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

[tomc262]

18 minutes ago, QuigleyDU said:

Sure, I like playing blades. For the most part my miss is usually high and low on the face not toe or heel. But, tech in irons is not a bad thing either. But purdy is purdy. lol

Purdy is purdy. Yes! This!   Well said.  

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

On 12/28/2022 at 10:11 PM, Christen_The_Sloop said:

Funny you should mention that... This year I started noticing pain in my right elbow and I put it down to the broken arm I had a couple years ago and using x100s. I'm thinking of soft stepping a set of x100 and seeing about that, but in the meantime the Daiwas I posted earlier have s400, which is nice. I built up the grips on them (4+2). Didn't notice any pain after hitting them yesterday.

 

The Daiwas hit as nice as they look. No problem hitting anything, but distance was a little lacking due to the temperature. They have a very similar toe to those YORO MP-4s. One other thing I liked about the MP-4 was the size of the short iron. I don't mind if a short iron is a little beefier. I don't need scalpels down there. The Daiwa PW doesn't look oblong or anything, but when I grab my SW, the SW looks a smaller in comparison. The 9-iron in the Daiwa set is noticeably smaller in comparison to the PW. The rest of the set blends really nicely. One of the nicest set of sticks I've seen. And, it looks as if they've seen one or two rounds of golf in their 30 odd year life. It's ridiculous really.

 

It's funny how different the X100s and S400s are. I think the S400s are actually a gram or two heavier, but they are so much easier to play for me now. 

A soft stepped X100 might be interesting, but back in the day--pre back injuries--I toyed with the idea of a mixed set with S400 in the long irons to 7i, then X100 in the short irons.

 

Never saw it through, though.

[BombinJim]

A rare nice weather day this time of year in Philly so obligatory round with the blades today

[ARL67]

^^^ Sweetness !

What came first, the blade or the car -> equal doses of awesomeness !

 

 

[Nard_S]

2 hours ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

t's funny how different the X100s and S400s are. I think the S400s are actually a gram or two heavier, but they are so much easier to play for me now. 

I cannot hit X100 . It has too much spin. The ability to match face deloft to that spin is above my pay grade. Can do it well enough with S400 and even Rifle 7.5 and even those are not truly ideal. S400 is a great shaft, my favorite. Like it more than Project X & S.P.Blue too. Can go with constant or descending on them. 

[craz-e]

On 12/29/2022 at 12:51 AM, QuigleyDU said:

very soon I will have 3 sets of blades. lol. I am not really sure that is what I should be playing but it is what it is.. 

 

MP5s, Mizuno pro 221, and a set of Apex MBs. 

 

 

All good sets!

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

8 hours ago, Nard_S said:

I cannot hit X100 . It has too much spin. The ability to match face deloft to that spin is above my pay grade. Can do it well enough with S400 and even Rifle 7.5 and even those are not truly ideal. S400 is a great shaft, my favorite. Like it more than Project X & S.P.Blue too. Can go with constant or descending on them. 

 

T...t...too much spin? I think I was getting the opposite, as I hit the ball noticeably lower with X100s than S400s, and put it down to spin differences. Don't know for sure though, as I don't own a launch monitor.

 

What I do know is that I find S400s much better for me now than X100s.

[Nard_S]

1 hour ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

T...t...too much spin? I think I was getting the opposite, as I hit the ball noticeably lower with X100s than S400s, and put it down to spin differences. Don't know for sure though, as I don't own a launch monitor.

 

What I do know is that I find S400s much better for me now than X100s.

 

I've never been on a monitor, think I read my own ball flight decently though. By default, I'm a high trajectory hitter, the ability to do something other than that gotten a lot better in past couple of years. 

 

X100 launches lower for me too but they balloon more and leak from heightened off axis spin. They just feel too stiff. S400 have a softer tip, softer profile launch higher but still don't balloon, the spin seems more controllable.

 

I know DG is specified as low spin /low launch.  Historically tend to have too much spin and height with all of them.  I attribute this to less than stellar deloft and swinging steep. Rifle is specked mid launch/ higher spin. Funny, they work as advertised for me there.  X in Rifle does fly higher & flatter than S400. I do well with those.  

 

On those rare occasions when I'm swinging over my paygrade, what I glean is that gobs of spin is fine & dandy so long as a corresponding deloft is there to match it.  A higher grade of lag and flatter descent is needed to nail that. Not sure I'll ever fully bottle that. But if I could then the skill of taking off spin on command would rise, which is something I'm lacking in too. My knockdowns are really stingers. At times can do the bullet runners and oddly my driver tends to have near perfect decent angle that can make the ball kick nicely on dry fairways. But in general, I swing with too much spin.

[NRJyzr]

3 hours ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

T...t...too much spin? I think I was getting the opposite, as I hit the ball noticeably lower with X100s than S400s, and put it down to spin differences. Don't know for sure though, as I don't own a launch monitor.

 

What I do know is that I find S400s much better for me now than X100s.

 

1 hour ago, Nard_S said:

 

I've never been on a monitor, think I read my own ball flight decently though. By default, I'm a high trajectory hitter, the ability to do something other than that gotten a lot better in past couple of years. 

 

X100 launches lower for me too but they balloon more and leak from heightened off axis spin. They just feel too stiff. S400 have a softer tip, softer profile launch higher but still don't balloon, the spin seems more controllable.

 

I know DG is specified as low spin /low launch.  Historically tend to have too much spin and height with all of them.  I attribute this to less than stellar deloft and swinging steep. Rifle is specked mid launch/ higher spin. Funny, they work as advertised for me there.  X in Rifle does fly higher & flatter than S400. I do well with those.  

 

On those rare occasions when I'm swinging over my paygrade, what I glean is that gobs of spin is fine & dandy so long as a corresponding deloft is there to match it.  A higher grade of lag and flatter descent is needed to nail that. Not sure I'll ever fully bottle that. But if I could then the skill of taking off spin on command would rise, which is something I'm lacking in too. My knockdowns are really stingers. At times can do the bullet runners and oddly my driver tends to have near perfect decent angle that can make the ball kick nicely on dry fairways. But in general, I swing with too much spin.

 

For what it's worth, I used to spin my DGX-shafted MS-11s an unseemly amount.  I'm talking a 29* 5 iron at 7200-7500, with a 19-20* launch.  It was less than ideal in any sort of wind.

 

It's also how I was able to see a serious spike in distance, when I started playing golfballs that spun quite a bit less on full shots.

 

I didn't see that sort of spin production from my sets that have had DGS.

 

I should also add, this was at a time when my game was such that DGX was possibly not the ideal shaft for me.  When I had a bit more speed, my spin was around 7000 with a 31* MS-11, with the same DGX shafts.

 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

7 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

 

 

For what it's worth, I used to spin my DGX-shafted MS-11s an unseemly amount.  I'm talking a 29* 5 iron at 7200-7500, with a 19-20* launch.  It was less than ideal in any sort of wind.

 

It's also how I was able to see a serious spike in distance, when I started playing golfballs that spun quite a bit less on full shots.

 

I didn't see that sort of spin production from my sets that have had DGS.

 

I should also add, this was at a time when my game was such that DGX was possibly not the ideal shaft for me.  When I had a bit more speed, my spin was around 7000 with a 31* MS-11, with the same DGX shafts.

 

 

Yeah, that's going to hurt in the wind.

 

I think I'm the opposite of you and @Nard_S in that I am probably a low-spin player. 

 

I now really want to hit proper balls off grass while measuring it all with a launch monitor. And I can't see any way of making it happen😢

[Nard_S]

9 hours ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

now really want to hit proper balls off grass while measuring it all with a launch monitor. And I can't see any way of making it happen😢

What I found pretty helpful was video. My swing peaked about 2 years ago, life interrupts, things regress, not as good. Broke out my fancy new phone a month ago and taped myself. Saw the stink, fast.  Always avoided doing this but this year I want to incorporate it more as a part of my range sessions. Won't waste so many strikes. 

[Swingingk]

Hey gang, quick question here and I figured if anyone would know you folks would.  Maybe I was dreaming but I thought I saw a picture of some obscure TaylorMade blades on the site somewhere but I can't seem to locate it now.  I believe they were a Japanese issue thing from a few years back - a real blade I think and not the ones with the hollow long irons.  Can anyone point me in the right direction?

[CourseJester]

Have always used blades. 
 

First set of clubs I owned was a set of Cleveland CG1 irons. 
 

Then moved to Ping Blueprints. 
 

Can’t look down at anything else. 

[craz-e]

15 hours ago, CourseJester said:

Have always used blades. 
 

First set of clubs I owned was a set of Cleveland CG1 irons. 
 

Then moved to Ping Blueprints. 
 

Can’t look down at anything else. 

 

Two quality sets, the CG1 my favorite ever cast iron and Blueprints are a set I will own at some point in time

[KingTitus]

Have been playing Miura TC-201’s with LA Golf L series shafts for the past 3 months. Felt my distances were decreasing on the course as I’ve made a few swing changes. Brought out my set of Apex MB’s with C-Taper 130 and have been shocked by the results. MB’s are spinning about 500 rpm less and consistently about 2mph faster ball speeds per club. I think it’s coming down to the thinner sole and more centered mass of the MB vs the TC-201. Anyone else see faster ball speeds and less spin with a blade vs a “cavity back”? 
 

Went to a local shop yesterday and saw the new P7MB and MC for the first time. Debating on a combo set of these but have yet to hit them. Anyone compare the new P7MB and ‘21 Apex MB’s? 

[NRJyzr]

4 minutes ago, KingTitus said:

MB’s are spinning about 500 rpm less and consistently about 2mph faster ball speeds per club. I think it’s coming down to the thinner sole and more centered mass of the MB vs the TC-201. Anyone else see faster ball speeds and less spin with a blade vs a “cavity back”? 

 

I would put the spin reduction on the C Taper.  Using the classic generalization, MBs create more spin than CBs.  though, there *are* exceptions here and there.

 

As for ballspeed, hard to say.  It may well be a shaft thing, the C Tapers may work better with your swing, creating better swing mechanics to improve your ballspeed.  There's nothing intrinsic about blades that would cause them to increase ballspeed.  

 

The thinner sole angle you mention could possibly influence your swing with respect to turf interaction.  Kind of an ancillary effect, not a direct one.

 

[KingTitus]

4 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

 

I would put the spin reduction on the C Taper.  Using the classic generalization, MBs create more spin than CBs.  though, there *are* exceptions here and there.

 

As for ballspeed, hard to say.  It may well be a shaft thing, the C Tapers may work better with your swing, creating better swing mechanics to improve your ballspeed.  There's nothing intrinsic about blades that would cause them to increase ballspeed.  

 

The thinner sole angle you mention could possibly influence your swing with respect to turf interaction.  Kind of an ancillary effect, not a direct one.

 

Yeah I know shaft is playing an influence. I wonder if a lot has to do with the center weight screw on the MB vs the Miura which has all the mass out on the heal and toe. More mass behind the ball at impact on the MB might be generating better numbers for me. Tried the C Tapers in the Miura but couldn’t get along with them as they swing weighted like D6.5 due to their heavy head weight. 

[Nard_S]

12 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

 

I would put the spin reduction on the C Taper. 

This.

 

Always liked the P7 MB, may yet buy a set. 

 

Never suffered distance issue with MB's, usually somewhat better on loft-to-loft basis. It's a myth CB's are longer, they just launch higher which can factor longer but not always. Depends on swing.

[NRJyzr]

18 minutes ago, KingTitus said:

Yeah I know shaft is playing an influence. I wonder if a lot has to do with the center weight screw on the MB vs the Miura which has all the mass out on the heal and toe. More mass behind the ball at impact on the MB might be generating better numbers for me. Tried the C Tapers in the Miura but couldn’t get along with them as they swing weighted like D6.5 due to their heavy head weight. 

 

If anything, what tends to happen with CBs is the reduced face thickness causes varying degrees of face flex, which increase speed.  Even the original CBs had this effect, it was just MUCH less than you see today.  

 

Near the end of their run, Golfsmith started adding robot tested spin and launch to their clubmaking catalog, along with MOI and CG location info.  It was rather lovely.  No ballspeed, unfortunately, but this could help a bit.  

 

Courtesy of the Wayback Machine

 

Snake Eyes 675C:

 

Snake Eyes 675B:

 

 

Because of the relative lofts, we can't have a perfect comparison.  However, one degree of loft wouldn't account for the full difference in spin. 

 

What's also interesting is, the blade produces a lower launch angle, in spite of having a lower CG and a degree higher loft.  How about that? 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21, 2023 by NRJyzr
typo!

[NRJyzr]

Adding to this discussion....

 

The longest I've ever been with irons was with a set of Golden Rams, with Rifle 6.5.  I had problems hooking them, since I seem to do better with the stiffer tipped DG, but that's another story.  

 

The other aspect to the above was playing a ball that spun less on full shots, for those who had sufficient speed.  Things like the Chrome+, the One Tour D, etc (yeah, it was a while ago).

 

You can do some crazy things with launch conditions in irons.  Both with or without the ball.

 

Another story, and it has to do with different golfballs again, in part...   have a set of Mizuno MS-11s.  Hit them high with a lot of spin, but they're otherwise amazing.  Put the Precept UTri Extra Spin into play, which you would think would make it worse.  However, it was the UTri model that was designed for higher speed/spin players, which was my zipcode 17-18 years ago.  I instantly gained a club and a half to two clubs of distance with irons.  All because my spin was *that* high with those irons and my previous ball.

 

I did *not* see that same jump with my assorted Ram Tour Grinds, because they didn't suffer from the same excessive spin issues the MS-11s did.

 

Funny game, this golf

 

[Nard_S]

4 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

What's also interesting is, the blade produces a lower launch angle, in spite of having a lower CG and a degree higher loft.  How about that? 

 Spin differential & launch angle differential is really the major difference between the two types.

The implications don't matter much on the range, they do matter on the score card. 

[llamont]

I purchased these sets of irons from the bay in January 2023.  I've known about both sets for the last 20+ years and I found them in ideal condition for great values.  Should be a fun golf season with these in the rotation.

 

Golfsmith Professional Grind Forged Blades: 2-SW TTDG R300 Shafts.  I am playing the 5-PW and they are SWEET.  The old school lofts took a few outings to get used to but I'm really enjoying these.

 

 

 

MacGregor VIP Tourney 1025-M: 3, 5-PW (no 4i) w/ Stiff Graffaloy Pro M29 LBP (Low Balance Point) shafts.  I haven't hit these yet.  I changed the grips and I'll get to them eventually.  We had a demo 6 iron with a Royal Precision Rifle 6.0 shaft in the pro shop where I worked in back in high school.  It felt great then so... 🙂

 

Edited January 27, 2023 by llamont

[RolandofGilead]

I have a cool update for the historians following this thread. I recently bought a set of Wilson Staff FG-51 Tour Blade heads with the intention of shafting and selling them. Well I took one look at them and decided I needed to hit them for myself: the rounded leading edge combined with classic head shapes and short blade length was too much to pass up. I had multiple shafts options on hand but the most compelling was a set of Ben Hogan Apex 4s pulled from my dad’s set of 1999 Apex blades (which I also play). I read a thread on here (can’t find it now, unfortunately) telling about how club pros would pull Hogan Apex shafts - against the orders of Ben Hogan Golf Company - and install them on Wilson Staff heads back in the 60s and 70s. You can see where I’m going here.

 

 

I played the Apex 4s in a set of Apex Channelbacks for a short time and always thought they were a little bit too weak for me. Well after trying them again after a year of hitting blades, I am ecstatic to report that they are excellent shafts that promote a smooth and steady swing for me. Very similar to Modus 120S in my experience. This is absolutely ideal for these tiny FG-51 heads. I’m really excited to finish building out the set and getting them in the mix this year.

 

I am going to remove the shaft labels for a clean look. Regardless it is pretty cool to recreate a 1990s version of the classic Hogan/Wilson combination.

Edited January 31, 2023 by RolandofGilead

[NRJyzr]

23 minutes ago, RolandofGilead said:

I read a thread on here (can’t find it now, unfortunately) telling about how club pros would pull Hogan Apex shafts - against the orders of Ben Hogan Golf Company - and install them on Wilson Staff heads back in the 60s and 70s.

 

This is a Big Stu story, he's spoken of that many times over the years.  If memory serves, his father was involved in the Hoganization of non-Hogan irons, with the Apex shaft.   🙂

 

Looking forward to hearing more of the FG51 saga   

 

[boggyman]

50 minutes ago, RolandofGilead said:

I have a cool update for the historians following this thread. I recently bought a set of Wilson Staff FG-51 Tour Blade heads with the intention of shafting and selling them. Well I took one look at them and decided I needed to hit them for myself: the rounded leading edge combined with classic head shapes and short blade length was too much to pass up. I had multiple shafts options on hand but the most compelling was a set of Ben Hogan Apex 4s pulled from my dad’s set of 1999 Apex blades (which I also play). I read a thread on here (can’t find it now, unfortunately) telling about how club pros would pull Hogan Apex shafts - against the orders of Ben Hogan Golf Company - and install them on Wilson Staff heads back in the 60s and 70s. You can see where I’m going here.

 

/cdn-cgi/mirage/e7549045455b02c1e4dd55cd9c158750b835c990d012716c6b42e7ec2c92bbec/1280/cdn-cgi/mirage/e7549045455b02c1e4dd55cd9c158750b835c990d012716c6b42e7ec2c92bbec/1280/https://wrxcdn.golfwrx.com/uploads/monthly_2023_01/8B656575-7ED0-46EF-A7A6-5008A43EEEAD.jpeg.e66907c593a08cf0d5d9f287811e42a9.jpeg

 

I played the Apex 4s in a set of Apex Channelbacks for a short time and always thought they were a little bit too weak for me. Well after trying them again after a year of hitting blades, I am ecstatic to report that they are excellent shafts that promote a smooth and steady swing for me. Very similar to Modus 120S in my experience. This is absolutely ideal for these tiny FG-51 heads. I’m really excited to finish building out the set and getting them in the mix this year.

/cdn-cgi/mirage/e7549045455b02c1e4dd55cd9c158750b835c990d012716c6b42e7ec2c92bbec/1280/cdn-cgi/mirage/e7549045455b02c1e4dd55cd9c158750b835c990d012716c6b42e7ec2c92bbec/1280/https://wrxcdn.golfwrx.com/uploads/monthly_2023_01/74AD5B45-3481-4F5C-972E-48457CAFA755.jpeg.3ea43c80c0bcd95bd2c4fa3792e7bedf.jpeg

/cdn-cgi/mirage/e7549045455b02c1e4dd55cd9c158750b835c990d012716c6b42e7ec2c92bbec/1280/cdn-cgi/mirage/e7549045455b02c1e4dd55cd9c158750b835c990d012716c6b42e7ec2c92bbec/1280/https://wrxcdn.golfwrx.com/uploads/monthly_2023_01/BA5A3654-8A7B-4323-AD98-338284683C52.jpeg.7b588d82ad0f4ba230033aed2f7c87a2.jpeg

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I am going to remove the shaft labels for a clean look. Regardless it is pretty cool to recreate a 1990s version of the classic Hogan/Wilson combination.

51s are a cool set! 

[Nard_S]

1 hour ago, RolandofGilead said:

I am going to remove the shaft labels for a clean look

I would leave them on, just saying. Nice combo.

[Kmagnuss]

This thread needs a bump. 
After seeing a restoration thread on irons like these I had to give them a go.  Picked up a set of Titleist 1985 Tour Models. 
I didn’t expect to like them and was just planning on giving a restoration a go, but after hitting them at the range I think they’re my favorite irons now. The heavy head coupled with regular shafts surprisingly works really well with my swing for some reason. (100-102 mph driver). I’m not totally nuts (yet) so I combo’d them with a 5 and 4 iron from a set of 718 AP2’s I have. P-5i in the TM’s and 5-4i AP2’s. The lofts are so much weaker in the TM’s that I have to double up on the 5i’s. 
Anyway… long live the blades. 

-Mag

 

[Nard_S]

22 minutes ago, Kmagnuss said:

This thread needs a bump. 
After seeing a restoration thread on irons like these I had to give them a go.  Picked up a set of Titleist 1985 Tour Models. 
I didn’t expect to like them and was just planning on giving a restoration a go, but after hitting them at the range I think they’re my favorite irons now. The heavy head coupled with regular shafts surprisingly works really well with my swing for some reason. (100-102 mph driver). I’m not totally nuts (yet) so I combo’d them with a 5 and 4 iron from a set of 718 AP2’s I have. P-5i in the TM’s and 5-4i AP2’s. The lofts are so much weaker in the TM’s that I have to double up on the 5i’s. 
Anyway… long live the blades. 

-Mag

 

I play with a guy maybe twice a year, we were karate dads some time ago. He carries mint Tour Models with matching persimmons. Refuses to give them up. Not even the persimmons. He let hit the persimmons I loved them. Really easy to feel the head and hit it sweet. Good luck.

[Bye]

I am back in a set, I tend to rotate between MB's and CB's depending on how things are going when a change is due. 

 

The 4 iron is still there for now, it might get swapped for a CB or T100 at some point. 

 

My first set of blades were Maxfli DP40's 1 iron to SW. The best set I've had, without question were MP33's.

 

[Kmagnuss]

3 minutes ago, Bye said:

 

... The best set I've had, without question were MP33's.

 

I have a set of MP33's that I love as well.  They'll be getting refurbished when I'm finished with the TM's.