I am ready for blades - where do I start?

[Makuakane_Bear]

I can’t really comment on specific club heads. Each MB has subtle differences that are fairly noticeable when compared to others-e.g. top line thickness, head shape, chrome/brushed, sole grind, blade length, etc. It is all personal preference but I would say choose the one that looks best to your eye. IMO, comfort and self confidence looking down at address is key. 
Irregardless of the club head design, I would highly suggest you make sure to get the proper shaft, lie angle and swing weight for your swing.  I think it makes a world of difference especially with blades. You can do this “cheaper” if you don’t have a really good club fitter.  The Mizuno shaft optimizer is a great place to start and try different shafts and get your lie angle. Find your favorite iron and get the swing weight and have your blades built to that. 
For what it’s worth, I made the transition myself a year ago and have no regrets. Good luck with your endeavor.

[Thomas A]

Play the clubs that fit your game, don't try to fit your game into a set of clubs. There's a reason why the T100's and other cavity backs are so popular on tour. Get fit, hit the windows you want to hit. Who cares what the back of the iron looks like? 

[ephmen]

7 hours ago, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

No it’s not, for ****‘s sake!

Tom Wishon, probably

 

This whole thread is going exactly how all the other ones went 🙄

 

OP, your question is valid, but your vagueness doesn’t help keeping this from becoming a „my personal favorite blade and why blades are better“ discussion. 

 

I didn't see the other threads, not trying to be a troll.  Truly interested. So it is just marketing that more forgiving clubs have bigger sweet spots? 

[mukster]

22 minutes ago, ephmen said:

I didn't see the other threads, not trying to be a troll.  Truly interested. So it is just marketing that more forgiving clubs have bigger sweet spots? 

 

http://letmegooglethat.com/?q=blades+golfwrx

[ephmen]

1 minute ago, mukster said:

 

http://letmegooglethat.com/?q=blades+golfwrx

You could respond that way to virtually any topic on golfwrx. 

[ephmen]

5 minutes ago, mukster said:

 

http://letmegooglethat.com/?q=blades+golfwrx

as of 2018 director of R&D for Mizuno says opposite: With that cleared up, how does the sweet spot size differ between a blade and a game- improvement iron? David Llewellyn, Director of R&D at Mizuno, reckons shots need to come from the area of a 5p piece on their new MP-18 MB irons, which are designed for top ball strikers. That area increases to the size of a 10p piece on the game-improving JPX900 Hot Metal.

[mukster]

14 minutes ago, ephmen said:

You could respond that way to virtually any topic on golfwrx. 

 

Hey man, you said you could not see any other threads. There are a TON of them. Blades vs Cavity Backs has been beaten to death here on the forum. For the record, the threads never end well. It's like trying to discuss politics! 

Not trying to be a d$ck, but if you have problems finding information on the site, that is a good way to do it. For me it works better than the forum search function.

 

Good luck with your quest.

[ephmen]

Funny, been on golfwrx a long time. Are blade threads always this toxic? Will stay away from now on. 

[NRJyzr]

40 minutes ago, ephmen said:

I didn't see the other threads, not trying to be a troll.  Truly interested. So it is just marketing that more forgiving clubs have bigger sweet spots? 

 

It really depends on how you define the term.  For some, the sweet spot is the center of percussion, the point where a perfect shot is struck.  That's the same for all clubs.  For others, that term is used to define a zone where shots are struck and still acceptable.

 

The point of perimeter weighting in a CB is to prevent clubhead twisting on off center hits.  It's increasing the MOI, the resistance to that twisting.  What some forget...  all clubheads resist that twisting on off center hits, even blades; some do it more than others.  It's not like putting a cavity in the back of the club suddenly creates a twist-free clubhead.  🙂

 

There are a few issues in these debates.  One is anecdotal evidence, it's pretty much all we have.  The OEMs aren't going to publish their results.  Another is possible ancillary effects of the various designs, which is something mentioned in the Ping video that discusses their introduction of the Blueprint.  

 

Essentially, one size does not fit all.  <shrug>

 

[NRJyzr]

4 minutes ago, ephmen said:

Funny, been on golfwrx a long time. Are blade threads always this toxic? Will stay away from now on. 

 

Tried to add this to the response I'd just posted, but had trouble with copy/paste  🙂

 

It depends on the responders.  Some folks respond more strongly to this subject than others might.

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by NRJyzr
grammar! it's not just for breakfast anymore

[ephmen]

1 minute ago, NRJyzr said:

 

Tried to add this to the response I'd just posted, but had trouble with copy/paste  🙂

 

It depends on the responders.  Some folks respond more strongly to this subject than others might.

 

Clearly. Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. 

[morrisminor]

7 minutes ago, ephmen said:

Funny, been on golfwrx a long time. Are blade threads always this toxic? Will stay away from now on. 

 

In my experience they are.  For some reason lots of people like to build blades up and like to tell others that they can't possibly be good enough to play them.  Others like them and claim certain benefits to playing them (real or imagined) and the two sides clash badly.

 

At the end of the day its just a lump of metal.  Iron head design is fairly unimportant really.

 

As long as they are not damaging the course, using something against the rules to take the money of others etc. peole should be allowed to play any clubs they want to play with.  It's only a hobby.

 

It's not a moral decision like iron headcovers.

[ChipNRun]

On 12/20/2020 at 11:59 PM, sonnygolf said:

Ready to join the best players in the game by using the best type of clubs in the game. 

 

Question whats a good set to start with? 

 

Hate to tell you this, but a lot of the "best players" on PGA Tour have mixed sets of GI in longer irons and players/bladish in short irons.

 

Others have gone further afield: Matt Kuchar and Brandt Schnedeker both have several wins between them while playing Bridgestone J15 CBs (cavitybacks).

 

Here is Kuchar's set-up: Irons: Bridgestone J15CB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 S300 (soft stepped)

 

And K-man even has the shafts softstepped.

 

So, good luck on your blade adventure. But if your scores skyrocket, consider a return to a smaller-headed, low offset GI iron.

[ephmen]

Thank you for making me laugh out loud about iron headcovers. Yup, have never seen quite the toxicity level on golfwrx before. I was asking real questions because I'm "blade interested" and dudes be trying to shiv me. 

[NRJyzr]

3 minutes ago, ephmen said:

Thank you for making me laugh out loud about iron headcovers. Yup, have never seen quite the toxicity level on golfwrx before. I was asking real questions because I'm "blade interested" and dudes be trying to shiv me. 

 

The best anser to that is to try them for yourself, if you're really interested. (same anser trying CBs IMHO).  You never really know unless you try.

 

Which is one reason I played a set of Pings for a full year.  I had to see, and three rounds isn't enough to tell.  

 

All that said, lack of confidence with a club can be a make or break point.  If you don't think you can hit what you've got in your hands, it adds to the difficulty.  Maybe not guaranteed failure, but it's not going to help.

 

[nsxguy]

12 hours ago, Sonja Henie said:

I've never understood why people like to judge other golfers for the clubs they use.  If your opponent is using clubs that he can't handle, that's all the better for you.  

 

Got a "perfect" example with a guy in my old club. His swing was probably prettier than mine, we drove the ball about the same, around the green was pretty similar but he was a better putter.

 

He played blades. When he was on we were pretty close. When he was off he'd hit them all over the lot. Unfortunately, when the pressure was on, as in Club Championship play, the pressure seemed to get him - and his blades didn't help him.

 

But more to your point, nobody here is playing against anybody else here. It's a place to discuss golf. Nobody really cares what others play.

 

For the most part, posters are trying to HELP the posters looking for guidance. 

[Oh Hi Carl]

26 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

Got a "perfect" example with a guy in my old club. His swing was probably prettier than mine, we drove the ball about the same, around the green was pretty similar but he was a better putter.

 

He played blades. When he was on we were pretty close. When he was off he'd hit them all over the lot. Unfortunately, when the pressure was on, as in Club Championship play, the pressure seemed to get him - and his blades didn't help him.

 

But more to your point, nobody here is playing against anybody else here. It's a place to discuss golf. Nobody really cares what others play.

 

For the most part, posters are trying to HELP the posters looking for guidance. 

I hear what you're saying, but what animated my comment was the number of people who make comments about posers using blades.    

[nsxguy]

1 hour ago, ephmen said:

as of 2018 director of R&D for Mizuno says opposite: With that cleared up, how does the sweet spot size differ between a blade and a game- improvement iron? David Llewellyn, Director of R&D at Mizuno, reckons shots need to come from the area of a 5p piece on their new MP-18 MB irons, which are designed for top ball strikers. That area increases to the size of a 10p piece on the game-improving JPX900 Hot Metal.

 

I'm sorry, says the opposite of what ? You quoted a post with a link to search WRX for blades vs CBs topics. 

 

Nevertheless, a 10p coin is about 85% larger in area than a 5p coin. Sounds about right to me. 👍

 

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by nsxguy

[Oh Hi Carl]

You mean a 10p coin is 85% larger in area than a 5p coin? 

[ginger718]

If you're asking you probably aren't ready... But I normally lean toward TM Mizuno and Titleist when talking blades. I'm currently playing the P730's they're sweet honestly more forgiving then the previous cb's I played since they are not as offset and I am someone who likes to draw the ball.  So way easier for me to hit a controlled draw.  But also way easier for me to cut the ball with if I ever have to.    

 

Just a friendly reminder always fit yourself into clubs that if you're having a bad day you can live with the misses.

 

I play blades because I play 5 days a week, therefore I am pretty Intune with my game.  They have made me better and pointed out obvious swing flaws that I have had in the past, but are not for everyone.  I play a lot in the wind therefore have to work and flight the ball a lot, so I want the clubs that enable me to do that the best.  

[mallrat]

Hope this helps a little, and I went down this rabbit hole about 4 years ago. I always wanted to play blades. Found a brand new set of MP-4’s on the bay for about $450. Fast forward to today, I play 718 cb’s and am hitting the ball more solid now than ever. What blades taught me was I had a misconception of how often I hit the ball dead in the sweet spot. It also taught me A LOT about my swing flaws and allowed me to address them. I sincerely doubt your scores will improve with blades for a year or 2. Some here say otherwise but just my opinion. 
 

NOW, IMO, of the recent trend in MB’s, they are getting away from traditional blades in a way that top lines are getting thicker, soles wider and a longer blade length. If you want to play something as a very traditional looking blade you probably won’t want to go any newer than MP-4’s or look at some of the Japanese offerings. MP-5’s are an amazing club but to hold them up against the MP-4 the differences are glaring. 
 

Good Luck

[nsxguy]

6 minutes ago, Sonja Henie said:

You mean a 10p coin is 85% larger in area than a 5p coin? 

 

 

Yup. I'd originally reversed it, thinking in terms of nickel and dime. Corrected the one but forgot the other.

 

[ARL67]

Z-Forged are a nice head, slightly larger in size, v-sole, and very good looking too.

I briefly had some New Level 623-M too, also very nice, bit the "edgy look" might not be for everyone.

 

[moncou]

I think it’s been brought up here already but I wanted to second that when I made the switch it was 100% because conditions and my swing demanded a shot I couldn’t produce with the GIs I was playing. Hard, tight lies and lots of wind. Trajectory started to be more and more important and with my Callaways I just couldn’t get them through the wind. MP59s with C-Tapers did the trick. Maybe the shaft alone would have sufficed, but the combo worked really well and helped me score better. 
 

If I hadn’t moved to a region with wildly different conditions I probably wouldn’t have switched. 

[Iggypop]

I played Mizuno TP19’s in 2017-18’ and really enjoyed the challenge. Loved the look and feel, overall it improved my game. As a fitter I was able to source a suitable set re the shaft and tweaked the length and lie to suit before finishing with my preference in grip. As long as you don’t mind short distance, overall I don’t see a huge difference in playability. BUT, you do need decent club head speed and a decent swing for the 3/4/5 irons. It’s really a case of try and see. I built my set for under £150 and the best part was the nostalgia and the sheer good looks of the set - Faldo played them in the early 90’s. 
I changed to a players cavity this season. Longer and certainly easier to hit the 3 & 4 irons. I’d be very tempted by a modern set with stronger lofts. Taylormade TP MB’s come up on eBay and look like a good modern choice. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

4 hours ago, ephmen said:

I didn't see the other threads, not trying to be a troll.  Truly interested. So it is just marketing that more forgiving clubs have bigger sweet spots? 

Wasn’t knocking you or your question, it’s just one of THE myths that a sweet spot can be bigger or smaller. Tom Wishon (very knowledgeable clubmaker) pointed this out long ago, and I was referring to that. 
 

What we can agree on is that GI irons help minimizing distance loss on off-center strikes, due to perimeter weighting, varying face thickness etc. 

 

My Mizuno MP-33 blades feel very nice on center hits, but are pretty demanding for me at this point. I’d love to play them, but seeing my playing partners hit way more greens with equally inconsistent swings, using GI irons, has persuaded me- Game Improvement technology works. 

 

I lean towards forged designs that are not hollow and/or foam filled. 
 

[nsxguy]

20 minutes ago, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

Wasn’t knocking you or your question, it’s just one of THE myths that a sweet spot can be bigger or smaller. Tom Wishon (very knowledgeable clubmaker) pointed this out long ago, and I was referring to that. 
 

What we can agree on is that GI irons help minimizing distance loss on off-center strikes, due to perimeter weighting, varying face thickness etc.
 

 

I think we can all agree on the sweet spot being the size of a pinhead. Or tip I guess. 

 

So it follows that the appropriate(?) term would be "effective sweet spot", no ? That part of, and surrounding, THE sweet spot where any distance and/or direction variance would be so small as to be difficult to detect. 

 

If so, is THAT the myth Mr Wishon has busted ? And if it is, any chance you have a link to that myth buster ?

 

TIA

[ephmen]

I'm starting to think the "sweet spot" is like the G spot. Everyone seems to have a different definition and some may never find it. 🤣

[Gsea]

jesus just buy some blades and play.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

58 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

I think we can all agree on the sweet spot being the size of a pinhead. Or tip I guess. 

 

So it follows that the appropriate(?) term would be "effective sweet spot", no ? That part of, and surrounding, THE sweet spot where any distance and/or direction variance would be so small as to be difficult to detect. 

 

If so, is THAT the myth Mr Wishon has busted ? And if it is, any chance you have a link to that myth buster ?

 

TIA

It’s your words exactly. Pinsized sweet spot in reality, but YES, I think we all mean the area on the clubface with no or negligible distance loss, when talking about „the sweet spot“. So no myth busting to see here, I was just being a little pedantic 🙄😁. @ephmen I’m sorry. I was triggered. 
 

However, Wishon has this PDF on his site somewhere (too lazy to dig it up), in which he addresses the common marketing tactics including loft jacking and fancy terminology, and how manufacturers are distorting the facts to boost their sales. It’s a good read. 
 

Regarding that elusive „blade feel“, I do think that happens only when you absolutely flush one, like no ball is even there, and that’s rare and hard to do consistently as an amateur.
 

To get back on topic: the modern blades like MP-20, P7TW and others have some hidden help, in fact, with tungsten parts in critical spots. Srixon Z Forged have the V sole. Those things do make a little difference. Even older designs cheat a little, with longer blade length (MP-33) and cut muscle design for a hint of perimeter weighting (MP-32).
@sonnygolf I’d start there: find out which sole fits you and if a longer blade is ok to look down at for you. 

 

Finally, my pick would either be MP-20 (keep hearing how easy to hit they’re) or W/S Staff Model (they look fantastic).

If going used: W/S FG-62, MP-4, MP-14, MP-33 all are great and proven designs.