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The Blades/CavityBack Debate


Zlim

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An example - I have a set of Taylormade RAC OS irons that I keep for when friends come in town. Both my sets have DG S300 shafts. I hit my 755 7 iron about 170 yards consistently. With the same swing on my RAC OS I have a harder time drawing the ball and I can't get the 7 iron past 155 yards. I find that the club seems to yield me the same distance whether I try to strike the ball or just take a nice easy swing. I also generate considerably less spin with the RAC OS on shots to the green.

 

I've found similar issues in trying assorted uber-forgiving CB irons. A friend has G5s, he's let me hit them from time to time on the course. Considering the stronger lofts (I was playing Golden Rams at the time), I expected to hit an 8 iron from my normal 7 iron distance. I hit the shot, hit it good, ball mark in center of the face, and the ball came up short. Hit my own 7 iron, ball on green.

 

Not an isolated incident, just using one for example purposes.

Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5"
3w:  Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5"
2h or 3h:  TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S
Irons:  3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i & 3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R
GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S
SW:  Ram TG-898 56*, DGX ss2x; Ram Tom Watson 55*, DGX ss2x; Wilson Staff PMP 58*, DGS; PM Grind 19 58*, stock shaft
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34"; Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E, 35"; Cleveland Huntington Beach 1, 35"
Ball:  Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft

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I play Ping S59 so i am kind of in between. I have hit MP-14s before and Just wasn't good enough. But with these pings, I have forgiveness and workability.

PING: Rapture V1 9° Aldila VS Proto 'By You' (65 Stiff)

TITLEIST: 906F4 15.5° Aldila VS Proto 'By You' (80 Stiff)

COBRA: 5w Speed LD F/ST Tour AD YS Designed by Graphite Design made for Cobra Stiff

PING: S59 Rifle 6.5 Soft stepped

PING: Tour 48°, 52°, 58°

Byron SS Custom 006

Titelist Pro V 1

Ping hoofer Vantage

"Everyday you miss practicing, it will take you one day longer to get good." -Ben Hogan

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I've found similar issues in trying assorted uber-forgiving CB irons. A friend has G5s, he's let me hit them from time to time on the course. Considering the stronger lofts (I was playing Golden Rams at the time), I expected to hit an 8 iron from my normal 7 iron distance. I hit the shot, hit it good, ball mark in center of the face, and the ball came up short. Hit my own 7 iron, ball on green.

 

Not an isolated incident, just using one for example purposes.

I actually bought a set of G5's after demoing them. Returned a few rounds later. Seemed significantly short to me. Maybe I was adding loft or something with my swing, but they were much shorter than other irons i have played.

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I actually bought a set of G5's after demoing them. Returned a few rounds later. Seemed significantly short to me. Maybe I was adding loft or something with my swing, but they were much shorter than other irons i have played.

 

I'm actually heard that from other people too. Weird.

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+1 on the feel of a well struck blade. NOTHING compares. My best golf was with forged cavity backs with little to no offset. Offset clubs don't help me at all and makes it harder for me to align my shot..I'd play blades if I played weekly or more often, but that isn't possible so forged CB for me..I like sets with CB on the longer irons (no offset), while the short irons are basically blades.

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While I can't argue with the fact that blades give MORE feedback and MORE control of shots, I don't agree with the idea that playing SGIs or GIs will make you a bad/lazy ball striker because you will have no idea where you are hitting the ball. I was trying out the Cobra S2's the other day, and I was still able to control trajectory and tell where on the face I hit the ball.

 

I think, as with most things, the advice I would give someone depends on the person. If they're going to practice intensely and want to be a single digit player, then getting blades is fine advice. If they're like most people and want to play on the weekends, then I think letting them near blades is probably sadistic.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattSaternus

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I think you should get what fits your eye, and that you can hit. I can't remeber who said it, I think McCord said something like I hit the most forgiving iron I can stand to look at. I think that having something in your hand that suits your eye instill confidence and that is half the battle, be that blade, CB or GI.

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I wouldn't call those Super GIs by any standard. Try some players irons if you get a chance.

 

 

Thanks, I am going to try a few different this Spring.

John Barry

Bring the Funk, Back to Golf

The Golfer's Trip

 

 

 

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While I can't argue with the fact that blades give MORE feedback and MORE control of shots, I don't agree with the idea that playing SGIs or GIs will make you a bad/lazy ball striker because you will have no idea where you are hitting the ball. I was trying out the Cobra S2's the other day, and I was still able to control trajectory and tell where on the face I hit the ball.

 

I think, as with most things, the advice I would give someone depends on the person. If they're going to practice intensely and want to be a single digit player, then getting blades is fine advice. If they're like most people and want to play on the weekends, then I think letting them near blades is probably sadistic.

 

They don't, in and of themselves, create lazy or sloppy swings. But, they do provide circumstances where it's easier to slide that direction, if one's not careful.

Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5"
3w:  Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5"
2h or 3h:  TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S
Irons:  3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i & 3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R
GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S
SW:  Ram TG-898 56*, DGX ss2x; Ram Tom Watson 55*, DGX ss2x; Wilson Staff PMP 58*, DGS; PM Grind 19 58*, stock shaft
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34"; Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E, 35"; Cleveland Huntington Beach 1, 35"
Ball:  Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft

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I play Ping S59 so i am kind of in between. I have hit MP-14s before and Just wasn't good enough. But with these pings, I have forgiveness and workability.

 

I had an interesting experience with a fitting cart S59. I took it on the course with the blessing of the head pro to test it directly against my Golden Rams. Easy to do playing by one's self. :D Came to a par 3 that would've been a 6 iron shot with the S59, and a 5 iron with my Golden Rams, and fired away. Virtually every single S59 shot came up short, while the Ram shots were all green high; the only S59 shot that hit the green was one I used a 110% swing, when I was getting irritated at the ball not getting there.

 

Fatigue couldn't have been a factor, I was hitting the S59 first. Not a warm-up issue, this was far enough into the round that wouldn't be playing a part.

 

To be fair, club weight or swingweight could have been an issue, I didn't have any lead tape to even temporarily apply to the S59 to get it closer to my clubs.

 

Found it very interesting.

Driver: TM Original One 11.5* set to 11*, Aldila NV75 X, 43.5" -or- SpeedZone, HZRDUS Black 75 6.5, 43.5"
3w:  Cobra King LTD, RIP Beta 90, 42" -or- Stage 2 Tour, NV105 X, 42.5"
2h or 3h:  TaylorMade Stage 2 Tour, Aldila NV105 S -or- RIP Alpha 105 S
Irons:  3-PW Mizuno MP37, Recoil Proto 125 F4 (reshaft in progress, slowly); 1i & 3-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 2-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R
GW: Dynacraft Dual Milled CNC 52*, Steelfiber 125 S; Scratch 8620 DS 53*, Steelfiber 125 S
SW:  Ram TG-898 56*, DGX ss2x; Ram Tom Watson 55*, DGX ss2x; Wilson Staff PMP 58*, DGS; PM Grind 19 58*, stock shaft
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34"; Ping Scottsdale TR Craz-E, 35"; Cleveland Huntington Beach 1, 35"
Ball:  Wilson Staff Duo Professional, Bridgestone Tour B-RXS, Callaway Chrome Soft

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The shafts could have been the main issue. But I absolutely kill my iron shots. They are perfectly fine for me and I love them. I just need to be re-fit and get them flatter.

PING: Rapture V1 9° Aldila VS Proto 'By You' (65 Stiff)

TITLEIST: 906F4 15.5° Aldila VS Proto 'By You' (80 Stiff)

COBRA: 5w Speed LD F/ST Tour AD YS Designed by Graphite Design made for Cobra Stiff

PING: S59 Rifle 6.5 Soft stepped

PING: Tour 48°, 52°, 58°

Byron SS Custom 006

Titelist Pro V 1

Ping hoofer Vantage

"Everyday you miss practicing, it will take you one day longer to get good." -Ben Hogan

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It's very surprising that in these days of super strong lofts and longer shafts, any company would release a club that was markedly shorter than everything else that's out there.

 

Maybe they are just realizing that iron distance doesn't really matter.

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Maybe they are just realizing that iron distance doesn't really matter.

 

I'd agree with that 110%. I don't want to hit my irons farther, I just want them to go the same distance every time. It's a big advantage for me on the course, because I don't get caught up trying to go club for club with other players.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattSaternus

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