Blades Are Improving My Ball-Striking

[golf grouch]

I switched to forged blades from cavity-backs about a year ago. After a brief adjustment period, my ball-striking has been improving ever since.

With blades, I'm better understanding the proper fundamentals of ball-striking. It's almost been a revelation. As Bob Tway said, "With a [more forgiving] cast club you can get sloppy with your swing. That creeps into other clubs, like the driver. I think my mechanics have gotten better since I went to forged [blades]."

I know that I'm in the minority, but I firmly believe that some players can improve significantly by playing with blades. I think that there's some misinformation floating around that blades should be played only by scratch golfers. This can cause an unwarranted "fear factor" among some golfers who become so afraid of blades that they won't even try them.

I think that this is unfortunate. I recommend that everyone at least try playing with blades. It could be life-changing as it was in my case.

Has anyone else had a similar experience after switching to blades?

 

[Youngun5]

i'm already getting that feeling, not fully adapted yet, but i'm already loving them, i was about a 14 handicap and switched, have grounded my way down to maybe 8, part of that goes to better driving but when the driver quits the irons step up and keep me on or close to the green

 

[Bama Duffer]

I'm about to test this idea myself. My brother recently gave me his old set of Titleist DCI 962 irons. I've read on GR that these are players irons for low handicappers, which doesn't describe me. I've played two rounds with them, one where I struck the ball well and one where I couldn't find the ball when I swung at it. But there is more feedback, so hopefully if I play with them regularly, I'll learn where I'm making mistakes. Interesting hypothesis, anyway. We'll see.

 

[the Anomaly]

I started playing with blades about 3 years ago, now I have my 4 different set and will never play with anything else. Once you find that sweet spot on a blade you'll never want to use anything else.

 

[wirehair]

I'm about to test this idea myself. My brother recently gave me his old set of Titleist DCI 962 irons. I've read on GR that these are players irons for low handicappers, which doesn't describe me. I've played two rounds with them, one where I struck the ball well and one where I couldn't find the ball when I swung at it. But there is more feedback, so hopefully if I play with them regularly, I'll learn where I'm making mistakes. Interesting hypothesis, anyway. We'll see.

A couple of years ago, I pretty much began playing with Titleist DCI981's so I could learn to strike the ball. Spent 18 months & lots of rounds before I retired 'em in favor of 822OS's about a month ago. I hit the ball way better now than last year, but can't really tell you if it was the 981's or the practice. I do know that the 822's are way better for me with a few exceptions. I need to re-learn a punch shot, short distances are harder to finesse, harder to hit high 6 or 7 iron to clear trees.

 

[VtDivot]

I tried playing my TA7's instead of my blades yesterday. Very difficult - they are way lighter and feel absolutely dead. They are going on ebay tomorrow. I can safely say that I will be sticking with the blades as my primary irons... I'm still going to ho around tho for a nice forged backup

 

[Loop]

Blades are very nice as it also improved my swing. It gives you immense feedback.
My TA1 are just awesome, and only slightly forgiving. Even a well executed swing can result in a slight mishit.
When I switched just a couple of weeks ago to Mizuno MP30, I felt these were almost cheaters club. I was sweetspotting them all the way. But I still kept the feedback on mishits, even if I could get away with a bad shot.
I'm sure glad some of us here appreciate blades for what they are.

 

[Rockford35]

I firmly believe that some players can improve significantly by playing with blades.

Agreed.

However, alot of high handicapper golfers out there don't have the patience required to allow the ball striking to come around. And most guys out there with 15+ handicaps are looking for a quick fix, a "this set of irons will make me shoot in the 70's".

That's total crap. There is no club or clubs that will make you shoot better scores. Only your understanding of the game and equipment can make you shoot low.

I mean, if cavity backs make it easier to shoot low, then why the hell are we using blades? That makes us the idiots, and I don't think that's the case with you (I can't speak for myself, as I am an idiot )

Ball striking yes, but with practice, which many higher guys try to do, but don't have the fundamentals or patience to deal with a tougher set of irons.

Just my thoughts.

R35

 

[Youngun5]

hit it on the nail rock, before i could get mine i had to dedicate myself to the game, and after its constant work, i don't go over a half an hour withought pulling out a club and just swinging some, these irons keep me from getting lazy during the span of a round, i have to put emphasis on every shot which helps me so much more, it has translated into other clubs, i make sure i line up my drives and putts better, i rethink pitches and bunker shots, if one can get over the harshness of blades, they really spread into your mental game as well.