Time for blades?

[onthehunt526]

2 hours ago, WUTiger said:

If the ball-striking is there, go for it. If you hit it square most of the time, the tighter distance dispersion from blades/Player's clubs could give you more 10-foot as opposed to 25-foot birdie putts. GI irons have a looser range dispersion than Player's.

EXi's I guess are a sort of blend between a player's irons and a GI. I guess you could call them a "Player's GI" club. I agree with you on the tighter dispersion, @WUTiger. Especially, in the shorter irons. It seems to me, I can take about the same swing with a 9-iron let's say. (Remember I don't swing full in that range), I'll hit a half 9-iron 120 then I'll hit it 130 then I'll hit it 125, all with similar strike, with the EXi's anyway.

Edited January 20, 2018 by onthehunt526
Added EXi

[onthehunt526]

Now the only issue I have is, where to start the iron set.  3-iron maybe. 4-iron more likely. I hit my 22° EXi 4-iron very solidly... But I sometimes carry the 4-hybrid in place of 4-iron... The issue with the CBX Iron-woods, is they are 2° stronger than the iron they replace in the CBX blades.  Maybe it'll be alright, because I'll have a 5-wood.

[tinker]

Buy the blades and get to practicing. I was a shop owner and fitter for 15 years and got caught up in the tech crap. After I retired I got interested in a set of Macgregor VIP that I had rechromed, rebuilt and just sitting around. I would take the two iron out in the yard and hit plastic balls everyday. It got my ball striking down pat and I now hit these irons as well as I have ever hit irons. Smaller head easier to square, smaller head easier to swing faster with less turf resistance. Minimal offset easier to time and put the clubhead where you want it. Now I can’t stand to look at large head offset shovels. 

[MuniGrit]

I'd say buy what you like. I personally have to do that or I'll buy something I don't love and end up eventually buying what I want.

[onthehunt526]

@WUTiger, and others.

I could PM you this question.  I'm torn on one issue. Do I go 4 iron through PW or 3 iron through PW. (The lofts are weaker that's why I ask). I actually hit my EXi 4-iron (22°) fairly well. Usually in the 195 yard carry range (I hit the ball very high) might be further since I've had a couple lessons and am drawing the ball (a nice stock 2-3 yard draw).  

[lastings]

I don't know..   It all depends on what you're looking for.   There's no rule that says every club in you bag has to be the same.   

I play MP-5 (blade) for my 9-PW, MP-25 (forged cavity players iron) in my 6-8, and MP-H5 (a bit more game improvement) in my 4-5.   
I'm a much better ball striker and more consistent than I was a year ago when I got these, So I'll probably switch the 5-iron to a MP-25 soon, and maybe the 8 to an MP-5.  

you can get what you want in clubs suited to you.   I could hit the MP-5 all the way through the bag at the range, but once I get on the course, the mishits in the high irons are just a bit too penalizing.  

 

but, seriously, just get whatever you think makes the game fun.  if that is a blade all the way through the bag, then more power to you.  

 

Edited January 24, 2018 by lastings

[WUTiger]

As far as the blades go, buy 3i through PW. Here's what you get:

If the 3i fits well, considering your aversion to hybrids, use it at the long end.

Or, if you find yardage compression, maybe keep the 3i, drop the blade 4i, and bend the blade 5i a degree strong. Sometimes you can maintain yardage gaps by squeezing out an iron at the long end.

Your short-run test and development plan: Buy the irons and enjoy them! You can make final tweaks in May after you play them awhile.  (Be happy!)

[mdl]

I'm with the consensus that you're easily good enough to play well enough to have fun with blades, whether or not it costs you a tad on your scoring average in the long run.  So get whatever the hell will fire you up to go out and play.

FWIW, I play the Nike Vapor Pro Combo irons.  I imagine they're more forgiving than those blades you're looking at, more sort of in between the full cavity back forged and full blade.  I bet I lose a shot here or there when I hit it off the toe and lose more distance than I would with a GI club, or have a bit of increased dispersion.  But I love the feel and look of them, and never feel like they cost me enough performance that I regret getting them.  And when I'm striking it well the shots feel AWESOME.

Just go hit a few different blades and get (fit for!) whatever you like most!

 

[Groucho Valentine]

I didn't read this thread much, but blade are great when you're hitting them off clean lies all the time. Get some grass behind the ball and then see what happens...  Better not miss...

But seriously, 7 iron and below, sure, go for it. Anything above that and you're just asking for pain. 

[Vinny Cap]

Go for it!  Get the blades.  Get the 3 - W and fill in the rest of the bag with what else you like.

Play what you like & like what you play.  You only live once.

I love when someone tells me I cant play blades and then I stripe on down the middle or land one on the green and look back with an ear to ear grin!

[onthehunt526]

So I did end up getting the Exotics CBX Blade irons 3-PW (I also got the matching wedges), I actually can handle them fairly well... I can keep it low if I need to, Hit it high as I usually do. So far through GC2 and FlightScope I get a mid-trajectory on stock shots.

@WUTiger probably thought I was nuts when he saw I went with R300 instead of S300 in the True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT shafts. However, I don't need to be ripping 9-irons 170 yards like Tiger (His 9-iron has 45.5° of loft,by his own admission)

 

[WUTiger]

10 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

However, I don't need to be ripping 9-irons 170 yards like Tiger (His 9-iron has 45.5° of loft,by his own admission)

Clarification: OTH is referring here to Tiger Woods, the Stanford U. graduate who has won 18 pro major tournaments during his career.

I fear that @WUTiger only rips his 9-iron shots about 125 yards.
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Also, your R300 AMT Gold shafts weigh in between 108 and 126 grams, so these are not featherweight. Plus, these deliver low trajectory and low spin, which means you won't overpower the club. This will give you a tempo swing with long-term durability, as opposed to a swing and iron set based upon brute strength. (Hint: You're less likely to develop back trouble than the pro Tiger.)

[onthehunt526]

On 3/12/2018 at 2:59 PM, WUTiger said:

Clarification: OTH is referring here to Tiger Woods, the Stanford U. graduate who has won 18 pro major tournaments during his career.

I fear that @WUTiger only rips his 9-iron shots about 125 yards.
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Also, your R300 AMT Gold shafts weigh in between 108 and 126 grams, so these are not featherweight. Plus, these deliver low trajectory and low spin, which means you won't overpower the club. This will give you a tempo swing with long-term durability, as opposed to a swing and iron set based upon brute strength. (Hint: You're less likely to develop back trouble than the pro Tiger.)

I still get plenty of distance, I'm hitting this 7-iron about 160-165 indoors on average, probably will get a little more once I can play 2-3 times a week. 

One thing I think some mid-cappers don't understand about blades, is anyone can hit them solid. You should shy away if your erratic, but if your strike pattern is pretty tight, you can handle blades. I just have to remind myself sometimes the CG is a little on the heel side of center.

[WUTiger]

4 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

You should shy away if your erratic, but if your strike pattern is pretty tight, you can handle blades.

I saw a Tom Wishon fitting video in which the fitter was working with a smooth-swinging 60-year-old man with  80 mph driver CHS. The man ended up with blade heads and senior flex shafts, which he hit quite well at the end of the clip.

[308 Ragin Cajun]

I grew up hitting blades (That's all we had back then). i could hit them pretty good. Today, i don't think i would wan to try. I'm too spoiled by the mid sized cavity backed comfort zone.