
Cavity back irons can help add some much-needed distance to the average player’s golf game. This effect can be attributed to the added height on each shot that results in more carry. However, it’s also worth noting that distance will be preserved on miss-hits as well. This is because the weight is distributed around the perimeter of the clubhead.
Why do golf clubs have Cavity backs?
In addition, by moving more weight to the sole of the club, cavity backs made it easier to get the ball off the ground. This meant an average player could use less loft and, thus, hit the ball farther. The term “game improvement clubs” became the most popular name for cavity-back designs.
What is the center of gravity of a golf club?
"Center of gravity" (abbreviated CG) is term golfers often encounter in articles about golf equipment, advertisements of golf clubs, and on the websites of golf club manufacturers. Clearly, it's an important technical aspect of golf club design.
How do center-of-gravity locations affect Golf shots?
Center-of-gravity locations affect golf shots in these ways: 1 The lower the center of gravity and the farther back the center of gravity is from the face of the club, the higher the... 2 The position of the side-to-side (horizontal) center of gravity matters this way: The closer the CG is to the shaft, the... More ...
Why use gravity in the golf swing?
Using gravity in the golf swing allows us to naturally swing the club and use the counterfall to generate speed and swing through the positions rather than to the positions. Several years ago, I came across the Shawn Clement approach on youtube.

What does a cavity do for a golf club?
The Purpose of a Cavity Back in Irons The intended result is an iron that is easier to hit for a wider range of golfers (larger sweet spot, higher moment of inertia, more forgiveness). Cavity back irons don't eliminate mishits. But their design is intended to minimize the severity of mishits.
Do cavity back irons really help?
Cavity back irons are an excellent option for mid to high handicappers looking for enhanced forgiveness, accelerated ball speed, a powerful launch, and further distance. Cavity backs have improved tremendously in the last number of years, with more and more low handicappers and even pros opting for their many benefits.
Are cavity backs easier to hit?
A cavity back iron is the easiest of the three to hit and should be played by most golfers. If you're just an average golfer who's out for fun then you'll get the best bang for your buck with these. They're the easiest to hit, are the highest launching, and will most likely give you the most distance.
Why are cavity backs more forgiving?
The cavity back iron was created due to what the original blade lacked, which was more forgiveness and an easier to hit feel. Its design shifts weight to a different position that allows for a more forgiving club. The bottom of the club is wider giving it more bounce.
Are blades harder to hit than cavity back?
Cavity backs are better simply because they're cheaper and, in comparison to blades, are a lot more forgiving and easier to hit. Perfect for the majority of golfers and average players indeed. Even for beginners and high handicappers!
Why do pros play blades?
Part of the allure of blades is their sleek appearance, and blades give top golfers the ability to shape shots. Blades make it easier to work the ball to the left or the right, whereas cavity-backs tend to reduce sidespin and make it harder to deliberately hit draws and fades.
Can you shape shots with cavity-backs?
12:5316:47CAVITY BACK OR BLADES FOR SHAPING SHOTS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you're hitting it all across the face it might help to a certain degree just pull it in aMoreIf you're hitting it all across the face it might help to a certain degree just pull it in a fraction.
Why do I hit blades better than cavity-backs?
Blades make it easier to work the ball to the left or the right, whereas cavity-backs tend to reduce sidespin and make it harder to deliberately hit draws and fades. Blades also give the golfer feedback. If you hit a shot right on the sweet spot, it feels pure and effortless and produces maximum distance and accuracy.
When should I switch from cavity-backs to blades?
Conclusion: If you're a consistent ball striker who can hit the ball in the center or center heel, blades will give you great performance with exceptional feel. If your miss, however, is more spread out with toe and heel misses, then stick with cavity-backs as they give you better overall distance loss across the face.
Do forged irons go further than cavity back irons?
There will be no difference in distance. The fact that a club is forged doesn't make any difference to the ball speed, launch angle or spin. If you hit a blade (usually forged) on the sweet spot and all else is equal, at impact the cavity-back club (usually cast) will not produce any different results.
Do all pros use forged irons?
By the mid-1990s, only about half the players on the PGA Tour were using forged irons. In the 21st century, however, many forged irons incorporate design ideas made popular by cast-iron clubs. Even some cavity-back clubs, formerly the sole province of cast-iron manufacturers, are now being forged.
Do all pro golfers use blades?
Do pro golfers use blades? Around 26 percent of PGA Tour players use complete sets of blades. Roughly 44 percent game cavity back irons, while the remaining 30 percent use a mix of muscle-back and cavity-back clubs.
Why use cavity back irons?
As mentioned earlier, the heavy sole of cavity back irons helps get the ball into the air. As a result, you’ll experience more carry and greater distance. This “trajectory boost” can help your game in two main situations.
How much does a cavity back iron cost?
Blades, on the other hand, tend to be more expensive and will range anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 or more.
Is Wired2Golf.com an affiliate?
Wired2golf.com is a member of Amazon Associates and other affiliate programs . As such, we earn a commission from qualifying purchases through links on this site at no extra cost to you. This helps us continue to create more great golf content!
What is cavity back golf?
The cavity back design allows manufacturers to create an iron with more forgiveness than a blade. This forgiveness is created by moving the center of gravity of the club to the periphery of the iron head.
What kind of irons do pro golfers use?
Professional golfers on the 2020 tour are most often seen using a mix of blade i rons and cavity back irons . With the advancements in golf technology, most causal players and even pro players are not using a pure set of blade i rons. Rather, they are using a full set of cavity back irons or a mixed set of cavity back irons and blade irons.
Do professional golfers use cavity back irons?
A good handful of professionals use a mix of cavity back irons and blades in their set. This list may change over time but the most important thing to know is that most professional player use cavity backs. It is more rare to see a full set of blades that a full set of cavity back irons in their golf bags . Adam Scott.
Is a cavity back iron better than a blade iron?
Blades are not exactly “better” they just work differently. The main benefit of a cavity back iron is to help off-center shots act more like a shot hit in the center of the club face. This means that shots hit more near the heel or toe of the club will have more speed off the face, compared to a blade iron.
Where is Matt from Plugged In Golf?
He's worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking. Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
Does the blade wedge outperform the cavity back?
It surprised us that the blade wedge outperformed the cavity back, but it’s possible, perhaps likely, that the cavity back would come out on top in a larger test or one that involved higher handicap players.
What is center of gravity in golf?
Center Of Gravity is the point in the golf club head where half of the weight lies on either side. AKA the Balancing point of the club.
Why move the CoG closer to the face of the putter?
Many studies have been done on this and the consensus is that moving the CoG closer to the face of the putter can improve launch conditions and even aid the stroke. Moving the CoG toward the heel or toe can even cause side spin to be imparted on the ball during a putt.
What does a low CoG mean on a golf club?
This may be the most important factor behind the performance of a club. A low CoG nearer the club face can reduce spin and increase distance, it can also makes the club less forgiving. A club with a CoG that is off-center would impart side spin on the ball and make it hard to hit it straight.
What is the CoG of a golf club?
In simple terms, the CoG of anything is the point at which the weight of an object is perfectly balanced. This definition, extended to golf, means the point of your club where the weight is concentrated and often balanced, this is usually in the center of the club head. Many manufacturers would have you believe that you can move ...
Do golf clubs have moveable weights?
Anyone who has ever had a club with moveable or adjustable weights has had the ability to move the CoG of their driver. It is arguably the most important factor in the performance of a club yet it is something that most golfers don’t know much about and you certainly should care about it if you want to find your potential in the game.
Is buying golf clubs complicated?
Golf clubs are complicated things and buying them seems evermore complicated. As technology develops we have more and more to think about when it comes to choosing the correct clubs for our games. Thankfully people out there are trained in helping us get it right and cutting through the noise.
Can you move a Cog?
Many manufacturers would have you believe that you can move the CoG quite considerably, but in reality, you can only move the CoG a very small amount. However, this small amount can have a big effect on how the club works.
Why are cavity backs used in golf clubs?
In addition, by moving more weight to the sole of the club, cavity backs made it easier to get the ball off the ground. This meant an average player could use less loft and, thus, hit the ball farther. The term “game improvement clubs” became the most popular name for cavity-back designs.
Why are blades better than cavity backs?
Blades also allowed a player to shape shots better than cavity-back designs, which became more popular in part because the ball naturally went straighter.
Why are forged blades made with cavities?
These differences, however, are no longer as clear as they once were. Forged blades are now made with shallow cavities to improve accuracy , and cavity backs are being made that provide increased feel and maneuverability.
Why are blades called players clubs?
Blades gained the nickname “player’s clubs,” because the best players preferred the extra control and feedback. In addition, blades often had more graceful lines than the sometimes chunky cavity backs.
What is the cavitation back design?
Cavity-back design allowed manufacturers to create an iron that did not require a perfect strike to make an acceptable shot. This “forgiveness,” created by moving more weight to the periphery of the iron head, meant bad shots were neither as far offline nor suffered as much of a distance penalty as the old blades.
How did Ping irons work?
When Ping successfully produced irons using a casting process —where molten metal could be formed in a mold—it found an economical and new method of shaping irons.
The real difference between blade and cavity back irons
It is one of the most commonly debated topics in golf: “What are the real advantages/disadvantages between a set of blade and cavity-back irons?” It goes even further when we start comparing traditionally lofted clubs to those with stronger lofts and faster club faces.
The proof is in the data
If you are curious to see the real difference in performance between blades, cavity backs, and then faster-faced irons, check out the video below featuring Titleist Master Fitter Glenn Mahler going through the results of a fitting with Titleist 620MB, 620CB, T100, and T200 irons.
TOUR REPORT: This dominant PGA pro is using hybrids (and irons) from 11 years ago
The Florida swing is officially underway this week as the PGA Tour moved to Palm Beach Gardens for the 2022 Honda Classic at PGA National. As you may or may not know, a slew of Tour players live in the nearby area, so this week is a home game for a lot of them. That has to be nice for guys who spend most weeks on the road.
What is the center of gravity of a clubhead?
Finally, the center of gravity is also defined by how far back from the clubface it is located .".
What is center of gravity?
"Center of gravity" (abbreviated CG) is term golfers often encounter in articles about golf equipment, advertisements of golf clubs, and on the websites of golf club manufacturers. Clearly, it's an important technical aspect of golf club design.
What is the position of the CG in the head?
The taller the clubhead and/or the more weight that is placed on the upper portions of the head, the higher the position of the CG will be in the head. The more shallow the clubhead and/or the more weight that is placed on the bottom or sole of the head, the lower the position of the center of gravity will be.
Why do golfers use gravity?
Using gravity in the golf swing allows us to naturally swing the club and use the counterfall to generate speed and swing through the positions rather than to the positions.
Why do golfers get stuck in the game?
Too often golfers can get stuck in the game by trying to swing too hard. Instead golfers should allow gravity to help them swing faster, not harder. Tense muscles do not lead to quicker swings, but rather it restricts the effort to allow the club to move fast through the hitting zone. .
What is the end result of a tension less swing that utilizes gravity?
The end result of a tension less swing that utilizes gravity is more distance. It seems counterintuitive that we could get more distance from decreasing our tensions and allowing the gravity and momentum work, but it does happen.
Can you control everything in golf?
Yes! Yes! We can’t control everything and overthink our swings in the 1 to 1.3 seconds that the swing takes. Momentum, Control, Release…this is where it is all at! And last but not least, Why Turn Your Hips is a Bad Concept in Golf…too many of us focus on how our hips are turning or what our shoulders are doing.
Is golf a difficult game?
Golf is a difficult enough game, but if we are trying to control 6 different positions or swing thoughts in 1 1 to 1.3 second golf swing, we are going to continue to struggle with the game and be miserable on the golf course as a result of poor outcomes. Using gravity in the golf swing allows us to naturally swing the club and use ...

What’s Best For Your Short game?
The Myths
- Myth #1 – Blade wedges are less forgiving Myth #2 – Blade wedges are less accurate Myth #3 – Blade wedges create more spin Myth #4 – Blade wedges launch the ball lower
How We Tested
- For this test, we brought together five golfers with handicaps ranging from scratch to 12. Each player hit three wedges: the gap wedge from a game improvement iron set, a cavity back wedge, and a blade wedge. All three wedges were built to the same loft, lie, length, and swing weight with the same shaft. Each player hit seven full shots with each wedge, and every shot was recorded. …
The Results
- To judge forgiveness, we looked at distance dispersion, the gap between a player’s shortest and longest shots. The blade wedge finished in the middle– less forgiving than the set-matched wedge but more forgiving than the cavity back. With the set-matched wedge, our testers had an average distance dispersion of 9.2 yards. That was 2.5 yards better t...
Conclusion
- The picture we’re left with after this test is hazy. The blade wedge outperformed expectations in forgiveness and accuracy but was a big loser when it came to spin. It would be interesting to repeat this test to see if the non-blade wedges made their case more clearly with higher handicap players. It’s also worth pointing out the obvious: this test dealt with full shots which is only part o…