My Little Blade vs. GI Iron Test

[Jakester23]

I also think dispersion is less on blade type irons because they sweet spot is more focused on a smaller spot. Basically it is a feel thing for the player. They try to seek the solid strike, so they are actually more precise with a small sweet spot. When you add in a trampoline effect, you might increase the sweet spot in terms of distance loss, but in reality you are still missing the COG by a certain amount and that causes greater dispersion. Basically mishits don't feel like mishits.

So do you think your basically trading side to side dispersion(with GI) for distance dispersion (blade or blade style irons)? I could see that.

[Dave2512]

Probably not that simple because it's not 1:1 for everyone. My experience was the distance loss with smaller sweet spot heads was significant with poor strikes. The north to south dispersion with a 5i was 50 yards+/- and mishits flew a lot lower. Not like a thinned shot but like the ball didn't have much velocity.

[saevel25]

Probably not that simple because it's not 1:1 for everyone. My experience was the distance loss with smaller sweet spot heads was significant with poor strikes. The north to south dispersion with a 5i was 50 yards+/- and mishits flew a lot lower. Not like a thinned shot but like the ball didn't have much velocity.

Depends on the where you miss hit hit. I play blades and my toe shots probably go about 5-10 yards less. I just have a lot more confidence in the dispersion left to right with the blades. It just feels like I am playing the game with a much more accurate piece of equipment.

[Jakester23]

Depends on the where you miss hit hit. I play blades and my toe shots probably go about 5-10 yards less. I just have a lot more confidence in the dispersion left to right with the blades. It just feels like I am playing the game with a much more accurate piece of equipment.

Do you think that is more of a mental thing or do you think the equipment (GI vs blades) actually does affect dispersion?

[DrvFrShow]

I don't need a flightscope to tell me that my Cobra BioCell 6 iron is more forgiving of off-center hits than a Mizuno JPX 850 Forged 6 iron, which is also a cavity back but is less forgiving. However, that brain of ours is a wonderful little computer itself, and if you've had any kind of training with making muscle coordination adjustments it will do some calculations and make the appropriate adjustment after a few swings.

The first 4 balls I hit with the Mizuno went left, then right, weren't going as far, then things got narrower, then the last three went straight and were hit as far as my Cobras. I was just getting used to the club.

The Cobras are very forgiving of off-center hits. You still know you made an off-center hit from the sound and feel, but the ball still goes in the general area of where you wanted. I don't like the feel of the OC hits but in the end I want to make sure I advance the ball up the fairway. I'm not ready for a forged iron.

[saevel25]

Do you think that is more of a mental thing or do you think the equipment (GI vs blades) actually does affect dispersion?

Well for me when I think of it in terms of design. Think about a trampoline, because that is how GI clubs interact really. That is how a sweet spot is bigger. If you look at the designs of drivers, the center of the face is actually the thickest because they would be nonconforming if they weren't.

So if you think about it that way, the club still has one center of gravity that the ball flight is dictated by. You have a CG that is masked by a trampoline effect. So the sweet spot is bigger, which causes the velocity to be more consistent. The feel on the face is more spread out as well.

Lets say the sweet spot is half and inch wide from the center. The center of gravity is a point. So you can have a strike a quarter of an inch from the center have the velocity of a strike at the center. The ball would feel like it is hit at the center. Yet the ball is still miss struck by a quarter of an inch and would react as such, maybe more because the velocity is there.

In the end is a player able to hone in their strike if the feel is the same over such a wide area? A strike where the ball ends up 5 yards right of your target might be the same feel as a strike that is on your target. To me, how is that helpful? I am not discounting the help of GI clubs. You see it more often now that GI clubs are more blade style in the short irons and more GI in the long irons.

Still, in the end strike is king. I think a person has to balance all that for their swing.

[DrvFrShow]

Yes they are able to hone their strike. The feel and sound of an OC hit is different than a centered strike. The player has to pay attention.

[Jakester23]

Well for me when I think of it in terms of design. Think about a trampoline, because that is how GI clubs interact really. That is how a sweet spot is bigger. If you look at the designs of drivers, the center of the face is actually the thickest because they would be nonconforming if they weren't.

So if you think about it that way, the club still has one center of gravity that the ball flight is dictated by. You have a CG that is masked by a trampoline effect. So the sweet spot is bigger, which causes the velocity to be more consistent. The feel on the face is more spread out as well.

Lets say the sweet spot is half and inch wide from the center. The center of gravity is a point. So you can have a strike a quarter of an inch from the center have the velocity of a strike at the center. The ball would feel like it is hit at the center. Yet the ball is still miss struck by a quarter of an inch and would react as such, maybe more because the velocity is there.

In the end is a player able to hone in their strike if the feel is the same over such a wide area? A strike where the ball ends up 5 yards right of your target might be the same feel as a strike that is on your target. To me, how is that helpful? I am not discounting the help of GI clubs. You see it more often now that GI clubs are more blade style in the short irons and more GI in the long irons.

Still, in the end strike is king. I think a person has to balance all that for their swing.

I agree.  With my G's I always felt like I could tell when I centered it.  I will also say that my X2 hots feel way better when you center them.  After reading what you posted above I wonder if I could tell if I center them or if I could even tell the difference between a slight miss hit or a centered hit.   The only reason I switched is I got sick of looking at a canoe paddle ever time I  addressed the ball and I thought I was good enough to switch to something a little smaller with less offset.

[David in FL]

I'm not ready for a forged iron.

The method of manufacture has nothing to do with the playability of any given iron.....

[saevel25]

That is true, on a well struck golf all you can curve both GI's and forged irons. I would say forged irons are tougher because of the sole, lower launching, and distance loss on big mishits. This primarily is a big issue on longer to mid irons. In short irons, with higher loft, where the ball doesn't curve much at all, I would say many people can play blade style irons just fine. Look at most wedges, hardly any have perimeter weighting or cavities.

[David in FL]

That is true, on a well struck golf all you can curve both GI's and forged irons. I would say forged irons are tougher because of the sole, lower launching, and distance loss on big mishits. This primarily is a big issue on longer to mid irons. In short irons, with higher loft, where the ball doesn't curve much at all, I would say many people can play blade style irons just fine. Look at most wedges, hardly any have perimeter weighting or cavities.

Forging is simply one method of manufacture,. Investment casting is another. Neither has anything to do with the type of clubhead, whether blade, cavity back, GI, SGI, etc....

[saevel25]

Forging is simply one method of manufacture,. Investment casting is another. Neither has anything to do with the type of clubhead, whether blade, cavity back, GI, SGI, etc....

That is true for the most part. It is very hard to get very complex designs with forging just due to the nature of the process. That is why you see caste clubs with a forged face insert. If you tried to make the slot technology with mizuno forging methods it would cost way too much money and take way too much time.

Yes, if you have a cast iron clubhead with an identical design as a forged one, they would be for the most part identical.

[dwade247]

So do you think your basically trading side to side dispersion(with GI) for distance dispersion (blade or blade style irons)? I could see that.

Yeah this would probably be a general idea of what I think about the two different types. But for me mishits with a blade are simply not unbearable. I also like the turn interaction and confidence bladed irons give me. I don't like to look down at a club that says "you are only playing with me because you suck." Not sure many people have thought about that but I do and I think it is a bit comical.

I once saw in someone sig on a forum this little quote, "Life is too short not to play blades." Haha I thought it was funny and the looks and the feel of a well struck blade are hard to beat.

[Dave2512]

I don't notice any difference in the feel of a well struck shot regardless of what type of head it is. The end result is the similar. A good shot is a good shot. What varies is the mishits and everyone has to make a personal decision on what they are willing to deal with. Some tour pros are using CB long irons these days. We all suck compared to them. It's about choosing equipment best suited to you to score as well as you can.

[dwade247]

I don't notice any difference in the feel of a well struck shot regardless of what type of head it is. The end result is the similar. A good shot is a good shot. What varies is the mishits and everyone has to make a personal decision on what they are willing to deal with. Some tour pros are using CB long irons these days. We all suck compared to them. It's about choosing equipment best suited to you to score as well as you can.

I agree with this for the most part, except I would say that it's all about choosing equipment that makes golf the most enjoyable for you.