Questions for the more accomplished players

[silver & black]

I have  some questions for those of you that have played a long time and played a lot of different irons.

 

Why is it a widely held belief/opinion that blades are hard to hit?

 

What is the advantage of a blade over a CB for the better player... and why?

 

IF blades truly are harder to hit than CB's, what makes them so?

 

And... if CB's are really that much easier to hit, why doesn't everyone game them.... even the pros? ( I know some do).

 

What handicap is generally perceived to be "worthy" of playing blades?

 

And finally, if someone can hit blades even though they are no better than mid cap, why shouldn't they?

 

 

[whiskey golf]

I've often wondered this too, like the difference between the Titleist MB and CB models, they seem very similar and I would imagine there's not a ton of difference to them as far as forgiveness goes. Is it a placebo effect or do people actually notice a difference, iron for iron? I can't really add insight to these questions because I have only played a couple different iron models and not long enough compared to other members. 

[fozcycle]

I have  some questions for those of you that have played a long time and played a lot of different irons.

 

 I have been playing for 55 years. The best year was1984 when I held a 10 Handicap. Currently my Hcap is 19, yet I recently shot a 77.

 

Why is it a widely held belief/opinion that blades are hard to hit?

 

Put a Blade iron next to a Cavity Back or Super Game Improvement iron and you will notice that the Blade is much smaller with a thinner sole. This makes it harder to hit the ball.

 

What is the advantage of a blade over a CB for the better player... and why?

 

The Blade will allow you to control the flight of the ball better.

 

IF blades truly are harder to hit than CB's, what makes them so?

 

See answer above...

 

And... if CB's are really that much easier to hit, why doesn't everyone game them.... even the pros? ( I know some do).

 

CB's do not control the ball as good as the Blades.

 

 

 

What handicap is generally perceived to be "worthy" of playing blades?

 

Single a Digit Handicaps

 

And finally, if someone can hit blades even though they are no better than mid cap, why shouldn't they?

 

They may not like the Feel of the Blades as they will provide more vibration on miss hits than GI or SGI clubs.

[HighFade]

1. In general, the sweet spot is smaller on blades

2. Blades are easier to work (fade, draw)

3. Blades don't launch as high

4. CBs tend to go a bit further

 

I play CBs because I don't like to work the ball, and they're longer. I'm a 3 handicap, but I'll take all the help I can get as far as mishitting it. We all do it. When I play with other guys with similar handicaps (most play blades), my mishits are waaaaay better than theirs.

 

But if you prefer hitting draws and fades into greens, you are pretty consistent ball striker, and you don't mind losing a little distance, blades are a good choice. And a well struck shot feels AWESOME at impact.

 

Personally I think people play blades more because of ego than trajectory or playability.

[revkev]

Oh great here we go again.

 

I have strong opinions here as do others. In the end I believe it has to do with weighting and where that weighting is. It's easier to make an iron that kicks the ball high and produces less spin or gear effect like spin with a cavity back iron. Even clubs that get called blades as often muscle backed thus providing some help.

 

As to why someone would want to play blades less help means greater workability, more control of well struck shots. That's what some better players prefer.

 

Some will say they love the feel of blades but that's another topic altogether.

 

Personally i stopped playing blades long ago, when the Ping Eye 2 came out. It should be noted that lots of guys on tour gamed those irons. Interestingly I was also accidentally ahead of my time. I ordered a set of Ram tour grinds and the 2 iron was on back order. When Ram sent it I got their cavity back. I was disappointed until I hit it. I could hit that sucker 225 down the middle every time off the tee.

 

At any rate do what you want. I'll take the help afforded by a cavity back. But who am I to tell you or anyone else what to do. If you want my advice I'd say take the easy way out. Golf is hard enough.

[JMiller]

Why is it a widely held belief/opinion that blades are hard to hit?

This is something that normally comes from higher handicaps that don't strike the ball consistently. They will loose a lot of distance on mishits and thus think they are "hard to hit".

 

What is the advantage of a blade over a CB for the better player... and why?

You would get a lot of opinions on this one that are not really based on the design they are emotional opinions. It really boils down to trajectory / spin for the player if they go with a blade over a CB that could play either one.

Blade offers this in general:

~ higher CoG (lowers trajectory and spin)

~ less offset (anti-hook and easier to play a fade for a natural draw player)

~ thinner sole widths (trajectory control)

 

IF blades truly are harder to hit than CB's, what makes them so?

Blades do not have any parameter weighting, thus the forgiveness on them is very low, a miss hit of even 1" of the sweet spot will lose a lot of distance.

 

And... if CB's are really that much easier to hit, why doesn't everyone game them.... even the pros? ( I know some do).

In all honesty I think it is ball flight characteristics. Some people like myself will launch a CB too high and spin it too much. You start to get the balloon effect. I had to play a KBS C-Taper XS in my AP2s to get the ball flight and spin I wanted. When i switched to the FG62s the C-Taper came out too low with too little spin and thus i switched to a KBS Tour XS 1x SS. Little softer shaft for more spin and higher trajectory. If I were to play both on an LM my guess is they would come out pretty close to the same with different shafts in terms of spin and apex.

 

What handicap is generally perceived to be "worthy" of playing blades?

Looking at OEM recommendations they always suggest a 5 handicap or better. Really OEM just give that handicap because they know someone playing to that level has a consistent swing and can find the sweet spot without much trouble a mishit would be more of a rarity for this type of player. I know there are some players out there that are higher then a 5 handicap that can handle blades, it could be that their full swing is premium but their short game and putting is lacking.

 

 

 

My suggestion to anyone thinking about blades is to test hit them out of a fitting cart compared to that same companies CB. Mizuno is a good one, MP-4 is a great Blade and the MP-64 is a great CB. If you use the same shaft in both heads you are probably going to notice slightly different tendencies in the ball flight. You may have to use one shaft in a Cb that is a different fit then a shaft in a blade.

 

Good luck with sorting out the opinions on the matter. I think most opinions that are anti-blades come from people that don't have the game to hit blades, maybe I'm wrong.

[SPY ZINGER]

For me, it's basically the same reason that a dog lick's his balls-

 

Because he can.....

 

Oh yea, that and ego

 

Have a great Season

 

 

Fairways & Greens My Friend,

Richard

 

*Your last choices in the Tunes thread were super!!

This isn't just limited to dogs.

[JBones]

I play a combo set, max forgiveness/distance in the long irons, semi forgiving cut muscles in the mid irons, and MBs in the short irons. Hitting on a Trackman, my long irons have had 15yd differences on flush hits, mid irons it drops down to about 5-7yds on flush hits, but the MBs are within 2-3 yds every time. Plus, as stated, the MBs are much easier to control trajectory and working the ball. I tend to hit the sweet spot on the MBs much more consistently than CBs, because the heads are generally much smaller, which I think makes it easier to hit the center of the face.

[Sluggo42]

The techno reasons have been covered, the feel is the other side of the coin. A pure blade hit is one of the best feelings in life. It's like getting bit when bass fishing. It's like striping a double on a 90 mph fastball. It's like banging second gear in a 67 Malibu with a 400 hp 383 stroker.

I'll leave out the obvious one.

 

Point is, blades just feel really good when you tag the sweetspot. Unfortunately, the sweetspot is about the size of a dime on a blade. Big GI cavity backs are quarter sized. A pure hit on a CB feels good, but not AS good.

 

Mp33's were as good as it gets, the mp64 is pretty close, as a muscle back CB.

Anyone can play blades if they want, but the reality is you won't score as well unless you are a low single. If you don't care about the score, then it doesn't matter.

 

Don't paint yourself into a box unnecessarily, just be aware of what the different types of clubs will give you at the end of the day.

[RookieBlue7]

The generally accepted consensus is that blades are harder to hit does hold merit. Granted it's not as true today, but it does still hold intrinsic value. Blades are smaller and have a smaller sweet spot. This is due to the weight being centered lower on the club. The reason for this design is better ball strikers hit the center of the face far more often and as such they're repeatedly hitting the ball in the same spot (looking at the wear spot on a low handicap player's irons illustrates this. They wear a spot out in the center if the face generally about the size of a quarter). The design of blades is such that it's easier to work the ball left and right. They're designed in such a way that opening and closing the face presents little problem or effort.

 

Cavity backs and even mid cavity designs are focused on increasing moi across the face as well as playability. They do this via perimeter weighting, balancing the club face more and making it easier to square up. You have to work a little harder to work the ball left or right because of this design. Even slightly closed or open faces on perimeter weighted clubs through the swing has a tendency to square at impact because of the weighting design. The weight is more evenly distributed across the club as opposed to being centrally located low and in the center of the club face like on blades. The design lends itself to hitting the ball straighter and spreading the weight out also keeps more mass behind the ball on off center strikes so distance loss is minimized for those that don't repeatedly hit it in the center of the club face.

 

Hopefully that answers those questions. As for the others, there's no set handicap IMO for who should play blades due to some players having a higher handicap but it could be short game or putting or their long game that causes the issues. You could be the best iron player in the world but if you can't get off the tee or putt it won't matter. Now yeah, if your iron game is the reason for your high scores I would say you shouldn't play blades. But, by that same token, I'm not going to tell anyone how to spend their money. Some people play golf just for fun and the scores aren't what they're concerned with and they should play what makes them happy.

 

Missed one... Why do pros play them? The vast majority work the ball left and right. It's easier with blades. Do you think Bubba is hitting the 145 yard shot with 70 yards of hook with a G15 series shovel of a PW? With his talent and ability to move the ball, he'd find a way I'm sure (he's a master at working the ball with his unorthodoxies methods, I've seen him do it in person), but the S59's have a profile that makes it MUCH easier for him to do that. I've stood in the spot he hit that shot from several times, you could give me a large bucket of range balls and I'd be happy within 30 yards of the green. That shot was more easily executed with a non-perimeter weighted club.l because the PW club just wants to go straight. That's why they play blades or similar, because they do work the ball. By that same token, if their swing is just a little off, you can see the difference in scoring for them. Tiger has been just a tick off until yesterday and his scores reflected that. He got the swing working yesterday and then the putter got hot and look at the difference. He's scoring like crazy.

[RoverRick]

A true blade of the 1980's and before are seriously unforgiving.  Even on well struck shots in cold weather they could punish you.  I am speaking for playing Tony Penna blades.  And to blade a 2 iron in winter would make your teeth rattle.  Modern MB's this is not the case.  I bag MP68's most of the time and find these to be extremely more forgiving than even the MP33's I played before them.  But since at least 2000 the MBs have become much more user friendly.  But you do have to be a consistent ball striker.

 

For me, and I have a set of MB's and a set of CB's and will often swap them out in the bag.  After many practice rounds to test this, I found I do not hit any more GIR with the CB's than I do with the MB's.  Because I am not hitting all over the face of the club, if I miss the green it is one of two reasons.  I either misjudged the wind or I made a swing path error.  No amount of forgiveness will help when you make a bad swing.

 

Since I do not hit a lot of GIR, I have to rely on my short game.  I average 8.3 feet from the pin with wedges inside of 50 yards.  I carry 6-PW in MB's now because I can use those same shots with different clubs and stretch that out to 120 yards.  When I use hot face CB's it throws these distances off and I am not as comfortable doing this.  However, i do like the added forgiveness of the CB's in the longer irons.  So therefore I have set my bag up to where I have a combination set of MB 6-PW and CB's in the 3, 4 and 5 irons. I currently have taken the 3 and 4 irons out in favor of more forgiving and longer reaching hybrids.

[silver & black]

Thanks for all the great answers, guys. I knew the group of men on this forum wold come through with flying colors.

 

The reason I asked these questions isn't because I personally feel like I want to play blades.... although I do love the looks of them. I asked because I have a buddy that wants to buy a set he found on e-bay (I don't know the brand or model). He has only been playing for 5 years.

 

I tried to tell him he really wouldn't be able to hit them well enough to enjoy himself on the golf course. He insists that it's just a chunk of steel on a stick and he should be able to hit them just fine. I told him to hold off and I would get some answers as to why he shouldn't purchase them, because frankly, I didn't really know the reasons myself, other than what I've heard and read about blades over the years.

 

I'll show him this thread and he can decide for himself if he still wants to waste his money...lol.

 

Thanks again for the thorough explanations and the education.

[Blade]

If he's not all over the face with his impact he'll probably be fine with them. If he has trouble finding the center of the face or getting the ball in the air, he'll probably fight them.

[Mr_Theoo]

I've only been playing for 2 years and I currently play blades but I also have been taking regular lessons for almost a year now when I first got them I could hit them OK but now I hit them better than ever. If he's working to improve his game he will be fine because they do let you know when you don't hit them well and when you do.

[silver & black]

 That's the thing.... he sucks! He plays knock offs of Calloway of some sort right now. They are SGI irons and he can barely get the ball in the air with them. I think he's going through the "new equipment will fix it" phase...lol.

 

I've been playing for almost 15 years, now. I switched to MP-64's last year. I couldn't be happier with them. They aren't as forgiving as the MX-25's I was playing but, I love the feel... and the feed back when I do hit them wrong. They are as close to a real blade as I ever intend to get. 

[silver & black]

Thanks RP. I'm not going to tell him what he should do as far as purchasing the clubs. I just told him hold off until I could give him some concrete answers about blades vs. CB's. If he still wants to buy them, I'll wish him the best with them and continue to enjoy his company on the golf course.

[silver & black]

Yea, I let him hit a few with my 64's. He just killed worms...lol. That's why I'm kind of confused as to why he thinks he can hit an honest to God blade.

 

His best score to date is 102. The best part of his game is chipping and putting. He drives the ball decent. He absolutely struggles with his irons. I've tried to get him to take some lessons.... and I refuse to give him any advice because I'm not a teacher, nor do I profess to know anything about swing mechanics that I would pass on to anyone else. So far he hasn't shown any desire to take a lesson. I guess he'll learn one the hard way if he decides to buy the blades...lol.

[JMiller]

Point is, blades just feel really good when you tag the sweetspot. Unfortunately, the sweetspot is about the size of a dime on a blade. Big GI cavity backs are quarter sized. A pure hit on a CB feels good, but not AS good.

Be careful about sweet spot and forgiveness because they are two different things.

 

The sweet spot is actually very small on every head regardless of the make. It is the point where you could balance the head itself of the back of a cheap bic pen. For example if you have an adjustable head take out the shaft / adapter completely then put an empty adapter into the hosel locking it into place. Then simply find the balance point on the face where you can have the pen straight up and down but the head doesn't fall off the pen. This doesn't just work on Driver heads, iron heads and wedges only have one true sweet spot and it is small like the driver head.

--> Good image to illustrate the point :: Click Here

 

What changes between the clubs is the forgiveness. Parameter weighting reduces twisting on off center hits and would result in better MOI and initial line. Hitting the ball longer and straighter on off center hits aka forgiveness.

 

In short in terms of forgiveness, some rough guesses:

~ The true sweet spot :: 1/16" diameter circle maybe smaller.

>> Forgiveness on a modern blade about 1" to 1.25" diameter circle centered at the CoG.

>> Forgiveness on a modern CB is more of an oval then a circle. you start to get more forgiveness 10-15% left / right of the 1" circle of a blade.

>> Forgiveness on a modern GI is a larger oval then the CB. You start to get more of 1.5" to 2" outside of the 1" circle of the blade.

--> Perfect image of forgiveness areas :: Click Here

[revkev]

Be careful about sweet spot and forgiveness because they are two different things.

 

The sweet spot is actually very small on every head regardless of the make. It is the point where you could balance the head itself of the back of a cheap bic pen. For example if you have an adjustable head take out the shaft / adapter completely then put an empty adapter into the hosel locking it into place. Then simply find the balance point on the face where you can have the pen straight up and down but the head doesn't fall off the pen. This doesn't just work on Driver heads, iron heads and wedges only have one true sweet spot and it is small like the driver head.

--> Good image to illustrate the point :: Click Here

 

What changes between the clubs is the forgiveness. Parameter weighting reduces twisting on off center hits and would result in better MOI and initial line. Hitting the ball longer and straighter on off center hits aka forgiveness.

 

In short in terms of forgiveness, some rough guesses:

~ The true sweet spot :: 1/16" diameter circle maybe smaller.

>> Forgiveness on a modern blade about 1" to 1.25" diameter circle centered at the CoG.

>> Forgiveness on a modern CB is more of an oval then a circle. you start to get more forgiveness 10-15% left / right of the 1" circle of a blade.

>> Forgiveness on a modern GI is a larger oval then the CB. You start to get more of 1.5" to 2" outside of the 1" circle of the blade.

--> Perfect image of forgiveness areas :: Click Here

 

Very nice explanation and visual illustration.  I always appreciate having you post.  I was suprised that some wrote that blades are shorter than CB or GI clubs.  If they are its only because the lofts don't correspond.  So long as you hit the ball on the sweet spot distance isn't so much a factor - the problem comes with what happens after you miss the sweet spot and/or how you prefer to work the ball. 

[Jmikecpa]

I just went back to blades the end of last year from a player's cavity iron and the reason that I made the switch is that there are a lot of shots that I would like to hit that the irons I was playing would not allow.  To elaborate I like to hit a nice high draw as my stock shot and do that fairly well with just about any iron.  I also like to hit a low draw, low cut and high cut that I could hit but had to work against the properties in the irons that essentially made the ball go straight.  I was getting into bad habits trying to hit shots that were not meant to be hit with what I was playing and that was a bad thing for me.  I am very happy with the current irons in my bag and these may just be the easiest to hit MB that I have ever played.

[BIG STU]

I am going to throw my 2 cents worth in on this. All the analogy was real good on this. I played blades all my life up until last summer. I never considered myself a great ball striker except for wedges and the 9 iron. I finally found a set of CB irons I could work no joke. I had tried quite a few sets of CB irons on the range and could not find any that I could work but I finally did. I did have to get used to the hotter faces but I worked on it hard. I have also done some modifications to make them work for me on shaft tipping and weight. I also did some overall bag modifications as to what I carry now and it works. I can say that truthfully I can hit all 12 clubs I carry in my bag with confidence now. I do still play blades and persimmon a few times a month now because I have gotten into the vintage thing and I still enjoy it.

Us older guys still remember the balata ball and you could work it well. These balls today you cannot to a certain point but I have learned to adapt. Recently one day when I was playing I found a Bridgestone E-9 I think it was and I decided to hit it. I played it a couple of holes and I could not work it. I found out later that the dimple design makes the ball hit straighter. It was too straight for me.Technology has changed this game.

As for this summer when I plan to play some mini events the Cb irons will be in the bag for me. It has took a while but I have adapted

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

One of the factors often mentioned for blades is that one can "work the ball" and shape the shots better with blades over CB or GI irons.  But then, there are the "ball flight laws," balls struck with a certain face angle relative to path angle WILL go or shape in a certain manner.  So which is it, I wondered.  Won't the ball flight laws make a shot perform according to the laws whether it was it with a GI or a blade?

 

I am surmising the following.  JMiller's post above never listed workability as one of the factors for preferring blades.  However, he did allude the fact that CBs may "balloon" the ball more than desired for the better players because of increased spin, which would reduce workability.  So, perhaps its not that blades let you draw or fade the ball on demand, but that they do it better because you need lower flighted balls to more accurately control the draws and fades?

 

Now for me, and the subject of the thread, I have no problem getting the ball in the air.  My best shots seem really, really high compared to a lot of the people I play with, but they go straight and the right distance.  My bad shots also have plenty of height, whether it be pulled left or blocked right in my efforts to avoid pulling left.  My problem is swing path.  I don't always hit in the middle of the club face, but do more often than not.  But I'm sure I benefit a lot from perimeter weighting.  But, I don't need and hate offset, and don't need whatever it is that GI clubs do to help players get a ball into the air.  So, methinks I need the mid ground CBs, but wouldn't benefit from the GI and probably would lose a lot of shots with the blades.  I currently play TM R9s and believe they're appropriate for me.

[revkev]

One of the factors often mentioned for blades is that one can "work the ball" and shape the shots better with blades over CB or GI irons.  But then, there are the "ball flight laws," balls struck with a certain face angle relative to path angle WILL go or shape in a certain manner.  So which is it, I wondered.  Won't the ball flight laws make a shot perform according to the laws whether it was it with a GI or a blade?

 

I am surmising the following.  JMiller's post above never listed workability as one of the factors for preferring blades.  However, he did allude the fact that CBs may "balloon" the ball more than desired for the better players because of increased spin, which would reduce workability.  So, perhaps its not that blades let you draw or fade the ball on demand, but that they do it better because you need lower flighted balls to more accurately control the draws and fades?

 

Now for me, and the subject of the thread, I have no problem getting the ball in the air.  My best shots seem really, really high compared to a lot of the people I play with, but they go straight and the right distance.  My bad shots also have plenty of height, whether it be pulled left or blocked right in my efforts to avoid pulling left.  My problem is swing path.  I don't always hit in the middle of the club face, but do more often than not.  But I'm sure I benefit a lot from perimeter weighting.  But, I don't need and hate offset, and don't need whatever it is that GI clubs do to help players get a ball into the air.  So, methinks I need the mid ground CBs, but wouldn't benefit from the GI and probably would lose a lot of shots with the blades.  I currently play TM R9s and believe they're appropriate for me.

  Having played with you once and on a very bad day at that - you hit the ball fine - you could use what you want.

 

But to your first point ball flight rules do apply.  Blades don't have the perimiter weighting that Cavity Backs do,  therefore they are easier to work.  Cavity backs make it more difficult to curve the ball because that's what they are designed to do.

 

Big Stu said it though, the ball itself isn't designed to be worked.  My ideal shot shape through the 7 iron is a high draw - when I'm swinging well I get it but it's very slight.  Anymore I have lots of trouble curving the ball around things because the ball doesn't want to co-operate - I know how to make it hook (believe me I can make a ball hook) or slice but it's tougher with these newer balls regardless of the equipment. 

 

My prefered shot with the 8 iron down is a slight fade - sometimes I think I'm able to bet that as much because of less offset on players type or non-GI clubs than because the club is a blade or cavity back.  I'm not a big worker of the ball other than up or down due to the wind - I find that trait very handy to have under control.

 

Any thoughts on the offset theory in regards to being able to hit a little fade?  Most better players are by nature drawers of the ball - I think the lack of offset helps tame that tendancy.

[BIG STU]

My stock shot is the 3 yard cut or baby cut as some call it. My swing is self taught and designed to be anti hook. I can hit a draw sometimes if I try hard and concentrate but truthfully I cannot control it or hit it with confidence. I only try to hit a draw when it absolutely has to be done. My trajectory is low by design. I had to learn to hit it lower here at the beach when I moved here due to the wind and due to getting older and fatter my swing flattened out but that was a good thing in the overall evolution of my swing. I do not have any problem stopping the ball on greens because of all my factors I hit a trap cut. Also my ball trajectory is low due to hard stepping my shafts. I had experimented with various clubs and shafts and tips last summer and found out if I soft stepped shafts I did hit the ball higher but distance control was unpredictable for me so I went back to my thing of a low piercing cut. I can also hit the "Bubba cut" simply by moving the ball up in my stance. In all my experimenting last summer I did find one club I can hit a soft draw with---- don't laugh it is my vintage persimmon Tony Penna driver. I had not hit it for 20 or so odd years. I loved the club but was subject to rope hook it bad due to shaft length and the shaft type and flex. It was what I called a early crossover between persimmon and steel woods and graphite and steel shafts. It does have stock from the factory an Aldila HM-40 graphite shaft. Recently I took to playing some vintage golf and put this beloved driver in my vintage stuff. I guess I have gotten older and don't whip the club through as fast as I used to so now I hit a soft draw with it I can control but I only hit it about 220 or so. Guess what since I only carry 12 clubs as SOP it may go in my bag for different courses that may require that shot. I have always been one to switch out certain clubs for certain courses.

[MarcKilgore]

I am not an accomplished player - in fact I basically suck, but get alot of lucky shots.

 

However, I thought I'd make myself feel better by posting in this thread meant for accomplshed players.

 

I feel good about myself now.

[Salmon]

To add to the answers to the OP's questions;

 

The belief that blades are harder to hit is because its true. They are a lot harder to hit consistantly well due to their contruction and off centre shots are incredibly unforgiving.

 

The main advantages for better ball strikers (I will refrain from using the term better player because there is no correlation in my opinion) is that they can get a lot more out of the irons when consistantly struck out of the middle than cavity backs. There is a lot more feedback from the shot when hitting blades and these players are typically able to get more out of the club more easily then when using CB's.

 

What actually makes them harder to hit is the contruction and dimensions of the heads. They are typically much smaller in head size, the sweet spot on the club is smaller and therefor harder to hit and the forgiveness when moving away from that centre decreases dramatically.

 

The reason in my opinion that not every good player plays blades is because it depends on what they are trying to achieve. If they are incredible ball strikers that enjoy immense feedback off the club face and like to be able to work the ball into different flights and movements then they might play blades. If they are incredible ball strikers but want something that is a bit easier to hit consistantly more often to take pressure off there iron play and typically just want to hit the ball straight or with minimal movement and can live with that then they would move away from blades. If the player is an incredibly good player but is lacking in their iron play but makes up with good short games and off the tee, they may want something more consistant to help improve their iron play, they would most likely move away from blades. Ultimately in my opinion it comes down to your ball striking ability and what you want to be able to do with the shots your playing.

 

For the final two questions again it comes down to your ball striking ability, there is no minimum handicap in which you qualify for the use of blades. If you strike the ball well enough to take advatage of it and your off 30, then I don't see an issue with you trying them and seeing if you like them. I would however suggest you don't take the leap of faith striaght away if you are looking at getting blades at whatever handicap you are at, they are not very forgiving and can put a lot of pressure on that aspect of your game and can ultimately be detrimental to your game. I would use as many oppertunities to try them out before you buy to see if you are happy with the way you strike the ball. If your still happy after that than buy away

[HighFade]

Well said, Salmon.

 

Some players look down their nose at CB players, like playing blades is some exclusive club. I CAN hit blades, but I CHOOSE to play CBs. I almost never work the ball, and like the typically higher trajectory. It would be pointless for me to play blades.

 

Same story as anything else in this game: if it works for you, do it.

[BIG STU]

Well said, Salmon.

 

Some players look down their nose at CB players, like playing blades is some exclusive club. I CAN hit blades, but I CHOOSE to play CBs. I almost never work the ball, and like the typically higher trajectory. It would be pointless for me to play blades.

 

Same story as anything else in this game: if it works for you, do it.

Agreed 100% I played vintage blades (70s 80s) up until last summer and experimented around and found some CBs that met my criteria. I can get away with hitting it all over the face. I do practice with the vintage stuff at least one practice session a week and the blades will let you know when you screw up. I never considered myself a good ball striker even in my better days I just always plodded and grinded around the course with a good short game and putting. Really now I only hit balls to stay loose and work on my short game 90% of my practice time. I do try to hit in my net every morning before work and I do use one of my vintage blades to do so. Yesterday I played and when I warmed up I did so with my blade 8 and 9 irons but played with my modern CBs. Had a pretty good ball striking day for me in adverse conditions.