Who doesn’t want to play a muscle back iron?

[Ding-dong]

I am afraid the blades are hanging back on the wall, after some bad results.

I find my swing is completely impacted by where or how far I stand from the ball. I might be a fraction off and before you know it that lacklustre toe strike that happily finds an inaccessible edge of a bunker or other rotten lie occurs. 
So it’s back to the 0211DCs and some routine to get me in the right place and check I am in the right place, without harming the score card.

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Grabbed some comparison numbers between the Apex MB’s and the ZX7’s yesterday while I was at the range.

 

 

As much as I love the blades, the numbers don’t lie. I go through a similar exercise and realization every time I put the blades back in the bag. So it’s back to gaming the ZX7’s but I’m definitely going to look at re-shafting them this off season, as I still don’t like the overall feel of these irons despite the results.

[Hook DeLoft]

2 hours ago, Ben Joest said:

Grabbed some comparison numbers between the Apex MB’s and the ZX7’s yesterday while I was at the range.

 

 

As much as I love the blades, the numbers don’t lie. I go through a similar exercise and realization every time I put the blades back in the bag. So it’s back to gaming the ZX7’s but I’m definitely going to look at re-shafting them this off season, as I still don’t like the overall feel of these irons despite the results.

Far be it from me to be a bad influence, but the Cool Clubs robot testing show that the new ZX7 II has an extremely tight dispersion on mis-hits. 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

So I went to a local golf shop, determined to see what was out there. I had designs to try a Titleist t100s or a Taylor Made P770, but I never made it past these:

So for those keeping score at home, the set of irons I’ve decided in lieu of the Callaway blades is a set of…

Mizuno blades

Apparently, I never really learn my lesson. Ever. 
 

Despite the fact that I have moved from one set of blades to another, they are buttery smooth and I can’t wait to get them out on course and to the range, so that I can get some numbers beyond the trackman data that helped convince me this was a good idea. I guess I should lean into the thought that I’m a blade player now.

[sirchunksalot]

Really great stuff @Ben Joest! I'm just now catching up on this thread as the Cobra Anniversary challenge has taken up a lot of time. The Mizuno Pro 221's you just picked up are stunning and I can't wait to hear how they work for you.

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Thanks @sirchunksalot! 
 

Initial thoughts: 

These standard grips got to go. Feels like I’m strangling a pencil. 
 

These irons launch higher than any set I’ve played. Need some range time to dial my new distances, but I like the ball flight they produce, a high subtle draw. 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

The best I can manage for today is some balls into the net, but overall I’m encouraged. I’ve installed Lamkin crossline oversized on the 5-PW and it is a noticeable difference, as I feel I have immediately better control over the face and the club overall. 
 

Nice, tight dispersion grouping. For gapping purposes 124 carry will work.

Dispersion a little wide, but the 136 carry fits into my gapping scheme.

Dispersion grouping is good, but the carry number is 8 yards lower than where I want it to be, so I’ve got some work there. Ideally, this club will carry 160, once I get it dialed in.

[tdroma98]

Ben, how do you like the Project X LS shaft? 
Have you played this shaft before? 

Reason for asking, I'm looking for new irons. I've played the Project X 6.0.  I put a Project X shaft in a current Precept Iron and its just ok.  It seems the Project X Lz & Ls shafts are popular.  
Also considering irons with Nippon 125 Modus & Dynamic Gold S300 shafts. 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

3 minutes ago, tdroma98 said:

Ben, how do you like the Project X LS shaft? 
Have you played this shaft before? 

Reason for asking, I'm looking for new irons. I've played the Project X 6.0.  I put a Project X shaft in a current Precept Iron and its just ok.  It seems the Project X Lz & Ls shafts are popular.  
Also considering irons with Nippon 125 Modus & Dynamic Gold S300 shafts. 

Small sample size thus far and admittedly I am perplexed by them. They are marketed as a low spin, low launch iron shaft. When I was hitting them at the shop on a trackman, the spin I was seeing with the 7i and 8i was comparable to other shafts I’ve used. Swinging the PW was different though, as the one unit showed one particular showed 10,500 rpm and 5 yards of rip, I.e. carried 129 yds totaled 124 yards. The sales rep, said that machine isn’t right all the time and had me switch to the other hitting mat with a different unit. From there forward, distance and spin fell into what would be my normal range. The other piece I noticed was the apex of the ball for all the clubs I hit was between 100-140 feet, which kinda flies in the face of low launching, though I guess it is relative to one’s golf swing.

I’m hoping to get out to the range tomorrow and get some data from the MLM, to figure out what my yardage gaps are, among other things. I will report back with my findings. So for now, it is TBD.

[tdroma98]

Interesting about the ball flight.  I found the Project X 6.0 shafts definitely produced a little lower ball flight than Dynamic Gold S300 shafts. 

Would be interested to see how the numbers are when outside at the range.  Don't know much about the LS. Good feedback.  I like the charts you posted, informative! 

Good luck tomorrow! 

Of course I found a new set of Titleist T200 irons with AMT White shafts in them. The progressive weight in shaft is interesting.  I didn't like the Elevate 105gram shafts because they were too light and led to inconsistent shots.  Don't want to confuse myself too much! LOL! 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

The range trip was postponed until tomorrow, as the ever present threat of lightning today put me off. However, I did hit some into the net tonight, and man are these things crispy. Contact with them feels so pure, I’m genuinely excited to see how they perform. The honest truth about blades is they aren’t forgiving and they aren’t loft jacked, so a toe strike with a 7 iron isn’t going 190 but a normal tempo swing still produces a carry around 165 with some run out and that’s all I currently want or need it to do. So, so buttery…

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Made it to the range today. Hit a hundred balls, but some combination of heat and technology hating me left the MLM unreliable and the data it produced, when it chose to work, sketchy at best. When I go lately, I’ve been hitting from the covered tees, as direct sunlight seems to overheat the MLM and the iPhone almost instantaneously. Even in the shade, the heat must have been too much for them, because it picked up 18 of the 100 balls. The goal going in was to determine my gapping with the new irons and figure out if there are going to be any problem areas.

alas, it did well with the PW and 9i and then the wheels fell off. I got one 8i, one 7i, no 6 or 5, none of the woods and 2 drivers before the overheating warning flashed on the iPhone display.

Here’s the PW:

and the 9i:

Observations, not recorded:

I absolutely love PW through 6i in this set. They fly high, straight, and exactly where I aim them. After it became apparent, I wasn’t going to get the gapping done today, I worked on shaping them and I can hit cuts and draws with relative ease. Out of 100 balls, 75-80 were iron hits, of those I mishit 3. 2 of those were the 5i. Both were balls that I overswung on. If I stay within my swing the 5 is fine, but it also may be worth looking into how I can blend in a pro 223 or 225, for a little forgiveness. 

[rkj427]

On 7/24/2023 at 12:14 PM, tdroma98 said:

Interesting about the ball flight.  I found the Project X 6.0 shafts definitely produced a little lower ball flight than Dynamic Gold S300 shafts. 

Would be interested to see how the numbers are when outside at the range.  Don't know much about the LS. Good feedback.  I like the charts you posted, informative! 

Good luck tomorrow! 

Of course I found a new set of Titleist T200 irons with AMT White shafts in them. The progressive weight in shaft is interesting.  I didn't like the Elevate 105gram shafts because they were too light and led to inconsistent shots.  Don't want to confuse myself too much! LOL! 

@tdroma98 I sent you a message with some information

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Back to the range today. With the overcast skies and a fair breeze, the MLM and iPhone cooperated today, for the most part, and I was able to get some good data regarding club gapping. Happy with the carry distance I’m seeing, although there is some bunching between 9 and 6 with a 22 yd overall difference between various carry distance averages. The 5 iron must have known I was looking at 225’s because the numbers out of it were more inline with my expectations.

Here are some selected highlights:

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Hit a bucket tonight off of the natural turf range. Too hot for the MLM/iPhone combo, so no data beyond my visual impressions, and they are thus:

7-PW are solid. The center of the face is easy to find and they go exactly where they are aimed. 
I didn’t hit any 6i, so nothing there to report. 
5i, if struck properly, is my 200 yd club. I worked on a feel with my backswing that was leading to a proper strike, so we’ll see if that translates into tomorrow’s round. 
Also, not of blade note, but I worked for about 2 hours on the chipping and putting ranges and the game feels dialed right now. Going to put a solid effort toward breaking 70 and see what happens.

[GolfSpy_BEN]

After a round with the Lamkin crossline oversized grips, it became apparent that a change was needed. While the grip size itself was comfortable, the lack of tack was problematic. Solution:

I have changed to the midsize Lamkin UTX on my 7-PW. I left the 5-6 with the crossline grips, as I am still contemplating a switch to the Pro 225 and re-gripping two clubs I may be mothballing seemed wasteful, at best. The golf galaxy I stopped at only had 2 of the green in midsized, otherwise I would have went green for all 4 clubs. Going to get them on the range tomorrow for a trial run, but I immediately liked the tacky feel. The work continues…

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Brief update: the grip change was the right call. Todays range session confirmed that a tacky midsized cord is my preferred size and texture. Absolutely love these Lamkin UTX grips, so much so that I may finish the bag off with them.

[GolfSpy_BEN]

After 2 weeks with the Mizuno Pro 221’s, it might be time to admit defeat. If I am slightly off center, the yardage loss is shockingly bad. This isn’t really a revelation, but I’m thinking I may take advantage of the 30 day playability guarantee and see what they have that has a bit more forgiveness. Given that I still have the Apex MB 18s to play when I feel the blade itch, this feels like the right move. Perhaps if the set of ZX5’s are still there, that might work out well. We’ll see. Stay tuned.

[chisag]

4 minutes ago, Ben Joest said:

After 2 weeks with the Mizuno Pro 221’s, it might be time to admit defeat. If I am slightly off center, the yardage loss is shockingly bad. This isn’t really a revelation, but I’m thinking I may take advantage of the 30 day playability guarantee and see what they have that has a bit more forgiveness. Given that I still have the Apex MB 18s to play when I feel the blade itch, this feels like the right move. Perhaps if the set of ZX5’s are still there, that might work out well. We’ll see. Stay tuned.

 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Just now, chisag said:

 

Sam, 

It was always going to end this way. It’s like going to see Titanic and hoping for a different ending. Honestly, the journey far exceeds the destination. Along the way, I figured out that I am a good enough ball striker to game blades. What I am not, is good enough to game them consistently. I’m at peace with that. Lest we forget, I achieved a PB 73 with irons only using blades and followed that up with 74 in the four club using driver, 4 utility iron, a 7 iron blade and a PW blade. But yes, you did tell me so. And you were right.

[chisag]

10 minutes ago, Ben Joest said:

Sam, 

It was always going to end this way. It’s like going to see Titanic and hoping for a different ending. Honestly, the journey far exceeds the destination. Along the way, I figured out that I am a good enough ball striker to game blades. What I am not, is good enough to game them consistently. I’m at peace with that. Lest we forget, I achieved a PB 73 with irons only using blades and followed that up with 74 in the four club using driver, 4 utility iron, a 7 iron blade and a PW blade. But yes, you did tell me so. And you were right.

 

... Didn't really wanna say it but I just love that meme. I have said this before, but I think every serious golfer should play some MB's at some point in their golfing career. It is fun, illuminating, scratches an itch and for most it solidifies why they are playing something a little more forgiving. But you won't really know that for sure unless you take the plunge and see for yourself. 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

2 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Didn't really wanna say it but I just love that meme. I have said this before, but I think every serious golfer should play some MB's at some point in their golfing career. It is fun, illuminating, scratches an itch and for most it solidifies why they are playing something a little more forgiving. But you won't really know that for sure unless you take the plunge and see for yourself. 

Agreed. It was fun while it lasted.

[GolfSpy_BEN]

The Mizunos have moved on to a better home. Considering a couple options for their replacement. While it is highly unlikely that the next set will be blades, I do like writing about my continued adventures with irons, so I will update the thread once the decision is made. Stay tuned…

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Not muscle back blades, but I tried out a 7i and PW today. 

Overall, I think I liked them. 
 

Definitely more forgiveness. What are these mystery clubs you ask?

I still want to hit another set that is available, a combo set of ZX5/ZX7 with 110g steelfiber stiff shafts. But these T100s are smooth as hell. The all black look is pretty easy on the eyes as well. I guess we’ll see…

[GolfSpy_BEN]

used the titleist t100s’ I’ve been trying out. Not blades, but they are pretty good

[IndyBonzo]

Following this closely @Ben Joest.  Excellent write-ups and insights.  
 

I am solely on CBs myself at present with exceptions for 9 iron and lower, but I aspire to blades someday.   Maybe. 
 

I don’t want to spend your money, but I want to spend your money, and if you are like me, you must be itching to try the new Titleist T150s yes?    
 

BTW I am totally committed to the Project X LZ 6.0 in both of my iron sets.  They are fantastic low-launch but high spin for me.  I tend to switch to the higher launching KBS 120 shafts for PW or GW and lower, but just love those PX shafts otherwise.  FWIW I encourage trials with those PX shafts.  
 

Thanks for all your insights and I wish you all the luck in the world in finding a perfect set of blades (or otherwise) for your game!
 

 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

On 8/13/2023 at 12:53 AM, IndyBonzo said:

Following this closely @Ben Joest.  Excellent write-ups and insights.  
 

I am solely on CBs myself at present with exceptions for 9 iron and lower, but I aspire to blades someday.   Maybe. 
 

I don’t want to spend your money, but I want to spend your money, and if you are like me, you must be itching to try the new Titleist T150s yes?    
 

BTW I am totally committed to the Project X LZ 6.0 in both of my iron sets.  They are fantastic low-launch but high spin for me.  I tend to switch to the higher launching KBS 120 shafts for PW or GW and lower, but just love those PX shafts otherwise.  FWIW I encourage trials with those PX shafts.  
 

Thanks for all your insights and I wish you all the luck in the world in finding a perfect set of blades (or otherwise) for your game!
 

 

Funny you should mention the T150’s…

Fortunately, neither of us will have to spend my money for me to give them a go.

[IndyBonzo]

12 minutes ago, Ben Joest said:

Funny you should mention the T150’s…

Fortunately, neither of us will have to spend my money for me to give them a go.

Oh that is great news!  Congratulations!!!

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Well, the Apex MBs have made it back into the bag, at least temporarily. While I wait for the T Series test irons to arrive, I made the command decision this afternoon to return the T100s irons for store credit while I still could. I then parlayed that into a pair of Payntr spikeless golf shoes ( based on the relentless recommendations of the main site), a TSR3 driver and a Scotty Cameron Super Select GOLO 6 that I have coveted for quite some time. It is a calculated risk, but I feel the following factors make it a low-risk proposition: 1) I shot a PB 73 with these irons in an irons only round about a month ago. 2) If the fitting is to be believed, the Titleist irons heading my way won’t be leaving the bag any time soon Until then, I’ll be a blade swinging mofo once more…

[GolfSpy_BEN]