Can you "force" your game into blades?

[chriskzoo]

I'm on the lookout for some new clubs and being a 10 handicap (I've been as low as 7) I fall right in that range where I should be playing something along the lines of TM Tour Preferred, Titleist AP2, or the Nike Victory Red Split Cavity. BUT, I've always wanted to make the jump to some blades (Victory Red's are gorgeous). I only carry 4-iron on down, but my thinking is that if I know I have blades, it'll force me to concentrate that much more on each shot.

Anyone else try to "force" their game this way?

[65withatriple]

When I was in college playing a lot of golf I had blades and loved them. When I graduated and started working the rounds became few and far between and they soon bacame my worst enemy. I am playing 3 or 4 times a week now and still have no desire to go back to blades. I play Callaway xforged and love them. I personally feel that as long as your playing a forged cavity back club you will get plenty feel and not have to sacrafice the additional sweet spot. After saying this I admit there is no better feeling than hitting a blade in the sweet spot. Bottom line is you need to buy what you really want because if you dont you will second guess yourself on every bad shot. Do your research and be 100% when you decide and you will love either.

[chriskzoo]

When I was in college playing a lot of golf I had blades and loved them. When I graduated and started working the rounds became few and far between and they soon bacame my worst enemy. I am playing 3 or 4 times a week now and still have no desire to go back to blades. I play Callaway xforged and love them. I personally feel that as long as your playing a forged cavity back club you will get plenty feel and not have to sacrafice the additional sweet spot. After saying this I admit there is no better feeling than hitting a blade in the sweet spot. Bottom line is you need to buy what you really want because if you dont you will second guess yourself on every bad shot. Do your research and be 100% when you decide and you will love either.

Yeah, that's why I'm leaning toward the Victory Red Split Cavity right now - still forged, but with more forgiveness.

[DavidFehertysBike]

Well you dont want to concentrate too much on your shot...lol. You'll start swinging like a robot. TBH, ive noticed little to no difference in forgivness between a traditional players cav-back and a muscle blade from the 7 iron on down. So if you're playing forged cavities now its not going to be that much of an adjustment. The longer irons will be a little harder to get into the air, though. Eventually, you'll become more aware of your attack angle and swing path by hitting muscleback long irons.

[PiKapp23]

I'm at roughly the same level as you. I have been playing very forgiving cavity backs for years and recently picked up a set of Mizuno MP-60's that I'm experimenting with. I have not had much chance to play with them yet because of weather, but when I hit them well it's good - when I don't I start thinking of staying with some more forgiving clubs. I'm leaning toward keeping them, but a part of me also says I should find something a little more forgiving because my ball striking is not as consistent as it should be for a 10 handicap. I made a swing change late last fall that is helping ball striking, but I'm still on the fence. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be happy with a pure blade, though. The sweet spot on a blade is so small. If I decide to part with the MP-60's I'll probably end up with Mizuno MP-52's, which are quite a bit more forgiving (but not really to the level of MX line yet).

[Bump-n-MI]

Another option would be a blended or combo set (like the MP57 and MP67's).

[TN94z]

I forced my way into them. I had a set of slingshots and loved them but they just didn't give me that shot shapes that I wanted. So, I told myslelf, get some blades and learn to hit them and you will be better off. That is what I did and I would never have anything else. An iron with a bigger head on it just does not fit my eye at all. To me, the feel I get with a well struck shot with a blade is so much better than a well struck shot with a non-blade type iron.

[Norm3333]

I say go for the Nike TR blades. I demoed them over the winter after I made a few swing changes and was surprised at how well I hit them. I guess I was afraid of what everyone always says about them and probably let that psych me out.

I look at it this way, I if swing poorly and hit it fat or thin, there is no difference between a cavity's result or a blade's result. Poor swing always = poor result, no matter the club.

My miss tends to be more toward the toe. The Nikes were surprisingly forgiving in this respect. They appear to be a little longer from heel to toe and it is apparent that more weight was shifted toward the toe.

You and I have about the same handicap. We probably have a comparable game, unless you are a wizard around the greens making up for a poor swing.

And yes, they are beautiful.

I say, gets some guts and go for it.

[Big Padrigo]

I played 9 holes last night and one of the pros give me a Ping s57 7 iron to try on my way round. Took a couple of shots to get the feel right, but once I did they felt very, very nice. They have the little vibration dampener so when you don't hit it quite right it doesn't sting. I don't think they're the clubs for me, but I did enjoy the opportunity to try it on the course.

[Titleist Man]

I tried to force myself and i end up holding back alot on every swing. Thinkin of switching to the AP2s.....

[lumpuckeroo]

If you have to "force" your game, forgive me, but you are in trouble. You should play the clubs that give you the most confidence, regardless of any stereotype. If a GI iron suits your eye, suits your swing, and you are confident in them, use them.

Good ball strikers can play any iron as long as they fit them properly. To me, the look of the club plays a huge part in my confidence level. I cannot play a GI iron with a thick topline and huge offset, I fell like I am playing with a shovel.

Your theory that playing a blade would make you concentrate better is not good. I would liken this to a baseball player hitting a golf ball thrown instead of a baseball, it won't improve your concentration it will make you frustrated.

[chriskzoo]

I tried to force myself and i end up holding back alot on every swing. Thinkin of switching to the AP2s.....

Yep, I just went to the range and had hit the AP2's, but took them out with the VR half cavity and blade and the AP2 was too good. Now I just have to scout around for a decent deal. I only want 4-PW, so I'm looking at $800 retail after taxes.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to get them a bit cheaper?

[Norm3333]

Yep, I just went to the range and had hit the AP2's, but took them out with the VR half cavity and blade and the AP2 was too good. Now I just have to scout around for a decent deal. I only want 4-PW, so I'm looking at $800 retail after taxes.

Try ebay. I just picked up Tiger's new air zoom golf shoes for less than what I would pay on line.

[RocketSauce]

if you want to play blades but you're not sure you have the game for it, DEMO a set of Nickent Arc Blades. they are VERY forgiving. i used these recently for 18 holes and was BLOWN away by how good they felt. give them a try. they are gorgeous too.
per Nickents website:
Nickent's one-of-a-kind technology, ARC, or Accelerated Rebound Core(R), consists of an internal core that positions a high-rebound elastomer directly behind the strike zone, delivering a lively, solid reaction from the face to the ball and eliminating vibration.

The elastomer weighs 7 times less than the steel surrounding it, creating an internal cavity. This internal cavity gives birth to muscle back wedges that have the look and feel of a blade, and the playability and ease of use of a modern cavity back.

ARC is one of the only patented hidden perimeter weighting systems ever used in wedge. Three holes on the back clubhead allow you to see inside the clubhead, exposing the elastomer that fills the area directly behind the hitting area of the face, which is creates extreme perimeter weighting.

[cigarnut81]

I would not reccomend blades to anyone but the very best ball strikers. Get some blades if you want your score to go up. The only reason to have blades is for moving the golf ball and 99.9% of golfers do not swing consitently enough to actually control ball flight.

[Norm3333]

I would not reccomend blades to anyone but the very best ball strikers. Get some blades if you want your score to go up. The only reason to have blades is for moving the golf ball and 99.9% of golfers do not swing consitently enough to actually control ball flight.

This is what I am talking about. People are afraid to hit blades because of what they hear. Then when they try one, as they stand over the ball, what are they thinking?

"I can't hit this thing." Then they hit it fat/thin and blame the club. No club can prevent or make up for a bad swing. I like the consistency of blades. I gladly sacrifice a little distance for a more consistent ball flight. I almost went for the 09 burner irons, but when I demoed them, my distances varied greatly with the same club and same swing. Did they give me more distance? yes But my distances varied more. I am not a "great" ball striker. But, even I was able to hit them after I got over the fear of hitting them. Just my opinion.

[cigarnut81]

This is what I am talking about. People are afraid to hit blades because of what they hear. Then when they try one, as they stand over the ball, what are they thinking?

I am a clubfitter so I think I am qualified to make this recommendation. There are many clubs that can make up for a poor swing. By your logic golf clubs are all the same as far as miss hits go. Not true! I have seen R&D; reports and seen it in my own game. It is true that if you hit the sweet spot of most golf clubs the differences are small but how many of us hit the sweet spot every time.Not even the pros can do that. So I am saying that golf is a game of good misses not pure shots and why play your game around pure shots when you are much more likely to miss the shot than pure it? Your score will not go down just because you play blades and your score will not go up because you play game improvement irons. I agree a pured blade is a beautiful thing but I would much rather have my toe/heel/thin/fat shot get to the green rather than be hitting a 40 yard pitch. I will two putt much more often than I am going to get up and down.

[Fourputt]

I tried to force myself and i end up holding back alot on every swing. Thinkin of switching to the AP2s.....

Didn't go to a full blade, but I switched from a King Cobra GI CB to the AP-2, and I did it for exactly that reason. I know that my swing used to be more precise than it has become, and I wanted to force myself to focus more. So far it seems to be working... I'm starting to hit more shots with that crisp sweet spot feel than I had in years. With the AP-2, when I miss it's a serious miss, like 20 or 30 yards, not the 5 yards that the same miss would be with the Cobras. And on those good hits, it feels SOOOOO good that I want to repeat it.