Rookie player do i nut up and go blades?

[Hindsy1987]

Ive recently had two years off due to  damaged intercostal muscles and a blown shoulder and im now looking at returning to the fold, now this probably seems like a stupid question but what about procuring some blades this time around, i understand the difficulty in ball striking but my thoughts are if i learn on the hardest tool and i dont care about progress being slow or frustrating surely this is the way to go. on this i only have a limited budget at the moment (very limited :P) so i would like some suggestions on some short irons and wedges, thanks guys cant believe i didn't know this forum existed luckily a mate told me last week. 

[revkev]

Welcome! This really depends on why you play golf. If your goal is to shoot the lowest scores possible then the best advice is to go with the most help your eyes can take. I haven’t done it this season but have in the past surveyed the top statistical iron players on tour and generally half or more don’t play blades. 
 

So my gut answer is - don’t - particularly with a limited budgeted - something like Srixon MK 7’s (great players iron - last generation so you can get them for a good price) might be very nice for you. 
 

If however you’ve always wanted to play blades and that’s what will bring enjoyment for you - go for it! 
 

I hope this advice makes sense and be sure to tell us however you go. Best wishes on your ongoing recovery. 

Edited July 1 by revkev

[cnosil]

15 hours ago, Hindsy1987 said:

if i learn on the hardest tool and i dont care about progress being slow or frustrating surely this is the way to go. 

Why can’t you work on better contact with a more forgiving club?  Using something like foot spray to check face contact you will get the same type of feedback as a true players iron. You can use alignment rods set up vertically to make sure you are starting the ball within desired window.   IMO, it isn’t the club, but the practice.  

[Haile]

Striking the ball with blades isn't an issue. They're not going to help in that department though. They will be less forgiving on off center strikes. I'm not saying don't get them. I love the way they look. I've tried hitting them. When flushed it was beautiful. However, when not flushed, my fingers cussed me a bit. I will say, I would stay away from the "game improvement" irons. Maybe look for a players distance with forged heads. Due to your limited budget, I would say that ebay would be your best bet when shopping. When I went for my recent fitting, I just looked at all the tour pros dumping their blades for players distance. That told me all I needed to know. But, if you're really after a set then go for it. You can learn on anything. As I always say, you do you.

[Hindsy1987]

9 hours ago, cnosil said:

Why can’t you work on better contact with a more forgiving club?  Using something like foot spray to check face contact you will get the same type of feedback as a true players iron. You can use alignment rods set up vertically to make sure you are starting the ball within desired window.   IMO, it isn’t the club, but the practice.  

I cant really fault that logic my problem is my swing arc if anything i did just see Rick Sheils latest Titilest review for the T350 and they look amazing well out of my budget though haha, can you recommend any pros i should look at to stop a high arc on the drive and wedges im fine as soon as i full out a short or long iron its getting shanked  

[cnosil]

11 hours ago, Hindsy1987 said:

I cant really fault that logic my problem is my swing arc if anything i did just see Rick Sheils latest Titilest review for the T350 and they look amazing well out of my budget though haha, can you recommend any pros i should look at to stop a high arc on the drive and wedges im fine as soon as i full out a short or long iron its getting shanked  

I a, assuming that high arc means that you are topping the ball.  Any pro will work with you to fix contact.  If you are looking for online instruction that will give you drills, maybe take a look at Adam Young.   He has online instruction to help work on face contact and low point which seem to be what you want to focus on.  he has some free material that you can download/review to see if you like his approach.  
 

https://www.adamyounggolf.com/the-strike-plan/

[Hindsy1987]

11 hours ago, cnosil said:

I a, assuming that high arc means that you are topping the ball.  Any pro will work with you to fix contact.  If you are looking for online instruction that will give you drills, maybe take a look at Adam Young.   He has online instruction to help work on face contact and low point which seem to be what you want to focus on.  he has some free material that you can download/review to see if you like his approach.  
 

https://www.adamyounggolf.com/the-strike-plan/

You are 100% on the money i have issues with topping the ball,  i played cricket for many years so the idea of striking down on the ball i over compensate and think im going to hit the ground instead i top it, thanks heaps for the advise 

[GG194]

Have played larger game improvement clubs mostly since I am old and high handicap but recently went to some more player type irons. Ran into a problem yesterday, was 90* when we finished and I got tired towards the end struggled with my irons for the last four holes, messed up a decent round. Probably should stick to morning rounds this time of year. Not really an irons problem but a reality problem. 

[Hindsy1987]

In Australia sometimes all we get are morning sessions I've been looking into virtual golf for that exact reason 

[ryan.mzzz]

On 6/30/2024 at 5:58 PM, Hindsy1987 said:

Ive recently had two years off due to  damaged intercostal muscles and a blown shoulder and im now looking at returning to the fold, now this probably seems like a stupid question but what about procuring some blades this time around, i understand the difficulty in ball striking but my thoughts are if i learn on the hardest tool and i dont care about progress being slow or frustrating surely this is the way to go. on this i only have a limited budget at the moment (very limited :P) so i would like some suggestions on some short irons and wedges, thanks guys cant believe i didn't know this forum existed luckily a mate told me last week. 

do it, if you have the patience and mental fortitude, or you want to improve your patience or fortitude, and you don’t care about your score, and you want to make working the ball a big part of your game. you’re going to have a really rough learning curve, but if you ever make it to the top of the mountain, you will definitely have earned your place. IMO. Also, take a virtual fist bump for even having the audacity to consider the path less taken.

[Hacker60521]

@Hindsy1987 to be clear I don’t know you But frankly, as much as you believe “I dont care about progress being slow or frustrating” at some point you won’t enjoy playing the game because you’ll be posting weak scores and you’ll be hitting a lot of bad shots in front of your playing partners. It will be hard for you to build confidence in your game or measuring progress. The excuse of “I’m playing blades” will become a tired refrain.
 

I think you’re better off finding clubs that suit your abilities and as your game grows then trade and move up in clubs. Just think how much club technology changes year over year. 

[ryan.mzzz]

two other arguments for going with blades. first, there is little chance you will hit the part of the face necessary to generate a good shot without swinging easy and smooth. that may be helpful in your situation where you are recovering from a musculoskeletal issue.

secondly, you mention that low price is important to you. because blades between the different brands are so similar, you can probably get some dtc blades, like sub 70 or newline, for relatively cheap, and they would be closer to what you would get from mizuno or cobra blades than the players distance or game improvement clubs from those brands.

on the other hand, golf is hard and blades make it harder. if you go with the tm p790 or the mizuno mp 245’s you get gorgeous, blade-esque irons that will serve you well for a decade or more, which makes them a good value as well, even at their increased cost.

[Donn lost in San Diego]

On 6/30/2024 at 3:58 PM, Hindsy1987 said:

Ive recently had two years off due to  damaged intercostal muscles and a blown shoulder and im now looking at returning to the fold, now this probably seems like a stupid question but what about procuring some blades this time around, i understand the difficulty in ball striking but my thoughts are if i learn on the hardest tool and i dont care about progress being slow or frustrating surely this is the way to go. on this i only have a limited budget at the moment (very limited :P) so i would like some suggestions on some short irons and wedges, thanks guys cant believe i didn't know this forum existed luckily a mate told me last week. 

I have physical issue also.  Curved spine.  Very curved.  Lost lots of time due to various injuries.  Disability 3 full years.  Now I golf!  I got fit 2 of my 3 iron sets.  First 2 were modern cavity back cast.  I finally took lessons.  I learned that I wanted a narrow sole for accurate hitting and direction, which is hard to do with the wide bottom cavity backs.  I decided to make a split set, go for a fitting for the short irons 8-9-PW, and stick with the last cavity model that Nike made, Vapor Fly.  I hoped I could hit Mizuno blades.  Not quite but I got fitted for Ping I 500s on a good graphite shaft, the Recoils.  The I 500 is a forged face welded to a well designed, well engineered body.  Loved them so much that I decided to sell off my full set of the Nikes, and eventually added the 6 and 7 Ping I 500 irons.  For clubs longer than that, I had a bargain bin find, a 24 degree forged hollow body Mizuno Fli-HI.  And a MIzuno JPX hybrid 5.  I don't see me getting different irons for a long time.  I might re-shaft to Aerotech Steelfiber but that is a luxury doo-dah I don't need to do.  I am not scoring below 100 yet because I doodle around on a few holes, learning to try the hard shots until I get good at them.

Bottom line, is 1.  get fitted if you can, and hopefully better than Dicks.  They are nice but not like getting a fully skilled experienced PGA fitter.  2.  Start like I did with the 8-9-pw.  Never mind a full set.  You can do just like I did, add longer clubs if you are in love.   3.  I also highly suggest Mizuno forged wedges.  Again, I bot some, found true love in their 2018 model the S5.  Easy to use, accurate, easy to find used ones in good condition.  Mizuno makes Grain Flow Forging.  They re-heat and hammer the billet of steel to get the molecules all lined up in parallel.  I don't think anybody else does this.  Vokeys are Titleist (bob vokey is their employee) very good and they pay the pros but I have stuck with the Mizu and love them more and more every round I play.

Hope this helps.  Don't let my crummy scores bother you.  I finally retired and now can work on scoring, and I play on a pretty hard course with lots of marsh where if I roll off the fairway, so long, no rough, I'm in the drink.    

[Donn lost in San Diego]

On 6/30/2024 at 3:58 PM, Hindsy1987 said:

Ive recently had two years off due to  damaged intercostal muscles and a blown shoulder and im now looking at returning to the fold, now this probably seems like a stupid question but what about procuring some blades this time around, i understand the difficulty in ball striking but my thoughts are if i learn on the hardest tool and i dont care about progress being slow or frustrating surely this is the way to go. on this i only have a limited budget at the moment (very limited :P) so i would like some suggestions on some short irons and wedges, thanks guys cant believe i didn't know this forum existed luckily a mate told me last week. 

Hi Hindsy.  You reacted to my posted reply to you, using the fire symbol.  Is that good or bad?  

[chisag]

... @Hindsy1987 golf clubs are simply tools to accomplish a goal. I am always a little chagrinned when some think they "should" play MB's. I can't imagine a runner wearing dress shoes that look great but don't make running any easier. The goal is to find clubs that enable you to hit your best shots. Few can do that with anything more demanding than a Players CB/Multi Material iron. And plenty of low to + index players use GI irons. You want your irons to enhance your swing not make your swing enhance your irons. 

... Thankfully you have lots of choices. 

[bens197]

If you don't care about your scores then go ahead.  @chisag and I have shared this thought over the years.  I could sum it up as succinctly as: play as forgiving a club as possible to allow you to play your best.

But more importantly, that makes the game fun.

[Hindsy1987]

that would be a good thing mate

[GG194]

Gave up on trying the better smaller irons, I’m just not consistent enough for them. Wouldn’t have thought so but had more problems on par 3’s, and they weren’t even blades. I understand that at my age I’m not going to get better. 

[AP Major]

Purchase a used mid-iron blade or one from a set you're considering and hit it for a few weeks during your range sessions. It will tell you a lot before taking the dive into a full set of clubs. Also, in that short time you will get plenty of feedback, if that's what you're looking for - through your hands, wrists, arms, as well as flight distance and direction. Be mentally prepared to take a step - or three - backwards before you progress, if you do at all. That said, who's to say you don't have some success? It'll be based on a heavy dose of determination coupled with mental and physical ability, so if you feel you have those things in abundance, or can form them, do what makes you feel best. It's your game to mold and play.

As mentioned by others, there are some really solid CB's on the market that have a blade-ish appearance but come with the forgiveness of modern tech. A blade hasn't evolved too much, and "forgiveness" is not usually in the same conversation unless it's to say there isn't any. Let's be honest, they are not manufactured for the beginner that wants to improve a 20 handicap.

Flushing a blade...nothing better. But how often you obtain that feeling will be a direct result of your own ability, or inability, for that matter. Best of luck with your choice.

[Remo]

One of the upsides of blades, especially older model traditional blades, is the loft through the set. If you look in my bag you might think “guy plays blades.”  My irons are Mizuno MP-27 5/PW.  They are a 20 year old, shallow “cavity blade” with a 27* 5 iron, 31* 6 iron, etc…  I can’t hit a modern, forgiving 5 iron with a 21*/22* loft.  I don’t generate the speed to get a 21* iron airborne consistently, but I do get my 27* 5 iron launched consistently.  I only hit it 150/155 yards but that’s why I carry a 25* hybrid.  Most of the Mizuno MP line has weaker lofts, ie 27* five iron.  So do several releases of the Titleist AP2 line.  AP2s aren’t blades, but they’re close.  I guess it all comes down to what you can hit well.  Newer forgiving, game improvement clubs are great but there may be better options for some players with moderate swing speeds.  

[RedTop]

Interesting question. I'd probably look for some game improvement irons that play like blades. Several options out there. New technologies sure help nowadays. If the tour pros play em, I'd say they're worth looking into.