What Handicap Should Play Blades? Don’t Bother!
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- Опубліковано 6 сер 2024
- Many regular amateur golfers still cling to the idea that there is a specific handicap number they will get to when the switch to a new set of blade irons will finally be justified.
But as we cover in this video it is very rarely a good idea to choose blades no matter how low your handicap gets!
And that general rule applies all the way through to the pro ranks!
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:32 Can mid-high handicappers use blades?
2:39 Why are blades so hard to hit?
4:08 Do pros use blades?
Complete details of the information we talk about in this video:
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Complete details of the information we talk about in this video plus some extras can be found here: golfingfocus.com/what-handicap-should-play-blades-dont-bother/
I swear the only reason I got blades was because everyone said not to get them or that I shouldn’t play blades. I’m the type, you tell me I can’t or I shouldn’t do something (within reason), I immediately want to do it 😂
I love my Titleist 620 MBs ❤ they look and feel amazing. Yes mishits suck but they force me to really concentrate on my fundamentals to increase my chances of hitting clean strikes.
😂 Can't deny they are great Greg and still struggling with my plan to give up my MP-32s because as you say blades look and feel great when you strike them flush. Just don't think the majority of us play enough golf though to get the strike good enough to deal with the mishits on the course. Saying that I guarantee I have an argument when the club fitter hands me a set of cavity backs and asks me to remove the MP-32s for anything other than practice 😂
I was gifted a full set of Adams Tight Lies carbon composite irons. It was a tough start. 20+ yers later, I own a set of Nike Vapor Fly to play on course so I only go to the range with blade like clubs. 😅
5.4 handicap and I got fitted to blades not too long ago. Sold em and went to some 2014 CBs and it’s been the best thing I have done
Totally agree with the wise words of stignygaardquist.... if you want to play blades and you know they are the best for you...then play them....the worst thing a promising young golfer can do is be intimidated by the 'in trend' of manufactures or the nonsense advice from these so called top coaches... you play whats right for you and if you want to play with graphite composite shafts instead of steel , you do that as well. I have just transitioned into blades and i can tell you hands down the best golf club i have ever played with is the Ping Blueprint green dot with KBS Tour shaft. Also you must get the right shaft for you for the club and ball combination amd correct swing weight for you... all the marketing bs and coach advice just messes up your mind.
We can never agree with stignygaardquist on this channel 😉😂 Can't disagree blades look and feel great and still struggling to finally give my own MP-32s. Just don't blades make sense for the vast majority given how much time regular players have to practice but as you say each to their own. Do think you make a great point about trying graphite irons shafts though as an option. That seems to be a way under utilised thing to test out for lots of players to see if it makes a difference 👍
No problem hitting blades here what ever works for you…. Personally not a fan of GI irons but again it’s up to the player
When I took up golf, a work colleague sold me a set of clubs.I hadn't a clue about golf clubs and bought them from him,knowing that he was a keen golfer and unlikely to have bought poor quality clubs.They were McGregor blades and I decided against buying woods until I felt golf was not a 5 minute wonder. After 2 years I was playing to a 15 hcp.and friends told me I should buy cavity back irons and woods to improve my game.This I did, but my scores actually weren't as good.A driver, instead of a 4 iron off the tee, often caused me to be in the woods,and I found the short game with cavity backs nothing like as accurate as the blades.
Chipping and pitching with blades helped me no end,and I think my ideal set would be comprised of blades 7 to SW, a few hybrids,driver and a 5 wood.
You make a great point Michael with the mixed set idea with blades towards the shorter clubs. Definitely a trend also that we're seeing among some of the top pros too. 👍
Play them for consistency - more spin is more control, more spin does not go offline more, your ball will stay in play more often.
Smaller head goes through the turf better and will be easier to get down to the ball if in the rough, old divot, or other bad lies since will interact with less during the swing.
Easier to shape shots because the center of mass of the club is closer to in-line with the shaft which makes it easier to turn the club over more or less not because of how much spin.
Modern blades are not the same as they were years ago and have better weight distribution and slightly stray strikes do not punish you as bad most say or think.
I don’t think which head style you choose should be handicap based but rather with things like, attack angle- do you get steep or do you sweep it, do you have a hard time closing the face or to you turn it over too much, what is the course you play on and conditions like - is it windy often, is it soft or firm, do you have sticky grass like Bermuda or something more delicate the club goes through easier.
And really, I wouldn’t separate by CB vs blade anymore because all the above apply to many compact 1 piece forged CBs equally as blades. A large head/sole low loft/spin “forgiving” iron may be a terrible fit for a mid handicap player based on their swing and course conditions just like a compact forged blade may be a terrible fit for some of the best players on the planet.
Some great points in there which make the case the other way. You're spot on that the cavity back vs blade debate is much more nuanced now with modern irons but think the simple definition still helps alot of people with understanding the basics initially. Today's Golfer do the best breakdown we've seen on irons now breaking them into five categories - Blades, Players Irons, Players Distance irons etc - and we're looking at analysing the pros according to that model next time to see what that tells us. 👍
I’m an amateur and I play a set of old mp33 blades, not because they make me play better, but because they help me hit better, they provide instant feedback, when you do something wrong they tell you straight away they don’t hide you mistakes, when you do something right they tell you straight away, blades might not be good for competitive playing they are good for learning
I love Mizuno irons too and the MP33s are awesome looking things. I've got the MP32s which I still love even though I don't think I'm really good enough to be playing them but think the MP33s are probably even better 👍
I just love my Titleist 710MB irons and have tried others. The feel and control of the 710's is outstanding. Plus, and this is huge, the feel of these game improvement irons equate to using a brick on the end of the shaft. But, be careful, these game improvement irons are typically lofted a lot stronger so yes, they go further. My Handicap = 7.1.....
Yup the lofts of irons have changed massively over the years. Think my old Mizuno MP-32s are at least 1 club maybe even close to 2 out now!
i love ur channel, great job
Delighted you like the videos. The support is much appreciated 👍
I personally use Mizuno MP-30 irons, which I think are classed as blades. I use them because they were gifted to me, and they are the only irons I have. They don't seem to be causing me any trouble, so I never really think about them. Still, maybe I should look into some other iron types? One thing holding me back is the loft changes on today's irons. I suppose I need to just accept that the new 5 iron is really a 3 iron, and the new 9 iron is really a 7 iron, the new PW is really an 8 iron, and so on. Of course, I would also need another wedge or two to fill the low end.
Mine are a set of MP-32s Carl and I love them I must confess. Not looking forward especially to giving them up but don’t think I can really say I am good enough to use them. Or have ever been for that matter no much how much I wouldn’t admit it 😂 Great point on the lofts also and first step for me on the fitting change will be seeing what my MP-32 lofts are and how bad my gapping is as a result. Will let you know how I get on but will be sad day for sure when they finally go!
Love blades,ultimately classic but in my experience as a 15 handicapper i can hit blades but not consistently enough to justify a change but must say one thing,after hitting blades other clubs seem much easier! Could be a positive. Great video as usual
Think you make a great point there! Blades may not be the best idea for amateurs to play with but are potentially a great practice tool for some to help hone their strike. Thanks again also for the like and support. Is much appreciated 👍
Hello Golfing Focus. Really enjoy the channel, and in particular the great Scottish accent which gives us the information. My question is not blade related, but iron related. I enjoy my putter and driver showing me the best place to hit within the face, is there a reason why this is not done on irons? Thanking you in anticipation.
Many thanks Gordon and appreciate the support for the channel. Is very welcome 👍That's a great question on the irons and unfortunately one we don't have any answer to. Leave it with us and will see what we can find out. If anyone else knows of course please don't hesitate to chime in.
Thank you love the channel
Many thanks and delighted to have you as part of the Golfing Focus community. 👍
I still have a set of Wilson FG-51 blades ( I don't play them anymore). Yes there was a 3 iron included in the set as a set was 8 irons at that time, 3-PW. Could you hit a 3 iron? Yes, the loft is 23 degrees compared to Callaway AI smoke where the 5 iron is 22 degrees, that is 1 degree stronger than the 3 iron! The 5 iron is loftwise between the 5 and 6 iron of the Callaway, so of course the carry length are shorter. If i were a tour professional and switching from a blade to a more "easier" iron lowered my score average from 70,2 to 69,8, yes! it probable means that I would earn 200000€ more a year. For me as an amateur, blade or not, is more feeling and emotion. Having a handicap of 12,3 instead of 14,4 is no reason for me to switch.
Great points Anders especially on the money difference for the top pros when it comes to scoring 👍 As you say it's a very emotive issue this one and everyone is of course open to play whatever irons they want and which will give them the most enjoyment.
As an old golfer who grew-up playing blades, I agree with much of what you presented. But I disagree as much as I agree. First, God can hit a 1 iron and famously did so as Lee Trevino held one up during a storm while standing on a sprinkler head while wearing metal spike golf shoes. Blades forced me to "learn how to hit an iron". Blades don't go as far because of their loft and higher center of gravity. The 3 iron back then was 24* in loft. It had as much mass in the head as some modern 4 and 5 irons. Blades exposed a player's swing faults. Cavity backs and what followed (as well as many blade designs) have design flaws that tend to cause thin shots and toe balls. Playing non-blades is like keeping the training wheels on your bicycle. Do modern iron heads paper over swing faults? Absolutely! Can you still hit horrid golf shots with the latest, super forgiving, super game improvement, player's distance iron? Absolutely! The trick is to find a blade that has the "right" length, heel to toe. Another well-done video! Love your stuff!
Thanks for the feedback and delighted your enjoying the videos. You’re absolutely right also about blades being a great training aid to help improve your strike.
Not a word about turf interaction...sad
I think you’re find most elite golfers play bladed wedges, that’s about 50% of all clubs in every bag overall. You got this analysis a bit skewed, the 5 & 7 woods now gap fill the bottom of yardages
Doesn't that prove our point a bit though? Why do over half of the top 100 (54%) choose 5 and 7 woods while the rest use utility / driving irons and hybrids for the long clubs if blades are the answer for the long shots of the elite golfers?
This discussion is about 40 years old and is still continuing today. That being said, your analysis is balanced and well presented for a 6 minute summary. One thing you forgot to discuss was steel. It's important to realise that manufacturers of today don't invest in making the best feeling bladed irons. They sell very few sets and don't want to make them impossible to afford. The truth about the raw steel is that they use 8620 steel, in the most part, having moved away from offering production blades in traditional 1020 steel (called S20C in Japan). This cheaper 8620 steel makes a harder wearing head but will and does feel harder, less soft. The heads made today using 8620 steel cost about 60% of the heads made with 1020 steel. Of course you can still have any head made from 1020 steel if you are happy to pay the premium prices or you are a tour pro, and many do. Today, the majority of the golfing population have never used 1020 steel heads and so manufacturers don't have any pressure to offer it. I believe that only by using blades, forged and not partially cast like they do today, made from 1020 steel does the golfer truly feel the difference. This is of course subjective and your experience will also depend on the grass and ground conditions you play from. Playing softer ground conditions and thick grass parkland style courses are not generally well suited to bladed irons because striking moves higher in the face. An ideal ground condition is of course found on firm tight links courses where sharper leading edges and narrow soles are the order of the day. Tour pros these days are generally all born around 1990-2000 which means they grew up possibly not even using blades and use what they know best. Don't forget, you can see their clubs look like production irons in the golf bag, but these are probably fully custom hand made clubs they use. In a few years my generation will not be around to remind you of these finer nuances, until then I shall quietly enjoy golf my way, the way I was taught by my father, and continue to use clubs that occasionally receive a knowing nod of approval from those who just know
I love how they look I use them, and I am a beginner. Sue me
😂 Luckily nobody is going to sue us for our choices when it comes to golf. Absolutely right to play whatever you like and gives you the most enjoyment 👍
I played blades for many years and have no regrets. You will never get the kind of feedback with a game improvement iron that you get when hitting blades, which hinders your development when learning the game. Also, you can't work shot shapes as well with game improvement irons as well as you do with blades. Between the modern irons and balls that are designed to go straight, shotmaking is becoming a lost skill. I'm not against modern clubs as I use them today myself. I'm a senior now and I use a forged cavity back iron with senior shafts, but I'm not sure they've improved anything! Anyway, I say if you're a beginner, get a decent set of used blades, find a good teacher and pound balls until you can hit great shots with blade irons. Then move on to those modern irons. Or not...
You make a lot of valid points but to get all beginners to use blades I think is a very tough ask. A lot of time is required on the range to get better with them and a lot of people may either not have it or get very discouraged in trying to do so and not bother keeping going. Blades are a definite practice tool for players at certain points but just think it’s too much to ask of beginners especially.
This is junk advice, for one thing muscle back is far from a recent development, a modern 4 iron is basically a 3 iron from years ago and it was common for a 3 iron to be your max iron. Lots of tests show cavity irons being less consistent in results than blades because of the ‘hotness’ of response. Blades also give you the feedback you need to improve, and also have a concentrating effect on the player meaning you tend to be ensure that you actually try to swing the club and not ‘hit’ at it, thinking that the cavity will save you. Many pros are also forced to use the clubs the manufacturer, getting less sponsorship if they choose to play the blades, which cost more to make so less profit margin.
Thanks for the feedback Andrew 👍 You do make a very valid point with pointing out the loft changes over the years - 4º since 1980 according to the USGA Distance report. And at the same time as the length of irons has increased too!
If you aren’t playing tour golf, give them up. Unless it’s my friends who I’m playing for money with, then play blades.
😂
Mizuno 225 aren’t blades. They are imitation blades, 221 are the blades.
Sorry, slipped past the editors on this occasion. Thanks for the feedback 👍
Hay… you’ve lost the plot now😂 blades give you unparalleled feedback, so in the quest to build personal character, develop humility and improve your technique… blades are your best friend. If golf was meant to be easy, make the fairways wider and the holes larger!
Nonsense. I agree about the wonderful feeling of flushing a blade and the great feedback you get but unless you are a world class ball striker then most of the feedback is of a mis-hit!
Colin Montgomerie has always used game improvement irons and it's worked for him.
😂 Welcome to the channel @stignygaardquist and what a surprise you don't agree 😂 No question blades are great for feedback and as golfers improve are a great practice method to help develop a better strike. Still don't think that applies to the vast majority though. Will also look forward to you telling the reigning Open champion at Troon this year that he doesn't know what he's doing by not only playing cavity backs but using big fat cavity back utility irons all the way up to his 6-iron! 😉 👍
Let everyone use blades and enjoy them. Not everybody plays for a living
Absolutely. Everyone open to play whatever clubs they want 👍
He said that in the video
L😊
Cavity backs are hopeless in hard and firm conditions, far too much bounce, PGA courses are generally overwatered hence these inferior players can make a living using these clubs.
Every golfer should spend at least a season playing blades. It will make you appreciate todays technology if nothing else.
That's a fair point as a long term strategy 👍