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Blades and the search for "game improvement"


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It’s all relative. Unless you hit the pea size sweet spot of a blade like 99.9% of the time there’s absolutely no benefit in playing them. I guess there’s an argument that “I” shoot 95 more consistently with blades and around 100 with a cavity back so they just work for me kinda thing going on too that fuels the debate somehow.

lol i don't think there is anyone on here saying they shoot 95 with blades compared to 100 with cavity backs man. there really isn't an argument here... your results differ fro mine, and my results differ from the next guy. I have been golfing for over 25 years and i am playing my first set of blades. Recently i have found that i am struggling with them as i have not been able to commit to practicing. i know that in order to commit to playing blades i have to practice a couple times a week or more in between playing. i may be one of the guys that are a "one and done" with trying blades. I can say that as a 7.6 i am as low as i have been in years... now there is an argument that i could be better with CB's but the unknown is by how much or if any at all. I will never know, just like if i go to CB's tomorrow and if i get to say a 5, that i wouldn't have gotten there without them. Who knows. All i know is that there should be a buyer beware tag on the better players irons regardless of CB or MB. They are not for everyone thats for sure. I can appreciate the opinions of everyone on the site, as long as everyone understands that they are just that... opinions. The only thing i can say for a fact is how all of this applies to me, beyond that its just my opinion.

 

 

When someone wants something they will use any means and excuse necessary to attempt to justify it. Rationality doesn’t apply to everyone. The fact is if you don’t hit the ball like previously stated there is ZERO benefit in playing them. You can say that you can’t stand to look at a certain club or some turf interaction nonsense or whatever and that’s fine. I guess it’s acceptable some have mental issues, ego issues, and/or denial issues and that’s ok. It’s just a game. Some are good, some are great, some are terrible, and some are in between. When it comes to Golf ignorance is abound.

 

thats a heap of absolutes in a mostly grey game my friend... If we use those logics as laws then no player over a 0-2 cap should play any putter that resembles an Anser etc ..But many many do and they do it ridicule free. Point is the handicap test doesnt really work ...

 

I wish i had taken pics of these..But i once owned a set of mizuno MP33 that i bought sight unseen .. The toe of these irons was worn to nothing..a tight quarter size spot on each toe ...Now this person had a very repeatable strike , obviously ...but played this toe miss...was it swing or lie angle issues ? i dont know...But im guessing he/she knew how far each iron went on pure toe strikes ( lol) and how far if they missed. Thats all it boils down to...knowing your game and playing the right club for the shot at hand . with some sets it will have a 7 on the sole..with some a 9... thats all.

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It’s all relative. Unless you hit the pea size sweet spot of a blade like 99.9% of the time there’s absolutely no benefit in playing them. I guess there’s an argument that “I” shoot 95 more consistently with blades and around 100 with a cavity back so they just work for me kinda thing going on too that fuels the debate somehow.

lol i don't think there is anyone on here saying they shoot 95 with blades compared to 100 with cavity backs man. there really isn't an argument here... your results differ fro mine, and my results differ from the next guy. I have been golfing for over 25 years and i am playing my first set of blades. Recently i have found that i am struggling with them as i have not been able to commit to practicing. i know that in order to commit to playing blades i have to practice a couple times a week or more in between playing. i may be one of the guys that are a "one and done" with trying blades. I can say that as a 7.6 i am as low as i have been in years... now there is an argument that i could be better with CB's but the unknown is by how much or if any at all. I will never know, just like if i go to CB's tomorrow and if i get to say a 5, that i wouldn't have gotten there without them. Who knows. All i know is that there should be a buyer beware tag on the better players irons regardless of CB or MB. They are not for everyone thats for sure. I can appreciate the opinions of everyone on the site, as long as everyone understands that they are just that... opinions. The only thing i can say for a fact is how all of this applies to me, beyond that its just my opinion.

 

 

When someone wants something they will use any means and excuse necessary to attempt to justify it. Rationality doesn’t apply to everyone. The fact is if you don’t hit the ball like previously stated there is ZERO benefit in playing them. You can say that you can’t stand to look at a certain club or some turf interaction nonsense or whatever and that’s fine. I guess it’s acceptable some have mental issues, ego issues, and/or denial issues and that’s ok. It’s just a game. Some are good, some are great, some are terrible, and some are in between. When it comes to Golf ignorance is abound.

 

thats a heap of absolutes in a mostly grey game my friend... If we use those logics as laws then no player over a 0-2 cap should play any putter that resembles an Anser etc ..But many many do and they do it ridicule free. Point is the handicap test doesnt really work ...

 

I wish i had taken pics of these..But i once owned a set of mizuno MP33 that i bought sight unseen .. The toe of these irons was worn to nothing..a tight quarter size spot on each toe ...Now this person had a very repeatable strike , obviously ...but played this toe miss...was it swing or lie angle issues ? i dont know...But im guessing he/she knew how far each iron went on pure toe strikes ( lol) and how far if they missed. Thats all it boils down to...knowing your game and playing the right club for the shot at hand . with some sets it will have a 7 on the sole..with some a 9... thats all.

 

 

From my perspective, what you termed "absolutes" in ernie's post above aren't even valid. I've done a fair bit of side by side testing; since ernie wants to wallow in the anecdotal, let's add to it. :)

 

The best example.... Maxfli A10 6 iron, Rifle 6.5 shaft, 37.5" long, 30°. Hit way out on the toe on a 180 yd par 3. Ball comes up short of green. Next up, Ram Tour Grind 5 iron, Rifle 6.5 shaft, 37.5" long, 30°. Hit way out on the toe on the same 180 yd par 3, right after the A10 shot. Ball comes up short of green. Get up to the golfballs on the fringe, you could throw a blanket over them. They were within a foot of each other in terms of distance. Amusingly, the Ram was actually the longer shot.

 

Forgiveness levels.... the MOI of the A10 is 2520. The MOI of the Ram Tour Grind is 1972. Same strike, but the higher MOI produced no result improvement. Which is in line with Britt Lindsey's comments about the MOI differences in irons not being significant.

 

It's just one example of what I've seen, doing tests over the years. It's anecdotal as hell. But it's real world results, not theories spun from bias.

 

Side note: it's harder than it might seem to intentionally hit a ball that far on the toe. LOL

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It’s all relative. Unless you hit the pea size sweet spot of a blade like 99.9% of the time there’s absolutely no benefit in playing them. I guess there’s an argument that “I” shoot 95 more consistently with blades and around 100 with a cavity back so they just work for me kinda thing going on too that fuels the debate somehow.

lol i don't think there is anyone on here saying they shoot 95 with blades compared to 100 with cavity backs man. there really isn't an argument here... your results differ fro mine, and my results differ from the next guy. I have been golfing for over 25 years and i am playing my first set of blades. Recently i have found that i am struggling with them as i have not been able to commit to practicing. i know that in order to commit to playing blades i have to practice a couple times a week or more in between playing. i may be one of the guys that are a "one and done" with trying blades. I can say that as a 7.6 i am as low as i have been in years... now there is an argument that i could be better with CB's but the unknown is by how much or if any at all. I will never know, just like if i go to CB's tomorrow and if i get to say a 5, that i wouldn't have gotten there without them. Who knows. All i know is that there should be a buyer beware tag on the better players irons regardless of CB or MB. They are not for everyone thats for sure. I can appreciate the opinions of everyone on the site, as long as everyone understands that they are just that... opinions. The only thing i can say for a fact is how all of this applies to me, beyond that its just my opinion.

 

 

When someone wants something they will use any means and excuse necessary to attempt to justify it. Rationality doesn’t apply to everyone. The fact is if you don’t hit the ball like previously stated there is ZERO benefit in playing them. You can say that you can’t stand to look at a certain club or some turf interaction nonsense or whatever and that’s fine. I guess it’s acceptable some have mental issues, ego issues, and/or denial issues and that’s ok. It’s just a game. Some are good, some are great, some are terrible, and some are in between. When it comes to Golf ignorance is abound.

what i said was that when i do not commit to practicing multiple times per week i have been struggling. In an earlier post i stated that my GIR % has suffered as a result. At no time have i said i play blades because of the look or because of turf interaction. In fact i can't recall saying anything other than because i wanted to try them and to be honest i don't need to justify that anymore than you need to justify your last iron purchase (i notice like a lot of people who argue in these threads you do not post your equip or index... interesting). I have not even committed to play them beyond this year. Truth be told my posts have actually been me trying to talk myself into CB's for next year because i am not sure if i can commit to practicing the amount i need to continue playing the MBs. What's interesting in the whole MB vs CB debate is how people continue to try and push their opinions on others like it is a fact. I am simply stating that my results are my results and that everyone's results will vary. One player might be a 3-4 stroke per round difference and another player might be 12-15... who knows right. I also believe that someone doesn't have to be suffering from mental issues, ego issues or be in denial to play a golf club that contradicts your decision (or my decision as well). The biggest part of this thread is the tendency to try and insult others to get a point across like it validates the facts (i mean the opinion)... is that really necessary? i applaud those who feel that a larger club will make the game easier for them if that is what brings them happiness, i also applaud those who try to play a smaller club for whatever crazy reason they have as long as it brings them happiness. And what brings me happiness is simply playing the game regardless of score. I don't expect you to understand that because it is a personal thing for me. I get to play with my son who also loves the game... i haven't beat him in over two years and i don't care lol.

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I can only assume that this is a very individual topic, and people get relatively individual results.

 

Personally I'm an average golfer and I play blades. The only time I haven't been happy with them is when I'm not playing well in general, or when I start to believe there are clubs out there that I would get better results from, or score better with.

 

I have no pride in playing blades. Nobody cares. I think two people have commented on it in an entire year. I'd switch tomorrow if I could get better results.

 

Larger sweet spots, better MOI etc. makes complete sense to me, yet I've invested in multiple cavity back sets and countless individual heads in an attempt to find clubs that will give me better results. To date I haven't found anything that improves my game or saves my wilder strikes. My bad ones are so bad they cannot be saved.

 

My guess is if you're very precise and your misses are by a mil or two that there's a meaningful difference in result on those 'bad' strikes vs. what a blade would give? I can see that's entirely possible.

 

All I know is it's a confounding topic. I think marketing has helped to create the more extreme differences in perception.

What blades are you currently playing and where do you start with them in the bag?

 

MP33s, PW thru 6i

 

I swapped out my 5i this season for an MP18 MMC and I've gained distance on that club (and therefore tweaked other lofts), but as best I can see I'm not getting better performance. I'm going to play a few rounds with my MP33 5i and maybe 4i to give myself a better perspective on what I've lost or gained.

 

I played in a friendly scramble yesterday, and I'm still getting over a hand injury, but the only two complete duffs I had were with non-blades:

 

> MMC 5 iron into a long par 3... Hit it so far toe that it went maybe 130 yards straight and then died in the hazard

> Demo JPX 900F into a 150 yd par 3. I don't hook my irons, but I hooked this so far left that I almost missed the left side trap

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I think it's almost entirely a mental thing. If you believe your irons have certain specific traits that work for you then they will. If you look down and believe they work against you they will. In a game that's 99% "half mental," that's hugely important.

 

This was a cool video from Crossfield on the matter a while back. Not crazy about him but think he's absolutely right. (And before you cry "yeah, but but but he's a pro!" he addresses that numerous times.) Food for thought

 

It's nearly all in one's head I think, and since that's where the game is played, heck yeah it matters

[size=2][i]"I see the distorted swings, the hurried rounds, and now the electric carts tae ruin the course and rob us of our exercise...we have gone off the mark, gone after the wrong things, forgotten what it's all about"[/i][/size]

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It’s all relative. Unless you hit the pea size sweet spot of a blade like 99.9% of the time there’s absolutely no benefit in playing them. I guess there’s an argument that “I” shoot 95 more consistently with blades and around 100 with a cavity back so they just work for me kinda thing going on too that fuels the debate somehow.

lol i don't think there is anyone on here saying they shoot 95 with blades compared to 100 with cavity backs man. there really isn't an argument here... your results differ fro mine, and my results differ from the next guy. I have been golfing for over 25 years and i am playing my first set of blades. Recently i have found that i am struggling with them as i have not been able to commit to practicing. i know that in order to commit to playing blades i have to practice a couple times a week or more in between playing. i may be one of the guys that are a "one and done" with trying blades. I can say that as a 7.6 i am as low as i have been in years... now there is an argument that i could be better with CB's but the unknown is by how much or if any at all. I will never know, just like if i go to CB's tomorrow and if i get to say a 5, that i wouldn't have gotten there without them. Who knows. All i know is that there should be a buyer beware tag on the better players irons regardless of CB or MB. They are not for everyone thats for sure. I can appreciate the opinions of everyone on the site, as long as everyone understands that they are just that... opinions. The only thing i can say for a fact is how all of this applies to me, beyond that its just my opinion.

 

 

When someone wants something they will use any means and excuse necessary to attempt to justify it. Rationality doesn’t apply to everyone. The fact is if you don’t hit the ball like previously stated there is ZERO benefit in playing them. You can say that you can’t stand to look at a certain club or some turf interaction nonsense or whatever and that’s fine. I guess it’s acceptable some have mental issues, ego issues, and/or denial issues and that’s ok. It’s just a game. Some are good, some are great, some are terrible, and some are in between. When it comes to Golf ignorance is abound.

 

... A friend of mine coaches a high school golf team. His #1 player uses forged CB's and his #5 player uses MB's. His #3 and 4 use GI and SGI irons. His #5 player loves WRX and thinks MB's will help him play better golf. My friend never even heard of WRX and talked him into playing a round with #1's CB's. He shot his best round by 2 strokes, his personal best. His response was he can do the same with MB's and the CB's will stop his progress because they will cause him to get sloppy. My friend had no idea what he was talking about as he watched the entire round and saw zero difference in his swing or game, other than his misses turned out better. My friend tells me his #5 should be his #2 because he has the 2nd best swing and second best all around game, but he insists on playing MB's and it is clear to everyone on the team that MB's hurt his game and his score.

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I’m currently playing a set of used MBs I bought on here mostly because I wanted to try the shafts. I had my previous irons for 8 years and also just wanted to change and the difference in buying new shafts and used sticks was close enough to make the switch.

 

All of that to say, I love playing MBs because of the way they look and when you hit it pure I think it genuinely feels better. However, when I miss a shot out on the toe it is much more noticeable and def impacts my game, but not necessarily my score. Just depends on the day. How is my short game? How is my putting? I don’t hit it any closer with MBs, but my misses are further away from the hole. I plan to get new irons sometime next year and it will probably be some type of combo set up.

 

It’s been said already, but how you feel at address looking down at the club is number 1 in my opinion. I don’t like looking at larger cavity backs when I am about to hit. On the flip side, my brother is a 16 HC and dreads looking down at my 5 iron if he is trying to hit it.

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I think it's almost entirely a mental thing. If you believe your irons have certain specific traits that work for you then they will. If you look down and believe they work against you they will. In a game that's 99% "half mental," that's hugely important.

 

This was a cool video from Crossfield on the matter a while back. Not crazy about him but think he's absolutely right. (And before you cry "yeah, but but but he's a pro!" he addresses that numerous times.) Food for thought

 

It's nearly all in one's head I think, and since that's where the game is played, heck yeah it matters

 

I think there’s something to that, but in the case of any ‘friendlier’ clubs I’ve experimented with both my hope and my expectation were that I would get results at least similar to what I do with my own clubs.

 

I’d never fork out a single dollar on something that I wasn’t either hoping or expecting to produce results.

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Crossfield makes some very good points,

 

Mark Crossfield has exactly one "point" to make. He says buy whatever clubs you like because it doesn't matter you're going to suck no matter what clubs you use. Which is a perfectly true "point".

 

The question is why the world needs him to drop dozens of videos every year describing new clubs when he's already said 100x before that what clubs you use doesn't matter.

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The correlation between a person's scores and their ball striking ability, is not always true.

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Yeah, there's lots of guys who stripe it like a mini-Tour player but chip and putt their way to a 15 HCP. Wait, no there aren't.

 

Saying that only a certain handicap should play certain clubs is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. When I got down to a single digit handicap a few years ago, it was because of short game lessons I took. I dropped almost 7 points on my handicap because of that. So saying that a person who is a 15 shouldn't play blades because they are a 15 is dumb.

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Yeah, there's lots of guys who stripe it like a mini-Tour player but chip and putt their way to a 15 HCP. Wait, no there aren't.

 

Saying that only a certain handicap should play certain clubs is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. When I got down to a single digit handicap a few years ago, it was because of short game lessons I took. I dropped almost 7 points on my handicap because of that. So saying that a person who is a 15 shouldn't play blades because they are a 15 is dumb.

 

 

It would only be dumb if they rarely hit a perfectly struck shot. I’ve never met a person that had tour level ball striking skills with irons but had had 15+ HC skills with the driver and short game.

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Yeah, there's lots of guys who stripe it like a mini-Tour player but chip and putt their way to a 15 HCP. Wait, no there aren't.

 

Saying that only a certain handicap should play certain clubs is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. When I got down to a single digit handicap a few years ago, it was because of short game lessons I took. I dropped almost 7 points on my handicap because of that. So saying that a person who is a 15 shouldn't play blades because they are a 15 is dumb.

 

I'm fine with avoiding generalizations, and i'm also fine with players of any ability playing what they want. As i posted earlier i doubt blades vs SGI clubs for players of any handicap level would cost the player more than MAYBE 2 strokes on their index. And that's at the highest. There's just not much difference in the 7-PW and if you are playing the correct tees you shouldn't be hitting ten 5 irons every round. And handicap is an average of your best 10/20 scores too....

 

But the great ballstriking 15 index is one of the great internet tall tales. They just don't exist. They would have to have the short game of someone playing their first round of golf ever. To shoot 87 in your 10 best rounds out of 20 while hitting 10+ greens and keeping balls in play for the most part, you'd have to be trying to miss at some point

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If you suck with a Ping G MAX, you'll suck with MB's too. Handicaps come in all shapes and sizes, usually the difference between a 14 and a 6 cap is putting and chipping, looking at all the bogey golf guys out there. Short game will save you no matter what iron you want.

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If you suck with a Ping G MAX, you'll suck with MB's too. Handicaps come in all shapes and sizes, usually the difference between a 14 and a 6 cap is putting and chipping, looking at all the bogey golf guys out there. Short game will save you no matter what iron you want.

 

No way. Simply no way that is the case. So you dropped 7+ points off your index solely by improving your putts per round and your up/down %? No way.

The difference between 14 index and a 6 index is GIRs.

 

Whatever clubs get those increased GIRs, who cares, but that's where the consistent lower scores are.

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Play what you want to play is my philosophy. It's hard to comment on these posts because I can see it from other member's perspective if someone were to say "I hit X blade vs. Y CB almost the same". Personally, I tend to gravitate towards looks and feel in my choice of irons. Woods, I pick based on performance and numbers. Wedges? Not really my strong suit but getting better! (Don't worry, my major focus these days are my wedges and putter)

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So glad I started playing in the early 70’s. When did this blade vs GI crap start? I had no idea this was going on until I joined WRX. All my years nobody ever questioned someones preference for clubs. Play what you want. Of course everyone wanted pro line clubs but the only barrier was money. And if someone was lucky enough to have a set everyone admired them. Nobody ever said, “hey, you’re not good enough for those clubs”. What the heck has golf become?

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Funny, you read this stuff and you'd think the ball won't even advance with a blade unless it's in the hands of a Ben Hogan on his A game. That's simply isn't the case, like at a all. The difference is tiny really. Seems to me if you like what's in your bag, play em and and don't be swayed by anyone's else's misguided ideas... because TRUSTING your clubs, on the other hand, is huge.

 

Which I guess is why people argue with such silly fervor over this nonsense. Maybe they just don't want to let doubt creep into whatever good thing they've got going. And that's probably smart, but there's no actual debate or discussion being had, just a lot of everyone convincing and reassuring themselves they're playing the right thing.

[size=2][i]"I see the distorted swings, the hurried rounds, and now the electric carts tae ruin the course and rob us of our exercise...we have gone off the mark, gone after the wrong things, forgotten what it's all about"[/i][/size]

[size=2]-Dr. Julian Sands, Golf in the Kingdom[/size]

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Funny, you read this stuff and you'd think the ball won't even advance with a blade unless it's in the hands of a Ben Hogan on his A game. That's simply isn't the case, like at a all. The difference is tiny really. Seems to me if you like what's in your bag, play em and and don't be swayed by anyone's else's misguided ideas... because TRUSTING your clubs, on the other hand, is huge.

 

Amen.

 

And not only that, the very little bit of difference that does exist is not a prescription for all issues. I'm a high launch kind of guy. I'm happy to admit its at best a swing idiosyncrasy and at worst a pure swing flaw. Regardless, until I run out of sufficient swingspeed at about 25 degrees or so, the very last thing I need are the attributes in a typical GI/SGI club. They would actually make the game harder since at its core the offset, big sole, and perimeter weighting are primarily to help get the ball airborne.

 

On the other hand, I've played with some scratch guys that use SGI clubs. They had no trouble controlling trajectory or distance.

 

Play what you like to look at and what gives you confidence.

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When I was growing up pretty much everyone played hand me down blades. I learned to play on a set of Top Flights Dynertials from the 70's. I guess that is why I have never been afraid to play blades.

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If you believe the number on your scorecard is the test of your ability, then you also know that golf is a game of dealing with those mistakes that you WILL make during a round.

 

That said, the iron head should be choosen which matches your ability to reduce YOUR number of mistakes to YOUR manageable level .

 

If your goal is "fairways & greens" I would be looking at GI equipment.

 

If your goal is "be aggressive and go low" I'd be using irons which I could move the ball with.

 

However the deciding factor will always be your short game, which will allow you to deal with the mistakes which you will make. If my short game is sharp and I've been practicing it, I'll put my blades in play. If not I'll stick to my P770's.

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If you suck with a Ping G MAX, you'll suck with MB's too. Handicaps come in all shapes and sizes, usually the difference between a 14 and a 6 cap is putting and chipping, looking at all the bogey golf guys out there. Short game will save you no matter what iron you want.

 

No way. Simply no way that is the case. So you dropped 7+ points off your index solely by improving your putts per round and your up/down %? No way.

The difference between 14 index and a 6 index is GIRs.

 

Whatever clubs get those increased GIRs, who cares, but that's where the consistent lower scores are.

 

D, I played a scratch match the other week. Being off 10 I was expecting a drubbing tbh and it was all over after 15. I looked to see what the differences were between our games. He was a bit longer off the tee, but I was a bit straighter. GIR? I hit 6/15, he hit 5/15. I got up and down 2/7, he got up and down 7/10! His combination of chipping and putting was so much better than mine and was the difference on the day. He told me he spends 80% of his practice time working on 50 yards in. I spend about the same, but my practice amounts to about one range session a month...he was spending 3 hours 3 times a week. We didn’t ask handicaps until towards the end of the round. I guessed he was about a 4 or 5 (he was off 5) and he thought I was 6 or 7 but with a very poor short game. I actually shot pretty close to my handicap...he was 2+ and it was all down to his short game.

 

Edit - forgot to mention he was playing Ping i25s and played every shot, even driver, with left hand below right (right-hander)!

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Funny, you read this stuff and you'd think the ball won't even advance with a blade unless it's in the hands of a Ben Hogan on his A game. That's simply isn't the case, like at a all. The difference is tiny really. Seems to me if you like what's in your bag, play em and and don't be swayed by anyone's else's misguided ideas... because TRUSTING your clubs, on the other hand, is huge.

 

Which I guess is why people argue with such silly fervor over this nonsense. Maybe they just don't want to let doubt creep into whatever good thing they've got going. And that's probably smart, but there's no actual debate or discussion being had, just a lot of everyone convincing and reassuring themselves they're playing the right thing.

 

That makes a lot of sense to me.

 

And to be sure trusting my clubs is huge. A close second is wanting to like them. If they are too ugly I don’t even give them half a chance.

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Properly fitted shaft + bit of tungsten help in the long irons. Blades should be no difference to your play, if anything you may get better from more practice to consistently lavish in the sweet sensation of a blade strike.

 

Blending in a cb or udi style club at the 3-5 iron spot is the best play for most.




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If you suck with a Ping G MAX, you'll suck with MB's too. Handicaps come in all shapes and sizes, usually the difference between a 14 and a 6 cap is putting and chipping, looking at all the bogey golf guys out there. Short game will save you no matter what iron you want.

 

No way. Simply no way that is the case. So you dropped 7+ points off your index solely by improving your putts per round and your up/down %? No way.

The difference between 14 index and a 6 index is GIRs.

 

Whatever clubs get those increased GIRs, who cares, but that's where the consistent lower scores are.

 

GIR is probably the biggest factor you’re right, but’s its no crazy to think that if you get up and down 6 times that your HC will drop if this is done consistently? If ppl don’t have the time to hit full shots, at least putting and short game can shave off a few

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If you suck with a Ping G MAX, you'll suck with MB's too. Handicaps come in all shapes and sizes, usually the difference between a 14 and a 6 cap is putting and chipping, looking at all the bogey golf guys out there. Short game will save you no matter what iron you want.

 

No way. Simply no way that is the case. So you dropped 7+ points off your index solely by improving your putts per round and your up/down %? No way.

The difference between 14 index and a 6 index is GIRs.

 

Whatever clubs get those increased GIRs, who cares, but that's where the consistent lower scores are.

 

Have to disagree man.

 

 

Won’t say a 15. But as I’ve said many times I started really playing this game in 2014. I’d shoot high 80s with some sprinkled in 77-79s. Kept my stats then. I hit 6-9 greens most rounds. And 3 putted regularly. But more importantly averaged 2 ob drives a round.

 

Today my low round is 65. Perfect day. With a lot of 72-74. But. I’ve shot 77-84 9 times this summer in comp while hitting 12 or more greens. I’ve improved tons all over. But still if I’m not getting up and down will shoot 8-12 handicap scores. Shortgame ( wedges) is solid. But it’s alwsys putter. You can hit 14 greens and 3 putt 7 times and be s***. I’ve done it too many times. Severa guys on this board have played with me. Seen it I person.

 

In the last 3 months I belive this putting issue is under control. So a non issue now. But just saying the idea that putting comes automatic to a good ballstriker isn’t true. Look at Rory. look at jason Duffner. It’s all relative. But how many 68s do they turn into 74 ? A ton. Blow that up on the scale and you have a guy turning 72 into 80 in the am world.

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Yes but you’re nowhere near a mid handicapper with those scores, and that’s exactly Jeff’s point.

 

A 15 capper on a bad day is throwing up close to 100.

 

So a legitimate 15 capper has more issues than short game and putting going on

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