Blade (MB) MythBuster

[FatThinShank]

3 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Hyperbole of course.
 

The point stands. By your stats 28-30ish percent of ping staffers went mb when given the chance.  And I’d bet the number total is greater as I’m sure ping has more than 36 sets of irons on both tours.  

How does the point stand if you're saying a majority of pro players use blades but out of the top 30+ Ping players which you referenced, less than 1/3 are using them? I would think that in fact the point does not stand.  I don't really care what anybody uses for clubs but lets stick to real stats.

[Red4282]

I think both sides brings up good points. The forgiveness factor in game improvement irons is overrated really, while todays blades arent really “butter knives” either, and actually are much more forgiving than blades of 20-30 years ago. The difference is marginal, unless you are striking off the grooves or something. Im in a 620 cb- which is darn near a blade in 5-wedge. 4 iron is a t100. I went for the t100 for added forgiveness since it makes sense and its really a trend. Completely honest, i hit my 620cb 5 iron every bit as good, if not better than the 4 iron t100, to the point its got me thinking i could just go 4 iron with the 620cb. I dont know why, maybe its mental, but its real. 
 

Edited January 5, 2021 by Red4282

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, FatThinShank said:

How does the point stand if you're saying a majority of pro players use blades but out of the top 30+ Ping players which you referenced, less than 1/3 are using them? I would think that in fact the point does not stand.  I don't really care what anybody uses for clubs but lets stick to real stats.

My point was that ping staffers left gi and sgi in large numbers whne given the chance.  Pretty hard to deny that.  That was only part of the point.  
 

bugger point to the other poster was that he claims that an my iron on tour is a minute minority.  And that’s not the case.  

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, FatThinShank said:

How does the point stand if you're saying a majority of pro players use blades but out of the top 30+ Ping players which you referenced, less than 1/3 are using them? I would think that in fact the point does not stand.  I don't really care what anybody uses for clubs but lets stick to real stats.

3 minute search.  I count 14 of the world top 30 players on earth as having an mb in the bag as the primary iron set.   I don’t have time to count more now. But give me a little while to get home and I’ll go to 100.  Top 30 it’s roughly 50/50.  Hardly the minority that was claimed. 
 

 

and i don’t even know how we got to this argument.  My point was that an mb is never a fitment consideration for any amateur.  You can walk in as a plus 3 and you’d have to beg to be fit into a set.  It’s wrong thinking in my opinion.  

[GolfTurkey]

On 1/5/2021 at 4:36 AM, bladehunter said:

 And like Lucy pulling the football.  It always ends the same way. 

 

I had to Google that phrase. Phew, all innocent... I was expecting some 😲😲😲 Urban Dictionary definition.

[FatThinShank]

1 hour ago, bladehunter said:

3 minute search.  I count 14 of the world top 30 players on earth as having an mb in the bag as the primary iron set.   I don’t have time to count more now. But give me a little while to get home and I’ll go to 100.  Top 30 it’s roughly 50/50.  Hardly the minority that was claimed. 
 

 

and i don’t even know how we got to this argument.  My point was that an mb is never a fitment consideration for any amateur.  You can walk in as a plus 3 and you’d have to beg to be fit into a set.  It’s wrong thinking in my opinion.  

My comments were specific to the Ping blueprint reference you made, I really don't know what the overall percentage on tour is. PGA Tour and some other golf websites have done some studies on it in 2010 and 2015 that say its less than half but those are obviously a little outdated. 

 

https://www.pgatour.com/news/2015/11/10/big-tuesday-switch-to-cavity-back-clubs.html#:~:text=On any given week at,and feel of the iron.

- "On any given week at a PGA TOUR event, somewhere between 20 to 30 percent of the field uses a set of muscleback blades, a number that has remained fairly steady over the years due to the classic look and feel of the iron."

Edited January 6, 2021 by FatThinShank

[bladehunter]

4 minutes ago, FatThinShank said:

My comments were specific to the Ping blueprint reference you made, I really don't know what the overall percentage on tour is. PGA Tour and some other golf websites have done some studies on it in 2010 and 2015 that say its less than half but those are obviously a little outdated. 

 

https://www.pgatour.com/news/2015/11/10/big-tuesday-switch-to-cavity-back-clubs.html#:~:text=On any given week at,and feel of the iron.

- "On any given week at a PGA TOUR event, somewhere between 20 to 30 percent of the field uses a set of muscleback blades, a number that has remained fairly steady over the years due to the classic look and feel of the iron."

Absolutely....... but my initial comment came from the posted  idea that the the “MB was barely used by even the top players , so why would any am fit into a set “? ( paraphrasing ) 

and that comment came to combat my assertion that iron fitting should readily include all types as options since all other clubs include clubs that the top level players play.  For some reason in an iron set it’s decided that there is something to fear from one particular design.  A design that 100 % of players used to play.  It’s just flawed reasoning.     
 

that’s where we skewed. The false narrative of “ why would anyone play a blade when pros don’t even play them anymore “. That’s simply a false statement. 

[Hawkeye77]

About 8 years ago or so I just happened to be at the pro shop at our course one afternoon when the Titleist rep was there.  He was happy to give me what he had with him to go mess around with on the range while he and the owner/pro shot the breeze.  I was hitting the MB and CB against my AP2.  I hit some of the best feeling shots and was really close to chucking the AP2s and picking up one of the other two, but talked myself out of it, didn't think I was quite good enough for them although the evidence was right there in good shots.  Never had anyone pull out some blades, or anything close to them when I went for any fittings or talked about demoing clubs, so I get that.  But you know what, when I got a set of Wilson Staff Tour Blades as a college graduation present the pro sure didn't think they were out of my class, lol, but not many GI options around at that time.

[FatThinShank]

19 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Absolutely....... but my initial comment came from the posted  idea that the the “MB was barely used by even the top players , so why would any am fit into a set “? ( paraphrasing ) 

and that comment came to combat my assertion that iron fitting should readily include all types as options since all other clubs include clubs that the top level players play.  For some reason in an iron set it’s decided that there is something to fear from one particular design.  A design that 100 % of players used to play.  It’s just flawed reasoning.     
 

that’s where we skewed. The false narrative of “ why would anyone play a blade when pros don’t even play them anymore “. That’s simply a false statement. 

100% agree with you on that. I don't think everyone should be using them but I do think there are plenty of good players who should at least give them a test in the shorter irons in a combo set. In my opinion I think almost everyone would benefit from some sort of combo option, there aren't a ton of iron sets out there where I want a 4i to have the same characteristics as a 9i. People don't think twice about going from a GI pitching wedge into a 50 degree bladed wedge but wouldn't dream of using that type of iron in a 9i or pw, which is weird to me.

Edited January 6, 2021 by FatThinShank

[Aviador Naval]

1 hour ago, bladehunter said:

...My point was that an mb is never a fitment consideration for any amateur.  You can walk in as a plus 3 and you’d have to beg to be fit into a set.  It’s wrong thinking in my opinion...

I walked into a successful and well stocked retail shop in northern Virginia relatively recently and  asked to hit Titleist CB and MB.  Without asking a single thing about my game or what make-up I was considering (at the time a 4 with as many headcovers as Lydia Ko...) the salesperson/“fitting specialist” treated me to a 2 minute monologue about how NOBODY should be playing anything “with a sweet spot the size of a pea” given the “tremendous advancement in golf technology the last five years.”  Beauty of this particular dogma is that these are the same clowns that will steer a 15+ with 70mph 6i speed into a 21 deg SGI 4 iron, 14.5 deg 3w, and 60+ deg low bounce wedge...

[Pepperturbo]

3 hours ago, SPIF said:

 

Definitely understand that many guys still play blades, and for the best of ball strikers there are some advantages over a players cb or gi club.   But I'm nearly certain that they don't make up the majority of irons on tour.  If you take every blade in every bag, than divide it by the total number of irons, it should be well under 0.50.

 

As far as fitters, especially accomplished ones, not even thinking of putting the average Joe off the street into blades, I feel there is a very real reason for that.  That's because the people that fit golfers into clubs for a living understand that the average player would categorically suffer from blades.  If the numbers (primarily dispersion), are worse for the vast majority, why waste any time with it.  I mean, for those guys it's not about an amorous passion and about how the look of a club feeds your soul, it's about professional opinion and data.

 

It's only us, the crazy golf nuts, who wax poetically about the feel of a properly struck blade ringing the tuning fork deep within our loins.  We tend to become illogical with our purchases, and all of us know it deep down.  I want my fitter to give me hard data, then nod in agreement with my final decision, whatever it is!  

Not just us amateurs with blades, but tour guys talk about their irons to, only with friends.  NOT on social media for a few sensible reasons.  I believe you said a 10 handicap with blades is laughable.  I took up the game at 40 years old, self-taught using 3 books and off the shelf Pings, no fitter. 

 

When I took up the game, a relative that played on tour in the 50s and 60s gave me some advice about why he played blades and was very supportive.  Eight months or so into learning I bought a 2-PW set of Mizuno blades and hit 1100+ balls per week.  Mind you, I wasn't even close to a 10.  But I practiced and played once or twice and reached index of 8 in under five years while running a company; a few years later my low was 2. 

 

My point in sharing the above is if I listened to people on boards like this, back then I wouldn't have accomplished what I did with golf or business.  The advice people often give is based on their success or lack of thereof and resulting bias.  If they couldn't do something or don't believe they can do something, that's what they convey to others. 

 

I believe we're supposed to be positive or supportive of others, not based on what our own accomplishments may or may not have been.  Thankfully social media didn't exist then.  Anyway, we're not all physically or mentally the same.  I am 70, and still in the 3-5 range on courses to 6600yds.  Have a good week.

[nsxguy]

5 hours ago, SPIF said:

 

Blade,

 

I understand what you're hinting at, but I don't really agree.  With all clubs, if you want to shoot the lowest scores possible, it should be about fitment.

 

Take drivers for example.  Callaway and Taylormade offer 3 versions of their driver, right?  How many standard or Max Mavriks are sold to every one Mavrik SZ?  The average pro may be playing a < 9* Sub Zero with a 70gram X-flex super low spin exotic shaft at 44.5", but that is far from what the normal consumer walks out of Golf Galaxy with.  Same goes for the fairway woods.  The consumer just wants the name on their woods to be the same as the pro, but the clubs behave very differently on the same swing.

 

Plenty of ams are playing the highest lofted SGI wedge they can buy.  And even if they're not, a 10% margin of error at the short distances the average guy hits his 56* is far less penalizing than on a 160 yard mid iron shot.  

 

Lastly, putters run the gamut in design on both the tour and your local foursome.  The Spider X does not have the greatest feel off the face, but is the most widely used TM putter out there primarily because it is a higher MOI than an old blade putter and makes it easier to be consistent with.  I would bet it is also the most bought Taylormade putter, while also being the most forgiving.

 

Ultimately, the best players in the world overwhelmingly use non-blade designs with their irons, and they hit the sweet spot far more often than a scratch golfer.  They still benefit from even marginal increases in forgiveness.  The average golfer at your local muni, especially as the irons get longer, would absolutely benefit from more forgiving irons that produce higher trajectory, less punished shots.  That's not really an arguable statement unless you're practicing for the debate team.

 

That said, it's nothing but a game, and if people want to feel like they've got scalpels for their clubs, then live and let live.  I truly believe some golfers are masochistic, which is totally fine.  I know MANY like to pose, and they can do so with the clubs in their bags.  I also think many want to harken back to the golden ages, which means only blades are possible (although the driver/fairway woods are nothing like what was used pre-1990's).  Regardless, that's the great thing about being a consumer, you can purchase what you like!

 

But the argument that your normal 10 handicap will benefit from blades is incredibly laughable.  That's what these threads always devolve to, isn't it?  It's the Dunning-Krueger effect.

 

43 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Absolutely....... but my initial comment came from the posted  idea that the the “MB was barely used by even the top players , so why would any am fit into a set “? ( paraphrasing ) 

and that comment came to combat my assertion that iron fitting should readily include all types as options since all other clubs include clubs that the top level players play.  For some reason in an iron set it’s decided that there is something to fear from one particular design.  A design that 100 % of players used to play.  It’s just flawed reasoning.     
 

that’s where we skewed. The false narrative of “ why would anyone play a blade when pros don’t even play them anymore “. That’s simply a false statement. 

 

Here's the quote.

 

I'll grant you that his statement is incredibly vague/general but paraphrasing seldom works well when trying to refute something.

 

You have no idea whether he's referring to the Top 30, Top 50, Top 100, ALL Pros, or even all scratch or better.

 

So you can't hardly say his is a false narrative when a) you didn't get the statement right in the first place and b) you don't actually know what his "narrative" is.

[bladehunter]

34 minutes ago, FatThinShank said:

100% agree with you on that. I don't think everyone should be using them but I do think there are plenty of good players who should at least give them a test in the shorter irons in a combo set. In my opinion I think almost everyone would benefit from some sort of combo option, there aren't a ton of iron sets out there where I want a 4i to have the same characteristics as a 9i. People don't think twice about going from a GI pitching wedge into a 50 degree bladed wedge but wouldn't dream of using that type of iron in a 9i or pw, which is weird to me.

Thank you.  That’s all I meant.  
 

I apologize for they hyperbole, I am prone to that at times.      I just recall the blueprint release days well , I played that iron form March 19 to around 9 weeks ago.   At the time of release it was thought that ping staffers would reject the iron.  In fact many jumped at the chance to ditch the large irons.  

[bladehunter]

2 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

 

Here's the quote.

 

I'll grant you that his statement is incredibly vague/general but paraphrasing seldom works well when trying to refute something.

 

You have no idea whether he's referring to the Top 30, Top 50, Top 100, ALL Pros, or even all scratch or better.

 

So you can't hardly say his is a false narrative when a) you didn't get the statement right in the first place and b) you don't actually know what his "narrative" is.

Nope.  
 

as illustrated the top 30 players on planet earth use an mb right at 50/50.   The count doesn’t include tiger. Phil and many others. The top 30 is the younglings for the most part.  They aren’t jumping on the tech train. Some were amateur college kids 3-5 years ago.  So not too far removed from a golf galaxy launch monitor jockey telling them they shouldn’t try the latest mb “ cause nobody plays those anymore “.  
 

it’s a pet peeve of mine. So I apologize for the vigor.  But it gets said every single one of these threads.  And it’s simply false.  

[nsxguy]

23 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Nope.  
 

as illustrated the top 30 players on planet earth use an mb right at 50/50.   The count doesn’t include tiger. Phil and many others. The top 30 is the younglings for the most part.  They aren’t jumping on the tech train. Some were amateur college kids 3-5 years ago.  So not too far removed from a golf galaxy launch monitor jockey telling them they shouldn’t try the latest mb “ cause nobody plays those anymore “.  
 

it’s a pet peeve of mine. So I apologize for the vigor.  But it gets said every single one of these threads.  And it’s simply false.  

 

Lucy, stop pulling the football away.

 

WHAT is false ?

 

HE didn't say "Top 30". YOU brought in Top 30.

 

He said "Ultimately, the best players in the world overwhelmingly use non-blade designs with their irons, and they hit the sweet spot far more often than a scratch golfer." 

 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by nsxguy

[bladehunter]

5 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

WHAT is false ?

 

HE didn't say "Top 30". YOU brought in Top 30.

 

He said "Ultimately, the best players in the world overwhelmingly use non-blade designs with their irons, and they hit the sweet spot far more often than a scratch golfer." 

Good grief Charley brown.     So we say top 1000 then ?  Or maybe can be #1 then.  He plays 3-pw mb.   I stretched it to top 30 to be fair.   I answered a purposely vague statement with a fact filled example of why it’s not true.  I’m not sure what else I can explain.  The best players in the world do not overwhelmingly reject mb irons.  That is what is false.  

Edited January 6, 2021 by bladehunter

[dubbelbogey]

43 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Nope.  
 

as illustrated the top 30 players on planet earth use an mb right at 50/50.   The count doesn’t include tiger. Phil and many others. The top 30 is the younglings for the most part.  They aren’t jumping on the tech train. Some were amateur college kids 3-5 years ago.  So not too far removed from a golf galaxy launch monitor jockey telling them they shouldn’t try the latest mb “ cause nobody plays those anymore “.  

I agree 100% with your fundamental argument.

 

But I may quibble slightly with your statement "They aren’t jumping on the tech train." But I think I'll do so in a way that even strengthens your point even further.  In fact, they are using "tech", but only where the differences and advantages are clear and unequivocal - i.e. drivers, fairway woods, hybrids (some, anyway) and balls. These players aren't dumb luddites sticking to blades just because they look good, are traditional and have a great feel. They will absolutely choose equipment that is more forgiving and of higher performance when the benefit is clear. A fraction of a stroke per round can have profound differences in earnings.

 

All pros miss the center of the clubface from time to time. Sure, far less than us hacks, but it does happen and we see misses in every round played by every PGA tour player. Yet a substantial percentage (50%, 30%, it doesn't really matter) choose to play MBs. If something were to give them a real edge on those mishits, why aren't they using them? Why wouldn't they take that fractional gain when they do mishit? Or maybe, just maybe, the results and data say something different - especially in the mid-to-short irons. That there is a substantial mix of both CBs and MBs on tour is indicative that there is no consensus that one is substantially more effective.

[iNeedMoreGolf]

I think the bottom line to me is that other then the astethics blades and player cbs are way more playable to a descent player then everyone leads off. If your scared of a small looking iron because its small... give it a whack outdoors first and see some results for yourself. Had my brother not had a set of small player cb irons for me to try during a round i would have never thought i could actually game a set. So thanks to that i know play a set and have allready tied my personall best twice. Gi and sgi seem helpful or hurtful depending on where your game is at. The market makes you think you need to be in gi irons for life though and thats just not true. Its a tad over rated. The poster above me made a good point... im sure the pros hit the center most of the time but i wouldnt be surprised if they also missed more then we think. These new mb and player cb are alot more forgiving now then ever.

[PedronNiall]

If you don't have MBs in your bag, what are people gonna be mirin' when they walk the line? How will you ever find a life partner or even get a first date if you play cavities? Cavities in your clubs mean cavities in your character, that's just good science. 

[Red4282]

10 hours ago, bladehunter said:

Nope.  
 

as illustrated the top 30 players on planet earth use an mb right at 50/50.   The count doesn’t include tiger. Phil and many others. The top 30 is the younglings for the most part.  They aren’t jumping on the tech train. Some were amateur college kids 3-5 years ago.  So not too far removed from a golf galaxy launch monitor jockey telling them they shouldn’t try the latest mb “ cause nobody plays those anymore “.  
 

it’s a pet peeve of mine. So I apologize for the vigor.  But it gets said every single one of these threads.  And it’s simply false.  

Ill add that every single one of them are using muscleback wedges, and the majority of the other half that arent using MB are using a players cavity which is really splitting hairs alot of times-(depending on the model). 
 

Here are all the victories in 2019- the list is pretty telling. The most “techy” GI iron is probably the AP2. Everything else is either a MB, or a players cavity such as the jpx919 tour or the p750/60 lineup. Anyone who has hit those knows they arent too off from a blade. 
 

Bridgestone J15CB	2	$2,448,000
Srixon Z 785	2	$1,872,000
Callaway Apex Pro	1	$1,745,000
Callaway Apex Pro 19	1	$1,300,000
Callaway Forged Prototype	1	$1,700,000
Callaway Apex Pro 16	1	$1,314,000
Callaway Apex MB 18	1	$1,638,000
Callaway X Forged 2018	2	$2,340,000
Callaway RAZR MB	1	$1,665,000
Cobra King Forged MB	1	$1,278,000
Cobra King One Length	1	$1,260,000
Honma World Tour  Rose Proto	1	$1,278,000
Mizuno MP-18	1	$1,224,000
Mizuno JPX 900 Tour	2	$2,340,000
Mizuno JPX 919 Tour	4	$5,699,000
Mizuno MP-5	1	$1,206,000
Ping iblade	2	$2,142,000
Ping i210	1	$1,314,000
Srixon Z 745	1	$540,000
Srixon Z 785	1	$1,935,000
TaylorMade P730s	5	$5,993,000
TaylorMade P750s	2	$2,448,000
TaylorMade P760	1	$1,062,000
TaylorMade P-7TW	1	$2,070,000
Titleist 718 AP2 / 718 CB	1	$1,152,000
Titleist 718 AP2	3	$3,996,000
Titleist 718 MB	2	$3,087,000
Wilson Staff Model Blades	1	$2,250,000

 

[tgoodspe1991]

15 hours ago, bladehunter said:

I disagree. I’ve done this search before.   If you go pga and Euro tour you’ll find far more blades from 5 iron down than you think.  It’s a majority, especially how that 75% of ping guys play the blueprint.  
 

 

 

but at any rate.  Fitment for all clubs is what I said.  Yet.  Nobody will dare fit a person into an mb unless that person basically demands it .  

 

I would bet that no more than 25% of the entire PGA Tour, European Tour, and their subsequent "minor league" Tours play blade irons. I love blades, but it's a reality that even the best players in the world don't bother with them anymore. 

 

There are those that will say:

 

"25% is a LOT, look how many Pro's still prefer blades!"

 

or

 

"75% of Pro's use something more forgiving, the majority of the best players in the world don't even play blades!"

 

And the eternal argument of blades vs. anything else rages on. 

[bladehunter]

14 minutes ago, tgoodspe1991 said:

 

I would bet that no more than 25% of the entire PGA Tour, European Tour, and their subsequent "minor league" Tours play blade irons. I love blades, but it's a reality that even the best players in the world don't bother with them anymore. 

 

There are those that will say:

 

"25% is a LOT, look how many Pro's still prefer blades!"

 

or

 

"75% of Pro's use something more forgiving, the majority of the best players in the world don't even play blades!"

 

And the eternal argument of blades vs. anything else rages on. 

Just seems like an odd stance to me to say that “ they don’t bother with them anymore “ 

 

 

let’s try another analogy.   Let’s say race cars.    Let’s say you have a circuit where 50 % of the top 30 cars use manual transmissions , including the fastest team , and several of the other “ super star “ teams.  Would you then proclaim that “ today’s top race teams don’t bother with a manual transmission anymore”. ?      Seems quite odd to me.    But again. This argument  somehow morphed and moved the goal posts from me complaining that an mb isn’t ever a consideration for fitters , to “ pros have abandoned the mb so why wouldn’t you “?       Which is side stepping my point.  

Edited January 6, 2021 by bladehunter

[tgoodspe1991]

10 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Just seems like an odd stance to me to say that “ they don’t bother with them anymore “ 

 

 

let’s try another analogy.   Let’s say race cars.    Let’s say you have a circuit where 50 % of the top 30 cars as manual transmissions , including the fastest team , and several of the other “ super star “ teams.  Would you then proclaim that “ today’s top race teams don’t bother with a manual transmission anymore”. ?      Seems quite odd to me.    But again. This argument  somehow morphed and moved the goal posts from me complaining that an mb isn’t ever a consideration for fitters , to “ pros have abandoned the mb so why wouldn’t you “?       Which is side stepping my point.  

 

You can look at whatever small sample size to fit your argument. You're only focusing on the current Top 30 in the world as the basis for your entire argument. I agree, 50/50 split on the absolute cream-of-the-crop players, but if you expand your sample size to a reasonable amount of players, that 50/50 ratio drops significantly. 

 

If you're going to go you're route, why even bother with the Top 30? Heck, #1 player in the world uses blades, therefore we should all use blades, right? But in ~2015, Jordan Spieth was #1 in the world using AP2, and Jon Rahm later was #1 in the world using CB's, so, wait, should we switch again? Using only the Top 30 as a justification is using an extremely limited sample size overall. Golf is in no way comparable to racing, so it's not a good analogy at all either.

 

EDIT: I should also add, I love blades and I don't like the marketing stigma around them. I'm not saying blades are for everyone, but I don't like when clubs are "handicap dependent". Different golfers need different styles of club to get the job done. It's silly to me the idea that someone should go from a 10-handicap down to a 2-handicap and then finally they can "graduate" to blades. Different iron profiles fit different golfers' swings, not handicaps. 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by tgoodspe1991

[bladehunter]

10 minutes ago, tgoodspe1991 said:

 

You can look at whatever small sample size to fit your argument. You're only focusing on the current Top 30 in the world as the basis for your entire argument. I agree, 50/50 split on the absolute cream-of-the-crop players, but if you expand your sample size to a reasonable amount of players, that 50/50 ratio drops significantly. 

 

If you're going to go you're route, why even bother with the Top 30? Heck, #1 player in the world uses blades, therefore we should all use blades, right? But in ~2015, Jordan Spieth was #1 in the world using AP2, and Jon Rahm later was #1 in the world using CB's, so, wait, should we switch again? Using only the Top 30 as a justification is using an extremely limited sample size overall. Golf is in no way comparable to racing, so it's not a good analogy at all either.

 

EDIT: I should also add, I love blades and I don't like the marketing stigma around them. I'm not saying blades are for everyone, but I don't like when clubs are "handicap dependent". Different golfers need different styles of club to get the job done. It's silly to me the idea that someone should go from a 10-handicap down to a 2-handicap and then finally they can "graduate" to blades. Different iron profiles fit different golfers' swings, not handicaps. 

 

 

I only picked the top 30 because the poster said “ top players “.  
 

I guess we can go to the bottom 30 ....  lol 

 

I just hate this cop out that’s used in any of these threads.  What if in every putter thread people said “ the anser putter is going out.  None of the top players use one anymore”  ?  And then we count on tour and find out it’s patently false .    But it’s being said to justify mallet putter sales pitches.  
 

my entire point is that there should not be a stigma.     It’s a disservice to those who would actually play better with a set.  Think how many folks will never try something that is a better fit.  If I listened to folks here I’d be one.  I’m not talking 20 handicap guys or gals either.  I’m speaking of realistic scenarios.  

Edited January 6, 2021 by bladehunter

[tgoodspe1991]

1 minute ago, bladehunter said:

I only picked the top 30 because the poster said “ top players “.  
 

I guess we can go to the bottom 30 ....  lol 

 

I just hate this cop out that’s used in any of these threads.  What if in every putter thread people said “ the anser putter is going out.  None of the top players use one anymore”  ?  And then we count on tour and find out it’s patently false .    But it’s being said to justify mallet putter sales pitches.  
 

my entire point is that there should not be a stigma.     It’s a disservice to those who would actually play better with a set.  Think how many folks will never try something that is a better fit.  If I listened to folks here I’d be one.  I’m not talking 20 handicap guys or gals either.  I’m speaking of realistic scenarios.  

 

To the same point, how many people would play significantly better with a set of GI/SGI irons but also don't ever try those? Whether it's a bad fitter or a golfer's ego, there's a lot that gets in the way of a player using what's truly best for their game, lol. 

[bladehunter]

28 minutes ago, tgoodspe1991 said:

 

To the same point, how many people would play significantly better with a set of GI/SGI irons but also don't ever try those? Whether it's a bad fitter or a golfer's ego, there's a lot that gets in the way of a player using what's truly best for their game, lol. 

I don’t know about that one.  I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been down the GI rabbit hole trying to buy game.  
 

hell I have a set of helpers in the bag right now that don’t help.  Make me an offer on them and see how fast I’ll sell them . Lol.  Or swap me for those p7TW s !!!  🤦‍♂️
 

( a joke not actual soliciting to sell ). 

Edited January 6, 2021 by bladehunter

[PuffyC]

16 hours ago, SPIF said:

 

As far as fitters, especially accomplished ones, not even thinking of putting the average Joe off the street into blades, I feel there is a very real reason for that.  That's because the people that fit golfers into clubs for a living understand that the average player would categorically suffer from blades.

 

That's true, but the other factor is that a fitting turns golf into a math problem, where 200 rpm and an extra 1.7 yards can be the difference between the perfect fit and a club you just like the looks of. If you're a pro where 1/4 of a shot over 4 rounds can be worth $100,000 that extra spin and 5 feet might be worth it. For the average person who plays golf 20 times a year it's not going to make a meaningful difference. If your only criteria is Trackman stats, odds are the blades will lose every time.

 

Of course the degree of 'suffering' will be different for different people but IMO for most halfway decent golfers they wouldn't notice significant differences on their score card between a modern blade and a CB. Sure it'll be some ugly golf at times, but the outcome always seems to be about the same. That's been my anecdotal experience anyway.  

[Nard_S]

Today's young guns grew up in an environment where blades were barely present. Not a shock they are comfortable with a CB. Even at that, most players CB are barely more "playable" than a blade. Still more, gear tuned to Pro's capabilities is even less "playable" than bladest of blades available at retail. 

 

"Pro's don't play blades" stuff is ridiculous on a lot of levels. As funny as scratch players bemoaning their capability to handle MB's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bladehunter]

22 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

Today's young guns grew up in an environment where blades were barely present. Not a shock they are comfortable with a CB. Even at that, most players CB are barely more "playable" than a blade. Still more, gear tuned to Pro's capabilities is even less "playable" than bladest of blades available at retail. 

 

"Pro's don't play blades" stuff is ridiculous on a lot of levels. As funny as scratch players bemoaning their capability to handle MB's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess it boils down to what the kids say.  “ you do you “. lol. 

[Nard_S]

14 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

I guess it boils down to what the kids say.  “ you do you “. lol. 

I honestly think it does. MB's are different. There's an organic difference that trickles through every aspect of the game from swing to mental management. Not unlike how one handles the difference of persimmon and a big Ti stick.  Maybe not as glaring to that but it's different prism to playing the game that is more "right brained", not so by the launch & lasered numbers. That shift is a chasm because that crossing can take quite some time. I'm a major blade fan and I'm surprised how long that process takes. 

Edited January 6, 2021 by Nard_S