I wanted these clubs forever. Look amazing, and I cannot stand the look of game improvement irons. I was playing a set of Cleveland Forged irons (Black Asian Spec). Look blade-y, but have a lot of meat on the bottom. I guess it would be like an MB on steroids. I liked them, but I never lost the desire to play the MBs. I didn't care what iteration they were because there is not much of a difference except shininess. Set of 712s in the used shop in near-perfect condition. Picked them up. Feel great. Not as long and less forgiving, but a joy to play with partly because YOU CAN. Hit the 4-iron the best oddly enough. I was nervous due to videos like this (THAT INTRO!), but I haven't stopped smiling since I bought them. Beautiful. And not as painful as you might be led to think. Oh yeah, I'm a mid-handicapper; I probably play off 15ish.
I got a set of CB irons in my bag and love them. I got them cheap, two years old maybe demoed but basically new. I took to them right away. I can hit these very long and straight without trying to hit hard at all. They look great at address, stay clean, and have a big sweet spot. People are totally into the high tech stuff nowadays but blades are all anyone needs.
Played MBs since the 712s. Love them. So much more you can do with them. I feel its easier to shape your shot. Deffinately not for the higher handicapped. Im a scratch player. But by far best decision i ever made was getting these MBs.
I went and got it. Hit 695 cb's for seven years and can honestly say the 716 mb's are the best irons I have ever hit. 10 rounds down and I can't say anything negative about them. Best feeling was hitting a 3 iron off the deck from 249 into the wind and landing it within 15 feet with a chance for eagle.
I know this comment is a bit late in regards to the timeline of the video, however I bought a set of these irons and absolutely loved them played my best round yet with them I am a 10 handicap golfer and loved these clubs.
I got down from 13 to 2 handicap with mizuno mp 33's and loved them. they made me concentrate and play proper golf. I still use them on the range to hone my strike. I play/practice less frequently now so have jumped to slightly more friendly irons. but I would never tell a mid handicapper to avoid blades. it all depends on what you like to look down on.
I agree with this. Even as an 9-11 handicap, I much prefer forged blades to cavity backs. I like the workability since my issue isn't necessarily ball striking. I green in 2-3 most times, but those 2 putts kill me.
Great video guys. I was dead set on buying AP2s yesterday. The pro that help with my fitting suggested about 8 different clubs, and wouldn't let me look at the clubs before I hit them so I wouldn't have any bias. I hit the AP2s like crap and we came down to 2 clubs. The CBs vs Mizuno mp15s. I wanted the titleist to win so bad, however the Mizuno's just felt better. I also liked how Mizuno doesn't up charge for extra stiff shafts and you can choose ANY grip you want. So I got the new golf pride MCC+4 for free.
Rob, u hit those really well. the CB is so good looking and I have been wanting but have been scared of buying for fear of paying so much money and my scores suffer. thank u Rob for showing that a mid handi can hit these as well as what u did. and Rick, I love these mid handicap reviews
Rob's swing made the CB's look perfect on sheets. Good Descent Angle with the spin has more chance to stay on the green. 43 degrees compare to AP2 iron 38 degrees, which is more for a driver descent angle. On the AP2 he has an average of 19 yards rolling but on CB a nice 10 yards which is pretty good for Rob's swing. I do understand the industry want the average golfer to come back and play with the "Drive for SHOW and putt for dough". I would believe that the CB's has more constant precision. But then again those MB's were also just amazing too. It's too bad that the industry is hidding those MB's golf club so to speak cause as I read more and more alot of us has started to play with MB's. If only the instructor at the time had the shaft and technology of today's.As always Rick, your video content are great and you have that choice of video that us average player just want to see. Thank you for your work and thank Rob for his swing and comments.
I am a mid handicap player and I use AP2's. I LOVE them! I use to play with Ping Zing irons and still have them.. I encourage everyone to give the better forged clubs like AP2's a try and don't be afraid of them, clubs like these make you better thru feedback and in particular the AP2's don't penalize you like a true blade. So you can improve while enjoying the game. The feeling when you hit an AP2 flush is amazing.. amazing... I would not recommend a player improvement iron to anyone.. get a few lessons and get to work on the AP2's or CB's... or a similar forged type iron...
A lot of times clubs like this can actually make you better because you know exactly what's going on when you hit it. You can make improvements faster when you hit bad ones with these. My ball striking very rapidly improved when I borrowed a set of forged irons.
A little.late to this but ive tried every type of iron under the sun this past year and play best with the CBs or blades. I found that my mis hits with blades are short and usually in the mouth of the green and GI which im not a fan of are usually long or in a trap. Im way better chipping from the mouth of the green and quite honestly I play nothing over a 5 iron as I am in love with the 3 4 hybris i have. Great comments on here for sure!!
great test as ever. Nice to see Dobby smashing a better club and enjoying it. I´m mid to high handicap, depending on prevailing wind and still love the feel of old blades. I often think that clubs that are designed to help higher handicappers are a bit like hitting the ball with a shovel, no feel. The pro at a local club I was at last summer said everyone should learn to play with blades when he saw mine, because you HAVE to learn to strike the ball better.
Agree, I often think "game improvement club" is a total misnomer. It's doing the opposite of improving your game, it's letting you get away with errors.
I don't get why people are so afraid of blades - at least not in the mid/short irons. To me, it's more about what size head I like to see behind the ball. Also the thinner soles work much, much better for me. Something about how it cuts through the grass. Bought a set of Mizuno MP-37s when my hcp was in the high 20's. Now (9 months later) I'm down to a 12.5 hcp. Only been playing golf for 18 months.
+oskarfahlstrom Me neither. It's all up in peoples head that blades are impossible to play with and only for the pros. Anyone with a good swing and consistent hit would do great with blades. The feel and ability to shape your shots with blades are outstanding. Been playing CBs 3,4,5,6 and MBs 7,8,9 and Pw for 2 years now (5 hcp) and i'm seriously thinking about buying an all MB set 4-Pw.
+No Name I don't know what CBs you're using but I went from a set of MP-60s to my current MP-37s and I didn't notice much of a difference in terms of forgiveness. The ball flight is slightly more penetrating with the 37s but the biggest difference is in the sole profile. The leading edge is sharper and the sole is thinner and flatter on the 37s compared to the 60s which had a more rounded sole. I'm using a MP-33 2 iron and then 37s from 3-PW. Lovely, lovely clubs.
I think that playing a blade or a cb will make you a more consistent ball striker because it gives you the feedback instantaneously. the game improvement irons conceal the bad hits and you never tend to correct yourself. very personal opinion though.
I don’t understand why everyone is scared of the MB’s. I grew up on blades and bought the 680 MB’s. Played them for years. I’m no pro but really loved them and hit many great shots. No need to be scared!!!
Agreed. I'm no pro either and I've been playing 690MBs for almost 20 years and have intention of going with new, more forgiving tech clubs that I have tried and feel nothing like my forged blades.
It’s time to upgrade my R11 irons, I was in the garage and found an old Set of Cleveland Tour Action TA2 irons, they are beautiful! Any chance of doing a Review of these Classics, or even better, I would love to see you compare these old ladies to today’s Titleist CB Irons. Cheers!
just shows you anyone can hit a blade, its all in the mind. Back in the day we ONLY had blades and you learned to make decent contact or walk away. Everyone should try a blade at some point to develop your strike then get something more forgiving to keep the fun in golf.
everyone can and should at least try these forged beauties--get a nice used set while you can at affordable prices. take them to the range and see what a really good shot feels like....
Totally agree. The first set that I used when I was learning to play golf were Hogan PC irons. They were given to me and I was 14. They forced me to play better and helped me learn the right way.
Well, "fun" means different things to different people. For me, fun means learning to play with clubs that actually improve my game rather than forgiving, score improvement clubs that make certain flaws in my swing manageable. Hitting my 690MBs flush, especially my 2 and 3i gives me a feeling that no club designed to be more forgiving can match and only forged blades can give you.
I have had my 695 CB for ages and want to change for the sake of getting new clubs but they feel and perform so good but im either getting new cbs or ap2s if anything but yer im in the forgotten section.. love these clubs!!!
Another great video. Great testing by Rob, I enjoyed his feedback. This really opens the doors for a higher handicapper as to what to consider, however, individual testing will always be the ultimate decision maker.. Seems that today's players clubs are becoming more forgiving.
I love this set as you can see the "similarity" when you strike the ball somewhat consistently. It is the mishits that actually become the most imformative as that is where the difference will show up in the scorecard, hit it fat...end up 20 yards short, pitch, 2 putts...bogey...hit it fat and up 10 yards short, maybe pitch and 1 putt...par. Outside of the "jacked up" clubs, you hit a blade and a cb and an improvement club they should basically be same but sweetspot smaller to larger. My current set was MX25 (cavity with undercut etc)3-5, MP67 (CB) 6-8, MP (blade) 9, PW -- Next set will be some mix too though more likely Ping G/I...hybrid/crosssover type of thing
Based on performance in this limited test I think Rob could easily get on with the CB irons. 147 on the dot, three shots in a row and they felt fantastic...put those in the bag!
I've still got the dci 918 which rick seen last week and are still in amazing condition (probably due to the fact that have played to much of the years)lucky for me I hit the ball a long way so I don't feel like mine play short.now hitting them straight is another matter, haha
I'm sure you'd make a better fist of it than me! Get it hit. It would also be good to see you have a putting challenge against Rick. I reckon you'd take him.
I am about mid to high handicap, I am using the Nike Vr pro II right now. luckily my iron skill is improved, my golf shot is much straight (tiny fade, draw) but yes, I will lost a lot of distance when it miss hit. The point is I can control the club head better.
Notice the difference in smash factor between the two clubs. Much lower in the CB which is supposed to be more forgiving I'd assume with a slightly hotter face. Rob struggled a bit with the MB getting the face square. I'd assume given more data points (shots), the two clubs would average close to the same distance but the MB would have a lower, more penetrating ball flight with a little more backspin to compensate. An excellent option for a mid-handicapper then that wants a slightly lower ball flight. We play in a lot of windy conditions here in SW. Ontario Canada.
forget those callaway irons rob put them in nailing them but i love these two sets- know i need to be adam scott good to mb's but have always wanted a set of cbs but bit too pricy for me unfortunately but maybe one day :)
A single digit handicapper (I'm a mid handicapper) looked at my bag a said "blades"????! Then he said, "I'm not good enough for blades". I thought to myself "yeah, you are right, you're not". Anyway, play what you like. HC has nothing to do with it. If I mishit my iron shot I can do it with an "MP-14" just as well as a "Ping Eye 2".
I had a combo set of those: 3-7CB, 8-PW MB. Got rid of them to get clubs with more forgiveness (14hdcp at the time) Wish I had them back. They were pristine. Currently an 11-12hdcp. I could get to single digits if I had a short game.
@@josephc1078 just wondering if I should get a new set of forgiving irons is all. I’m not that good. Or invest in more golf time and lessons. Merry Christmas
Have a set of 731pm,s they only made them in left,the 2 3 4 5 iron were cb and the rest blades ,over twenty years playing them ,am retiring them and buying the new Titleist mbs probably should get the cb,s but golf is not supposed to be easy.😊
These are basically just like the old Nike VR Pro combo set that were 5-6-7 muscle back and 8-9-PW blades.. I used to play them as a 15 handicap. I loved them and did not play any worse than I did with AP1s. In fact I think high handicapers would play better with bladey short irons. They have so much better feel and feedback. I also think the really thin sole cut through the turf better and don't dig in like chunky irons.
You should be playing Snooker Rob..Hahah...I.M.O Mizuno Blades are more Beautiful looking than Titleist...I would buy them and have a second bag of Clubs just to take to places like St Andrews where I would leave them lying around for people to admire. Well done btw on the reviews. Good Job Fella.
Looks like the MB will cost you distance, but the increase in spin might actually help those players who struggle to stop the ball on the green. The high handicap players (some of my friends who are learning and the older guys) play the distance style chunky irons as recommended by the fitter. They can get distance but the ball won't stop on the green. If they have to carry a bunker or water hazard they end up off the back or they are in the hazard. Wouldn't a higher spinning club help them in this case or would using a 7 iron instead of a 6 iron cancel out the difference in spin? I'd like to see Rob test this theory when demoing irons. Try a test where he setup on the monitor to hit into a par 3 with some trouble. Great review, the main difference in the 716 is the Tungsten in the toe on the CBs, and a remake of the 690 muscle design in both the MC and CB.
+golfboy1989 The reason people recommend high handicappers getting GI irons is more to do with forgiveness than anything else. Sure when you hit it pure with a blade and GI iron of the same loft you will see similar distances, but what about when you hit it slightly outside the middle with both clubs? You will see a much more significant drop off in distance with the blade in that scenario.
Off the carpet a lot of player type irons are as playable as the rest. The challenge for me has always been having no relief on bounce out on the course and hitting too many heavy shots. While I'm not hitting a foot behind the ball, I'm not always pinching it perfectly either and a slightly wider flange like on the CB or my King CBs helps just enough
Due to the high responsiveness and feel in the MBs would it be beneficial to buy a 7 iron MB to practice at the range with? I struggle with my irons and they are high forgiveness, low responsiveness
I would say that practicing with blades helps you get a sense of where you are hitting the ball, if you’re steep or shallow. You are on to something with the practice idea! It’s been said that Jordan Spieth got exposed at the Masters on #12 because he was hitting weak shots and didn’t see a need to correct during the round. He was a blow up waiting to blow up!
+Luke Pullen Ball striking is Ben Hogan and the sound his impact made... that will come if you are practicing the right things but look at it like this... 2 types of golfers out there Shot makers and Scorers.
+Diamnzpuck it's a generalisation but often handicap does indicate ur ball striking ability..not always no but often. And alot of guys who say I use blades but I play off 18 cuz my ball striking is good quite frankly are deluding themselves
+Diamnzpuck I agree with Adam. ball striking amd handicap pretty much go hand and hand. If you say you are a good ball striker but then say your handicap is 18 you are playing yourself.
interesting thing I noticed is the smash factor was went from 1.37 to 1.45 on the MBs. and the clubhead speeds were quite different too. Same with the AP1/2
+Stephane Gauthier unfortunately, the tech Rick uses doesn't actually capture the real smash factor - it is pre-set by the user (you can see it is exactly the same on every shot!). Not sure why he would change them between the CB and MB though - something not quite right there - PGA Tour average smash with a 6 iron is around 1.38.
+Stephane Gauthier you're right. He does have it, it is just not being utilised. My choice of wording wasn't ideal. But we can all agree there's no way Rob is going to get a consistent 1.45 smash with a bladed 6 iron.
+Stephane Gauthier I think they're using GC2 but not the HMT. (No white dots on the club face and a default smash factor.) So only ball data is measured and no club head data. As club head speed = ball speed /smashfactor the club head speed is fantasy too. That's a little odd but other than that all the other data should be spot on.
You say that the CB is not a distance club but I hit the this exact club model further and straighter than I hit the new Taylormade M6 Irons. I take my 7 Iron about 167-172 carry
I'm a 24 handcapper, and I much prefer hitting my mizuno blades than I ever did a cavity back iron. I went from Cobra to Mizuno, and i'm reaping the benefits imo. I just think it seems unfair to discourage people away from blades, at least give them a go! P.S i've only got back into golf over the past year, and feel my game gets better every round, maybe that comes into play.
I really wanna try some blades. I don’t know if I’m bothered about changing irons yet but I really want to try some. Can’t at my club though he doesn’t have any
Rick, I'm current;y playing the Cally Apex Pros. Would you expect any significant advantage to the CB vs my irons? I'm a big Titleist fan and a guy I know is selling is CB/MB combo set.
It all comes down to feel.... I would never think I’m a better ball striker, or even in the same category as Jordan spieth...... but for me.... I’ve played forged clubs for my entire life, my first set of clubs was an old set of Wilson blades, it’s all about feel and comfort for me.... I’ve tried ping i’s and ap2s and rocket blades.... I’ve tried every form of the ap2, and they just don’t feel as good as forged irons to me, mine are currently CBS, but I’ve owned multiple MB irons, I think people are generally intimidated by them, and that’s why they avoid them
Hi Rick, could you please comment, why the smash factor of the MB, is considerably higher, than that of the CB... ...and why is the swingspeed with the MB considerably lower, than with the CB? I would expect it rather vice versa... Thanks!
+Usee They just measured the ball data and not any club head data (HMT unit was turned off). The smash factor is just a random default value. (PGA Tour average is 1.38 btw). Not sure why it got changed though... With the info above you have your answer why the displayed club head speed is what it is. In real life it should be about the same though.
+3rdgroove Even if that is true, than it remains the question, why the ball speed with the MB is up to 4 mph higher than with the CB... ...and the average ball speed is around 2.5 mph higher with the MB... ...which would also fit to a higher smash factor, with the MB irons - even if not measured.
There is no reason to be so scared of bladed clubs. If your serious about getting better at this game then by all means get a set of forged cavity blades or muscle back blades. 17 hc myself and I game Mizuno MP4.
I got my Titleist 690MB 16 years ago.. My hcp improved playing true blades! I got them when I played in hcp 12. I thought they had a minute sweetspot, they were as easy as the game improvement irons I had before!
@@maxcaysey2844 that's because there those clubs mislabeled as "game improvement" do nothing of the kind whereas learning to hit blades does, in fact, improve your game by making you get disciplined with your ball striking
Crashtestdobby, test Bridgestone J15DF irons. I have a set and they are amazing! The sound 4-7 make is incredible!! The clubs that wolf whistle your amazing shot! #AirPocket
not true.. rent a set and practice for a week.. you will see the results. it gives you instant feedback so you can make adjustments in your swing. I hit a 6i 185 consistently so I have not really lost distance either. and my HCP was in 30s
THX m8 - Last week I was so lucky I found a 710 CB/MB combo set second hand, and I went for'em... during the first round I hit my 4 iron 190-odd meters NEVER EVER have I done that - I am so much in love with these irons man oh man, as you say, its instant feedback - only had 1 or 2 bad shots during the round, and no club on earth would have saved those :-P btw iam at 21.5hcp now - so to all of you out there - they are not to be feared !!! :-)
I wanted these clubs forever. Look amazing, and I cannot stand the look of game improvement irons. I was playing a set of Cleveland Forged irons (Black Asian Spec). Look blade-y, but have a lot of meat on the bottom. I guess it would be like an MB on steroids. I liked them, but I never lost the desire to play the MBs. I didn't care what iteration they were because there is not much of a difference except shininess. Set of 712s in the used shop in near-perfect condition. Picked them up. Feel great. Not as long and less forgiving, but a joy to play with partly because YOU CAN. Hit the 4-iron the best oddly enough. I was nervous due to videos like this (THAT INTRO!), but I haven't stopped smiling since I bought them. Beautiful. And not as painful as you might be led to think. Oh yeah, I'm a mid-handicapper; I probably play off 15ish.
I got a set of CB irons in my bag and love them. I got them cheap, two years old maybe demoed but basically new. I took to them right away. I can hit these very long and straight without trying to hit hard at all. They look great at address, stay clean, and have a big sweet spot. People are totally into the high tech stuff nowadays but blades are all anyone needs.
Jim Davis, but cb’s aren’t blades.
Played MBs since the 712s. Love them. So much more you can do with them. I feel its easier to shape your shot. Deffinately not for the higher handicapped. Im a scratch player. But by far best decision i ever made was getting these MBs.
I went and got it. Hit 695 cb's for seven years and can honestly say the 716 mb's are the best irons I have ever hit. 10 rounds down and I can't say anything negative about them. Best feeling was hitting a 3 iron off the deck from 249 into the wind and landing it within 15 feet with a chance for eagle.
I just bought a CB set and I can tell They are by far the best clubs I ever had and very easy to hit !
I know this comment is a bit late in regards to the timeline of the video, however I bought a set of these irons and absolutely loved them played my best round yet with them I am a 10 handicap golfer and loved these clubs.
Rob, the voice of the mid handicap golfer and should I say the voice of reason. Well Done!
10 handicapper here. I just hit these clubs...they are SO pure. Beautiful irons.
I got down from 13 to 2 handicap with mizuno mp 33's and loved them. they made me concentrate and play proper golf.
I still use them on the range to hone my strike. I play/practice less frequently now so have jumped to slightly more friendly irons.
but I would never tell a mid handicapper to avoid blades. it all depends on what you like to look down on.
I agree with this. Even as an 9-11 handicap, I much prefer forged blades to cavity backs. I like the workability since my issue isn't necessarily ball striking. I green in 2-3 most times, but those 2 putts kill me.
Great video guys.
I was dead set on buying AP2s yesterday. The pro that help with my fitting suggested about 8 different clubs, and wouldn't let me look at the clubs before I hit them so I wouldn't have any bias. I hit the AP2s like crap and we came down to 2 clubs. The CBs vs Mizuno mp15s. I wanted the titleist to win so bad, however the Mizuno's just felt better. I also liked how Mizuno doesn't up charge for extra stiff shafts and you can choose ANY grip you want. So I got the new golf pride MCC+4 for free.
Rob, u hit those really well. the CB is so good looking and I have been wanting but have been scared of buying for fear of paying so much money and my scores suffer. thank u Rob for showing that a mid handi can hit these as well as what u did. and Rick, I love these mid handicap reviews
Cheers buddy
Rob's swing made the CB's look perfect on sheets. Good Descent Angle with the spin has more chance to stay on the green. 43 degrees compare to AP2 iron 38 degrees, which is more for a driver descent angle. On the AP2 he has an average of 19 yards rolling but on CB a nice 10 yards which is pretty good for Rob's swing. I do understand the industry want the average golfer to come back and play with the "Drive for SHOW and putt for dough". I would believe that the CB's has more constant precision. But then again those MB's were also just amazing too. It's too bad that the industry is hidding those MB's golf club so to speak cause as I read more and more alot of us has started to play with MB's. If only the instructor at the time had the shaft and technology of today's.As always Rick, your video content are great and you have that choice of video that us average player just want to see. Thank you for your work and thank Rob for his swing and comments.
I am a mid handicap player and I use AP2's. I LOVE them! I use to play with Ping Zing irons and still have them.. I encourage everyone to give the better forged clubs like AP2's a try and don't be afraid of them, clubs like these make you better thru feedback and in particular the AP2's don't penalize you like a true blade. So you can improve while enjoying the game. The feeling when you hit an AP2 flush is amazing.. amazing... I would not recommend a player improvement iron to anyone.. get a few lessons and get to work on the AP2's or CB's... or a similar forged type iron...
I still play the 695 CB's. I bought a second set back in the day for when mine need to be changed out. Love them.
A lot of times clubs like this can actually make you better because you know exactly what's going on when you hit it. You can make improvements faster when you hit bad ones with these. My ball striking very rapidly improved when I borrowed a set of forged irons.
A little.late to this but ive tried every type of iron under the sun this past year and play best with the CBs or blades. I found that my mis hits with blades are short and usually in the mouth of the green and GI which im not a fan of are usually long or in a trap. Im way better chipping from the mouth of the green and quite honestly I play nothing over a 5 iron as I am in love with the 3 4 hybris i have. Great comments on here for sure!!
great test as ever. Nice to see Dobby smashing a better club and enjoying it. I´m mid to high handicap, depending on prevailing wind and still love the feel of old blades. I often think that clubs that are designed to help higher handicappers are a bit like hitting the ball with a shovel, no feel. The pro at a local club I was at last summer said everyone should learn to play with blades when he saw mine, because you HAVE to learn to strike the ball better.
Agree, I often think "game improvement club" is a total misnomer. It's doing the opposite of improving your game, it's letting you get away with errors.
I don't get why people are so afraid of blades - at least not in the mid/short irons. To me, it's more about what size head I like to see behind the ball. Also the thinner soles work much, much better for me. Something about how it cuts through the grass.
Bought a set of Mizuno MP-37s when my hcp was in the high 20's. Now (9 months later) I'm down to a 12.5 hcp. Only been playing golf for 18 months.
I've never had a problem with blades. my father actually gave me an old set of hogan apex irons to learn on. and I was 9 lol
+oskarfahlstrom Me neither. It's all up in peoples head that blades are impossible to play with and only for the pros.
Anyone with a good swing and consistent hit would do great with blades. The feel and ability to shape your shots with blades are outstanding.
Been playing CBs 3,4,5,6 and MBs 7,8,9 and Pw for 2 years now (5 hcp) and i'm seriously thinking about buying an all MB set 4-Pw.
+No Name I don't know what CBs you're using but I went from a set of MP-60s to my current MP-37s and I didn't notice much of a difference in terms of forgiveness. The ball flight is slightly more penetrating with the 37s but the biggest difference is in the sole profile. The leading edge is sharper and the sole is thinner and flatter on the 37s compared to the 60s which had a more rounded sole.
I'm using a MP-33 2 iron and then 37s from 3-PW. Lovely, lovely clubs.
I think that playing a blade or a cb will make you a more consistent ball striker because it gives you the feedback instantaneously. the game improvement irons conceal the bad hits and you never tend to correct yourself. very personal opinion though.
I play 716 CBs myself and have seen a tremendous improvement in my ball striking in just a month
Rob's my favorite part of this channel
nice vid Rick. out of the 4 loving the look of the cbs. Rob get them in ur bag hittin them well
I don’t understand why everyone is scared of the MB’s. I grew up on blades and bought the 680 MB’s. Played them for years. I’m no pro but really loved them and hit many great shots. No need to be scared!!!
Agreed. I'm no pro either and I've been playing 690MBs for almost 20 years and have intention of going with new, more forgiving tech clubs that I have tried and feel nothing like my forged blades.
Love the Rob Potter videos, thanks Rick and Rob!
It’s time to upgrade my R11 irons, I was in the garage and found an old Set of Cleveland Tour Action TA2 irons, they are beautiful!
Any chance of doing a Review of these Classics, or even better, I would love to see you compare these old ladies to today’s Titleist CB Irons.
Cheers!
Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL, clubs!
just shows you anyone can hit a blade, its all in the mind. Back in the day we ONLY had blades and you learned to make decent contact or walk away. Everyone should try a blade at some point to develop your strike then get something more forgiving to keep the fun in golf.
everyone can and should at least try these forged beauties--get a nice used set while you can at affordable prices. take them to the range and see what a really good shot feels like....
Totally agree. The first set that I used when I was learning to play golf were Hogan PC irons. They were given to me and I was 14. They forced me to play better and helped me learn the right way.
Well, "fun" means different things to different people. For me, fun means learning to play with clubs that actually improve my game rather than forgiving, score improvement clubs that make certain flaws in my swing manageable. Hitting my 690MBs flush, especially my 2 and 3i gives me a feeling that no club designed to be more forgiving can match and only forged blades can give you.
I have had my 695 CB for ages and want to change for the sake of getting new clubs but they feel and perform so good but im either getting new cbs or ap2s if anything but yer im in the forgotten section.. love these clubs!!!
Swing looking good Rob, I have just switched from Nike vr pro combo to ap2 very happy, can't go far wrong with Titleist...
Cheers Ross
All those 147's shame you weren't playing snooker.
im here to sending you love and support its my honor to meet a new superman friends here in yt world
Put CBs in the bag Rob!
Finally a Traffic Management Joke! I've been waiting so long!
Another great video. Great testing by Rob, I enjoyed his feedback. This really opens the doors for a higher handicapper as to what to consider, however, individual testing will always be the ultimate decision maker..
Seems that today's players clubs are becoming more forgiving.
I love this set as you can see the "similarity" when you strike the ball somewhat consistently. It is the mishits that actually become the most imformative as that is where the difference will show up in the scorecard, hit it fat...end up 20 yards short, pitch, 2 putts...bogey...hit it fat and up 10 yards short, maybe pitch and 1 putt...par. Outside of the "jacked up" clubs, you hit a blade and a cb and an improvement club they should basically be same but sweetspot smaller to larger. My current set was MX25 (cavity with undercut etc)3-5, MP67 (CB) 6-8, MP (blade) 9, PW -- Next set will be some mix too though more likely Ping G/I...hybrid/crosssover type of thing
Based on performance in this limited test I think Rob could easily get on with the CB irons. 147 on the dot, three shots in a row and they felt fantastic...put those in the bag!
Rob , for consistency and the sound and feel go for the CB's . I think they would make you a happy man on the course . 😉🏌⛳️🍻
I've still got the dci 918 which rick seen last week and are still in amazing condition (probably due to the fact that have played to much of the years)lucky for me I hit the ball a long way so I don't feel like mine play short.now hitting them straight is another matter, haha
An ad came right on before he hits his second shot. The suspense killed me
Gaming the CB irons and they are fantastic! I was fitted for these with the KBS TOUR 120g Stiff, an extremely good combo!
I have 680MBs. If money was not an issue I would get an AP2 or SC18. Had 680s for over 10 years and the 3,4,5 irons give me anything but confidence
CB's remind me more of the DCI 990's than anything else.
I had the exact same thought watching this video, then saw this comment which reinforces the idea lol
Great stuff. Fair play to Rob. He hit them all well. Let's see him hitting a 1 iron next.
Not sure he has quite the speed to get the best results out of a 1-iron.
I have a Big Bertha 1 iron I bought 10yrs ago. I need sooooooo much more club head speed to get that bad boy airbourne lol
I'm sure you'd make a better fist of it than me! Get it hit. It would also be good to see you have a putting challenge against Rick. I reckon you'd take him.
James Littler I'd love to buddy. You know me, always up for a challenge.
I am about mid to high handicap, I am using the Nike Vr pro II right now. luckily my iron skill is improved, my golf shot is much straight (tiny fade, draw) but yes, I will lost a lot of distance when it miss hit. The point is I can control the club head better.
Notice the difference in smash factor between the two clubs. Much lower in the CB which is supposed to be more forgiving I'd assume with a slightly hotter face. Rob struggled a bit with the MB getting the face square. I'd assume given more data points (shots), the two clubs would average close to the same distance but the MB would have a lower, more penetrating ball flight with a little more backspin to compensate. An excellent option for a mid-handicapper then that wants a slightly lower ball flight. We play in a lot of windy conditions here in SW. Ontario Canada.
damn Rob was having a good golf day testing these..... bring him back on a cold north west day when he isnt on his game lol
Top Job Rob 🤘👍😁
forget those callaway irons rob put them in nailing them
but i love these two sets- know i need to be adam scott good to mb's but have always wanted a set of cbs but bit too pricy for me unfortunately but maybe one day :)
A single digit handicapper (I'm a mid handicapper) looked at my bag a said "blades"????! Then he said, "I'm not good enough for blades". I thought to myself "yeah, you are right, you're not". Anyway, play what you like. HC has nothing to do with it. If I mishit my iron shot I can do it with an "MP-14" just as well as a "Ping Eye 2".
Love it...I am a big fan of titleist mb iron
Good job Rob!
Blades are easier to hit for golfers who practice regularly than you might think. They are a great way to hone a swing.
I had a combo set of those: 3-7CB, 8-PW MB.
Got rid of them to get clubs with more forgiveness (14hdcp at the time)
Wish I had them back. They were pristine. Currently an 11-12hdcp. I could get to single digits if I had a short game.
Do you think a new cb is more forgiving? I’ve got a mix set of 712s mb 7-Pw and cb 3-6
@ cb is a bit more forgiving than the muscle back…but not a ton (at least that’s what I felt when I hit them) 😀👍🏻
@@josephc1078 just wondering if I should get a new set of forgiving irons is all. I’m not that good. Or invest in more golf time and lessons.
Merry Christmas
@ I’d invest in some lessons first, maybe make your goal to have clean strikes on the mb/cb irons 👍🏻
Merry Christmas 🎄 to you as well 😀
Rob, you are a great tester. Keep up the great work. Test Cleveland 588 wedges
I would like to see Rob do a review on the Mizuno MP-5's and MP-25's. I just started gaming them and absolutely love them!
That'd be cool
Have a set of 731pm,s they only made them in left,the 2 3 4 5 iron were cb and the rest blades ,over twenty years playing them ,am retiring them and buying the new Titleist mbs probably should get the cb,s but golf is not supposed to be easy.😊
these are the 2 best looking irons out
Thank you for the review.
These are basically just like the old Nike VR Pro combo set that were 5-6-7 muscle back and 8-9-PW blades.. I used to play them as a 15 handicap. I loved them and did not play any worse than I did with AP1s. In fact I think high handicapers would play better with bladey short irons. They have so much better feel and feedback. I also think the really thin sole cut through the turf better and don't dig in like chunky irons.
You should be playing Snooker Rob..Hahah...I.M.O Mizuno Blades are more Beautiful looking than Titleist...I would buy them and have a second bag of Clubs just to take to places like St Andrews where I would leave them lying around for people to admire. Well done btw on the reviews. Good Job Fella.
Very telling. A good swing will hit any club well. Great job Rob! :-)
Looks like the MB will cost you distance, but the increase in spin might actually help those players who struggle to stop the ball on the green. The high handicap players (some of my friends who are learning and the older guys) play the distance style chunky irons as recommended by the fitter. They can get distance but the ball won't stop on the green. If they have to carry a bunker or water hazard they end up off the back or they are in the hazard. Wouldn't a higher spinning club help them in this case or would using a 7 iron instead of a 6 iron cancel out the difference in spin? I'd like to see Rob test this theory when demoing irons. Try a test where he setup on the monitor to hit into a par 3 with some trouble. Great review, the main difference in the 716 is the Tungsten in the toe on the CBs, and a remake of the 690 muscle design in both the MC and CB.
+golfboy1989 The reason people recommend high handicappers getting GI irons is more to do with forgiveness than anything else. Sure when you hit it pure with a blade and GI iron of the same loft you will see similar distances, but what about when you hit it slightly outside the middle with both clubs? You will see a much more significant drop off in distance with the blade in that scenario.
Off the carpet a lot of player type irons are as playable as the rest. The challenge for me has always been having no relief on bounce out on the course and hitting too many heavy shots. While I'm not hitting a foot behind the ball, I'm not always pinching it perfectly either and a slightly wider flange like on the CB or my King CBs helps just enough
awesome video, thanks for the feedback
Rick you should do a forgiveness test video. Put up the blades vs some of the taylormade shovels and compare the numbers on mishits.
Goran Bacak this would be great, as long as they hit off real grass.
great as always. any chance of getting Rob to try out the mizuno ez forged irons you hit a few weeks back?
Most blades seem to come with quite heavy stiffer shats than game improvement irons. I believe that a lighter softer shaft makes blades very playable.
Due to the high responsiveness and feel in the MBs would it be beneficial to buy a 7 iron MB to practice at the range with? I struggle with my irons and they are high forgiveness, low responsiveness
I would say that practicing with blades helps you get a sense of where you are hitting the ball, if you’re steep or shallow. You are on to something with the practice idea! It’s been said that Jordan Spieth got exposed at the Masters on #12 because he was hitting weak shots and didn’t see a need to correct during the round. He was a blow up waiting to blow up!
I don't like the way how u categorise irons for certain handicaps... All about ball striking!!
You're right but i dont think that that a 30 hcp Will get a smash factor of 1.40 with à 6i 8/10 Times
I TOTALLY agree. Handicap and ball striking is two different category.
+Luke Pullen Ball striking is Ben Hogan and the sound his impact made... that will come if you are practicing the right things but look at it like this... 2 types of golfers out there Shot makers and Scorers.
+Diamnzpuck it's a generalisation but often handicap does indicate ur ball striking ability..not always no but often.
And alot of guys who say I use blades but I play off 18 cuz my ball striking is good quite frankly are deluding themselves
+Diamnzpuck I agree with Adam. ball striking amd handicap pretty much go hand and hand. If you say you are a good ball striker but then say your handicap is 18 you are playing yourself.
Hey Rick, love all of the videos. Is there anyway that you could do a review on a Bobby Jones driver?
interesting thing I noticed is the smash factor was went from 1.37 to 1.45 on the MBs. and the clubhead speeds were quite different too. Same with the AP1/2
+Stephane Gauthier unfortunately, the tech Rick uses doesn't actually capture the real smash factor - it is pre-set by the user (you can see it is exactly the same on every shot!). Not sure why he would change them between the CB and MB though - something not quite right there - PGA Tour average smash with a 6 iron is around 1.38.
+Y0RIC HUNT Actually, they do have GC2 with the HMT so it should be possible. Maybe he's using the Flightscope though.
+Stephane Gauthier you're right. He does have it, it is just not being utilised. My choice of wording wasn't ideal. But we can all agree there's no way Rob is going to get a consistent 1.45 smash with a bladed 6 iron.
+Stephane Gauthier I think they're using GC2 but not the HMT. (No white dots on the club face and a default smash factor.) So only ball data is measured and no club head data.
As club head speed = ball speed /smashfactor
the club head speed is fantasy too.
That's a little odd but other than that all the other data should be spot on.
I'm a 5 handicap and I use the 916 mbs. don't see the fear in them there a great club.
these look sooooooo gooooood
You say that the CB is not a distance club but I hit the this exact club model further and straighter than I hit the new Taylormade M6 Irons. I take my 7 Iron about 167-172 carry
Chin up sir, you can do it! Hang in there.
i plat these and love them
I'm a 24 handcapper, and I much prefer hitting my mizuno blades than I ever did a cavity back iron. I went from Cobra to Mizuno, and i'm reaping the benefits imo. I just think it seems unfair to discourage people away from blades, at least give them a go! P.S i've only got back into golf over the past year, and feel my game gets better every round, maybe that comes into play.
I still use my DCI 981's. I will check the CB's out.
would love to see him test mizuno mp 5
cb does look like dci 981 that I still use at the moment but looking to change for ap2
i am a 16 year old plus one handicap and love the mbs they are great
I really wanna try some blades. I don’t know if I’m bothered about changing irons yet but I really want to try some. Can’t at my club though he doesn’t have any
Rick, I'm current;y playing the Cally Apex Pros. Would you expect any significant advantage to the CB vs my irons? I'm a big Titleist fan and a guy I know is selling is CB/MB combo set.
It all comes down to feel.... I would never think I’m a better ball striker, or even in the same category as Jordan spieth...... but for me.... I’ve played forged clubs for my entire life, my first set of clubs was an old set of Wilson blades, it’s all about feel and comfort for me.... I’ve tried ping i’s and ap2s and rocket blades.... I’ve tried every form of the ap2, and they just don’t feel as good as forged irons to me, mine are currently CBS, but I’ve owned multiple MB irons, I think people are generally intimidated by them, and that’s why they avoid them
A Callaway xr 16 vid would be nice to see pls
I play cb's and I love them
U are hitting of a solid mat... Impossible to chunk the blades and that's what he would do
I think the CB irons are a striking resemblance for the old 990's
Hi Rick,
could you please comment, why the smash factor of the MB, is considerably higher, than that of the CB...
...and why is the swingspeed with the MB considerably lower, than with the CB?
I would expect it rather vice versa...
Thanks!
+Usee They just measured the ball data and not any club head data (HMT unit was turned off). The smash factor is just a random default value. (PGA Tour average is 1.38 btw). Not sure why it got changed though...
With the info above you have your answer why the displayed club head speed is what it is. In real life it should be about the same though.
+3rdgroove Even if that is true, than it remains the question,
why the ball speed with the MB is up to 4 mph higher than with the CB...
...and the average ball speed is around 2.5 mph higher with the MB...
...which would also fit to a higher smash factor, with the MB irons - even if not measured.
There is no reason to be so scared of bladed clubs. If your serious about getting better at this game then by all means get a set of forged cavity blades or muscle back blades.
17 hc myself and I game Mizuno MP4.
I got my Titleist 690MB 16 years ago.. My hcp improved playing true blades! I got them when I played in hcp 12. I thought they had a minute sweetspot, they were as easy as the game improvement irons I had before!
@@maxcaysey2844 that's because there those clubs mislabeled as "game improvement" do nothing of the kind whereas learning to hit blades does, in fact, improve your game by making you get disciplined with your ball striking
the symphony in them CB and MB forget the rest go with the best.
This is awesome
Rick I'm prity sure Adam Scott is using Titleist 680 forged irons. Not the new MB. Jimmy Walker is using the MB iron however.
Great vidjoes lads! When are yee doing the MP18 Mid Handicap review? Would love to see the comparison between the Mizuno vs Titleist.
Contradicting you recent video on how Blades aren’t actually that bad
can you also review on the difference in price for the clubs you test please
Good shout there
Doesn't say much for Ricks coaching ability. This guy's been a mid handicapper for years.
does rob use reg or stiff shafts
Dobby which one would you choose? out of all 4?
Either AP2 or CB
+Robert Potter what do the CBs feel like, really soft? would you recommend them for a 11.3 handicap high school varsity golfer?
I don't see why not
+Robert Potter thanks!
Best thing is to test the full range. What you currently playing with
Crashtestdobby, test Bridgestone J15DF irons. I have a set and they are amazing! The sound 4-7 make is incredible!! The clubs that wolf whistle your amazing shot! #AirPocket
interesting suggestion there. cool
You mentioned titelist have 4 sets out, you forgot to mention the T-MB are they the real forgotten 'ginger' brother???
Aaron Leyden those came out later
Oh those CBs are the "goal"... but beeing a hcp 23.5 atm its quite a bit away still...
not true.. rent a set and practice for a week.. you will see the results. it gives you instant feedback so you can make adjustments in your swing. I hit a 6i 185 consistently so I have not really lost distance either. and my HCP was in 30s
THX m8 - Last week I was so lucky I found a 710 CB/MB combo set second hand, and I went for'em... during the first round I hit my 4 iron 190-odd meters NEVER EVER have I done that - I am so much in love with these irons man oh man, as you say, its instant feedback - only had 1 or 2 bad shots during the round, and no club on earth would have saved those :-P btw iam at 21.5hcp now - so to all of you out there - they are not to be feared !!! :-)