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

[Fisherdude]

Played forged blades, now have a set of TaylorMade RAC cavity backs.

I loved the feel of the blades. Keep in mind, when you hit it in the middle, they all feel the same.

I can't imagine why anybody, under any circumstances, unless you're Tiger, would play anything but cavity back irons. Assuming you want to score your best. They just give you too much of an advantage to pass up.

You might as well be using persimmon woods and a blade style putter.

I guarantee your GIR will go up. Quickly. This is EXACTLY what better irons will do for you.

[NM Golf]

I can't imagine why anybody, under any circumstances, unless you're Tiger, would play anything but cavity back irons. Assuming you want to score your best. They just give you too much of an advantage to pass up.

I wouldn't go that far but I would say anyone over about a 2 or 3 handicap is doing a disservice to themselves by playing blades. First, higher handicappers don't hit the center of the clubface consistantly enough the be using blades. They need the forgiveness of a cavity back. Second, higher handicaps can't work the ball well enough to take advantage of a blade.

Some will disagree with me on this, but every pro I work with will tell you the same thing. You have a good enough handicap, go pick out a good players cavity back iron. You will benefit from the forgiveness, and will give up very little in feel.

[Fisherdude]

...

Works for me!

[lane_3303]

You might as well be using persimmon woods and a blade style putter.

Whats wrong with a blade sytle putter??? I like my putter

But yeah cavity backs all the way(even though I love the look of blades)

[golfgolfer]

Personally I would prefer Cavity backs.

There are differences between the cavity backs of yester-years and the current ones. Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, many cavity backs provide the feels of blades and yet have the forgiveness of cavity backs.

I tried the new R7 TP the other day. Well, personally i quite like it.

[fusioncal]

First of all, golf is tough enough. Do yourself a favor don't make it worse for yourself. Besides we are simply human and we can't consistently hit the ball right at the center of the club face all the time. That's where the cavity back come in to help. Indeed muscle back is more appealing than cavity back. Performance wise, however, cavity back provides more forgiveness off-center hits. If you're looking for something in between but still a player's iron, you might want to try cavity blade like Titleist 695CB, Mizuno MP-60, TaylorMade R7 TP, Callaway X-Forged or something along those lines.

I personally would choose cavity backs. I just love the smile off my face when I don't hit right but the result is still good.

[Eveleth]

Something to consider, I was reading the "Club Test" issue of Golf Magazine and in it they mentioned the approximate percentage of PGA Players still playing true "Blades". The overwhelming percentage of PGA Professionals play Cavity Back Irons. They made the statement to the effect, that if the best players in the world choose to play cavity backs, perhaps it would be a good idea for us regular folks to follow their lead.

In recent years several companies have developed some excellent forged cavity back irons, that don't compromise feel and provide a great degree of shot shaping flexiability. But at the end of the day it's your money and your call, but don't dismiss cavity back irons, the guy's who do it for a living think they're a good choice!

[ezmoney5150]

Something to consider, I was reading the "Club Test" issue of Golf Magazine and in it they mentioned the approximate percentage of PGA Players still playing true "Blades". The overwhelming percentage of PGA Professionals play Cavity Back Irons. They made the statement to the effect, that if the best players in the world choose to play cavity backs, perhaps it would be a good idea for us regular folks to follow their lead.

That's not a good comparison. They are under contract to play the clubs the company offers. Ping for example doesn't offer forged blades. I can tell you one thing Mizuno players aren't playing MX-25's thats for sure. I Play forged blades and my mis-hits are no worse than when I was playing Ping I3's. It might be the cut muscle on the back but these feel like butter.

[Eveleth]

Perhaps your correct, but some of the best players on Tour, are only contractually obligated to play sponsor's equipment if they feel it meets their expectations of performance. I would submit that since this is their career, and winning is the sole puropose of why they play. There are not too many PGA players who would play a cavity back irons if they didn't feel they provided them with a competative advantage and increased their ability to preform at the required level to win on Tour.

[Linkster]

Why not mix your set, MP-67 down low and the MP-60 up on top? great feel in the scoring irons and a little ease on the long ones.

[milesdowsett]

There are two simple issues to consider when playing blades, above cavity backs:

Firstly, the feel of a mild forged steel blade is softer than that of a cast cavity back iron, so if it's feel your after, go for the blades.

Secondly, it is a lot harder to work the ball left, right, high and low with a cavity back; so if it's essential to work the ball easily, go with the blades.

However, if you don't hit the ball off the middle of the bat each time and don't find yourself needing to work the ball left or right all that much (which is 90% of golfers) you should just go with the cavity every time.

Personally, I would spend more time fitting the correct shaft to your irons, than the actual head, as it will have much more impact on your consistancy and flight of ball than the type of iron you use.

Hope this helps

Miles

[ezmoney5150]

Perhaps your correct, but some of the best players on Tour, are only contractually obligated to play sponsor's equipment if they feel it meets their expectations of performance. I would submit that since this is their career, and winning is the sole puropose of why they play. There are not too many PGA players who would play a cavity back irons if they didn't feel they provided them with a competative advantage and increased their ability to preform at the required level to win on Tour.

When Fred Couples switched from Tommy Armour to Lynx he wasn't playing Tommy Armour Irons and his game suffered. He didn't switch back to start winning. I could be wrong but Tiger Woods was probably the first one to have a contract where he could play whatever he wanted if Nike was inferior to other clubs. Remember when he switched back to a Titleist driver.

I'll give you another example. All through the 90's Greg Norman advertised King Kobra cavity back Irons in all the golf magazines but he played Cobra blades.

[NM Golf]

That's not a good comparison. They are under contract to play the clubs the company offers. Ping for example doesn't offer forged blades. I can tell you one thing Mizuno players aren't playing MX-25's thats for sure. I Play forged blades and my mis-hits are no worse than when I was playing Ping I3's. It might be the cut muscle on the back but these feel like butter.

Pga tour professionals do not compromise the playability of their clubs just to make a buck. And since Ping and Callaway are the only companies I know of on the PGA tour that don't make a blade then why is this not a good comparison. Lots of players who play Titleist don't play a blade, Titleist does make a blade model, the players just choose not to play it. The same goes for every club manufacturer on tour except the two mentioned above. A winners check on tour, and tour winnings pay a lot more bills than equipment contracts do. Sure there are a few players that get big equipment money but most do not. And even the ones that do are not going to let their games faulter to play an iron not well suited for their games.

I'll give you another example. All through the 90's Greg Norman advertised King Kobra cavity back Irons in all the golf magazines but he played Cobra blades.

Norman endorsed King Cobra he never agreed to play a specific iron they made. He made commercials saying how great they were, so what what does that prove? One he came up in a time when there weren't any cavity back irons. He prefers blades big deal. He is also a professional who was #1 in the world for a long time.

What it come down to is this. The best ball strikers in the world, a majority of them choose to play a cavity back iron. They are the best yet they see a benefit in playing irons that are more forgiving. What does that tell us? You have to decide that on your own.

[lane_3303]

Wow This is getting heated lol!!!
No but like I said in another topic,
Blades are for like 10% of golfers out there(if that much)
Realisticly Most amateurs Should play cavity backs. If just for pace of play.
Just think if All 30+handicappers Played Titleist 695.MB'S ???

[kafka01]

Just bought a set of MP-67´s. I know i cant play them yet, guess i won´t use them on a round for a couple of months but i will start practicing with them on the range and for playing i still have my Callaway´s.

The problem with the MP-67 - they just look so damn good, and i like the challenge - lets see if i´m up to it :)

[milesdowsett]

It's actually good to practice with old clubs to get your strike solid. Apparently Ernie Els hits his 20 year old Persimmon driver to do this in practice; it makes him focus on the strike more than trying to rip it one with a forgiving driver

[chingali]

Why don't you get a bag with 50 identical balls in it and then find a nice area and hit them all with a blade style 5 iron made up to your specs and then walk out and see how deep the grouping is. If you are making good solid contact right out of the middle you should find that your longest one goes less than ten yards further than your shortest. If the variance is greater than 10 yards then you are not making good consistent contact and you should be thinking about the cavity backs.

[flashman70]

I'm 58 and played with blades when I was younger. But since approximately 1988 I've hit mostly Pings. No, they don't feel as good as a Mizuno when hit pure, but they sure do cover up my mis-hits. And I can tell you, I have more mis-hits than I do pure hits. I can still work the ball with my Ping i3's, I just have to exaggerate my closed or open stance a little bit to get the ball to turn left or right.

There are cavity backs that have thin top lines, so one gets the impression of a blade, but for me, give me all the game improvement I can get. That said, I am about to go with hybrids for 3 and 4 irons (joining my 16' 2 iron hybrid). I'll probably go with G5s.