Kevin Na vs WRX

[1puttTUT]

If you miss really badly (chunked or bladed) the result with both clubs will be poor. In my experience a cavity back, which generally has more perimeter weighting, will help with toe hits. It may also help for shots hit a couple grooves low (but not completely bladed).

As far as pro's are concerned, it's probably more of a confidence thing than anything else considering the amount of money they are playing for.

[NRJyzr]

 

Another fun aspect that I don't think has been explicitly mentioned is what was reported by Terry Koehler some years back in a blog post. He referenced robot testing at Hogan, and how virtually every CB they tested exhibited a wider dispersion range on good hits than did the Apex blade they were developing at that time (don't know if it's the Ft Worth set or the Channelbacks, he didn't specify model). He describes the blade as 1/4th the dispersion.

It's something I've seen myself, both anecdotally/informally on the course, and in launch monitor sessions.

He also mentions the mishit dropoffs, which were quite noticeable at the toe, but termed slight on heel misses. That may be another piece; I don't remember seeing it in this thread, but it was bandied about golf forums 20 years ago. If you miss toe side, blades bad, if you miss heel, they might indeed work.

Couple more random thoughts in between (virtual) meetings...

[Bad9]

My view on Koelhler jives with yours on Titleist(which I agree with BTW)

[Hack Daddy]

The ball is long gone off the face before an angle change happens, to make a difference in the shot.

[MK7Golf21]

past few years every spring I've been really tempted to get a mostly blade set, cb 4 iron and 5-pw mb. I think maybe because the cb offerings haven't done much for me recently and they have come out with some great looking blades. I'm not sure why anyone would care what someone plays, you are trying to beat the other person so if you think it hurts their game it is to your advantage. It's very strange to me how some people get worked up over someone playing blades. In reality you should get worked up over someone not taking lessons if you care about improving their game.

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

It’s all about ball striking and not score, but still, even though I can easily carry 160 with a blade 7i I’d still be an idiot playing one. Lol

[msses]

What's really funny (and ironic), the guys who think they are good enough to play blades are all using heel-toe weighted putters. LOLOLOLOLOLOL

[easyyy]

I have been through this over and over.

With the 15 years of being on the WRX staff I have been fitted by the best in the business. My handicap for the last 5 years has been from 2 to 6 pending on how busy I am.

 

Once of the most interesting fittings was at the Oven with Nike. I was fit by a fitter (I forgot his name) that normally fits the best in the world and then here he was fitting me... lol.

I was hitting my irons really good that day. I couldn't miss.

I was fitted with a set of player forged CBs. But the interesting thing was when we got to the 4 iron. He asked me how I felt about using a GI iron (VRS Forged)??? I hit the smaller forged CB and the VRS about the same. He asked... "what do you think?" I said I like the smaller forged cb for the looks and feel. I asked him what do you think.... The fitter looked over at me and said this. "If you were on my team and had a 200 yard carry, I would want you to have the VRS larger head."

And that was it and I listened to him. Larger GI in the 3 &4.

This is just my opinion... JMHGO but to optimize your scoring....I believe you have to play gear and get fit for your misses. Assume you are in the final stretch of "your" major, and what do you want to have in your hands.

While I love to hit a pure forged blade. I also love to drive a manual sports car. But does it perform a better track time over the PDK transmission? No.... it doesn't. Fun as sxxt but not the best performer.

I can hit a "juiced" 6 iron the same distance and height as my blade 4 iron and it is 1 inch shorter. Less spin but I can still hold hard greens all day.

So it comes down to what my priorities are. Scoring or enjoyment.

[ckay]

Scoring and enjoyment doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. Yes a dual clutch shifts in milliseconds but rev matching a manual is more engaging. If I’m a second behind my best lap at Lime Rock rowing my own gears vs my most modern DCT sports car it doesn’t really matter to me. There’s no cash or trophy for a track day driver. Just like there’s no cash or trophy for a weekend golfer. If I’m shooting a 75 vs a 73 because my blade 4 iron was 10 yards short, it doesn’t make golf more or less rewarding to me.

[RogerinNewZealand]

Re minimal dispersion with Blades on Iron Byron.

In march i started again with blades,on 4th hole i hit two balls with 5 iron,started walking and didnt see a second ball ahead.......when i got close,the longest ball was 4 inches in front of the ball i was looking at...so the accuracy is true for me. I was practicing early march in a field and 15 balls per club, the accuracy was Clearly better than my well respected mp63s.

Yes i will by an mp h4 3i!

[MK7Golf21]

Look at Adam Scott, one of the greatest ball strikers ever and practically needs the putter welded to his sternum, lol.

[mahonie]

I typically score better when I am enjoying my golf...just saying ?

[dpb5031]

Not really funny and certainly no irony. In fact, not even surprising. There are lots of great ball strikers out there with very yippy putting strokes!?

[976-Evil]

Why do people not like Na?

[Chuck905]

Cracks me up too because it’s such an inaccurate statement.

I use the putter that matches my stroke!

As for comments regarding scoring = fun, it doesn’t for me. I practice more than I play because I take pleasure on putting a pure strike, plus work!

I have competed in two different men’s league and both times I finished second playing blades so there’s a lot of BS on this thread. I like how my playing partners check out my equipment because they have never seen a LW to 2 iron blade set lol.

Both times I lost was because both players just had a hot putter. What are you going to do when guys drain 30 footers and can get up and down from behind bushes lol.

You can only applaud it. I don’t even remember what CB irons they were using and not even important lol.

[Golfjack]

Exactly. Nobody cares about what you play. Most players care a lot about their own clubs, either through the love of customizing your own equipment, familiarity, or sheer vanity. Your opponent though, cares more about your score than anything else. If you can shoot a 68, most will be appreciative of your score (unless that guy shot a 62, and even then) whether you are playing with shovels, Miura Baby Blades, or a set of kids clubs. Only on GolfWRX where we are just way too bored at home and love to discuss blade vs GI every time a new topic pops up. If you like them, game them. For a guy shooting 100+, it will be 100+ regardless of blades or GI. Though I'd for sure recommend GI for those players (uh oh).

[makaveli]

Industrial Base Technology List?

[billybaroo]

I know this is sarcasm, but there are many delusional almost PGA tour pros on here with the mythical 330yd carry driver and "great ball striking" that need to extra focus from a small club head to achieve their best rounds. Thanks for the Thursday AM laugh. Oh, yeah forgot to mention, they likely have orange driveway stakes for the snow plow in their bag too to complete the poseur look.

 

[drbob28]

I like him.

[Tree Levino]

Probably the best post in this entire thread. Even Rory plays P760 in his 3 and 4 iron and they are pretty chunky with some modest offset. Depending on your ability, sure play blades into the mid irons but when even the best opt for help in the long clubs alarm bells should be going off.

the best purchase I have made I've ever made for golf is the book Zen Golf. Those arguing that blades make you focus more are focused on the wrong things entirely. Learn how to focus all of your attention on target and ball flight and you can hit darts with any club.

[Tree Levino]

cough Adam Scott cough

[ThinkingPlus]

In Before The Lock

[billybaroo]

Is this the blog: https://www.golftrips.com/articles/article.cfm?ID=1027 ?

I see no empirical data to support his conclusion. Love to see that if you can provide me with a link.

[NRJyzr]

 

What you found is a copy of the original. The original piece was on Terry Koehler's blog, it predates his involvement with the new Hogan Golf company. He didn't share data with the blog post.

[Ri_Redneck]

Just for reference, I'm 57 and in good health and my hands are FAR MORE unsteady on my putting stroke than on a full swing. So hitting the sweet spot on my putter is not that easy.

BT

[wobgon]

WOW.....Second in two men's leagues......I need to get some blades.

[llewol007]

Not every tour player plays blades. Play what works and if it gives you the slight edge I would do the same thing.

[Bad9]

Not so fast. I have won my clubs handicapped, low net tournament 5 times playing players cavities or SGI clubs.

[wobgon]

Hmmmm..........I am so confused.

[Nard_S]

No that's not it, I've seen the blog on it and it was available not more than 2 years ago. Not unusual to see links "disappear", I know of several more that have. Kohler found on Iron Byron that directional dispersion was much tighter with an MB. Which makes sense when you consider MB's have a higher initial spin rate. It's why a Vokey is still of traditional design. My view, there are several head fakes in this topic.

1) Spin to launch ratio is the real difference between an MB and players' CB. The toe shot is not the problem. though discomfort/results of toe shot is real.. But failing to adjust to spin/launch ratio will have you pull the clubs out of the bag in a matter of months. MOI's benefit is in greater freedom to swing in unencumbered way, not the extra 20 feet of distance.

2) "GI" is not limited to iron head. Many aspects of it is in the shaft profile and weight. Ping embodies that in their off the shelf setups, Titleist, not so much.

3) Pro's quite often play custom grinds on their clubs. The CG is higher and closer axial point of shaft. True for CB's and MB's. Molinari did not use standard Apex MB. Callaway offers "H3" heads to tour pro's on their CB designs.

4) The long iron is not nearly as important to the game as it once was. Pro's do not spend time hitting #3i's. They work on wedge, putter and driver a lot more than in prior generations.

5) Modern MB's have about 10% less initial spin than blades of 25 years ago. Lower spin, higher launch is found even there. Ball tech has dictated this trend.

6) Popular to see spin as a liability. It easily can be but it can also be an asset. Up the learning curve, spin can be utilized to increase ball control to better results. The metaphor of manual transmission to auto is called up at times. Would add metaphor of the steering rake angle of a Ducatti to a Honda Goldwing. There is simply more face control at the fingertips.

I started this game in my late 20's. Studies show I have a 98% probability of maxing index in high singles. Been there done that. To go better requires deeper technical improvements. I can do that with anything but chose to do that with blades because a) I like them, b) 65% of the scorecard has zero to do with MOI of an iron & c) of the remaining maybe a third of those face the wall of worry that blades can present. Frankly it's not worth the tradeoff.