Blade irons for practice?

[MacTourney]

12 hours ago, Golfer56744 said:

All things being equal, I tend to believe that finding ways to make the game harder in practice makes me a better golfer.

Ask any member of the '60 Packers and they will tell you Lombardi made practices so difficult it was an absolute joy to finally arrive at game day, no more barking, no more strain, just having fun playing a game. 

Edited January 3, 2023 by MacTourney

[GolfSpy_APH]

10 minutes ago, MacTourney said:

Ask any member of the '60 Packers and they will tell you Lombardi made practices so difficult it was an absolute joy to finally arrive at game day, no more barking, no more strain, just having fun playing a game. 

Making practice difficult isnt well difficult to manage. Be more exact with what you are trying to achieve.. Golf is a hard enough game as is. 

I still think changing to a blade while does partially achieve the goal of making it harder... Or at least mishits more noticeable could cause other issues if they are not close enough in how a golfer swings their normal set.

That would be my concern. I understand the thought and theory, however i could see a lot of other negative impacts to practicing with this method.

10 minutes ago, MacTourney said:

 

 

[G56788]

1 hour ago, russtopherb said:

I believe I look just like Chris Evans.

Doesn't make it true, though.

Doesn’t make it untrue either… 

[russtopherb]

21 minutes ago, MacTourney said:

Ask any member of the '60 Packers and they will tell you Lombardi made practices so difficult it was an absolute joy to finally arrive at game day, no more barking, no more strain, just having fun playing a game. 

These things have literally no correlation with the topic at hand. None. 

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

I am definitely on the side of there are a lot of other things that would be more beneficial to help the swing and become better. Top of that list is playing/practicing whatever gamers you have as much as possible. I know I don't hit the sweet spot half the time, Don't need blades to tell me that. I am also not changing my swing because I am swinging a blade. There are tools to help me with that.

But I am also on the side of to each their own. If it helps it helps, I know it wont for me. There are tons of examples of professional athlete's that do odd training techniques, but the key word is professional there....

[G56788]

14 hours ago, russtopherb said:

What a PGA professional practices with has absolutely no relevance at all with what 99.99% of the other golfers in the world practice with.

 

12 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

There are tons of examples of professional athlete's that do odd training techniques, but the key word is professional there....

Why the aversion to copying what professional golfers do? Not everything they do is going to translate to us amateurs, but we shouldn’t discount something just because we cannot play at their level. I see pros on TV practicing with alignment sticks. Should I now throw mine in the trash? Isn’t that what golf lessons are—taking advice from a player that’s better than you?

[Placasse61]

As a former coach I can't see how changing equipment for practice would benefit someone. I always preached to practice as close to how you play, in all aspects from mental, physical and equipment. If there is a special piece of equipment that helps to train an aspect of your technique, or physical ability that is great in small components. Ultimately, I agree with Lacassem that you should do what works for you.

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

24 minutes ago, Golfer56744 said:

 

Why the aversion to copying what professional golfers do? Not everything they do is going to translate to us amateurs, but we shouldn’t discount something just because we cannot play at their level. I see pros on TV practicing with alignment sticks. Should I now throw mine in the trash? Isn’t that what golf lessons are—taking advice from a player that’s better than you?

Would you compare your current swing to a professional at this time? 

[AntLockyer]

https://www.tourstriker.com/en-gb/products/7-iron

Similar principle

 

[MacTourney]

36 minutes ago, Golfer56744 said:

I see pros on TV practicing with alignment sticks. Should I now throw mine in the trash? Isn’t that what golf lessons are—taking advice from a player that’s better than you?

[MacTourney]

16 minutes ago, AntLockyer said:

https://www.tourstriker.com/en-gb/products/7-iron

Similar principle

 

This one is fun too.  Hard to miss the sweet spot, that's all there is.

 

[RickyBobby_PR]

52 minutes ago, Golfer56744 said:

 

Why the aversion to copying what professional golfers do? Not everything they do is going to translate to us amateurs, but we shouldn’t discount something just because we cannot play at their level. I see pros on TV practicing with alignment sticks. Should I now throw mine in the trash? Isn’t that what golf lessons are—taking advice from a player that’s better than you?

Because the regular amateur golfer doesn’t swing anywhere near like a pro. A pro spends more time working on their game in a day than most amateurs in a week or for some a month and some the whole year.

When/if they do use a different piece of equipment it’s years after they spent time working on their swing with the clubs they play with.

The pros also understand exactly what caused the ball flight they see and what they felt and what was odd because they know their swing that well. Amateurs can’t self diagnose their own swing even when they watch it on video and when they do they address symptoms and not causes.

You want to mimic what the pros do then spend hours upon hours working on your swing. Hitting balls 80% of the time from lead arm parallel. 

[chisag]

2 hours ago, AntLockyer said:

https://www.tourstriker.com/en-gb/products/7-iron

Similar principle

 

 

... No, it isn't similar at all. See below: the tour striker is trying to correct a problem and teaches the student to change their swing. Practicing with a MB with the intent of improving ball striking but not changing your swing is what most find a placebo at best and detrimental at worst. Like many MB threads, it seems that maybe the OP was looking for verification not really asking a question. Overwhelmingly others think it isn't the best idea.

... As much as I dislike this idea I have also always believed whatever works, works. If you think closing one eye makes you a better putter, chances are it does. Not because it has any technical merit but the mind can be a very strong player when you give it positive instructions. I am reminded of Romeo giving Tin Cup ridiculous instructions on the range to cure his shanks. If you convince yourself hitting a MB instead of practicing and honing your skills with the iron you play is a benefit, it certainly might be. Although you run the risk of changing your swing to accommodate the difference. 

"The Tour Striker 7 Iron has been designed to intuitively teach golfers the correct way to deliver the “sweet spot” of the golf club to the ball, just like the Tour players. Practice with the Tour Striker 7 Iron will quickly change a golfer’s understanding of ball striking and will teach them to deliver the golf club to impact with a descending motion, resulting in the forward shaft lean that all great ball strikers possess.

Golfers will quickly learn how to get the SWEET SPOT of the Tour Striker under the CENTER OF GRAVITY of the ball, by naturally applying forward shaft lean during impact. Transferring the feel learned from practicing with the Tour Striker PW to your traditional golf clubs and the golf course is an easy step!"

[AzRoger]

I did put a set of blades in my bag years ago with the hope they might improve ball striking, in my case they didn't help at all, just got more frustrated with mishits. I get enough feedback with mishits on my 'forgiven' clubs, I know when I don't hit the sweet spot. The fact is most of us don't have the time to practice or skill to groove a swing to consistently hit the sweet spot, best to use clubs that will make the game easier for us.

Edited January 3, 2023 by AzRoger

[AntLockyer]

13 minutes ago, chisag said:

Practicing with a MB with the intent of improving ball striking but not changing your swing is what most find a placebo at best and detrimental at worst.

I now see why you are so against the idea. The entire premise is if you are not hitting it solid your body should with enough practice organise itself to hit it solid. Not changing your swing is what 99% of golfers do when they practice anyway.

[cnosil]

While I probably wouldn’t use a muscle back to train my swing, I can understand the perception that people have.  We hear people, talk about not being able to feel the face or where they hit the ball when using more forgiving clubs.  A MB may give them that feeling.   It may actually drive the player to actually practice and focus more on their swing…..old analogy that the secret is in the dirt.    
for those in the camp of using their own clubs, you can use feedback tools to train your swing and accomplish the same thing. Use spray powder, impact tape, or something else to only expose the sweet spot to see where you are hitting the ball on the face.  Train yourself to hit specific spots on the face.  
Ultimately whatever drill you come up with you can do it with a MB or SGI club and get the same results in probably the same amount of time.  

[chisag]

2 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Making practice difficult isnt well difficult to manage.

 

... Indeed. Considering many go to the range in hopes of just making better contact with the irons they do play, I would challenge anyone looking to improve their ball striking to hit a variety of shots on the range. Draws and fades to a target, hitting the ball high and low, 3/4 and 1/2 shots, choking down 2 inches on the grip. One of my favorites to add difficulty is change your target and club. Hit a driver to the left side of the range, follow that with a wedge to a 100yd target in the middle of the range, then a 5 iron to a target on the right side of the range which more replicates what you do in an actual round. Just some ideas for making practice difficult that are much better than just changing your iron. 

[G56788]

20 minutes ago, chisag said:

Like many MB threads, it seems the OP was looking for verification not really asking a question.

If I had already decided it would help, I wouldn’t have asked the question. My makes-things-harder-in-practice mentality made me curious about the idea, but I acknowledge it has its limitations. Best to ask others who may have tried to hit blades in practice what the pitfalls are. 

[Franc38]

To me the general idea makes sense... But only insofar as you use the same clubs bar the head for gaming (shafts, swing weight, size, lie and loft, at the bare minimum). Else you're training to use a thing and then use an other one to perform; that's likely not going to work. Just like if you were training on a go-kart to then drive a LMH race car.

In both cases you improve one skill (trajectories with the cars, hitting the centre with the clubs) but you'll need a lot of work to transpose it to the "real life situation" as the implements of the trajectory/swing are different.

However, you can perfectly decide to get a set of blades on heavy shafts, correctly fitted to you, and use them for one or two years at least, practice and play both, and see what happens. Be ready to "suffer" a bit at the beginning but then your ball striking will improve (or you'll quit golf ). I did more or less that a few years back. I was about a 25 handicap and bought (for the sake of aesthetics) a set of tour CBs. It was the middle of the winter. I remember rather vividly (and "painfully") said winter: bad contacts are punished by nasty feels and short balls going about everywhere but where you want. Even when you catch the middle of the face the loft (usually fairly "traditional" on these type of clubs, think 35 to 33° for a 7i) makes the ball go not as far as what you're used to. But then, I began hitting the ball more towards the centre, and now I'm considered a "decent ball striker" (and a bad putter, but that's another debate all together ) and won't ever go back to any club head that's not one piece forged, compact and with a "high" centre of gravity (blades and shallow cavities help me keep the ball "a bit lower" in general and most importantly to have the trajectories I want, draw/fade/high/low with less efforts... SGI and PD, for me, just do "high little draw that goes miles and don't spin enough" unless I work extra-hard).

 

TLDR: Just like balls, you should practice with the clubs you plan on playing with. Playing with blades or similar small CB will most likely improve your ball striking or make you quit (golf or simply using these unforgiving sticks) but be prepared to go through a period of "suffering" or "bad golf" while you adjust. And don't do it unless you either have distance to spare or don't care about that... Typically you'll loose 1 to 2 clubs, simply because of the lofts (more if you don't hit the middle of the face).

[Franc38]

48 minutes ago, chisag said:

... No, it isn't similar at all. See below: the tour striker is trying to correct a problem and teaches the student to change their swing. Practicing with a MB with the intent of improving ball striking but not changing your swing is what most find a placebo at best and detrimental at worst.

True, the improvement will always and only really come from the swing getting better...

Except I don't know of any golfer that will not change their swing after they've hit a few blades low in the toe on a freezy early winter morning. The feel is so "disgusting" that your brain will do whatever is required for that not to repeat itself too often. Either that works unconsciously (like what the training aid hopes to do) or via a "ah ah" moment that sends you directly to your local swing coach or by simply putting the blades back on eBay and getting a new set of SGI

[MacTourney]

[chisag]

5 minutes ago, MacTourney said:

 

... Crazy coincidence, but I played with David Graham's long time caddie last week! He paid me the ultimate compliment saying my putting stroke and results were better than most he saw on tour. I came dangerously close to blushing. Knowing the answer I asked what about the rest of my game? He smiled and said I would make a great scramble partner in a Pro Am.   But speaking of David's proviso, most Ams simply do not have the time, desire or the patience to put in daily practice to achieve a consistent level of excellent ball striking. There were waaaaaay fewer distractions in 1985. 

[Donn lost in San Diego]

I didn't buy a whole set, just a 6 iron.  Callaway Apex Pro, first version, (circa 2015?)

It is a hard club to hit.  It was worth it for me.  I used it for about 3 years to work on my swing and it is now semi retired.  Every golfer has to find what tools work for you.  But I tried to hit a persimmon recently and that didn't work for me at all.

I used a lot of different individual clubs to learn with, and it took a while for me, stubborn, to understand that swing weight IS important.  I use a Honma U22 Hybrid a lot on the range to work on my stance and posture.

[Pooter McGavin]

Practice with the clubs you play, but pay attention to contact, and strive to hit the sweet spot.  It wasn't until I played blades that I made it a priority, but you dont need blades to do it.

[chisag]

9 minutes ago, Pooter McGavin said:

Practice with the clubs you play, but pay attention to contact, and strive to hit the sweet spot.  It wasn't until I played blades that I made it a priority, but you dont need blades to do it.

 

... This has been the point many of have eluded to but you said it very concisely. 

[cnosil]

This made me laugh

 

[G56788]

Everyone seems pretty divided on this issue, but I think I’ve found a compromise. See the graphic below. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

31 minutes ago, Golfer56744 said:

Everyone seems pretty divided on this issue, but I think I’ve found a compromise. See the graphic below. 

Love it

[BuckeyeBill]

I guess I am a practice what you play kind of guy. The key to golf is consistency so when I look at the difference between a blade and a cavity back or whatever I see a couple issues. 1 - weight of club head will change your swing speed. This will change how you take the club back, your weight shift, and your follow through. ie, your swing will change. 2 - the same will also change where the sweet spot is and will change your distance control. Even when practicing on the range I have started using a launch monitor because range balls will not travel as far or react the same as a premium ball. Using the range markers to check your distances will not give you true feedback.

[chisag]

On 1/3/2023 at 10:31 AM, Golfer56744 said:

If I had already decided it would help, I wouldn’t have asked the question. My makes-things-harder-in-practice mentality made me curious about the idea, but I acknowledge it has its limitations. Best to ask others who may have tried to hit blades in practice what the pitfalls are. 

 

... Here is the thing with all these threads that I have seen for too many years to count. I have yet to see someone "ask" about playing MB's or training with MB's that read the comments and ended with "OK, after reading what everyone replied, I am not gonna play or practice with MB's. As a mid/high index player I am gonna stick with something more forgiving". It is why I have always felt 99% of these posts are just looking for validation. And I see MB's in the used sections of golf stores that have ball marks completely off the grooves toe side and think "another forum member succumbs to the allure of MB's". 

... There should be no need to repeat this but of course I will. Play/practice with the most forgiving irons you can effectively play. But if you really want to scratch the itch to play or practice with MB's go right ahead. It's your game and your money and nothing wrong with exploring options and trying any and everything you want, but again like the owner of the used MB set with wear marks the size of a dollar bill and not a dime, don't p!ss on my leg and tell me it is raining.