Only can play blades, can't hit CBs? Please enter this discussion...

On my lazy morning, browsing through the web. Stumbled upon this golfwrx thread.

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1012357-i-think-i-am-an-exception-to-the-rule-perhaps-you-are-too/

Makes me think that, maybe my buddy isn't bullshitting me after all. As he has this statement that he makes almost every time after the game. "I can't hit cavity backs, only can hit blades." Usually I just brush it off as him boosting as he usually wins the game. After reading the post, it occurred to me that he might just be stating a fact about his ability to strike and swing a bladed iron with low offset.

Food for thought.

P.S. he is not a single handicapper but some how always wins me by ~4 strokes. Hmmm.... maybe I just kena buaya without me realizing it. I guess, that's the whole point right? 

You shouldn't brush off your buddy's comments. It will hurt his feelings.  

So do you guys think the better performance some golfers get with blades vs GI and SGI clubs is more related to:

1)  The actual difference in the club head design and peripheral weighting
2)  The difference in offset between Player's Irons (blade or CB) and GI clubs
3)  The overall shaft flex profile in the combined club

Just for discussion, this can be an interesting topic ... however, end of the day, whoever scores the best wins, choose what works for you as an individual.  And if you need an opinion to help make your decisions, get it from an expert (i.e. Trained Club Fitter / Golf Professional).  No matter how good the intentions of sales staff, your friends or blogs on the internet, they might not be qualified to assess your needs properly.

garethgjw wrote:

You shouldn't brush off your buddy's comments. It will hurt his feelings.  

Yes Sir, duly noted. Will take my friend seriously. I am guess I was none the wiser.  

Yes, it would be interesting to hear from club fitters and club makers. I always thought more offset = more forgiving, more forgiving = off center shots still goes relatively straight. 

I guess, sometimes it is tough to venture outside the box when the social conditioning would associate a single handicapper with a set of bladed irons and vice versa.

IMHO...  to know which type of iron fits you the most, you have to bring them out for a few games & see how they perform. I would like to love the GI irons but no, they didn't perform for me. I chunked a lot with them & don't feel comfortable looking down at them. The only thing positive is that they are easier to launch. Dispersion & feel are much better with the blades.

Hmm... guess it's the offset of the improvement irons.

I was using the J36 combo irons before I switch to game improvement irons. I must say that it took me some time to re-adjust my grip to get used to the offset of the clubs. I was hooking big time with the bigger offset.

I had the same experience for awhile. the mp33 I keep at home was working well and felt great. whenever I tried super game improvement irons range or course wise ended up hooking shots. duff and thin alot of shots. never figured out how come.  

Then I found out ALL the game improvement clubs label their 6 irons as 7. 7 iron as 8.  I mean my loft length specs for my blades 7i were the same length and loft of 8 iron even 9 iron of the  game improvers.  

funny thing was, after that mental note and expectation adjustment,  the game improver sets would perform better but I lost distance as I adjusted every shot one club or 2 clubs down. 

takes alot of on course experimentation to find out what works I guess

I find I can hit blades better than cavity backs. Of course i can hit forgiving chunky clubs better still. Somehow i think it's the sole design or camber that's causing the issues. Titleist cb is especially hard to hit right for me but mb is no issue at all. Funny. 

At the end of the day still too lousy to consistently use blades and have to game forgiving irons. 

If you are hooking game improvement clubs it think you can try ap1, g25 or jpx ez. Some clubs ar more likely to hook than others.

Anyway I found less single handicappers playing blades already. Played with a few who use graphite, ap2s, i25s etc. whatever works I guess.

Seems like it's a norm to associate golfers to being "single handicappers" if he/she uses blades, rather than think along the line that this golfer is not able to use GI/SGI/UGI/CB irons...

Everyone is made differently and swings differently so I guess its a blessing to be able to find something in that vast market of golf clubs that works for you and allow you to continue your love/hate relationship with this beautiful game.  

I would say is the grind and amount of chamber on the sole to fit your swing. Blades or musclebacks are full soles and i find this grind quite good for full shots or fairway shots. Hence, i have my 50 and 54 wedge full sole too. But have yet to find a good 60 wedge for greenside rough and bunker.
Back to thread, I would say after playing MB, i would not go back to GI. Reasons are:
1. Most MB are forged which i can bend to my needs
2. Since playing MB, chunky heads feels "duffy" 
3. Most GI sets doesn't comes with 3 iron. It may not be a problem to you, but if you happen to have a hybrid of same workability of a 3 iron please recommend.
4. MB has great workability which makes practice range more fun.

some like sweet some like sour some like salty.
It's personal in my view. You want  you like and you feel work best for you. Look at the pro they don't all use the same club/shaft/ball/putter etc. they use what works best for them. I suggest you do the same..

The only club I am able to work is the driver. Left or hook. Block or slice.  Not at will. They appear as and when I get nervous and don't want them.  

No time to practice la, hit straight stay out of trouble is plenty for me.

Hm.... I think it's a lot about how good a golfer is at striking the ball.
A high handicapper may strike the ball better than a mid handicapper.
When a golfer can consistently strike the ball well, he can play any kind of iron and produce the best shot that the iron is designed to produce. consistency in direction and distance has to do with how good the golfer actually is. so yes a high handicapper may be able to play blade better than other forms of iron if he can strike the ball well and prefer the look and feel of blade. Two cents...

smaller head more focus?

IMHO, there are many aspects to this usage of bladed irons that might be beneficial to the general golfer. However, i feel the social stigma on this might be a deterring factor as to why the general population of golfers shun it.

Mainly, how many out there have been told by coaches, fitters, salesman or fellow golfers at the range. Not to meddle with blades, they are way out of your league?

Hopefully with this thread/discussion, it will service to promote and encourage fellow golfers to venture out of the box. Maybe the prejudice when you see an awesome bladed irons on the course/at the range or at a store during GSS will be reduced.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Interestingly a few years ago, I followed my supplier to his clubfitting session while I was in US and I tried some irons after he was done. I could hit a MB further than a CB, evident from the readings on the Trackman and the ball landing point at the range. Ok, only couple of yards. That said, CB is slightly more forgiving than blades on off centre hits. I came back, bought a set of blades and has been practising with it. I was motivated to learn to hit better, focusing on correcting my bad habits... I guess I am rewarded with better distance and consistency.

IMO, it's good for serious players or golf lovers who wants to improve, not necessary with tons of time to play. At least, twice a month and a couple of sessions at the range.

neutralgolfer wrote:

Hmm... guess it's the offset of the improvement irons.

I was using the J36 combo irons before I switch to game improvement irons. I must say that it took me some time to re-adjust my grip to get used to the offset of the clubs. I was hooking big time with the bigger offset.

J36 combo from Bridgestone? My all time favourite clubs. I was using that as a transition from GI to Blade... In fact, I was looking for the J36 blades but only used sets available.

wu song. we have a fr member called jurongtiger. it would be cool to see wu song meet tiger.  sorry I couldn't resist.

Haha... no worries... I couldn't beat tiger woods so any tigers will do... or the Taiwan's 小虎队。

in my opinion, the swing and the shaft are bigger factors on the outcome than the club head.
And no reason for people to classify the type of irons a high handicapper or a low handicapper should play. play what you like and like what you play.

once a upon time... I can afford quartz watches

later in life, I realised I can buy auto or hand-winded watches...

hmmmm.... after looking through and much deliberation

I realised I fancy those self-winded timepiece more...

dun ask me why... I just like them

maybe it idenitifies with me...


been in the game for a relatively long time...

I have played both MB and CB...

if put those workability or forgiveness aside...

I still like the CB... dun ask me why

same as watches... its so me


if it makes u happy.... buy it

Best is still everything can also play, reason being there are so many chio equipment constantly being released.  

I will definitely won't play mb irons. Firstly, I suck and playing with those mb irons make me suck even further. Secondly it's to prevent my golf buddies from asking me questions I cannot answer. Questions like, "wa! You so prefessional, play muscle back irons!  You must give me strokes orede la!!"

I love to.play blades and MB irons...but it has one downside

I get better.score with GI clubs