You don't have to be single digit to play a blade!! Make that a baby blade

[PaulR9]

I feel confident in saying I am NUTS with my clubs and golf equipment!! One of those, want it now and I don't care if it's the right fit. Ill blame it on my generation. That being said I have been searching for what seemed to be the "best" or one of the "best" iron sets out there. Also, something not everyone at my club has. I have become extremly educated in Japanese clubs/non US clubs over the last few months. I do a ton of research and worked with a number of fitters. I'm a 13 handicap so when I started talking about getting blades you can imagine the responses and all the comments on the web essentially saying in nuts. So, now I've essentially been told "no". Naturally the next thing I do Is go on the hunt for miura 1957 baby blades. Which are on back order in the US until aug.30. But, I love a challenge and finally found a set in CA. In fairness the 13 comes from putting issues,but I can blow up anywhere as I'm sure many of you know.

 

Today was my first day out with them and besides love at first sight, it was love a first strike. 7 iron 175yds and straight. What a huge relief, I had been anticipating a potential set of clubs to admire rather than play. I'm not going to say they were all perfect, but out of the box right to the course my shots and score was roughly the same as my newly retired r11's. It's true when you get it right it feels great. That bad ones still very playable. The point I'm trying to make here..... If you want to hit/play a blade, do it!!! You don't need to be single digit or all the other nonsense I've been reading on the web. I'm very happy I went with my spoiled gut and purchased these. I hope to have them a long time, but have them help me get to single digit in a short time. These are the ultimate game improvement club. I'm sure I'll have more to say about them in the future, but for now just a big smile and a feeling of relief.

[torrejuan]

Good job! Keep playing 'em! The confidence will keep growing the more you practice.

[Tenngolfer]

Enjoy those beauties, and a pic or 4 never hurt :-)

Fwiw I dont buy into the you have to be a single digit to play blades philosophy. It is always a common thing stated to golfers when club shopping.

I started playing blades before I was a single digit and am grateful I did. Above all else, play what makes you happy.

[RRFireblade]

The real lesson is clubs just don't matter nearly as much as most people here claim , or prefer to believe, for better or worse.

[Tee Time!]

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1342920790' post='5324166']
The real lesson is clubs just don't matter nearly as much as most people here claim , or prefer to believe, for better or worse.
[/quote]

100%^

[Aithos]

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1342920790' post='5324166']
The real lesson is clubs just don't matter nearly as much as most people here claim , or prefer to believe, for better or worse.
[/quote]

This. People like to say "Indian and not the arrow" but the very next sentence they are condemning everyone who plays blades that isn't on the PGA Tour. I was over a 20 handicap when I got my blades on April 1st this year and even after I had dropped at least 5 strokes and got to 17 people on this forum were making fun of me. Now I've dropped another 5 strokes and trending down and I *still* couldn't be happier with my purchase. I have a ton of confidence in my clubs and any bad result is usually the swing I put on it and has nothing to do with the club. My mishits are not bad at all, and the result is normally just fine. On the flipside my good hits are really good and the feel just cannot be matched by any GI club, period.

I played with Boo Weekly's caddy while they were in town for the John Deere Classic, and I've played with several scratch or better golfers in the past couple weeks. Not a single one of them looked at me strangely for hitting blades, I actually got a "great shot" from Boo's caddy after hitting a particuarly good iron shot to within 4 feet from a bad position (had to go over a couple big trees and land soft). I was able to hit the exact shot I needed because I had confidence that my blade would allow me to nail that exact trajectory.

Once you get a measure of consistency in your swing (I'd say sub 20 handicap) you can play blades if you want to. It does matter what your miss is, and it does matter how frequently you play, but if you hit your irons reasonable well and you play at least twice a week you have nothing to lose by trying. [b]They will not make you a better golfer, they will not help "train" you to swing better.[/b] They will make you want to hit them pure, and they will give you noticable feedback. This game is very mental once you get a decent swing, people who think they need a "perfect" swing or the "perfect" club aren't as mentally tough as they could be because they believe outside factors rule their golf game. The biggest difference between a pro and an amateur is the pro will have confidence in their ability to hit any shot they need, when they need it. They don't stand over the ball expecting to fail, even when the shot is impossible. I believe in my ability to hit my clubs and I have confidence looking down at them, therefore I hit them well more often than not...

[Mudguard]

Anyone can play blades. You just buy them. Whether you'll play any better or not is the question. If you hit it out of the middle of the club it doesn't matter what you use. The problem is if you don't.

[Guia]

My generation learned with blades because we had nothing else. I recently sold off my Hogan Apex (1999 & 2006) only because I have gotten older and I was losing distance. I now play Scratch ARs and they are great. I have always stated that it is the Indian and not the arrow. A person with a decent repeatable swing can play blades or cavity.

[drumdude96]

Blades are not the best choice for golfers who don't hit the center of the clubface a high percentage of the time. GI irons have more mass out toward the heel/toe areas and a lower center of gravity to help mishits travel longer and more on line, and to help get the ball in the air. I would recommend GI irons to most high 'cappers, because trying to play blades would likely result in them playing worse and enjoying the game less. But as Mudguard stated, if you hit the sweet spot most of the time, you should be okay with just about any type of iron you want to play. It's really just about what you're more comfortable with in that scenario.

[Aithos]

[quote name='drumdude96' timestamp='1342923683' post='5324414']
Blades are not the best choice for golfers who don't hit the center of the clubface a high percentage of the time. GI irons have more mass out toward the heel/toe areas and a lower center of gravity to help mishits travel longer and more on line, and to help get the ball in the air. I would recommend GI irons to most high 'cappers, because trying to play blades would likely result in them playing worse and enjoying the game less. But as Mudguard stated, if you hit the sweet spot most of the time, you should be okay with just about any type of iron you want to play. It's really just about what you're more comfortable with in that scenario.
[/quote]

Anyone who has gotten to a sub 20ish handicap hits the center of the clubface a high percentage of the time. The problem is more often someone leaving the clubface closed or open, or having a swing path too much to the right/left. You don't get to where you are better than a bogey golfer without at least being able to reasonably hit the center of your irons consistently. Also, GI irons don't really improve minor mishits much at all versus the newer blade offerings. They only significantly improve major mishits, which again puts you in a category where if you are doing it frequently you aren't a sub 20 handicap. You are a true "high" handicap and probably should play GI. Also, not everyone has a hard time getting the ball in the air or needs the type of turf interaction a GI brings. In fact, quite a few people would do better with what blades bring to the table if they could get over the "mental" stigma associated with blades.

Blades are *not* hard to play, they are *not* hard to hit well, and they do *not* intrinsically increase your score. Anyone who believes that probably also believes they can "buy" strokes off their handicap, or that a new <insert club/shaft here> will somehow magically improve their game. The only time that is the case is when something is so drastically wrong for their game (no fitting at all) that something new makes a drastic difference. And I'd wager most people who have gotten decent at golf don't fall into that category and certainly not most people on this forum.

People need to quit drinking the blades are impossible to hit kool-aid, it's ridiculous. Just like Ernie Els not getting to play in The Masters, good thing he's washed up and wouldn't have been able to contend...*note sarcasm*

[golfingchuck]

My first set of clubs when i was a kid (34 now) was a starter set with a 1 and 3 Wooden wood and 3, 5, 7 and 9 blade irons. I was around 5 when my grandfather gave them to me and I could hit the hell out of the ball with them. I beat him at age 7 with those clubs, mind you I was playing the forward tees. Anyone who has a decent swing and strikes the ball halfway decent can hit blades. I have a set of MP-68's on the way now and I know i will love them.

[Johnny Hack]

Just bailed on the experiment of playing Ping I20's for the last 6 months. While they are a nice club, I just got tired of "the lefts"
Picked up a set of MP52's for a really great price, and while I dont get to play much more than once a week I sure do love the way they respond to a good swing/center strike. Also like the way they "feel" on little bump and runs around the green, Have been as low as a 3hcp when I played 3 or more rounds a week, but now only get to play once a week so i will just suck it up and enjoy the the forgings.

I say go for it if you want to play blades/forgings and enjoy your rounds!

[titleist910d3]

I Agree with everyone I started with a set of spalding blades and persimmon woods I got down to a low handicap really quick with them 28 to 8 in 10 weeks .( I was playing 3 times a day and hitting as many range balls as I could ) Amazingly so now I don't play blades although my handicap officially now is 0.4 .I do miss the blades I just got rid of my Callway proto's I know I will regret that.

[MadGolfer76]

A low handicap is not required to play blades...but it helps.

Happy for OP, though.

[wizo]

I believe blades make you a better ball sticker bc you learn where the sweet spot really is and when you practice the feedback is a great tool to help you improve.
I have blades since my first set and I have become a much better ball striker bc of it.

[MizzyMan]

Congrats on the purchase. I bought some 1957's a few years ago just for practice and fooling around and I still can't get them out of the bag. Best irons I've ever played, not even close.

[Snufles]

[quote name='Aithos' timestamp='1342921937' post='5324254']
[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1342920790' post='5324166']
The real lesson is clubs just don't matter nearly as much as most people here claim , or prefer to believe, for better or worse.
[/quote]

This. People like to say "Indian and not the arrow" but the very next sentence they are condemning everyone who plays blades that isn't on the PGA Tour. I was over a 20 handicap when I got my blades on April 1st this year and even after I had dropped at least 5 strokes and got to 17 people on this forum were making fun of me. Now I've dropped another 5 strokes and trending down and I *still* couldn't be happier with my purchase. I have a ton of confidence in my clubs and any bad result is usually the swing I put on it and has nothing to do with the club. My mishits are not bad at all, and the result is normally just fine. On the flipside my good hits are really good and the feel just cannot be matched by any GI club, period.

I played with Boo Weekly's caddy while they were in town for the John Deere Classic, and I've played with several scratch or better golfers in the past couple weeks. Not a single one of them looked at me strangely for hitting blades, I actually got a "great shot" from Boo's caddy after hitting a particuarly good iron shot to within 4 feet from a bad position (had to go over a couple big trees and land soft). I was able to hit the exact shot I needed because I had confidence that my blade would allow me to nail that exact trajectory.

Once you get a measure of consistency in your swing (I'd say sub 20 handicap) you can play blades if you want to. It does matter what your miss is, and it does matter how frequently you play, but if you hit your irons reasonable well and you play at least twice a week you have nothing to lose by trying. They will not make you a better golfer, they will not help "train" you to swing better[b].[/b] They will make you want to hit them pure, and they will give you noticable feedback. [u][i][b]This game is very mental once you get a decent swing, people who think they need a "perfect" swing or the "perfect" club aren't as mentally tough as they could be because they believe outside factors rule their golf game.[/b][/i][/u] The biggest difference between a pro and an amateur is the pro will have confidence in their ability to hit any shot they need, when they need it. They don't stand over the ball expecting to fail, even when the shot is impossible. I believe in my ability to hit my clubs and I have confidence looking down at them, therefore I hit them well more often than not...
[/quote]

Best statement in a blade topic so far.

[svsvincenzo]

I think the only reason blades were discouraged by the manufacturers themselves is because they don't like forging, they want casting. You cannot cast a blade. So they invented cavity backs to soften the sweetspot..

[Vegaman]

[quote name='rsm' timestamp='1344139805' post='5408482']
I think the only reason blades were discouraged by the manufacturers themselves is because they don't like forging, they want casting. You cannot cast a blade. So they invented cavity backs to soften the sweetspot..
[/quote]

Actually, casting a blade is just as easy, or even easier than casting a CB. Plenty of cast blades out there, the Alpha blades come to mind.

[craz-e]

Went over to blades when I was about a 10 hcp (UK) best golfing decision of my life, I feel like my good shots are a lot better than they used to be and i slight miss hit is still a slight miss hit no matter what the club. I am loving my game more than ever and my confidence over the ball is much improved.

[andef]

From my perspective, why play blades when you can have clubs that look just as good and have a touch more forgiveness?
Each one of us is able to play whatever they want, but I don't see a reason why I should choose blades over my AP2s or a set of MP-59s.
There are a bunch of Titleist staffers who game AP2s, Jason Dufner and Nick Watney come to mind, and I know I don't hit the ball anywhere near as consistently as they do. Why hurt my chances of playing well to have a set of irons that looks just as good but is less forgiving than my AP2s?

For the record, I'm not one to criticize those who have blades. Their money, their game and their choice. I simply made a decision based on my game and what I look for in an iron.

[MizzyMan]

[quote name='andef' timestamp='1344153724' post='5408890']
From my perspective, why play blades when you can have clubs that look just as good and have a touch more forgiveness?
Each one of us is able to play whatever they want, but I don't see a reason why I should choose blades over my AP2s or a set of MP-59s.
[/quote]

From my perspective, why play a club that's not as accurate with either distance or direction, doesn't feel as good when struck properly, and is chunkier looking just for a touch more forgiveness? See, it can go both ways.

I've played with a lot of people over the last 3 decades and seen all kinds of claims about all the great new equipment, huge MOI's, yada yada. But no one I've played with has really imroved their play (consistently) with a new set of forgiving clubs. Only when they improve their technique do they improve their games. In fact, IMO, "game-improvement" clubs don't help your game. They may improve some poor shots, but is that really helping your game? In fact, a claim that "you can hit our club anywhere on the face and get a good result" is not about a game-improvement club but, to me, a game-improvement inhibiting club.

[Llortamaisey]

I've said this a every time one of these threads come up, handicap should not be a determining factor when deciding on which clubs to play. I play a 0-3 handicap depending on the time of year and I could never play blades. I need a forgiving cavity back. I'm jealous of all the guys who can game those tiny blades.

[dlygrisse]

Play with what makes you happy, confidence and a good fitting club is more important than having a cavity in the back of the club. That being said I just picked up some Mizzy JPX 800 pros...tons of forgiveness with less offset work well for me. People played golf for 400 years with out cavity's so IMO just have fun..this is not a life or death decision.

[Shambles]

I've come to the idea that forgiveness, in the sense that missing the sweet spot does not cost you as much, has less to do with offset or cavity back than simply the size of the club head. These days clubs are mostly large vis a vis the available sizes of the Fifties, and are therefore mostly forgiving of small mishits. My evidence, the Ping Eye 2 which was a behemouth when it first came out but is now a modest midsize.

As such, the consideration in club selection is with regards to other aspects such as resistance to fades, neutrality, resistance to high flight or it's reverse. Improvements in adhesives have allowed the creation of mixed metal clubs that can endure the rigors of play to be produced. We thus find tungsten, steel and titanium mixes that, along with the standard mixes of flange shapes full cavities and partial cavities allow slightly more effective weight distributions for specific design purposes than in the past.

The short and the long of it is it does not matter all that much which basic club design you choose as long as it suits your eye. There is plenty of forgive in a mid size and if you feel the need for more, choose something with a bigger head.


Shambles

[andef]

[quote name='MizzyMan' timestamp='1344173774' post='5409282']
[quote name='andef' timestamp='1344153724' post='5408890']
From my perspective, why play blades when you can have clubs that look just as good and have a touch more forgiveness?
Each one of us is able to play whatever they want, but I don't see a reason why I should choose blades over my AP2s or a set of MP-59s.
[/quote]

From my perspective, why play a club that's not as accurate with either distance or direction, doesn't feel as good when struck properly, and is chunkier looking just for a touch more forgiveness? See, it can go both ways.

I've played with a lot of people over the last 3 decades and seen all kinds of claims about all the great new equipment, huge MOI's, yada yada. But no one I've played with has really imroved their play (consistently) with a new set of forgiving clubs. Only when they improve their technique do they improve their games. In fact, IMO, "game-improvement" clubs don't help your game. They may improve some poor shots, but is that really helping your game? In fact, a claim that "you can hit our club anywhere on the face and get a good result" is not about a game-improvement club but, to me, a game-improvement inhibiting club.
[/quote]

I totally agree and respect that. Each one of us looks for something specific in an iron. I find that the AP2s look very solid at adress and my distances, when struck well, are also very consistent. At the same time, I wouldn't play a set of irons with a larger profile than the AP2s. While the point about GI irons is well stated, in my case, the forgiveness of the AP2s is not too different from the MBs, not enough to inhibit my improvement. But the AP2s give me more confidence at adress, and that's why I play them.

[Jarri]

It's all psychological.


I have seen people swing with an amazing rhythm with a 9/PW and on the next hole swing hard with a 4 iron as they think they need to step on it to get those extra yards... If they just put the same swing on 4 iron as there pw, they'd be amazed how far the 'loft' and 'length' of the club is going to hit it.


Same with blades, a swing that is fundamentally ok and is repetitive should do just as fine with blades as with say AP1s.. the only problem is as soon as you put a blade in the hand of 15 hcp, all the comments about how hard they are to hit come floating back from the dark recesses of the memories.

Result, they don't swing 'naturally' as they would with their say AP1 9 iron... They feel they need to 'consiously' route the club perfectly... that's what KILLS them and the myth continues to GROW.

[Jarri]

Also the fact that the difference between a scratch and 12 hcp is not so much ball striking as it is course planning, chipping/pitching/sand and putting.

I haven't seen one thread so far talking about how [b]unforgiving [/b]such and such putter is and how 10 hcpers cannot handle this putter or that sand wedge.

[Bonesaw]

Of all the equipment changes in the last 20-30 years the ball is far and away the largest difference maker. Drivers are a distant second. Irons are only marginally better.

Blades may cost you a stroke here and there in the short run but they can be a tool to help you improve your game in ways like course management, shotmaking, club selection, ballstriking, etc.

[geesecougar2]

You should use whatever makes playing golf the most fun, whether that's the sweet sensation of a blade hit flush or the number you sign for at the end of your round.

FWIW I think everyone should experience what it's like to play with blades, and for that matter what it's like to play with SGIs.