.

As for the blades....I play MP-60, which I think are considered "in between" blades and cavity backs, and my mishits aren't nearly as bad as I suspected they would be when I bought them. I lost 7-10 yards in my estimation for toe hits, and don't lose much as all if I hit it near the heal. Also, a pure shot with a blade, IMO, feels MUCH better than a pure shot with a cavity back.

[fusioncal]

I'd check out the Mizuno MP-57, I believe they just came out this month.

I agree. I also have MP-60 and I've been using it for a few rounds in this month and they are amazing. Mis-hit isn't much of issue at all just like janzaruk said, but pure shot feels like heaven. That spongy feel at impact is just so soft. I think I'll never go back to my Fusion set.

[Oliver C. Porkman III]

definitely has to be blades. I would say 95% of all tour pros use blades, because of the variety of shots you can hit with them. Now none of us are at that level but why not use what they do?

I have to say that cavity backs do not make hitting balls any easier. I would say that if you have a tendency to slice or fade the ball then the blades probably will not work for you as well. I hit a natural draw and find the blades to be less offset. Keeping that in mind if you hit a draw/hook as opposed to a Fade/Slice then you might consider the blades. BTW the feel of the blades is truly buttery smooth

[Golf4life]

definitely has to be blades. I would say 95% of all tour pros use blades, because of the variety of shots you can hit with them. Now none of us are at that level but why not use what they do?

Care to show us where you get that 95% from?

[DCB]

I love my MP 60's with soft stepped stiff NS Pro 950's. I had the 32's with S300 stiff and prefer the 60's set up. While the 60's look like cavity backs and offer a bit of perimeter weighting, they feel a lot like the 32's.
I don't like the prosumer Callaway irons and probably couldn't hit their pro forged set. This goes for most cavity back irons. I owned two sets of cavity backs when I started golfing-TA 5's and Big Bertha 2002's. They are almost hybrid irons and not for anyone who is a bogey golfer or better. Mizuno's cavity back MP series is a nice combo of blade and cavity back, and easy to clean. Check them out. dcb

[Diggitydog]

Care to show us where you get that 95% from?

Yeah, wolfy21 likes to just throw out random numbers that sound good. He was doing the same thing in a thread about Pro V1x balls and how they are the right ball for every player etc etc.

[jhauser77]

Yeah, wolfy21 likes to just throw out random numbers that sound good. He was doing the same thing in a thread about Pro V1x balls and how they are the right ball for every player etc etc.

I've actually seen where something like 90-95% of all percentages are made up on the spot, but I believe his 95% could be in the 5% of truth.

I have played Titleist 690MB for about 6 weeks now. I'm golf 18 holes once a week, 9 holes once a week and hit the range once or twice if I'm not too busy. I'm playing to an 11 handicap now. I learned to play 15 years ago on Top Flite Spalding blades. I loved them. 5 years ago I switched to Ping Eye 2 and never really got on that well but I wasn't playing much either. I started playing regularly again Fall of 05. So I bought Nike Pro Combos. They were ok. I traded them this summer for the 690 because I believe that Blades make you learn how to hit the ball better. Yes you can shape your long irons better, it feels smoother when you catch it right and when you hit it off the heel the ball responds worse than a forgiving cavity back. But if you hit it off the heel or toe or thin with a cavity back, what have you learned? Hit those shots off a blade, you will feel where you hit it and learn how not to do it again. So blades are if you want to get better and can practice enough to actually get better. I would say if you fine with just making up for inconsistencies in your game and only play less than twice a month and no practice, then get a cavitied irons as you can. Like those Cleveland or Adams hybrid sets.

[fusioncal]

I've actually seen where something like 90-95% of all percentages are made up on the spot, but I believe his 95% could be in the 5% of truth.

You may want to check this

article out.

[jhauser77]

You may want to check this

That's exactly what I was trying to say.

[wolverine318]

I learned to play with an old set of wilson blades, 5,7,9,pw. When I started high school i got a set of cavity backs. I really did not like them. Once I graduated and had the money i purchases my mp33 blades. I will never go back to cavity back if I dont have to. I can work the ball better and I get better feedback from the Blades. I love the look and love the feel. I think they help me stay consistant with my ball stricking as you are not really rewarded as much on bad swings imo.

[silliwilli]

if the pros won't play blades then why should i

i can't understand people making this incredably difficult game even harder for themselves

[Oliver C. Porkman III]

I've read this entire thread up to this point. I am looking to replace my 2004 Taylormade RAC LT cavity backs. Just started looking at irons today. After reading all of the stuff there really isn't a clear answer for this subject. I think it has to be a personal thing. The thing that I would like to know is some people say that a pure strike with a blade is the same as a pure strike with a cavity back. Is this the case?

I have been playing with a set of 690 mb's for about six weeks. I think the response of a mishit is worse using the blades but the actual ball flight produced by the mishit blade is not much different then the mis hit cavity back. I have been playing with cavity for eight years before that I doubt I'll ever use them again.

[Lemay427]

i played cavity backs since i started (age 11, i am 24 now). i recently went with mizuno mp32s and will not look back. my game has improved. i think the main thing that helped me is the extra weight of the club. i think its an incorrect statement saying that since some pros do not play blades, i shouldnt. its all about what your comfortable with. i will not become a better golfer if i switch back to cavity back cast irons.

playing with blades for some people does not make the game harder. my handicap has gone down since the iron change. is it confidence? better course management? could be. play a club that you are confident with and can hit well.

[silliwilli]

Yeh I suppose it is what your comfortable with, I play x-forged irons which are notch back blades i suppose!

[fusioncal]

i played cavity backs since i started (age 11, i am 24 now). i recently went with mizuno mp32s and will not look back. my game has improved. i think the main thing that helped me is the extra weight of the club. i think its an incorrect statement saying that since some pros do not play blades, i shouldnt. its all about what your comfortable with. i will not become a better golfer if i switch back to cavity back cast irons.

It's because, IMO, using blades you're somehow "forced" to swing properly.

[RichF]

if the pros won't play blades then why should i

Most of the PGA top20 pros

do play blades: Muscle-backs Woods - Nike blades Mickelson - Callaway X-Forged Els - Callaway X-Forged Donald - Mizuno MP32 blades Baddeley - MacGregor V-Foil M675 Forged Singh - Cleveland CG1 Black Pearl Rose - TaylorMade rac TP Goosen - TaylorMade rac TP Scott - Titleist Forged 695MB Choi - Nike Blades Garcia - TaylorMade rac TP Ogilvy - King Cobra Forged MB Cavity-Backs Furyk - Srixon I-506 Stricker - Titleist 755 Harrington - Wilson Staff Pi5 Sabbatini - Nike Ignite Irons Johnson - Titleist 735.CM / 695CB