Blade irons

[keller19xc]

Wow thanks for the response, working the ball is what I do quite often, especially with drives but I've learned to move the ball a bit with my irons too, I think I might go ahead with the vr combo

[hendog]

I am very similar to you I think. I played cavity backs for a long time (Mizuno MX20) and it got me to around 12 but I felt I was underachieving (aren't we all).

My biggest thing was workability. I love to move the ball. Not only is it fun but for me its more rewarding. I mean the odds of hitting a ball straight are really low. But if you intentionally try to work it one way or the other there is a good chance you will succeed (at least in moving it that way). It makes me feel like I hit more good shots. Lame but true.

I was in the same boat as you. "Am I ready" or more accurately, "Can I actually do it". I went to my club and asked for a fitting and told the guy I was thinking about blades. He gave me a blade (6) and put impact tape on it and said go hit this for a few minutes. After 5-10 minutes he looked at the tape and said "Yep, you can hit a blade". He also said that I should be a 6 with the swing I had at which point I started with my excuse routine (Driver kills me, I always have 1 or 2 blow ups, I get off to a bad start blah blah blah).

He did few swing tests to get the right lie angle and shaft flex and then ordered the blades (TM Tour MB). I also got a new Driver (adjustable face angle so I could open it 1 degree), fairway woods (same deal) and wedges.

With this set I went to 6 in about 4 months. Basically started getting the most out of my game. I have recently ballooned to around 10 but some of that is time off and some is a minor adjustment to hit more fades but I am hitting the ball better than ever now and ready to head back down to 6 and hopefully lower with some better short game and long iron game (recently got a couple hybrids to help there).

So give it a try with a fitting. Check where you are hitting the face and see if you can work the ball more easily. If either of these answers is "no" or "not enough to pay for it" then stick with cavity backs. As others have said, it is not a measure of how good you are, just a personal preference.

My 2 cents anyway

[Golfingdad]

But don't think that you have to have blades to work the ball either.  Blades, cavity backs, forged, cast, Players, GI, SGI, makes no matter ... if the swing has the right geometry, the ball will curve the way you want it to curve.

Besides ... who besides the best of the best really benefit from clubs that help curve the ball more?  Because, remember, those clubs wouldn't just magnify the curve when you want it to, they are also going to magnify the curve when you don't.

I still agree with dbuck and jason that if you want them and like them, by all means, go for it.  But just don't get them thinking that they do magic that cavity backs don't.

[460CompMark]

Originally Posted by Jason M Henley

I am very similar to you I think. I played cavity backs for a long time (Mizuno MX20) and it got me to around 12 but I felt I was underachieving (aren't we all).

My biggest thing was workability. I love to move the ball. Not only is it fun but for me its more rewarding. I mean the odds of hitting a ball straight are really low. But if you intentionally try to work it one way or the other there is a good chance you will succeed (at least in moving it that way). It makes me feel like I hit more good shots. Lame but true.

I was in the same boat as you. "Am I ready" or more accurately, "Can I actually do it". I went to my club and asked for a fitting and told the guy I was thinking about blades. He gave me a blade (6) and put impact tape on it and said go hit this for a few minutes. After 5-10 minutes he looked at the tape and said "Yep, you can hit a blade". He also said that I should be a 6 with the swing I had at which point I started with my excuse routine (Driver kills me, I always have 1 or 2 blow ups, I get off to a bad start blah blah blah).

He did few swing tests to get the right lie angle and shaft flex and then ordered the blades (TM Tour MB). I also got a new Driver (adjustable face angle so I could open it 1 degree), fairway woods (same deal) and wedges.

With this set I went to 6 in about 4 months. Basically started getting the most out of my game. I have recently ballooned to around 10 but some of that is time off and some is a minor adjustment to hit more fades but I am hitting the ball better than ever now and ready to head back down to 6 and hopefully lower with some better short game and long iron game (recently got a couple hybrids to help there).

So give it a try with a fitting. Check where you are hitting the face and see if you can work the ball more easily. If either of these answers is "no" or "not enough to pay for it" then stick with cavity backs. As others have said, it is not a measure of how good you are, just a personal preference.

My 2 cents anyway

im gonna bet that the golf shop worker was paid on commission.  lol

[hendog]

im gonna bet that the golf shop worker was paid on commission.  lol

That would explain why he retired the next day :)

[dfreuter415]

Originally Posted by keller19xc

How do you know if your ready for blade irons?

So say I go to a golf store and try out some blades and hit them consistently for the most part, would this benefit my game much more than cavity back irons?

I'm using callaway diablo edge irons right now and I just can't stand the thick sole and top line, I just don't have confidence, I've stood over some blades and just felt so confident, have never hit any though. Confidence plays a big part am I right?

I started serious golfing before there were perimeter weighted irons, so I began with blades because I had no other option. I spent an entire month's salary on a set of Hogan Apex irons (1975), and used them for the next 15 years before I got my first set of perimeter weighted irons, Hogan Edge, at age 40.

What I discovered over the years is

• blades have a different feel than perimeter weighted irons

• both clubs can hit very good or very bad shots

Now, to answer your questions, from my point of view...

How do you know if you are ready for blades? - You might never know. Sometimes the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for...," can bite you in the butt. I remember wanting my first 460cc titanium driver, and bought a T Rex driver from Master Grip. For a the first few rounds I loved it, but soon found that it had it's short comings, and soon sold it on eBay. What I am saying is that if you expect blades to be the answer to improving your game, they would only be part of the equation. You would also have to put long hours on the range. But, if you think you are ready for blades, "Go for it."

Would blades benefit your game more than cavity back irons? - You will never know until you try them. My suggestion is to buy a set of blades (Mizuno or Titleist) on eBay.  You can get a good set without spending an arm and a leg. Older sets of irons can still perform as well as the newest technology on the market. I still play my Hogan Edge irons (1990) from November through April and wouldn't trade them for a new set of whatever is considered #1 in 2013.

Do blades or cavity back irons affect you confidence when you stand over a shot? - Absolutely. When I went from blades to cavity back irons I wanted the same look as a cavity back. The Hogan Edge that I bought, and my current iron set, Ping i3+, have that blade look. The clubs that are now advertised as "game improvement irons" that have the larger soles, like your Diablo Edge set, would not find a home in my golf bag, just because of how they look.

Best of luck in finding your ultimate set of irons. Just remember to enjoy the journey.

[keller19xc]

Thanks for the responses, I went and tried titleist mb forged and I hit them wonderfully, I was hitting higher and farther, that's a bit strange because these are supposed to have a lower ball flight. I I enjoy the look of the blades and have made my descicion to get them.

[tomvk77]

Well if you get pure ( good ) contact on your iron shots in lets say 75% off the time, i think you should be ok going with bladed irons.

I hardly see why you go for full blades. Most irons that are on the market have some cavity in them, i think it's good to choose an iron like

that. I play the Mizuno MP 59, blade looking iron with some help on the back, also there with Titleist CB irons / AP 2, Taylormade tour preferred irons

and so on.

There must be a good reason that there are so many tour pro's not using full blades these days.

Looking at the masters i think it's down to about 10% off the field.

Taylormade doesn't even have a full bladed iron in the program. ( with full blades i mean Titleist MB, mizuno mp 69,  nike vr pro )

[dak4n6]

This is a well worn topic on TST. I dunno, I can't see what the big deal is. People debating and deliberating and postulating...

Unless you are strapped for cash, just go and get some blades and game them for a few rounds. If they are not for you, either stick them in your garage as mementos or sell them (forums, ebay, craigslist, etc). After only a few rounds you should be able to recoup ~80% of their original value.

Or, you can bargain hunt under the radar like me. I got these for $350:

They are fabulous. Tiny, thin, beautiful, and hard to hit. I love 'em. (hint: Wilson just made another limited production run if anyone's interested)

[thanw]

Originally Posted by keller19xc

Thanks for the responses, I went and tried titleist mb forged and I hit them wonderfully, I was hitting higher and farther, that's a bit strange because these are supposed to have a lower ball flight. I I enjoy the look of the blades and have made my descicion to get them.

That is exactly how to decide. If you enjoy hitting them then go for it. There is nothing like the satisfaction a golfer gets from a well struck blade shot.

[saevel25]

Good thing is, a lot of blades today are inbetween Game Improvement and pure blades. Also blades today have higher MOI's than a decade ago. Blades are not as scary as they use to be. Still there is nothing like the feel of a pure struck iron off a blade. Kinda why i like my 910D driver, you can tell if you mishit and when you hit one pure, its the best feeling.

[460CompMark]

i used to play with a set of Cleveland TA1 blades. you talk about hard to hit. but when you made solid contact, it was like butter. could hit my 3 iron about 250 off the tee easily. i am thinking about demoing some blades/muscle backs pretty soon. there are alot out there. my favorite so far is the Adams MB2. i thought they were way softer than the Titleist MB. i also want to try the Taylormade TP and the RBZ blades

[NM Golf]

Has anyone heard of the tw vr pro combo blades They are like a mix of blades and split cavity back. Blades for the 8,9,pw and split cavity for 7,6,5 and I believe cavity for 4 and 3

You can make any set of irons a mixed set. Just order the short and mid irons as blades and then cavity back long irons. I had a buddy who ordered Titleist MB's 6-PW and CB's 4-5. He uses a hybrid instead of a 3 iron. The cost is the same as they charge by the club anyway. I would stay away from the Nike pro combos. I had a set and they were garbage and I have heard the same from several others.

[In The Hole]

I think from my personal experience that the time comes that you will do well with blades is more about tempo than handicap.

If you are still in the hit the cover off the ball stage, 100% swing, stick with cavities.

If you have more of a tempo swing and swing at 85%, blades do well. I find that at 15% less effort I am more accurate and the ball will carry further with a blade.

Just a personal observation.

[nick1998bunker]

My next clubs will be blades... I'm at the point where I work the ball depending on the hole but its just harder with a huge cavity back. The main reason I want blades though is for the pw-8 iron- I strike them perfect everytime and feel like I can't stick it as close...when I demo blades I like never mishit them so I guess ill be fine... I'm going to get the combo set because I don't need/ want a blade above like an 8

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by nick1998bunker

I strike them perfect everytime and feel like I can't stick it as close...

Then explain the numerous pros that play non-blades that have no trouble sticking it close.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by nick1998bunker

My next clubs will be blades... I'm at the point where I work the ball depending on the hole but its just harder with a huge cavity back. The main reason I want blades though is for the pw-8 iron- I strike them perfect everytime and feel like I can't stick it as close...when I demo blades I like never mishit them so I guess ill be fine... I'm going to get the combo set because I don't need/ want a blade above like an 8

Is there no limit to the number of posts where you crap on about how great you are?

You are full of it. Boastful and immodest. And dishonest.

You also need to educate yourself (and not just to the point where you can write a sentence without a howler in it.)

The majority of pros do not use "blades".

With your level of perfection, you should be on tour already.

[David L Yskes]

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

They are very similar to the Titleist 735 cms that I play. It's the best of both worlds.

i have the 735 cm's and also have some Adams Tight Lie irons and R7 Irons..  and the difference between the R7's and Tight Lies vs the 735's is unreal...

Now i used the 735s in a round of golf almost two weeks ago after using them on the range for a good month and thought i was hitting them pretty decently...  well when game time came around it was a different story....   Well the following day i went back to the range with my R7's and the difference was UnREAL!!!!   i mean i was hitting everything about 10 to 20 yards farther, but the big difference was in the 4 to 6 irons... With the R7s it was like i was hitting everything on the sweet spot ( even if i wasnt )   but with the 735's you can really feel the difference, especially in the 3 to 5 irons..

Now that being said.... when i look back on the round played with the 735s, I actually didnt play any worse that i usually do.. maybe i expected to play better since i was going to the range to hit balls 3 to 4 times per week idk....  But actually hadnt played a round in about a month..

So who knows lol..... i'd actually have to play a round with the R7's and then a round with the 735's and actually take mental notes on each set..