Blades vs. Cavity Backs...pro's and con's.

[clint]

Other than the margin for swing error, what are the differences in blades and CBs? What about game improvement CBs and players CBs? I understand it's easier to shape shots with blades than game improvement irons, but what about players CBs? Basically what I'm getting at is why would someone want blades if a little cavity could mean the difference between a good and mediocre shot?

Clint

[Rockford35]

I have no idea. Asthetics play alot into the psyche of players. I'm one of them.

I played Mp-33 blades for an entire season. Or, rather, they played me. I had a good hdcp with them, but I needed to be at the range constantly to keep my swing fine tuned with them.

I decided that wasn't me.....or, I finally came to the resolution that I'm lazy. (Keep in mind, I'm at the range at least 3 times a week and try to play twice as well, and I consider that lazy...).

I picked up a set of Mp-30's, which are damn near the same set for feel, looks and playability. Best decision I've ever made for my golf game. I can shape just about any shot I need with any club (except my 4 iron when I was in Texas....i'll get that par 3 someday, right Dave?).

If I was retired (at age 29) and had all day to screw around at the range, I would play blades based soley on looks. They are hella cool looking and EVERYONE likes them in your bag.

But if is wasn't retired, played weekend warrior golf, and wanted to play at the top of my game, I'd go cavity back, no question.

But that's me. And, as I said, it's mostly asthetics. There is little change from the 30's from the 33's other than looks/wow factor. Feel and workability are virtually the same.

Now, that's not for all blades/cavity backs. Some are pigs and have zero sweet spot, while others are shovels alone and can't be worked. I guess it really depends on what works for you. But in my opinion, there is no real advantage for playing blades/MB's, other than for looks.

R35

[LyleG]

Golf is the only sport I can think of (hell it may the only area of life) where people dont want to accept stuff that will help them improve or make the game easier.
Many people seem to enjoy making an allready hard game even more difficult. Personally, I dont get it.

[demon]

Im with Rock on it, I play blades purely for asthetic reasons. I have always played with blades and will most likely play with blades. If I do not like the looks of the head, shaft, and grip I wont even bother with it. I can fortunetly hit them so I have no problems not switching to an "easier" club to hit. If looks didnt bother me so much I would be hitting some forged cavity backed blades.

[clint]

Originally Posted by Rockford35

I have no idea. Asthetics play alot into the psyche of players. I'm one of them.

I played Mp-33 blades for an entire season. Or, rather, they played me. I had a good hdcp with them, but I needed to be at the range constantly to keep my swing fine tuned with them.



R35

Like you I'm definitely attracted to the look of a blade. The reason I posed the question in the first place is I was at my home course today and they have a bag of clubs that were either demos or unclaimed lost clubs. Sitting in there was an mp33 6 iron so I decided what the heck...I'll pay two bucks to see what it's like to hit a blade.

I got a bucket of balls, grabbed the mp33 as well as my KZG Forged IIm 6 iron and headed to the range. I warmed up with my club and then picked up the blade. I sh@%?ed the first shot, but that was just my head getting in the way. After that I settled down and didn't hit one bad shot out of about 15 or so balls. I take that back, the trajectory was a little off (a touch of a fade) but the contact was solid and felt oh so good. Like you said though, the feel wasn't much different from my KZG's, but knowing that I was spanking the ball with a blade was doing the brain wonders...the endorphines were flowing.LOL.

[Youngun5]

don't fall for that one.....same thing happened to me, have the most unbelievable range session with a blade demo iron.....pick up a set, and cant do squat with them even after practicing more than i've ever practiced in my life.

my Pi5's (player's CB) just got here today and man do they seem nice, hopefully the weather is decent tomorrow so i can get them out to the range and get a review out there to you guys.

too many players CB's seem to offer so many more positives than blades with fewer drawbacks.

good luck whichever way you choose to go,

-YG

[ezra76]

IMO unless you are having trouble with your knockdown, 6yd. fade from 157 with an 8iron, go cavity. I played 690MB's for a few months, loved the 8-PW and even the 7 now and then. Very accurate, very workable, very, very unforgiving. Miss that sweet spot and it's like chewing tinfoil. If you really want to, check out a combo set. I've been debating it myself.

[warbirdlover]

I don't give a fat rat's ass what a club looks like if I can't consistently hit it good with a reasonable amount of practice. Cavity backs may look ugly to some but my Pings sure do help me make some sweet shots and when I hit one good they FEEL as good as any iron I've hit (and I used to play with blades back in the "olden" days). I don't care if anyone ever looks in or at my bag and likes or dislikes what they see. Those clubs are for my use.

[MCDavis]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

I don't give a fat rat's ass what a club looks like if I can't consistently hit it good with a reasonable amount of practice. Cavity backs may look ugly to some but my Pings sure do help me make some sweet shots and when I hit one good they FEEL as good as any iron I've hit (and I used to play with blades back in the "olden" days). I don't care if anyone ever looks in or at my bag and likes or dislikes what they see. Those clubs are for my use.

Amen, my brother!!

The only "looks" that matter with my clubs are the looks of the shots they produce, and the looks on my buddies face as he's paying me at the end of 18!

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by LyleG

Golf is the only sport I can think of (hell it may the only area of life) where people dont want to accept stuff that will help them improve or make the game easier.
Many people seem to enjoy making an allready hard game even more difficult. Personally, I dont get it.

I make an analogy with automobiles. You've got modern luxury performance vehicles. The best CB's are like a Cadillac Escalade, with a big engine, traction control, 4-wheel dsic anti-lock brakes, vehicle stability control, heated seats, auto-dimming headlights, adaptive cruise control, and a 16-speaker 5.1 channel stereo system.

The best blades are like a Saleen S7. You feel every bump in the road, and you damn well better know how to handle the throttle in a rainy corner.

If you want to drive your car, and you are a really, really good driver, then you won't be happy with the "do-everything-for-you" car. But if what you want to do is get from point A to point B with as little fuss as possible, the Saleen will drive you nuts.

Same with golf clubs; great players like the feedback and performance capabilities of true blades. Those of us who need a little help, or want feedback along with some control, will play some level of game-improvement irons.

My two cents...

[limpalong]

Originally Posted by clint

Other than the margin for swing error, what are the differences in blades and CBs? What about game improvement CBs and players CBs? I understand it's easier to shape shots with blades than game improvement irons, but what about players CBs? Basically what I'm getting at is why would someone want blades if a little cavity could mean the difference between a good and mediocre shot?

Clint

Blades vs. cavity back is one of those unending discussions around this game. You will see the Methodist/Presbyterian type of argument where each person has some deep seated opinions. As others have said, much of the reasoning simply has to do with how that specific club looks to the eye. The visual perception can have far more of an impact than playability.

I have had the opportunity to card 2 aces in my lifetime. The first was with a 6-iron from a set of the original Callaway Big Bertha irons. There has been anything out there more perimeter weighted... with a thicker top line... more 'forgiving' than a club like that. The second ace was carded with an 8-iron from a set of Titleist 690mb blades. About as radically different as could possibly be! Yet, the ball didn't know what style of club that had sent it on its way. The hole got in the way of the ball path, irregardless of which style of iron made the stroke.

Your question was basically, "Why would someone want blades?" Let's give a few various and sundry reasons you see blades in bags at your local course.

1. Ego... There are some who will swear the mark of a great player are the clubs in his bag. Great players all hit blades!!!!????? Isn't that a fact written in the 25th verse of the 2nd chapter of the Gospel according to Jack (or Tiger)? The shiny, forged blade look is associated by many as the symbol of ability. Justifiable? Certainly! If that's what trips your trigger, it's a sport and you're welcome to put whatever clubs in your bag you desire.
2. Envy... "I'm Tiger Woods!" A number of players want to mirror their professional hero. TW plays Nike blades that are mirror images of Mizunos. Ernie plays Titleist blades. Sometimes we just think we need to play something that allows us to associate ourselves with our heros.
3. Tradition... Some of us ol' far** grew up around Wilson Staff Fluid Feels or Hogan Red Lines or Haig Ultras or MacGregor copper faced MT's. That's what we learned on and anything else looks awkward. There was, for all practical purposes, zero offset in the early blades. Today, it is virtually impossible to find a cavity back with that little offset. Visually, to get the set up we want limits our choices to today's more forgiving blades.
4. Sole design and bounce angles... I'm a sweeper, not a digger. I love the thin sole and reduced bounce angles of a blade over most cavity backs. Especially from the trash or from hardpan, I can pick a ball off a cart path with a blade. The wider bottom flanges of most cavity backs also tend to incorporate more bounce. If you don't THINK you can get 'down to' the ball... you probably won't. Some play today's blades simply because of the sole design.
5. Feel... A blade has a different feel than a cavity back. Don't believe me? Take a set of Hogan Apex blades out in 20 degree temperatures and catch one a little thin!!!!! (I used to check 115 volt circuits by licking my fingers and touching the wires. Electric shock is not nearly as painful as a thinned blade on a cool winter morning!) Solid feel on well struck shots... Noticably less than solid feel on poorly struck shots. There is a school of thought out there that tells us we will be better able to identify our swing faults with the less forgiving feel of blades.
6. Playability... It is easier to shape shots with a pure blade than it is with a large cavity back, game improvement iron. If your course, or your game, dictates shaping of your iron shots... and you have the ability to perform that shaping... you will do so better with a set of blades. I can draw or fade my Eye 2+'s. But, it takes much more work and concentration to shape my Pings than it did to shape my 690mb's. At my skill level, sometimes those irons that easily shaped shots did so without asking my permission! As one of the posters indicated, the concentration level requirement is greatly enhanced with blades over cavity backs. But, those that can... and those whose courses demand it... will usually choose blades to work the ball.

As you can see, there are a host of answers to your question. There are any number of reasons why some prefer blades over cavity back irons. Keep in mind the blades of today are so much more player friendly than those of yesteryear. There is no perfect iron design that fits every player out there. As the cliche states, Different strokes for different folks.

There are just as many, or more, reasons why many play cavity back irons. We could go bore you with those, but that was not your question. And then, we could initiate WWIII on the discussion board by broaching the sacred subject of forged vs. cast.

I'll end with this quick analogy. I gave up a 2 - 3 pack a day habit some 20 years ago. Yet, I've told my wife that the day the doctor gives me 6 months to live the first thing I will do is go buy a pack of cigarettes and take up that filthy habit again. After 20 years, I have never lost the desire to have another cigarette... even though I know to succumb to that tempation would certainly shorten my life. I fully wore out a set of 690mb's and a set of 690.mb's after that. I loved them and long to return to my Titleist blades. Yet, the Pings are so much better for my game. The Pings have done a commendable job in the bag. I play the Pings well, love the job the Pings do... yet never have I lost the longing to again put blades in the bag. To succumb to that temptation would undoubtedly be devastating to my game.

[JEFF4i]

Eh, just hit everything you can get your hands on, see what you like best. Not over a day, or a weekend, but over a couple weeks.

Really that's the best advice I can give you. Oh yeah, and Rock's 33s, I play those suckers like there's no tomorrow,

[LyleG]

Limpalong

You can a players cavity that does all the the stuff you want from a blade along with off center hit forgiveness. My 690.cb has the same bounce, sole, workability, top line, COG as the 690.mb I previously had, they just let me get a way with a little bit more.

[HighTopFade]

To me, cavity backs get the ball up easier when hit a little skinny. That's the only difference that I noticed.

[Sandpiper3]

I have a combo set right now, as i was getting better i felt i still needed a little help (well, not like the Taylormade CBs were much help) with the longer sticks.

Now i play whatever feels best with accuracy, which is a blade. Ive gotten to the point where a blade feels best to me because nothing to me feels better then a solidly struck blade 2 iron. Also the looks as ppl have gone on with.

I want to drive and i am a really really good driver

(Keep in mind, I'm at the range at least 3 times a week and try to play twice as well, and I consider that lazy...).

Agreed.