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Handicap to play blades?


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> @Ripken08 said:

> > @herbert7890 said:

> > This video just released by the guys at TXG can bring some context into this topic. This case was an 8 handicap golfer, who actually got more forgiveness, consistency and distance from a blade (MP-20 MBs) compared to the wider soles 919, etc. On this case it seemed the turf interaction was much better with the blade, which helped with his fat shots tendencies (blades cut through the turf better) so he wasnt losing much distance with the blades compared to GI irons. In addition, they discussed the fact that a good chunk of golfers seems to have less toe down position at impact with blades vs larger sole irons, again improving their strike. All of us here should watch this full video and learn a bit from one of the best fitters in the world.

> >

> > The end results from the fitting was:

> >

> > 4-5 iron: Mizuno MP-20 MMC

> > 6-PW: Mizuno MP-20 MB

> >

> >

>

> Turf interaction??? He is being fitted on a MAT. Things might be substantially different on grass.

 

 

Look, I love what they're trying to do and the dream they have but that YT channel scores HIGH in eye-rolls per minute, LOL.

 

Fitting irons on an indoor simulator is kind of hilarious isn't it? I mean, how many golfers would be playing blades if golf consisted of hitting full shot after full shot after full shot from more-than-ideal conditions?!

 

My guess is that 99% of golfers in that universe would be playing blades.

 

 

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As others have said, there is no true handicap.

 

I have an old set of Mizuno Mp-14 irons at my fathers home in Myrtle Beach. I play them only when I go visit which is once a year and I play 3-5 rounds with them. For some reason, I hit them pretty well.

 

I am a 5.5 handicap and currently play the Ping I210. I was fitted for them this year and dropped my handicap almost 3 strokes. Is it only because of the irons? No. But I think getting fit compared to my last set, which I bought off ebay, did help.

 

I have hit a few blades before and I do love the look, but I know I am not a consistent enough ball striker to game them. I hit some Mizuno irons early in the season, with one being the MP blade, I think it was the 18 (the ones before the MP-20) and I was consistently a full club or more shorter.

 

For me, the I210 at address is great. I think the topline is not too thin, nor too fat. Just right. The soles are definitely wider compared to say an Ap2 or Mizuno blade, but I am very consistent with the ball striking and I personally prefer a little forgiveness. If pros like Lee Westwood, Tyrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland and just about every Ping staffer on the LPGA prefer them, then you know it is a great club.

 

The best advice is to either go for a fitting or a local shop that has a simulator and hit some to find out for yourself. If you think you can game them, go for it.

 

If not, there are plenty of clubs that are not true "blades" that have a look at address that give you the confidence, without it looking like a shovel.

 

Good luck!

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> @Ripken08 said:

>

> Turf interaction??? He is being fitted on a MAT. Things might be substantially different on grass.

 

Maybe but you can't convince me being fit for clubs on Mats could have a derogatory influence with the clubs off the turf. If that had any scientific or fitting merit, the proliferation of mats used by instructors, club fitters and many high-end golf course ranges wouldn't exist.

 

When I took up the game at 40, I hit as much as 1500 balls a week much of that was off mats. Many of us don't have a lot of choice in the matter since many better ranges least in my vicinity opt for practice mats, even some of the private clubs have them, due to volume of golfers. I am going to a high-end practice range in a bit with blades, and it has mats.

 

Last, in some instances, the experience of learning off mats gave me an advantage. It taught me off mats sweep the ball. A well-struck ball still spins regardless of surface. We see that hitting the ball off concrete cart paths. Learning this way taught me to take a gentle scrape of turf to the roots but facing firm turf or hardpan sweep the ball. Diggers, learning off grass regardless of club, don't typically learn that technique. Have a good day.

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> @Pepperturbo said:

> > @Ripken08 said:

> >

> > Turf interaction??? He is being fitted on a MAT. Things might be substantially different on grass.

>

> Maybe but you can't convince me being fit for clubs on Mats could have a derogatory influence with the clubs off the turf. If that had any scientific or fitting merit, the proliferation of mats used by instructors, club fitters and many high-end golf course ranges wouldn't exist.

>

> When I took up the game at 40, I hit as much as 1500 balls a week much of that was off mats. Many of us don't have a lot of choice in the matter since many better ranges least in my vicinity opt for practice mats, even some of the private clubs have them, due to volume of golfers. I am going to a high-end practice range in a bit with blades, and it has mats.

>

> Last, in some instances, the experience of learning off mats gave me an advantage. It taught me off mats sweep the ball. A well-struck ball still spins regardless of surface. We see that hitting the ball off concrete cart paths. Learning this way taught me to take a gentle scrape of turf to the roots but facing firm turf or hardpan sweep the ball. Diggers, learning off grass regardless of club, don't typically learn that technique. Have a good day.

 

How do you feel about having a guy beat balls with a 6-iron taking full swing after full-swing on a simulator?

 

To me, that's the comedy of this whole thing. Don't know about you but here in the rolling hills of the south, there's no such thing as a flat lie. And the notion that your 10th shot means anything is kind of beside the point isn't it? If the guy's an 8-handicap with a reasonable swing (which he was) then he's going to hit a blade perfectly fine in a simulator.

 

I totally agree with you about mats. They present the ball on a perfectly level surface with literally nothing so much as a blade of grass sitting there behind the ball. When I hit off mats I generally shallow out and sweep the ball producing higher-than-normal shots. If ever there was a situation where a blade is going to look like the "right" club it's off a mat on a simulator.

 

To me, you have to get out there and hit that 6i numerous times from a variety of lies to really see whether you're comfortable with it and whether it's going to really out-perform a comparable CB. And remember, you don't get 10 swings either. You get one pass and you have to accept the result.

 

I totally agree with how the guys on that channel fitted that guy for Korea's Simulator Golf Tour. But my guess is he doesn't play in that environment.

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> @Pepperturbo said:

> > @mschantz said:

> > > @jamieholo said:

> > > personal opinion here.. not necessarily a handicap but more so ball striking ability. i think you have to look at it another way.. how many times a round does playing not a blade HURT you. if those are the conversations you are having you are ready to play a blade and BENEFIT from it. how often do you have to shape a ball around a tree to get you 50 yards closer to the hole or on the green to save you a stroke. and do you have the ability to hit that shot. how often do you hit a pure 6 iron out of the rough that knuckles and flies the green 20 yards. again do you have that shot. how often are you pinched under a tree and have to a stinger 180 yards up the fairway that you can't keep down because you are hitting a more forgiving club. notice the pattern.. do you have that shot. are you hitting the ball pure enough every time to notice that you hit the ball half a dime high, the ball finds the 'hot spot' and knuckles and flies the green and hurts you. do you hit the ball straight enough that you would rather leave the ball 10 yards short of the green but closer to the line of target over a ball thats pin high but 10 yards wayward. and ill admit that a CB to an MB probably isn't noticeably different to an amateur trying to hit SHOTS.

> > > other option. do you like the look? are you happy enough with where the ball ends up for the swing you think you made? if the answer is yes. HIT EM!

> >

> > Let me add to this. **All of the shots you mentioned can be made by both types of the clubs in the hands of good players, but many of them are very low percentage shots for even the best players. **I never take low percentage shots because in my case they usually worsen the problem and end up costing more strokes than putting the ball back in play with a high percentage shot. If you're a pro trying to earn a living, it's a different calculation.

> >

> > I totally get your point. I benefit from blades because I make better golf shots and score better with them. It's that simple. I probably make better golf shots with them because learning to hit them improved my game quite a bit. There's no mystery there. But for me it took LOT of work that needs constant reinforcement.

>

> The same can be said for cars and track experienced drivers. All cars get the driver from point A to B and a good driver can drive both. However, someone that **wants** to be a skilled driver will choose the vehicle that's designed for high-speed track driving and drifting.

 

That's an excellent point Pepper but you didn't finish the thought.

 

Not every driver that WANTS to drive that track car is ABLE to drive that track car. Only the MOST HIGHLY SKILLED drivers can handle that track car.

 

So yes, the comparison of driving the track car to playing blades is actually a pretty good one.

 

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> @herbert7890 said:

> This video just released by the guys at TXG can bring some context into this topic. This case was an 8 handicap golfer, who actually got more forgiveness, consistency and distance from a blade (MP-20 MBs) compared to the wider soles 919, etc. ** On this case it seemed the turf interaction was much better with the blade, which helped with his fat shots tendencies (blades cut through the turf better) so he wasnt losing much distance with the blades compared to GI irons**. In addition, they discussed the fact that a good chunk of golfers seems to have less toe down position at impact with blades vs larger sole irons, again improving their strike. All of us here should watch this full video and learn a bit from one of the best fitters in the world.

>

 

I just love how much I learn on this site.

 

So the thinner blade, usually with a sharper leading edge, with less bounce hits the ground first and somehow powers through the ground and into the back of the ball for less distance loss ?

 

And the GI iron, usually with a more rounded leading edge and more bounce, you know, to bounce off the ground INTO the back of the ball, loses more distance.

 

Interesting how that works.

 

So much about this game seems to be counter-intuitive it's amazing we can get it airborne,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

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Ping Glide Forged, 48, DGS300

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> @nsxguy said:

> > @herbert7890 said:

> > This video just released by the guys at TXG can bring some context into this topic. This case was an 8 handicap golfer, who actually got more forgiveness, consistency and distance from a blade (MP-20 MBs) compared to the wider soles 919, etc. ** On this case it seemed the turf interaction was much better with the blade, which helped with his fat shots tendencies (blades cut through the turf better) so he wasnt losing much distance with the blades compared to GI irons**. In addition, they discussed the fact that a good chunk of golfers seems to have less toe down position at impact with blades vs larger sole irons, again improving their strike. All of us here should watch this full video and learn a bit from one of the best fitters in the world.

> >

>

> I just love how much I learn on this site.

>

> So the thinner blade, usually with a sharper leading edge, with less bounce hits the ground first and somehow powers through the ground and into the back of the ball for less distance loss ?

>

> And the GI iron, usually with a more rounded leading edge and more bounce, you know, to bounce off the ground INTO the back of the ball, loses more distance.

>

> Interesting how that works.

>

> So much about this game seems to be counter-intuitive it's amazing we can get it airborne,,,,,,,,,,,,,

>

 

When I watched that video on release I thought to myself "oh god they're going to have a field day with this in a blade v cavity thread". My guess is that the guy gets to Florida and digs a ditch behind the ball on half of his shots.

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> @nsxguy said:

> > @Pepperturbo said:

> > > @mschantz said:

> > > > @jamieholo said:

> > > > personal opinion here.. not necessarily a handicap but more so ball striking ability. i think you have to look at it another way.. how many times a round does playing not a blade HURT you. if those are the conversations you are having you are ready to play a blade and BENEFIT from it. how often do you have to shape a ball around a tree to get you 50 yards closer to the hole or on the green to save you a stroke. and do you have the ability to hit that shot. how often do you hit a pure 6 iron out of the rough that knuckles and flies the green 20 yards. again do you have that shot. how often are you pinched under a tree and have to a stinger 180 yards up the fairway that you can't keep down because you are hitting a more forgiving club. notice the pattern.. do you have that shot. are you hitting the ball pure enough every time to notice that you hit the ball half a dime high, the ball finds the 'hot spot' and knuckles and flies the green and hurts you. do you hit the ball straight enough that you would rather leave the ball 10 yards short of the green but closer to the line of target over a ball thats pin high but 10 yards wayward. and ill admit that a CB to an MB probably isn't noticeably different to an amateur trying to hit SHOTS.

> > > > other option. do you like the look? are you happy enough with where the ball ends up for the swing you think you made? if the answer is yes. HIT EM!

> > >

> > > Let me add to this. **All of the shots you mentioned can be made by both types of the clubs in the hands of good players, but many of them are very low percentage shots for even the best players. **I never take low percentage shots because in my case they usually worsen the problem and end up costing more strokes than putting the ball back in play with a high percentage shot. If you're a pro trying to earn a living, it's a different calculation.

> > >

> > > I totally get your point. I benefit from blades because I make better golf shots and score better with them. It's that simple. I probably make better golf shots with them because learning to hit them improved my game quite a bit. There's no mystery there. But for me it took LOT of work that needs constant reinforcement.

> >

> > The same can be said for cars and track experienced drivers. All cars get the driver from point A to B and a good driver can drive both. However, someone that **wants** to be a skilled driver will choose the vehicle that's designed for high-speed track driving and drifting.

>

> That's an excellent point Pepper but you didn't finish the thought.

>

> Not every driver that WANTS to drive that track car is ABLE to drive that track car. Only the MOST HIGHLY SKILLED drivers can handle that track car.

>

> So yes, the comparison of driving the track car to playing blades is actually a pretty good one.

>

 

So track cars or even just high performance autos are over the head of most drivers. And....so what. Does not mean they are not enjoyable. Same with golf gear that's "over the head". For every duffer bagging blades there's hundreds if not thousands bagging tour level shafts or low spin bombing drivers or fancy 3 wedge setups and yet all those are over the head too.

 

To be a dude in this game now, you need to drop coin on fancy irons, coin on 3 wedges because those fancy clubs are useless below 150 yards and then blend in hybrids on long end too. So you now have three specialized clubs with completely different profile's of heads and shafts to replace what was once a coherent and well blended set. Three clubs to master vs one. That's rational. And guy with $300 Hogan's or even $1300 Mizuno's in his bag is the crazy one. Crazy works for me.

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> @nsxguy said:

> > @herbert7890 said:

> > This video just released by the guys at TXG can bring some context into this topic. This case was an 8 handicap golfer, who actually got more forgiveness, consistency and distance from a blade (MP-20 MBs) compared to the wider soles 919, etc. ** On this case it seemed the turf interaction was much better with the blade, which helped with his fat shots tendencies (blades cut through the turf better) so he wasnt losing much distance with the blades compared to GI irons**. In addition, they discussed the fact that a good chunk of golfers seems to have less toe down position at impact with blades vs larger sole irons, again improving their strike. All of us here should watch this full video and learn a bit from one of the best fitters in the world.

> >

>

> I just love how much I learn on this site.

>

> So the thinner blade, usually with a sharper leading edge, with less bounce hits the ground first and somehow powers through the ground and into the back of the ball for less distance loss ?

>

> And the GI iron, usually with a more rounded leading edge and more bounce, you know, to bounce off the ground INTO the back of the ball, loses more distance.

>

> Interesting how that works.

>

> So much about this game seems to be counter-intuitive it's amazing we can get it airborne,,,,,,,,,,,,,

>

 

As a not great golfer by any means, (I have been playing for less than a year and I shoot around 100), I have experienced that GI irons with the rounded leading edge and more bounce do not necessarily help me strike the ball.

 

The first set of clubs I picked up were a set of Nike Ignite irons. They did fine for me at first before I really developed a consistent swing, but then I started realizing I could hit my secondhand Vokeys great all the time on full shots, and if there was any sogginess to the ground at all, that "bounce off the ground" became a topped shot that rolled out to around thirteen feet.

 

I had a set of antique looking blades that I found in an attic, so I started playing around with hitting shots with the 6 iron. I could hit this thing awesome.

 

I started looking, and found a set of Mizuno MP-33's for $120, and picked them up. 2-P. I have been gaming these for a couple months now and playing twice a week with some range time mixed in there. My scores have fallen off 0% by playing the blades, and by the way, I even hit the 2 iron pretty well off the tee. Weirdly also, I actually hit these clubs FURTHER than the GI's. Like 8 or so yards further each club. Mishits do go shorter than perfect strikes, but my mishits are like fell 10 yards in front of the green short, not duffed for a 3 foot roller mishits. Also, if I hit the shot off the toe some, I would a lot of times not rather send that offline toe shot 180 yards into the weeds like you do with a GI. I'm also learning what shots feel like when they're not in the sweet spot.

 

Now, in conclusion, do I think 18 year old blades that I bought off Facebook Marketplace are the best club for me? No, by all means. But I do know on the days that I couldn't strike my GI clubs, I can strike these, and it's a lot less frustrating. You could fit me perfect for some irons right now and I guarantee I'd still shoot 100. I still have several beginner duffer style circus mishits each round that you look around to make sure no one saw, that no amount of super duper double throwdown game improvement could help. So now when I decide to get fitted someday when I can actually play a decent full round of golf, I'll have some characteristics in mind of clubs to test out. And in the meantime, I enjoy golf a lot more than I did with the clubs that didn't work well for me, and it cannot in any way be a bad thing to be practicing with clubs that are "hard" to hit. I will admit, that 2 iron is pretty tiny.

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I don't see the need to make confusing analogies where we all understand the principles being discussed.

 

If we must talk about something as peripheral as "track cars" it would be a discussion about how aggressive the setup ought to be for different levels of driver. I'm sure there are varying degrees of track car setups, right?

 

Any conversation about track car vs sedan vs SUV vs mini-van would be more like long iron vs wedge, vs fairway metal vs driver. Different tools for different shots.

 

That's what this is, a conversation about the varying degrees of golf clubs. Do you need a long iron set up for Tour-level ball-striking? Do you need a long iron that's set up to increase height? Do you need one set up to provide some forgiveness in carry distance?

 

It's about the setup.

 

 

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> @bradleybusch92 said:

> > @nsxguy said:

> > > @herbert7890 said:

> > > This video just released by the guys at TXG can bring some context into this topic. This case was an 8 handicap golfer, who actually got more forgiveness, consistency and distance from a blade (MP-20 MBs) compared to the wider soles 919, etc. ** On this case it seemed the turf interaction was much better with the blade, which helped with his fat shots tendencies (blades cut through the turf better) so he wasnt losing much distance with the blades compared to GI irons**. In addition, they discussed the fact that a good chunk of golfers seems to have less toe down position at impact with blades vs larger sole irons, again improving their strike. All of us here should watch this full video and learn a bit from one of the best fitters in the world.

> > >

> >

> > I just love how much I learn on this site.

> >

> > So the thinner blade, usually with a sharper leading edge, with less bounce hits the ground first and somehow powers through the ground and into the back of the ball for less distance loss ?

> >

> > And the GI iron, usually with a more rounded leading edge and more bounce, you know, to bounce off the ground INTO the back of the ball, loses more distance.

> >

> > Interesting how that works.

> >

> > So much about this game seems to be counter-intuitive it's amazing we can get it airborne,,,,,,,,,,,,,

> >

>

> As a not great golfer by any means, (I have been playing for less than a year and I shoot around 100), I have experienced that GI irons with the rounded leading edge and more bounce do not necessarily help me strike the ball.

>

> The first set of clubs I picked up were a set of Nike Ignite irons. They did fine for me at first before I really developed a consistent swing, but then I started realizing I could hit my secondhand Vokeys great all the time on full shots, and if there was any sogginess to the ground at all, that "bounce off the ground" became a topped shot that rolled out to around thirteen feet.

>

> I had a set of antique looking blades that I found in an attic, so I started playing around with hitting shots with the 6 iron. I could hit this thing awesome.

>

> I started looking, and found a set of Mizuno MP-33's for $120, and picked them up. 2-P. I have been gaming these for a couple months now and playing twice a week with some range time mixed in there. My scores have fallen off 0% by playing the blades, and by the way, I even hit the 2 iron pretty well off the tee. Weirdly also, I actually hit these clubs FURTHER than the GI's. Like 8 or so yards further each club. Mishits do go shorter than perfect strikes, but my mishits are like fell 10 yards in front of the green short, not duffed for a 3 foot roller mishits. Also, if I hit the shot off the toe some, I would a lot of times not rather send that offline toe shot 180 yards into the weeds like you do with a GI. I'm also learning what shots feel like when they're not in the sweet spot.

>

> Now, in conclusion, do I think 18 year old blades that I bought off Facebook Marketplace are the best club for me? No, by all means. But I do know on the days that I couldn't strike my GI clubs, I can strike these, and it's a lot less frustrating. You could fit me perfect for some irons right now and I guarantee I'd still shoot 100. I still have several beginner duffer style circus mishits each round that you look around to make sure no one saw, that no amount of super duper double throwdown game improvement could help. So now when I decide to get fitted someday when I can actually play a decent full round of golf, I'll have some characteristics in mind of clubs to test out. And in the meantime, I enjoy golf a lot more than I did with the clubs that didn't work well for me, and it cannot in any way be a bad thing to be practicing with clubs that are "hard" to hit. I will admit, that 2 iron is pretty tiny.

 

Everybody goes through the “I bought a set of older blades and hit them better than my GI irons” phase when they’re learning. You’ll do this for a bit and go back and forth with something more forgiving. I did the exact same thing with a set of MP32s.

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> @balls_deep said:

> > @bradleybusch92 said:

> > > @nsxguy said:

> > > > @herbert7890 said:

> > > > This video just released by the guys at TXG can bring some context into this topic. This case was an 8 handicap golfer, who actually got more forgiveness, consistency and distance from a blade (MP-20 MBs) compared to the wider soles 919, etc. ** On this case it seemed the turf interaction was much better with the blade, which helped with his fat shots tendencies (blades cut through the turf better) so he wasnt losing much distance with the blades compared to GI irons**. In addition, they discussed the fact that a good chunk of golfers seems to have less toe down position at impact with blades vs larger sole irons, again improving their strike. All of us here should watch this full video and learn a bit from one of the best fitters in the world.

> > > >

> > >

> > > I just love how much I learn on this site.

> > >

> > > So the thinner blade, usually with a sharper leading edge, with less bounce hits the ground first and somehow powers through the ground and into the back of the ball for less distance loss ?

> > >

> > > And the GI iron, usually with a more rounded leading edge and more bounce, you know, to bounce off the ground INTO the back of the ball, loses more distance.

> > >

> > > Interesting how that works.

> > >

> > > So much about this game seems to be counter-intuitive it's amazing we can get it airborne,,,,,,,,,,,,,

> > >

> >

> > As a not great golfer by any means, (I have been playing for less than a year and I shoot around 100), I have experienced that GI irons with the rounded leading edge and more bounce do not necessarily help me strike the ball.

> >

> > The first set of clubs I picked up were a set of Nike Ignite irons. They did fine for me at first before I really developed a consistent swing, but then I started realizing I could hit my secondhand Vokeys great all the time on full shots, and if there was any sogginess to the ground at all, that "bounce off the ground" became a topped shot that rolled out to around thirteen feet.

> >

> > I had a set of antique looking blades that I found in an attic, so I started playing around with hitting shots with the 6 iron. I could hit this thing awesome.

> >

> > I started looking, and found a set of Mizuno MP-33's for $120, and picked them up. 2-P. I have been gaming these for a couple months now and playing twice a week with some range time mixed in there. My scores have fallen off 0% by playing the blades, and by the way, I even hit the 2 iron pretty well off the tee. Weirdly also, I actually hit these clubs FURTHER than the GI's. Like 8 or so yards further each club. Mishits do go shorter than perfect strikes, but my mishits are like fell 10 yards in front of the green short, not duffed for a 3 foot roller mishits. Also, if I hit the shot off the toe some, I would a lot of times not rather send that offline toe shot 180 yards into the weeds like you do with a GI. I'm also learning what shots feel like when they're not in the sweet spot.

> >

> > Now, in conclusion, do I think 18 year old blades that I bought off Facebook Marketplace are the best club for me? No, by all means. But I do know on the days that I couldn't strike my GI clubs, I can strike these, and it's a lot less frustrating. You could fit me perfect for some irons right now and I guarantee I'd still shoot 100. I still have several beginner duffer style circus mishits each round that you look around to make sure no one saw, that no amount of super duper double throwdown game improvement could help. So now when I decide to get fitted someday when I can actually play a decent full round of golf, I'll have some characteristics in mind of clubs to test out. And in the meantime, I enjoy golf a lot more than I did with the clubs that didn't work well for me, and it cannot in any way be a bad thing to be practicing with clubs that are "hard" to hit. I will admit, that 2 iron is pretty tiny.

>

> Everybody goes through the “I bought a set of older blades and hit them better than my GI irons” phase when they’re learning. You’ll do this for a bit and go back and forth with something more forgiving. I did the exact same thing with a set of MP32s.

 

Totally agree.

 

I started when I was in my early 20's so I never really saw the need to use a "distance iron." I basically started out on blades and I went back and forth between a blade and a forged player's CB for 8-10 years before arriving where I am now.

 

I think that when you're first picking up the game, it's just important to transition into a player's club at some stage. Despite what some say, I have never really seen a "good" player with game-improvement irons. I know they exist (mostly seniors who appreciate the added height they get on their shots) but if we're isolating younger men they generally don't lack power and so game-improvement or "distance" irons are really of no help.

 

So there's a phase where just getting a player's club in your hands is a great experience and yes, it probably does push you to polish up your swing a little bit.

 

But once you get down to a 10- or 15-handicap and essentially plateau because your swing isn't perfect that's when you start to realize every little mistake adds up and having a 5-iron that's a little easier to launch or a 7-iron that's more forgiving off a variety of different lies is maybe the better way to go.

TSR3 (9o) (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-6)
TSR2+ (14.5o 3w) (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7)

TSR2 (21o 7w) (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7)

zU85 (4-6) (UST Recoil)
Z-Forged (7-Gw) (Nippon Modus3)

SM9 56-F / 60-S
Maltby PTM-5CS

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> @MelloYello said:

> > @balls_deep said:

> > > @bradleybusch92 said:

> > > > @nsxguy said:

> > > > > @herbert7890 said:

> > > > > This video just released by the guys at TXG can bring some context into this topic. This case was an 8 handicap golfer, who actually got more forgiveness, consistency and distance from a blade (MP-20 MBs) compared to the wider soles 919, etc. ** On this case it seemed the turf interaction was much better with the blade, which helped with his fat shots tendencies (blades cut through the turf better) so he wasnt losing much distance with the blades compared to GI irons**. In addition, they discussed the fact that a good chunk of golfers seems to have less toe down position at impact with blades vs larger sole irons, again improving their strike. All of us here should watch this full video and learn a bit from one of the best fitters in the world.

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > > I just love how much I learn on this site.

> > > >

> > > > So the thinner blade, usually with a sharper leading edge, with less bounce hits the ground first and somehow powers through the ground and into the back of the ball for less distance loss ?

> > > >

> > > > And the GI iron, usually with a more rounded leading edge and more bounce, you know, to bounce off the ground INTO the back of the ball, loses more distance.

> > > >

> > > > Interesting how that works.

> > > >

> > > > So much about this game seems to be counter-intuitive it's amazing we can get it airborne,,,,,,,,,,,,,

> > > >

> > >

> > > As a not great golfer by any means, (I have been playing for less than a year and I shoot around 100), I have experienced that GI irons with the rounded leading edge and more bounce do not necessarily help me strike the ball.

> > >

> > > The first set of clubs I picked up were a set of Nike Ignite irons. They did fine for me at first before I really developed a consistent swing, but then I started realizing I could hit my secondhand Vokeys great all the time on full shots, and if there was any sogginess to the ground at all, that "bounce off the ground" became a topped shot that rolled out to around thirteen feet.

> > >

> > > I had a set of antique looking blades that I found in an attic, so I started playing around with hitting shots with the 6 iron. I could hit this thing awesome.

> > >

> > > I started looking, and found a set of Mizuno MP-33's for $120, and picked them up. 2-P. I have been gaming these for a couple months now and playing twice a week with some range time mixed in there. My scores have fallen off 0% by playing the blades, and by the way, I even hit the 2 iron pretty well off the tee. Weirdly also, I actually hit these clubs FURTHER than the GI's. Like 8 or so yards further each club. Mishits do go shorter than perfect strikes, but my mishits are like fell 10 yards in front of the green short, not duffed for a 3 foot roller mishits. Also, if I hit the shot off the toe some, I would a lot of times not rather send that offline toe shot 180 yards into the weeds like you do with a GI. I'm also learning what shots feel like when they're not in the sweet spot.

> > >

> > > Now, in conclusion, do I think 18 year old blades that I bought off Facebook Marketplace are the best club for me? No, by all means. But I do know on the days that I couldn't strike my GI clubs, I can strike these, and it's a lot less frustrating. You could fit me perfect for some irons right now and I guarantee I'd still shoot 100. I still have several beginner duffer style circus mishits each round that you look around to make sure no one saw, that no amount of super duper double throwdown game improvement could help. So now when I decide to get fitted someday when I can actually play a decent full round of golf, I'll have some characteristics in mind of clubs to test out. And in the meantime, I enjoy golf a lot more than I did with the clubs that didn't work well for me, and it cannot in any way be a bad thing to be practicing with clubs that are "hard" to hit. I will admit, that 2 iron is pretty tiny.

> >

> > Everybody goes through the “I bought a set of older blades and hit them better than my GI irons” phase when they’re learning. You’ll do this for a bit and go back and forth with something more forgiving. I did the exact same thing with a set of MP32s.

>

> Totally agree.

>

> I started when I was in my early 20's so I never really saw the need to use a "distance iron." I basically started out on blades and I went back and forth between a blade and a forged player's CB for 8-10 years before arriving where I am now.

>

> I think that when you're first picking up the game, it's just important to transition into a player's club at some stage. Despite what some say, I have never really seen a "good" player with game-improvement irons. I know they exist (mostly seniors who appreciate the added height they get on their shots) but if we're isolating younger men they generally don't lack power and so game-improvement or "distance" irons are really of no help.

>

> So there's a phase where just getting a player's club in your hands is a great experience and yes, it probably does push you to polish up your swing a little bit.

>

> **But once you get down to a 10- or 15-handicap and essentially plateau because your swing isn't perfect that's when you start to realize every little mistake adds up and having a 5-iron that's a little easier to launch or a 7-iron that's more forgiving off a variety of different lies is maybe the better way to go.**

 

Basically, this. It doesn’t matter when you’re shooting 100 - you aren’t hitting greens anyways. When you’re trying to shoot par you’re not just trying to hit the green you’re trying to put your ball on the right tier of the green etc or under the hole and if you’re striking blades out the middle every time and your path/face to path are perfect then great, you’ll hit those spots. The best ball strikers I’ve ever played with have used Srixon 7 or 9 series, Titleist CB, and Miura blades. Certainly none of the Ping G scratch players you hear of on here but I’m sure they exist. Most great players I’ve had games with use a compact players CB. The 785 is chunkier than I’d like but I played a match two days after getting them and won. That’s enough for me.

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Car analogies fail on so many fronts that they're not even remotely applicable. Golf Irons are hunks of low tech metal on the end of a stick. A better analogy would be hammers. Some have steel heads, some titanium. They both drive nails. Some have curved claws, some straight - they both pull nails. You bent the nail? It's not the hammer's fault even a little bit.

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> @balls_deep said:

> > @MelloYello said:

> > > @balls_deep said:

> > > > @bradleybusch92 said:

> > > > > @nsxguy said:

> > > > > > @herbert7890 said:

> > > > > > This video just released by the guys at TXG can bring some context into this topic. This case was an 8 handicap golfer, who actually got more forgiveness, consistency and distance from a blade (MP-20 MBs) compared to the wider soles 919, etc. ** On this case it seemed the turf interaction was much better with the blade, which helped with his fat shots tendencies (blades cut through the turf better) so he wasnt losing much distance with the blades compared to GI irons**. In addition, they discussed the fact that a good chunk of golfers seems to have less toe down position at impact with blades vs larger sole irons, again improving their strike. All of us here should watch this full video and learn a bit from one of the best fitters in the world.

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > I just love how much I learn on this site.

> > > > >

> > > > > So the thinner blade, usually with a sharper leading edge, with less bounce hits the ground first and somehow powers through the ground and into the back of the ball for less distance loss ?

> > > > >

> > > > > And the GI iron, usually with a more rounded leading edge and more bounce, you know, to bounce off the ground INTO the back of the ball, loses more distance.

> > > > >

> > > > > Interesting how that works.

> > > > >

> > > > > So much about this game seems to be counter-intuitive it's amazing we can get it airborne,,,,,,,,,,,,,

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > > As a not great golfer by any means, (I have been playing for less than a year and I shoot around 100), I have experienced that GI irons with the rounded leading edge and more bounce do not necessarily help me strike the ball.

> > > >

> > > > The first set of clubs I picked up were a set of Nike Ignite irons. They did fine for me at first before I really developed a consistent swing, but then I started realizing I could hit my secondhand Vokeys great all the time on full shots, and if there was any sogginess to the ground at all, that "bounce off the ground" became a topped shot that rolled out to around thirteen feet.

> > > >

> > > > I had a set of antique looking blades that I found in an attic, so I started playing around with hitting shots with the 6 iron. I could hit this thing awesome.

> > > >

> > > > I started looking, and found a set of Mizuno MP-33's for $120, and picked them up. 2-P. I have been gaming these for a couple months now and playing twice a week with some range time mixed in there. My scores have fallen off 0% by playing the blades, and by the way, I even hit the 2 iron pretty well off the tee. Weirdly also, I actually hit these clubs FURTHER than the GI's. Like 8 or so yards further each club. Mishits do go shorter than perfect strikes, but my mishits are like fell 10 yards in front of the green short, not duffed for a 3 foot roller mishits. Also, if I hit the shot off the toe some, I would a lot of times not rather send that offline toe shot 180 yards into the weeds like you do with a GI. I'm also learning what shots feel like when they're not in the sweet spot.

> > > >

> > > > Now, in conclusion, do I think 18 year old blades that I bought off Facebook Marketplace are the best club for me? No, by all means. But I do know on the days that I couldn't strike my GI clubs, I can strike these, and it's a lot less frustrating. You could fit me perfect for some irons right now and I guarantee I'd still shoot 100. I still have several beginner duffer style circus mishits each round that you look around to make sure no one saw, that no amount of super duper double throwdown game improvement could help. So now when I decide to get fitted someday when I can actually play a decent full round of golf, I'll have some characteristics in mind of clubs to test out. And in the meantime, I enjoy golf a lot more than I did with the clubs that didn't work well for me, and it cannot in any way be a bad thing to be practicing with clubs that are "hard" to hit. I will admit, that 2 iron is pretty tiny.

> > >

> > > Everybody goes through the “I bought a set of older blades and hit them better than my GI irons” phase when they’re learning. You’ll do this for a bit and go back and forth with something more forgiving. I did the exact same thing with a set of MP32s.

> >

> > Totally agree.

> >

> > I started when I was in my early 20's so I never really saw the need to use a "distance iron." I basically started out on blades and I went back and forth between a blade and a forged player's CB for 8-10 years before arriving where I am now.

> >

> > I think that when you're first picking up the game, it's just important to transition into a player's club at some stage. Despite what some say, I have never really seen a "good" player with game-improvement irons. I know they exist (mostly seniors who appreciate the added height they get on their shots) but if we're isolating younger men they generally don't lack power and so game-improvement or "distance" irons are really of no help.

> >

> > So there's a phase where just getting a player's club in your hands is a great experience and yes, it probably does push you to polish up your swing a little bit.

> >

> > **But once you get down to a 10- or 15-handicap and essentially plateau because your swing isn't perfect that's when you start to realize every little mistake adds up and having a 5-iron that's a little easier to launch or a 7-iron that's more forgiving off a variety of different lies is maybe the better way to go.**

>

> Basically, this. It doesn’t matter when you’re shooting 100 - you aren’t hitting greens anyways. When you’re trying to shoot par you’re not just trying to hit the green you’re trying to put your ball on the right tier of the green etc or under the hole and if you’re striking blades out the middle every time and your path/face to path are perfect then great, you’ll hit those spots. The best ball strikers I’ve ever played with have used Srixon 7 or 9 series, Titleist CB, and Miura blades. Certainly none of the Ping G scratch players you hear of on here but I’m sure they exist. Most great players I’ve had games with use a compact players CB. The 785 is chunkier than I’d like but I played a match two days after getting them and won. That’s enough for me.

 

 

 

I've played with some really good college players and I've never heard of the Srixon 7 or 9 series and I've never seen a set of Miura's on the course.

The guys shooting 72 with a set of Ping G series are usually 40-55 years old. Like me (well I don't shoot 72... maybe 75). You know... white tee's, 155 yard 7 irons... just not hitting crap shots... ever.

 

 

And I've seen good college players (+1 to +5) playing all kinds of crap including some big chunky Taylormade's... but definitely a lot of titleist (CB's & AP2's are quite popular) and mizuno. It'll be interesting to see how much this changes the next 10 years (because I feel it's changing). I'm 43. So going back say 20 years it seemed like if you were a top amateur by 9-10th grade it was just a right of passage that you were upgraded to a high end set of Titleist or Mizuno. I'm seeing a lot more TM in really good high school players bags these days. But I see everything Cobra, Callaway, PXG, Ping i200's, etc...

 

I do think those really good high school players who stick with the game... almost all of them end up in a smallish players head.

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> @dubbelbogey said:

> Car analogies fail on so many fronts that they're not even remotely applicable. Golf Irons are hunks of low tech metal on the end of a stick. A better analogy would be hammers. Some have steel heads, some titanium. They both drive nails. Some have curved claws, some straight - they both pull nails. You bent the nail? It's not the hammer's fault even a little bit.

 

As an inexperienced hammer user, which one do you think would be easier to hit a nail with?

 

 

![](https://st.depositphotos.com/2489675/2757/i/950/depositphotos_27576035-stock-photo-big-and-small-hammers.jpg "")

 

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> @balls_deep said:

> > @dubbelbogey said:

> > Car analogies fail on so many fronts that they're not even remotely applicable. Golf Irons are hunks of low tech metal on the end of a stick. A better analogy would be hammers. Some have steel heads, some titanium. They both drive nails. Some have curved claws, some straight - they both pull nails. You bent the nail? It's not the hammer's fault even a little bit.

>

> As an inexperienced hammer user, which one do you think would be easier to hit a nail with?

>

>

> ![](https://st.depositphotos.com/2489675/2757/i/950/depositphotos_27576035-stock-photo-big-and-small-hammers.jpg "")

>

 

How about hitting the nail in the CENTER of the hammer.....which one is easier?

 

 

 

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> @Ripken08 said:

> > @balls_deep said:

> > > @dubbelbogey said:

> > > Car analogies fail on so many fronts that they're not even remotely applicable. Golf Irons are hunks of low tech metal on the end of a stick. A better analogy would be hammers. Some have steel heads, some titanium. They both drive nails. Some have curved claws, some straight - they both pull nails. You bent the nail? It's not the hammer's fault even a little bit.

> >

> > As an inexperienced hammer user, which one do you think would be easier to hit a nail with?

> >

> >

> > ![](https://st.depositphotos.com/2489675/2757/i/950/depositphotos_27576035-stock-photo-big-and-small-hammers.jpg "")

> >

>

> How about hitting the nail in the CENTER of the hammer.....which one is easier?

 

I have and play blades but I'm a decent ball striker and have some speed. I just hate when people say they're easier, there's no downside, they make them focus more etc etc. You should be trying to hit center with any iron you're using, you can square any iron to hit a good shot, and ignoring perimeter weighting benefits is akin to thinking the earth is flat.

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One thing I think makes a huge difference is shaft weight.

 

I've commonly played normal, run-of-the-mill S300's which are a heavy shaft (130g). That's about the heaviest thing out there. I'm currently playing the AMT versions which drop about 3g per club so you go from 130g in the Pw down to about 109g in the 3-iron (roughly speaking).

 

Having hit 120g Project X shafts and even some of those KBS Tour 90's I really think shaft weight is huge. Thus I've always wanted to try and get some blades shafted with something lighter just to see if it isn't the best of both worlds--purity of a blade with the soft feel and easy launch of a light-weight shaft.

 

I know when I bought a set of AP2's off Ebay with KBS Tour 90's I couldn't keep them down. They were ridiculous. But I wonder if that sort of easy-to-elevate shaft wouldn't be really cool with a blade?

TSR3 (9o) (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-6)
TSR2+ (14.5o 3w) (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7)

TSR2 (21o 7w) (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7)

zU85 (4-6) (UST Recoil)
Z-Forged (7-Gw) (Nippon Modus3)

SM9 56-F / 60-S
Maltby PTM-5CS

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> @MelloYello said:

> One thing I think makes a huge difference is shaft weight.

>

> I've commonly played normal, run-of-the-mill S300's which are a heavy shaft (130g). That's about the heaviest thing out there. I'm currently playing the AMT versions which drop about 3g per club so you go from 130g in the Pw down to about 109g in the 3-iron (roughly speaking).

>

> Having hit 120g Project X shafts and even some of those KBS Tour 90's I really think shaft weight is huge. Thus I've always wanted to try and get some blades shafted with something lighter just to see if it isn't the best of both worlds--purity of a blade with the soft feel and easy launch of a light-weight shaft.

>

> I know when I bought a set of AP2's off Ebay with KBS Tour 90's I couldn't keep them down. They were ridiculous. But I wonder if that sort of easy-to-elevate shaft wouldn't be really cool with a blade?

 

I am thinking of going MP20s with Modus 105 R hardstepped (my normal shaft in my 919 HM). Also have my eye on MP32s. Had a set back a few years ago and regret selling them.

 

 

 

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> @mschantz said:

> @MelloYello

> @ balls_deep

>

> I also buy used mint condition balls off eBay.

>

> FWIW I know nothing about Snell Balls. I was interested in Kirkland after reviewing the Spy report. Then I recently read there was a big problem with these balls and Costco was, I think, issuing refunds.

>

> I’m sticking with Titleist.

 

I buy the fully refinished ProV1x for regular rounds and only bust out the new ones for tournaments.

 

Launch monitor says there's no difference between the two of them but something tells me they wouldn't technically be compliant in an event.

 

Sorry for the tangent.

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Here's my problem with the whole blade debates we have around here. There is so much more to getting from the tee to the green than just the help from perimeter weighting. The foregiveness of my G410's is second to none. At age 67 my handicap is the lowest it's been in years at a 9. But a couple parts of my game that suffered the most was my proximity to the pin on shots inside 100 yards and my chipping. Those 30,40,50 yard shots with my 410's are not good compared to a iron with a narrow sole. Touch shots are so much easier with a blade. I don't play long golf courses anymore so most of my second shots on par 4's are usually between 90-160 yards. I maintain anyone that plays once a week with a little practice thrown in can play any blade they want to play from at least the 7 on down and they may play better because of the superior turf interaction of blades and narrow soled cb's. I'm sure someone will come on here and post that I'm full of crap but this has been my experience.

 

Ping G430 Max 10.5

Ping G430 5&7 Wood

Ping G430 19°,22° Hybrids

Callaway 2007 X-Forged 5-PW/ PXG Gen 6 XP's 7-SW

Ping Glide 58ES Wedge

Ping PLD DS72 / Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2.5+ 

Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving

 

 

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> @lawsonman said:

> Here's my problem with the whole blade debates we have around here. There is so much more to getting from the tee to the green than just the help from perimeter weighting. The foregiveness of my G410's is second to none. At age 67 my handicap is the lowest it's been in years at a 9. But a couple parts of my game that suffered the most was my proximity to the pin on shots inside 100 yards and my chipping. Those 30,40,50 yard shots with my 410's are not good compared to a iron with a narrow sole. Touch shots are so much easier with a blade. I don't play long golf courses anymore so most of my second shots on par 4's are usually between 90-160 yards. I maintain anyone that plays once a week with a little practice thrown in can play any blade they want to play from at least the 7 on down and they may play better because of the superior turf interaction of blades and narrow soled cb's. I'm sure someone will come on here and post that I'm full of crap but this has been my experience.

 

That's the thing. I think a lot of people say their scores don't change with blades because most of the time they aren't playing over 6500 yards so they're just hitting driver wedge anyways and then hitting longer clubs off tees. I usually play 6800 because most courses around me aren't that long and most of the time I won't have more than an 8 iron in. I can bag a full set of blades without issue given the length. When I have the opportunity to play 7000+ I like having the help when I'm hitting long irons into 460+ par 4s. I agree I would absolutely never play anything chunky in short irons again. I'm fine controlling distance with the 785s because it's a one piece forging that doesn't feel too hot and the sole is narrow enough. I'd prefer blades in and set from 8-wedges

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> @balls_deep said:

> > @lawsonman said:

> > Here's my problem with the whole blade debates we have around here. There is so much more to getting from the tee to the green than just the help from perimeter weighting. The foregiveness of my G410's is second to none. At age 67 my handicap is the lowest it's been in years at a 9. But a couple parts of my game that suffered the most was my proximity to the pin on shots inside 100 yards and my chipping. Those 30,40,50 yard shots with my 410's are not good compared to a iron with a narrow sole. Touch shots are so much easier with a blade. I don't play long golf courses anymore so most of my second shots on par 4's are usually between 90-160 yards. I maintain anyone that plays once a week with a little practice thrown in can play any blade they want to play from at least the 7 on down and they may play better because of the superior turf interaction of blades and narrow soled cb's. I'm sure someone will come on here and post that I'm full of crap but this has been my experience.

>

> That's the thing. I think a lot of people say their scores don't change with blades because most of the time they aren't playing over 6500 yards so they're just hitting driver wedge anyways and then hitting longer clubs off tees. I usually play 6800 because most courses around me aren't that long and most of the time I won't have more than an 8 iron in. I can bag a full set of blades without issue given the length. When I have the opportunity to play 7000+ I like having the help when I'm hitting long irons into 460+ par 4s. I agree I would absolutely never play anything chunky in short irons again. I'm fine controlling distance with the 785s because it's a one piece forging that doesn't feel too hot and the sole is narrow enough. I'd prefer blades in and set from 8-wedges

 

 

There's something to what you say, but even with short yardage courses, you can't make that assumption. My home course is 6500 from the back tees, I just spent most of the last season playing at 6100 yds (par 71, fwiw). But, there are several holes where a long iron comes in to play. The par 3s on the back both play to the south or south by southwest, with a lot of south wind action, and are 175 and 196 yds from the white tees (200 and 213 from the back). And, much of the back nine is risk/reward tee shots requiring less than driver for yours truly, even from the blue tees.

 

Point being, plenty of opportunity for hitting long irons. And, evaluating long irons of sets one might be evaluating or testing. Can't make a blanket assumption. :)

 

It's one reason I largely no longer carry my Golden Ram 1 iron. It gets a fair amount of use on the course and I'm no longer sufficiently confident or comfortable to bag it. Even if I carry an iron in that slot instead of a hybrid, it's usually a Maxfli Revolution 1 iron.

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 love seeing "23° 3i" together. :smiley:

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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> @lawsonman said:

> I maintain _**anyone**_ that plays once a week with a little practice thrown in can play any blade they want to play from at least the 7 on down and they may play better because of the superior turf interaction of blades and narrow soled cb's. I'm sure someone will come on here and post that I'm full of crap but this has been my experience.

 

 

 

 

... First Lawsonman I do not think you are full of crap because clearly this works for you. But I am always a little chagrined at anyone using "turf interaction" as reason to use MB's. If you are a good enough ball striker to play MB's, the ball is long gone before your club touches the ground, so turf interaction has zero to do with iron performance. Turf interaction is about feel and I certainly do not discount feel as a primary factor in iron decisions. My P790's get thru the turf just fine, like a dull butter knife with some resistance, while my Z Forged slice thru the turf effortlessly like a surgeons scalpel. Obviously the Z Forged feel much better on the soft turf here in the Midwest but I don't notice as much of a difference on hard Phoenix fairways. But I get it, there is no disputing the feel of excellent turf interaction. Just don't say turf interaction effects iron performance and you hit MB's better because of it.

 

... I also have to assume you are talking about you, and what works for you must work for _**anyone**_. Teaching full time was a real eye opener for me. I'll start with the golfers that took lessons but didn't want to change the very thing that caused their poor play. For instance: "I know my grip is very strong but I am not gonna change it. I did that with another instructor and it was a disaster, so lets figure out another way to fix my hook". And golf is unique to other sports. It is very rare for a 45 yr old to decide they want to take up baseball, basketball or football but I was amazed at how many students I had with zero sports experience that had taken up golf at an old age. Fundamentals like throwing a ball was foreign to them. And moving up from there, a ton of golfers simply do not have the ability to develop a reliable and repeatable swing and they need all the help they can get from their equipment. The amount of golfers out there that will never break 100 playing by the rules, is faaaar greater than those that can "that plays once a week with a little practice thrown in can play any blade they want to play from at least the 7 on down and they may play better." I don't think it is insignificant that MB's account for 1% of iron sales because if _**anyone**_ could play them there would be many more sold.

 

... It is unique to WRX that so many think _**anyone**_ can play MB's effectively and one of the reasons these threads can be so contentious. I know there are a ton of good golfers here that either started with MB's or tried them and came to the conclusion that they needed more forgiveness. While some say _**anyone**_ can play MB's because that is what their experience is, many others have a completely different experience. I play to a + index and love playing MB's from time to time but I understand the forgiveness of a players CB will always help my scores in the long run and of course ymmv and I do not state my preference should be the same for_** anyone**_. The only constant should be play whatever you want to play. If that is MB's, then good for you for whatever your reasons. But stop trying to say what works for you with MB's will work for others because that simply is not the truth and you are in a very small minority.

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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> @Bubbtubbs said:

> > @NRJyzr said:

> > I love seeing "23° 3i" together. :smiley:

>

> Right?

>

> I'm currently gaming a set of '94 Hogan channelback blades and that's the loft in the little guy.

 

 

That's quite cool. You don't see Channelbacks mentioned nearly as much as the other Apex sets. But I seem to remember they did OK at the Open Championship.

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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