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

[Tupperwolf]

King Cobra Pro MBs from 2008 timeframe are in the bag. Pretty nice to take a divot after a year playing i210s with too much bounce and thick soles. 

[stingerfade]

22 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

$120 per club? That is cheap compared to anything else, at least anything from the major OEMs. I7ve noticed Titleist here seem to be selling sets of only five irons for the same or more as they were selling sets of six irons a couple of years ago....

 

 

It's called Yuai, in Fukuoka. Unusually for Japan, it's a public course. It's a very interesting layout, with mix of good birdie chances and excellent opportunities for triple bogies or more!

Yea that’s why I had to buy them….!!  I’ll report back when they arrive. 
 

My wife grew up in Tokyo moved to states in high school so we go back every few years. Her best friend from kindergarten (lol) and husband are golf nuts so we go play a outside of Tokyo. They don’t speak a word of English but doesn’t matter one bit. Me and her husband Hiroki go look at all the used club shops in Ueno for hours and completely understand what we are saying even though neither of us speak each other’s language. Really cool 

[Eeecc]

Was trying to play easier clubs Mizuno MX-300 to see if it would make my scores easier when I was competing with friends but realized I still sucked so switching back to Mizuno MP-29s. At least when I suck, I look cool 😎 while sucking but most importantly felt more rewarding hitting each shot. So getting more enjoyment from shot to shot even though the final score still sucked.

[Yoshifan151]

1 hour ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

It's called Yuai, in Fukuoka. Unusually for Japan, it's a public course. It's a very interesting layout, with mix of good birdie chances and excellent opportunities for triple bogies or more!

 

Thanks, definitely looked like Asia with all those trees and the way the hills roll.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

3 hours ago, stingerfade said:

Yea that’s why I had to buy them….!!  I’ll report back when they arrive. 
 

My wife grew up in Tokyo moved to states in high school so we go back every few years. Her best friend from kindergarten (lol) and husband are golf nuts so we go play a outside of Tokyo. They don’t speak a word of English but doesn’t matter one bit. Me and her husband Hiroki go look at all the used club shops in Ueno for hours and completely understand what we are saying even though neither of us speak each other’s language. Really cool 

 

You bought them already? Well played!🤣

 

Those used golf shops in Tokyo are crazy. So much amazing equipment. The secondhand shops around here rarely get anything like that in. I haven't been up to Tokyo in a while, but when I do I try to get to the secondhand shops around Shinjuku.

 

I lived in and around Tokyo for a few years, but didn't play golf in that time. Which courses have you played?

[Andygolderson]

11 hours ago, stingerfade said:

Man that top line is gorgeous on the rf

 

when companies say thin top line for anything made today, they’re not 

agree !

[chipa]

On 7/27/2021 at 9:58 PM, Andygolderson said:

I picked up gold briefly when i was about 13-17 years old, hacking around some local courses frequently in the 130's scoring range with a set of John Letters blades. They were my father's clubs that my mum suggested i "start with" before comitting into any of my own clubs. Of course, they were too long, too stiff and i never knew any different back then, so i continued playing them. Looking back now, the blade design came really far over time. I'd guess they were from the '70's - long, square, thin and knifey. I used them for about 4 years and expect they're still in my attic at home.

 

 (Something like this)

 

I quit golfing when i was about 17.

 

After a 17 year hiatus, I wanted to get back into golf and get my own set. The local thift shop i guess you could call it, had a set of RAM blades for i guess the equivalent of 30 USD. It was like riding a bike, i'd never forgotten, just a bit wobbly. I immediately went online looking for a set of clubs i could buy and call my own.

I dabbled with Forged Tec cavity backs for about a half year, I was playing almost every day and improving really quickly. I wanted to try the One Length concept and unfortunaterly, i got the stock set in Regular shafts. I got down from 110 to about 85/90 ish. It was always putting, chipping and OB from the driver that was screwing me up. My iron play has always been fairly good. CB's just didn't have that same look about them, although they did feel pretty nice.

 

Of course I felt amazing shooting 83 and went home, turned on the PC and checked E-bay for some blades. In a new golfing age (for me), Cobra really took my eye. The smooth small rounded blades from the Forged MB set looked so nice. I found a set, decided I needed to stiffen up and went graphite stiff. I lateer felt so confident that i ordered the 2 iron , haha.

 

 

At this point, I moved half way around the world in the off season and was on hold a few months. I played about 3 or 4 months, then Cobra released their RF rev 33 irons and I couldn't get my credit card out fast enough.

 

 

Much to my wife's irritation, I now have 2 sets of blades (and starting to think of selling the One Length CBs). There's just something really confidence inspiring for me to hit blades. I guess having grown up using a mis-fitted set and not knowing or playing any differently is still what attracts me to them. The thin sharp lines and the blissful feeling when you hit one pure is just amazing. I often hear people "can't hit them" or "affraid of them" but to me i simply can't relate to these comments, it just feels easy and comfortable to use.

 

I will often get peope commenting based on these misconcerptions or misunderstandings that my ability isn't good enough for blades or whatever, but as I mentioned before, to my opinion, my ability to hit blades isn't really the problem. It's being able to score in the short game and keep my drives under control, together with less hero play and better course management that cause my scores to be too high. Something i'm finally coming to accept ~30 something years later.

 

TLDR: Long live blades 🙂

 

I am a mid hi hc'er with a hooking problem and blades help that a great deal. I just recently changed to the DCI 990B's cast "blade" and now I hit the ball a mile high with a slight draw. I should be able to stop all my irons on our hard greens easily(25 deg. 4i). With a 7 wood and a new driver I should be able to shoot in the low 80's by the end of the year.

 

BTW, those RF irons are really nice. I used to like the rounded irons until I tried my DCI's but I hit them so well now my perspective has changed, the RF's look quite similar but with less offset. They both remind me of a set of Macgregor Nicklaus Muirfields I once had that I never should have sold.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

57 minutes ago, chipa said:

 

I am a mid hi hc'er with a hooking problem and blades help that a great deal. I just recently changed to the DCI 990B's cast "blade" and now I hit the ball a mile high with a slight draw. I should be able to stop all my irons on our hard greens easily(25 deg. 4i). With a 7 wood and a new driver I should be able to shoot in the low 80's by the end of the year.

 

BTW, those RF irons are really nice. I used to like the rounded irons until I tried my DCI's but I hit them so well now my perspective has changed, the RF's look quite similar but with less offset. They both remind me of a set of Macgregor Nicklaus Muirfields I once had that I never should have sold.

 

Mac Nicklaus Muirfields? The originals (top of picture), or the 20ths (bottom). I've got both. I actually prefer the 20ths, but I've got the Muirfields as well. A few years ago, I bought what looked to be a completely unhit full set of them, 1i to SW.

 

Edited September 7, 2021 by No_Catchy_Nickname

[chipa]

2 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

Mac Nicklaus Muirfields? The originals (top of picture), or the 20ths (bottom). I've got both. I actually prefer the 20ths, but I've got the Muirfields as well. A few years ago, I bought what looked to be a completely unhit full set of them, 1i to SW.

 

 

Nice irons! Mine were like the top one the muscleback. I don't think I have ever seen a better looking iron.

[ilikegolf26]

On 9/5/2021 at 4:12 PM, stingerfade said:

Anybody try the pxg 0211 st blades? Y’know the ones that are actually blades and not filled with goo ha

I looked at the specs and they seem to have quite a bit of bounce. Also, currently, they have 0 shaft options for X-stiff. And I’m not meaning 0 as in 0 shafts worth playing. I mean you can’t actually order these irons with an x-stiff shaft which seems unusual for a “blade” model. 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

21 minutes ago, chipa said:

 

Nice irons! Mine were like the top one the muscleback. I don't think I have ever seen a better looking iron.

 

They are certainly very pretty irons. I don't have any more pictures of them on this computer, unfortunately. 

 

In terms of feel, I prefer the 20ths, but they're both great irons. Definitely "keepers".

[Nard_S]

 

 

So by looking at @No_Catchy_Nickname photo's these are original  Muirfield's except with a custom box toe grind. Would that be correct? Have no idea if this was a release or if this is a custom customer purchase, but I've never been exactly sure what I have here. 

.

[lefthack]

Those look pretty sweet.

[bryanwmilburn]

Really debating Z Forged vs ZX7. There's just something about a blade............

[Yoshifan151]

55 minutes ago, bryanwmilburn said:

Really debating Z Forged vs ZX7. There's just something about a blade............

 

I play Z Forged and Z785, Z Forged is a nice deep feel and Z785 is very soft. Not sure if you prefer one feel over the other but I'd assume ZX7 would lean towards the softer feel of the Z785. Something to consider, cannot go wrong with either option performance wise though.

[Tupperwolf]

There really is something about a blade.  My i210s helped my game but everything comes full circle.  I am putting more attention into my swings with the blade.  I feel like they will snip out a nice divot instead of bouncing off the turf (that was really getting in my head and I kept hitting it thin).  The forgiveness is obviously worse but for me blades are game improvement clubs.

 

I'll post some more pics of my set when I get a chance.  They are pretty sweet.  I built the matching GW from components I sourced from eBay, PGATSS and Golfworks and my first swing with it was like butter.  Such a great feeling.

[Christen_The_Sloop]

Got out for the second time this year. Despite not having my tee-game together my score was alright - 40-38-78. After the 3rd hole, it sunk in that whoever set the pins was not in a good mood.

 

Mid round I kind of slipped into some old habits too, not driving my right knee toward the ball and coming over it pretty badly for about 3 holes, but then I righted it decently enough, I could hit some quality shots and have some nice looks at birdie.

 

My best shot was on the hole pictured, the 17th. It's short, tight and tricky. The drive has OB left and right. The green rises more than it looks and it's a blind approach, so the same as about 80% of the holes at this course. I hit my tee ball left, it may have landed out of bounds - with a 5 iron off the tee, for safety. But, it careened back and I had about 175 or so; ball below my feet and slightly down hill. Left of the pin is jail, long is as well. It came out just perfect with a seven iron, even slightly fading. Had 12 feet and just missed it on the low side.

 

I hit 10 greens - despite not really hitting my irons all that solid. They were all slightly thin, but nice and straight. I attribute the poorish contact to my right arm just being weak. I managed to keep most contact on the shallow side, which, if you saw me play in my youth, would seem outlandish. I used to take some pretty obscene pieces of real estate with my irons... Either way, I seem to have more consistent misses as a result of focus on pre-shot process and being able to keep everything in sequence.

 

 

[craz-e]

G’day blade lovers.

Been a while since I have had anything worthy of posting in this thread, but today I had a demo day and was booked in to get a driver dialled in. Something slim and shiny caught my attention so had to do it justice and give it a whirl. It was the first time I had seen the new Cobra forged MB in the flesh, it is a stunning iron and performs as good as it looks. Although I hadn’t had the opportunity to warm up I didn’t have a hard time hitting these. I am pretty shallow with my irons and the sole width and design of these were as good as I have ever felt. It’s been a while since an iron has jumped out at me like these. 
I have since returned home and have started to see what clubs can now be sold to help fund the purchase of a set of these!

 

and yes I did also get set up for a new driver 

[Oh Hi Carl]

Beautiful club.  $1400 USD for 4-PW with standard KBS steel shaft.  Not too bad for prices these days.      

[Andygolderson]

On 9/9/2021 at 5:17 PM, craz-e said:

G’day blade lovers.

Been a while since I have had anything worthy of posting in this thread, but today I had a demo day and was booked in to get a driver dialled in. Something slim and shiny caught my attention so had to do it justice and give it a whirl. It was the first time I had seen the new Cobra forged MB in the flesh, it is a stunning iron and performs as good as it looks. Although I hadn’t had the opportunity to warm up I didn’t have a hard time hitting these. I am pretty shallow with my irons and the sole width and design of these were as good as I have ever felt. It’s been a while since an iron has jumped out at me like these. 
I have since returned home and have started to see what clubs can now be sold to help fund the purchase of a set of these!

 

and yes I did also get set up for a new driver 

 

do it 😄 As i mentioned elsewhere earlier, i think the sole is really nice in these. It's more flat, narrow and sharp, as opposed to a more curved sole. Personally , I really like it.

 

Hope you will enjoy 🙂 

[craz-e]

13 hours ago, Andygolderson said:

do it 😄 As i mentioned elsewhere earlier, i think the sole is really nice in these. It's more flat, narrow and sharp, as opposed to a more curved sole. Personally , I really like it.

 

Hope you will enjoy 🙂 

 

 

Done it

[erikro]

Got these off the bay. Played them for the first time tonight........so nice.

 

[lefthack]

1 hour ago, erikro said:

Got these off the bay. Played them for the first time tonight........so nice.

 

That is a clean look right there. Nice.

[Christen_The_Sloop]

Good day at the range today. Working all year on sequencing; balance, breathing and making sure it can all fit together. Basically, I've never focused so much on the driving range. I've learned more about my swing than I ever have and if I had the knowledge I do now when I was playing more competitively, I think I could've been a contender. My long game always held me back. I could play 14 holes great and fall apart for the 3 or 4 holes and that was that. Now I have built in process, a more solid pre-shot foundation and fundamentals and I can shoot in the seventies having only played twice and I don't think it was an accident.

 

Had a typhoon roll through last night, so it was a breezy day, with clouds and brief moments of blue appearing. Had a little deer skip across the range into the forest as I was warming up...

 

Worked on left hand only drills with short irons recently as a warm up. Not a lot. Just 10-15 balls. When I do them I have to concentrate on driving my left knee toward the ball after I complete the backswing or the ball starts left of where I want. I focus on sequence, hands starts followed by shoulders and hips finish the backswing. And then the reverse on the downswing. It helps the tempo like nothing I've ever known. Left hand drills for the win.

 

Worked my way up from short irons to the top of the bag. I hit my 5-iron nicely. Flying it around 195-200. with roll some were a nice 210 (using toptracer and flighted balls, I figure they fly 10 percent short). So, I am feeling good.

 

Hit a few 4-irons. They more or less mirror the 5-iron. Same flight, same distances. I think I ought to maybe think about replacing the 4 iron.

 

What was the difference?

 

Decide to hit one more. Maybe slow down the tempo a little on the way back. I might've been forcing it the first two.

 

Fly it 209 and it runs to 233. One yard of draw. I remember a few times this happening on the course, hitting a 4-iron flushed 20 yards further than usual.

 

Next one flies the same as the 5-iron, maybe a touch further. Put the 4-iron away.

 

Hit my 4 wood first ball flies 222. 237 total.  I hit it good. Between the 4 iron and the 4 wood  I have a 4 hybrid (22 degree). They are 17, 22 and 24 degrees.

 

I wonder if it's the balls at the range. They basically max out at a certain distance. I know if I hit the 4-wood nicely it'll get out there 250-265.

 

Most important thing, playing in Japan, everything is flying straight and narrow. If you don't pick up and read Ben Hogan's book. You are doing yourself a true disservice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nard_S]

2 hours ago, Christen_The_Sloop said:

Good day at the range today. Working all year on sequencing; balance, breathing and making sure it can all fit together. Basically, I've never focused so much on the driving range. I've learned more about my swing than I ever have

Cool beans. Love range time, love the digging in & down. Sounds like you have a good process going. Agree on the long game issue. It's everything. Good driving, You are not scrambling, you can play in to green in a more relaxed way, changes tone of round when it's clicking.

[Yoshifan151]

18 hours ago, erikro said:

Got these off the bay. Played them for the first time tonight........so nice.

 

 

Some of the cleanest blades out there. LOVE the low offset and long hosel.

[stingerfade]

On 9/7/2021 at 1:36 AM, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

You bought them already? Well played!🤣

 

Those used golf shops in Tokyo are crazy. So much amazing equipment. The secondhand shops around here rarely get anything like that in. I haven't been up to Tokyo in a while, but when I do I try to get to the secondhand shops around Shinjuku.

 

I lived in and around Tokyo for a few years, but didn't play golf in that time. Which courses have you played?

Hey yea got the pxg 0211st and am kind of shocked how good they feel. As good or maybe better than my mp18, it has that more dense than soft feel but still soft, solid. Sooooo easy to hit as well. Soles and top line are probably smaller or as small as any modern American club right now, look like blueprints at address. really happy so far (see how long that lasts haha)

 

I've only played Tsukuba CC outside of Tokyo. Very narrow tree lined and hilly. Must stop for full meal at the turn! Haha very different over there. I love how the caddies (all women and dressed exactly the same in blue argyle high socks) had a checklist and after every hole checked to make sure all the clubs are presents before driving to next hole. Very efficient and no one loses a club! Ha

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

25 minutes ago, stingerfade said:

Hey yea got the pxg 0211st and am kind of shocked how good they feel. As good or maybe better than my mp18, it has that more dense than soft feel but still soft, solid. Sooooo easy to hit as well. Soles and top line are probably smaller or as small as any modern American club right now, look like blueprints at address. really happy so far (see how long that lasts haha)

 

I've only played Tsukuba CC outside of Tokyo. Very narrow tree lined and hilly. Must stop for full meal at the turn! Haha very different over there. I love how the caddies (all women and dressed exactly the same in blue argyle high socks) had a checklist and after every hole checked to make sure all the clubs are presents before driving to next hole. Very efficient and no one loses a club! Ha

 

Tsukuba? Wow, that's a fair distance out of Tokyo. I played at a course today that was about an hour away on normal roads, and it felt like a journey. Yeah, we had the stop at the turn as well. Also, as today was a national holiday, the course was busy. Started around 8.40, played the first nine in a little over 2 hours, and we were given 1 hour 15 minutes for lunch (more than twice what we needed or wanted), then the second half took 3 hours.

 

Totally blocked up. The group three ahead of us was really slow. On one par 5, there were five groups: one on the green, one waiting to hit their second/third shots, one waiting to hit their second, us on the tee, and another group behind us waiting.

 

Teed off at 8.40, finished at 15.40. 7 hours for a round of golf🥱

[stingerfade]

2 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

Tsukuba? Wow, that's a fair distance out of Tokyo. I played at a course today that was about an hour away on normal roads, and it felt like a journey. Yeah, we had the stop at the turn as well. Also, as today was a national holiday, the course was busy. Started around 8.40, played the first nine in a little over 2 hours, and we were given 1 hour 15 minutes for lunch (more than twice what we needed or wanted), then the second half took 3 hours.

 

Totally blocked up. The group three ahead of us was really slow. On one par 5, there were five groups: one on the green, one waiting to hit their second/third shots, one waiting to hit their second, us on the tee, and another group behind us waiting.

 

Teed off at 8.40, finished at 15.40. 7 hours for a round of golf🥱

Wow. Yea my wife’s childhood friend and husband live outside the main circle for sure prob 30 mins outside of ueno. It was a drive but I wasn’t driving or paying so don’t care at all!! Haha I live in queens nyc so I’m used to driving at least 60 mins no matter where I play 

[NRJyzr]

2 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

Teed off at 8.40, finished at 15.40. 7 hours for a round of golf🥱

 

One of my friends, part of the larger group of golfers with whom I play every week, is a Scottish transplant.  He starts to get a little twitchy once we get to the four hour mark for our round.

 

He's been here in the US since the 90s, he's familiar with the routine.  Doesn't lessen the annoyance.

 

He loves recounting stories of when he returns home, plays golf with family & friends, routinely getting around the course in 3:30 or less.  

 

I admit to a bit of jealousy.  LOL