Blade (MB) MythBuster

[hypergolf]

It has been about a week now since I transitioned from CB to MB.

 

Now that I became accustomed to the new set MBs and my distance in my long irons back to normal, I have personally busted some pre-conception (myths) about blades.

 

Following are what I have noticed or some myths that have been busted:

 

1. You will lose distance with blades - BUSTED - In the beginning when I was transitioning from CB to MB, I did lose distance in my 4-6 iron by half club to a club. But I realized that it was more the bad habits I formed with CBs that created this distance loss. Now all my distance are back to normal despite weaker loft and I have learned to focus and commit 100% to the shots I am making.

 

2. Blades are more punishing than cavity backs - SEMI-BUSTED - Yes, they are more punishing in terms of distance loss when you mishit. But score card wise, they are actually better. When you mishit a blade, the ball does not fly off into the woods, rough or water but because of the significant distance loss you actually have a better second shot chance from the first initial mishit most of the time.

 

3. You need good swing to play with blades - SEMI-BUSTED - Blades will force you to swing better and have better ball contact if you want your fingers intact after a round of golf. My swing has become better ever since I transitioned. My friends who play with game improvement or even some CB irons who hit well with their own can't hit MB with their current swing. This kind of shows that they are currently not swinging the correct way. I think blades force you to correct your swing and not overkill your iron shots.

 

4. Blades have higher spin rate - CONFIRMED - Not only can you exaggerate fades and draws, the actual backspin rates seems higher than CBs. Having weaker loft definitely helps increase backspin but I am shocked to see how short irons just have one bounce then stops on the green.

 

5. Blades feel better than CBs/game improvement irons - CONFIRMED - The pure feel when struck on the center of the face is pure bliss. Even player CBs don't feel this good. Now I am a true believer of blade "feel" and understand why some people tend to gravitate towards MBs. Once you go blade, I think it will be difficult to come back...

 

I think the moral of the story is that people should have an open mind and give it a good week or two for transition period before jumping to conclusions (or selling off their MB purchase) after only one or two swings on a simulator. Blades also feel different off the mat vs actual turf on the fairway (grass). Once you experience it you will want that solid, unforgettable MB feel every time you hit a golf shot. I am totally converted.

[HalfSet]

What CB did you come from and what MB did you go to?

 

I'm thinking about doing a combo set myself, 4-6 CB 7-PW MB 

[hypergolf]

1 minute ago, southpawfox said:

What CB did you come from and what MB did you go to?

 

I'm thinking about doing a combo set myself, 4-6 CB 7-PW MB 

 

Srixon Z785 to Z Forged. I tried to do the whole combo thing but I fully transitioned to MBs. Just need a bit of patience and practice and your long iron game will thank you for it. 

[LeftyMatt24]

Awesome write up of your experiences. Grabbing some popcorn for the comments this thread will have. 

[marmaduk]

[swagee]

37 minutes ago, hypergolf said:

It has been about a week now since I transitioned from CB to MB.

 

Now that I became accustomed to the new set MBs and my distance in my long irons back to normal, I have personally busted some pre-conception (myths) about blades.

 

Following are what I have noticed or some myths that have been busted:

 

1. You will lose distance with blades - BUSTED - In the beginning when I was transitioning from CB to MB, I did lose distance in my 4-6 iron by half club to a club. But I realized that it was more the bad habits I formed with CBs that created this distance loss. Now all my distance are back to normal despite weaker loft and I have learned to focus and commit 100% to the shots I am making.

 

2. Blades are more punishing than cavity backs - SEMI-BUSTED - Yes, they are more punishing in terms of distance loss when you mishit. But score card wise, they are actually better. When you mishit a blade, the ball does not fly off into the woods, rough or water but because of the significant distance loss you actually have a better second shot chance from the first initial mishit most of the time.

 

3. You need good swing to play with blades - SEMI-BUSTED - Blades will force you to swing better and have better ball contact if you want your fingers intact after a round of golf. My swing has become better ever since I transitioned. My friends who play with game improvement or even some CB irons who hit well with their own can't hit MB with their current swing. This kind of shows that they are currently not swinging the correct way. I think blades force you to correct your swing and not overkill your iron shots.

 

4. Blades have higher spin rate - CONFIRMED - Not only can you exaggerate fades and draws, the actual backspin rates seems higher than CBs. Having weaker loft definitely helps increase backspin but I am shocked to see how short irons just have one bounce then stops on the green.

 

5. Blades feel better than CBs/game improvement irons - CONFIRMED - The pure feel when struck on the center of the face is pure bliss. Even player CBs don't feel this good. Now I am a true believer of blade "feel" and understand why some people tend to gravitate towards MBs. Once you go blade, I think it will be difficult to come back...

 

I think the moral of the story is that people should have an open mind and give it a good week or two for transition period before jumping to conclusions (or selling off their MB purchase) after only one or two swings on a simulator. Blades also feel different off the mat vs actual turf on the fairway (grass). Once you experience it you will want that solid, unforgettable MB feel every time you hit a golf shot. I am totally converted.

Thx for the review, mate. 

Been thinking to get myself a set of Miura blades. 
I’m happy with my current CB, but the appeal of puring a blade is so tempting. 
After watching Charlie Woods flushing blades at the PNC, it’s only a matter of time (and money) before I commit myself to a set. 
 

Cheers

[MtlJeff]

I'm going to switch immediately now, thanks for that 

[puttingmatt]

Interesting write up, disagree with the 785's not feeling as soft as a blade, they are forged, and feel pure on center strikes. I  started with blades, since that's all that were available back then , and have gamed blades for some time.

At the end of the day, irons are scoring clubs, you should appreciate the consistency in distance and should have some great scores to show for it. Stick with it, learn to flight your shots, they will be easier to enjoy. Look forward to your  future posts. 

[hypergolf]

11 minutes ago, puttingmatt said:

Interesting write up, disagree with the 785's not feeling as soft as a blade, they are forged, and feel pure on center strikes. I  started with blades, since that's all that were available back then , and have gamed blades for some time.

At the end of the day, irons are scoring clubs, you should appreciate the consistency in distance and should have some great scores to show for it. Stick with it, learn to flight your shots, they will be easier to enjoy. Look forward to your  future posts. 

 

Z785s are not Mizzy soft IMO. They are more solid than soft. Not clicky and hard but good feel solid where you can feel the ball compression. The ball feels heavy on the face with a solid feedback but this feel is further enhanced with the Z Forged. Z785 will feel more "hollow??" if that is the right description compared to Z Forged. Don't get me wrong. Z785s are fantastic irons but the feel is another level with Z Forged. 

Edited December 29, 2020 by hypergolf

[hypergolf]

1 hour ago, swagee said:

Thx for the review, mate. 

Been thinking to get myself a set of Miura blades. 
I’m happy with my current CB, but the appeal of puring a blade is so tempting. 
After watching Charlie Woods flushing blades at the PNC, it’s only a matter of time (and money) before I commit myself to a set. 
 

Cheers

I am keeping both CB and MB. It is good to have options especially when you feel like playing one or the other or mix it up depending on your mood. 

 

I was choosing between Miura MC-501 vs Z Forged but decided to go with these until my official handicap goes down to 5. Then I will treat myself with Miura blades. Also I think Z Forged is a good beginner's blade after thorough research.

Edited December 29, 2020 by hypergolf

[msg]

2 hours ago, hypergolf said:

It has been about a week now since I transitioned from CB to MB.

 

Now that I became accustomed to the new set MBs and my distance in my long irons back to normal, I have personally busted some pre-conception (myths) about blades.

 

Following are what I have noticed or some myths that have been busted:

 

1. You will lose distance with blades - BUSTED - In the beginning when I was transitioning from CB to MB, I did lose distance in my 4-6 iron by half club to a club. But I realized that it was more the bad habits I formed with CBs that created this distance loss. Now all my distance are back to normal despite weaker loft and I have learned to focus and commit 100% to the shots I am making.

 

2. Blades are more punishing than cavity backs - SEMI-BUSTED - Yes, they are more punishing in terms of distance loss when you mishit. But score card wise, they are actually better. When you mishit a blade, the ball does not fly off into the woods, rough or water but because of the significant distance loss you actually have a better second shot chance from the first initial mishit most of the time.

 

3. You need good swing to play with blades - SEMI-BUSTED - Blades will force you to swing better and have better ball contact if you want your fingers intact after a round of golf. My swing has become better ever since I transitioned. My friends who play with game improvement or even some CB irons who hit well with their own can't hit MB with their current swing. This kind of shows that they are currently not swinging the correct way. I think blades force you to correct your swing and not overkill your iron shots.

 

4. Blades have higher spin rate - CONFIRMED - Not only can you exaggerate fades and draws, the actual backspin rates seems higher than CBs. Having weaker loft definitely helps increase backspin but I am shocked to see how short irons just have one bounce then stops on the green.

 

5. Blades feel better than CBs/game improvement irons - CONFIRMED - The pure feel when struck on the center of the face is pure bliss. Even player CBs don't feel this good. Now I am a true believer of blade "feel" and understand why some people tend to gravitate towards MBs. Once you go blade, I think it will be difficult to come back...

 

I think the moral of the story is that people should have an open mind and give it a good week or two for transition period before jumping to conclusions (or selling off their MB purchase) after only one or two swings on a simulator. Blades also feel different off the mat vs actual turf on the fairway (grass). Once you experience it you will want that solid, unforgettable MB feel every time you hit a golf shot. I am totally converted.

Oh man, I have read so many great reviews about the Z forged. I almost pulled the trigger when they went on sale last Black Friday. I was able to try the 785 of my buddy and I really loved them and I thought I could never hit them as I came from Game Improvement irons all my life. I loved the look and feel of the 785 and thought that they were amazing. Well, compared to all the GI irons I have played in my life, there is no comparison to the forged 785's. 

 

I was able to play the 785's though, indoors and on a simulator. But even if this was the case, I loved every moment I tried them out. Such a joy to hit and when I hit it pure, I just cannot help it but smile. Lol 

 

I ended up with Cobra Forged Tec irons though. I was afraid that I might not be good enough to game the 785's as the thin topline and very little offset scared me. But I think I could have been ok with them. Too bad, the local golf stores in my area did not have a single demo iron of the Z Forged. I would have surely loved to test the Z forged out. 😞

 

Thanks for your write up btw!

Edited December 29, 2020 by msg

[mallrat]

Do not confuse the MC-501’s with a blade. They resemble a mb but aren’t at all. 
 

Also, as much as I loved my Miura’s, my MP-4’s were better. 

[Fairways_and_Greens]

I liked blades because my spin and launch were lower... odd you found the opposite. Are you adjusting for loft?

[Htk084]

The real question is what effect did it have on your scores?  That’s all I care about

[llewol007]

Grew up in the game playing blades and to say it is a solid way to learn the game is no joke. I love the feel and the direct response on whether you have solid contact. Nothing better. 

[hypergolf]

44 minutes ago, msg said:

Oh man, I have read so many great reviews about the Z forged. I almost pulled the trigger when they went on sale last Black Friday. I was able to try the 785 of my buddy and I really loved them and I thought I could never hit them as I came from Game Improvement irons all my life. I loved the look and feel of the 785 and thought that they were amazing. Well, compared to all the GI irons I have played in my life, there is no comparison to the forged 785's. 

 

I was able to play the 785's though, indoors and on a simulator. But even if this was the case, I loved every moment I tried them out. Such a joy to hit and when I hit it pure, I just cannot help it but smile. Lol 

 

I ended up with Cobra Forged Tec irons though. I was afraid that I might not be good enough to game the 785's as the thin topline and very little offset scared me. But I think I could have been ok with them. Too bad, the local golf stores in my area did not have a single demo iron of the Z Forged. I would have surely loved to test the Z forged out. 😞

 

Thanks for your write up btw!

 

Glad you enjoyed the write up. I couldn't find any stores carrying any demo Z Forged as well. I am glad it worked out well though. 

 

I did test Mizuno MP20 in the past and bought a single iron of MP18 MB and thoroughly tested to see if I could handle blades before I pulled the trigger. Then I chose Z Forged purely on positive experience with Srixon (Z785) and reviews. 

Edited December 29, 2020 by hypergolf

[hypergolf]

33 minutes ago, Fairways_and_Greens said:

I liked blades because my spin and launch were lower... odd you found the opposite. Are you adjusting for loft?

 

As I mentioned above, lofts are weaker for MBs hence higher spin club to club compared to the CBs.

[hypergolf]

21 minutes ago, llewol007 said:

Grew up in the game playing blades and to say it is a solid way to learn the game is no joke. I love the feel and the direct response on whether you have solid contact. Nothing better. 

 

The sting on the finger when mishit definitely forced me to adjust a few things. LOL

[llewol007]

16 minutes ago, hypergolf said:

 

The sting on the finger when mishit definitely forced me to adjust a few things. LOL

That’s right. Forced you to hit the middle of the face. You became addicted to the feel of a solid shot of the face of a Mb iron. Nothing better

[cwilk]

I’ve played every style of club and have seen no difference in average score from club design. Scores change through skill for me, and that’s independent from club design. I prefer MB’s.

[Htk084]

7 minutes ago, cwilk said:

I’ve played every style of club and have seen no difference in average score from club design. Scores change through skill for me, and that’s independent from club design. I prefer MB’s.

That’s interesting, I’ve heard that before.  Which is interesting cause it’s such a big change, yet somehow at the end of the day it’s the user. Go figure lol

[dmeeksDC]

You picked a good muscleback to try. They’re not all the same and the ZForged (and 965) offer a slightly larger profile vs other MBs and that helps. Staff Model Blades are another. All are excellent. I’ve been practicing with musclebacks in scoring irons (8-PW) and they’re a lot of fun. Not hard to hit. Very responsive. No doubt a pure hit on a muscleback is a sweet feeling. I also like the New Level PF1 that just came out.
 

But I still go for cavity backs in the long irons. Don’t really care for the hollow heads because they tend to be bulky, with one nice exception being the 2018 XForged UT. I like the slimmer look to that one vs the Srixon utilities. 

[Jimjam651]

Theres a lot of 'bro science' and marketing guff that appears in the for / against blade threads and the subsequent arguments, hopefully this thread will avoid all that 😉

 

Glad you're enjoying your irons, thats all that counts!  I wouldn't worry too much about distance loss either, unless theyre the same lofts there's not much point comparing how far they go.

 

I keep feeling the itch to go back to blades... these threads don't help 😂

[revanant]

Congrats on the purchase! The z-forged are a nice blade, and they blend wonderfully with the 785s in case you ever want to mix and match. 
 

Personally, I actually like the 785 a little bit more on feel--I'm not a fan of the dense/solid feel of Miura, and the z-forged are closer to that spectrum.  

 

The 785 are softer to me, more on the mizuno/marshmallow scale, which is my preference. 🙂
 

 

 

 

[MtlJeff]

19 minutes ago, Jimjam651 said:

Theres a lot of 'bro science' and marketing guff that appears in the for / against blade threads and the subsequent arguments, hopefully this thread will avoid all that 😉

 

Glad you're enjoying your irons, thats all that counts!  I wouldn't worry too much about distance loss either, unless theyre the same lofts there's not much point comparing how far they go.

 

I keep feeling the itch to go back to blades... these threads don't help 😂

 

Bro Science , you mean like saying when you mishit a GI club it goes flying in the woods or the water ,but a blade will leave you in a better position?

 

Players who use GI clubs don't have the swings to play blades because forgiving clubs have ruined them?

 

I wasn't aware this was real science. 

[Jimjam651]

5 minutes ago, MtlJeff said:

 

Bro Science , you mean like saying when you mishit a GI club it goes flying in the woods or the water ,but a blade will leave you in a better position?

 

Players who use GI clubs don't have the swings to play blades because forgiving clubs have ruined them?

 

I wasn't aware this was real science. 

I left my position on the blade vs cavity back intentionally vague to avoid petty arguments about them, I hope you don't mind if I avoid the one you're trying to start.

[uglande]

Sure, the OP might be experiencing some of that holy-grail exuberance we all feel with new clubs, and perhaps he exaggerates a bit to make his points, but his experience with blades is very similar to mine. I would add that -- for my swing -- turf interaction is better with blades. Also, the visual of thin topline and low offset gives me a better feeling of control.

 

But the merits of blades v. non-blades are less about science than about preference and swing type, which is why these debates can never be won and why these threads will reappear every month until the end of GolfWrx. 

[MtlJeff]

1 minute ago, Jimjam651 said:

I left my position on the blade vs cavity back intentionally vague to avoid petty arguments about them, I hope you don't mind if I avoid the one you're trying to start.

 

I'm not trying to argue with you, but we shouldn't have to be so sensitive now that we can't even call out obvious nonsense without it being labeled "petty" arguing. At the end of the day this is one of the pre-eminent golf forums on the internet, a few posters should at least point out that there is really nothing of substance being discussed here beyond anecdotes after a few swings

 

 

 

 

[Jimjam651]

7 minutes ago, MtlJeff said:

 

I'm not trying to argue with you, but we shouldn't have to be so sensitive now that we can't even call out obvious nonsense without it being labeled "petty" arguing. At the end of the day this is one of the pre-eminent golf forums on the internet, a few posters should at least point out that there is really nothing of substance being discussed here beyond anecdotes after a few swings

 

 

 

 

You didn't call anything out though, you made a bunch of assumptions that don't reflect what I said.  It's not being sensitive, it just clearly isn't worth my time.

 

If you don't like the substance of whats being discussed, ignore the thread or make meaningful contributions.

 

 

 

 

 

[Fairways_and_Greens]

8 hours ago, hypergolf said:

 

As I mentioned above, lofts are weaker for MBs hence higher spin club to club compared to the CBs.

You are so smart.