Forged vs Cast

DonM

Thought I'd give you a laugh, because yesterday I hit a forged iron for the first time in many many years. You ho's are probably hitting one at least once in a while. I just have not. So I always see all of the arguing on big forums about whether or not a person can feel the difference, but I have no personal experience.

My buddy has Maltby TE's with Score shafts, which he ordered on my suggestion. I hit the 7 iron three shots on the range. I hit the third one pure. I have NEVER felt that feeling on a cast club. With an old range ball no less. So there you go. And I don't buy that it's the sound. OK, one good hit and now I'm an expert on the matter. 🙃

sdandrea1

I'm on the I'm on the "definitely feel the difference" team as well. I'm demoing some Cally CF19 and TM P790 soon. I think Mizuno is the only OEM left with a one-piece forging. Everybody else is at least 2-piece-welded-together-out-of-forged-pieces, but carbon steel is just plain softer.

scotts33

It just makes sense on a good "forged" iron that the metal is compressed and the molecular structure of the metal is tightly packed and compressed so there are no voids. I am not speaking of form forged irons either.

Here's Miura's process

Mizuno Cast vs. Forged

DonM

And OTOH is the feel you get on a real bad hit. The kind that numbs your elbow. I can remember that one from the old days. And that one wasn't "the sound" either! 🙂

Par4QC

I knew I should not have clicked on this thread. Reading it, watching the vids, made me dig through the rubble and found a set of forgotten forged blades, Spuzz endorsed Balliwicks(U.S.A. made!), 7-GW. I'll get rid of the nasty DG shafts and put something more suitable in them. I'll take them for a spin or 2 in a couple weeks. At least I won't have to hit any of the longer irons, so shouldn't be all that bad.

DonM

Par4QC
I've thought about how precise my wedges are compared to my set wedges and short irons. Wondered how far into the set I could get away with DG shafts and forged heads. I think I could get to the 9 iron for sure since the length is almost the same from there to the wedges. Not sure above the 9 iron. I do know that a DG shafted 6 iron would not be good for me.

Spuzz

Par4QC Spuzz endorsed Balliwicks

The blades? I may be interested in those.
Dibs!

Par4QC

DonM It will be like cheating for me to play them. I only use 8-GW, mainly 8 & PW, anyway. And seldom to I take a full swing with them. In my mind, I could use any type iron and be good to go. I have no idea why I ever have semi-full sets.

scotts33

fatshot

scotts33
Looks like you could shave with the leading edges on those things.....!!! 😀

johnnydoom

Fond memories of the Wilson Staff Gooseneck FG-53 irons I foolishly gave away 15 years ago. Sought that same feeling from forged cavity backs, but nothing really comes close. The forged Alphas definitely feel better than my Pings, but not nearly as good as I remember the blades feeling.

ode

The TE's definitely feel good....better than the Acer XV pro's that Im playing now, but that plays little to no roll on how they perform! XV's have more bounce and are better suited for my steep attack angle.

DonM

ode XV's have more bounce and are better suited for my steep attack angle.

Me too. Its hard to find a bit of bounce in less than SGI clubs.

pellmell

Maltby TE and previous iterations use a 5-step forging process and are butter soft. I've read the DBM, which is the same design and manufacturing process with a black finish, isn't as soft.

JeffTilley

I still remember the 1st time i hit forged irons, Mizuno's to be exact. I was demoing irons, looking to buy a new set. I hit those Mizuno's and my jaw hit the deck. Unbelieveably soft. I handed the iron to my golfing bud, he hit it and said it didn't feel any different than his cast clubs. Some folks just have better feel perception or softer hands IMO. The only irons I've ever hit that I thought were softer feeling were the Adams CB2's that I hoed for a couple months......

scotts33

If you do not hit dead solid center on a forged iron you are not going to "feel" the difference. Add that some folks have hands of stone. Hit one off the toe on a forged blade vs. off the toe on a cast shovel "feel" will be different as well as performance.

Par4QC

Well, while going thru a couple boxes just now, I find that I have a set, 3-PW, of Wishon 550C forged heads. I had partially stripped them a few years ago and was always meaning to send them out for refinishing. Will check into that next week.

I really wish you fellas would quit starting threads like this....my stimulus money is about to run out. 😂 BUT....the economy is doing just great!

johnnydoom

Par4QC I really wish you fellas would quit starting threads like this

Same here. Now I want another set of traditional blades. Won’t make a difference as inconsistent as my swing is, but I still want them now.

LBlack14

Cast

kelco9

I play cast and have no problem with the feel of them. BUT, I played forged Snake Eyes for a few years and I really do think you could feel the difference. I can remember the first swing I took with them. I flushed a 5-iron and my immediate response was "I never understood the phrase 'hitting a good forged iron is like squeezing butter in your hands,' but now I do." That's what it felt like.