My Experience Gaming Blades as a Mid-High Handicapper

[IamMarkMac]

 

Why don't we see any topics/discussions on how a mid-handicapper shouldn't play GIs but stick to SGIs. Why is that drop-off any greater/different than GIs to blades?

 

Mainly because each camp is super defensive about their position and really, both sides have good players who believe that their equipment is best for their game and would be good for others. People playing SGIs really don't care about what other people play. Playing SGI, you're basically happy to be on the course.

[pinestreetgolf]

As a mid capper that loves blades I just love reading from other people how someone doesn't know their own game that well. Please. Peaking for myself, approaching the 30 year mark from when I started playing I know my game quite well. I know my strengths and weaknesses. Due to work and other hobbies and a hiatus from the game my cap is obviously higher than I want. This year I decided to make a real effort to get better. Even going to price some lessons. I recently went down to one set of blades. (Had 2 sets of blades and one combo set. I'm a club ho that likes experimenting with cheap used stuff) Not because my score would change but due to pain in my wrist after 2 surgeries, I have to play with it wrapped. A miss hit simply hurts more than it does with a shovel. I don't hit every shot perfect but I am a short game wizard. While I don't practice the long game enough, I do practice the short game religiously. Do I love playing blades, yes. Do I hit some thin, yes. Do I also hit my shovels thin, absolutely. Only difference is I don't have the reverb going all the way up past my elbow. But like others have posted, I can shoot the same scores with any iron I put in my bag.

 

Most of my cap comes from lack of distance, which I'm working on. But I don't hit it far, I don't swing out of my shoes and am fairly accurate so when close to the green I get to use my short game. But as far as confidence goes, even though I can miss hit any club in my bag at any time, looking down at a 4 iron blade does not cause as much anxiety as looking at a 4 iron shovel. And as the ground gets harder and dryer during the summer, I like irons with a smaller sole. I know going into it with the loft difference one will go farther off the bat. So you can adjust to that. While I am not on a mission to convert the world to using blades, for those that hit them or what ever you want to hit, just do it. Don't let someone on the internet who never seen you swing a club tell you what's best for your game. Your own fun level and excitement will do that for you.

 

It’s math. He doesn’t lose 12+ strokes in and around the green. It doesn’t work unless he literally has one of the worst short games of a regular golfer of all time.

 

I don’t care how long you’ve played for. I don’t care if you want to play blades. But nobody is hitting six greens a round and scoring poorly because they can’t get up and down 12 times a round. That’s just silly. “I’m a 9 bc of my short game and putting” = maybe. “I’m a 15 bc of my short game and putting”’= distorted view. Fact. You don’t shoot 87 consistently by blading 6 chips a round and four putting three times. Maybe once. But not regularly.

 

“Any suggestions for driver shafts? I drive it about 200 yards carry, but my swing speed is 112. Thinking Either X or TX. Thoughts?”

 

“Uh, that probably isn’t true.”

 

“Don’t tell me my own game!!!!!”

[Andus]

As a mid capper that loves blades I just love reading from other people how someone doesn't know their own game that well. Please. Peaking for myself, approaching the 30 year mark from when I started playing I know my game quite well. I know my strengths and weaknesses. Due to work and other hobbies and a hiatus from the game my cap is obviously higher than I want. This year I decided to make a real effort to get better. Even going to price some lessons. I recently went down to one set of blades. (Had 2 sets of blades and one combo set. I'm a club ho that likes experimenting with cheap used stuff) Not because my score would change but due to pain in my wrist after 2 surgeries, I have to play with it wrapped. A miss hit simply hurts more than it does with a shovel. I don't hit every shot perfect but I am a short game wizard. While I don't practice the long game enough, I do practice the short game religiously. Do I love playing blades, yes. Do I hit some thin, yes. Do I also hit my shovels thin, absolutely. Only difference is I don't have the reverb going all the way up past my elbow. But like others have posted, I can shoot the same scores with any iron I put in my bag.

 

Most of my cap comes from lack of distance, which I'm working on. But I don't hit it far, I don't swing out of my shoes and am fairly accurate so when close to the green I get to use my short game. But as far as confidence goes, even though I can miss hit any club in my bag at any time, looking down at a 4 iron blade does not cause as much anxiety as looking at a 4 iron shovel. And as the ground gets harder and dryer during the summer, I like irons with a smaller sole. I know going into it with the loft difference one will go farther off the bat. So you can adjust to that. While I am not on a mission to convert the world to using blades, for those that hit them or what ever you want to hit, just do it. Don't let someone on the internet who never seen you swing a club tell you what's best for your game. Your own fun level and excitement will do that for you.

 

It’s math. He doesn’t lose 12+ strokes in and around the green. It doesn’t work unless he literally has one of the worst short games of a regular golfer of all time.

 

I don’t care how long you’ve played for. I don’t care if you want to play blades. But nobody is hitting six greens a round and scoring poorly because they can’t get up and down 12 times a round. That’s just silly. “I’m a 9 bc of my short game and putting” = maybe. “I’m a 15 bc of my short game and putting”’= distorted view. Fact. You don’t shoot 87 consistently by blading 6 chips a round and four putting three times. Maybe once. But not regularly.

 

“Any suggestions for driver shafts? I drive it about 200 yards carry, but my swing speed is 112. Thinking Either X or TX. Thoughts?”

 

“Uh, that probably isn’t true.”

 

“Don’t tell me my own game!!!!!”

Lol this guy's a warrior! When I said I probably hit 6-7 GIR, that was an estimate. I literally have never counted how many GIR I've hit in a round (says a lot about my seriousness for getting my cap down, huh?). I'd also estimate that I 3 putt 3-4 times a round too. Keep on trying to tell me how my golf game is played though, warrior.

[lenman73]

I knew he would be the first to respond to my post. He knows everything. You don't have to ask him. He will tell you over and over he knows more about you than you.

 

Key up response in 3..2..1.

[backhill]

I can definitely concur that playing clubs that are a tier below your abilities helps from a learning and feedback perspective. HItting shovels over and over keeps you on that crutch. I went from SGI to AP2's, and recently to MBs. They've helped me tremendously to learn how I'm mishitting. I've started to hit them well on the range and hoping it carries over to the course.

[Titleist_PT23]

When I said I probably hit 6-7 GIR, that was an estimate. I literally have never counted how many GIR I've hit in a round (says a lot about my seriousness for getting my cap down, huh?).

Some people don't like it (or don't like what the true message is), but Pine generally knows a lot. Obviously, you can chose whether you listen to any person or not.

 

But I think the point is valid, and I tried to ask it above too. If you are truly hitting 6-7 greens, you literally need to be throwing away a shot a hole on the other holes (3 putt from 20 feet every time, duffed chip/pitch, etc). I didn't want to call you a liar on the GIR, let's just say I found it highly questionable. And it's not surprising to me that the 6 -7 GIR was an estimate. Track it for 10 rounds --- I'd guess it's noticeably lower.

 

None of this has anything to do with play to have fun or play your blades if you want to. The good thing for you is you seem to have decent clubhead speed (this can only be improved so much for most people), and should be able to improve a lot.

 

But the above reiterates my point about people being honest in their skill assessment.

[gbartko]

Dear GolfWRX,

 

I'm a 15 handicap and I never thought this would happen to me...

[SwooshLT]

When I said I probably hit 6-7 GIR, that was an estimate. I literally have never counted how many GIR I've hit in a round (says a lot about my seriousness for getting my cap down, huh?).

Some people don't like it (or don't like what the true message is), but Pine generally knows a lot. Obviously, you can chose whether you listen to any person or not.

 

But I think the point is valid, and I tried to ask it above too. If you are truly hitting 6-7 greens, you literally need to be throwing away a shot a hole on the other holes (3 putt from 20 feet every time, duffed chip/pitch, etc). I didn't want to call you a liar on the GIR, let's just say I found it highly questionable. And it's not surprising to me that the 6 -7 GIR was an estimate. Track it for 10 rounds --- I'd guess it's noticeably lower.

 

None of this has anything to do with play to have fun or play your blades if you want to. The good thing for you is you seem to have decent clubhead speed (this can only be improved so much for most people), and should be able to improve a lot.

 

But the above reiterates my point about people being honest in their skill assessment.

 

 

You have great tone in your post my man.....but I think we're overlooking some key points....

 

1) he doesn't care about score or improving

2) he likes blades!

 

We've all given great points and concepts on how to improve from his current handicap.....from moving into easier to hit irons, tracking stats and taking lessons....none of it matters....he just came here to Express his enjoyment with blades.... not too complicated

[BiggErn]

I can definitely concur that playing clubs that are a tier below your abilities helps from a learning and feedback perspective. HItting shovels over and over keeps you on that crutch. I went from SGI to AP2's, and recently to MBs. They've helped me tremendously to learn how I'm mishitting. I've started to hit them well on the range and hoping it carries over to the course.

 

Lol. If they’ve helped you then you should be close to a world class ball striker by now. These kind of posts are hard to take seriously and so full of crap. Golf is hard and nothing is a “crutch”. You don’t need a particular club to see where your misses are and the goal is to hit them all in the center of the face. If you don’t be glad you have something available to give a little help when you don’t.

[Titleist_PT23]

he just came here to Express his enjoyment with blades.... not too complicated

Yes, unfortunately the main point of his post got caught up in the crossfire that ensued about forgiveness. But at least he's getting a bunch of publicity and becoming famous here!

[toc]

What is more fruitless: a person trying to justify why he plays a certain club, or someone trying to justify why said person shouldn’t play those clubs?

[Poor Posture]

The most forgiving thing about game improvement irons is that the lofts tend to be stronger which gives you a false sense of improvement. Running straight to blades is a bit much, but you'll get into figuring out how to hit a golf ball properly with a less forgiving set.

[BiggErn]

What is more fruitless: a person trying to justify why he plays a certain club, or someone trying to justify why said person shouldnt play those clubs?

 

Nobody cares what anyone plays. Not sure why some try to convince others of something that just isn’t true.

[BiggErn]

The most forgiving thing about game improvement irons is that the lofts tend to be stronger which is gives you a false sense of improvement. Running straight to blades is a bit much, but you'll get into figuring out how to hit a golf ball properly with a less forgiving set.

 

Lol what? The loft has nothing to do with with how forgiving a club is. The loft that correlates to whatever club is irrelevant since you should know how far it goes and that’s all that matters.

[BogeyParBogey]

Hey guys, I know there are a lot of WRXers that absolutely love the look of blades but are a bit scared to actually consider playing with them (I was one of those people too a year ago).

 

A few months ago, I decided to buy a Mizuno combo set. I'm gaming 4-6 MP-18 SC, and 7-PW MP-18 MB. All of them have Modus 3 120 X flex shafts. To be honest, I almost wish I went 4-PW in the MB because I don't find the SC to be any more forgiving than the MB, however the feel is on par I'd say. My swing speed with driver is about 110MPH and with a 7 iron is around 93MPH.

 

I was a pretty decent ball striker but my handicap was awfully high due to my short game (putting & within 50 yards). I am a complete sucker for looks & feel, and those two attributes are probably most important to me when choosing clubs to play. With that said, the switch from GI irons to blades has been amazing for me. I personally don't buy into the whole "forgiveness" thing too much. Sure, a big fat hunk of metal with much more toe weighting might help you pull a few more yards out of a mishit, but the reality is, regardless of the iron you're playing the shot is going to be a bad shot whether you get 5 extra yards or not. Nevertheless, these irons have helped me find the middle of the club more often than not and best of all have inspired me to play golf even more. Every time I see these irons in my golf bag, I can't help myself put to go pull one out and just admire the beauty (I know, I'm a loser).

 

Anyway, my point in writing this is to hopefully inspire somebody else on the fence about blades to give them a try. If you have any other specific questions, ask away!

 

 

I think it's great you find irons you enjoy a lot and encourages you to play more. People are dug in on both sides of this "issue". Having fun is what is important.

 

Dave

[Andus]

Hey guys, I know there are a lot of WRXers that absolutely love the look of blades but are a bit scared to actually consider playing with them (I was one of those people too a year ago).

 

A few months ago, I decided to buy a Mizuno combo set. I'm gaming 4-6 MP-18 SC, and 7-PW MP-18 MB. All of them have Modus 3 120 X flex shafts. To be honest, I almost wish I went 4-PW in the MB because I don't find the SC to be any more forgiving than the MB, however the feel is on par I'd say. My swing speed with driver is about 110MPH and with a 7 iron is around 93MPH.

 

I was a pretty decent ball striker but my handicap was awfully high due to my short game (putting & within 50 yards). I am a complete sucker for looks & feel, and those two attributes are probably most important to me when choosing clubs to play. With that said, the switch from GI irons to blades has been amazing for me. I personally don't buy into the whole "forgiveness" thing too much. Sure, a big fat hunk of metal with much more toe weighting might help you pull a few more yards out of a mishit, but the reality is, regardless of the iron you're playing the shot is going to be a bad shot whether you get 5 extra yards or not. Nevertheless, these irons have helped me find the middle of the club more often than not and best of all have inspired me to play golf even more. Every time I see these irons in my golf bag, I can't help myself put to go pull one out and just admire the beauty (I know, I'm a loser).

 

Anyway, my point in writing this is to hopefully inspire somebody else on the fence about blades to give them a try. If you have any other specific questions, ask away!

 

 

I think it's great you find irons you enjoy a lot and encourages you to play more. People are dug in on both sides of this "issue". Having fun is what is important.

 

Dave

Thanks Dave! That's really what I wanted to get across. Like I said though, happy to see so many people passionate about the subject.

[rxk9fan]

That said, at a casual level who cares? If it makes you happier and want to play/practice more, go for it. Just don't delude yourself and encourage others to do the same. Encourage people to enjoy the game, play what they want to without worrying what others think, and show off those beautiful mizunos while you're at it. There is no reason to try to justify or rationalize why you're playing the MP18s as a mid-high handicap.

Wait a second, isn't this exactly what I'm doing? I'm trying to encourage people to enjoy the game more, because from my experience, I have enjoyed the game a lot more by getting a set of blades. The title of the post is "My Experience Gaming Blades as a Mid-High Handicapper". That should imply, given most other people's logic I've seen on WRX about blade usage, that I shouldn't be playing blades. I don't need to rationalize or justify anything, this only started when the 2 handicap and scratch players start commenting and telling me what I should and shouldn't be gaming (even though my handicap has gone down since gaming the MP-18s).

No one disputes the just have fun and do what you want angle. As you can see, there is a debate about forgiveness that seemed to get this started. My only point to you was be honest in assessing your iron game if that is impacting how you think about what clubs to play at all. Most people think they are better than they really are.

 

I will push back on the "Most people think they are better than they really are." For those that play with integrity and keep a HC, there is no subjectivity. Your HC tells you how good you are. Honestly, I find it somewhat annoying when posters think they are smarter than they are and pretend, or even worse believe they have the expertise to set behind a keyboard and judge others games.

[Bimmer1]

I think about this topic often. Back in the early 80’s blades were pretty much all we had. As a 10 year old in 1980 I started with blades and played my best golf a few years later as the high school team captain shooting in the mid 70’s with Wilson FG-17’s. A lot of great golfers started out as beginners using blades. There were no alternatives until Ping, Daiwa, and some others started making cavity backs.

[Titleist_PT23]

I will push back on the "Most people think they are better than they really are." For those that play with integrity and keep a HC, there is no subjectivity. Your HC tells you how good you are. Honestly, I find it somewhat annoying when posters think they are smarter than they are and pretend, or even worse believe they have the expertise to set behind a keyboard and judge others games.

I'm not saying someone that says they're an X, isn't technically an X. But ask anyone how often they think they can successfully execute a shot, and I'll bet that more often than not they are over-optimistic. This isn't just golf - it's true everywhere. But your opinion / comment is fine. I don't disagree on the "I know more about you than you" type of responses but in general I think my statement is true.

[pinestreetgolf]

1. There are high caps who should play blades because they play best with them. Liking what you look down at is super important, way more important than irons you "should" play. You'll get no argument from me on the conclusion of the OP's post, which is to try out a ton of stuff and play what you like. I play a 13* driver. Some people I've played with on this board play some funky stuff and can really hit it. That is not an issue at all.

 

2. Subjective issues about someone's game can't be "judged" without seeing the player. Math isn't subjective. I assumed the OP actually thought he hit six greens a round and actually thinks that he is a 15 because of his short game, which is basically impossible. There are some times when you can't tell someone what their game is. This isn't one of those times.

 

3. There are tons of players who think their "short game holds them back" because they don't realize not all iron misses are created equal and the most important factor to a good short game is the short game shots you have to hit i.e. its a lot easier to get up and down when you can control your ball flight and miss into a fluffy uphill lie than when you can't, short-side yourself, and then have to try to hook a 20 foot pitch around a tree and stop it on a dime.

 

My mistake here was to think it would be productive to point out to the OP that what he's saying about his own game is nonsensical. He just wanted to tell the world he likes his MP-18s. No problem. Now that I know his GIR per round was an "estimate" (what?) and that everything in his initial post besides "I like MP-18s" wasn't thought out very well and most likely isn't actually true, its fine. Carry on.

[IamMarkMac]

I will push back on the "Most people think they are better than they really are." For those that play with integrity and keep a HC, there is no subjectivity. Your HC tells you how good you are. Honestly, I find it somewhat annoying when posters think they are smarter than they are and pretend, or even worse believe they have the expertise to set behind a keyboard and judge others games.

I'm not saying someone that says they're an X, isn't technically an X. But ask anyone how often they think they can successfully execute a shot, and I'll bet that more often than not they are over-optimistic. This isn't just golf - it's true everywhere. But your opinion / comment is fine. I don't disagree on the "I know more about you than you" type of responses but in general I think my statement is true.

 

My take is a lot of people use their max distance and swing speed as their distance for a particular iron. Therefore, if they don't pure it, they come up short. I have a friend who uses a 7i as his 180 because yes, I've seen him hit 180 with that 7i when he goes full on (and he swings full on every time). Thing is, he can't hit it 185. I wouldn't say he's over-optimistic, it's just that, with the way he swings, he needs to play the 7i as his 180y club.

 

In my case, my 7i is 155-165 but if I go after it with everything, I can go 170, maybe 175. Do I play my 7i for 175y shots? Not at all.

[Poor Posture]

The most forgiving thing about game improvement irons is that the lofts tend to be stronger which is gives you a false sense of improvement. Running straight to blades is a bit much, but you'll get into figuring out how to hit a golf ball properly with a less forgiving set.

 

Lol what? The loft has nothing to do with with how forgiving a club is. The loft that correlates to whatever club is irrelevant since you should know how far it goes and that’s all that matters.

 

I agree with you but most people say - this new XX Iron is great, I can now hit my X iron XYZ yards. So, on the rare occasion where they flush it, they see the distance. Mishits are mishits - forgiveness is nice but the loft does more for them than anything else. A poorly struck 7 iron will go farther than a poorly struck 8 iron, and when you jack up the lofts, it looks more forgiving than it actually is.

[BiggErn]

The most forgiving thing about game improvement irons is that the lofts tend to be stronger which is gives you a false sense of improvement. Running straight to blades is a bit much, but you'll get into figuring out how to hit a golf ball properly with a less forgiving set.

 

Lol what? The loft has nothing to do with with how forgiving a club is. The loft that correlates to whatever club is irrelevant since you should know how far it goes and that’s all that matters.

 

I agree with you but most people say - this new XX Iron is great, I can now hit my X iron XYZ yards. So, on the rare occasion where they flush it, they see the distance. Mishits are mishits - forgiveness is nice but the loft does more for them than anything else. A poorly struck 7 iron will go farther than a poorly struck 8 iron, and when you jack up the lofts, it looks more forgiving than it actually is.

 

 

If someone is buying clubs without knowing the specs of the clubs and not going to the range to get some idea of how far they hit each club when they hit it solidly then I doubt they are playing MBs to begin with. If they are they most definitely shouldn’t be. I doubt that most golfers, especially on WRX, are duped by supposed “jacked lofts”.

[farmer]

OP is new, he may not know there have been 936,000 threads on this very topic.

[nsxguy]

Pretty tall, and younger so speed isn't the issue. And eventually, I hit all of the greens... lol but honestly, probably 6-7GIR. If I hit the GIR I can usually make par, but if it includes a chip on to the green, I usually will chip and 2 putt. That's what I hope to do, sadly.

 

 

As a mid capper that loves blades I just love reading from other people how someone doesn't know their own game that well. Please. Peaking for myself, approaching the 30 year mark from when I started playing I know my game quite well. I know my strengths and weaknesses. Due to work and other hobbies and a hiatus from the game my cap is obviously higher than I want. This year I decided to make a real effort to get better. Even going to price some lessons. I recently went down to one set of blades. (Had 2 sets of blades and one combo set. I'm a club ho that likes experimenting with cheap used stuff) Not because my score would change but due to pain in my wrist after 2 surgeries, I have to play with it wrapped. A miss hit simply hurts more than it does with a shovel. I don't hit every shot perfect but I am a short game wizard. While I don't practice the long game enough, I do practice the short game religiously. Do I love playing blades, yes. Do I hit some thin, yes. Do I also hit my shovels thin, absolutely. Only difference is I don't have the reverb going all the way up past my elbow. But like others have posted, I can shoot the same scores with any iron I put in my bag.

 

Most of my cap comes from lack of distance, which I'm working on. But I don't hit it far, I don't swing out of my shoes and am fairly accurate so when close to the green I get to use my short game. But as far as confidence goes, even though I can miss hit any club in my bag at any time, looking down at a 4 iron blade does not cause as much anxiety as looking at a 4 iron shovel. And as the ground gets harder and dryer during the summer, I like irons with a smaller sole. I know going into it with the loft difference one will go farther off the bat. So you can adjust to that. While I am not on a mission to convert the world to using blades, for those that hit them or what ever you want to hit, just do it. Don't let someone on the internet who never seen you swing a club tell you what's best for your game. Your own fun level and excitement will do that for you.

 

It’s math. He doesn’t lose 12+ strokes in and around the green. It doesn’t work unless he literally has one of the worst short games of a regular golfer of all time.

 

I don’t care how long you’ve played for. I don’t care if you want to play blades. But nobody is hitting six greens a round and scoring poorly because they can’t get up and down 12 times a round. That’s just silly. “I’m a 9 bc of my short game and putting” = maybe. “I’m a 15 bc of my short game and putting”’= distorted view. Fact. You don’t shoot 87 consistently by blading 6 chips a round and four putting three times. Maybe once. But not regularly.

 

“Any suggestions for driver shafts? I drive it about 200 yards carry, but my swing speed is 112. Thinking Either X or TX. Thoughts?”

 

“Uh, that probably isn’t true.”

 

“Don’t tell me my own game!!!!!”

Lol this guy's a warrior! When I said I probably hit 6-7 GIR, that was an estimate. I literally have never counted how many GIR I've hit in a round (says a lot about my seriousness for getting my cap down, huh?). I'd also estimate that I 3 putt 3-4 times a round too. Keep on trying to tell me how my golf game is played though, warrior.

 

So why'd you say it then ?

 

psg can be ponderous at times (as I'm sure I can be as well) and he and I have had our battles but he is easily in the top 5% of posters who really knows their stuff around here.

 

Your OWN description of your game, highlighted above, including the chipping and then 2 putting, describes someone who's an 8 at worst. Or are you hitting 4 or 5 tee balls OB per round and forgot to tell us ?

 

Just supports some of the views in this thread that suggest weaker players generally have little idea of what they do and/or how their game (really) stacks up.

 

Posters who are averaging 49% GIR for 10 rounds and then hits 45% in 1 round (ONE GIR difference) and 22% in another round say "See ? I played worse with my RENTAL CBs". :cheesy:

 

You're 24 years old, most likely haven't been playing very long and you tell a 2 handicapper SHE is "drinking the Kool Aid". :cheesy:

 

I play blades because they make me want to practice more,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

And so on, and so on, and so on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

I'd say you can't make this stuff up but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

 

Play whatever clubs you want for whatever reasons you want but if you can't be honest with others about what's going on in your game how can you be honest with yourself ? :wave:

 

 

BTW young feller, I doubt you missed it but here's a thread for you and the other blade guyz. I'm sure you'd be welcome in their circle. Blade Lovers Thread

[rxk9fan]

Hey young feller, you would be welcome on the Blade Lovers Thread, but additionally please don't hesitate to post where you want. This has been a good discussion.

Also OP, if there has been 936,000 previous threads about this topic, I certainly would not feel bad about starting number 936,001. I would be interested if numbers 900,000 through 936,000 got called out...or is there an unwritten rule about starting number 936,001? Oh well, seems enough interest was here to have a spirited exchange.

Also OP, I still contend that while there are published averages of different criteria characteristic of players at certain HC levels, averages are just that and not even close to absolutes. I honestly don't get the condescending tone from posters who have never seen you hit a ball, let alone play a round.

As for the ones telling others that we don't know our game, it is ludicrous to be pretentious enough to make such statements. A significant number of people fall outside of averages, and this is very true when considering a multi-faceted activity such as golf. From the post made, I don't believe for one second the arm chair quarterbacks here would identify my weaknesses. If anyone wants to take a shot, here are the facts:

I play to a 7HC to 8HC range. And here we go...I play blades. I am 60 years old and my last day on a monitor showed a driver SS average of 104.

Are my irons holding me back?

 

Here is a little about the coach I have recently seen who has actually seen me hit balls and putt:

Rick has written many articles for USA Today, PGA Magazine, Senior Golf, Springfield News Leader, Sports Illustrated, and Golf Magazine, co-authored “Super Golf”, and was the author of “Inspire Junior Golf.” Rick was the swing coach for actor Lucas Black for the movie “Seven Days in Utopia” and was the lead instructor at the PGA Junior Ryder Cup.

Past awards/recognitions:

• PGA Section Teacher of the Year
  
• Golf Range Magazine Top 50 Instructor
  
• Golf Magazine Top 100
  
• Golf Digest Best in State
  

 

Mr. Grayson told me last lesson what he saw: "I am not going to blow smoke, your swing is good enough that you should shoot 75 or less the majority of your rounds. I don't want to be rude, but you don't shoot that because you have likely been lining up WAY too far right for the last 40 years. This is for full shots and putts. You manage to compensate at times to still hit good shots, but it is impossible to compensate for your alignment consistently and thus your HC is where it is".

 

So a professional...no, a good professional told me that my problem is something I don't think fits the averages or would have been agreed upon by anyone that did not see me hit balls. Would a GI or SGI clubs help this problem even 1%? Would there be people here that would tell me that a 60 year old with my SS and HC is hurting themselves by playing a blade? I think they would and they still may.

[SixSixGolf]

Play whatever you’d like, and have a great time with them, but understand that not buying into “the whole forgiveness thing” doesn’t change the fact that “the whole forgiveness thing” is real, because, you know, science.

 

Or you know, marketing.

[Titleist_PT23]

Hey young feller, you would be welcome on the Blade Lovers Thread, but additionally please don't hesitate to post where you want. This has been a good discussion.

Also OP, if there has been 936,000 previous threads about this topic, I certainly would not feel bad about starting number 936,001. I would be interested if numbers 900,000 through 936,000 got called out...or is there an unwritten rule about starting number 936,001? Oh well, seems enough interest was here to have a spirited exchange.

Also OP, I still contend that while there are published averages of different criteria characteristic of players at certain HC levels, averages are just that and not even close to absolutes. I honestly don't get the condescending tone from posters who have never seen you hit a ball, let alone play a round.

As for the ones telling others that we don't know our game, it is ludicrous to be pretentious enough to make such statements. A significant number of people fall outside of averages, and this is very true when considering a multi-faceted activity such as golf. From the post made, I don't believe for one second the arm chair quarterbacks here would identify my weaknesses. If anyone wants to take a shot, here are the facts:

I play to a 7HC to 8HC range. And here we go...I play blades. I am 60 years old and my last day on a monitor showed a driver SS average of 104.

Are my irons holding me back?

 

Here is a little about the coach I have recently seen who has actually seen me hit balls and putt:

Rick has written many articles for USA Today, PGA Magazine, Senior Golf, Springfield News Leader, Sports Illustrated, and Golf Magazine, co-authored “Super Golf”, and was the author of “Inspire Junior Golf.” Rick was the swing coach for actor Lucas Black for the movie “Seven Days in Utopia” and was the lead instructor at the PGA Junior Ryder Cup.

Past awards/recognitions:

• PGA Section Teacher of the Year
  
• Golf Range Magazine Top 50 Instructor
  
• Golf Magazine Top 100
  
• Golf Digest Best in State
  

Mr. Grayson told me last lesson what he saw: "I am not going to blow smoke, your swing is good enough that you should shoot 75 or less the majority of your rounds. I don't want to be rude, but you don't shoot that because you have likely been lining up WAY too far right for the last 40 years. This is for full shots and putts. You manage to compensate at times to still hit good shots, but it is impossible to compensate for your alignment consistently and thus your HC is where it is".

 

So a professional...no, a good professional told me that my problem is something I don't think fits the averages or would have been agreed upon by anyone that did not see me hit balls. Would a GI or SGI clubs help this problem even 1%? Would there be people here that would tell me that a 60 year old with my SS and HC is hurting themselves by playing a blade? I think they would and they still may.

 

Entirely agree on congrats to the OP for bringing up the topic and his perspective regardless of how many times it's been posted before.

 

But just FYI, my statement about people over estimating their ability seems to have happened twice in this thread. I wasn't going to call it out when I replied to you earlier, as it doesn't make me a better golfer, a better person, or anything else compared to them (and people can find plenty of dumb stuff that I've said too). But since you seem to think that people should get ripped apart for actually highlighting the notion, I'll remind you of it.

 

Of course, there are always exceptions to every statistic and generalization. But the fact is people over-estimate their ability all the time. Just because you don't like people bringing it up doesn't mean it's not true.

 

I would also add much of the hostility or discussion surrounds whether a certain type of clubs are more forgiving than others, not YOU MUST PLAY THIS (nearly everyone acknowledges that any individual may get better results with a blade, a SGI, or whatever). The pros are playing long irons with tons of help. LPGA players are playing 4 hybrids and 5 hybrids because they are easier to hit into greens. Yet everyone on this site seems to to think they hit a blade 4 iron at the same level as Tiger Woods. Sorry, I just don't think its true and would favor the decisions/logic of those who are playing the game for a living (and can probably evaluate the impact of all of this better than most of us).

[bodhi555]

Pretty tall, and younger so speed isn't the issue. And eventually, I hit all of the greens... lol but honestly, probably 6-7GIR. If I hit the GIR I can usually make par, but if it includes a chip on to the green, I usually will chip and 2 putt. That's what I hope to do, sadly.

 

 

As a mid capper that loves blades I just love reading from other people how someone doesn't know their own game that well. Please. Peaking for myself, approaching the 30 year mark from when I started playing I know my game quite well. I know my strengths and weaknesses. Due to work and other hobbies and a hiatus from the game my cap is obviously higher than I want. This year I decided to make a real effort to get better. Even going to price some lessons. I recently went down to one set of blades. (Had 2 sets of blades and one combo set. I'm a club ho that likes experimenting with cheap used stuff) Not because my score would change but due to pain in my wrist after 2 surgeries, I have to play with it wrapped. A miss hit simply hurts more than it does with a shovel. I don't hit every shot perfect but I am a short game wizard. While I don't practice the long game enough, I do practice the short game religiously. Do I love playing blades, yes. Do I hit some thin, yes. Do I also hit my shovels thin, absolutely. Only difference is I don't have the reverb going all the way up past my elbow. But like others have posted, I can shoot the same scores with any iron I put in my bag.

 

Most of my cap comes from lack of distance, which I'm working on. But I don't hit it far, I don't swing out of my shoes and am fairly accurate so when close to the green I get to use my short game. But as far as confidence goes, even though I can miss hit any club in my bag at any time, looking down at a 4 iron blade does not cause as much anxiety as looking at a 4 iron shovel. And as the ground gets harder and dryer during the summer, I like irons with a smaller sole. I know going into it with the loft difference one will go farther off the bat. So you can adjust to that. While I am not on a mission to convert the world to using blades, for those that hit them or what ever you want to hit, just do it. Don't let someone on the internet who never seen you swing a club tell you what's best for your game. Your own fun level and excitement will do that for you.

 

It’s math. He doesn’t lose 12+ strokes in and around the green. It doesn’t work unless he literally has one of the worst short games of a regular golfer of all time.

 

I don’t care how long you’ve played for. I don’t care if you want to play blades. But nobody is hitting six greens a round and scoring poorly because they can’t get up and down 12 times a round. That’s just silly. “I’m a 9 bc of my short game and putting” = maybe. “I’m a 15 bc of my short game and putting”’= distorted view. Fact. You don’t shoot 87 consistently by blading 6 chips a round and four putting three times. Maybe once. But not regularly.

 

“Any suggestions for driver shafts? I drive it about 200 yards carry, but my swing speed is 112. Thinking Either X or TX. Thoughts?”

 

“Uh, that probably isn’t true.”

 

“Don’t tell me my own game!!!!!”

Lol this guy's a warrior! When I said I probably hit 6-7 GIR, that was an estimate. I literally have never counted how many GIR I've hit in a round (says a lot about my seriousness for getting my cap down, huh?). I'd also estimate that I 3 putt 3-4 times a round too. Keep on trying to tell me how my golf game is played though, warrior.

 

So why'd you say it then ?

 

psg can be ponderous at times (as I'm sure I can be as well) and he and I have had our battles but he is easily in the top 5% of posters who really knows their stuff around here.

 

Your OWN description of your game, highlighted above, including the chipping and then 2 putting, describes someone who's an 8 at worst. Or are you hitting 4 or 5 tee balls OB per round and forgot to tell us ?

 

Just supports some of the views in this thread that suggest weaker players generally have little idea of what they do and/or how their game (really) stacks up.

 

Posters who are averaging 49% GIR for 10 rounds and then hits 45% in 1 round (ONE GIR difference) and 22% in another round say "See ? I played worse with my RENTAL CBs". :cheesy:

 

You're 24 years old, most likely haven't been playing very long and you tell a 2 handicapper SHE is "drinking the Kool Aid". :cheesy:

 

I play blades because they make me want to practice more,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

And so on, and so on, and so on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

I'd say you can't make this stuff up but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

 

Play whatever clubs you want for whatever reasons you want but if you can't be honest with others about what's going on in your game how can you be honest with yourself ? :wave:

 

 

BTW young feller, I doubt you missed it but here's a thread for you and the other blade guyz. I'm sure you'd be welcome in their circle. Blade Lovers Thread

 

Sorry to disturb you up there on your high horse, but I have a slight issue with your maths, which kind of makes most of the rest of your post irrelevant. If someone is hitting 6 GIR and 2 putting, then if the rest involve a chip and 2 putts then they are playing to 12. Assuming Par 72 that's an 84, then it only takes a couple of balls in the drink or OB and you're shooting 87. So basically, the OP is getting grief for not accounting for 3 shots. Over 4 hours of golf.

 

Also a bit ironic that you accuse people of not knowing their games, yet when people post actual stats from recent games they don;t count for some spurious reason - oh yes, because the CB's were rentals. Even though they were set up in the same way as every set of irons that golfer has used (off the rack). Plus, if MB's are as impossible to use as some people think, AP2's should be easy to adjust to and get instant results from. So whilst hitting one less GIR is to be expected, hitting 4 less? In the context of a thread discussing whether easier irons to hit will improve your GIR, that sounds fairly pertinent, no?

 

I look at games with rentals as Try Before you Buy opportunities (and it's worked, I'm about to go buy an 818 H2 based on the one I borrowed at the same time), and based on the experience I had, I have no interest in trying AP2's for a season to see if I magically hit an additional green a round at the end of it. I'd rather improve my current swing and do that with the VR Pros. As, being blades, they encourage me to practice more ;)

[cane700]

Blades are fun. A good short game is even better.