My brief blade experience

[longjohnpeter]

For reasons unbeknownst to myself, I have been obsessed with playing blades lately. So I took a trip to my local range today and picked out an old Lynx USA 7 iron blade from the rental rack (I don't own a blade and had never hit one previously). While I did see a reduction in distance (more of a result of EXTREMELY crappy range balls and a 50 degree day), I couldn't believe how much more consistent my face contact was, compared with my Ping Zing's I currently use. And even on the few mishits, they weren't punished nearly as bad as everyone and their mother said they would be, and I knew exactly what had happened and could adjust accordingly.

 

Anyone have a similar experience? Is this just a honeymoon phase? Or is the golfing elite trying to preserve the sanctity of blade irons?

 

Edit: Never thought my first post would be catch fire like this! I've set the bar too high for myself now 😂. Thank you everyone for the feedback!!

Edited November 27, 2020 by longjohnpeter

[St Gids]

I often find I have the same exact feeling towards the comments that are made about who is good enough to hit blades. I am not by any means a great golfer, but I play blades and it is one of the most consistent parts of my game and gives me the most joy when striking the ball. When I watch youtube videos about playing blades or reviewing blades it seems like they always say something about who they think is allowed to use them.

 

I understand that they are designed for people with a lot of different shots and skill, but I think the trope has started to get under my skin.

[Exactice808]

Welcome to GolfWRX congrats on your first post! You have not let us down 😃

 

All humor aside Enjoy it, dont let anyone tell you what to play until someone is PAYING you to play golf.

 

Now moving on.

 

Many times has this topic come up.  Yet the Blade (head of club) is discussed. YET the forgot fact is the WHOLE club.

 

Please provide specs on your Ping Zings.  Meaning,  What is the shaft?  what is the lenght?  What is the Swing weight and what is the loft/lie 

 

Now Compare this to your Lynx 7iron is the club similar in specs,  Swing weight, length, shaft profile etc?

 

 

I hit a blade just as well as I hit a GI and SGI, when the specs are all equal.  I miss the Blade and GI and have offline shots just as bad with both as well.

 

does the blade make me better or worse? Nope.  Does the blade have different inherent ball flights. yes.  Thats about it.

 

Other than that, Yes,  There is more MOI in the forgiving clubs.  yes on less then optimal strikes a forgiving club does help retain ballspeed.  

 

Good luck and enjoy the ride it might get bumpy from here on out. LOL 

[longjohnpeter]

Unfortunately I don't know any of the club or shaft specs of the zings. I bought them off of facebook marketplace. We lefties don't have a ton of options lol. But I never thought of swing weight or other shaft characteristics having an effect. I'm going to have to look more in depth into this.

 

Thank you for the feedback!!

[Exactice808]

44 minutes ago, longjohnpeter said:

Unfortunately I don't know any of the club or shaft specs of the zings. I bought them off of facebook marketplace. We lefties don't have a ton of options lol. But I never thought of swing weight or other shaft characteristics having an effect. I'm going to have to look more in depth into this.

 

Thank you for the feedback!!

Many of times..... from my opinion and experience.  New players that are generally athletic are given, SGI/GI Clubs.

 

these clubs are may not be optimal for X player.

 

Dr.Google says;

 

Ping Zing 2 are C9-D0 in swing weight

7iron is 34.5* 36.75" long

 

 

Lynx Tour Blade

7iron 33* & 37.25" long

 

 

So already the Lynx 7 iron is 1.5* strong,  usually 3yards per degree so this is at least 5 yards

Next the Lynx is .50" longer or 1 club longer.  The equivalent would be the 6iron length in the Ping Zing

 

 

Not sure what the true swing weight would be but assume the Lynx is a D2,  and if the Ping Zings are in fact C9-D0 it just might not be optimal for you.  And the Lynx might better fit your swing.  Now imagine if you took the Zing head and spec-ed it out to match the Lynx. you have a more optimal setup with more forgiveness?.... Just saying .

 

 

All this is disregarding the actual shaft profile as well.   Is it a stock 130gram steel,  or light steel 85gram or graphite.  The Lynx has KBS Tour 90's which are pretty light as well.

 

Its not ONLY the head that makes a differnce.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2020 by Exactice808

[swagee]

1 hour ago, longjohnpeter said:

For reasons unbeknownst to myself, I have been obsessed with playing blades lately. So I took a trip to my local range today and picked out an old Lynx USA 7 iron blade from the rental rack (I don't own a blade and had never hit one previously). While I did see a reduction in distance (more of a result of EXTREMELY crappy range balls and a 50 degree day), I couldn't believe how much more consistent my face contact was, compared with my Ping Zing's I currently use. And even on the few mishits, they weren't punished nearly as bad as everyone and their mother said they would be, and I knew exactly what had happened and could adjust accordingly.

 

Anyone have a similar experience? Is this just a honeymoon phase? Or is the golfing elite trying to preserve the sanctity of blade irons?

I believe it all comes down to preferences.  It’s true that u’ll lose some distance and mishits are not as easily forgiven; however, if u like the blades enough to pick up a set, u’ll figure out a way to make it work for u. 

I’m assuming that u are not competing in any professional tours, so performance is not the most important factor when considering a set. 
If it looks good and feels good, then who cares if it it doesn’t perform as well as the others. 

Just go for it, mate.
She’s never out of ur league. 
Cheers

[indianwoodpro]

Lynx USA NOT EXACTLY a Blade Iron.

this was Lynx’s attempt at a game improvement to compete with 

PING Eye 2 irons.

[pgetzen]

Just a quick question for the group.  I thought I read once that some of “feel” actually had to do with how the club sounded when struck.  So is it possible that a couple of clubs feel different because they sound different when you hit the ball?

[Ripken08]

17 minutes ago, indianwoodpro said:

Lynx USA NOT EXACTLY a Blade Iron.

this was Lynx’s attempt at a game improvement to compete with 

PING Eye 2 irons.

 

Looks like a blade to me....a little perimeter weighting but not much

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lynx-USA-Model-7-Iron-Original-Stiff-Steel-Shaft-/292993984236

Edited November 26, 2020 by Ripken08

[farmer]

I owned those irons.  They were an early GI iron, and were a mile more forgiving than blades from that time.

[jomatty]

When the majority of the best players in the world want a little more forgiveness than blades offer it is hard for me to believe that many on here should be playing them, if scoring low is what makes the game the most fun.  For a lot of people that is not what makes the game the most fun.  Many people have more fun playing with some specific piece of equipment and that’s definitely what they should play with.

 

some people will try to convince you that forgiveness is not a real thing.  I’m no expert but that has not been my experience.  Yes, good hits will be good and bad hits will be bad.  But many golf shots live in the grey area between pure and mishit.  Those shots a little of the toe or just a touch heavy will be very different with a pure blade and a more forgiving club from what I’ve seen.  
 

last thought is to not overlook sole width and the way the club interacts with the turf.  Some SGI clubs have wider soles that don’t work well for some swings even if it seems the player could benefit from maximum forgiveness.  It can take some trial and error to find the right club that offers forgiveness and the right turf interaction.

[longjohnpeter]

17 minutes ago, farmer said:

I owned those irons.  They were an early GI iron, and were a mile more forgiving than blades from that time.

What would be a modern equivalent of these? I know that's a loaded question, just looking for some opinions

[phizzy30]

There are no set rules to who can blades and who can't.  I will say this however.  Blades tend to have a smaller sweet spot compared to some player's cbs and def for GI and SGI irons.  For some with higher handicaps, they might be good ball strikers but absolutely suck at their short game.  Someone like that could get away with blades.  Also, you have golfers who want to work the ball side to side.  Blades would be something to consider.  There is the feel aspect as well.  Nothing in golf feels better than hitting one right on the screws with a forged blade.  I had a set of rac tp blades and they were longer toe to heel so they were just as forgiving IMO as player's cb.  I found that I could put a little more side spin on it plus had a easier time hitting low ones. 

[CCTxGolf]

For some people a smaller club makes them concentrate a little harder and that extra little bit of concentration can certainly help you find the center of the club face more often. Problem is it’s tough to keep that going for 18 holes. Much less day to day. 
 

I just went to blades in my short irons (8-P) and don’t really find that much difference in those shorter irons. They sure are pretty though.

Edited November 26, 2020 by CCTxGolf
Spelling

[roundersmitty]

1 hour ago, longjohnpeter said:

What would be a modern equivalent of these? I know that's a loaded question, just looking for some opinions

Go for something in the Mizuno JPX line

[nsxguy]

2 hours ago, NotThatGuyorAmI? said:

I’m far from a technical expert but I have concluded that increased MOI may give some incremental benefit, and of course less loft means clubs with a particular loft might hit father, but the point of most of the “improvement” in game improvement irons is to allow people who hit the ground before the ball with a slow swing speed to get a better result from a lower center of gravity.

 

This, by the way, is not a good thing.

 

[SPIF]

3 hours ago, longjohnpeter said:

For reasons unbeknownst to myself, I have been obsessed with playing blades lately. So I took a trip to my local range today and picked out an old Lynx USA 7 iron blade from the rental rack (I don't own a blade and had never hit one previously). While I did see a reduction in distance (more of a result of EXTREMELY crappy range balls and a 50 degree day), I couldn't believe how much more consistent my face contact was, compared with my Ping Zing's I currently use. And even on the few mishits, they weren't punished nearly as bad as everyone and their mother said they would be, and I knew exactly what had happened and could adjust accordingly.

 

Anyone have a similar experience? Is this just a honeymoon phase? Or is the golfing elite trying to preserve the sanctity of blade irons?

 

No, I have not had a similar experience.  

[SPIF]

2 hours ago, NotThatGuyorAmI? said:

I’m far from a technical expert but I have concluded that increased MOI may give some incremental benefit, and of course less loft means clubs with a particular loft might hit father, but the point of most of the “improvement” in game improvement irons is to allow people who hit the ground before the ball with a slow swing speed to get a better result from a lower center of gravity.

 

This, by the way, is not a good thing.

Just thought I'd bold the most important part of the post.

[bladehunter]

People forget ..... once upon a time , in a galaxy far , far away..........

 

everyone played a blade.  And everyone smiled . 

[phizzy30]

36 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

People forget ..... once upon a time , in a galaxy far , far away..........

 

everyone played a blade.  And everyone smiled . 

I'm confused.  Are you saying everyone played blades and smiled or smiled in general?  😂

[forrester_fire]

I've only hit a blade indoors (MP-5, 6 iron) on one occasion and I was hitting everything 175 - 178 yards in a shockingly small circle.  I'm an 11-13 handicap and have no idea what the results would look like on turf. 

 

I've often considered picking up a set of used, contemporary blades to take out on occasion for fun, but it doesn't seem like a wise expenditure.

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, phizzy30 said:

I'm confused.  Are you saying everyone played blades and smiled or smiled in general?  😂

Everyone who enjoyed golf smiled. 

[setter02]

16 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Everyone who enjoyed golf smiled. 

 

 

People drank things with much higher % in it than the lite beer weekend warriors of today!

[jplroper]

  The Lynx USA model looks just like the Lynx Master Model I've been playing this year. So far they have been working great and feel great. I had them in my garage because someone wanted to get rid of them, so I gave them a spin, nice.  Ive caught a few out on the toe and still had reasonable results.

[jplroper]

5 hours ago, indianwoodpro said:

Lynx USA NOT EXACTLY a Blade Iron.

this was Lynx’s attempt at a game improvement to compete with 

PING Eye 2 irons.

Are you sure about that , or are you thinking of the Lynx Parallax irons. They look like the eye 2's but with a more level top line.

[iNeedMoreGolf]

After playing Gi irons most of my life this past season i decided to switch to a more players type iron, one step above a blade, so i went with mizuno mmc mp20 and i couldnt be happier. Like you all  said hearing from other reviewers or players about blades or smaller irons and how much more punishing and difficult they can be and yes to an extent... but more so right when you get to a 4 iron mostly imo. I was terrified for years of smaller irons but all it truly has done imo is enhance my play. Its much cleaner interaction going at the ball... the forged feeling is fantastic even though i can play cast also and not care...mizuno forged has been amazing. Im not a big worker of the ball but ive had a few occasions this year where ive needed to hit low and left hook under trees and i can tell you that i was left stunned at the outcomes it provided. If anyone is decent with their irons and has wanted to play a blade or a notch above a blade... do yourself a favor and do so. Its truly not as bad as most make it and todays tech is different from blades and smaller irons of old. I also have no problems hitting shots that are dead straight which is another fear they put into your head about smaller irons. The misses are no worse then the gi i ever played.

[the bishop]

11 hours ago, roundersmitty said:

Go for something in the Mizuno JPX line

Based on the pic of that Lynx iron I'd say maybe Maltby MMB-17.  I own a set of those and they are ridiculously easy to hit.  Kinda look like a blade but not really one.  Some well disguised perimeter weighting from the 7i on up.

 

Edit - but he's a lefty so nevermind

Edited November 26, 2020 by the bishop

[uglande]

I switched back to blades this year (had not played them in decades) and I will never give them up. They are so pure and consistent and easy to maneuver. I prefer the thinner soles, which give me better turf interaction.

 

Blades will never produce those nuclear shots that go 15 yards longer than you expected. And, yes, GI clubs help retain ball speed on mishits, but I would rather be 10 yards short of the green than in the bunkers or other garbage on either side of the green. And I certainly don't want to torpedo one (happened frequently with my P790s) that goes over the green, which is always where the worst hazards lie. 

Edited November 26, 2020 by uglande

[MtlJeff]

10 hours ago, gwelfgulfer said:

 

 

People drank things with much higher % in it than the lite beer weekend warriors of today!

 

Lite beers are more forgiving beers! 

[pinestreetgolf]

I am constantly blown away by the level of accuracy some of the poster's on this board have in terms of their strike.

 

"just a little bit more sidespin"

 

"when struck just out of the center"

 

"thinner soles give me better turf interaction" (<- it doesn't matter in an iron, by the time you strike the ground, unless you stink, the ball is already gone)

 

"sometimes, I hit the ball with exactly the same speed with my GI iron and it goes 15 yards farther carry out of nowhere!" <- physically impossible

 

I mean, are we supposed to take this seriously?  Glad the OP is having fun, everyone should play what they like, but everyone should also realize they are not nearly as perceptive as they think they are and that trackman runs literal laps around them in terms of what their equipment is doing.  I mean, you think you can eyeball "a bit" more sidespin when the average 7 iron is spinning around 18,000 RPMs for a good player?  GTFOH.

 

Edit - Before everyone pulls the usual move which is to rack up likes claiming to be a "feel player", you can't feel the difference between 17,000 RPMs and 20,000 RPMs with a short/mid iron, and you can't feel the difference between swing speeds that would produce a 15 mph flyer out of nowhere (its about 2.5 mph with a 6 iron.  You can't feel that.)  These threads are always great because its people competing to tell other people how good they are at sensing things that it is physically impossible for a human to sense.

Edited November 26, 2020 by pinestreetgolf