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

[nzio]

On 4/4/2021 at 3:04 AM, mgoblue83 said:

Finished building my Sub70 649 MB Tours (Raw) and they are fantastic. Easily the softest and best feeling club I've ever hit. I'm coming from Scratch SB-1s, and have played blades my whole life. I knew they were going to be the real deal when I adjusted the lofts and lies. I've never felt anything bend so easy - barely nudge the bar and it moves without any bounce back.

 

Pics 😉

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

2 hours ago, Christen_The_Sloop said:

When we built the house, I thought a lot about (club) storage and putting. made sure we chose a nice rolling carpet for the upstairs and it has paid dividends. My daughter is developing a putting stroke that a lot of people would envy. Even have her cack handed. A lot of the clubs remain out of sight. She will not notice a set or two, but at some point she has to notice. It's completely unreasonable... Anyway I am gonna check YA to see about another set..

 

We should plan a get together. A celebration of all things golf. What do you think of getting together in the fall?

 

That was some good thinking. I've not many places to hide clubs here...

Some sets I don't play so I should have moved them on years ago. Others, I kind of want to keep, but probably should move on. For example, I've a set of Ram Tour Camber Soles that have a weird reshaft in them (PXi 6.0, extended an inch). They're fine clubs, but when I want to play Rams, I always take my Tour Grinds instead.

 

Then there the clubs that I am really torn over, such as the Mac R58s. Shafts are a bit on the stiff side for me (FM 6.5), but playable. Problem is, they're also too short (35" PW). I reckon I could sell them now for more than I paid for them, but I could also extend them and play them. Such sweet irons, but as they are at the moment, I never play them.

 

Anyway, funny you mentioned meeting up. We may be driving up your way in late August. Depends a lot on the Corona situation. August isn't great for golf, though. Too damn hot.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

So, the guy I gave my VIP CBs to said he was taking them to the range and I decided to join him, partly to see if he needed the lies adjusted.

 

Man, he was hitting them better than I ever did😆. He nutted a couple of 2i shots one after the other, putting a beautiful little fade on them, then hit some lovely soaring mid-iron shots. I told him they didn't need any adjustments!

 

He's still not convinced he can manage blades, but those CBs are honestly not far from blades anyway. They're also very similar at address to my Muirfield 20th irons, with the exception being the more rounded top line and leading edge of the PW in the CB. I actually prefer that look to the more iron-like look of the Muirfield 20th PW. I wonder if they were from the same forging, which I think was the Pro 86. I do know the Muirfield 20ths had the muscle pad in the design, rather than it being ground out from a blank.

[Christen_The_Sloop]

35 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

So, the guy I gave my VIP CBs to said he was taking them to the range and I decided to join him, partly to see if he needed the lies adjusted.

 

Man, he was hitting them better than I ever did😆. He nutted a couple of 2i shots one after the other, putting a beautiful little fade on them, then hit some lovely soaring mid-iron shots. I told him they didn't need any adjustments!

 

He's still not convinced he can manage blades, but those CBs are honestly not far from blades anyway. They're also very similar at address to my Muirfield 20th irons, with the exception being the more rounded top line and leading edge of the PW in the CB. I actually prefer that look to the more iron-like look of the Muirfield 20th PW. I wonder if they were from the same forging, which I think was the Pro 86. I do know the Muirfield 20ths had the muscle pad in the design, rather than it being ground out from a blank.

I think they might be from the Pro-82 forging. The 81 was the mold used for the Miurfield 20ths. the regular Muirfield was the 82. The 82 mold was the one that could be machined to be a CB or an MB. The 81 was also the mold which Nichlaus used for the 86 masters. I head often that it was the 82. But, that's from Clay Long.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

11 minutes ago, Christen_The_Sloop said:

I think they might be from the Pro-82 forging. The 81 was the mold used for the Miurfield 20ths. the regular Muirfield was the 82. The 82 mold was the one that could be machined to be a CB or an MB. The 81 was also the mold which Nichlaus used for the 86 masters. I head often that it was the 82. But, that's from Clay Long.

 

That's it! So they're from different forgings, then?

 

I was looking for that Clay Long post, but the page no longer exists after we went to NuGolfWRX. 

I also remember Clay Long talked about a Pro-86 forging, but I can't remember if he said it was basically the same as the 81 or the 82. I thought the 20ths were actually from the Pro-86 forging, which was pretty much a re-do of the 81 forging. But I can't check that any more.

[DeNinny]

Since nobody has posted about it yet...how 'bout that Hideki?  Blades FTW!!!

 

Also does anyone know if @Bigmean is coming back to this thread or did he disappear for good?

 

 

[Nard_S]

24 minutes ago, DeNinny said:

Since nobody has posted about it yet...how 'bout that Hideki?  Blades FTW!!!

 

Also does anyone know if @Bigmean is coming back to this thread or did he disappear for good?

 

 

If you click on his profile, it shows last time he was active was August of 2020. 

[DeNinny]

8 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

If you click on his profile, it shows last time he was active was August of 2020. 

Yeah I was wondering if anyone knew anything more.

[Nard_S]

26 minutes ago, DeNinny said:

Yeah I was wondering if anyone knew anything more.

I have no idea. But my guess is that the back is a much bigger deal than he may even known or revealed. 

[Nard_S]

2 hours ago, Nard_S said:

Since nobody has posted about it yet...how 'bout that Hideki?  Blades FTW!!!

I thought his ability to adjust to conditions won it. Rose did well  on that level too. HM's scrambling was off the charts good. Lot of guys looked off balance, like Thursday took them out of their comfort zone. Some of the approach shots just stunk. Not sure I seen weaker batch of approaches into #15 ever. Thought the course had a great setup, deserving of a major, which has not always been the case. Hideki's win well earned.

[BIG STU]

2 hours ago, Nard_S said:

I have no idea. But my guess is that the back is a much bigger deal than he may even known or revealed. 

I was thinking the same thing from the last time we talked on here.

[DeNinny]

19 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

I thought his ability to adjust to conditions won it. Rose did well  on that level too. HM's scrambling was off the charts good. Lot of guys looked off balance, like Thursday took them out of their comfort zone. Some of the approach shots just stunk. Not sure I seen weaker batch of approaches into #15 ever. Thought the course had a great setup, deserving of a major, which has not always been the case. Hideki's win well earned.

Agreed on all points.  He used all of his cushion going into Sunday too.  I can't imagine the pressure he was under having the weight of all of Japan on him and he came through.

[Golfingfanatic]

I guess this means it's time for Srixon to release the Hideki Protos! 

[Christen_The_Sloop]

On 4/16/2021 at 3:44 AM, Nard_S said:

I thought his ability to adjust to conditions won it. Rose did well  on that level too. HM's scrambling was off the charts good. Lot of guys looked off balance, like Thursday took them out of their comfort zone. Some of the approach shots just stunk. Not sure I seen weaker batch of approaches into #15 ever. Thought the course had a great setup, deserving of a major, which has not always been the case. Hideki's win well earned.

You are one of the first people that mentioned his scrambling. It was huge.There were a few misses in that department, but they were actually significant in the bigger scheme of things. #1 he hits in trouble, his approach his mediocre, but his 30 footer results in a tap in. Bogey, but some confidence gained with the lag putt. He birdies the next. #12 he hits it long into the bunker. Leaves it short, but a chance for par - lags it up nice and cozy, bogey. Again, no problem, he birdies the next. #15 Approach long in the water. Leaves the pitch short - but, it was really close to being good. Misses putt, bogey. By then, there was enough pressure on the people behind or not enough holes left. He does what he has to to close it and the rest is history. As good a Masters that you could hope for.

Edited April 18, 2021 by Christen_The_Sloop

[Nard_S]

2 hours ago, Christen_The_Sloop said:

You are one of the first people that mentioned his scrambling. There were a few misses in that department, but they were actually significant in the bigger scheme of things. #1 he hits in trouble, his approach his mediocre, but his 30 footer results in a tap in. Bogey, but some confidence gained with the lag put. He birdies the next. #12 he hits it long into the bunker. Leaves it short, but a chance for par - lags it up nice and cozy, bogey. Again, no problem, he birdies the next. #15 Approach long in the water. Leaves the pitch short - but, it was really close to being good. Misses putt, bogey. By then, there was enough pressure on the people behind or not enough holes left. He does what he has to to close it and the rest is history. As good a Masters that you could hope for.

He was solid all week. Chamblee mentioned his scrambling was highest percentage ever recorded at the Masters. Like 90%. Took advantage of rain and fired aggressively. Big time poise.

[Christen_The_Sloop]

3 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

He was solid all week. Chamblee mentioned his scrambling was highest percentage ever recorded at the Masters. Like 90%. Took advantage of rain and fired aggressively. Big time poise.

 

That's pretty crazy. 

[nzio]

I really want a set of some Apex MB RAW's but they're impossible to pick up here in Europe. 

 

Can someone hook me up? 😇

[Christen_The_Sloop]

Probably gonna get out for a game soon. Haven't hit driver all that much since I broke the arm. Less than 10 balls and I wasn't all that hyped on what I saw. But, I hit balls twice this week, Thursday and Saturday, and my arm doesn't seem all that worse for wear.

 

Focused on process playing a little approach shot game on top tracer. You can choose 9 holes from Pebble or Kiawah Island. So, far the process involves standing to the ball, making sure my weight is 60/40 heel to toe and that I am the right distance from the ball. After that looking at the target and making a concerted waggle (sounds pretty lame I know), but I want the sequence - hands, arms, shoulders, hips and then complete the back swing. After that I just want to drive my right knee toward the ball and make a balanced finish. The ball is flying nicely, so long as I am aggressive through impact.

 

Actually I've forgotten my 56' the last few sessions and it should be an important club on a few holes, but I am able to make abbreviated swings when I need to with the 52' or max out the 60' - again, just focusing on process.

 

It's obviously not 100% but I feel I am making a lot of strides in an area that has traditionally been one of my most inconsistent. It's so hard to bare down and focus on things that are seemingly secondary to the shot itself. But, the results are so clear. I am improving each time I play.

 

Enjoyed hitting the Dunlop dp-601 - They are riduculously soft. Like the Mizuno Super-11. Really fun clubs to hit.

Really enjoyed the old Daiwas. They are really nicely balanced. The offset isn't off-putting and they go really nicely. They have a similar design to Macgregor 985s. High COG. Just need new grips.

 

Anyway... I am enjoying the brandy tonight. Favorite drink of an uncle that passed recently.

[DeNinny]

4 hours ago, Christen_The_Sloop said:

Probably gonna get out for a game soon. Haven't hit driver all that much since I broke the arm. Less than 10 balls and I wasn't all that hyped on what I saw. But, I hit balls twice this week, Thursday and Saturday, and my arm doesn't seem all that worse for wear.

 

Focused on process playing a little approach shot game on top tracer. You can choose 9 holes from Pebble or Kiawah Island. So, far the process involves standing to the ball, making sure my weight is 60/40 heel to toe and that I am the right distance from the ball. After that looking at the target and making a concerted waggle (sounds pretty lame I know), but I want the sequence - hands, arms, shoulders, hips and then complete the back swing. After that I just want to drive my right knee toward the ball and make a balanced finish. The ball is flying nicely, so long as I am aggressive through impact.

 

Actually I've forgotten my 56' the last few sessions and it should be an important club on a few holes, but I am able to make abbreviated swings when I need to with the 52' or max out the 60' - again, just focusing on process.

 

It's obviously not 100% but I feel I am making a lot of strides in an area that has traditionally been one of my most inconsistent. It's so hard to bare down and focus on things that are seemingly secondary to the shot itself. But, the results are so clear. I am improving each time I play.

 

Enjoyed hitting the Dunlop dp-601 - They are riduculously soft. Like the Mizuno Super-11. Really fun clubs to hit.

Really enjoyed the old Daiwas. They are really nicely balanced. The offset isn't off-putting and they go really nicely. They have a similar design to Macgregor 985s. High COG. Just need new grips.

 

Anyway... I am enjoying the brandy tonight. Favorite drink of an uncle that passed recently.

Interesting swing and pre-shot thoughts here.  Because of my closing 49 last Sunday I hit the range twice this week to get my swing back in order.

 

I definitely have to focus on balanced heel-toe weighting at address and for sure try to put more weight on my heels.  It helps me not jump too my tippee toes during the downswing and it is an overall counterbalance to the forward pull of the swing itself.  Watching and analyzing @Jonesy's swing was a good reminder on how to swing in balance and with stable feet.

 

Also staying aggressive through impact is so important to me too!  At the range I noticed my weak and miss hit shots were a lot of times from not continuing to turn my shoulders aggressively through impact.  I would sort of stop or slow down turning them at impact and finish with just my arms.  But if I keep aggressively turning them I would hit a more powerful shot that felt solid.  Consistently.

 

Other things I've been focusing on is a smooth takeaway with a solid left hand grip with my last three fingers.  I had been gripping it weak there and it was causing the club to slip in my grip during the takeaway and at the top.  The refocus on it has been beneficial.

 

Lastly, sorry to hear about your uncle.  I lost one of mine to COVID a few weeks ago.  Our family definitely put down some hard liquor in his honor.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

These are some of the prettiest blades I have. Mizuno Pro "Originals" (no stamping). Shafted with Precision FM 6.0. They're really just fancy MS-11s, probably a custom job rather than actual prototypes.

 

Edit: Forgot to mention: 3i-9i, PW, P/S wedge, and SW. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by No_Catchy_Nickname

[lefthack]

Those look fantastic. So simple and clean. 

[Nard_S]

@No_Catchy_Nickname, Nice Mizuno's!

 

Played first full 18, 42 & 48 for 90, ouch! Several 3 putts, can blame aeration right? A triple on 18. But fun part 25 foot bird, 60 foot chip in and a killer #7i where I bent the ball 30 yards and put it 20 feet under the hole. Yes I 3 putted that one, lol. Swing is clunky on the course, a jalopy that needs a shade tree go over. It's covid soft. But big thought is I'm working the ball a lot more this year. Like every shot I can. A) it's fun & B) the percentages are way higher. I can do it at will and yet barely ever employ it in a round. New rules. Do deep breathing before shots (did this on front 9, works) and go nuts on painting shots. 

[llamont]

NOTE: I just posted this in the “Post a pic of your latest purchase...” thread but since it fits, I’ll post here too 🤓

 

 

I picked up a set of Hogan Ft. Worth Black irons for a song. While they haven’t knocked my main gamers of 3-4 years (TMag PSi) out of the bag yet, I am working on them to see if they’re up...more like, “if I’m up” for the task. 

EDIT 05/02/2021: The Ft. Worth’s knocked my trusty PSi irons outta the bag. After several range sessions and rounds played there’s no comparison for now. 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by llamont

[justasgood]

1 hour ago, llamont said:

NOTE: I just posted this in the “Post a pic of your latest purchase...” thread but since it fits, I’ll post here too 🤓

 

 

 

I picked up a set of Hogan Ft. Worth Black irons for a song. While they haven’t knocked my main gamers of 3-4 years (TMag PSi) out of the bag yet, I am working on them to see if they’re up...more like, “if I’m up” for the task. 

 

 

 

I did as well. 4-PW with Brand new Multi compound GP green grips. DG S300 shafts and look brand new. $199

 

Great irons and the finish is incredible.

[nzio]

“Very good condition” from CPO. 🥰

[llamont]

@nzio Beautiful irons!  I love the aesthetics of the Callaway Apex MBs. What shafts do you have in them?

[nzio]

1 hour ago, llamont said:

@nzio Beautiful irons!  I love the aesthetics of the Callaway Apex MBs. What shafts do you have in them?

Thanks, love them. PX 6.0s 🙂 

[craz-e]

7 hours ago, nzio said:

“Very good condition” from CPO. 🥰

I have been tempted by these many a time, perfect size and the feel is very very impressive 

[NixLix26]

2 hours ago, craz-e said:

I have been tempted by these many a time, perfect size and the feel is very very impressive 

Yeah great purchase there. I own two sets. These and MP33’s have been my favorite blades. Very controllable 

[NRJyzr]

Something of an update on my glacially progressing reshaft efforts...

 

I've mentioned over the years that I tend to prefer smaller clubheads.  My results have always been better with those smaller irons, and even drivers.  I had a terrible time with the Eye2+ experiment, spending more than a month adjusting to seeing that larger clubhead.  Well, I'm now finding myself having similar visual issues with the MP-37s. 

 

Which is a bit odd, it's not like they're actually large.  It's also entirely possible I'm seeing a degradation in my ability to hit a ball.  It's also far too early to say that, the calendar having just turned to May; offseason rust is still an issue.

 

One factor that has me thinking it's a club size issue is my driver machinations.  I had started the year hitting my TM Original One, a whopping 275cc.  I was hitting it fairly well.  When we had a couple rounds with 25+ mph winds, I put an R11s in my bag, purely because I could turn it down to 7.5*.  After a couple rounds, I started having trouble hitting the ball decently off the tee, put the Original One back in the bag.  My tee game went back to what I'd been seeing in the early part of the season, when I'd actually put up a couple decent scores.

 

I'm going to be putting my 1980 Golden Rams back in my bag for a bit, before I reshaft, to see if I can figure out exactly what's going on.  🙂   Which could mean two sets of Golden Rams could be receiving graphite shafts.  Maybe even my Muirfields, which are of a similar size...

 

The life of the Blade Ho