bdcrowe said:The argument for or against blades is a most moot point, and definitely can't be predicated on handicap. Blades or CBs are 80% about preference and 10% about whether one is willing to work often on their swing to see the true benefit of blades. The true benefit of blades is not working the ball, since most modern balls resist working anyway. It is the fact-- in my case-- that blades will give you a better swing if you work at using them. My swing is far more repeatable now with them. Mishits tell me more than with CBs. My personal findings are that distance penalties on mishits aren't much more than CBs, and direction penalties are actually less than with CBs. To judge someone's ability to use blades on handi alone is futile. I rarely break mid - low-80s. But that is because my driver and woods have been off, and my putting has been suspect at best. Irons are my strongest point, especially since ditching the CBs. Besides, the thin lines and small heads just look "right" to me, where they won't for everyone. Bottom line, use what you are comfortable with and what you are willing to invest your $ and practice time into. No one should play something just for looks, image, or worse still, because someone told them they should.
First statement i disagree with...most pros who play blades do so because they are able to work the ball easier. I was able to make a dulop rock bend left and right a considerable amount with a set of mizuno mp33's and could barely work a pro v1 with my CB's.
every pro shop club fitter has said that the best thing about blades is you have to have a very good swing that is repeatable to hit them, which means once you learn to hit them you have improved your golf swing....that can't be a bad thing.
thin top line is what i like the most...something about it just looks right. Another benefit of blades that may be overlooked...how many of you have ever missed a fairway with your drive and been in a buried lie in some tpc style rough. Well the smaller face of a blade is less likely to get tangled and twisted off line as the much larger CB faces.
Do you have to play a blade to be tour caliber....david toms just won the accenture wgc with the largest margin of victory in the tournaments history...6 and 5 playing, i believe, the cleveland ta6's....which are considered a beginners iron and he considers himself a top 10 calibur player now.
so it doesn't matter what you play...just commit to it and you'll be fine.
just my opinion.