P7TW Can a higher handicappers play them?

[brutusflash]

Yes, incredibly poorly!!

Flash

[SDG90]

If they will be your daily set…don’t do it…just don’t…you will hate yourself for buying them. If it will be your second or third set to fool around during some practice rounds. Most people forget that their set should be beneficial to their game on good AND bad days. Sure, on a warm summer day when the body feels good and I had enough sleep, I could probably flush some bladed 5 irons. But making good contact on a cold September morning is where blades would hurt my body and soul. 

[MelloYello]

If you practice everyday you manage pretty much anything. 

[aenemated]

I take back what I said because I'm back on the T-Dubs.

 

[iNeedMoreGolf]

I havent read everything everyones said but heres my thoughts.

Most tour pros dont use blades because they just dont want to miss a green most likely. They are playing for money so i would also play whats best for me on tour. 

We are not on tour. We play to have fun and enjoy our clubs and try and shoot best we can.

I play blades and player cbs. They are both plenty forgiving for me. Left to right dispersion is on me but distance dispersion has to do with club forgivness. I dont mind missing a green by 5 yards to play a iron i love to look at and feel on contact. I shoot anywhere from 82 to 92 most of the time. I strike the ball pretty well but on bad days my  driving or/and aproach game is off. Best round 79. 

 

Id like to say if you can strike decent enough and arent worried to miss a green by a few yards then those irons should be just fine. If you give me ten shots ill make the green 6 or 7 times and thats good enough to me to play irons i like. I infact shoot better with bladed irons.

As far as feel most irons dont sting too much but if you find they do their are plenty of grips out that pretty much completly take out the sting.

[Kgglonghorn]

I am really tired of everyone hating on blades.  They are all I have ever played (not an ego thing, when I was a kid it was a poor thing) and I just have never thought about hitting anything else.  I love to work the ball and I am ok with the occasional mishit because I am not getting paid to play.   I also do not have an ego that demands that I hit my irons a million miles.  100% agree that if I were on tour or relied on golf for a living, no chance I would play them, but for the 2 strokes a round blades may cost me, that is a fair price to me.  Hit what you love and don't make excuses for it.  We all sacrifice alot to play this game.  Do what makes you happy.

[MelloYello]

Depends on your physical ability. 

 

I began my golf journey purchasing a set of Nike VR TW Blades when I was still learning how to play and I've never looked back. I'm now a scratch level golfer so I'd say there was something there that motivated me. Granted, I was 23yo at the time. I was young and healthy. I had a decent amount of physical ability. I could hit the 8-iron 165 back then and I was a range rat. 

 

I recommend blades to anyone who's willing to practice, especially if they're young and have speed. Blades are a great tool for measuring yourself. They motivate you.

 

If we're being real, you'll be fine as long as you have the right shaft. At worst, the blade head might feel bad but one's choice in iron head doesn't really influence their scoring much at all. But the feel and the perception of how one is playing and what they believe they can do may differ greatly.

 

Mis-hitting a blade all day can destroy your confidence and take away from your enjoyment of the game. So if you choose the blade, you'd better be someone who's really into it. TBH, I much prefer to see people simply make the leap without asking others. 

 

It's a bit like asking how much work it takes to get to X-handicap. If you're asking, you probably don't have the time or inherent motivation to just do it. And that's the way people ought to go about this stuff IMHO. Just go and do it. 

 

I like to think of these types of choices as being proven right and wrong based on what comes after we make the decision. If you're unsure of whether a blade is right for you, that's a great sign that it's probably not.

 

The folks who pick them up anyway do it because they choose to play them. Why they do that is personal choice but those people are inherently motivated to put in the time to make it a defensible choice.

 

.

Edited October 25, 2022 by MelloYello

[BirdieBirdieX]

No.

[Zena]

On 7/2/2022 at 10:15 PM, Zena said:

You can play them! Anyone can play them! Both me and my brother have had a chance to demo a trade-in set of both the P7TW and the Cobra RF Proto rev33. They are buttery smooth and delightful… when you pure them.

 

Otherwise, they are decidedly harsh and unforgiving. But they’re playable.

 

I use MP18 blades, and I don’t keep an official handicap but I consider myself a 12-15 handicapper based on my usual scores vs course/slope rating.

 

I rarely hit them pure, but I usually only hit them half an inch toe or heel side of center, maybe a groove low at times. And I’ll often miss the green by a few yards.

 

Would I score better with a cavity back or a hollow body? Sure! Would I enjoy it as much? Definitely not.

 

My 8-iron goes 155 with 8400 spin. I don’t want the distance offered by a game improvement club. I like using my irons lol. I know I’m sacrificing lower scores. I’m very much a feel player and I fully credit practicing with a blade for my improved swing mechanics and ball striking. It’s the most masochistic way to improve, but also the fastest (for me).

 

I would say, if you enjoy it, do it. None of us asking this question are going to be on tour anyways, so do whatever makes you enjoy the game most. The more you like golfing, the more golfing you’ll do.

 

I got a like on my post, so figures people are still reading these so I guess it's time for an update.

 

I stopped using my MP18 blades. Sort of. Over the winter I got a set of P770s from another member here. Adjusted them to my specs and at first I hated them. Every time I hit them, I missed my MP18s.

 

Fast forward to August and I still don't like them as much, but I can't argue with what they've done on the course. Still don't keep an official handicap but Arccos has me pegged as an 8 (I laugh at that, I think in any kind of real competition I'm more like a 12), and I've improved by a couple SG Approach largely due to putting the P770 in play from 5-8. Still use my MP18 PW and 9i.

 

So after a year, my overall conclusion remains unchanged.

I score better with the P770s, as quantified by my SG: Approach rating (play a round almost every Saturday). I still don't like them as much as my MP18s. But I have hit plenty of shots on the course with the P770s that based on feel and impact location, I fully expected to be short or offline BUT have somehow stayed on the green. I know those would have been much worse in my blades. Of course, my swing as a whole has improved a bit due to some lessons, but my SG Driving, Short, and Putting hasn't changed much from last year, so I personally think the switch has shown improved scores.

 

But can I still play them? Yes. I won't score as low most of the time, but I wouldn't expect to. And honestly, if someone asked me: can I play blades? If you're asking the question, you're not really looking for the correct answer. You're looking for a "Hell yes." And that's just fine. Hell yes.

 

 

[blades_are_life]

31 minutes ago, Zena said:

 

I got a like on my post, so figures people are still reading these so I guess it's time for an update.

 

I stopped using my MP18 blades. Sort of. Over the winter I got a set of P770s from another member here. Adjusted them to my specs and at first I hated them. Every time I hit them, I missed my MP18s.

 

Fast forward to August and I still don't like them as much, but I can't argue with what they've done on the course. Still don't keep an official handicap but Arccos has me pegged as an 8 (I laugh at that, I think in any kind of real competition I'm more like a 12), and I've improved by a couple SG Approach largely due to putting the P770 in play from 5-8. Still use my MP18 PW and 9i.

 

So after a year, my overall conclusion remains unchanged.

I score better with the P770s, as quantified by my SG: Approach rating (play a round almost every Saturday). I still don't like them as much as my MP18s. But I have hit plenty of shots on the course with the P770s that based on feel and impact location, I fully expected to be short or offline BUT have somehow stayed on the green. I know those would have been much worse in my blades. Of course, my swing as a whole has improved a bit due to some lessons, but my SG Driving, Short, and Putting hasn't changed much from last year, so I personally think the switch has shown improved scores.

 

But can I still play them? Yes. I won't score as low most of the time, but I wouldn't expect to. And honestly, if someone asked me: can I play blades? If you're asking the question, you're not really looking for the correct answer. You're looking for a "Hell yes." And that's just fine. Hell yes.

 

 

man I hated hated hated the P770s, I noticed what you noticed about the forgiveness but it felt so unnatural

Edited August 17, 2023 by blades_are_life

[kthomas]

I'm of the staunch belief that you should play whatever you want. It's your time and golf game, do what makes you happy.

 

If we are going to crap on players for using hard to hit equipment, there's a whole section of this forum we could rip on (the vintage gear guys). Of course we won't, because that would be silly. But the same argument here against blades is just as apt against the vintage guys.

 

If playing P7TW irons makes you happy, then get at it. They'll definitely be more punishing on bad swings, but if you're okay with that, then rock them. If you want to play hickory irons or tiny wooden drivers, go nuts.

 

It's your game, do what makes you happy.

[kthomas]

Personally I would love to try a set of P7TW's. 

 

I know my score would suffer, and they aren't something that I would consider bagging for myself. But I would love to just try hitting a one, some day. 

[Kgglonghorn]

I played blades when I was a 20 handicap and I play them now as a scratch.  The ONLY set of blades I ever feel like really punished poor strikes were the Cobra blades.  Mizuno, Callaway, TM, Miura, Titleist all make great blades.  My experience over 30+ years is that my bad shots would have been bad no matter which clubs were in my hands.  Last time I checked, no one was waiting in the pro shop to hand me a check and I have never gotten cleaned out on bets because of iron play.  My point here is if you like them, play them and dont listen to people who want to be DBs about what others play.

[Glock917]

30 minutes ago, Kgglonghorn said:

I played blades when I was a 20 handicap and I play them now as a scratch.  The ONLY set of blades I ever feel like really punished poor strikes were the Cobra blades.  Mizuno, Callaway, TM, Miura, Titleist all make great blades.  My experience over 30+ years is that my bad shots would have been bad no matter which clubs were in my hands.  Last time I checked, no one was waiting in the pro shop to hand me a check and I have never gotten cleaned out on bets because of iron play.  My point here is if you like them, play them and dont listen to people who want to be DBs about what others play.

 

My very first set of irons as a kid were some ben hogan equalizers lol. Not only were they butter knives looking down but oh boy that sweet spot was a size of a penny if that.

 

Now with todays version even the last 10 years the profile looking down has not changed much but man when even having a decent miss strike thats not super low, the results ain't that bad and you don't loose the feeling of your hands for an hour lol

 

I play now with a players cb (srizon z745) but I can definitely play blades but would combo it 7-PW

[dufferaaron]

I think it comes down to the person and the model. Using a sample size of me, I swing GI clubs poorly - they're usually too light and I cannot make boat hull bottoms work with my swing. Even though I struggle with path consistency (lessons are a go!), I am typically hitting solid shots (Trackman SF 1.35+ on my 7i) so the smaller sweet spot works for me.

 

I think a lot of today's MBs can be more forgiving than people give them credit for. You'll still lost 10 yards on a bad miss, but it's not like you get struck by lightning. My first round with my new clubs (Wilson Staff Blades), I hit a tee shot so poorly the ball mark was completely on the chrome at the toe. It still went about 90% of the distance, so it's not like the ball goes nowhere...

[TiScape]

On 7/3/2022 at 1:05 PM, aenemated said:

 The last part being where the T100s lost me - which, believe me, I WANTED to love because I don't think there's a better looking iron in that category. I just can't jive with the feel of Titleist irons and I've never been able to; going back to the OG DCI days.

😂 

[aenemated]

2 minutes ago, TiScape said:

😂

 

It was actually all true at the time! 

[TiScape]

6 minutes ago, aenemated said:

 

It was actually all true at the time! 

 

[TiScape]

7 minutes ago, aenemated said:

 

It was actually all true at the time! 

What’s next?! Chi recommending MBs to 14 cappers to improve ball striking???! 
🤣🤣🤣

[blades_are_life]

4 hours ago, dufferaaron said:

I think it comes down to the person and the model. Using a sample size of me, I swing GI clubs poorly - they're usually too light and I cannot make boat hull bottoms work with my swing. Even though I struggle with path consistency (lessons are a go!), I am typically hitting solid shots (Trackman SF 1.35+ on my 7i) so the smaller sweet spot works for me.

 

I think a lot of today's MBs can be more forgiving than people give them credit for. You'll still lost 10 yards on a bad miss, but it's not like you get struck by lightning. My first round with my new clubs (Wilson Staff Blades), I hit a tee shot so poorly the ball mark was completely on the chrome at the toe. It still went about 90% of the distance, so it's not like the ball goes nowhere...

Yeah this is correct, blades are more forgiving of imprecise contact than people give them credit for.

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

There's a lot of snobbery set around the use of blades. A player that buys blades simply must understand what they are getting into and be willing to commit.

We average golfers are going to have both good and bad rounds, but some people need that challenge to get better. My fitter was not wrong to suggest I get CB irons, but I want blades. I am willing to use a 5-W Blade set with 3-4 CBs. I know what I'm getting into, so I would just advise others to understand the practice commitment that it will take.

Blades aren't some magic clubs that only scratch golfers can use. That's basically "catch all" speak so that people who don't want to commit to their game to that level won't just go out and naively buy them.

Yet, if your heart is set on it and you're willing to see a possibly rough road, go for it. I am.

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

Heck, I'm as stubborn of a person that you'll ever meet, and I'll buy the <expletive deleted> blades just to prove naysayers wrong.

Edited August 18, 2023 by Mikey_HACKilroy

[third-times-a-charm]

1 hour ago, Mikey_HACKilroy said:

There's a lot of snobbery set around the use of blades. A player that buys blades simply must understand what they are getting into and be willing to commit.

We average golfers are going to have both good and bad rounds, but some people need that challenge to get better. My fitter was not wrong to suggest I get CB irons, but I want blades. I am willing to use a 5-W Blade set with 3-4 CBs. I know what I'm getting into, so I would just advise others to understand the practice commitment that it will take.

Blades aren't some magic clubs that only scratch golfers can use. That's basically "catch all" speak so that people who don't want to commit to their game to that level won't just go out and naively buy them.

Yet, if your heart is set on it and you're willing to see a possibly rough road, go for it. I am.

Ah yes, the ol' "blades make me focus better so I hit them better" spiel.

 

 

Just kidding, kind of. I fully support your journey of self-abuse.

[MS.71]

4 hours ago, blades_are_life said:

Yeah this is correct, blades are more forgiving of imprecise contact than people give them credit for.

Unbiased opinion from "blades are life" I'm sure!!

 

I actually totally believe you. I think blades are a lot more forgiving than people give em credit for. To me forgiveness is like 1-1.5cm off the sweet spot. The guys who are great don't miss that much, which is why they play blades. at .5-.8cm blades still give you forgiveness. Between 1-1.5cm something like P790, 770, ZX4, T200 is going to more forgiving yes but it's not a 20 yard difference. And beyond 1-1.5 cm, which is a common contact point for people who are put into those irons, forgiveness goes out the window. So it's a very small window where the forgiveness happens and the people that need it don't hit that window very often.

[MS.71]

And my approximation of sweet spot miss might be off but I just wanted to throw some numbers on it so it was easier for people to grasp.

[MountainKing]

9 hours ago, dufferaaron said:

I think it comes down to the person and the model. Using a sample size of me, I swing GI clubs poorly - they're usually too light and I cannot make boat hull bottoms work with my swing. Even though I struggle with path consistency (lessons are a go!), I am typically hitting solid shots (Trackman SF 1.35+ on my 7i) so the smaller sweet spot works for me.

 

I think a lot of today's MBs can be more forgiving than people give them credit for. You'll still lost 10 yards on a bad miss, but it's not like you get struck by lightning. My first round with my new clubs (Wilson Staff Blades), I hit a tee shot so poorly the ball mark was completely on the chrome at the toe. It still went about 90% of the distance, so it's not like the ball goes nowhere...

 

10 yards is huge when it comes to irons.   If I'm firing at a center pin on this green from 140 yards and I come up 10 yards short, look where I'm at:  5 yards still keeps me on the front of the green.  This isn't the type of green you could take an extra club just in case situation either.  With back/center pins it might not be a deal breaker, but when you mishit a shot to a front pin, that could put you in an awful bunker or worse.  I personally want my off center strikes to fly as far as they possibly can, that's why I bumped to the 770's, they hold their ball speed well with a bad strike, I generally only fall 3-4 yards short with them when they are mishit.

 

[Kgglonghorn]

18 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

 

10 yards is huge when it comes to irons.   If I'm firing at a center pin on this green from 140 yards and I come up 10 yards short, look where I'm at:  5 yards still keeps me on the front of the green.  This isn't the type of green you could take an extra club just in case situation either.  With back/center pins it might not be a deal breaker, but when you mishit a shot to a front pin, that could put you in an awful bunker or worse.  I personally want my off center strikes to fly as far as they possibly can, that's why I bumped to the 770's, they hold their ball speed well with a bad strike, I generally only fall 3-4 yards short with them when they are mishit.

 

well lets start with most amateurs overestimate how far they hit their irons, so blades or  GI clubs, they are probably starting with too little club.  Certainly not implying anything at all about your or your game, just stating that many people are gonna rinse it here no matter which clubs they are using.

Edited August 18, 2023 by Kgglonghorn

[MK7Golf21]

I like playing blades off and on. My main set I play is a players cavity but I like to use the blades when I get the itch. I wouldn't go buying a brand new set of blades, I'd go for the new cavity irons instead. I'd suggest buying a used set of blades on the side for when you want to take them out to satisfy the desire. Usually doesn't last too long and you are glad you didn't buy that brand new set of them.

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

2 hours ago, third-times-a-charm said:

Ah yes, the ol' "blades make me focus better so I hit them better" spiel.

 

 

Just kidding, kind of. I fully support your journey of self-abuse.

 

LOL. Love the GIF... 😄

 

In all fairness, I don't recall implying what you suggested. I said folks should buy what they want, but they should know what they are getting themselves into and understand what it will require.

If somebody has the ability to use blades, it doesn't matter what their cap is when they buy them.

But if somebody buys blades because they think it'll make them more focused, then they've misunderstood the game of golf..... The club doesn't swing itself... º¿º

 

 

Edit: I should mention that it is important to game the old irons on the course and restrict the new ones to the range until confident with them. I would rather phase them in gently instead of hitting the course on day one. My god..... LOL

Edited August 18, 2023 by Mikey_HACKilroy

[MountainKing]

1 hour ago, Kgglonghorn said:

well lets start with most amateurs overestimate how far they hit their irons, so blades or  GI clubs, they are probably starting with too little club.  Certainly not implying anything at all about your or your game, just stating that many people are gonna rinse it here no matter which clubs they are using.

 

I play to a 1 these days, used to be in the + range, so take that for what it's worth I guess.  My reasoning for jumping from a less forgiving club into the 770's is not having the time\desire to practice as much and needing something that can cover yardage accordingly on mishits.  You are very correct on amateurs judging their distance, making that 10 yard number now look more like 20 or more yards off, which again is a lot of yards to be missing with an iron.  I guess if that's how you enjoy the game, more power.