Time for Blade irons?

[dukejh12]

My buddy I was playing with the other day has a set of Mizuno T-Zoid Pros that he uses. I normally play game improvement irons cause my ballstriking was really bad for a while and the irons really helped it. Well I feel that I have gotten my swing back in sync and my ballstriking is alot better. I used his irons a few times on par 3's and would just absoluetly flush them, felt beautiful. I never tried them from the fairway though. but my thoughts are this, if I go to blade type irons, am i going to lose strokes and consitency. What benefits do blades have besides great feedback?

 

[usa1950]

It's all about the feel.... Some believe that forged irons are also more "workable" if you have the game to hit both draws and fades.

I've been playing forged irons (with a bit of a cavity back) forever. There are PLENTY of forged irons with some game inprovement features nowadays.

When I hit one off the sweet spot, I know. If the shot was one groove too thin, I know, and it feels different than one groove too thin, and towards the toe, which in turn feels different than balls hit on the heel.

I love mine... hit your buddies some more to see if you really do like them.

 

[dave.]

if I go to blade type irons, am i going to lose strokes and consitency.

yes

What benefits do blades have besides great feedback

none,see answer above

 

[Youngun5]

aren't T-Zoid Pro's CB's??

although I myself am searching for a set of blades to experiment with (T-Zoid True's) for awhile so that I can practice with and improve my ballstriking, but still play my CB's, I think that if you are to switch to something, go with a player's CB, something that has a little bit smaller head and topline than your current irons, less offset, thinner sole, and is possibly forged.....these will offer all the advantages of blades, with a minor hint of some forgiveness for the days you need it. I made the stupid mistake of jumping from large game improvement irons straight to blades and it destroyed my golf game.

Few pro's play blades....so what business do we have playing them?

 

[ezra76]

They are definitely harder to hit, especially in the mid and longer irons. I'd say go with a players CB first. I'd like a blade PW and maybe a 9 but that's where I'd cut it off. I find the bladed short irons to fly lower and have more workability and accuracy. The point of "being ready" is more definined by shotmaking ability IMO. Can you hit a trap draw from 130 and skip it up a tier? Can you hit a cut to the other side and have the ball break right upon landing from the same yardage? IMO these are the shots where a blade has the advantage. If you try to hit it mostly straight and don't change trajectories a lot, a players CB is way better choice.

 

[BigJim13]

They are definitely harder to hit, especially in the mid and longer irons. I'd say go with a players CB first. I'd like a blade PW and maybe a 9 but that's where I'd cut it off. I find the bladed short irons to fly lower and have more workability and accuracy. The point of "being ready" is more definined by shotmaking ability IMO. Can you hit a trap draw from 130 and skip it up a tier? Can you hit a cut to the other side and have the ball break right upon landing from the same yardage? IMO these are the shots where a blade has the advantage. If you try to hit it mostly straight and don't change trajectories a lot, a players CB is way better choice.

While I agree with Ez that blades have some advantage with the shots listed here, most of them can also be played with a good set of forged CB's. You can change traj just as easily with a good set of cb's as you can with blades, the real question is can your SWING make the swing required to hit the shots...that question a blade asked on every swing....

 

[ezra76]

Here's a link to some WITB's from the pro's on the GC website. Object moved

Right off the bat I picked Furyk, Boo Weekley and Rori Sabbatini. 3 of the best ballstrikers on the planet. Rori and Furyk are using full CB sets and Boo has blades in the 6-PW only.

See what Jesper is using today. They are playing in the wind in TX and he's putting on a ballstriking clinic.

 

[ezra76]

While I agree with Ez that blades have some advantage with the shots listed here, most of them can also be played with a good set of forged CB's. You can change traj just as easily with a good set of cb's as you can with blades, the real question is can your SWING make the swing required to hit the shots...that question a blade asked on every swing....

Good points. When my swing is capable my irons can provide as much as I need workability wise. I'd like to have a blade PW though, that one club is a little clunky.

 

[dave.]

Ez,you speak as if cavities are hard to fade and draw,they aren't! The real reason for blades is a lower ball flight,shaping the ball is just as easy with cavities and those shots you describe,I mean come on,who ya kidding[] The blade has no advanatge with those shots,they are 100% pure technique and skill,a player who can play those can play them with any club.

We used to play blades for the following reasons;

cavity backs were not forged and therefore could not be custom fit

cavity back casting was quite hard in years gone by

cavity backs had offset

cavity backs had more bounce,bettre players n harder fairways had to sue blades

forged blades had smaller heads

cavity backs flew the ball to high for the 'better' player

None of these no longer apply,cavity backs have come so far many pros now use them.

Take the Nike CC1 forged,a cavity back that really isn't,wonderful cavity backs disguised as blades,same as those gel, filled Clevelands.

 

[Clugnut]

Blades suck. Most PGA Tour pros don't play blades, and they depend on the check to feed their families. If you want feel and workability, any good forged cavity back will do.

 

[Sandpiper3]

Such a downer Clug.

Sergio plays blades, he's a hell of a ballstriker! And of course "Tiger still plays blades":laugh:

Last WITB, Parnevik was playing Cally x-12 irons. Wouldnt be surprised if he was still using an older cally iron, they are all really solid clubs.

 

[ezra76]

Ez,you speak as if cavities are hard to fade and draw,they aren't! The real reason for blades is a lower ball flight,shaping the ball is just as easy with cavities and those shots you describe,I mean come on,who ya kidding[] The blade has no advanatge with those shots,they are 100% pure technique and skill,a player who can play those can play them with any club.

I suppose you are right. Just seems like I can hit those shots better with my GW or Twofast's blade short irons than my own. Probably because it's got to be on the sweetspot if it's done right. I still can't rely on centerface contact everytime.

It's not that I can't hit those shots, it's that I can't hit them consistantly. I honestly hit 2 shots a round that leave jaws dropped good and another 2 that'll make you wonder if I tried to hit it with my eyes closed. :laugh: I hit the "up the tier skip draw" last time I played with my boss. That was just a little slung 9 holdoff from back in my stance. Of course more often than I pull it off I'll block it into the right bunker, lol. Gotta try it though, right.

 

[limpalong]

The forged/cast... blade/cavity back arguments will never be solved. There will always be avid proponents of each and they will feel their experienes and ideas should be taken as gospel. While one should not discount the experience of others... the answer as to what you, personally, will feel/get/see/experience is specific to YOU!! YOU will not, necessarily, have the same results with blade vs. cavity back as would I.

There are some myths. One myth mentioned by posters in this thread is that cavity back irons cannot be worked left to right and right to left. Easiest observation of this is to watch any of the Callaway tour players on the PGA, European Tour, LPGA, etc. You will see what are considered game-improvement irons used to work the ball both ways. I play an old set of Eye 2+'s. I will be the first to acknowledge the ball will go both ways... many times when I set up to do that... way too many times when I least expect it!!!:laugh:

I have digressed from your question. You asked what, if any, advantages you would see playing blade irons. The biggest difference in what we consider blades and cavity backs is the sole design/bounce angle. I do not like bounce on irons. I do not like a wide bottom flange. I tend to be much more of a picker than a digger. Hence, I prefer the thinner bottom flange of a blade vs. the game improvement irons.

The other most noticable difference is the response of the ball from off-center hits. The perimeter weighting of cavity back/game improvement irons allow one to get away with striking the ball a little towards the toe or towards the heel vs. blade designs. A true blade design iron will transmit a feeling that you did not make true center contact vs. cavity back irons. Dispersion of your shots will be greater with off center hits from a true blade design. The "modern" blades such as MP33's, MP32's, 690mb's, 695mb's, etc. have a much better weight distribution and less dispersion than the older Hogan/Wilson/MacGregor, etc blades. Yet, physics does play a role and the weight distribution designs of a cavity back are such that you do receive what is referred to as 'forgiveness'.

I've played with many mid to high cappers that have a decent iron game. Their mistakes are off the tee or on the green. An good striker of the ball can get excellent feedback and really enjoy true blades. Likewise, I've played with some single digit cappers who would not be where they are if they moved to blades. It is a misnomer that the use of a blade design is directly relative to handicap. It has much more to do with your ability to strike the ball near the center of the blade... over and over and over and...

Another misnomer we find stated is that if you are a poor ball striker, blades will make your game better. Seems there is a school of thought that if you can't hit the center of an iron face with a perimeter weighted club you will magically train yourself to hit the center of a blade iron. I'm sorry. I just cannot believe the person who consistently hits his GI irons all over the face will suddenly smooth his blades to a dime-sized point at the sweet spot. A good ball striker, playing cavity back irons, can move to blades and... if those blades fit his swing... perhaps see good improvement. A poor ball striker needs to work diligently with his cavity back irons, honing his swing until he can perfect the consistency needed to play well with blades.

Okay, now toos out everything I said above. If you like the look of shiny, chrome blades with thin top lines... If you like the notice of other players when they see your "player" bag full of shiny blades... If you enjoy the idea that every so often you will not even feel the ball leave the clubface when the forged blade makes perfect contact... start demo'ing some blades and find a set that will work for you.

The above is, certainly, my opinion and your mileage may vary.....

 

[Sandpiper3]

If you enjoy the idea that every so often you will not even feel the ball leave the clubface when the forged blade makes perfect contact...

IMO one of the coolest feelings ever.

 

[JEFF4i]

Dave, I'm completely opposite of you.

Control is a precise thing. You can fade and draw CBs, but it's more difficult. I prefer small change in my swing having larger effects. When I used my I-3s, and subsequently the DCI990s, it took more work to change the ball-flight. I didn't like that.

I much prefer the miniscule changes having an effect. That's what matters most when it comes to using a blade, to me, anyway.

Having said that, in my opinion, handicap has very little to do with the necessity or preferance of blades. Just food for thought.