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

[FirePro]

14 minutes ago, Joe S said:

 

Depends on how much you would have paid for them.  These are definitely worth owning, but they aren't so rare that you can't find a nice set if you want them.  I once found a nice set of Golden Ram Tom Watson Tour Grind irons on a trip for $20, so I clearly had to buy them and figure out how to get them home.  If it was a situation like that you probably should have bought them.  

$200, not sure if play it again sports would negotiate price or not.  it also didn't help I was in a rush 

[Joe S]

17 minutes ago, FirePro said:

$200, not sure if play it again sports would negotiate price or not.  it also didn't help I was in a rush 

 

I think you made the right call there.  You will get another chance at some nice MP-14's if you want them.  

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

On 5/25/2022 at 9:19 PM, Christen_The_Sloop said:

Slap on a little lead tape. That's a good answer for ugliness and beauty. I have some sets of irons that look to good, if you know what I mean.

 

This hasn't been a great year for golf. Father in law is having a tough time with his health and he's my main golf partner. Starting a garden... Keeping the yard in nice shape. Taking the girls where they need to go... Life kind of gets in the way...

 

Still hitting the ball okay. I have my sequencing pretty much down, so not a lot can go wrong . A little left with the irons. A little right with the driver. Putting is always good. And chipping is alright, because I have a gd chipping green to chip to.

 

I hit some balls tongiht. The top tracer always entices me to play a virtual round. Played Pinehurst and shot a 71. I'm -7 in my last four rounds there. So hand me the US Open now.

 

After the round I hit my Dunlop Seve 1-iron wX100, Tourstage MR23 US Spec CB 2-iron X100 and Tommy Armour Silver Scot 986 3-iron S300. The clear winner was....

 

The gd Silver Scot. My goodness. It's the most unusual looking club I have with no offset, but it performs. Has me looking for some grips. First ball I hit 7 balls with it averaging 215. Hitting nice mid-high draws, like no one's business. First one was dead on target. The most I got off target was 7 yards twice and I was dead on twice.

 

The MR23 is the worst of the bunch. It feels absolutely dead. There are very few clubs I have hit that feel as bad. And, I love the rest of the set... Thinking pull the shaft and try something different.

 

 

Sorry to hear about your Father-in-law. I hope his health problems are of the resolvable kind.

 

Having a chipping area in your back garden is great. I'd love to have something like that, but don't really have the space, and the upkeep worries me.

 

Now, it's weird that the MR23 feels so dead. Wonder if there's something jammed in the shaft that's affecting feel?

[Nard_S]

1 hour ago, FirePro said:

$200, not sure if play it again sports would negotiate price or not.  it also didn't help I was in a rush 

If they were mint, that's not a bad price. You could of had them shipped for an extra $30, all in under $250 is not terrible.

[DevilDog]

What are the best new blades out right now?  Want to get some new ones for my college golf bound son.  He plays with Titleist 620s right now.  Wondering if Titleist will come out with a new version this year or not.  

[AntLockyer]

30 minutes ago, DevilDog said:

What are the best new blades out right now?  Want to get some new ones for my college golf bound son.  He plays with Titleist 620s right now.  Wondering if Titleist will come out with a new version this year or not.  

I just bought some 620s. they are nice. I probably prefer the 712s though

[Nard_S]

4 hours ago, DevilDog said:

What are the best new blades out right now?  Want to get some new ones for my college golf bound son.  He plays with Titleist 620s right now.  Wondering if Titleist will come out with a new version this year or not.  

The vibe I get from online is the 620's are cat's meow right now, as good as anything around. 

 

The new MP 221 looks incredible, I'm not even a Mizuno MB guy either.

 

The one head that blows me away right now is:

 

KYOEI MB 1964 Irons 3-PW ( 8pcs ) - Chrome Satin - Heads Only (tourspecgolf.com)

[NRJyzr]

I'd bought a TEE CBX hybrid to replace the Stage 2 Tour that bit the dust recently.  Was hitting it fairly well, then the epoxy failed while on the course this past Saturday.

 

Until such time as I fix the club, I've put a Mizuno MP20 HMB 2 iron in the bag, for that loft slot.  It's been working pretty well so far, giving me good distance, and somewhat better direction than I was seeing with the hybrid.

 

Interestingly, it has Steelfiber i95 stiff, which I was thinking was too much for me these days.  I was having no trouble with it this past weekend.  Go figure.

 

[Nard_S]

Have had a few bad rounds, had a good one last Sunday.

 

I keep turning back & collapsing back swing till the shaft nearly touches my neck, lol. It's so bush league, but that's corrected and I feel like I'm playing golf & golf is not playing me. Pay much more attention to conditions and that's meaningful with MB's & high spin balls.

 

Loving the Maruman SX's. Great irons have lots of intuition. These do in spades. Draw it up, they execute. I own par 3 holes, even on poor rounds. Messed up a few times this year but usual is bird look or solid par. Putter is nice, chipping is "B" level but moving right way. Tee ball is big key and that' was"C", now "B". More faith in long irons & steel on steel #5W. The King Cobra is solid tee club and that success is owed by just dropping that heavy mother in. Don't over do & it goes kapow. Driver & Ti #3W are better too. Incorporating a new pre-shot which I've always had a tough time doing but this one is easy and it works. I utilize a robo caddy to follow me when I'm tired from a long work week but honest, still as tired if I carried. So yeah, early in season and not unhappy, it's been worse around this time. Cheers.

[BagofToast]

On 6/7/2022 at 1:59 PM, DevilDog said:

What are the best new blades out right now?  Want to get some new ones for my college golf bound son.  He plays with Titleist 620s right now.  Wondering if Titleist will come out with a new version this year or not.  

If he likes them get another set while they’re available. 

[AntLockyer]

First hit with my new sticks today, oh boy 😍

[craz-e]

9 hours ago, AntLockyer said:

First hit with my new sticks today, oh boy 😍

 

 

So pure, not many better looking blades out there than those 

[Nard_S]

I like the 620's. But Titleist needs to release the JT model. He is no doubt their best ambassador. I would buy a set if they offered it. JT is a dude, with a capital "D"

 

Just got done on range, really loving my blades. Down wind on a warm day, I feel like i'm 25 again, lol. I have zero idea how "technology" makes this anymore fun. Down wind does, plastic & multi materials will never. Lol. 

 

Was feeling it, those Maruman's,  whew! Fun fact. Faldo has some great swing tips, he once talked of "separating hands from body in transition". I did that today, holy cow! "Sweet (spot) Caroline"  ba-dum da dum.......

[craz-e]

34 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

I like the 620's. But Titleist needs to release the JT model. He is no doubt their best ambassador. I would buy a set if they offered it. JT is a dude, with a capital "D"

 

Just got done on range, really loving my blades. Down wind on a warm day, I feel like i'm 25 again, lol. I have zero idea how "technology" makes this anymore fun. Down wind does, plastic & multi materials will never. Lol. 

 

Was feeling it, those Maruman's,  whew! Fun fact. Faldo has some great swing tips, he once talked of "separating hands from body in transition". I did that today, holy cow! "Sweet (spot) Caroline"  ba-dum da dum.......

 

 

I'd be buying a set of those as well, come on Titleist do it!

[NRJyzr]

Something I'd mentioned in another thread...

 

In my last couple rounds, I've been playing my MP37s with Recoil Proto 125's.  After last year's loss of speed and distance, I'd experimented with dropping a little lead tape off the clubs, bringing the swingweight down about 5 points.

 

This past weekend, I was hitting some pretty big draws with them, and the clubs feel a little too light.  Adding back a bit of lead tape, bringing them back up a couple points.  

 

Last year, I bought an Orange Whip, after seeing a friend's results, and trying it for a few swings, only to see my distance spike that day.  It seems to have had that effect this year, as well, even in the offseason simulator sessions, where my ball speed and launch were a bit higher.  I'm thinking the Orange Whip combined with fewer back problems are allowing me to play the heavier clubs again this year.  

 

It's all a big dance.  🙂

 

[AntLockyer]

4 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

Something I'd mentioned in another thread...

 

In my last couple rounds, I've been playing my MP37s with Recoil Proto 125's.  After last year's loss of speed and distance, I'd experimented with dropping a little lead tape off the clubs, bringing the swingweight down about 5 points.

 

This past weekend, I was hitting some pretty big draws with them, and the clubs feel a little too light.  Adding back a bit of lead tape, bringing them back up a couple points.  

 

Last year, I bought an Orange Whip, after seeing a friend's results, and trying it for a few swings, only to see my distance spike that day.  It seems to have had that effect this year, as well, even in the offseason simulator sessions, where my ball speed and launch were a bit higher.  I'm thinking the Orange Whip combined with fewer back problems are allowing me to play the heavier clubs again this year.  

 

It's all a big dance.  🙂

 

That's very interesting I really like a lighter swing weight but do have a hefty draw on my irons. Might try a bit of tape to see.

[NRJyzr]

2 minutes ago, AntLockyer said:

That's very interesting I really like a lighter swing weight but do have a hefty draw on my irons. Might try a bit of tape to see.

 

It was something phizzy said in another thread that struck a chord with me.  He said when his clubs are a little too light, he would hit huge draws.  After watching it myself, combined with my having peeled tape off the clubs earlier this year, I thought it was worth a shot.  

 

I'll see tomorrow, and the weekend.  I'll try remember to report back  🙂

 

[AntLockyer]

22 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

 

It was something phizzy said in another thread that struck a chord with me.  He said when his clubs are a little too light, he would hit huge draws.  After watching it myself, combined with my having peeled tape off the clubs earlier this year, I thought it was worth a shot.  

 

I'll see tomorrow, and the weekend.  I'll try remember to report back  🙂

 

I honestly shouldn't mess about. I've jsut paid a lot of money to be professionally fitted and D2 was the answer 👨‍⚕️

[Bmurr7]

On 6/7/2022 at 11:30 AM, AntLockyer said:

I just bought some 620s. they are nice. I probably prefer the 712s though

I play 712's and absolutely love them. The brushed/matte finish, the shape and look at address just do it for me. They perform well too- Steelfiber 125s in mine. Big fan.

[IcemanYVR]

On 6/7/2022 at 11:30 AM, AntLockyer said:

I just bought some 620s. they are nice. I probably prefer the 712s though

,

Nice. I like the 620, they would be my first choice if buying new. They have a very classic look. My ATF Titleist irons are the 690.MB, but they are getting harder and harder to find.

[NRJyzr]

Quick update on my MP37s, post-adjustment...  it seems to have done what I hoped, a much straighter flight.  None of the hooks I was fighting in my round last weekend.

 

Small sample size caveats apply, of course.  😉

 

[mahonie]

19 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

Quick update on my MP37s, post-adjustment...  it seems to have done what I hoped, a much straighter flight.  None of the hooks I was fighting in my round last weekend.

 

Small sample size caveats apply, of course.  😉

 

Glad it seems to be working out.

 

Played most of my golf with DG S300s but bought some wedges with XP95 shafts thinking that I wouldn't notice any difference. How wrong was I? 52# wedge has always been my 100 yard club. With the XP95s I was struggling to get 80 yards. There is a lot to be said for the 'heft' of a club.

[Nard_S]

So I played in a Monday 4-ball charity event. We did okay (68) but I played raffle, wound up winning twice with  only 5 tickets, lol. 1st win, chose a nice Ralph Lauren handbag for my wife. Got razzed on that but won again and chose a Tony Finau autographed Fed Ex flag. Pretty cool, beats a box of golf balls. 

[Christen_The_Sloop]

Well, I got out for a second time this bloody year. My average is still under 80, so it wasn't that bad. Another 78. 5 penalty shots. And really nothing all that unreasonable except for one. If you know Japanese golf courses you know they have holes on different levels of a hillside and I pulled a driver and it cleared the hillside into a hole that runs parallel. It was quite a bad swing and, if I had the capacity of say a Jack Nicklaus, I should have just pulled an iron from that tee and put in the fairway and I could have hit a pitching wedge for a reasonable birdie putt. But, I didn't.

 

It was the first time to see that course too. And I ended as many over par as my playing partners were after the first hole and it was scorching bloody hot. So, it was a test of patience that I probably wouldn't have passed a few years earlier. Hell, maybe a few months earlier.

 

Got up and down from two greenside bunkers for birdies. Had an eagle on the second hole lip out too. Thinking about it after, my mid iron shot into the hole must have take a pretty good look for that rare and eminent double eagle.

 

Founders 200 series irons have earned at least another game.

 

In the ho department, I've been trying to shore up that 20-21 degree area. I hit the 4 wood on a few tight holes and it was money, I hit the 4 iron on a couple holes and it was money too. Found that I'd like to be 10-15 yards further in some instances and so, I'm dropping the Miz Clk 22 degree hybrid for a 21 degree Cally X-forged UT with a DI95X. It's not the one with the rectangle weight, but the triangle (and tungsten)

 

Hit it at the range today and I was hitting it almost up to the 4w (20 balls on the top tracer at 235 compared to 237). Actually, it was right on top of it. I took it in to get tipped a half inch, so that ought to tighten it up and cut 5 yards or so.

 

Anyway, it goes good. I traded in a Titleist Tmb 716 and few other clubs gathering dust and the fellow at the local shop gave me more than I thought he would, so I walked out wallet intact. At the same time, hit an A-grind cmb 20.5 degree with a Diamana thump i115 and it felt equally as good as the Callaway and probably looked better, but I kind of had my mind made up to take it home already. But, it's still there and it's burning another one of them holes. I'll probably pick it up and give the two a true test over the summer.

[Luds]

I'm in a bit of a dilemma/conundrum that many blade users face.  I'm a single digit hdcp and I'm currently playing apex mb '18s in P-7 and apex pro dot 19s in 6-4.  When my ball-striking is on point, the blades are so great in the short irons in terms of performance, sound, feel, etc.  But when my game is off, I'm definitely leaving something to be desired (typical miss is toe miss or a little heavy, resulting in a shot 1-1.5 clubs short).  The thing is, the long irons are typically always money.  Hit them flush, turf interaction is great, even mishits feel pretty good.

 

Long story short, I'm wondering if I should go full tour cavity and I'll consistently have a better time on the course.  Apex TCBs have caught my eye, as they seem VERY similar to my Pro Dots.  If I stick to the blade route, maybe try z-Forged? Srixons have always interested me, and I hear the z-forged are some of the easiest to hit.

[BagofToast]

31 minutes ago, Luds said:

I'm in a bit of a dilemma/conundrum that many blade users face.  I'm a single digit hdcp and I'm currently playing apex mb '18s in P-7 and apex pro dot 19s in 6-4.  When my ball-striking is on point, the blades are so great in the short irons in terms of performance, sound, feel, etc.  But when my game is off, I'm definitely leaving something to be desired (typical miss is toe miss or a little heavy, resulting in a shot 1-1.5 clubs short).  The thing is, the long irons are typically always money.  Hit them flush, turf interaction is great, even mishits feel pretty good.

 

Long story short, I'm wondering if I should go full tour cavity and I'll consistently have a better time on the course.  Apex TCBs have caught my eye, as they seem VERY similar to my Pro Dots.  If I stick to the blade route, maybe try z-Forged? Srixons have always interested me, and I hear the z-forged are some of the easiest to hit.

If you like the pro dots that much I’d go with the full set. Or try the TCBs 

[NRJyzr]

2 hours ago, Luds said:

I'm in a bit of a dilemma/conundrum that many blade users face.  I'm a single digit hdcp and I'm currently playing apex mb '18s in P-7 and apex pro dot 19s in 6-4.  When my ball-striking is on point, the blades are so great in the short irons in terms of performance, sound, feel, etc.  But when my game is off, I'm definitely leaving something to be desired (typical miss is toe miss or a little heavy, resulting in a shot 1-1.5 clubs short).  The thing is, the long irons are typically always money.  Hit them flush, turf interaction is great, even mishits feel pretty good.

 

Long story short, I'm wondering if I should go full tour cavity and I'll consistently have a better time on the course.  Apex TCBs have caught my eye, as they seem VERY similar to my Pro Dots.  If I stick to the blade route, maybe try z-Forged? Srixons have always interested me, and I hear the z-forged are some of the easiest to hit.

 

Take this as very much a YMMV type of post....

 

Over the years, I've done this many times.  I've set my blades aside to play all sorts of CBs, Peerless Tours, Precept Tour Premiums, Ping ISI, Ping Eye2+, the 2011 version of TM TP MC, etc.  In each case, I gave them each a couple months, minimum, and I played the Eye2+ for a year.  

 

In every instance, they didn't live up to the promised improvement.  

 

If you're really feeling like it's an issue, try a CB that interests you for a few months.  Don't sell off the blades right away.  After a few months, check your scores overall.  If you feel you need more time, go longer.  It's the only real way you'll know.  It didn't do anything for me, but it might for you.  <shrug>

 

Amusingly, I'm going through this right now.  I'm actually playing pretty decently, in spite of fighting my short game, and having an unsettled tee game (it's no fun hitting a half dozen punchouts every round, if not more).  But I can't help but hear that siren's song.  So far, I've held off.

 

In fact, I'm going to finally shaft up my set of Purefit 1020 MB's that I've had for over a dozen years.  I've used a few of them as graphite shaft testers, but it's time to put them into play.  It will be a departure for me, dropping to 95g graphite across the full set.  I've been playing my Recoil Proto 125 for much of the year, but results with the MP20 HMB 2 iron with Steelfiber i95 have me thinking it's time to dive in.

 

Sorry, got off track there for a bit.  LOL

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by NRJyzr

[Nard_S]

3 hours ago, Luds said:

But when my game is off, I'm definitely leaving something to be desired (typical miss is toe miss or a little heavy, resulting in a shot 1-1.5 clubs short)

 

Try centering ball closer to neck. The CG on short iron MB's reside there. You line up CF on CB, well, that's where the CG is. It is a pretty big difference.There are some MB's that counter that, but standard is MB's are 8-10mm heel bound on sweet spot. CF is outer hit zone.

 

I was chipping the other day, it was a bit sporadic, so I go decidedly heel side on setup, the consistency went way up.

 

Truth too is I'm not a fan of mixed sets. Like my #5i to swing & feel like my #9i, but that's me. So all MB or all CB is where I land.

[Luds]

20 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

 

Take this as very much a YMMV type of post....

 

Over the years, I've done this many times.  I've set my blades aside to play all sorts of CBs, Peerless Tours, Precept Tour Premiums, Ping ISI, Ping Eye2+, the 2011 version of TM TP MC, etc.  In each case, I gave them each a couple months, minimum, and I played the Eye2+ for a year.  

 

In every instance, they didn't live up to the promised improvement.  

 

If you're really feeling like it's an issue, try a CB that interests you for a few months.  Don't sell off the blades right away.  After a few months, check your scores overall.  If you feel you need more time, go longer.  It's the only real way you'll know.  It didn't do anything for me, but it might for you.  <shrug>

 

Amusingly, I'm going through this right now.  I'm actually playing pretty decently, in spite of fighting my short game, and having an unsettled tee game (it's no fun hitting a half dozen punchouts every round, if not more).  But I can't help but hear that siren's song.  So far, I've held off.

 

In fact, I'm going to finally shaft up my set of Purefit 1020 MB's that I've had for over a dozen years.  I've used a few of them as graphite shaft testers, but it's time to put them into play.  It will be a departure for me, dropping to 95g graphite across the full set.  I've been playing my Recoil Proto 125 for much of the year, but results with the MP20 HMB 2 iron with Steelfiber i95 have me thinking it's time to dive in.

 

Sorry, got off track there for a bit.  LOL

 

Thanks for the response. Yeah, I won't be trading my current gamers for a bit. at least until I figure everything out!

[Luds]

18 hours ago, Nard_S said:

 

Try centering ball closer to neck. The CG on short iron MB's reside there. You line up CF on CB, well, that's where the CG is. It is a pretty big difference.There are some MB's that counter that, but standard is MB's are 8-10mm heel bound on sweet spot. CF is outer hit zone.

 

I was chipping the other day, it was a bit sporadic, so I go decidedly heel side on setup, the consistency went way up.

 

Truth too is I'm not a fan of mixed sets. Like my #5i to swing & feel like my #9i, but that's me. So all MB or all CB is where I land.

You got me... a few too many bad memories with the hosel as a child led me astray lol.  I started addressing the ball slightly toe side years back and in my brain that does look "centered" to me after all this time... Starting to become more of an issue now as I've been playing cuts a lot more.