I'm young, but I'm old school

[mctaylor22]

Howdy yall,
I got to thinking after reading some stuff, which sometimes can be a hazard--haha, but anyway... I was reading some threads on game improvement irons and it occurred to me that i've never owned or played a game improvement iron. When I was ten years old, my dad stuck a ping blade into my hands and said "here, hit this." All throughout my career i've played blades: Mizuno TZOIDs, Titleist 735, Ping S59s, and now my babies--Titleist ZMs. I just love the feeling of a blade. I guess I was fortunate enough to learn golf the "old school" way? But what about the rest of you; young or old, what kind of clubs did you start out with and play with growing up? Do you still play a blade today?

-MT

[MeanDeen]

I started with blades and play blades currently but the periods in my life where my hdcp was under bogey golf I was playing game improvement irons. But I was also playing a LOT more golf during those times too which is probably the more contributing factor

[bunkerputt]

Howdy yall,

My first set of clubs were hand-me-down Lee Trevino signature series blades by Spalding. I'm only recently starting to hit the ball really well, but I've never played anything but blades.... For one, I can't stand to look at large offsets, thick top-lines, or a sole that juts out the back of the club. Plus, I figure, if I really want to get better, I should be hitting the kind of club that will punish me a little if I swing poorly. Most people pick blades for the workability, I picked them for the looks and unforgiveness. I just couldn't play anything else.

[kennay92]

I started out with Ram Golden Girl blades, yes womens clubs lol. Some p.o.s that my neighbor had in his garage.

[sean_miller]

Howdy yall,

There probably some "old school" golfers who would say you switched to blades the day you hit the ZMs (depending on which 735 you had). These same guys gave up on blades long before Ping ever put out the S59.

[Where's the Cart Girl?]

I'm in the same boat as one of the above guys. I started with beat to death hand me down Hogan blades, then started using my Dad's Ping Eye 2's, Nike CPR's, Titleist DCI Oversize +, and now.... back to blades.

Is my swing consistent enough for them? Ehh. I only hit 5 or 6 GIR in a typical round I'd say, but I get around. I don't chunk it 8 feet when I miss, I slice it. I cut across the ball like I'm buttering toast, but that's not the club's fault.

I'll get a true-blue fitting next time I'm buying a set and I'll try not to let my ego keep me from getting the clubs that fit me best, blades or not. But for the time being I'm a born again blade guy. And I'm young too mc.

[Paulbee]

Purest hitting irons I've ever played were a set of Hogan Bounce Soles (the 1969 model). Played blades for a number of years - there wasn't really much choice back then.

Trot out the Hogans from time. I can more or less still handle them but cavity backs make life that much easier.

Bought the Hogans new from the PX when I was serving at AFSOUTH in Naples in 69. Got the woods as well which had a revolutionary new design feature - a SLOT on the front of the face for better aerodynamics.

Obviously we were easily pleased back then...

[lumpuckeroo]

I started with a mis-matched set of blades from Sears (circa 1950). When I picked the game back up in the late 80's I got a set of Wilson cast clubs, hated them, within 2 months I had a set of forged, cavity back irons and have played forged irons ever since. I have played a couple sets of Mizuno and Wilson irons, currently I bounce back and forth between a set of Mizuno MP-60's and Wilson FG-51's.

I'm sure some day I will lose my ballstriking ability but until then I will play forged clubs and always lean toward a more traditional blade.

[James_Black]

never had blades.

Doubt I ever will unless I get really good

[O.B. Right]

I don't remember what clubs I started playing on but I got my first real set when I was a freshman in highschool. It was around 1988. They were knock-offs of Ping Eye 2's and I had them fitted for me at my local golf shop. I also got TaylorMade Burner woods.

I played on them for a few years, put them in storage for 15 years, and am now playing on them again. These were early GI irons and I have no idea how they compare to today's cavity back irons. I see no reason to get new clubs, though, as I hit these pretty good.

[kfowler]

Funny how "old school" has such a varied connotation in golf. Those "old school" irons you hit when you started had tons of technology in them compared to the irons 20-30 years before. But you can go further and further back through the evolution of golf. I always get a kick when someone says they play golf the "old school" way. Oh really! You mean you hit balls stuffed with goose feathers?

My first set was a starter set in the early 80's. I remember the wood was a real wood with a metal face. I don't remember what the irons looked like. I'm sure they weren't cavity backed. I played with my dad's Ping I2's for a long time. I think my first GI iron was bought in the late 90's.

[mctaylor22]

Funny how "old school" has such a varied connotation in golf. Those "old school" irons you hit when you started had tons of technology in them compared to the irons 20-30 years before. But you can go further and further back through the evolution of golf. I always get a kick when someone says they play golf the "old school" way. Oh really! You mean you hit balls stuffed with goose feathers?

Yeah you're right. "Old School" isn't necessarily the right term to use here. What I am trying to point out is that I didn't learn on the easier irons--just as those who started out 20-30 years ago.

[etlreams]

My first set was a hand-me down Wilson or Spalding blade set. Use to go to the park that hand long, open fields and hit the golf ball around, make up holes out in my mind based on the landscape, and just have a blast!

Funny thing is, I remember actually hitting the ball rather well!

Then I got a cavity back set, started playing on courses, going to the driving range and actually TRYING, and my game went to hell and was much less fun. Go figure!

[tim31x]

my first set of clubs was a set of knock off mitsushiba regular flex graphite combo blades. they transistioned from perimeter weighted blades in the long irons to muscle backs in the short irons. i got down to a 10 handicap with those irons. now i'm playing my wilson staff fi5 combo blades and i absolutely love them. i'm down to a 7.2 handicap and it keeps dropping. i can't hit those clunky cavity backs, i love the pure feel and workability of forged blades.

[becksfan2185]

I've only been playing golf since the early 90's, but I started out with a set of cheap old blades like many of you.

Since I've started taking the game more seriously, I've gotten fit for some cavity-back Callaways, and I have been extremely happy with them. I do have some nostalgia for a set of nice blades... so hopefully one day my game will be consistent enough to warrent the change back to blades. As for right now, I can't argue with the results I'm getting. There's a reason the new iron technology has transformed cavity backs and inundated the market... they produce great results.

[Jay-Bird]

I started with some hand-me-down Spalding (get your foot off the boat) "Top-Flite Professional" blades. When I was a teenager I got some cavity backs - Titleist DTR. I loved them. I used them until I was 18. Then it was Ping Eye 2 until 2005.