data for distance gain/loss in between blade and non-blade irons?

[orangeology]

guess general belief is that we lose a few yards when hitting a blade comparing to game-improvement big cavity irons sort. i do understand, the 'balanced/engineered' heads will get us more, per se, the favoured term "forgiveness". my question is that: when both get hit 'idealistically same'—same swing speed & hitting the sweet spot—is there really a big difference caused by its head style other than the effective weight?

any data that assessed the carry distance differences under same person/same swing speed etc between the blades & non-blades, somewhere?

 

*obviously not intended to go to a comparisons between the marques, pls.

 

[RogerinNewZealand]

Best for You too buy a few Blade Heads of preferred brand and test yourself and report back on .I m ten weeks ahead on the answer. What i have found over say 5 years of testing is there is a Luck Factor...

Every iron set i buy gets rebuilt...some sold fast..some are better after rebuild..but finally one set Superb...my latest Old Conforming Mizunos....mp100=33s so start your Search..

Hope this helps !?

[karl1111]

Never seen it. I feel golfers don't want real scientific data . With today's launch monitors it should be fairly easy to quantify how much distance is lost when hit x mm high/low and x mm heel/toe.

[CJ17]

As someone who went from 919F (players distance) to MP20’s, I still hit them relatively the same distance. Of course this takes into account that the lofts are different but on pure strikes there’s hardly a difference for me, maybe slightly in the short irons because I spin the blades a bit more.

[hammergolf]

This is a video Mark Crossfield did. Enjoy.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nnIR2oCRWYM

[macdubh]

Interesting comparison from Mark Crossfield, ---very consistent with my personal experience when I switched to blades (various Mizuno offerings, srixon, adams and most recently Ping blue prints) after many years with various players cavity backs. What I have found is very little if any change in average distance but a remarkable change in average dispersion (significantly tighter with blades).

personally I will trade a slight drop in distance with a mishit for a ball that goes off line any day.

Short and straight at least for me is a lot better than long and crooked.

 

[Tree Levino]

Blades are not "straighter". I play blades and I still think that is nonsense. Path and face to path are king. Doesn't matter if you're hitting a Ping Blueprint or G710 - your face to path and path will determine where that ball goes. If the loft is stronger and the ball goes further due to increased ball speed or perception may be that the cavity is more offline but that is simply because you hit it further. That's like saying a 7 iron is straighter than a 6 iron. D plane rules of course it is.

[Chuck905]

 

Another blade vs cast debate....I jump back and forth between my two sets. There’s advantages and disadvantages depending who you talk to.

I really didn’t notice a distance lost in either set, if anything, my blades are longer when I can curve the ball, flight it, low stingers and knock spin off, especially in windy conditions like today.

[NRJyzr]

Generally they'll be the same, aside from launch conditions relative to the different clubheads. It's case by case, and could be different for each individual. Not everyone needs the same launch changes.

Using myself as an example, I saw a bump from MS-11s to Eye2+, because the Pings produced considerably lower spin, and when I switched, I needed that spin to be brought down. Other CBs have not given me that distance bump. Some blades, I've hit farther than others, loft for loft.

[BogeyParBogey]

What impact are people seeing on ball speed for spring faced irons?

Dave

[uglande]

No difference loft-for-loft and with same shaft length, assuming relatively clean contact with both.

 

[orangeology]

no it’s not another ‘that’ debate nor meant to be. was just asking if there’s data assessed and available other than theories based on each golfers feeling. :)

[jblough99]

I agree with @TigerInTheWoods that left to right dispersion is completely up to you and your swing. I feel that front to back dispersion is more consistent with a blade. I dont really believe in "forgiveness" as its marketed. Any test ive seen, TXG has done it a few times, Crossfield, etc. the result is always tighter dispersion front to back with a bladed iron. I think it comes down to the spin rates are much more consistent with a blade vs the new tech. Ive seen spin variations on the new GI iron of 2000-3000 rpms depending on strike location, which is going to affect your distances quite alot, where typically for me spin with a blade never varies more than 500 or so rpms. Best example for me personally was with a set of Baby Blades I had, hit about 10 balls, they all landed within a yard of each other, then hit a Mizuno 919 Hot Metal Pro and I had almost 20 yards from my shortest to longest. Solidified what I already knew works for me.

[WristySwing]

This is probably as close as I have seen. T100 to Mavrik Pro. The general consensus is 5 mph ball speed per club and generally 4* of loft per club, so that's equal to 1.25mph ball speed per degree of loft, all else equal. So, mapping in general terms, we can say that a 26* 6i (say Hot Metal iron) vs. a 30* 6i (say MP-20) will give you 5 mph more ball speed and approximately 10-12 yards of carry. The cupface may spread that ball speed a little bit faster.

However, there is also a test posted here about 3 years ago by a member showing when they used a 2017 M2 7 iron (28*) vs. a Ping iBlade 7 iron (34*), with the same shaft and same golf ball, the ball speed was virtually identical between both and the carry was within 4 yards of each other and spin within 850 RPMs, but both inside that "optimal" category. This test should have shown 7.5mph more ball speed on the M2 and roughly 12-13 yards more carry, assuming spin stayed equal between both.

I think the answer really is going to be player dependent and how that person delivers dynamic loft to the ball. Shallow players won't manipulate the dynamic loft much and present pretty much the same loft at impact as a blade and a SGI. While a better player may artificially created that shaft lean with the lower, stronger loft and see a big yardage jump.

[Tree Levino]

I also think Mark made a great point in that the marketing works because "missing" a blade feels so much worse so the perception is the cavity is more forgiving. The result is almost the same though. The feel of a bad miss hit does help some players and if there genuinely isn't much difference in the data, I'm taking the feels. I do believe that playing blades made me a better ball striker. Why that is I don't know.