blade shaming ?

[hammergolf]

6 hours ago, ohioglfr said:

I don't have enough ego to be "club shamed", and I feel sorry for anyone that would feel that way, regardless of handicap.  Hit what works best for you and critics be damned . . . real or imagined.

Exactly, way too many people judge a player by what’s in the bag instead of what’s on the scorecard. 

[philly2kuk]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Play the clubs that help you enjoy the game, whether that’s just having fun or shooting a low score. In the real world, outside of WRX, my experience is nobody cares what you play unless you’ve just shot a really low round. Then they all want to know.
 

Never met anyone in over 20 years that’s said “oh suchabody is playing badly, must be because he’s using blades beyond his ability”.

[jas904]

3 hours ago, ChipNRun said:

From 1974 to 1994, I played MacGregor MT forged blades. Most irons back then were blades.

 

In summers when I could play six times a month and get in a couple of short practices each week, I shot in the mid 80s. In summers when I could only play twice a month and practice was sporadic, I shot in the 90s and sometimes didn't hit the 80s all summer. Reality: blades didn't work very well in years when I couldn't keep my swing blade-ready.

 

in 1994 I switched to cavity backs.

 

In 2008, I blade-shamed myself. I tried a set of Callaway XForged. Took a 6i and pounded several 10-foot high line drives - failure to launch. Kept the cavities.

 

If you want to play blades, fine. Just don't bother trying to back-door shame Ricky F. and the rest of us that don't play blades.

 

If it does exist, the USA has a new first-world problem.

Maybe there will be an emergency blade shaming vaccine. 

[Christen_The_Sloop]

7 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

Blade shaming exists, unfortunately for Golf, weasels that can't hit the ball, lead the pack, and some of them exist on Golfwrx.  Though recently NOT as vocal.  I wouldn't give a plugged nickel for any of them.

I'd give two plugged nickels for a frosted malt if a record store hadn't moved into the soda fountain.

[Bunkersarebigcups]

KJ Choi once played Augusta with a set of G irons.

 

Whatever works

[jac1292]

I can attest to the blade shaming. I learned to play competitively in the early 2000s with a set of blades from the 90s that I bought used. Back in those days I was never shamed about the blades, but my equipment was on the older side so that may have been a contributing factor. Years later I played cavity backs and never got along with them out of the rough but stuck with them for a good while. I had too many flyers that went 2+ clubs too far out of the rough so back to the familiar MB shape, feel, and flight I went. Purchased a new set MBs a few years ago and my scores for the last few years have been anywhere from high 60s to low 80s . Career and family make practicing difficult so consistency just isn't there. A few years ago when I went to get fit for  a new set of Mizuno MBs I can say before I even started hitting balls I was being shamed out of being fit for MBs. To give some insight on my ball striking ability, my driver swing speed is around 115 give or take and around 175 ball speed. Plus I hit around 60% of greens on average with the highest GIR round being 89%(16/18) so I'm not always on, but when I am the swing is still there for any iron imo. After fighting a bit with fitter about it, we started hitting balls and he finally settled on fitting me for the MBs. I explained I understood I was giving up strokes on bad days, but that's not what I'm searching for. I still like keeping up with my stats and improving my game when I have time, but it's more about enjoying rounds with friends/family and beer nowadays.

Conclusion

1. Golf is an annoyingly ego driven game.

2. People enjoy the game for different reasons. 

3. The entire golf community including PGA pros, fitters, and amateurs need to calm down about other peoples game and equipment.

4. Play what you want. 

[Golfjack]

I think I'm more likely to joke about playing with shovels than blades.  But then again, if said friend with the MBs is hitting worm burners with a 9 iron blade, I'd shame him into changing for sure.  A stranger, he can do whatever the heck he pleases.  As long as he doesn't slow us down too much.  

[NHenson815]

I haven't quite figured it out, but I think game improvement irons just confuse me at address as there is both an uneven visual distribution of the clubhead and too much clubhead overall.  For me, it is easier to visualize a blade's swing path and where the clubface should be when it is striking the ball.  I'm currently spraying my Apex DCBs all over the larger clubheads.  My second problem with the game improvement equipment is my physical strength.  I'm not athletic enough to swing with consistent force, but weigh 240 pounds with a lot of gym strength.  Sure my Apex DCB 7-iron goes 20-25 yards further than the Miura 7-iron (in the rare instance I can actually connect with the DCB), but I have no idea if the DCB is going 140 or 180 if I accidently apply too much force and smash the DCB.  With the Miura, I have the confidence that any variation in the force applied will still fall in the 145-155 range and either go straight or slightly left.  I feel like I'm better off losing a lot of distance if I miss a blade versus having the GI iron "forgive" my ball into the wrong fairway.  I have an open mind, so I'm certainly going to be mostly working with the DCB this year to see if getting used to them could yield better results compared to blades, but I haven't seen it yet.  At the end of the day, taking lessons would be much better for a bad golfer such as myself, compared to spending more money on different equipment, but the equipment is most of the fun of the game for me.  

[Honeybadger]

7 hours ago, Fairway14 said:

 Blade putter :

 

 

[Fairway14]

1 hour ago, jac1292 said:

 A few years ago when I went to get fit for  a new set of Mizuno MBs I can say before I even started hitting balls I was being shamed out of being fit for MBs. After fighting a bit with fitter about it, we started hitting balls and he finally settled on fitting me for the MBs. I explained I understood I was giving up strokes on bad days, but that's not what I'm searching for.

 

These days the OEM's are training lots of their employees to be fitters, hosting fitting days at golf courses and driving ranges etc...The fitters have learned from the OEM engineers about the supposed performance aspects of each line/category. So, the OEM's marketing and, or, fitting services begins with the perspective of the designer/engineer. The designers/engineers use computer systems targeting improved results from mishit shots.

But some some players, such as yourself, rather than a focus of mishit shots, have as a goal hitting as many good shots as possible. So,  there is a disconnect between what the fitter thinks the equipment goal should be and what the player wants. 

[Drivingrangehero]

Reminds me of two different Motorcycle Mechanics I knew out in So. Cal

 

One had every high dollar snap-on tool you could imagine, and he was barely more proficient than I am (I’m not a mechanic by trade) The other mechanic I knew had a hodge-podge of cheap junk tools, but his knowledge and expertise were unmatched. 
 

Ive learned it’s best to reserve judgement and wait upon results rather than pass it prematurely upon appearance ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

 

 

[miamistomp]

8 hours ago, lefthack said:

 

So what is this?

 

 

 

<edit> I was told it was a blade putter.

 ugly

[bnperrone]

I think Brooks is playing what he likes, and RF was probably feeling like making some cuts and some money and keeping standing was the most important to him.

 

I highly doubt either of them felt they were shamed into those decisions.

[NevinW]

🙄

[Duffer222]

Do you really believe that RF was shamed into moving from his blades to cb’s?

im more of the opinion that he wanted and needed a change because his blades weren’t making him any money, but that’s probably just me.

some folks are capable of making decisions on their own without being “shamed”.

Too bad there’s no shaming in posting threads that are shameful.

 

[kmay__]

Haha I still have never even taken my MP-4s to the course because I have that stigma in my head that I wont be good enough to strike them well. When in reality I have hit my old mans old hogans at the range and was surprised how well I was able to strike them (that day) So I continue to play my GIs that sometimes I pure and send 20 yards futher than intended. So I guess in my case the shame is self applied. But as a chronic toe striker I really worry about using the smaller head, but I have wondered recently if the light weight kbs 90s in my current set lead to me delivering high handle at impact. 

 

But to your point, tonight for league, I'm gonna shoot somewhere between 43-50, and the irons I choose to play likely wont change that number drastically. 

[bnperrone]

I went down a rabbit hole and wound up with Rose Protos painstakingly built to DIY MOI specs after tons of research and consultation with some of the true experts on here. After one round I realized I bit off way more than I could chew and at this point in my life I'm not able to practice and play enough to try to play those true blades. I didn't get rid of them because I felt shame or saw eye rolls. I did it because I didn't want to play like garbage when in reality I'm a lower single digit handicap player with good ballstriking skills but just not good enough for the most demanding club type in modern production.

[Fairway14]

10 minutes ago, bnperrone said:

I went down a rabbit hole and wound up with Rose Protos painstakingly built to DIY MOI specs after tons of research and consultation with some of the true experts on here. 

 

What were the specs ?

[ShortGolfer]

Who wouldn't want to play those wonderful shots around trees that magically land on the green?

I can see someone playing blades so they can make an exceptional shot or two a round.  Never mind the score.  Nobody cares.

 

I don't have the distance to make shot shaping a practical part of my game.

What GI clubs allow me to do is to incorporate weight shifting into my swing for more distance.

I learned to do it with my 7 iron.  Next challenge is to do it with my driver.

 

[Fairway14]

3 hours ago, jac1292 said:

. A few years ago when I went to get fit for  a new set of Mizuno MBs I can say before I even started hitting balls I was being shamed out of being fit for MBs.

 

Happens every day.

[tatertot]

13 hours ago, Fairway14 said:

I know several amateur players, from 0 to 12 , who in recent years seem to have been shamed out of playing blades. Koepka and some other pros winning with big head cavity back irons has caused amateurs and Tour pros a like to maybe "feel ashamed" for playing muscle back blade irons. A few months ago longtime blade user Ricky Fowler put in his bag a set of cavity back irons. My guess is that he was tired of the eye rolls from people who looked in his bag after he missed a cut.
Have you or someone you know been shamed out of playing muscle back blade irons ? Do you agree that blade shaming is a real thing ?

Seriously? You think a pro golfer changed equipment because he was "tired" of eye rolls?

 

Guess what? Nobody cares about your "gear". They're not checking out your bag at the range. They're not judging ... because they have a life.

[MattM97]

9 hours ago, Honeybadger said:

You nailed it- Fairway14 once “shamed” me for calling and Anser style putter a “blade” when comparing it to a mallet. I was set straight by Mr. “Blade” that only butter knives truly can be called blade putters. 
🙄

 

I remember that, Fairway14 can shame others but lord have mercy if he is shamed himself. 

[phizzy30]

10 hours ago, Fairway14 said:

 

Any scoring average change for you blades versus cb ? My guess is scores the same, please confirm.

Yes, scores have generally stayed the same. 

[phizzy30]

2 hours ago, NHenson815 said:

I haven't quite figured it out, but I think game improvement irons just confuse me at address as there is both an uneven visual distribution of the clubhead and too much clubhead overall.  For me, it is easier to visualize a blade's swing path and where the clubface should be when it is striking the ball.  I'm currently spraying my Apex DCBs all over the larger clubheads.  My second problem with the game improvement equipment is my physical strength.  I'm not athletic enough to swing with consistent force, but weigh 240 pounds with a lot of gym strength.  Sure my Apex DCB 7-iron goes 20-25 yards further than the Miura 7-iron (in the rare instance I can actually connect with the DCB), but I have no idea if the DCB is going 140 or 180 if I accidently apply too much force and smash the DCB.  With the Miura, I have the confidence that any variation in the force applied will still fall in the 145-155 range and either go straight or slightly left.  I feel like I'm better off losing a lot of distance if I miss a blade versus having the GI iron "forgive" my ball into the wrong fairway.  I have an open mind, so I'm certainly going to be mostly working with the DCB this year to see if getting used to them could yield better results compared to blades, but I haven't seen it yet.  At the end of the day, taking lessons would be much better for a bad golfer such as myself, compared to spending more money on different equipment, but the equipment is most of the fun of the game for me.  

Unfortunately, gym strength doesn't mean a whole lot in terms of length off the tee.  It's all about proper sequencing and getting those fast twitch fibers to fire.  Strength training in general for sports is mainly utilized to prevent injuries. 

[Fairway14]

5 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

 

I remember that, Fairway14 can shame others but lord have mercy if he is shamed himself. 

 

Referring to Anser/Newport style putters as "blades" is a separate subject for another thread.

More relevant to this particular thread is putter shaming. Blade iron shaming has been happening for about 25 years now, but shaming anyone not playing a big mallet head putter is a relatively new thing, gaining momentum the past few years.

[Fairway14]

9 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

Unfortunately, gym strength doesn't mean a whole lot in terms of length off the tee.  It's all about proper sequencing and getting those fast twitch fibers to fire.  Strength training in general for sports is mainly utilized to prevent injuries. 

 

Agreed 100%, but don't tell that to the Stroke Gained devotees. Lots of those guys are out there pumping iron and, or, buying golf shirts one size too small thinking they need it to break 80.

[Itsjustagame]

When did we let simple disagreement become shaming? 

Play what you want to play and stop being so easily offended.

 

[Joe S]

I switched to blades about 15 years ago.  I thought that I would get a lot of comments about how I should be playing something else, but I can honestly say that no one on the course cares.  Occasionally, very rarely,  someone will ask me why I play blades when newer technology is available.  But they usually seem genuinely interested in a conversation rather than judgmental.  The big box stores are a different story.  If I show any interest in looking at a blade they immediately redirect me to something else.  "Try this, you'll hit it 10 yards further".  I assume there is a  corporate directive to do that for one reason or another.  

[Thomas A]

The funny part is you think Ricky F gives on crap about fans eyerolling him about his clubs. The question posted is just stupid golf egoist who care what other people think of what's in their bag. I can just hear Ricky in the Cobra truck, "Guys can you fix me up a set of CB's? I saw some fatty in a Titleist hat drinking a Bud Light eyerolling me after I only hit my 5-iron 220." 

[tatertot]

21 minutes ago, Itsjustagame said:

When did we let simple disagreement become shaming? 

Play what you want to play and stop being so easily offended.

 

You're real close to getting cancelled ... better watch it.