Importance of looks & prestige -vs- functionality

[Stanters]

Loving that post limpalong, it rings so true. You play the Ping EYe2s iirc? Or was it the ISIs?

I've been playing forged players cavities for 3-4 years now and I have been seriously thinking of going back to something with more help and to stop being obsessed with forged clubs. My curret irons feel unbelievable but I know they are right on the limit for my ability. So why am I making a horribly hard game harder for myself? Heaven knows.

My good shots just keep me hanging on in there but I am pretty sure I'd play better with a more forgiving iron, like my old RACos2s that I had when I first started playing regular golf after a few years break. Gah, I don't know what to do at all lol

 

[limpalong]

Loving that post limpalong, it rings so true. You play the Ping EYe2s iirc?

Yep! Eye 2+ BeCu 3-LW still in the bag........

 

[Stanters]

Thought so, still the nuts those coppers eh?

I demo'd a GI cast club today and it was night and day. So much easier to hit - sounded a bit clicky but as far as I could determine that didn't effect the ballflight that much. I found myself looking up a bit quick as the feel is muted and I wasn't sure how I had it hit it but sure that will pass. Anway when I did look up it was generally to see a decent shot which was nice....and rare.

While not exactly shelling peas it told me enough I think. Looks, brand appeal and the x-factor are one thing (3 in fact) but it's time to think about results and results alone. It's like I've been trying to butter my toast with a fountain pen and not a knife. The knife doesn't look as good but it's the right thing for the job in hand.

 

[scgamecock]

I bought some blades, didn't hit them as consistently as my previous irons. Got really nervous about the money i dropped on them. Started to second guess them like you are doing right now. Paid 35 bucks to get the lie checked and bent correctly. Come to find out that they were waaaay out of whack and now my iron shots are better than ever. I didn't read every post so i dont know if anyone brought that up. Hit em on a lie board and make sure your fit for them and stick with them.

 

[Esox]

Four years ago I gave up golf for two seasons because I couldn't score as well as I wanted to. I was very consistent. Shot 79 to 82 almost every time I played. I did not putt well, and I told myself that was the reason for taking a break. One morning I stopped in a McD's near my house after fishing really early on Lake Michigan. Ran into my old high school golf coach. He's a highly regarding teaching professional, especially juniors. Was BS'ing with him for a bit, and told him I hadn't been playing. He asked me what kind of irons I was playing. I told him Titleist 690 MB blades. He started chuckling. He asked why I wanted to beat myself up playing those clubs at my age. Told me I should consider buying something more forgiving and my scores would go down. I played once or twice the rest of that season, then the following year bought some TM Tour Burners off the rack a couple weeks into the next season. I went from around an 8 to finishing last year with my index at 4.5. In the last two years I shot a 71, a 72, and a number of scores below 76.

Turns out you make more birdie putts when you hit the ball closer to the pin. Who woulda thunk it?

I doubt I'll ever play blades again. If I ever want to go forged, I might play a Mizuno GI iron.

Kevin

 

[fisher]

My theory on blades and why I use them and perhaps some advice for the original poster. Blades highlight the flaws in your swing, no doubt about it. Some people give up and go back to game improvement clubs or never try blades. Personally I want the feedback that only a blade can give me. If I make a poor swing I want to know it immediately so I can fix it immediately. I don't want my flawed swings to be masked by clubs that cover it up. If I make an ugly swing I want an equally ugly result. By doing this and working on my game accordingly blades have made me a better player than I ever would have become if I had stayed with game improvement clubs.

If the clubs you play mask your flaws, your flaws will only get worse and it will be more difficult to groove a good swing and get better at this game. If you are someone who wants to get good at this game I would encourage players irons or blades. If you are a weekend hacker or someone who only plays occasionally by all means stick with game improvement or super game improvement clubs.

I have a set of Titleist 755 cavity backs as a back-up set. I can play these clubs very well for a couple of days but if I start missing shots I can't figure out what's going on because they feel very dead in my hands......no feedback. After a few days with them I find my game going backwards. With my 690mb irons I can tell exactly where on the clubface I am making contact all by feel. If I'm high or low on the clubface or on the heel or toe I know it and can make the needed corrections.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Stanters]

I agree with your theory Fisher - it makes sense but I think there is another side to it as well.

GI clubs might help you more but they don't really mask a bad swing, you're still going to see slices and hook, pushes and pulls if you swing poorly. What they can do though is to instil some confidence into a player. And as we know, a confident player is more likely to swing better and groove a consistent swing over time than someone who is struggling with a blade or mb. If/when that confidence has resulted in a consistent and sound technique then a step up to a more demanding club could be the way to go. I'd say it was a better route than a prolonged and tiring battle with a blade before someone is ready. Ultimately it is down to the individual to work on his game and understand what he is doing of course. Some may be kidded that they swing better than they do, others can grasp what they need to do to improve and where their swing is, or at least partly and they are the ones who will get a lesson etc and try and take their game to the next level.

Blades are sexy though, no doubting that lol, but so is a good score.



I don't think it's right to say that flaws are hidden and people will just whack away as they like - GI clubs help for sure but they aren't magic wands, you still need to put a decent swing on them.

 

[Esox]

My theory on blades and why I use them and perhaps some advice for the original poster. Blades highlight the flaws in your swing, no doubt about it. Some people give up and go back to game improvement clubs or never try blades. Personally I want the feedback that only a blade can give me. If I make a poor swing I want to know it immediately so I can fix it immediately. I don't want my flawed swings to be masked by clubs that cover it up. If I make an ugly swing I want an equally ugly result. By doing this and working on my game accordingly blades have made me a better player than I ever would have become if I had stayed with game improvement clubs.

If the clubs you play mask your flaws, your flaws will only get worse and it will be more difficult to groove a good swing and get better at this game. If you are someone who wants to get good at this game I would encourage players irons or blades. If you are a weekend hacker or someone who only plays occasionally by all means stick with game improvement or super game improvement clubs.

I have a set of Titleist 755 cavity backs as a back-up set. I can play these clubs very well for a couple of days but if I start missing shots I can't figure out what's going on because they feel very dead in my hands......no feedback. After a few days with them I find my game going backwards. With my 690mb irons I can tell exactly where on the clubface I am making contact all by feel. If I'm high or low on the clubface or on the heel or toe I know it and can make the needed corrections.

Just my 2 cents.

No offense, Fisher, but I played those irons for three or four years. I can feel where i miss shots on my Tour Burners just as well as with the blades, only the mis-hits don't go clunk. I think you may be brainwashing yourself a little bit. Try something more forgiving and your putting will improve when you hit the ball closer to the pin. You've stated you want to shoot par or better, play a more forgiving iron and you'll do it quicker. The 690MBs are nice, but there is no forgiveness there. At all.

Kevin

 

[SilverUberXeno]

There's not a shovel I can think of that can be bent as flat as I need. x.x

 

[LeftyHoges]

Being the Titleist fan that I am I'll use their clubs for examples.

Now, without tooting my own horn, I believe I have the ability to play the Titty MB line (and they are damn sexy by the way) but I have just purchased a set of AP2's. Why, you ask?

Because I know the importance of functionality. Yes, it would be great to play blades and be able to work the ball high, low, left, right but it's just not needed by 90% of amateurs. I know that the AP2's are going to be the easiest to hit straight, control ballflight and allow me to get around the course in the lowest number of shots.

Now let me ask this question: if you're hitting 10, 11 or 12 fairways in a round, why do you need to shape the ball into the pin? We're not playing courses where we have to hit high fades or running-out draws to attack pins, a simple straight shot on a mid trajectory will work every single time. And the easier way to hit that straight shot is with a GI or Cavity Back iron.

 

[warbirdlover]

I started out many years ago with McGregor Nicklaus muscle back blades. Then I got some Wilson cavity backs and improved because those muscle back McGregors were tough to hit. Then I got a set of Cleveland VAS irons off the shelf and did okay with them. I had a set of G5 Pings fitted to me. Worst irons I've ever hit. Big huge shovels with gigantic offset and fat top lines. Finally got the S59's and the head size is perfect (smaller and not clunky), the offset is perfect and they have a thin top line. (When I say perfect I mean for me). I play them good some days and bad others but on the good days I'm much better then on the good days with all the other irons I've had. The bad days are the same as with the other irons I've had (maybe me and not the irons?) Now that I've said all this when nu and I go golfing I'll probably hit them all on the hosel......

 

[xamilo]

Then I got a set of Cleveland VAS irons off the shelf and did okay with them....

Oh my God! Those clubs where hiddeous to look at! heheheheeh

Anyway, I play Ci7s cavities, and I perfectly know when I did mis hit. The feel and "sound" when not hit in the sweet spot unmasks all possible flaws. I don't think you need a blade in order to know yu hit your club poorly. As Esox aid before, the onl difference is a GI iron will corect the distance and maybe change a little the trayectory of your shot giving you a better result but you'll always know you made poor contact, its impossible not to relize so.

I find golf to be a nice hobby to have. I don't want to stress too much. I don't want poor results even if I made the poorest swing in the world. I love to keep it simple, so wh bother having to do my swing perfect 100% times to enjoy a round? If I ws to become a pro, I surely will bother, but I hav enought things to worry about and to be extremey precise at work. Why some up any more?

 

[TheTrueReview]

....

Because I know the importance of functionality. Yes, it would be great to play blades and be able to work the ball high, low, left, right but it's just not needed by 90% of amateurs. ...

Now let me ask this question: if you're hitting 10, 11 or 12 fairways in a round, why do you need to shape the ball into the pin? We're not playing courses where we have to hit high fades or running-out draws to attack pins, a simple straight shot on a mid trajectory will work every single time. And the easier way to hit that straight shot is with a GI or Cavity Back iron.

Precisely Lefty. Your post should be bronzed & attached as the front page of every golf discussion forum.

As a member of a few discussion forums I see the same recurring stereotypes and the perceptions caused by those stereotypes have no bearing with reality. For example, it starts off with what I'd term "blade fixation"; ie. blades are what real golfers use and if you don't play with them, you're no good. To those who think that, chant the following until it sinks in "many pros don't use blades". Then there's the talk about "working the ball" (up, down, left, right, high, low, around dog legs ... and so it goes on). It's utter B.S. As Lefty says, put the damn thing in the fairway & then hit a straight shot to the green (ie. middle of the green).

.... and don't get me started on driving distances being claimed :1898_:

 

[Wi-Golfer]

Yep, far too many claim to have the supposed ability to "work" the ball. Hey call your shank, slice, hook, anything you want, but it sure as hell isn't "working the ball".

 

[BigJim13]

Precisely Lefty. Your post should be bronzed & attached as the front page of every golf discussion forum.

As a member of a few discussion forums I see the same recurring stereotypes and the perceptions caused by those stereotypes have no bearing with reality. For example, it starts off with what I'd term "blade fixation"; ie. blades are what real golfers use and if you don't play with them, you're no good. To those who think that, chant the following until it sinks in "many pros don't use blades". Then there's the talk about "working the ball" (up, down, left, right, high, low, around dog legs ... and so it goes on). It's utter B.S. As Lefty says, put the damn thing in the fairway & then hit a straight shot to the green (ie. middle of the green).

.... and don't get me started on driving distances being claimed :1898_:

I'd be willing to bet that if you played a round with blades you would shoot within 2-3 strokes of your average score. They aren't that much harder to hit, what it is is a mental block that people have with playing a smaller headed design. It's all in the head.