Blade users thread (NO DEBATING CLUBHEADS! NO Buy Sell Trade!)

[BogeyParBogey]

Reading the WITBs here, many appear to be using muscleback long irons also. 

 

I've been waffling between iron sets and decided to go with the MP4s I bought second hand a few years ago this season.  I own 4-PW, but thought I would end up probably only using 6-PW this season.  I know I need to get out to the range, but was only able to hit balls in my backyard into a net with the Mevo setup, etc... and even though I am not a very good golfer I was getting a fairly nice repeatable shot with the MP4 4 iron.  I mishit some for sure, but was not seeing disastrous level mishits and think the thin soles are actually helping me a little bit to make better contact. 

 

Well struck balls with the MP4 4 iron are very satisfying.  Given I play only for enjoyment, those types of shots are what I'm after.

 

How are you guys deciding your bag construction?  I assume most here are quite good golfers.  Do you find the MB long irons are producing the best results for you or if not then the trade off is fairly minimal versus a hybrid or cavity back?

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

[lefthack]

My combo irons last summer with 8-PW blade was my first real go. This set I went 7-PW with the blade but CB 3-6. I only have one round so far but they are glorious. I am excited to play tomorrow.

 

If I could find a 6 iron I would go 3-PW for fun but would still likely play easier long irons because I'm a wuss.

[Joe S]

41 minutes ago, BogeyParBogey said:

Reading the WITBs here, many appear to be using muscleback long irons also. 

 

I've been waffling between iron sets and decided to go with the MP4s I bought second hand a few years ago this season.  I own 4-PW, but thought I would end up probably only using 6-PW this season.  I know I need to get out to the range, but was only able to hit balls in my backyard into a net with the Mevo setup, etc... and even though I am not a very good golfer I was getting a fairly nice repeatable shot with the MP4 4 iron.  I mishit some for sure, but was not seeing disastrous level mishits and think the thin soles are actually helping me a little bit to make better contact. 

 

Well struck balls with the MP4 4 iron are very satisfying.  Given I play only for enjoyment, those types of shots are what I'm after.

 

How are you guys deciding your bag construction?  I assume most here are quite good golfers.  Do you find the MB long irons are producing the best results for you or if not then the trade off is fairly minimal versus a hybrid or cavity back?

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds like you want to play the blade long irons.  That's my #1 criteria on bag construction, what I want to play.  I think you should play them.

[NRJyzr]

1 hour ago, BogeyParBogey said:

How are you guys deciding your bag construction? 

 

For me, it was largely trial and error.  I decided to demo MP14s, didn't have any trouble with them, bought a full set of Golden Rams, and off I went.  Blade long irons were never much trouble for me, but I didn't ride the bus blindly; I was testing other irons along the way. 

 

I *did* start looking at fairway woods and/or hybrids for the longest iron slot in my bag, once I began hitting those irons less well.  Last couple years,have had a bit of a renaissance with the 17* / 18* iron, have put them back in the bag more often than not.

 

TLDR version: trying to pay attention to results, and using what works <shrug>

 

[DeNinny]

1 hour ago, BogeyParBogey said:

Reading the WITBs here, many appear to be using muscleback long irons also. 

 

I've been waffling between iron sets and decided to go with the MP4s I bought second hand a few years ago this season.  I own 4-PW, but thought I would end up probably only using 6-PW this season.  I know I need to get out to the range, but was only able to hit balls in my backyard into a net with the Mevo setup, etc... and even though I am not a very good golfer I was getting a fairly nice repeatable shot with the MP4 4 iron.  I mishit some for sure, but was not seeing disastrous level mishits and think the thin soles are actually helping me a little bit to make better contact. 

 

Well struck balls with the MP4 4 iron are very satisfying.  Given I play only for enjoyment, those types of shots are what I'm after.

 

How are you guys deciding your bag construction?  I assume most here are quite good golfers.  Do you find the MB long irons are producing the best results for you or if not then the trade off is fairly minimal versus a hybrid or cavity back?

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

My long iron limit is purely losing height and related to this is long roll out on the greens.  When I can't stop a ball on the green it's not any better than a wood.  And to me I can still stop a blade 3i with 20' of roll out so I'll still play up to that as my longest iron for the foreseeable future.  Plus I've holed out with it for eagle from 180 so it's a club I have a lot of confidence in.  Although I do also like my 7w.  It's not quite as precise as my 3i but I get less roll out with it so really I could go either way.  

 

In terms of playability and other than what I mentioned about height and roll out, the same physics reasons to play short iron blades apply just as well to long iron blades. The superior physics doesn't change with them just because the loft got stronger and the shaft got longer.  They'll still be easier to make clean ball contact and will be better with dispersion and overall ball flight control.

 

In my experience CB long irons were worse to play than blades.  I tried both mp60 and mpFliHi 4i and 3i for a few seasons and they were the worst.  So it's either blades or woods with me.  I never cared for hybrids either.  My 7w is my hybrid.  😁

 

 

[ewaldbeukes]

4 hours ago, BogeyParBogey said:

Reading the WITBs here, many appear to be using muscleback long irons also. 

 

I've been waffling between iron sets and decided to go with the MP4s I bought second hand a few years ago this season.  I own 4-PW, but thought I would end up probably only using 6-PW this season.  I know I need to get out to the range, but was only able to hit balls in my backyard into a net with the Mevo setup, etc... and even though I am not a very good golfer I was getting a fairly nice repeatable shot with the MP4 4 iron.  I mishit some for sure, but was not seeing disastrous level mishits and think the thin soles are actually helping me a little bit to make better contact. 

 

Well struck balls with the MP4 4 iron are very satisfying.  Given I play only for enjoyment, those types of shots are what I'm after.

 

How are you guys deciding your bag construction?  I assume most here are quite good golfers.  Do you find the MB long irons are producing the best results for you or if not then the trade off is fairly minimal versus a hybrid or cavity back?

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

I like the look of a blade when I set it down and that confidence helps. Im a good player but not a pro so missing a blade vs a cavity back Im still missing it. So I play my MP5s all the way through the bag. To be fair I an a very good long iron player compared to the rest of the iron game. 
 

I personally hate the thick toplines, thicker soles and all that stuff that comes with none blade irons. I dabbled with some Titleist 762s many years ago and always felt my ballstriking went backwards.

 

The soles are an often overlooked aspect. Turf interaction aids strike so what you lose in perimeter weighting I feel like one gains in strike

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

6 hours ago, BogeyParBogey said:

Reading the WITBs here, many appear to be using muscleback long irons also. 

 

I've been waffling between iron sets and decided to go with the MP4s I bought second hand a few years ago this season.  I own 4-PW, but thought I would end up probably only using 6-PW this season.  I know I need to get out to the range, but was only able to hit balls in my backyard into a net with the Mevo setup, etc... and even though I am not a very good golfer I was getting a fairly nice repeatable shot with the MP4 4 iron.  I mishit some for sure, but was not seeing disastrous level mishits and think the thin soles are actually helping me a little bit to make better contact. 

 

Well struck balls with the MP4 4 iron are very satisfying.  Given I play only for enjoyment, those types of shots are what I'm after.

 

How are you guys deciding your bag construction?  I assume most here are quite good golfers.  Do you find the MB long irons are producing the best results for you or if not then the trade off is fairly minimal versus a hybrid or cavity back?

 

Dave

 

 

 

If I'm really worried about the score, I'll take the blade 4i out and put in the Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi #4 (MP-20 Fli-Hi). I've recently bent it weaker to just under 24*, so it flies higher and stops better now than before. Blade 4-irons do tend to stop better, and if my swing is "on" and confidence is high, I'll bag the blade rather than the Fli-HI. Basically, it's a confidence thing for me because I don't play as much as I'd like to.

 

Fact is, I rarely hit the 4i anyway. If I'm using it off the tee on a short par 4, the Fli-Hi is better because it gets more roll-out. If I'm hitting it into a long par 3, the blade is better because it will stop better. I doubt I face either shot more than once every round, and may be not even that.

 

 

[TheDeanAbides]

7 hours ago, BogeyParBogey said:

Reading the WITBs here, many appear to be using muscleback long irons also. 

 

I've been waffling between iron sets and decided to go with the MP4s I bought second hand a few years ago this season.  I own 4-PW, but thought I would end up probably only using 6-PW this season.  I know I need to get out to the range, but was only able to hit balls in my backyard into a net with the Mevo setup, etc... and even though I am not a very good golfer I was getting a fairly nice repeatable shot with the MP4 4 iron.  I mishit some for sure, but was not seeing disastrous level mishits and think the thin soles are actually helping me a little bit to make better contact. 

 

Well struck balls with the MP4 4 iron are very satisfying.  Given I play only for enjoyment, those types of shots are what I'm after.

 

How are you guys deciding your bag construction?  I assume most here are quite good golfers.  Do you find the MB long irons are producing the best results for you or if not then the trade off is fairly minimal versus a hybrid or cavity back?

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

It depends on conditions, but I tend to stop at around 24* and then use a 7 wood or 3 hybrid. This is simply because I can't get longer irons up high enough with my SS to be effective on the harder bowl greens that I play on. 

[TheDeanAbides]

@DeNinnyI have been experimenting with strike and I think that you're correct - zero bounce has no negative effect on the quality of me striking on less then perfect strikes. I've also played around with bare lies and my confidence increased knowing that there's no way the club is going to bounce if I'm a little off. 

[brentenmanns]

Picked up a set of Wilson Staff CBs that dethroned ZX7s for me and my swing. Now I’m wondering about picking up a set of Wilson Staff Blades for a Wilson head to head.  I have a strong affinity for blades and even if they don’t work out I figure they’ll go on BST in any event. Right? Right!? Please confirm so I can point my wife to this thread to justify them if I end up taking the plunge.  Half joking..

Edited March 21, 2021 by brentenmanns

[lefthack]

10 minutes ago, brentenmanns said:

Picked up a set of Wilson Staff CBs that dethroned ZX7s for me and my swing. Now I’m wondering about picking up a set of Wilson Staff Blades for a Wilson head to head.  I have a strong affinity for blades and even if they don’t work out I figure they’ll go on BST in any event. Right? Right!? Please confirm so I can point my wife to this thread to justify them if I end up taking the plunge.  Half joking..

 

That's how I went from looking at one club head to buying 12 and building 8 if them. 🤣

 

Me: that CB looks pretty cool, I'll add it to my watch list.

Seller: here's an offer to make you think about it more.

Me: here is a counter so low I'd be stupid to pass on if you take it.

Seller: thanks, enjoy your club. Have you seen the blades I have...

[Nard_S]

12 hours ago, BogeyParBogey said:

How are you guys deciding your bag construction?  I assume most here are quite good golfers.  Do you find the MB long irons are producing the best results for you or if not then the trade off is fairly minimal versus a hybrid or cavity back?

I carry a 3i & 5W to handle same distance gap and choose according to conditions.. Use a #4i off the tee and in good lies. #5i max in poor lies. I have several CB long irons, never have felt compelled to use. Truth is I don't practice them all enough save for the #5i. When I do that part of the bag is fine when considering it by the percentages. So how I play the "miss" is key too.

[DeNinny]

3 hours ago, TheDeanAbides said:

@DeNinnyI have been experimenting with strike and I think that you're correct - zero bounce has no negative effect on the quality of me striking on less then perfect strikes. I've also played around with bare lies and my confidence increased knowing that there's no way the club is going to bounce if I'm a little off. 

@TheDeanAbides That's great news!  LOL but it's not a surprise.  I promise you that what I say technically is 100% aligned to the laws of physics and thus it will match your reality (unless you have a strong and stubborn confirmation bias to which I cannot help).  So again, I really appreciate you taking in what I explain with an open mind. 

 

And quite honestly I think it's important for golfers to understand how the physics of golf and the equipment really works because once you do you can troubleshoot your swing and equipment issues better.  When you have the wrong technical understanding of what impact your clubs have on your swing, it can easily lead you down situations where you attribute something completely false with your clubs to what is happening in reality with your swing.  And with this you'll never really get to the bottom of any equipment flaw or any swing issue.  You'll likely never be able to fix it because you have the wrong technical assumptions about it.  And unfortunately, the "forgiving" club industry has marketed numerous flawed technical assumptions to the point that it's made blade users ignorant of all the beautiful and beneficial things that their blades do for them on a regular basis.

 

So yeah, rock those low bounce blades without fear of them hurting you!  👍👍

 

[mahonie]

12 hours ago, BogeyParBogey said:

Reading the WITBs here, many appear to be using muscleback long irons also. 

 

I've been waffling between iron sets and decided to go with the MP4s I bought second hand a few years ago this season.  I own 4-PW, but thought I would end up probably only using 6-PW this season.  I know I need to get out to the range, but was only able to hit balls in my backyard into a net with the Mevo setup, etc... and even though I am not a very good golfer I was getting a fairly nice repeatable shot with the MP4 4 iron.  I mishit some for sure, but was not seeing disastrous level mishits and think the thin soles are actually helping me a little bit to make better contact. 

 

Well struck balls with the MP4 4 iron are very satisfying.  Given I play only for enjoyment, those types of shots are what I'm after.

 

How are you guys deciding your bag construction?  I assume most here are quite good golfers.  Do you find the MB long irons are producing the best results for you or if not then the trade off is fairly minimal versus a hybrid or cavity back?

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

Recently switched from MP4s (4-PW) to a Cobra combo set (purely because my son took a shine to my Mizzys and I’d driven 200 miles to pick up a set of Cobra MBs and they turned out to be the combo set!). 

 

No matter, the Cobras are fine, very compact. Comparing the 4-irons, the MP4 is very much more pure in feel, the Cobra feels muffled in comparison. Trajectory-wise, the Cobra is very slightly higher and there is absolutely no difference in where mishits finish. Sure, the MP4 felt slightly harsher on mishits, but the ball finished in the same places as it does now.

 

I also have a 3-hybrid and it has its pros and cons over a blade 3-iron. It’s less accurate, and does have a tendency to want to go left. It was cheap, it cost a third of an MP4 3-iron (and I’m a cheapskate) and it’s is great out of the rough. It does land slightly softer which is an advantage into longer par 3s but tbh I could still play a 3-iron without issue.

 

Hope this helps.

[TheDeanAbides]

51 minutes ago, DeNinny said:

@TheDeanAbides That's great news!  LOL but it's not a surprise.  I promise you that what I say technically is 100% aligned to the laws of physics and thus it will match your reality (unless you have a strong and stubborn confirmation bias to which I cannot help).  So again, I really appreciate you taking in what I explain with an open mind. 

 

And quite honestly I think it's important for golfers to understand how the physics of golf and the equipment really works because once you do you can troubleshoot your swing and equipment issues better.  When you have the wrong technical understanding of what impact your clubs have on your swing, it can easily lead you down situations where you attribute something completely false with your clubs to what is happening in reality with your swing.  And with this you'll never really get to the bottom of any equipment flaw or any swing issue.  You'll likely never be able to fix it because you have the wrong technical assumptions about it.  And unfortunately, the "forgiving" club industry has marketed numerous flawed technical assumptions to the point that it's made blade users ignorant of all the beautiful and beneficial things that their blades do for them on a regular basis.

 

So yeah, rock those low bounce blades without fear of them hurting you!  👍👍

 

I'm definitely going to have the grooves machined. They're drop forged stainless steel, so they'll look and play like new after that. 

[DeNinny]

@mahonie you are a good father giving up those mp4s to your son!  Spoil that boy!  😁

Edited March 21, 2021 by DeNinny

[mahonie]

1 hour ago, DeNinny said:

@mahonie you are a good father giving up those mp4s to your son!  Spoil that boy!  😁

Ha ha I gave him my swing as well so he hasn’t got much hope. Tbh, we haven’t been out for a while, lockdown, etc, but it is uncanny watching back-to-back videos of our swings at the range...it is hard to tell the difference. Obviously suited to hitting MBs!

[Guy In Lyon]

Why would a "blade users thread" prohibit an debate about club heads?

 

The entire thread's existence is based upon someone's club head preference.

 

It seems to make no sense.

[Nard_S]

29 minutes ago, Guy In Lyon said:

Why would a "blade users thread" prohibit an debate about club heads?

 

The entire thread's existence is based upon someone's club head preference.

 

It seems to make no sense.

Well guessing by post count you have not been here long time. But there's dozens of threads banished & locked up due to that "conversation". This not an anti-GI thread but more an enthusiasm for traditional clubs in all their variations. The 1st post states it pretty well. You can always scour equipment forum for "blades vs CB" and feast on the silliness. 

[lefthack]

Holy hell these KZG blades are nice. The 7 iron is just money. I couldn't stop dropping balls and parking them on the green. 

 

Really this whole set is just amazing, but dear lord these blades. It's only 7-PW, but damn. If you can clearly picture the shot in your head, it's right there.

 

I'm really interested in checking out the ZO Plus blades because they are supposed to be an improvement over the OG blades. But I love these damn things, I can't wait for the rain to stop.

[BogeyParBogey]

Thanks everyone for the feedback, appreciated!

 

Dave

[DeNinny]

5 hours ago, lefthack said:

Holy hell these KZG blades are nice. The 7 iron is just money. I couldn't stop dropping balls and parking them on the green. 

 

Really this whole set is just amazing, but dear lord these blades. It's only 7-PW, but damn. If you can clearly picture the shot in your head, it's right there.

 

I'm really interested in checking out the ZO Plus blades because they are supposed to be an improvement over the OG blades. But I love these damn things, I can't wait for the rain to stop.

I've only hit a 6i KZG blade and it was nice.  And to me you can't go wrong with zero offset.  In theory it's a good design for $hank prevention. 

 

Also @lefthack I gotta say this is blade using swing thought gold:

 

"If you can clearly picture the shot in your head, it's right there."

 

Great post!

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by DeNinny

[TLUBulldogGolf]

Initial impressions with the MP-20 are very good. Turf interaction especially feels like I can be very precise, and they seem around 1/2 club longer than my MP-69s. Lies need some tweaking but I'm happy. Also not technically a blade but the T20 47* is money, very happy with that choice. 

[steeletaylor]

I recently acquired a used set of 714 MB's as my first set of MB's/blades. I didn't know what to expect since I was fit for the Callaway Apex Pro 19's with KBS C-Taper lite shafts. Fast forward to owning and testing the blades for the past couple of months and I am now feeling more confident with the blades than my Apex Pros. 

 

These 2 sets spec out pretty similarly (length, lie, and swing weight are the same). Obviously, the lofts are little weaker and they do have the KBS tour 120 S shaft in lieu of the C-Taper lite 110 S that I have been playing which is definitely a different profile. I am just surprised at how much more control I have with the blades. Ball striking has always been a strength of my game, and I don't play enough to have expectations of shooting low scores. I am really just a weekend warrior who likes the feeling a flushed golf shot. The blades definitely scratch the itch of a flushed shot.

 

I was recently able to spend a little time on a GC quad and saw carry distances were not penalized much at all, but with the increase in spin I have more control and don't have the occasional flier. 

 

Anyway, I just wanted to thank all of the blade users in this thread for inadvertently encouraging me to game clubs that I thought were out of reach. I am now more confident standing over all of my iron shots and at end of the day, I am playing the golf clubs that I enjoy playing with.

 

 

[DeNinny]

22 minutes ago, steeletaylor said:

I recently acquired a used set of 714 MB's as my first set of MB's/blades. I didn't know what to expect since I was fit for the Callaway Apex Pro 19's with KBS C-Taper lite shafts. Fast forward to owning and testing the blades for the past couple of months and I am now feeling more confident with the blades than my Apex Pros. 

 

These 2 sets spec out pretty similarly (length, lie, and swing weight are the same). Obviously, the lofts are little weaker and they do have the KBS tour 120 S shaft in lieu of the C-Taper lite 110 S that I have been playing which is definitely a different profile. I am just surprised at how much more control I have with the blades. Ball striking has always been a strength of my game, and I don't play enough to have expectations of shooting low scores. I am really just a weekend warrior who likes the feeling a flushed golf shot. The blades definitely scratch the itch of a flushed shot.

 

I was recently able to spend a little time on a GC quad and saw carry distances were not penalized much at all, but with the increase in spin I have more control and don't have the occasional flier. 

 

Anyway, I just wanted to thank all of the blade users in this thread for inadvertently encouraging me to game clubs that I thought were out of reach. I am now more confident standing over all of my iron shots and at end of the day, I am playing the golf clubs that I enjoy playing with.

 

 

Welcome to the LIGHT!!!

 

I had the pleasure of hitting a lot of 714 MB 6i shots back when I was deciding on my baby blades.  And at the time I was a Mizzy ho and thought that all Titleist blades were too "clicky" feeling.  And wow did the 714s change my views.  To me they were as buttery feeling as any Mizuno.  So if those are your first blades, great choice!

 

And yeah they are going to be fine for ANY golfer's ball striking because their beneficial physics is universal.  The same exact reasons that they benefit a good ball striker also apply to a poor ball striker.  The next time you get a chance, take the same iron # of your 714 and Apex Pro 19 and compare their heads side by side.

 

First compare their soles.  Which one is lower overall surface area?  From a physics standpoint the smaller sole is going to be overall easier to hit and make clean ball contact with.  The smaller size simply has LESS of a chance for interfering with the turf before the leading edge and face contacts the ball.  This is purely beneficial, so whichever club that has the smaller sole is technically superior in that regard.

 

Continuing on the soles, now compare which club has more bounce and overall mass that hangs below the leading edge.  Once again, the club that has LESS mass or bounce below the leading edge of the face will be EASIER for making clean ball contact.  Again the reason is that the extra mass and bounce will give a higher chance of hitting that mass into the ground before the leading edge contacts the ball.

 

At this point I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that your 714 MB is either winning in this technical comparison or is close to equal as your Apex Pro 19 in both regards.

 

And if you want to take things further, compare the two muscle (or lack thereof) shapes along the length and bottom half of the club face.  It's the part of the head along the length that will contact the ball at impact.  Once again, the shape that is most consistent from heel to toe is going to give you the better dispersion results.  With a consistent shape, any contact along that shape is going to be consistent for the ball to compress against it.  This is as per the materials science laws of temporary deformation.

 

So again, I'll go out on a limb here and guess that your 714s have the more consistent muscle shape from heel to toe.

 

I could go into even more detail here but I'll stop and say that these are three key reasons those 714s give you both easier and more consistent ball striking results.  And again they are universal reasons that apply to ALL skill level golfers.  So please, take this as advertent encouragement:  your 714s are designed to help you strike the ball better and more consistently than those Apex Pro 19s.  It's in the science!

 

Again, welcome to the light.

[lefthack]

Of course not in left, but these are gorgeous.

 

 

[Oh Hi Carl]

37 minutes ago, lefthack said:

Of course not in left, but these are gorgeous.

 

 

That is a gorgeous golf club!  Do you own it, or is that a stock photo?  

[lefthack]

44 minutes ago, Sonja Henie said:

That is a gorgeous golf club!  Do you own it, or is that a stock photo?  

 

A new limited edition Miura that is $2800 if you are lucky to be drawn.

 

https://miuragolf.com/products/nicklaus-miura-commemorative-irons

 

<edit> some day I would like a Miura CB/MB combo set.

Edited March 23, 2021 by lefthack

[DeNinny]

I'm glad the specs for those Nicklaus Miuras are the same as other Miura blades.  It's nice to see 21* 3i to 47* PW.   I also like the concept of a consistent offset from a simplicity standpoint and consistent visual looking down at address.  It's interesting that Jack wanted that visual.  A sign of meticulous attention to detail.  

 

I so want a set just for the Golden Bear stamping.

[Nard_S]

5 hours ago, DeNinny said:

I'm glad the specs for those Nicklaus Miuras are the same as other Miura blades.  It's nice to see 21* 3i to 47* PW.   I also like the concept of a consistent offset from a simplicity standpoint and consistent visual looking down at address.  It's interesting that Jack wanted that visual.  A sign of meticulous attention to detail.  

 

I so want a set just for the Golden Bear stamping.

Yeah I like these too. Apparently they pay homage to the Macs he used to play. Gorgeous. 

Wife: "Have you seen my stimulus check?" Me :"Um no, maybe it got lost in mail".