Forged muscleback/blade irons: when to start using them?

[greenail]

Not to be critical, but that doesn't make a tremendous amount of sense. I'd put a good ball striker at about twice that number.

I looked up my stats on the golf digest challenge and my GIR average is 9, stats for the tour in 2005 were an average of %64.9. the challenge lists my long game handicap at 6. This brings up a good question or two...

What is a good ball striker? How good a ball striker do you need to be for blades (how they improve your game via no forgiveness argument aside). I find that when I need to work the ball more than my current irons allow, going for the center of the green or hitting the more conservative shot is a better idea 99% of the time even if the clubs allowed me to attempt the shot. The percentages are so low I'm not sure it is worth it.

[shinujk1]

20 handicap to forged blades is a BIG move......
with all your pure shots why is it you are not scoring in the 70s???
I would take an intermediate step to MP60/57 or Titleist 755/735 before u make the jump to the real blades....
everyone thinks they are the exception to the rule of "bogey golfer using blades" but I think you should seriously think twice before making the move...

[crazy_horst]

I looked up my stats on the golf digest challenge and my GIR average is 9, stats for the tour in 2005 were an average of %64.9. the challenge lists my long game handicap at 6. This brings up a good question or two...

It depends. If you took the worst ballstriker on the PGA Tour to your or my local course and played from the tees we play from (assuming you play the whites as I do), they'd hit every fairway, every green and shoot 53. At worst.

I'd say to call yourself a good ballstriker you'd have to hit 50% of fairways and at least 60%+ greens a round. That's just my guesstimate.

How good a ball striker do you need to be for blades (how they improve your game via no forgiveness argument aside).

It's a question that's hard to answer - like I said, I switched when I was a 25. I definitely wouldn't recommend that for everyone (or actually for anyone) and I've thought about going back a million times (though not for a year or so now). I dunno, I just like blades, and I can't really look at anything else anymore. Besides, I think when you're happy with your clubs, and I am, I would need a compelling reason to switch.

The main amount of "working" I do with my clubs is up and down, i.e. trajectory, which (and I don't care what anyone says) you can't do very effectively with a set of Slingshots.

[greenail]

It depends. If you took the worst ballstriker on the PGA Tour to your or my local course and played from the tees we play from (assuming you play the whites as I do), they'd hit every fairway, every green and shoot 53. At worst.

I had a horrible round today, shot a 48, 42 with one bird, and only hit 5 greens. I was going a bit past parallel on my back swing and did not adjust correctly until around 14. If I had blades I can only imagine what my score would have been, but the additional frustration alone would have been at least 5 strokes. I simply don't have the mental game. Hitting the ball 1/4" towards the toe registers with feel, but not so much where the ball ends up. I like being able to adjust before losing strokes.

I play the blues quite a bit and our south course is TOUGH, rated 73.9 with a slope of 138. The north is rated a bit lower however there is 13 drivable OB holes, and it is extremely tight. What does your course look like? Perhaps it is a bit more forgiving for missed shots and the blades do not cost you strokes. It would be interesting to see how you scored on your regular course with a set of "players cavity backs", you should see if you can demo a set for 18 and let us know what, if any, the differential is. I'm a big fan of the cg4 tours, they give great feedback. I have read the cg reds play great but look horrible, I am sure there are many opinions on what the best "players cavity backs" are.

[sweet adeline]

You know all irons can be ordered this way. You can always order blades PW-7 iron and then 6-3 iron cavity backs. We do it all the time at the course. I just ordered them for a guy the other day. Titleist 695 MB short irons and 695 CB long irons. It makes a nice set.

that actually sounds like a sweet set.

[yamhang]

Well, I answered my own question tonight when I had a demo with

RichF, I just have a set of 3-Sand forged irons form Macgregor and it's Jack Nicholas Murifield 20th edition comes with DD S300 and Victory grips. Since I only played golf for few years, and dont know too much about the set, may be you can help me out regarding the specification for the set . I've tried couple of times and it was quite harsh for off centre hit. But when hit right, I got 170 yds out of the 7 iron (my usual 7 iron goes about 160 ).

[RichF]

RichF, I just have a set of 3-Sand forged irons form Macgregor and it's Jack Nicholas Murifield 20th edition comes with DD S300 and Victory grips. Since I only played golf for few years, and dont know too much about the set, may be you can help me out regarding the specification for the set . I've tried couple of times and it was quite harsh for off centre hit. But when hit right, I got 170 yds out of the 7 iron (my usual 7 iron goes about 160 ).

I don't know much about these irons, I'm afraid....although I have read that they are very hard to find the sweetspot.

Even compared to today's 'forged-blades'. BTW, anyone know if these are these a replica of the irons that Nicklaus used at Augusta '86?

[Jack_2251]

At my course, I am a good ballstriker and I average about 9 greens a round when I play really well!! I had a streak on sunday when I hit 7 in a row, but only 10 in the day haha!

I might try playing a set of 755 3-7, then some 695.mb short irons. Do you think this would be a good mix, as cb with mb wouldn't work because of the strong lofts on the CB.

[yamhang]

I don't know much about these irons, I'm afraid....although I have read that they are very hard to find the sweetspot.

hey, I just found out from the previous owner that these Macgregor are

OLD! They just happen to be in good shape that's all; the sticker with registration number are still on the shaft. I wish I could play with them. the 3-iron is so small that at address the club head only covers bit more than half of the golf ball!! I think I can play with 6-iron down to the wedges and forget about those 5, 4 and 3 blades. For now, I would stick to my KZG forged cavity II irons. They are pretty good for me.

[WilsonsRBest]

RichF, I just have a set of 3-Sand forged irons form Macgregor and it's Jack Nicholas Murifield 20th edition comes with DD S300 and Victory grips. Since I only played golf for few years, and dont know too much about the set, may be you can help me out regarding the specification for the set . I've tried couple of times and it was quite harsh for off centre hit. But when hit right, I got 170 yds out of the 7 iron (my usual 7 iron goes about 160 ).

The Macgregor Jack Nicklaus Muirfield 20th Edition irons were made from 1987-1991. The 20th refers to the first 'VIP by Nicklaus' irons that were made by Macgregor in 1967 and his win at the Open held at Muirfield. Macgregor made some great irons back then. I think that the PW is about 49* but I will have to check my books. WilsonsRBest

[yamhang]

The Macgregor Jack Nicklaus Muirfield 20th Edition irons were made from 1987-1991. The 20th refers to the first 'VIP by Nicklaus' irons that were made by Macgregor in 1967 and his win at the Open held at Muirfield. Macgregor made some great irons back then. I think that the PW is about 49* but I will have to check my books.

Thanks WilsonsRBest, I really look forward to the specification of the set. One question, for those really "vintage" muscle back blades, were they make with any off set? Mine seems to have some and may be the previous owner had them bent somehow. Cheers.

Yamhang

[elchene]

SA - yes, I pretty much play off that index, and I've being playing seriously since June this year znd I usually go around in 90-95, so I may be higher....

The funny thing is that I did the exact same thing. I got a great set of Mizuno MP 32s and fell in love with them. I even put nice green Golf Pride New Decade MCC grips on them. Now, I'm back with the cavity backs. I guess my ego got a little inflated knowing I could hit blades. But not having to worry about perfect contact really is an advantage so my mizuno cavity-backs are coming back out.

[naples golf18]

the 695cb was my first iron and i love them i still use them every now and than, but after 4 months i bought mp-67 they are as good as it gets in my eyes. but you can start to use cb or mb when ever you want.

[Guest]

Hey naples golfer

i know this is off topic but im going to naples in late december. can u contact me about where to play thats public and any info on the naples courses. thanks

[Gapwedge]

I am 54 so I grew up at age 9 playing with blades, the Power Bilt Scotch blades, for those old enough to recall. Then I got a set of Ping Eye 2's years later. I played with them for several years, before going back to blades. This time I got a set of Mizuno MP32's. Definitely muscle back. I played with them throughout my 40's and into my 50's before just very recently changing back to a set of Ping i5's.
Blades will definitely give you instant feedback. There is not another feeling like hitting a bladed iron solid. Mishits are another story. Lost distance and vibration. It is a personal preference, but most mid handicappers and above would probably do better with a more forgiving club. I hope you enjoy your blades.
I still have both sets of mine and will take them to the course from time to time, but I will probably stick with the i5's for now.

[ks8829]

I played Ping eye 2s, Mizuno comp ez, Mizuno mp30 and now mp33 blades. I love my irons and when I first bought them I was also apprehensive about my ability to hit them. I would try hitting the irons you want to buy on the driving range and better yet on the golf course for 18 holes and test them out and see how you like them. The mp33 might be the clubs for you too. If you can enjoy playing with them don't listen to anybody else and have fun. Theres nothing like the feel of a well hit ball with forged blade irons.

[Quinn07]

I just recently replaced my Callaway X-18's with Callaway X-tours. I have played a couple of rounds with them before the snow covered the courses here. I consider my ball striking decent, making contact with the center most of the time. I find that these new irons have a lot more feel to them and I feel that when I hit flush it feels 10x better. I bought the X-18's after using DCI's for a number of years. I felt that the improvement irons helped my game with confidence and with that confidence I became a better ball striker. I suggest with a high handicap that you will be able to find those in between irons to play and get better. Currently at my 12.1 I felt that I required a better set of irons and a lot of short game practice to break into the single digit handicap. I am hoping that with the new irons that I will be able to work the ball a little better, which in turns allows me to shoot lower scores.

Combo irons sounds like a terrific idea though...wish I had thought of that when purchasing these.