I've played hickory clubs for 10 years, and there's a whole world of history in vintage clubs and the joy of playing them. Just bought a couple of sets - Titleist Super slim and Browning 440 Low Profile irons - narrow faces with very wide soles - a little like hybrid sets. Absolutely love them. Cheap as chips also helps. There's a guy on YT "classic golf clubs" that does reviews of these type of clubs in his collection
Simon those Sam Sneads are actually 1980s irons wilson also made forged versions which are the ones your getting confused with. The earlier ones had ferrels and looked like classic blades. I was a junior in the 80s when these were around and remember them as I used to hang around the pro shop so much and was Wilson mad.
My second set in junior days, mid late 80's . Earlier models were better quality but loved em, no tangent on the grooves so razor sharp : surlyn swarf in the sweetspot! 7 iron had wrong lie angle. Poor quality but better for juniors than the anti-skill crap nowadays. A ver...
I am only at 3:27 in this video. Honest. But here is my prediction. Not as far by about 10%, but more accurate. Let's see. (I WAS WRONG. DISTANCE THE SAME!!! GOTTA LOVE THE OLD CLUBS). You have a very nice swing. I like how you shift your weight forward on the downswing.
I have 4 sets of old irons that I rotate in my bag and enjoy using. I can't hit any of the 3 irons , which is weird. Some of the others in the 5 to 7 range don't appear to have sweet spots, too. I wouldn't swap any of them for new stuff, though. They make for an interesting time on the course :)
This guy is pretty cool keeping it real. I bought a 1960s set of Ben Hogans just for fun but I am so glad to come back to my Mizzy 54s. Just think if Snead, Hogan, Jones, Hagen, or Sarazen had modern clubs. Who know how good they could have been. Simon looked like he was doing alright with these oldies.
Way back when, Sam Snead Blue Ridge sets were the cheaper beginner sets. How many people would freak out if someone starting to play golf was using these. Something along the lines of 'You can't use those! Only really good players can use blades' I would imagine.
I played with them as a kid. Just recently came back to golf after 30 years and bought some used Mizuno MP52s. They’re sorta half cavity, half blade. I wish I’d bought pure blades because that’s what I was used to as a kid in the 90s and the Mizunos feel kinda clunky even though they’re not supposed to be.
Late to the show. Had a set of Spalding blades from the same era. Learned how to play with them. My parents bought me the set in 1967. They were $80 for the entire set new and had steel regular shafts with maple laminate woods. I shot my PB in '71. Haven't gotten close since.
I recently got a set of Mizuno MP 60s (2005) 3-PW $110.00 shipped that I just love. First set I ever had was 3-9 Bristol Victura (tiny heads), still have them. Like you, when I catch the 5i out of the middle can't tell the difference between the Victura and the Mizuno.
Just so you know..I played these clubs from the 70's throught to the 90's. The height is because of the modern ball not the loft. The shaft technology "was there" back then especially in drivers for the Pros. Today Bryson De has a 7 iron loft of 29 degrees. I see some brands have 7's at 27 degrees. The 2 iron of this set would equal any modern 2 iron.
Before you cut down clubs to your 7 iron, my suggestion having tried thing on many clubs is the following: 1) 6 iron length is still the length that most people can do well with - so use this length, not 7 if your aren't doing well with your 5, and if you carry a 4, first before going 'full' 7 iron 1 length club madness 2) I do the same for my two hybrids that I carry. I carry a 4 (22.5) and 2 (18) hybrid and both are cut down to the length of a 4 iron (which is usually 1 to 1.75 inches) shorter than would be delivered 3) Consider the same thing on the other end of the bag. I can't tell you how much this has helped me on my wedges. I play my PW, 52, 57, 62 all the length of the PW all at 35.75. This has really improved everything about my wedge play - especially and maybe surprisingly on the 30 to 60 yard distance. I'm only 5'9" but anything short that 35.75 to 36" and it is just not as comfortable and you can't easily stand with a narrower stance and hit those feel shots if you have to bend over too much.
My 60-some y.o. uncle played to a 2 hcp in the 70s using Blue Ridge irons. I would ask him why not upgrade? He'd say why should he...and he was right. Use what is works...and these sure did for him. He was an excellent ball striker.
Simon at the TH-cam golf day seek out Steve Johnston, he cut down his Wilson V6 forged irons and made the 4,5 and 6 irons all the same length without loosing any distance or affecting the gaping, he did a video on it recently if you want to check it out. Good luck on Monday, Praying for good weather. Enjoy.
I worked as a bartender at a golf course before i ever played. Boss insisted i play a game or two if i worked there. Old head at the club offered to give me his old golf bag and i went out and played with them every few days all summer. Clubs were from the 60s with some that looked older. I feel like they made me better at the game
I've got ,a Hickory 3 iron ,it's that thin it makes that 5 iron look like a massive cavity back club ,there's just no meat on the back it's so thin ,yet people played great golf with them as that's all they had .I should take it to the range for a hit ,cant think it will do my tennis elbow any good though on a miss strike .
Played hickories for 10 years. There's a whole community now play them. No better feeling than hitting a 100 year old club out of the middle, but it does take a while to get a "set" together that give different distances to get round a golf course.
great vid man. i played some old wilson blade that were from the 60 and then some from the early 90s. fun to get out and play with them. the pitching wedge from the 90s set was 51 degrees
My very first set of clubs, irons and woods. Hand me downs from my boss at my first job as well. Played them for 4 years and I swear I hit the ball straighter and farther than any irons since then
SAS, first things first. Old video but they are the best, your honesty compassion shines through the screen, so does your baby face. Enough of that, caveman dad!!! FYI: I'm chasing a set of Walter Hagen Ultradyne II Iron Set 3-PW SW Regular - $19.00 + S&H 20 + TAX 1.75 + grips = why bother right? The feel, the look, the attention to detail of the manufacturing, the teasing i get when i hit them square...bitches! Also, a set of MacGregor VIP Limited 2-10 Iron Set Stiff Steel - $130...little steep, great shape. Something about the old dogs that makes me smile. In the rack: 1. MacGregor-Mike Souchak 681(minty) 2. Slazenger-Hogan Championship (playable and great fun) 3. Wilson Dr. Cary Middlecoff Autograph (new, never hit) 4. Wilson Staff Tour Blade FG-17 5. Ben Hogan Radial 6. Slotline Copper Classics 7. PING Eye 2 Black Dot 8. Honma CL-707 Professional 9. Spalding Top Flite Professional 10. ??? WIMB: 8.5* Ben Hogan C-S3 or 13* 3-wood Ben Hogan C455 - 2003 21* & 24* Hybrids: Hogan Colonial - ? Yonex ADX Tour 4-PW Homna W102 wedge set PING ANSER shoot an 80 last week with these antiques...ran out of gas approaching 16th. I fell apart last three holes, +4. I'm 63! ✌
I have a set of Karsten 1’s, 2-PW. I could go out an buy the latest irons, and it might improve my game, but I play well enough with them and they are real classy, so as much as all the new tech is appealing I’m gonna stick with the old irons…Now driver that’s a whole different story.
I have a 7 iron length, 6 iron. Can hit that 195 no problem. That’s my longest iron. Then 5 hybrid goes 205-210 then 3 hybrid goes 215-230. Makes for perfect gapping and much more manageable game play and consistency. Why would I need anything to go any further, and even if it did, how often would it get used? Occasional second shot on long par 5? People obsessed with getting more length, but seriously, how often do you really need to hit more than 220 apart from a tee shot?!? And I would say 90% of the time, don’t have to hit more than 200 yards on second shot, except on those occasional long par 5’s. So are you building your set geared towards those long hole that are only 2 per round or every other hole you might play 10 times per round or what ever it is? I just get confused with people wanting your irons to go so far.... 🤷🏼♂️ As crossfield says (and in this case I think he is right) get your 175-210 nailed down solid. Those are your bread and butter approach shots 9/10 holes. Hit those numbers consistently and your score will drop fast for sure.
i think it's cast stainless club, which isn't bad if they don't have air bubbles in them like is the problem with magnesium alloy clubs. love the flange on that Blue Ridge. maybe somebody will send you a Jack Nicklaus "Golden Bear" cheapo to demo-- i myself didn't dig them. my first set was a 3, 5, 7, 9 Chi Chi Rodreguez autograph by Northwestern and they were forged i found out years later in an equipment encyclopedia.
Thanks for an inciteful vid Simon. This season the lowest Iron that I will carry in my Bag will be a 6 Iron, I will then move into hybrids (which I find much easier to hit and much more accurate.
So, I bought myself a set of Titleist 681 blades and they are doing the job for me. they came out in 2001, I have Rifle 6.5s in them. Struggling with gapping and making use of the longer irons theres only 15 yards in the difference between the 5 and 3i. Anyway, that's not my point. I'd love to see a video where blades throughout the years, muscle backs, are pitted against each other. maybe a titleist from each decade. The 620mbs are a beautiful set of clubs, but what REALLY is the difference between them and my 681s. Be interesting to see the differences, if any between the clubs. Lofts might need bending etc. for some or in some cases a 6 iron might need to face off against a 7 iron. But I think it's a great idea for a video. Also it would make me feel better for having saved hundreds by buying the same club if the results are very similar.
They were still making Sam Snead blue ridge clubs into the ‘70’s. These were My first matching set! Really thin grips, The driver weighed about 15 ounces!
They also made very similar ladies clubs, if memory serves me they were the “Patty Berg” model! I can recall at least 2 versions of the Sam Snead, those you tried and one with a stamping of Snead’s trademark trilby hat on them!
@@SASGolf I have played with them a few times, but I would have to replace the grips. I can't make myself pay $100 to regrip such old irons. I'll have to wait till I have a place to do it myself.
Still got my Wilson FG49s. Best irons I ever played with. I hate hybrids. So inconsistent and not comparable with longer irons for length or being able to manufacture shots. I rue the loss of the art of hitting long irons. Read Tom Wishons views on the disappearing loft disease which I believe is in effect a marketing conspiracy by the manufacturers.
been sayin it for years... 5 iron's a 5 iron. 90% of golfers lack the ability to take advantage of the improvements in technology in golf clubs, anyway.
I've played hickory clubs for 10 years, and there's a whole world of history in vintage clubs and the joy of playing them. Just bought a couple of sets - Titleist Super slim and Browning 440 Low Profile irons - narrow faces with very wide soles - a little like hybrid sets. Absolutely love them. Cheap as chips also helps. There's a guy on YT "classic golf clubs" that does reviews of these type of clubs in his collection
Nick Gould
Simon those Sam Sneads are actually 1980s irons wilson also made forged versions which are the ones your getting confused with.
The earlier ones had ferrels and looked like classic blades.
I was a junior in the 80s when these were around and remember them as I used to hang around the pro shop so much and was Wilson mad.
My second set in junior days, mid late 80's . Earlier models were better quality but loved em, no tangent on the grooves so razor sharp : surlyn swarf in the sweetspot! 7 iron had wrong lie angle. Poor quality but better for juniors than the anti-skill crap nowadays. A ver...
I am only at 3:27 in this video. Honest. But here is my prediction. Not as far by about 10%, but more accurate. Let's see. (I WAS WRONG. DISTANCE THE SAME!!! GOTTA LOVE THE OLD CLUBS). You have a very nice swing. I like how you shift your weight forward on the downswing.
I have 4 sets of old irons that I rotate in my bag and enjoy using. I can't hit any of the 3 irons , which is weird. Some of the others in the 5 to 7 range don't appear to have sweet spots, too. I wouldn't swap any of them for new stuff, though. They make for an interesting time on the course :)
we all played tiny blades in the 1980's, and the three iron was my favorite.
Mid seventies for me, favourite was my 1 iron.
This guy is pretty cool keeping it real. I bought a 1960s set of Ben Hogans just for fun but I am so glad to come back to my Mizzy 54s. Just think if Snead, Hogan, Jones, Hagen, or Sarazen had modern clubs. Who know how good they could have been. Simon looked like he was doing alright with these oldies.
They were still hitting wooden drivers 300 yards too
Way back when, Sam Snead Blue Ridge sets were the cheaper beginner sets. How many people would freak out if someone starting to play golf was using these. Something along the lines of 'You can't use those! Only really good players can use blades' I would imagine.
I played with them as a kid. Just recently came back to golf after 30 years and bought some used Mizuno MP52s. They’re sorta half cavity, half blade. I wish I’d bought pure blades because that’s what I was used to as a kid in the 90s and the Mizunos feel kinda clunky even though they’re not supposed to be.
Late to the show. Had a set of Spalding blades from the same era. Learned how to play with them. My parents bought me the set in 1967. They were $80 for the entire set new and had steel regular shafts with maple laminate woods. I shot my PB in '71. Haven't gotten close since.
Bought a new set of these Simon in 1968 - also had the 2,3 & 4 woods - persimmon of course - loved them
I had a 3, 4, 6 8 & PW of these back in the 1980s loved them!
I recently got a set of Mizuno MP 60s (2005) 3-PW $110.00 shipped that I just love. First set I ever had was 3-9 Bristol Victura (tiny heads), still have them. Like you, when I catch the 5i out of the middle can't tell the difference between the Victura and the Mizuno.
I'd like to see a tour with old clubs
Just so you know..I played these clubs from the 70's throught to the 90's. The height is because of the modern ball not the loft. The shaft technology "was there" back then especially in drivers for the Pros. Today Bryson De has a 7 iron loft of 29 degrees. I see some brands have 7's at 27 degrees. The 2 iron of this set would equal any modern 2 iron.
These are from the 80 s . Around 1985 ish I think. I was bought the Patty Berg version as my first set when I was 7
I had these when I started to play bought them one at a time as I could afford them !!!
I bought a set of these for £2 today with a Sam snead wilson double sided putter and the golf bag.
Before you cut down clubs to your 7 iron, my suggestion having tried thing on many clubs is the following:
1) 6 iron length is still the length that most people can do well with - so use this length, not 7 if your aren't doing well with your 5, and if you carry a 4, first before going 'full' 7 iron 1 length club madness
2) I do the same for my two hybrids that I carry. I carry a 4 (22.5) and 2 (18) hybrid and both are cut down to the length of a 4 iron (which is usually 1 to 1.75 inches) shorter than would be delivered
3) Consider the same thing on the other end of the bag. I can't tell you how much this has helped me on my wedges. I play my PW, 52, 57, 62 all the length of the PW all at 35.75. This has really improved everything about my wedge play - especially and maybe surprisingly on the 30 to 60 yard distance. I'm only 5'9" but anything short that 35.75 to 36" and it is just not as comfortable and you can't easily stand with a narrower stance and hit those feel shots if you have to bend over too much.
Paul O'Neil thanks for that mate,yeah will do a bit of research or just by some cobras haha.
My 60-some y.o. uncle played to a 2 hcp in the 70s using Blue Ridge irons. I would ask him why not upgrade? He'd say why should he...and he was right. Use what is works...and these sure did for him. He was an excellent ball striker.
I've got a few of these, from a charity shop. I use in the garden for practise. Really good and heavier than my ping s57s which are d2 👍
again !!! God Bless Sam Snead. ..spreading that butter off the knife
Falln Gaming god bless indeed. 👍
@@SASGolf good luck on monday
Simon at the TH-cam golf day seek out Steve Johnston, he cut down his Wilson V6 forged irons and made the 4,5 and 6 irons all the same length without loosing any distance or affecting the gaping, he did a video on it recently if you want to check it out. Good luck on Monday, Praying for good weather. Enjoy.
I worked as a bartender at a golf course before i ever played. Boss insisted i play a game or two if i worked there. Old head at the club offered to give me his old golf bag and i went out and played with them every few days all summer. Clubs were from the 60s with some that looked older.
I feel like they made me better at the game
I was recently given a set of Campbell clubs from the 80s, pretty excited to try them out honestly
I actually had a set of these about 48 50 years ago!! They felt very heavy at the time as I remember. Managed to get down to H/Cap 8 with them.
Ken Lightfoot well they obviously did the job mate!
Thanks for watching guys! Anyone got hickory clubs!?
I've got ,a Hickory 3 iron ,it's that thin it makes that 5 iron look like a massive cavity back club ,there's just no meat on the back it's so thin ,yet people played great golf with them as that's all they had .I should take it to the range for a hit ,cant think it will do my tennis elbow any good though on a miss strike .
Played hickories for 10 years. There's a whole community now play them. No better feeling than hitting a 100 year old club out of the middle, but it does take a while to get a "set" together that give different distances to get round a golf course.
Like seeing the old clubs
I have the full set with driver and woods. I love them.
It looked like you had some fun today Simon. It goes to show though,that any age clubs in the right hands will perform well!
Duane F they were fun to hit for sure mate. Imagine them in a real golfers hands 😉
great vid man. i played some old wilson blade that were from the 60 and then some from the early 90s. fun to get out and play with them. the pitching wedge from the 90s set was 51 degrees
nolan ring yeah everything looks so lofted if you go that far back. Thanks mate.
My very first set of clubs, irons and woods. Hand me downs from my boss at my first job as well. Played them for 4 years and I swear I hit the ball straighter and farther than any irons since then
I also have a set of sam snead signature. Will swap shafts with DG. But pulling head out is very difficult though. Thanks!
Youngsun Kim yeah pulling head on glue that’s 50 years old will be tough mate. Haha
SAS, first things first. Old video but they are the best, your honesty compassion shines through the screen, so does your baby face. Enough of that, caveman dad!!!
FYI: I'm chasing a set of Walter Hagen Ultradyne II Iron Set 3-PW SW Regular - $19.00 + S&H 20 + TAX 1.75 + grips = why bother right? The feel, the look, the attention to detail of the manufacturing, the teasing i get when i hit them square...bitches!
Also, a set of MacGregor VIP Limited 2-10 Iron Set Stiff Steel - $130...little steep, great shape.
Something about the old dogs that makes me smile.
In the rack:
1. MacGregor-Mike Souchak 681(minty)
2. Slazenger-Hogan Championship (playable and great fun)
3. Wilson Dr. Cary Middlecoff Autograph (new, never hit)
4. Wilson Staff Tour Blade FG-17
5. Ben Hogan Radial
6. Slotline Copper Classics
7. PING Eye 2 Black Dot
8. Honma CL-707 Professional
9. Spalding Top Flite Professional
10. ???
WIMB:
8.5* Ben Hogan C-S3 or 13* 3-wood Ben Hogan C455 - 2003
21* & 24* Hybrids: Hogan Colonial - ?
Yonex ADX Tour 4-PW
Homna W102 wedge set
PING ANSER
shoot an 80 last week with these antiques...ran out of gas approaching 16th. I fell apart last three holes, +4. I'm 63!
✌
I have a set of Karsten 1’s, 2-PW. I could go out an buy the latest irons, and it might improve my game, but I play well enough with them and they are real classy, so as much as all the new tech is appealing I’m gonna stick with the old irons…Now driver that’s a whole different story.
I have a 7 iron length, 6 iron. Can hit that 195 no problem. That’s my longest iron.
Then 5 hybrid goes 205-210 then 3 hybrid goes 215-230.
Makes for perfect gapping and much more manageable game play and consistency.
Why would I need anything to go any further, and even if it did, how often would it get used? Occasional second shot on long par 5?
People obsessed with getting more length, but seriously, how often do you really need to hit more than 220 apart from a tee shot?!? And I would say 90% of the time, don’t have to hit more than 200 yards on second shot, except on those occasional long par 5’s. So are you building your set geared towards those long hole that are only 2 per round or every other hole you might play 10 times per round or what ever it is?
I just get confused with people wanting your irons to go so far.... 🤷🏼♂️
As crossfield says (and in this case I think he is right) get your 175-210 nailed down solid. Those are your bread and butter approach shots 9/10 holes. Hit those numbers consistently and your score will drop fast for sure.
Picked up 3 to sw for 24 quid, great shafts and grips on them too
i think it's cast stainless club, which isn't bad if they don't have air bubbles in them like is the problem with magnesium alloy clubs. love the flange on that Blue Ridge. maybe somebody will send you a Jack Nicklaus "Golden Bear" cheapo to demo-- i myself didn't dig them. my first set was a 3, 5, 7, 9 Chi Chi Rodreguez autograph by Northwestern and they were forged i found out years later in an equipment encyclopedia.
Just came across this video. These were my first set of clubs.
Hi Simon,
Thank you for this video. I'd like to see you hit Persimmons for a change. You never seem to have any trouble with the latest drivers.
I have a full set of these. Bought them new in 1990. I still use the 8,9,PW and SW
My dad played some great golf with clubs like these.
Thanks for an inciteful vid Simon. This season the lowest Iron that I will carry in my Bag will be a 6 Iron, I will then move into hybrids (which I find much easier to hit and much more accurate.
Bandit Baker that’s the way to do it mate, loads of times I rarely fit for a 5 Iron now.
1st set I played with was a set of Sam Snead Blue Ridge irons. They were about 25 years old at that time. Wish I still had them.
Really emphasises the equipment advances made over the last 30 years or so
So, I bought myself a set of Titleist 681 blades and they are doing the job for me. they came out in 2001, I have Rifle 6.5s in them.
Struggling with gapping and making use of the longer irons theres only 15 yards in the difference between the 5 and 3i.
Anyway, that's not my point.
I'd love to see a video where blades throughout the years, muscle backs, are pitted against each other. maybe a titleist from each decade.
The 620mbs are a beautiful set of clubs, but what REALLY is the difference between them and my 681s.
Be interesting to see the differences, if any between the clubs. Lofts might need bending etc. for some or in some cases a 6 iron might need to face off against a 7 iron.
But I think it's a great idea for a video. Also it would make me feel better for having saved hundreds by buying the same club if the results are very similar.
Excellent. You hit that really well. Enjoy the videos 👍
David Ciccoritti thanks David Appreciate that. 🙌
Ahem... Steel shafts were in pretty much universal usage 30 years before that Blue Ridge was made.
Amazing video
Peter Palmer you cant have watched all of it yet!! Haha, Thanks mate
The key to getting everyone's yardiges down is regulation balls. Everyone uses old municipal course balls
They were still making Sam Snead blue ridge clubs into the ‘70’s. These were My first matching set! Really thin grips, The driver weighed about 15 ounces!
carpykeith yeah was tough to age these ones, as your right they made loads of them. 👍
They also made very similar ladies clubs, if memory serves me they were the “Patty Berg” model! I can recall at least 2 versions of the Sam Snead, those you tried and one with a stamping of Snead’s trademark trilby hat on them!
I've got that in a 2i. Brutal!!!
If you have the full set of these irons available I dare you to take them to the YT golf day and use them 😁
Graham Wale haha doubt I would find the middle on that day 😅
Great vid gutted didnt get to catch up with you at YT golfday .. maybe next time :)
I actually still have a set of Wilson Staff X31's (1-P) with high-tech alyoominyum shafts from 1967.
James Vaughn dust them off 😉
@@SASGolf I have played with them a few times, but I would have to replace the grips. I can't make myself pay $100 to regrip such old irons. I'll have to wait till I have a place to do it myself.
It's the Indian, not the arrow Simon.....
Slammin Sam knew the score!
OLDGOLD very true my friend.
I've seriously considered getting my 4, 5, and 6 iron in one length for a while now. Need to try it out first though.
Aaron Shelley yeah I know what you mean, I think it’s the way forward.
@@SASGolf think it's only a matter of time before Mr Dechambeau wins a major with his.
Where did you get your cap from..???
Stick a new grip on it and put a modern shaft in it and retest it to see if there is a noticeable difference.
Great video mate!
Interesting results, you seem to not have been effected by the reg shaft even with your swing speed
Ross Nelson yeah maybe why they went a bit high but Spin was decent. Thanks.
SLAMMIN' SIMON
cee bee haha 😂 could catch on. 😉
I’ve got a set of those!
Shave and a hair cut? Simon you look 15 years younger.
It's not an advancement of technology; it's the marketing.
Still got my Wilson FG49s. Best irons I ever played with.
I hate hybrids. So inconsistent and not comparable with longer irons for length or being able to manufacture shots.
I rue the loss of the art of hitting long irons.
Read Tom Wishons views on the disappearing loft disease which I believe is in effect a marketing conspiracy by the manufacturers.
been sayin it for years... 5 iron's a 5 iron. 90% of golfers lack the ability to take advantage of the improvements in technology in golf clubs, anyway.