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You cant get away with NEAR the mistakes with a blade that you can with other clubs, surprised thats even a debate.

 

Im not a blade purist, I just like them and I encourage anyone that wants to get some to do so. Blade purists want there to be try outs to even consider getting them.

 

Im talking the difference between GI/SGI and blades, not the difference between blades and players CBs.

 

GI lets you get away with being fatter on shots, further off club center, ect.

 

Do you get some feedback, sure, but if you arent punished for the mishit whats the incentive to fix a mishit?

 

Like I said, IF the goal is to become a better ball striker, players irons are tool best suited for the journey.

 

At some point the training wheels need to come off.

 

I had to ditch my ping i e1 due to the sole being too wide. Couldn’t hit them off tight lies at all. Went back to my s55s but regret getting rid of my s59s.

 

I’m not interested in being a better ball striker, just shooting lower scores. There is nothing wrong with playing blades for any reason. I just take issue with the DeNinny’s of the world and what amounts to golf club hate speech ;-)

Ping G400 @ 10.5° (Ping Tour 65S)

Ping G400 5 wood @ 16.5° (Ping Alta CB 65S)

Ping G410 7 wood @ 20° (Ping Tour 75X)

Titleist 818H2 @ 22° (PX 6.0)

Ping i210 PowerSpec 5-U (DG S300)

Titleist SM7 54° F / 60° K (DG S200)

Ping Heppler Floki

Titleist ProV1x/AVX

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I find the psychological aspect of playing blades to be almost as interesting as that risk/reward, pure strive/punishing mishit side. The pure strike keeps me coming back for more and totally agree with others that my focus is higher when blades are in the bag. I've felt the sting of that ball one groove low or a half inch off the toe to know need to make every shot count. There's also something to be said about the confidence and positive feedback loop hitting the blades well gives me.

 

Has anyone else noticed they win more matchplay/skins rounds when they have blades in the bag? Could be making it up, but feel there's a certain intimidation aspect for my opponents when they hear that whack of a pure ball. Even more so when they see it carving corners and flying high or low.

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You cant get away with NEAR the mistakes with a blade that you can with other clubs, surprised thats even a debate.

 

Im not a blade purist, I just like them and I encourage anyone that wants to get some to do so. Blade purists want there to be try outs to even consider getting them.

 

Im talking the difference between GI/SGI and blades, not the difference between blades and players CBs.

 

GI lets you get away with being fatter on shots, further off club center, ect.

 

Do you get some feedback, sure, but if you arent punished for the mishit whats the incentive to fix a mishit?

 

Like I said, IF the goal is to become a better ball striker, players irons are tool best suited for the journey.

 

At some point the training wheels need to come off.

 

I had to ditch my ping i e1 due to the sole being too wide. Couldn't hit them off tight lies at all. Went back to my s55s but regret getting rid of my s59s.

 

I'm not interested in being a better ball striker, just shooting lower scores. There is nothing wrong with playing blades for any reason. I just take issue with the DeNinny's of the world and what amounts to golf club hate speech ;-)

 

Thats exactly the attitude to have. I know playing blades costs me a few strokes and Im ok with it.

 

Again a Porsche PDK is faster around a track but lacks some of the driving experience or a 3 pedal manual..........

 

We are all not out there on the course for the same reason

Taylormade Sim 9° (set to 7°) - Fuji 53k X 

Cobra Rad Speed Tour 5 Wood 16° - Speeder 757 Evo TS X

Mizuno MP Fli Hi 18° - C Taper 125 S+
Mizuno MP Fli Hi 23° - C Taper 120 S
Srixon z785 5-PW - KBS TourV X

Cleveland ZipCore 50° - Tour S400
Ping Glide Pro Forged 54°/ Eye Toe 59°  - Tour S400
Seemore mFGP2 
Podcast - "Rough Fairways - A Journey to the PGA Tour" available on Spotify - Pandora - Apple

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You cant get away with NEAR the mistakes with a blade that you can with other clubs, surprised thats even a debate.

 

Im not a blade purist, I just like them and I encourage anyone that wants to get some to do so. Blade purists want there to be try outs to even consider getting them.

 

Im talking the difference between GI/SGI and blades, not the difference between blades and players CBs.

 

GI lets you get away with being fatter on shots, further off club center, ect.

 

Do you get some feedback, sure, but if you arent punished for the mishit whats the incentive to fix a mishit?

 

Like I said, IF the goal is to become a better ball striker, players irons are tool best suited for the journey.

 

At some point the training wheels need to come off.

 

I had to ditch my ping i e1 due to the sole being too wide. Couldn't hit them off tight lies at all. Went back to my s55s but regret getting rid of my s59s.

 

I'm not interested in being a better ball striker, just shooting lower scores. There is nothing wrong with playing blades for any reason. I just take issue with the DeNinny's of the world and what amounts to golf club hate speech ;-)

 

Thats exactly the attitude to have. I know playing blades costs me a few strokes and Im ok with it.

 

Again a Porsche PDK is faster around a track but lacks some of the driving experience or a 3 pedal manual..........

 

We are all not out there on the course for the same reason

 

 

In contrast, I find I score a bit better with blades. That's the reason I play them. <shrug>

 

The only CBs I've played that give me close to the same scores are Eye2+. I don't play them because they come with their own set of issues with my game. I've long had a major thing for ISI, finally bought a set, they didn't do what I hoped. Sigh.

 

S59 intrigue me. Indestructible pseudo blades. :pimp:

The Ever Changing Bag!  A lot of mixing and matching
Driver: TM 300 Mini 11.5*, 43.5", Phenom NL 60X -or- Cobra SpeedZone, ProtoPype 80S, 43.5"

Fwy woods: King LTD 3/4, Rogue Black 75X -or- TM Stage 2 Tour 3w, NV105 X -or- TEE E8 Beta 12*, Rogue Silver 70X
Hybrid:  Cobra King Tec 2h, MMT 80 S -or- TEE CBX 17*, HZRDUS 85 6.0

2 iron:  Arias D-23, Modus3 120 S; Mizuno MP-20 HMB, NS Pro 950 R

Irons grab bag:  1-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 1-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R; 2-PW Golden Ram Vibration Matched, NS Pro 950WF S; testing: Arias D-23 5i w/Modus 120 S
Wedges:  Dynacraft Dual Millled 52*, SteelFiber i125 S -or- Scratch 8620 DD 53*, SteelFiber i125 S; Cobra Snakebite 56* -or- Wilson Staff PMP 58*, Dynamic S -or- Ram TW282 SW -or- Ram TW276 SW
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34" -or- Cleveland Huntington Beach #1, 34.5" -or- Golden Ram TW Custom, 34" -or- Rife Bimini, 34" -or- Maxfli TM-2, 35"
Balls: Chrome Soft, Kirkland Signature 3pc (v3), Wilson Triad

Grip preference: various GripMaster leather options or Star Grip Sidewinders of assorted colors

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I find the psychological aspect of playing blades to be almost as interesting as that risk/reward, pure strive/punishing mishit side. The pure strike keeps me coming back for more and totally agree with others that my focus is higher when blades are in the bag. I've felt the sting of that ball one groove low or a half inch off the toe to know need to make every shot count. There's also something to be said about the confidence and positive feedback loop hitting the blades well gives me.

 

Has anyone else noticed they win more matchplay/skins rounds when they have blades in the bag? Could be making it up, but feel there's a certain intimidation aspect for my opponents when they hear that whack of a pure ball. Even more so when they see it carving corners and flying high or low.

So, the guys you play with are intimidated by your blades? Seriously?
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I’m with you one this one.

 

It’s very important to have strategic objectives aligned with your goal(s).

 

With regards to that lengthy post founded on science, I wouldn’t make equipment decisions on science alone because golf has too many intangibles such as personal preference. I have an engineering background as well to know that science isn’t righteous and has too much hate in its community to put all of my faith on them.

 

Your scientific argument is equivalent to all us picking out a guitar, sure there is material science and design engineering features behind it but all of us will be picking out different guitars for many intangible reasons beyond that science cannot predetermine.

 

Really to be objective, you basically have to hit balls and find what works best for you; yoking people with science is hog wash.

 

You cant get away with NEAR the mistakes with a blade that you can with other clubs, surprised thats even a debate.

 

Im not a blade purist, I just like them and I encourage anyone that wants to get some to do so. Blade purists want there to be try outs to even consider getting them.

 

Im talking the difference between GI/SGI and blades, not the difference between blades and players CBs.

 

GI lets you get away with being fatter on shots, further off club center, ect.

 

Do you get some feedback, sure, but if you arent punished for the mishit whats the incentive to fix a mishit?

 

Like I said, IF the goal is to become a better ball striker, players irons are tool best suited for the journey.

 

At some point the training wheels need to come off.

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I find the psychological aspect of playing blades to be almost as interesting as that risk/reward, pure strive/punishing mishit side. The pure strike keeps me coming back for more and totally agree with others that my focus is higher when blades are in the bag. I've felt the sting of that ball one groove low or a half inch off the toe to know need to make every shot count. There's also something to be said about the confidence and positive feedback loop hitting the blades well gives me.

 

Has anyone else noticed they win more matchplay/skins rounds when they have blades in the bag? Could be making it up, but feel there's a certain intimidation aspect for my opponents when they hear that whack of a pure ball. Even more so when they see it carving corners and flying high or low.

So, the guys you play with are intimidated by your blades? Seriously?

 

LOL. I was going to answer but decided to leave it be. But since you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

There is virtually no way to quantify a psychological edge anything gives (or doesn't) you. You feel the "love" and you feel the "hate" but how much this affects you ? Who knows ?

 

The "focus" part gets me though. I played all sorts of sports all my life. I am a competitor. I want to win. I can't think of a single sport, golf included, where my equipment made me focus better. I focus because I'm trying,,,,,,, hard,,,,,,, virtually all the time.

 

As for intimidation. I may or may not be intimidated (for lack of a better word) by how good the SHOT my opponent hit but certainly not by the CLUB that hit it. Yeah, I think he made it up. LOL

Callaway Epic Flash SZ 9.0 Ventus Blue 6S

Ping G425 14.5 Fairway Tour AD TP 6X

Ping G425 MAX 20.5 7 wood Diamana Blue 70 S

Titleist 716 AP-1  5-PW, DGS300

Ping Glide Forged, 48, DGS300

Taylormade MG3 52*, 56*, TW 60* DGS200

LAB Mezz Max 34*, RED, BGT Stability

Titleist Pro V1X

 

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I still play 3, 4, and 5 irons and hell, I've got a 3 that's bent to play like a 2. I cannot play blades and get the same distance/consistency with said clubs, so I don't play blades. My gapping on the top end gets too crowded with them.

TM 2016 M2 12*(-2 setting) - OG Grafalloy Blue X, 43.5"

TEE XCG7 16.5* 4w, OG Grafalloy Blue S, 41.75"

Wilson D9 18* 4i, KBS Max-R, 39.5”

Cobra King OS 4-G, TT XP95 R300, -.5
Mack Daddy CB 56.14(2* weak)  60.12(3*  weak)

Edel Brick

 

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I find the psychological aspect of playing blades to be almost as interesting as that risk/reward, pure strive/punishing mishit side. The pure strike keeps me coming back for more and totally agree with others that my focus is higher when blades are in the bag. I've felt the sting of that ball one groove low or a half inch off the toe to know need to make every shot count. There's also something to be said about the confidence and positive feedback loop hitting the blades well gives me.

 

Has anyone else noticed they win more matchplay/skins rounds when they have blades in the bag? Could be making it up, but feel there's a certain intimidation aspect for my opponents when they hear that whack of a pure ball. Even more so when they see it carving corners and flying high or low.

So, the guys you play with are intimidated by your blades? Seriously?

 

And another guy who carves the ball around at will who's not playing professionally.

Callaway Rogue ST Max 10.5°/Xcaliber SL 45 a flex,Callaway Rogue ST Max Heavenwood/Xcaliber FW a flex, Maltby KE4 ST-H 3h/Rapid Taper a flex, Maltby KE4 ST-H 4h/Rapid Taper a flex, Maltby KE4 Tour TC 5h/Rapid Taper a flex, Maltby KE4 Tour+ 6-G/Xcaliber Rapid Taper a flex, Maltby Max Milled 54° & 58°/Xcaliber Wedge 85 r flex, Mizuno Bettinardi C06

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A basic appeal of traditional clubs to average Joe lies in the weighting of them. They're heavy. Static and SW wise. I appreciate the looks the feel, the feed back but the bottom line is the mass benefit out ways the MOI benefit of a CB. I have CB that contain same weight characteristics (962B & Top Flite Tours) and they work just as well and the big plus to their enhanced MOI is reigning in errant (over & under) hand action. But that's about it. Blades expose poor hand behavior and forces one to address that (which long term is net positive). MOI offers up real help, I'm not a denier of that but the scope and importance is often over blown. 2/3 of scoring is in driver, wedge and putter, iron play matters a lot but weight and shaft profile matter more than MOI of it's head. My guess is that I'm leaving a stroke or two off the table with a traditional club over a PCB. So for the enhanced feed back & flighting that's an easy trade off for me to make. Most chose otherwise and that's fine. Play to your passion.

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I find the psychological aspect of playing blades to be almost as interesting as that risk/reward, pure strive/punishing mishit side. The pure strike keeps me coming back for more and totally agree with others that my focus is higher when blades are in the bag. I've felt the sting of that ball one groove low or a half inch off the toe to know need to make every shot count. There's also something to be said about the confidence and positive feedback loop hitting the blades well gives me.

 

Has anyone else noticed they win more matchplay/skins rounds when they have blades in the bag? Could be making it up, but feel there's a certain intimidation aspect for my opponents when they hear that whack of a pure ball. Even more so when they see it carving corners and flying high or low.

So, the guys you play with are intimidated by your blades? Seriously?

 

LOL. I was going to answer but decided to leave it be. But since you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

There is virtually no way to quantify a psychological edge anything gives (or doesn't) you. You feel the "love" and you feel the "hate" but how much this affects you ? Who knows ?

 

The "focus" part gets me though. I played all sorts of sports all my life. I am a competitor. I want to win. I can't think of a single sport, golf included, where my equipment made me focus better. I focus because I'm trying,,,,,,, hard,,,,,,, virtually all the time.

 

As for intimidation. I may or may not be intimidated (for lack of a better word) by how good the SHOT my opponent hit but certainly not by the CLUB that hit it. Yeah, I think he made it up. LOL

I feel the same way. I've played for 45 years, I focus on every shot and I don't understand why a GI club causes a lack of attention. I am impressed by really good play, not intimidated, and certainly not by clubs.
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I dont think a GI causes a lack of attention so much as (being more forgiving) allows you to get away with more of a mishit than a "players" iron would.

 

For some people, that is exactly what they want, for others, its the opposite....

 

To each their own

Taylormade Sim 9° (set to 7°) - Fuji 53k X 

Cobra Rad Speed Tour 5 Wood 16° - Speeder 757 Evo TS X

Mizuno MP Fli Hi 18° - C Taper 125 S+
Mizuno MP Fli Hi 23° - C Taper 120 S
Srixon z785 5-PW - KBS TourV X

Cleveland ZipCore 50° - Tour S400
Ping Glide Pro Forged 54°/ Eye Toe 59°  - Tour S400
Seemore mFGP2 
Podcast - "Rough Fairways - A Journey to the PGA Tour" available on Spotify - Pandora - Apple

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I find the psychological aspect of playing blades to be almost as interesting as that risk/reward, pure strive/punishing mishit side. The pure strike keeps me coming back for more and totally agree with others that my focus is higher when blades are in the bag. I've felt the sting of that ball one groove low or a half inch off the toe to know need to make every shot count. There's also something to be said about the confidence and positive feedback loop hitting the blades well gives me.

 

Has anyone else noticed they win more matchplay/skins rounds when they have blades in the bag? Could be making it up, but feel there's a certain intimidation aspect for my opponents when they hear that whack of a pure ball. Even more so when they see it carving corners and flying high or low.

 

... My experience is exactly the opposite. As a + index, when I see a bag full of MB's I know I have them beat before we even tee off. I have played with a few DI players and one from the mini tours in Fl that all played forged players CB's and it was obvious from the first swing these guys were PGA Tour caliber ball strikers. Only one played MB's in his 8-pw but his 7-3 irons were 716 CB's. I was not so much intimidated as in awe of their prodigious iron length with accuracy. For all others playing MB's I know I have an instant advantage. I am not naive enough to think that there are not near 0 or + index players using MB's that can beat me on any given day, but seeing MB's produces confidence, not intimidation.

Driver:       TM Qi10 ... Ventus Velocore Red 5R
Fairway:    Cobra Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:    Ping G430 22* ... Alta CB Black 70r
                  TM Dhy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r

Irons:         Titleist T200 '23 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:    Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:       Cobra King Sport-60
Ball:            2023 Maxfli Tour

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I find the psychological aspect of playing blades to be almost as interesting as that risk/reward, pure strive/punishing mishit side. The pure strike keeps me coming back for more and totally agree with others that my focus is higher when blades are in the bag. I've felt the sting of that ball one groove low or a half inch off the toe to know need to make every shot count. There's also something to be said about the confidence and positive feedback loop hitting the blades well gives me.

 

Has anyone else noticed they win more matchplay/skins rounds when they have blades in the bag? Could be making it up, but feel there's a certain intimidation aspect for my opponents when they hear that whack of a pure ball. Even more so when they see it carving corners and flying high or low.

 

... My experience is exactly the opposite. As a + index, when I see a bag full of MB's I know I have them beat before we even tee off. I have played with a few DI players and one from the mini tours in Fl that all played forged players CB's and it was obvious from the first swing these guys were PGA Tour caliber ball strikers. Only one played MB's in his 8-pw but his 7-3 irons were 716 CB's. I was not so much intimidated as in awe of their prodigious iron length with accuracy. For all others playing MB's I know I have an instant advantage. I am not naive enough to think that there are not near 0 or + index players using MB's that can beat me on any given day, but seeing MB's produces confidence, not intimidation.

Looks like I won't be intimidating anyone out on the course anytime soon then! I think if you choose a setup thinking you are going to intimidate anyone, you should revaluate some things in your life. So I guess I agree with you. Never once have I been intimidated by a bag, people get intimidated by a reputation and that comes from scores. Sure I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to admiring other peoples clubs but that has nothing to do with play. My golfing buds all play CBs and consistently beat me as they are D1 collegiate players and should beat a washed up competitor like myself . But I started playing MBs because I wanted to, not because I thought they would drastically change my game (they haven't). They look good, feel good, and make me feel good. My competitive days are over, so whatever clubs make me feel good is going in the bag.

Titleist TSi3 - TPO 70TX

Titleist 917 F2 16.5 - Diamana W 80X

Titleist 718 TMB 2 - MMT 105TX / TSi3 20 - TPW 100TX

Mizuno MP18 4-P - TTDG X100

Vokey SM9 50.12F, 56.12D - TTDG S400

Vokey SM8 60.08 M - TTDG S400

TaylorMade Tour Spider

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Looks like I won't be intimidating anyone out on the course anytime soon then! I think if you choose a setup thinking you are going to intimidate anyone, you should revaluate some things in your life. So I guess I agree with you. Never once have I been intimidated by a bag, people get intimidated by a reputation and that comes from scores. Sure I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to admiring other peoples clubs but that has nothing to do with play. My golfing buds all play CBs and consistently beat me as they are D1 collegiate players and should beat a washed up competitor like myself . But I started playing MBs because I wanted to, not because I thought they would drastically change my game (they haven't). They look good, feel good, and make me feel good. My competitive days are over, so whatever clubs make me feel good is going in the bag.

 

... I love this post.

Driver:       TM Qi10 ... Ventus Velocore Red 5R
Fairway:    Cobra Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:    Ping G430 22* ... Alta CB Black 70r
                  TM Dhy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r

Irons:         Titleist T200 '23 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:    Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:       Cobra King Sport-60
Ball:            2023 Maxfli Tour

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Looks like I won't be intimidating anyone out on the course anytime soon then! I think if you choose a setup thinking you are going to intimidate anyone, you should revaluate some things in your life. So I guess I agree with you. Never once have I been intimidated by a bag, people get intimidated by a reputation and that comes from scores. Sure I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to admiring other peoples clubs but that has nothing to do with play. My golfing buds all play CBs and consistently beat me as they are D1 collegiate players and should beat a washed up competitor like myself . But I started playing MBs because I wanted to, not because I thought they would drastically change my game (they haven't). They look good, feel good, and make me feel good. My competitive days are over, so whatever clubs make me feel good is going in the bag.

 

... I love this post.

 

makes me regret picking up the JPX hot metals vs the MP18 MMCs.

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I’ve never even thought about being intimidated by someone’s clubs, but now that I’m thinking about it, if I was playing with someone that was carrying an old school Jack Nicklaus like 1 iron... with a perfectly worn/rusted little circle in the center of said 1 iron’s club face... I would start negotiating for more strokes!

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I find the psychological aspect of playing blades to be almost as interesting as that risk/reward, pure strive/punishing mishit side. The pure strike keeps me coming back for more and totally agree with others that my focus is higher when blades are in the bag. I've felt the sting of that ball one groove low or a half inch off the toe to know need to make every shot count. There's also something to be said about the confidence and positive feedback loop hitting the blades well gives me.

 

Has anyone else noticed they win more matchplay/skins rounds when they have blades in the bag? Could be making it up, but feel there's a certain intimidation aspect for my opponents when they hear that whack of a pure ball. Even more so when they see it carving corners and flying high or low.

 

... My experience is exactly the opposite. As a + index, when I see a bag full of MB's I know I have them beat before we even tee off. I have played with a few DI players and one from the mini tours in Fl that all played forged players CB's and it was obvious from the first swing these guys were PGA Tour caliber ball strikers. Only one played MB's in his 8-pw but his 7-3 irons were 716 CB's. I was not so much intimidated as in awe of their prodigious iron length with accuracy. For all others playing MB's I know I have an instant advantage. I am not naive enough to think that there are not near 0 or + index players using MB's that can beat me on any given day, but seeing MB's produces confidence, not intimidation.

Looks like I won't be intimidating anyone out on the course anytime soon then! I think if you choose a setup thinking you are going to intimidate anyone, you should revaluate some things in your life. So I guess I agree with you. Never once have I been intimidated by a bag, people get intimidated by a reputation and that comes from scores. Sure I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to admiring other peoples clubs but that has nothing to do with play. My golfing buds all play CBs and consistently beat me as they are D1 collegiate players and should beat a washed up competitor like myself . But I started playing MBs because I wanted to, not because I thought they would drastically change my game (they haven't). They look good, feel good, and make me feel good. My competitive days are over, so whatever clubs make me feel good is going in the bag.

 

So not drastically, but slightly worse?

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I find the psychological aspect of playing blades to be almost as interesting as that risk/reward, pure strive/punishing mishit side. The pure strike keeps me coming back for more and totally agree with others that my focus is higher when blades are in the bag. I've felt the sting of that ball one groove low or a half inch off the toe to know need to make every shot count. There's also something to be said about the confidence and positive feedback loop hitting the blades well gives me.

 

Has anyone else noticed they win more matchplay/skins rounds when they have blades in the bag? Could be making it up, but feel there's a certain intimidation aspect for my opponents when they hear that whack of a pure ball. Even more so when they see it carving corners and flying high or low.

 

... My experience is exactly the opposite. As a + index, when I see a bag full of MB's I know I have them beat before we even tee off. I have played with a few DI players and one from the mini tours in Fl that all played forged players CB's and it was obvious from the first swing these guys were PGA Tour caliber ball strikers. Only one played MB's in his 8-pw but his 7-3 irons were 716 CB's. I was not so much intimidated as in awe of their prodigious iron length with accuracy. For all others playing MB's I know I have an instant advantage. I am not naive enough to think that there are not near 0 or + index players using MB's that can beat me on any given day, but seeing MB's produces confidence, not intimidation.

Looks like I won't be intimidating anyone out on the course anytime soon then! I think if you choose a setup thinking you are going to intimidate anyone, you should revaluate some things in your life. So I guess I agree with you. Never once have I been intimidated by a bag, people get intimidated by a reputation and that comes from scores. Sure I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to admiring other peoples clubs but that has nothing to do with play. My golfing buds all play CBs and consistently beat me as they are D1 collegiate players and should beat a washed up competitor like myself . But I started playing MBs because I wanted to, not because I thought they would drastically change my game (they haven't). They look good, feel good, and make me feel good. My competitive days are over, so whatever clubs make me feel good is going in the bag.

 

So not drastically, but slightly worse?

lol just got them a month or so ago so I can't say the club has made me any better or worse. But whatever the next years say I would say is due to my own self not the clubs. I do love these sticks and they are staying in the bag. I could argue that my iron play has gotten more consistent due to how well I have been controlling the ball with an iron. But scores haven't changed, so no real improvement here. Gotta start practicing my wedges and putting more frequently if I actually want to improve. Nice putter btw

Titleist TSi3 - TPO 70TX

Titleist 917 F2 16.5 - Diamana W 80X

Titleist 718 TMB 2 - MMT 105TX / TSi3 20 - TPW 100TX

Mizuno MP18 4-P - TTDG X100

Vokey SM9 50.12F, 56.12D - TTDG S400

Vokey SM8 60.08 M - TTDG S400

TaylorMade Tour Spider

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Great post

 

Looks like I won't be intimidating anyone out on the course anytime soon then! I think if you choose a setup thinking you are going to intimidate anyone, you should revaluate some things in your life. So I guess I agree with you. Never once have I been intimidated by a bag, people get intimidated by a reputation and that comes from scores. Sure I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to admiring other peoples clubs but that has nothing to do with play. My golfing buds all play CBs and consistently beat me as they are D1 collegiate players and should beat a washed up competitor like myself . But I started playing MBs because I wanted to, not because I thought they would drastically change my game (they haven't). They look good, feel good, and make me feel good. My competitive days are over, so whatever clubs make me feel good is going in the bag.

 

... I love this post.

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After playing CB's for five-fifteen years, a 6-14 handicap (used loosely) is not likely to better his handicap just by switching to Blades. I've never read where any good amateur, regardless of what irons he plays, would suggest that either. That 6-14 handicap has to change his approach to the game before tackling blades and the frustration that accompanies them. If he's unable to change his mindset, he'll struggle, and probably at some point give up and switch back to CB's, and nobody should care.

 

When I took up the game, I played off the shelve Pings. I switched to blades 6-8 months later because a relative played them on tour. I just wanted to be close or scratch golfer and was willing to put in the work. Thankfully, I was not aware of this silly DB controversy and had no expectations, which made my transition easier.

 

If you're thinking about switching to blades, you had better be tenacious, patient, comfortable with attention to details and love hitting thousands of golf balls at the range, and not the type to give up on yourself, cause it's not happening quick enough. You need to find joy in the work. Playing blades as opposed to CB's is like driving a six sp Porsche 996 C2 vs. an SUV. Its all about the frame of mind, and enjoying the road to getting there. :beach:

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A basic appeal of traditional clubs to average Joe lies in the weighting of them. They're heavy. Static and SW wise. I appreciate the looks the feel, the feed back but the bottom line is the mass benefit out ways the MOI benefit of a CB. I have CB that contain same weight characteristics (962B & Top Flite Tours) and they work just as well and the big plus to their enhanced MOI is reigning in errant (over & under) hand action. But that's about it. Blades expose poor hand behavior and forces one to address that (which long term is net positive). MOI offers up real help, I'm not a denier of that but the scope and importance is often over blown. 2/3 of scoring is in driver, wedge and putter, iron play matters a lot but weight and shaft profile matter more than MOI of it's head. My guess is that I'm leaving a stroke or two off the table with a traditional club over a PCB. So for the enhanced feed back & flighting that's an easy trade off for me to make. Most chose otherwise and that's fine. Play to your passion.

 

Please elaborate. I was unaware head weights varied much based on how the mass is distributed.

 

Shafts, sure, "traditional" clubs are more likely to have stock shafts that are heavier, so heavier SW or more "heft."

 

For the second bolded, are you really saying you prefer to play worse just because you like the look and feel of a certain ball flight? If so, kudos to you. Not my cup of tea, but you likes what you likes.

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A basic appeal of traditional clubs to average Joe lies in the weighting of them. They're heavy. Static and SW wise. I appreciate the looks the feel, the feed back but the bottom line is the mass benefit out ways the MOI benefit of a CB. I have CB that contain same weight characteristics (962B & Top Flite Tours) and they work just as well and the big plus to their enhanced MOI is reigning in errant (over & under) hand action. But that's about it. Blades expose poor hand behavior and forces one to address that (which long term is net positive). MOI offers up real help, I'm not a denier of that but the scope and importance is often over blown. 2/3 of scoring is in driver, wedge and putter, iron play matters a lot but weight and shaft profile matter more than MOI of it's head. My guess is that I'm leaving a stroke or two off the table with a traditional club over a PCB. So for the enhanced feed back & flighting that's an easy trade off for me to make. Most chose otherwise and that's fine. Play to your passion.

 

Please elaborate. I was unaware head weights varied much based on how the mass is distributed.

 

Shafts, sure, "traditional" clubs are more likely to have stock shafts that are heavier, so heavier SW or more "heft."

 

For the second bolded, are you really saying you prefer to play worse just because you like the look and feel of a certain ball flight? If so, kudos to you. Not my cup of tea, but you likes what you likes.

 

Generally traditional are set up heavier on head and shaft. D2 is standard, shafts tend to be full weighted. Played at 115g-120 g for years but now I'm at 125g-130g. Old school COG is high heel side, newer more center but both have a higher sense of "feel in the hands" than a GI or even player's CB. For some like me the combo is a positive for rhythm and tempo. An unexpected benefit to hoeing a bunch of blades was appreciating that gross weight, shaft profile and SW mean a lot more to swing than the head itself. Head design matters but getting the others right will shrink strike zone. Fittings are great but it is of benefit to explore the spectrum, test the edges of them and see how it relates to iron head and swing. At the end of it, your swing adapts to club, not the other way around. Gleamed many things by noodling with grams outside of head.

 

Not sure I'm scoring worse but the nature of traditional is the good is better and the bad is worse. Stats on Iron Byron back this up so in course play going from hero to zero is more fluid. The wall of worry can be higher however the corrective rebound can come faster. So I probably scramble more but have more birdie putts too. Oddly, I don't lose golf balls. The "may be leaving a stroke or two" comes down to the grind factor which can be higher. The major reason for stagnation of scoring lies in creaky mechanics that show up most with metals but do effect iron play too. That and a so-so short game. I'm patiently and organically working all this. It is bearing fruit. Things are fun.

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A basic appeal of traditional clubs to average Joe lies in the weighting of them. They're heavy. Static and SW wise. I appreciate the looks the feel, the feed back but the bottom line is the mass benefit out ways the MOI benefit of a CB. I have CB that contain same weight characteristics (962B & Top Flite Tours) and they work just as well and the big plus to their enhanced MOI is reigning in errant (over & under) hand action. But that's about it. Blades expose poor hand behavior and forces one to address that (which long term is net positive). MOI offers up real help, I'm not a denier of that but the scope and importance is often over blown. 2/3 of scoring is in driver, wedge and putter, iron play matters a lot but weight and shaft profile matter more than MOI of it's head. My guess is that I'm leaving a stroke or two off the table with a traditional club over a PCB. So for the enhanced feed back & flighting that's an easy trade off for me to make. Most chose otherwise and that's fine. Play to your passion.

 

Please elaborate. I was unaware head weights varied much based on how the mass is distributed.

 

Shafts, sure, "traditional" clubs are more likely to have stock shafts that are heavier, so heavier SW or more "heft."

 

For the second bolded, are you really saying you prefer to play worse just because you like the look and feel of a certain ball flight? If so, kudos to you. Not my cup of tea, but you likes what you likes.

 

Generally traditional are set up heavier on head and shaft. D2 is standard, shafts tend to be full weighted. Played at 115g-120 g for years but now I'm at 125g-130g. Old school COG is high heel side, newer more center but both have a higher sense of "feel in the hands" than a GI or even player's CB. For some like me the combo is a positive for rhythm and tempo. An unexpected benefit to hoeing a bunch of blades was appreciating that gross weight, shaft profile and SW mean a lot more to swing than the head itself. Head design matters but getting the others right will shrink strike zone. Fittings are great but it is of benefit to explore the spectrum, test the edges of them and see how it relates to iron head and swing. At the end of it, your swing adapts to club, not the other way around. Gleamed many things by noodling with grams outside of head.

 

Not sure I'm scoring worse but the nature of traditional is the good is better and the bad is worse. Stats on Iron Byron back this up so in course play going from hero to zero is more fluid. The wall of worry can be higher however the corrective rebound can come faster. So I probably scramble more but have more birdie putts too. Oddly, I don't lose golf balls. The "may be leaving a stroke or two" comes down to the grind factor which can be higher. The major reason for stagnation of scoring lies in creaky mechanics that show up most with metals but do effect iron play too. That and a so-so short game. I'm patiently and organically working all this. It is bearing fruit. Things are fun.

 

I understand shaft weight (which I mentioned in my post) and I understand swing weight, and I understand COG. I'm asking if "traditional" clubheads are heavier in overall weight. If there is no difference in overall weight, then it is the shaft making the difference.

 

As for the second part, cool beans.

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In general a player's CB, an AP-2 or JPX is weighted and made to have profile similar to MB. I played DCI, Top Flite Tour and RAM Fx Pro set for 3 seasons each. All PCB. After that I was like "big whoop". Moved to blades or the best PCB I ever owned. TM RAC MB. They're called blades but they have a dual pocket cavity. So they're CB in my book. Great sticks that bridge the divide well. For last 4 years, quality MB's mostly from 1993-2008. Rarely buy new, if given good reason will. Seen AP-2's on the course a lot and aside from the 5th degree karate guy swinging them, not blown away.

 

On a true GI or SGI model little doubt they are lighter in head and shaft.

 

Keep in mind that MB's come in all flavors, some are rather normal in mass but others are sledgehammers. Launch angle can vary too for a given loft, point is they're not all the same.

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I always have a muscle back in the rotation. Biggest difference for me is this style of iron likes to be worked, knockdowns, half shots, etc. These are all about controlling the ball by shaping shots. When I try to be to point and shot I can struggle with missing greens. I really enjoy using my MB's but they really are not for everyone's game. BB

 

Isn't golf really all about physics? Aren't clubs all the same face width? Not directed at you...but one of the reason blades are "harder to hit" is because they don't have most of the weight at the toe. Besides, the blades provide feedback..."hey....TOE SHOT"...where other clubs provide little feedback...which leads to enabling more swing flaws. Just IMO.

if i could stop hitting bad shot i wouldve already done it by now...

 

Not a matter of feedback it's a matter of skill....

 

Sometimes or alot of times I know wtf I am doing wrong I just can't fix it during a round......just bcuz you know doesn't mean you can do it

 

If that was case everyone wud be shooting par, lol

 

My miss has been toe forever, I shanked a ball I think once in 20yrs...

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