BUILD: top-3 underrated blade head designs (circa 2005)

[NRJyzr]

https://www.ironfinder.com/Individual-Irons/cleveland/tour_action_reg._588_sq._groove-88.htm

[wakit300]

I would STILL be playing the MacGregor 1025M irons if they didn't have illegal grooves. I bought a brand new backup set for cheap ($275!!) a couple of years after the came out they were so good. By far the best feeling and performing blade I ever played!

[8620]

Love the off-mainstream company - not a huge fan of the look of the 575MMCs at address. Was more of a fan of their 550 MBs.

[Skipperation]

Nike OG's are about perfect....what tip size shafts are you wanting to put in?! Confident they are 0.355" taper tip and you may struggle to find 0.370" heads in most big company blades.

 

Titleist 695MB are worth a look, seem to be less favoured by many compared to the 670-680-690mbs that came before but I prefer the look at address, feel is as good if not better and easier to hit. Endo forged goodness.

Any reason why you want to stay around 2005? Really don't think you'd loose much by looking even earlier, blades designs have hardly changed really. There are exceptions but you can find blades from the 80-90's that perform pretty much like new ones.

 

Dunlop Tad Moore's are 0.370" I think but have abit more offset. Older 0.355" options include another Tad Moore gem, Maxfli Australian Blades TM-92, Hogan Apex '99, Cobra Greg Norman 'MacCobras', Macgregor's...... Muirfield 20th etc right up to MT Pro-m and Mizuno's............all the Mizunos. I still play 7-PW in MP14 in my main bag and there are great. (offset gets abit much in longer irons, so could do the Tiger mixed set with MP29s). Old Tourstage stuff looks great, but beware lots of earlier Japanese stuff has reverse offset that you may not like if you're looking for minimal offset.

 

[KenEvil]

Might be a little older than what you're looking for but I'd vote for the Cleveland TA-1 blades in gunmetal. Simple blades that were pure. Gah I wish I hadn't sold mine now..

[Drivingrangehero]

I just sold mine to another member. I’ve owned the 33’s and 37’s at some point as well........... I sold the 33’s for the 67’s!

I feel it was a lateral move, but the 33’s had S400, while the 67’s had x100’s.

Overlooked due to the 33’s, but every bit as good, in my opinion, possibly even better ?

The Bridgestone J33’s were great as well. I was torn between them and the Mizuno’s back then, but chose the Mizuno’s only because I had owned the 30’s, 37’s, 33’s already! I figured they were tried and true for me, and thought the Bridgestone J33’s may have just been a good demo day for me.

Hindsight, they were every bit as good as the Mizuno’s, I just couldn’t see past my brand loyalty at the time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Diamana_Stinger]

Tourstage MR-23 U.S. Blades perhaps?

[Rapatt95]

I just picked up that exact set in decent condition for $40 at my local range

[KenEvil]

Interested in selling them?

[ex0dus]

LOL no i am talking about the club below. Not sure when they actually came out though.

 

[Rapatt95]

Maybe, I haven’t gotten to play them yet with everything going on. I bought them like 2 weeks ago right before everything closed and the weather was still bad. They need regripped so I’m gonna regrip them and take them out for a few rounds.

 

If I don’t like them and you’re interested I’ll definitely sell them. I’ll pm you after giving them a go either way

[NC IA Hacker]

Agree here...I gamed a set of these until 3 years ago. Really much more playable than folks give them credit for. Beautifully crafted irons.

[NRJyzr]

Completely forgot about those.

LOL at me

[ARL67]

Along with the Adams MB2 I’ve always wanted a set of TM Rac MB TP Smoke.

 

[Golf Puff]

Actually, Callaway produced this last model. Not sure if they were 2005 or 2006 models as the transition to Callaway led to some delays. These were very similar in design to an earlier Hogan model with the 'signature' in a slightly different placement on the back pad. I can't say that I had the two versions to compare directly, but photos indicate similar design appearance. I don't believe the heads have conforming grooves, though. Also, the sets I saw had Dynamic Gold or Rifle shafts, not the Hogan Apex shafts. Not sure if Callaway didn't want to produce more shafts or why this happened. I thought they 'used up' inventory and went with what was commercially available.

I do know the Spalding-produced 2003-4 (maybe 2005?) versions, either in the 50th anniversary or the standard version, are USGA conforming because I have contacted the USGA. I had these in the bag for over 10 years of enjoyment.

[QuigleyDU]

You could be right. They were still under the Hogan brand if made by Calla way, and either way. It was a great set.

[mahonie]

How about the MacGregor MT Pro-Ms? Classic Don White design iirc and Greg Norman had a good run in the 2008 Open with a proto set. Might be a bit late for your timeline but worth a look as the last ‘proper’ line MacGregor produced before going bust and becoming a house brand of Golfsmith.

[denismcg]

I didn't quite go that old, but I just put together a set of Tourstage X-Blade 909 MBs that I picked up in the classifieds here. I installed TT AMT Black shafts. Haven't used them yet as the courses here in Nova Scotia are all closed. They look great though.

[canduff]

Not sure where Wilson fg 59 fit in here but great looking iron. Can be had real cheap. They have no trade in value which I find intersting

 

 

[bfp9]

This is correct. It was the 2006 models that transitioned to Callaway. Either way - they were still to this day my favorite blades I have hit followed closely by MP32s if you count those as Blades.

 

I bought mine for $250 at Golfsmith when they had the blow out sale in 2006 when I was 13 years old! Gamed them all the way until last year.

 

They came with Dynamic Golds - or mine did at least.

[Doublebuck]

Taylormade 300's

[james75]

 

Hey there. These are a nice set that I own, 2005 Tourstage x-blade.

[Drewhill44]

Cleveland 588mb's.

[hardpan1]

1995 Cleveland 588mb and cb

, I had the cb's...sweet!