Feel 'nothing' when hit sweet spot with blades

[golfro]

just to make a point clear, what i meant by practice is that...it takes practice to improve your game, not to hit blades.
Point was that people buy blades and say they bought it because they wanted to force themselves to improve...all the while, they'll goto the range maybe once a month.
PLaying blades isn't goign to magically make your game better by forcing you to change your swing and hit them better. It doesn't force you to become a ball striker...
PRACTICE makes you become a better ball striker, regardless of what club you're using.\

Anyway, i hope i didn't open pandora's box when it comes to the topic of blades...so lets move back tot he original topic at hand:
Nothing quite like facing down a fairway, looking at a pin, and hitting an absolute pure shot and land it within 5 ft of the pin. Makes your body all tingly.

[McGolf-Doggie]

1) This buttery soft feel from the sweet spot may be a bit overstated.

I had just come off the course on a great evening when I was hitting the irons better than ever (after a lot of practice), and I couldn't have asked for more from them.

I was searching for words to describe something that can be difficult to describe when it all comes together, and I'm not going to apologize if you are allergic to the "butter" cliche. Although I might have had "irrational exuberance," perhaps. I'll check with former Fed. Chairman Greenspan. I should know better, as this game can bring one to one's knees pretty quickly, if one lets oneself get too high. But for now I'm enjoying the Rac MBs because I'm fighting the driver. Nothing much feeling right with it at the range today or on the course the other day.

[kfowler]

There definitely is no wild horse to tame... but to attribute your lower HCP to your blades is a bit silly too.

That's not what I was implying but looking back I supposed I did a poor job of explaining it. I was trying to say that the switch to blades did not hurt my handicap. My drop in handicap can be directly attributed to a better short game this year.

[ohiolefty]

I don't play pure blades but have (10 years ago!) and use a forged iron (Callaway X-Forged: good enough to win the US Open, by the way...hehe)...

For me, switching from GI shovels to a players iron, it's helped me. Here are some reasons.

1. Offset: Most GI clubs, even something like an AP1, have tons of offset. When I had GI clubs, I constantly had to fight pulls and hooks on purely-struck shots. With the irons i have now, that has been eliminated for me. It's probably more mental than scientific...but it is what it is.
2. Workability: I can draw and fade the ball much easier and much more reliably. This is due to overall feel, lack of offset, a smaller overall clubface.
3. Spin: It's much easier to control spin with a players iron or a blade. With a GI club, it's so damned jumpy that I had a lot harder time with this.
4. 'Pure' factor: This is purely artistic and/or psychological, but the feeling of hitting a pure iron shot with a forged club is markedly better than with a hard, shovelish GI club. It just is. Anyone who disagrees probably can't hit an iron on the screws. That's okay...you can score without hitting perfect iron shots as long as you hit your lines and miss on the right side of the green when you miss your line...but nothing feels better than knocking it stiff with a forged club - except, occasionally, sex.

Now that I'm playing again, I can't see myself going to a GI iron until age causes me to lose distance. Being that I'm 29, I should have 31 more years, at the earliest, before I'd want to do this I can hope, anyhow.

[hero12]

I played cavity back irons until I starting playing a big draw with them. I am left handed, so it is near impossible to try out a set of irons, even hit them in store, before I buy. Luckily one of the guys at the store let me borrow his for a round, I immediately placed my order for my titleists and love them.

I think blades are harder for certain people. If you struggle to get cb's in the air, there's no way you will be able to play blades.

[kfowler]

I think blades are harder for certain people. If you struggle to get cb's in the air, there's no way you will be able to play blades.

Good point.

[shades9323]

That's not what I was implying but looking back I supposed I did a poor job of explaining it. I was trying to say that the switch to blades did not hurt my handicap. My drop in handicap can be directly attributed to a better short game this year.

So what you are saying is that you are missing just as many greens with your blades as you did with your old clubs?

[The Road Dog]

So what you are saying is that you are missing just as many greens with your blades as you did with your old clubs?

And that is as it should be. Blades are a preference for most who use them. Feel and the difference in feel from types of club heads is different for each of us. It is a matter of what you like. So try a few and pick, there is no right or wrong. I've said it before I love my MP-68s. But I had a set of Ping Eye2+ and played with them last year. Then my HCI was 26.0+. Ten months later I'm at 20.3. The MP-68s didn't make that difference, practice did. Yesterday I shot my third sub 90 round on a 6400+ yard course, that is encouragement to practice more than before. Sub 80 rounds are just a few months away. And I love it!!!

[Bump-n-MI]

but the feeling of hitting a pure iron shot with a forged club is markedly better than with a hard, shovelish GI club. It just is. Anyone who disagrees probably can't hit an iron on the screws.

Some of you must have this magical sensation and feeling in your hands

. I think many of you want so badly to believe that blades offer this "superior" feeling -or- you have convinced yourselves they are "buttery" because of all this intranet babble . I've been playing blades on and off for over 30 years and I have yet to experience this superior feel (oh, and I've hit a few of my iron shots on the screws in my day ). What is the biggest gripe about GI and SGI irons? Next to the massive size factor I believe people complain most about the "mute" factor or lack of feedback. Not sure what ya'lls definition of "buttery" is but I'm pretty sure it means you don't feel very much (at all) after a well struck shot .

[sean_miller]

Some of you must have this magical sensation and feeling in your hands

For me hitting blades feels like like pounding in railway ties with a claw hammer then every once in awhile it feels like hit a finishing nail with a sledgehammer - it's usually followed by a sense of "uh oh, where the hell is this gonna end up". I prefer the small hammer big nail feeling because the ball seems to end up in a better spot.

[alo1984]

It is actually the other way around, force yourself to become a better ball striker and when you reach the next level or even better the next level beyond, consider blades. (I know what I am talking about, I played blades at least 20 years at a low HC, but now I prefer the ease of a more forgiving iron and it really doesn't hurt my game......).

This simply isn't true. Playing a blade will absolutley make you a better ball striker because if you want to consistently find the "pure" shot you will have to work much harder than with a GI iron. Learn to hit a blade pure and then pick up a GI iron and you'll know what I mean.

[Leftygolfer]

This simply isn't true. Playing a blade will absolutley make you a better ball striker because if you want to consistently find the "pure" shot you will have to work much harder than with a GI iron. Learn to hit a blade pure and then pick up a GI iron and you'll know what I mean.

This just isn't true. No club makes you a better player. Give a GI iron to a pro and you don't think they are going to pure it everytime. The only thing less forgiving iron going to do is magnify your misses and if your good, give you more control (that is a big if, I haven't played with many people who control there trajectory on every shot).

I've been through some irons in the past 3 years. I went from Cleveland TA 5's and had my index down to 8 and shot my career low. I thought I needed some player's irons to get better, got a set of new MP 60s and guess what, my index went up 2.5 points in 2 months. I was missing it just the same, except my misses were magnified and I was missing greens really bad and lost a club in distance. Why didn't I work to get better?? You try and make time with a toddler and wife to practice 3-4 days a week, get lessons, play all the time. It isn't happening. So a year later, I got a set of Titleist 775 CB with progressive offset and oversized long irons. I instantly played better, my misses were managable, I had confidence since I didn't have to make a perfect move (which I have never had) and I scored better. Now I just bought back my old Cleveland TA 5's with offset and perimeter wieghting and put them back in the bag. I like the shafts in them and I really didn't care for the long irons in the titleist. I didn't like that the set wasn't the same. The same move with the 4I will draw a few yards more than the 9I. Offset doesn't create pulls, hooks, whatever. It helps promote a draw and a poor move makes the other stuff happen. I hooked/pulled the mizunos just like I did the TA 5s. If you make a good move, you hit a nice high draw with either club. You have to be pretty damn good to be able to hit it both ways with control in the irons. There are plenty of tour players who only hit one shot 99% of the time. I have a hard time believing many golfers are good enough/consistant enough with there stock shot to learn another. Sure if your a sub 5 then you are, but a hit green doesn't care if you hit a 3 yard stock draw or a dead straight ball, or a fade. The moral of this long winded post is this, clubs don't matter. Good players will play well with any clubs as long as they feel confortable with them. You can't purchase a better swing, you have to work at it. If you need irons that punish your misses to change your move to be more effecient and consistant, than so be it. But it isn't the clubs in your bag that make you go practice, play, get lessons and get better. It is you. If you feel confortable with your sticks that is all that matters.

[Gerald]

+1 , it is so simple and still people keep spreading the "wisdom" that blades will improve your ball striking, while it is basicly the other way around, you will have to improve your ballstriking if you at least want to keep playing from the same level and you will have to work really hard to improve your ballstriking that much that you will grow into a lower handicap level !!!

[Leftygolfer]

I just feel kind of retarded about decisions I made with clubs. I should have taken the money I spent, got good instruction and actually improved. Now I have 3 sets of clubs and a bad golf swing....

[birdiedream]

I think there is a lot of misunderstandings here. The argument was not that blades make you a better hitter. The argument was that blades give you more feedback on misses and that necessitates an effort in trying to improve your swing so that you will have less of those misses.

This just isn't true. No club makes you a better player. Give a GI iron to a pro and you don't think they are going to pure it everytime. The only thing less forgiving iron going to do is magnify your misses and if your good, give you more control (that is a big if, I haven't played with many people who control there trajectory on every shot).

[golfro]

yeah but the problem is, most people refuse to practice at the range...so they're not getting any better...

they jsut expect blades to suddenly give them all the feedback (that they've somehow missed out on all this time with GI) and it'll somehow reform their swing into making them better ball strikers.

Whether you're holding GI or blades, PRACTICE is what makes you a better ball strikers.

[birdiedream]

I don't agree on people not practicing. I see people pounding buckets after buckets at the range. They may not do anything productive but many people practice. Do we agree on blades giving you more feedback, on the course or at the range? If blades don't give you more feedback or are not more difficult to hit, why the need for cavity irons?

[golfro]

I don't agree on people not practicing. I see people pounding buckets after buckets at the range. They may not do anything productive but many people practice. Do we agree on blades giving you more feedback, on the course or at the range? If blades don't give you more feedback or are not more difficult to hit, why the need for cavity irons?

well i'm talking more specifically about a lot of the people on this forum. there was recently a poll on how much you practice...and turns out most people never goto the range at all.

im one of those people that pound bucket after bucket and i find it necessary. thats what makes you a good ball striker. Consistency in swing. What does it help if you hit 20 balls and call it good? Blades may give you more feedback...but so what? Most hackers wouldn't know what to do after they get their feedback anyway. and please, don't start on blades not being more difficult. To most who have inconsistent swings, blades are MUCH more difficult to hit well. My take on it...a mis hit is a mis hit whether you're holding a blade or GI. You should know what a good swing feels like (if you claim to benefit from the feedback)...you don't need blades to tell you that. Its the wrong mentality to buy blades just because you think it'll give you more feedback, thus make you a better golfer. Its just a stupid reason in my opinion. but hey, its your money.