pal51961

I believe that the fact 30% of tour players use blades indicates that they are not for everyone. Some of the Nike staff players use CB low irons at that. I think this discussion should address CB Cast VS. Cavity back forged, for there is a huge difference between the two for sure. Harrington is a pure ball striker and plays Wilson staff cast CB's, and they sure work fine for him. You need to hit what you feel confident in and can hit consistently. Don't fall into any hype that you should hit forged blades to be a better player, it's a load of crap IMO. The important thing is that the club has a standard size head, that will promote better ball striking. They should also have very little offset, thus allowing you to work the ball effectively. And last and most important they should fit you. I have seen player that hated a set of irons suddenly fall head over heals when they had the right shaft and lie angle. Play what you love, love what you play. I play CB Forged and have never hit the ball better than I do now. Screw history, live for the day and play the best tech. you can get your hands on. Sean, would you go back to using a 1 piece or balata ball as well? Happy holiday all.

You may have the right clubs but the wrong wife.

All of your comments make sense to me. Playing forged clubs has always had a mindset of being a "better" players clubs, and hard to hit. I play Macgregor PCB Tour's. I offer my clubs to anyone who wants to try it when at the range. Most people hit it very crisp, then quickly comment on how much purer it felt at contact. To better players this is the feel they speak about. This indicates that all is well with your swing. Cast clubs do not have the buttery feel when pured, and therefore, less feedback. They are also crafted from much softer steel and wear out faster. Fitting and flighting the irons makes all the difference in the world. I fit at least 5 golfers a month, and every one of them require several adjustments to optimize their performance (not to mention irons out of specs from the factory, common). If you play forged clubs, every other season you should check your loft and lie angles as well.

Misty, I notice you play the 1025M's. That could very well be the best forged blade ever made. Forged by Hoffman, they are truly easy to hit. The long irons go high and straight, the short irons are deadly accurate. I love Macgregor, too bad about their demise. Take care.

It would seem that after 73 pages or responses to this subject we could end it here and say "play the club that feels good to you". All top line clubs are capable of hitting every shot you will ever need. Now go focus on practicing, that is where the answer to your questions reside.....in the dirt, go dig them out.

I have played Macgregor irons for 30 plus years. I have made a living with them at times throughout my life. Macgregor designs and grinds all their irons in Albany, Georgia. Their irons were usually forged by Hoffman. They have also utilized Muira and Endo in Japan. The Mac MT's currently being sold were forged in China, which is certainly a break from tradition. I have hit them, and read many reviews and all seems very good to me. This is the case with all Macgregor irons, they all hit very solid and are accurate clubs. At the price you can buy them for on Ebay you will not find a better set of quality forged clubs for your money, not to mention the look of the club is gorgeous.

All the companies you mentioned, with the exception of Ping also make a forged club. Obviously people play what feels good to them. I recently mentioned in a thread that they did a test with tour pros, blind test with a forged and cast club and 90% of the players could not tell the difference. I play forged, I think they feel more solid through the set. I don't think anyone should get hung up on forged or not. Hit tons of clubs and see which one feels right to you. As long is there is no extreme perimeter weighting you should be able to work the ball easily with a cb cast head. The things that pros look for are: Little or no offset, small head, thin topline, and playable sole for all turf conditions. Then they concern themselves with CG. They look for trajectory control, mid to high flight on the 3-6 and less height on the 7-P. People should concern themselves more with getting the right shaft, getting their clubs fitted. Just my opinion.

I play the PCB Tour's with Nippon 1150's. Great fit, great feel and flight. I would suggest those or the TT Black's.

I know. Don't you hate when that happens?

Sean, whereas the X-14's maybe "harder" than forged, they were solid enough for Annika and Monty to lead both their tours for 10+ years. We are talking about a 20+handicap player here that needs clubs. More than half the tour players play cast cb's. Hard maybe, but easier to hit by far. I play forged Macgregor PCB tours now but grew up hitting Wilson staff blades my dad gave me. I went on to play collegiate golf with those blades. My forged CB's hit as pure as any blade made. I can work the ball both ways with ease, and control flight easily as well. I teach many accomplished H.S. and college players and the split is about even on cb vs blades, so the choice is all about feel and confidence. I would also note that in a recent test featuring tour players 75 percent could not tell if they were hitting cast cb's or forged blades on a blind testing, so there you go.

I do agree that a CB Cast would be your logical choice. To play blades to correctly you should have a consistent swing, and your handicap does not indicate that level of control. I suggest you go to a golf shop with a driving range and hit, hit, hit. The club will tell you which one to choose. Look for the right speed shaft, once you know if it is S or R you can proceed to evaluating irons. Look at ball flight, look for easy lift but not ballooning flight. Hit 6 or 7 irons at first. Look for a nice penetrating flight and consistent feel. Once you find the demo irons you like proceed to look at the other irons in the set for appearance. Look at the offset and topline from club to club. If you like the look and feel, that is your new club. Then find it used on ebay!!! If you are strapped for cash a nice set of Callaway X-14's are as good as any Cast CB iron ever made. My son plays them and I hit them occasionally and they are rock solid. At any price TaylorMade or Callaway make fine, easy to hit irons. Good luck and remember, you will learn to hit whatever you buy so it is not life or death. Wedges on the other hand are life and death, buy forged blade wedges, you will never regret it.

I play the Macgregor PCB Tour irons. These are indeed forged by Miura. There are several ways to own Japanese forgings. I would recommend the Taylor Made Miura's due to their availability, they made thousands of sets over the years. The Mac's are actually rare due to the fact they made only 1000 sets. If you can find the PCB tours used, buy them. They offer the best of both worlds, forged and CB. If Macgregor (which is the finest american forger IMO) chooses Miura to forge these they must be looking for a higher standard than they are capable of producing in house. The MG 301's are the same club as the PCB, slightly different cavity shape. Since you won't have an opportunity to hit before buying, be careful and don't overpay. You can always sell them if you don't like them, so buy used. Make sure they feel right for you, don't force yourself to like a club for looks. Focus on feedback and confidence in a new iron. Good luck.