Are players irons really only for 'players' ?

[StrokerAce]

...I'm wondering if I'm 'ready'...

 

I don't want forgiveness and offset. 

I don't want stability, twisting resistance, expanded sweet spots.

I don't want a clubface that is 'expanded' from from heel to toe.

I don't want shovels.

 

I want maximum energy transfer.

I want flush shots that feel like they should.

I want smaller and compact.

I want hammers.

 

When I play a round I'd rather remember it more by the quality of my best shots than the acceptability of my worst ones...

 

At some point when I was learning to ride a bike I felt comfortable enough to take the training wheels off.  Yeah, there were a couple of falls, but I got back up and learned to ride.

 

I'm ready to take the wheels off.

I'm ready to grow leaps and bounds.

 

Are you ready to take this journey with me?

Help me ... what's a psychopath to do?

 

Perhaps the best of both worlds is a combo set with P,9,8 bladelike and 7,6,5 with a cavity design?

Perhaps I'm also a masochist.

 

Ground rules: It's an experiment.  I'm not going crazy here. Budget is 200. I can find an older set of Mizzy MX-23 or MP32 or some combo of something on the bay in that price range. I'm not married to any brand or company..I'll play anything within reason.

Also - I'm not looking for butter knives...masochism only goes so far.

 

 

...and yes, I understand the importance of getting fit and lessons and practice and being a good ball striker and smash factor and all that. 

[hckymeyer]

Lots of schools of thought here.  First, play what makes you happy.  If you want a bag with a putter and thirteen 1 irons go for it.  Sounds like it would be a fun experiment and it's not hurting anyone else.

 

Shankster will most likely approve of this move

 

My personal thought process for my game is to play whatever let's me get the ball in the hole in the least number of strokes.  For me that's not blades.  

 

There's a reason even guys on tour play cavity back irons.  Look at KJ Choi who just signed with ping.  He's gaming G400 irons.  Golf is hard enough already, if there is a club I can put in my hands that will make the game a little bit easier I'm going to take it.  

 

As for recommendations.  You can't go wrong with older Mizzy blades.  MP-32 & MP-33 are cult classics.  

 

To go back to the bike analogy...  Yeah you can take the training wheels off, but it's going to take a lot of practice and training before you're doing backflips in the X Games.

[cnosil]

If you want to play “players” irons then by all means do so. Mizuno is probably what comes to my mind as classic players type clubs.

 

I am not willing to take the journey with you. I like chisag”s post from last week where he says something along the lines of he wants clubs that perform on his best and worst days. I think there are a lot of game improvement clubs that aren't shovels or oversized or have too much offset.

 

I wish you well in your journey to find the ultimate set of players iron!

[StrokerAce]

HAHA!  Good one... who knows... maybe backflips are in my future. 

 

Great thoughts...thanks for sharing.

[Shankster]

Bringing a whole new meaning to butter knives....

 

 

[StrokerAce]

Bringing a whole new meaning to butter knives....

 

IMG_2553.JPG

 

I could play that.... using both ends!

[Shankster]

Like Meyer said. I approve 100%. Go for the blades. Full set, 1-PW. Put the time in and you will enjoy them. If not... you'll have a cool story anyways. Forgiveness is over rated.

 

Nothing better than the sting of a miss hit 2 iron, especially in your neck of the woods, when it gets cold, get some high compression balls when it is 40* or lower and you'll learn to find the sweet spot, or suffer the consequences.

[null]

I touched on this a bit in my Mizuno JPX Tour review.  

 

As GSM said, you first need to play what makes you happy.

 

Second, you need to play what meets your needs.  Only you can determine what your needs are.  Is it distance? Dispersion? Spin? Playability out of the rough?

 

I think Mark Crossfield makes some fantastic points on this topic.  I definitely recommend watching some of these videos:

 

[StrokerAce]

Like Meyer said. I approve 100%. Go for the blades. Full set, 1-PW. Put the time in and you will enjoy them. If not... you'll have a cool story anyways. Forgiveness is over rated.

 

Nothing better than the sting of a miss hit 2 iron, especially in your neck of the woods, when it gets cold, get some high compression balls when it is 40* or lower and you'll learn to find the sweet spot, or suffer the consequences.

 

quintessential masochism!

[null]

Like Meyer said. I approve 100%. Go for the blades. Full set, 1-PW. Put the time in and you will enjoy them. If not... you'll have a cool story anyways. Forgiveness is over rated.

 

Nothing better than the sting of a miss hit 2 iron, especially in your neck of the woods, when it gets cold, get some high compression balls when it is 40* or lower and you'll learn to find the sweet spot, or suffer the consequences.

 

One thing I disagree with, no matter how many times people post it, is that blades make you "concentrate more" or "find the sweet spot more often"

[Shankster]

One thing I disagree with, no matter how many times people post it, is that blades make you "concentrate more" or "find the sweet spot more often"

I know, we hashed this out before.

[Shankster]

Bobby Jones played Hickory butter knives (just the first one that came to mind). My guess is if he played the right course yardage he would give any GI iron player a run for its money.

[JTexGolfer]

Play what makes you happy! Mizuno is probably going to be the easiest route to find what you want on eBay. I love the thought of blades, just not the reality of them. If the blades will make you practice more it could have a benefit in that regard. And hey, worst case scenario you are out like $200 and you had fun trying something else.

[MDGolfHacker]

MP-32's!  MP-32!...Love those sticks!

 

MDGolfHacker

[Kenny B]

Best of luck!!  I think it's a journey that many of us have considered and tried.  I know I have.  I agree that nothing feels quite like a well-struck shot with a blade... well, except maybe a bunch of not so well struck shots with a blade!!  I gave it up and went to SGI irons.  I feel much better knowing that my worse shots with SGI irons will end up in much better positions that my worse shots with blades.  

 

If the game is all about hitting the pure shot, then by all means use blades.  The game I chose is all about shooting my best score.

[revkev]

Bobby Jones played Hickory butter knives (just the first one that came to mind). My guess is if he played the right course yardage he would give any GI iron player a run for its money.

Of course he would - at any yardage so long as there are not ridiculously long forced carries. He's arguably the greatest golfer ever and at worst in the top five.

 

Stroker Ace already told us that his goal was not to shoot the lowest score possible. And he gave us his budget. It looks like an older set of Mizuno irons for him.

 

That would not be the case for me. I want to play some competitive golf again this upcoming fall which means starting to play competitively right after Easter. I will take every advantage that I can get and probably need more. And it is an advantage for players at my level - mid to low single digit - to use some game improvement in their irons.

 

But this thread is about him and his obtaining his golfing goals. The only justification he needs is that he wants to do it.

 

Go for it!

 

 

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[GolfJunkie302]

I have a buddy who is a 15-18 hcp and plays Mizuno blades (can't remember which MP model they are). He hits them just fine.

 

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[null]

I'd also add that Handicap is a poor indicator of what iron would fit someone best.

[Golfspy_CG2]

Go for it.  And Enjoy the journey!   The game at our level is about fun.  Everyone has said it multiple times, it has a tendency to be a catchphrase, Play What You Enjoy, but it really is so true.  

 

I personally like your idea of the combo sets, that's what I have done with my 718 AP1/AP2  it might be harder to accomplish that on your budget with older clubs, as the manufacturers didn't really start doing this until the past year or two.  Great article by the way in Golf Digest this month about that.   

[Shankster]

I'd also add that Handicap is a poor indicator of what iron would fit someone best.

100%

 

I suck at putting, but I'm a heck of an iron/wedge player.

 

My iron and wedge handicap in my book is 2, putting 15+, woods 10+.

[Brian A]

Go for it, whats the worst that can happen? 

[JAGolfore]

I say find a good combo set and give it a try. Ones you could pick up for under $200 would be the old Tommy Armour 845 EVO irons. They had 2 models the V31 cast and V25 forged.

 

https://www.2ndswing.com/pv-706332823-tommy-armour-845s-evo-v-31-iron-set-3-pw-project-x-60-steel-stiff-right-handed-3825-in.aspx?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIktWE_sLf2AIVDrjACh1XhQn8EAQYASABEgLbQPD_BwE

 

 

 

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[downlowkey]

I'm all for playing what makes you “happy” but it sounds to me like strokerAce is searching for that tuning fork tingle in the loin area. If that is indeed the case, there is no substitute for a well struck forged blade.

However most forged heads with a thinner sole/topline should give the feedback/turf interaction you desire without being overly penal; in addition to eventual fitting adjustability. In the $200 budget neighborhood I would advise you to consider the Adams CMB and Cleveland Ta3 lineups.

 

 

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[tommc23]

I'm not the greatest player in the world and I play blades mainly because I hate the look of offset. I started playing on Spaulding Executives 3 years ago and played them for the first year. I play wishon 575 they have a small cavity in the back of the long irons. You can find wishon irons cheap on eBay since they are a small brand.

 

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[Shankster]

I'm not the greatest player in the world and I play blades mainly because I hate the look of offset. I started playing on Spaulding Executives 3 years ago and played them for the first year. I play wishon 575 they have a small cavity in the back of the long irons. You can find wishon irons cheap on eBay since they are a small brand.

 

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With you on the offset. I had a set of DCi OS and they have a ton of offset. Had to change my swing for the clubs and it messed me up.... big time.

[mooremikea]

If you really want to play blades there is nothing on an internet forum to talk you out of it.  Get an inexpensive set and try them out.  You might be hooked or after awhile find you can't play with them.  The only way to find out is to jump right in.  If you don't overpay for the used clubs you will get most of your money back if you decide to sell them.  

 

Mizuno is a very popular choice for forged blades and the used club market will reflect this.  If you find a set you like from a less popular company (most are not lower quality) like Cobra, Adams... the price should be less.  The only downside is the less popular brands might be harder to re-sell.  

 

Once you find a set let us know how things go.  

[MDGolfHacker]

I would also recommend the Tommy Armour silver scott blades. Picked up a set of them a few years ago new from eBay and they felt awesome! They were in a backup set I had in FL, but I brought it back up a d are currently in my garage.

 

MDGolfHacker

[MDGolfHacker]

deleted...double post 

[Spur22]

Must be something in the air. I just picked up an immaculate set of MP 32's last week for $100!! Now if March would just hurry up and get here, my experiment can begin.

 

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[deejaid]

I think every golfer of every level should try blades AND persimmon woods at least once in their golfing career. The feel of a pured blade or actual wood wood is something all golfers should experience. There is nothing like the feeling of either.

 

 

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