I changed to blades last year with a 20 handicap. Now at 17 handicap and dropping. It’s not the gear, it’s the player.

In my experience, the forgiveness aspect of clubs is substantially overstated. If I make a bad swing, I get a bad result.

Exactly the results I expected, less distance with the blade but more consistency, spin and better front to back and left to right dispersion. If you want to genuinely improve your game, PLAY BLADES PEOPLE!!!! Such an awesome video again Good Sir.

I’m a 17 handicap and I have the 919 tour’s pw-7 and forged 4-6. Love them. My striking has improved too. I don’t want a chunky club to hit a ball well. I want a good swing for a good result

Hit it on the toe when it's cold and you'll be afraid of the ball for the next 3 shots. When they say feedback with blades they really mean shock therapy the club will shock your hands if you do not swing right XD. Taught me to hit better though lol

Brilliant video James. I was a 15 handicapper 3 years ago i was told dont go near a set of bladed irons and when totally against them and bought a set of titleist 714 mb's after 5 months my handicap when from 15 to.12.6 and now i play off 7.6. Would never go back to a cavity club.

In my mind, it's always come down to fundamentals and practice. If you are a high handicapper who really wants to get better and is putting time in to practice consistently making solid sweet spot contact, blades will work for you eventually. If you really want to get more fundamentally solid, blades are for you because the feedback on a bad shot is both visible and kinetic. If you are more concerned about distance, don't have time to really work on your swing, just want to go out on the course and shoot your 90 or 100 and have fun, grab a game improvement iron. I look at game improvement irons similar to an automatic transmission and blades as a manual transmission. In an ideal world, we'd all drive manuals because they are more efficient, have more options, etc. But by having an automatic transmission, more people have access to cars (some may debate if thats a good thing, but whatever). I have 3 sets of irons currently. A set of Nike Ignites (full game improvement), Mizuno MX 25s (mid to low cavity back), and Spalding Tru Flights (blades). I have a full work week and get one day a week to have a round and maybe one evening to practice at the range. So I mostly use the Ignites, and they do very well for me. The Mizunos go 5 yards less than the ignites, and the spaldings go 5 yards shorter than Mizunos due to the quality of hit and swing. Pick what you want, and stick with it to learn them.

Hi James I Completely agree with Anthony's comments even high handicap golfers can play blades. It's about enjoyment of the game.

I like the split sets, 3-6 cavity and 7-PW blade

I like how you're one of the only ppl that listen to them and not try to steer them to an answer compared to other content creators I've seen

I’ve played MacGregor Tourney blades for 18 years and now MB-718’s @ a 5 handicap - blades will help you learn how to play better. You’ll learn how to be a better ball striker anyways. Always enjoy your videos !!

You need a high-handicapper to test these. I'll humbly volunteer. It's only a short flight from the US :)

Thanks for this mate. I play off 29 and you’ve convinced me... just bought a set of miura baby blades for $1000. Hoping for big things next season

Loved the idea of doing an on-course test, but I was shocked to see the test being done on a mat! As a washed up college golfer who has played blades and cavity backs I think you’ve understated how much of an impact your lie has on the contact made. I remember how difficult it was to hit the dime sized sweet spot of a blade from a lie that was nestled down in the rough.

I recently switched to blades. I bought a set of Wilson FG-49 Tour Blade with DG S400 shafts. I like the smaler blade and the the thin sole, top line and the look of the club sitting behind the ball.

I went over to my first set of blades at about a 12 HCP and now could happily play a CB or MB set with no difference in my scores, play off 3 now But I enjoy my rounds more with the blades

I switched to blades very recently and found similar results. I feel like they give you a very reliable outcome depending on your strike. It’s almost as if I can hit a draw just by thinking about it and vice versa with a fade. When you do mishit them you find out very quickly though. They give great feedback on how you mishit the ball wether off the toe or heel or thinned. With cavity backs you lose that feel and they offer a lot more forgiveness meaning it’s harder to determine how you mishit the ball. Can’t beat the feel of a pured blade though ❤

I play off 12 and am more than capable of playing blades. I just prefer to use a club that offers slightly more forgiveness. Mark seems a really nice guy, another enjoyable video.

I think almost any serious player can play blades. I've always believed that the feedback that blades give can outweigh the forgiveness/performance benefits of game improvement irons. You can learn a lot from that kind of feedback. It's a great way to get better. That said, I made the switch to AP3s recently because I don't play as much as I once did. Aside from lack of play time, I realized that the main culprit in my rising handicap was my falling GIR, (read irons) . I don't know whether or not i made the right choice. I guess time will tell.

Cant get enough of Mid-cap Mark. Keep it comimg. Well done. Cheers from New York City.

I think mark should start his own channel,I’d happily watch his progress because he’s got a great fluid swing so I could really see him improving even more.

This video has me thinking about the Titleist AP2s again and all the hard work I had to do to get my gappings right with my new AP3s when I switched from blades. EXAMPLE 1: I hate my AP3 8i iron on bump and runs, its too hot! I am using my 9i instead with much better results. EXAMPLE 2: My stock 50 yd shot used to be a half swing with my SM6 56* SW . but now that I have a 54* SM7 I'm finding it flies a good 5+ yds farther. I'm struggling to find the perfect 50yd shot. I have it all working now except for my 50yd shot. It would have been so much easier to have just dropped the AP2s in my bag, however, and maybe adjust the loft of my gap wedge from 52* to 50*? It was all in the name of greater forgiveness and a bit more distance. Sometimes I wonder if it was really worth the headache and the expense though. Although my handicap is dropping...so maybe?

I'm playing off a 9 at the moment and I'm playing Mizuno JPX-919 Tour's, there not "true" blades but pretty damn close, with no problems !!! The feel is absolutely incredible !!! Great video Bruh, and if someone out there is thinking about playing blades, DO IT, you'll be fine !!!!

Great on course test with the two clubs,Mark has been a great addition to your channel,I take my hat off to him 👏👏

I am a high handicapper. I am trying to use an old set of Mizuno T Zoid blades my dad gave me, and I am really struggling with them. I have not played in several years, so my swing is less than great at the moment, but even when I catch them clean, they just do not feel good to me. I am way down on distance too compared to the Ping Zings I used to hit. I know it is the player and not the clubs in the end, but there is a difference.

Mark sounds like a highly intelligent guy, instead of other "mid handicap" testers who try to waffle on and sound like the pro, hes actually making clear concise points. Goodwork Mark

I learnt to play with a set of blades, bought second hand, and still have and use them, despite buying 2 other sets of more forgiving clubs since. The only advantage i´ve seen with more forgiving clubs is higher launch in the longer clubs (5 & 6 iron), so I still tend to mix the blades from 7 iron down to wedges with cavity 5 & 6. And despite being a mid-high handicapper, some of the best shots I´ve ever hit have been with the blades.. going into rough under trees on the left of the 3rd hole tee on my club course, then playing a 30 yard draw around the trees, over a stream and pond, not knowing where the ball had gone to find it middle of the fairway, that stuff stays with you and keeps you coming back, far more than plugging away at your handicap, or hitting the ball with a shovel, as some would have us believe we have to.

Today's blades are much more forgiving than what some of us grew up with in the 80s and 90s. I think most mid-handicappers who think they can't play blades would be surprised to find they can, and that there isn't a lot of difference between them and the so-called "forgiving" irons. I'll caveat that by saying mid-handicappers who have a solid swing and can strike the ball reasonably consistently.

My 1st ever round of golf I used Titleist 735cm blades. Shot a 51 on a par 36. Now I shoot low 40's & it's only been 6 or 7 rounds since.

James and Mark. I'm really enjoying these vids. Looking forward to the next ones. Spring cant get here fast enough. :) Can't wait to try out my used Victory Reds forged split cavity i picked up recently. Have been using GI irons and rolling them through the greens :(

Yes he should blades are the real game improvement irons, as they teach you to strike the ball better and concentrate on your form!

Great topic once again. Definitely an interesting one. Two points. One being that AP2's are the most popular iron with pros. If they aren't playing blades, why should weekend golfers? Other point is. Hitting blades is awesome. There's no comparison in the feeling when you strike them properly. A lot of players are able to hit the ball properly from a mat and the fairway. But what happens as soon as you are in the semi rough or worse? Hitting center of the face from the rough is massively harder than from the perfect lie. That's where the blades become flaky to me. I don't trust myself to hit the middle from less than a perfect lie (which is more often than I care to admit). Mark did very well from the rough during this test but is it consistent?

3:08 As soon as I saw where he was aiming I knew it was going right. How do I know that? ... I'm an expert at aiming right.

I just got my jpx 919 tour 5-PW. Switched from MMC 5-PW. kept my MMC FLI-HI utility 4 iron(forgiving). I don't know why, but with the same shaft and specs im consistantly hitting the 919 about 3-5 yards further and it's trackman verified multiple times as well as noticeable on the course. (COG?) My handicap isn't so much from hitting off center irons. It's just other areas (management and distance control with wedges) My scores have gone down 2-3 shots on average. I'm able to control the distance on my PW so so much better (other short irons as well) There's so many more things to consider than if they are "hard to hit"

Well done James and Mark. Great series. I must have to admit that I'm just a bit biased towards the blades. I have had my Mizuno's for around 20 years and adore them. I feel ANYONE, can hit blades. It all comes down to look, feel, and what are you trying to accomplish with your game. Blades made me a better ball striker I feel. To me golf isn't ALL about distance, there are little nuances to the game that I just don't feel game improvement clubs give me. That's just my humble opinion. Good luck to you with your fitting Mark. Mizuno baby!

I suspect if you strike your irons well then you should give bladed irons a look regardless of your handicap.

It should come down to preference surely? There is a stigma attached that only "good players" should use blades, isn't golf about enjoyment? Of a 20 handicapper plays blades and hits 100 shots and only connects with a few but walks off the course and can't wait to come back, then play with what you want. Golf is a game to enjoy with friends, family other members of the course so hit what you want, as long as you get a level of enjoyment from it.

I collect old Hogan blades and play with Srixon pro 100's with a mid handicap, won't play with so called improvement clubs. Favourite set is Hogan red lines from the 70's with pinned in shafts although the wrong shafts for my game the feel is amazing

If you play and practice often, I think playing blades is the best thing you can do to improve your game. You will improve quality of contact and learn to control the ball much quicker with a blade. However, if you are a mid-high hdcp, weekend warrior, that does not have the time to play regularly I would recommend a larger club head that promotes a higher launch with a larger sole that will not dig into the turf. Also, I would NOT recommend blades for a player with a low swing speed. You need to be able to drive the ball far enough to put scoring clubs in your hands on approach shots. You need to be able to fully compress the ball at impact with a blade. Lower swing speeds LOSE far MORE distance with blades than higher swing speed players. (IMO "game improvement" irons compensate for lack of compression than anything) Finally, if you are not an elite ball striker, you probably need to replace the 3,4, and 5 irons with forged cavity backs. Only ELITE ball strikers can CONSISTENTLY hit the ball flush with these clubs. Longer shafts, lower lofts, and smaller clubheads make the margin for error miniscule in the long irons. If you have a long carry over water/hazard/bunker, you will lose slightly less distance with a forged cavity back than a blade on a mishit, and that is often the difference between carrying the trouble and being in it.

I normally go round my nine hole 11 over so I’m guessing that would be a 22ish handicap I’ve just got back from my first round ( of nine) with my new used MP32 ( old clubs were Nike pro combo os cavity’s And I again scored my usual 44 There’s more to a round of golf than just hitting irons Ps I loved them

Golf is a game to be enjoyed - Handicap has nothing to do with playing Blades/MBs. If you strike the ball well most of the time you can play Blades/MBs. I've been playing them most of my adult life (over 40 years playing the game) without experiencing fear or pain playing Blades/MBs. The one thing I would say to Mark is, play whatever club you want. Blades/Musclebacks are not something that a golfer should be afraid of - if anything you might find that you have purer shots with the Blades/MBs. If you are not a distance freak, anyone can play Blades/MBs. I think you would find more golfers hitting fairways and greens gaming Blades/MBs. Using the word handicap is poor rhetoric when considering your club selection in my humble opinion.

Mark has been a good addition to the channel

Blades and MC's are perfect fits for mid handicappers. I ended last season at an 11 and made the decision to switch to MC's (Ping i210) and LOVE THEM. I dont hit better shots yet, but the feel you get deff gives crucial feedback to start correcting the subtle things that you dont get from GI's. My misses are IMMENSLEY more consistent, and im becoming a better ball striker. I say if youre bellow a 15 and take the game somewhat seriously, its time to get away from GI's.

I think regardless of blades/cavities if you practice enough you will become good with whatever irons you use? Back in the day blades was all we had and it has to be said blades are a much nicer looking iron ?

It's mixed set for me Blades in 7-pw cavity 3-6 Love them

Played Nike blades until last year now gone AP3, don't notice too much difference in scoring ,AP3 are longer and I hit my 4 iron a lot better ,but that is down to practice more I think ,I'm shooting mid 80's to low 90's and was with the blades too.Lets not kid ourselves the modern blade is nothing like what was played 30 years or so ago. If you like practicing and are wanting get better use whatever feels and looks great to you regardless of handicap ,but if you don't practice and just have a game every week or so you're probably better off with some big shovels .It all depends what you want from the game .Good shots feel great with a blade thats for sure .

I play the mizuno mp 32 I'm a 13 handicap so yes you can my struggle is short game and putting the love for the irons makes me a more confident and concentrated player

When i was fitted for new irons they did have me try a couple of the forged/blade clubs. The one i could use the best was the 919 Forged and i gave it some thought but ultimately went with a bit more forgiveness in the Hot Metal.

I learned to play with blades. For me it worked well. I think the difference between true blades and cavity backs is much larger today than even 20 years ago. Play with what ever you wish - the more serious a player you are the more likely you are to move to blades.

I play around 14 handicap. 8 or 9 occasionally. I use 718 mb blades. I got them only because they were so beautiful.it was like they were saying take me home. couldn't not purchase them. now it has been about 10 months. I feel good with it now. of course it has less forgiveness , smaller head and it makes it harder to hit. I will keep buying titleist blades every two year. the best thing about blades are that they correct my swing. and it keeps me on getting better

I agree from below post. The blades today are much more forgiving but not worth your money and time. You still have to be a good player to get the most out of them. If you do want to play them insure to drink a beer every 2nd hole, that you won't care what you score

excellent fun! i don't think handicap is too important in this comparison. your tester can obviously strike the ball well and that's the key here. at today's prices, you have to buy a much older forged blade iron to make this a reasonable experiment. newer blades just too expensive, and the soft steel wears on the face pretty quickly, making the grooves suspect. the original owners often practice a great deal and you are likely to see their wear pattern on the face. most forged irons are bought with stiff/extra stiff shafts and the grips are often beyond redemption. if you value looks, the used forged clubs are going to be pretty beat up as well.

Another great video James ! Thanks for the content. Makes me want to put my P730's back into the bag and leave my P770's home next round. I do agree, the whole "made for this handicap level" is kind of BS.

Great tests. Love the different lies, and not too surprised by results. True mid handicaps are good ball strikers and are just a few strokes here and there from being scratch. Most penalties coming off either tee box or on the green. Keep the great content going.

Do you remember the Nike set from a few years ago that featured blades, muscle backs and cavity in the same set. Seemed like a very good idea to me.

I've been playing blades since the mp14s. I just ordered p7mbs and om going to use this video for all my friends who tell me I'm crazy for playing them....I'm a 5 handicap by the way.

I think blades are easier to hit than huge headed chunky game improvement irons.

I actually find that game improvement irons have a performance ceiling that muscle back and cavity back blades do not have. That being said if you buy blades, you need to practice ball striking with them, which in the long run will probably mean your game will improve

The workability with blades are superior and my shots find the greens more often using my bladed irons. To each his own. I played over a 100 rounds with blades and yes my cavity backs are better for distance but now workability

I hit almost any club straight so all GI irons do for me with more offset and big fat soles is create a lot of fat chunks and on good strikes go long left. I just ordered some new blades can’t wait to get them they will go straight and a little shorter with great spin All better options than GI Irons for me

Loved that birdie out the rough

I'll be really interested in what Mark's new clubs will end up being. In the meantime, happy golfing Mark! And congrats James, that you found such a likeable and talented student and video-cooperator! :-D

Not too easy to combo set's, because the lofts are so different, you need to end up with 2 x 6 irons or 7 irons for example, to get the gapping right, unless you alter the lofts when custom fitting. ( I heard on KZfaq that Adam Scott carried 2 x 5 irons for a while with his combo set)

I would try them if I could, just to keep my brain quiet. If you can hit them successfully then you will know that you are striking the ball really well. Great test James, well done Mark for striking the ball so well, now this will give your fitter some issues.

Another great video James. Would like you to do video on how you read a green and the best ways to do it. Thanks

And there is always the famous quote: "Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should."

On the 140 yard shot, why did he play the same club? With the different lofts, if he felt like he had too much, he should have clubed down with the 790s since the are stronger lofted to begin with. Almost seemed to be making the shot more complicated than it needed to be since he he was in between clubs, choose the shorter club with the stronger lofts and the shot would have probably been easier.

That camera on the 8th tee would have needed insurance if I'd played that shot lol 😟 Nice birdie Mark!!!👍

Blades look so good

Of course a mid handicap golfer can use blades! I know some that are excellent ball strikers but they are let down by their short game. Hence the handicap

I never looked at clubs in terms of forgiveness. If it fits my eye when I stand over it and feels good at contact I'm sold.

It's a testament to the Taylormade blade, But as far as your question, yes a mid handicap can play blades but do they really want to? In my view most of us need as much help as possible to enjoy our weekly game to the fullest. If I could play just 2 more times a week maybe I would give it a go. ;-)

I started using blades 30 yrs ago loved them,too many golfers believe the markerting,basically the crap there told ,you can.either play or not,but saying that if u dont practise and palY regularly you aint going to be able to play

It all depends on personal preference. I am far from a scratch golfer but while learning to play I only ever had blades. Now anything other than blades feel like im trying to hit my approach with a baseball bat. I would sacrifice distance for accuracy and consistancy anyday.

Awesome as usual. What do you use to get the “Shot Tracer”? I cant find a good one. Thanks mate

That course looks fantastic.

I think blades naturally make you a better golfer. I am like a 4 handicap but when using blades, you do focus more on making clean contact. It makes most players better by making them concentrate more.

Every shot here was a short-iron. The difference between blades and more game-improvement oriented irons is really in the long irons which most mid-handicappers have more difficulty striking consistently. Would of been nice to see a 4 or 5 iron for example. I would suspect we would see a big difference between the blade and the CB.

Yes, you too can play blades. My Titleist combo set: Vokey GW, SW, LW; 716 MB PW, 9, 8: 716 CB 7, 6, (5), 716 T-MB 5, 4; 818 H2 3 hybrid.

What shaft is Mark playing in these irons, please?

I just think they look better and if I like The look and feel of a club I want to play better with them. I also like the challange using a harder club. I got the cobra speedzone, crazy for giving and they fly like crazy but when playing mizuno mp20 or taylormade 760, ping i200 I have to think more and getting a feedback.

It’s a mix of what suits your eye and performance, why anyone would pick a blade up nowadays baffles me, if Ernie Ells, Lee Westwood and a host of others are using cavity backs then no one on here should be hitting a blade. I don’t see it being many years off that you don’t even see one on Tour, we are just attached through nostalgia.

I think it just comes down to how you swing the club. Many blades like P730 have a VCOG that is actually located above the middle of the golf ball. Many pros probably love this because it would keep the flight down; however, they have [near] perfect swings and ample shaft lean at impact, so they strike the ball higher on the face than a higher HC golfer who may flip at the ball or have other swing flaws which would not allow for this. At the end of the day, your HC is just a number, it doesn't define how you swing the club. Get fit!!

I started playing golf last year and bought a second hand set of PING blades. At the time I didn’t know what a blade was. I’ve learned using the blades am now starting to wonder if I’d be a better golfer if I bought something more ‘beginner friendly’

How forgiving can clubs really be? I've hit bad ones with my current GI irons and they don't go well at all. It's all down to strike in the end. If you can hit the middle of the face with blades regardless of your handicap, go for it. I've improved with my ball striking, I would certainly give blades a go as It would be interesting to see how well i'd perform. I hit an Apex Pro recently, it dwarfs my current godzilla sized irons and once i'd warmed up I was hitting 80% of the shots right out the middle. The flight was much more consistent than my 7 iron and it was going the same distance as my irons. (150 metres) despite the loft being 3 degrees weaker on the Apex Pro.

The more interesting test would be a very low handicap player playing a cavity back or even better hybrid irons like the Clevland Launcher turbos. I guess they would improve their FIR and GIR. The ability to feel the club and the negligible ability to work the ball notwithstanding.

no question go with the forgiving irons. Sure a mid handicapper can use blades, but unless there is a mental thing always use the clubs that give you the best strike consistency.

I am thinking if I should change to a cavity irons to increase my distance. Currently using MP69 muscle-backed. I like the latest MP20 HMB.

It seems like Mark should go with an iron like the P-760 so he can get the feedback that he wants with a little help.

I’ve used blades since I was a beginner, I could never look down at a chunky club and I think a game improvement iron makes you lazy on ball striking. Pressure equates to better golf in the long run

I don’t know if you have answered this question yet (you probably did and I missed it) but Why would someone hit blades in this age of technologically advanced irons? Loft is a non-issue since the loft can be adjusted in clubs so what would be the reason?

Love the recent videos James!

Ping i210 or the new taylormade I reckon for Mark. No feel from the p790, and they go like bullets, he is good enough to work better clubs.

Does it really matter if the blade is 5-10yds shorter Just use a 6 instead of a seven It’s all relative at 200yds I’m looking at 4 iron or my 5 wood ( yes I’m that bad )

OMG…. Why am I just seeing this. I found Jimbo through covid. How skinny where you. Much prefer the barrel chested look big man 💪🏻💙

I started with blades and I am currently thinking about a new set of irons. Do I stick with the blades even though I don’t always hit them the way I want? Or do I switch to cavity backs to improve my game?

Great video both u boys work well together great content

So a mid handicap player can play a blade but should he? He said there wasn't a difference in distance but was the cavity back more forgiving?

I was a 6 in the 1990s. I had a long layoff and have been playing again recently. . Currently I am a 20 and play pings. I tried my old hogan apex blades. I used to play then and hit them well. Now ... the biggest difference ? Mishits the penalty is severe and they hurt your hands.

Surely a combo set is the right answer?