Hit blades for the first time - very strange

[Dragon777]

MacGregor MT Pro-CM

Hi guys,

I am 1.5 years into golf and dont have much experience on the course but I was a frequent ballhitter on the range. I am going to get to the course more this season. I have a background of tournament dancing and are quite capable at learning new movements, though I tend to fight with slicing alot.

I have played a MacGregor NVG2 mid set all this time with steel shafts in regular. Now I got a very good deal on MacGregor MT Pro-CM forged combo irons in gunmetal with S300 shafts and I pulled the trigger just because they are so gorgeous. I assumed that I would not be able to hit balls with them as a beginner at all. But here are my impressions from trying the MT Pros on the range:

First I compared the iron 8. I used to hit my old iron 8 NVG2 mid about 130 yards (120 meters). The MT Pro 8 is a muscleback and its loft is higher, like the loft of the NVG2 9. Given this and without any game improvement features and with likely not hitting it in the sweetspot I was very sure that I would hit it shorter. But what happened? I hit the MT Pro 8 muscleback 147 yards (135 meters) constantly!

After that I tried the iron 5, which is a forged cavity back in the MT Pro set. I used to hit my NVG2 mid iron 5 about 161 yards (148 meters). The MT Pro carry was about 166 yards (152 meters) - slightly longer as well, but not as sigificant as with the muscle back 8. But everytime I hit my old NVG2 mid 5, I sliced the ball a bit (sometimes a bit more) and everytime I hit the MT Pro, the ballflight was straight without any spin! I chanced clubs all the time to verify this and it was obvious. Far less slice (even none in most hits) with the MT Pro.

I am totally puzzled now. First, why am I able to hit the MT Pro clubs constantly at all? There is all this talk about them being hard to hit and unfogiving on off-center hits, but my hits were much more consistent than with the old clubs, even when not hit dead center.
Second, why are they longer for without all this game improvement tech-stuff and with shorter lofts?
Third, why is there less slice? Could it be the shaft flex? But if I understand it right, a stiffer flex should even enhance a slice, shouldn´t it?


I would like to hear from some expert guys or people who know the clubs. Because at the moment, I really cannot explain this and I am not sure how to move on.

Thanks alot!
D

[KYMAR]

A couple of things are at work here in my opinion. You are probably concentrating quite a bit more, already believing that the blades are harder to hit before you hit them. That will go a little ways in explaining the consistency. Also, it definitely sounds to me like your swing speed should have had you in a stiff flex shaft the whole time. I'd bet you noticed a more penetrating and lower ball flight with the S300 as well. Normally when you are hitting a shaft thats too flexible your misses will be left, but, I think it's possible that the shafts in your NVG2's are too light in addition to being too flexible. Which, in my experience, can cause a little accentuation of a cut swing path in the hitting zone.

Of course, it could just be that the NGV's are just really, really crappy irons.

The big lesson you're learning is why so many people on this board have a new head or shaft, or head and shaft, or iron set, or a wedge, or putter,then another putter, and then another new driver head. putter, putter, driver shaft etc every 11.4 days (me included) So the real thing to understand is that you are officially an aspiring club Ho. Welcome to the board, and the most expensive compulsion this side of Rachel uchitel.

Cheers,

Mark

[dees72]

I find I can hit a more "blade"-style iron better as well. I think you just have to find the iron that works for you. GI and SGI irons are not mandatory for every beginner.

[Big Ben]

I've been advocating this for a very long time now, there is a reason the better players like this style iron, I'm not saying very 20 handicap should run out and buy blades but for some golfers players irons will have dramatic benefits. Don't believe everything you read, decide for yourself. I'm a 2 handicap and I can't strike a GI iron with any consistancy what so ever...BB

[Dragon777]

Hi everybody,

I am just back from the driving range and I tried all the MT Pro forged today, from PW to iron 4. Same as last time - I hit them quite far and most of the time with no slice at all, even the iron 4. I tried some shots with my hybrid 3 (MacGregor as well, with regular shaft) and sliced it on most of the shots. Switched back to forged iron 4 cavity back and no slice. This is very strange. Its not like I hit all shots on target. There are pulls and pushes to right and left, but at least they are flying straight and without slice. I can easily work on this as the pulls and pushes are mainly a timing issue in my weight transfer. I am so happy that the slice seems to be gone, though I am still puzzled why.

Do you think I should stick with the MT Pros for a while, even if they are supposed for better players than I am? I fear my pro will laugh at me if I show up with them. ;-)

And the next question is: What is wrong about my NVG2 mid set? I mean, it is supposed to be easier to hit. I don´t think they are crap. They got great reviews from everywhere.
And I am slicing all my woods and hybrid as well so I wonder if I could change something about them as well to get a similar result like with the forged MT Pros.

I mean, it could all be a mental thing, but I would be very surprised if it was because the effect is so drastic and reproduceable.

Thanks for help!
D

[joekelli]

If your pro laughs at you then you should get a new pro! If you are hitting the ball better with the new irons then stick with them.

[Mr. Herbert]

I also fell for the "blades are difficult to hit" nonsense a few years back. Then I bought a set that I intended to only use as practice at the range, thinking if I could hit them, I would really be able to play with my cavity backs. Within a month, my blades became my gamers, and my CBs sit in the closet.

I think most people who say blades are too difficult have never actually tried to hit one.

[juhayes]

I've been looking into getting a set of the Pro-Cs although haven't been able to read up quite enough on them. I found someone with a new set willing to part with them (with Nippon 1150s) for 250. Ideally, i would prefer get a combo set to get the higher lofts in a muscleback, so i'm curious where you found yours and how much you paid (if you don't mind?).

I hit them while comparing to a Mizuno 58/68 combo set, which felt a bit nicer, but costs a good deal more...

[Dragon777]

Hi everybody!

Its nice to hear that some people have made similar observations. Because over here in Germany, I have never seen a high handicapper playing small cavitys or even blades. Everybody is like "they are exclusively for pros - dont even think of hitting them".

@ Mr. Herbert:
It looks like I could end up exaclty like you, soon. ;-)

@juhayes:
I am from Germany and got mine from a local dealer - dont think that is going the help you at all.
But from my experience with the set so far, I would recommend to get a combo set. I dont know how good a ballstriker you are, but I feel that the muscleback iron 7 is slightly harder to hit in the sweetspot than the cavityback 6 so I wont go for muscleback in the long irons. Bot feel very crisp when hit correctly, though the musclebacks may have a slightly better feel and a bit more length.

Best
D

[razz11]

You know, I really hate when people post things like this! I am about a 10 handicap and play a set of 1025c's, but have never questioned my ability to hit blades. I have been dreaming of a MT combo set since the beginning of last year. I was dead set on keeping my irons and just picking up a driver and a new putter this year... Now I am in the mood for some irons again. Great! Haha... Good post though, I think club selection is completely subjective for everyone and think it's great that you went with your instincts and tried out some nice irons. Good on ya!

[Dragon777]

Hi everybody,

I hit some more balls with the MT Pro-CMs today and compared it to my NVG2 mid GIs. Could it be the heavier heads of the forged clubs that make me hit them straighter than the NVG2s? I get the impression, that the heavier heads guide me more into a straight swing path and force a later release of the clubhead. Could that be the reason?


I did some more research on the MT Pro-CMs and it is very funny how different impressions people have of them. Check this thread, where some low handicappers state that the Pro-Cs are almost unhitable while some mid handicappers found them not too hard at all.

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/318621-macgegor-pro-cs-are-really-hard-to-hit/page__hl__forged%20cavity"]macgegor pro c's are really hard to hit[/url]

I dont know how valid this Mr. Maltby and his list is, but according to the playability rating he gives the MT Pros, they must be the ultimate beasts. I didn´t find another club in his list that is clamed to be as hard to play as the MT Pros.

So high-handicapped me is still scratching his head.....

Best
D

[trapsmv15]

Now, of course, there are factors to having blades go farther on well struck hits, such as the weight being more concentrated into the ball...

That said, it sounds like the shaft to me. I wonder if those are Nippons in the NVG2's playing like an L/R? Nippons tend to play soft. Softstepping S300's might help you even a little bit more. Regardless, nice to hear you're hitting the new clubs better!

[DON SVO]

I got a set of Mizuno MP32s by accident on evilBay... yes by accident. Stupid 'buy it now or best offer'... anyway, I wanted to use them for a bunch of experiments and to build a fitted, customed iron set for myself. After I put in the PX5.5s I of course gave in and took them to the range. After getting comfortable with the offset, I absolutely love the way a well struck ball felt with a forged muscleback. I had a good time with them at the range, cut a bunch of nice dollar-bill divots with the 8/9/PW... just an entirely different animal than my GI gamer set.

It has taken me more time to re-adjust back to my Cally X-20s than it took me to get used to the Mizzys. Of course, this re-adjustment took place at the range then on the course so i had a horrendous round... but I digress.

My Callaways have 2 weeks to show me that they need to stay in my bag.

[Dragon777]

Hi,

not sure what the stock regular flex steel shafts on my NVG2 mid irons are, but if I remember right, there was a sticker that said "microstep lightweight". And there are stock regular flex Fujikuras on my utility, woods and driver where I am also fighting with slices all the time.

Maybe it is the shaft flex. But I tend to assume it has something to do with the weight. E.g., I have always prefered my forged V-Foil sandwedge over my NVG2 mid gapwedge because the heavier head made it easier for me to get under the ball for a solid hit.

I am keen to use the MT Pros on the course to see if there will be a rude awakening. But at the moment all courses are still coverd by a thick layer of snow, so this experiment has to wait.

Best
D

[optionstraderbc]

Hit what feels good. I read so many reviews how hard mp32's(I love the look) were to hit so I stuck with my 695cb's and MX 23's for 2 years. I got a great deal on mp60/32 combos and have had some of my best iron play to date.

[Jameson]

[quote name='Big Ben' timestamp='1266847050' post='2268804']
I've been advocating this for a very long time now, there is a reason the better players like this style iron, I'm not saying very 20 handicap should run out and buy blades but for some golfers players irons will have dramatic benefits. Don't believe everything you read, decide for yourself. I'm a 2 handicap and I can't strike a GI iron with any consistancy what so ever...BB
[/quote]

[size="4"]THIS QUOTE IS PERHAPS THE MOST ACCURATE I HAVE EVER HEARD HERE ON GOLFWRX[/size]