If your goal is distance but you’re not a pro or a low handicapper, you should avoid playing blades. Blades have less forgiveness and as result, you’ll lose distance when hitting off-center strikes and experience a lot of hooks and slices. Muscle Back Vs Cavity Back: Which Is Better for Your Game?
Full Answer
Do any of the best golfers still use blades?
The gap has never quite been closed on these elements entirely however which is why you will still find some of the very best golfers in the world, including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy continuing to use traditional blades.
Do playing blades affect your golf scores?
In the short term, playing blades will have a negative effect on your scores. That’s because there’s a much smaller margin for error when using blades. Even if you miss the sweet spot by just a quarter of an inch, the result can be catastrophic.
How did golf clubs get their blades?
Once golf clubs evolved from the old hickory wooden shafts, and golf moved into the modern era, the first blades which came out on the market were made of very thin metal and required you to hit the ball squarely in the centre of the clubface to hit a decent shot.
Should you play blades or spin your golf balls?
While high spin is great for stopping your ball where it lands, it’s a negative for most golfers when it comes to accuracy. If you hit slices or hooks, higher spin will make those unwanted curves even bigger. So, Who Should Play Blades? We’re back to the original question: who should play blades?
Are blades worth it golf?
Although blades are less forgiving than cavity backs, they tend to have less offset, better turf interaction, and improved workability, when compared to cavity back irons. They also force consistency from the best players in their swing which is why they are still favored by tour pros.
Why do pros not use blades?
According to Titleist, 70% of tour players use cavity backs while 30% use blades. Cavity back irons provide increased forgiveness while blades offer more control and a better feel. This is why a lot of tour players have both cavity backs and blade irons in their bags.
Do any pro golfers not 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.
Are blades harder to hit golf clubs?
Are Blades Easier To Hit? The short answer is absolutely not. The head of each club is smaller which means your margin of error on off center strikes is significantly reduced. In fact Callaway reckons the difference is size is as much as a 25% reduction in sweet spot between SGI irons and blades.
Can high handicappers use blades?
Any handicap can play blades, not every player can. It is just statistical likelihood that fewer higher handicaps play blades and above a certain one you find any with blades because they don't have the swing to play them.
Do blades hit the ball further?
Blades have higher CGs, so they do the opposite: launch the ball lower, spin it more, and punish thin shots. No CG is objectively good or bad, but it's important to make an informed choice. If you're a high spin player, using a lower spinning club will help you get more distance.
Why do pros prefer 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 a mid handicapper use blades?
Most average players rarely hit the center of the clubface and if they use a blade then they'll get into all sorts of trouble. You'll get slices, hooks, and a lot of low slap shots. The second con would be the lower distance (especially for mid to high handicaps).
Should a beginner use blades?
A beginner should not use blades, they are thinner and have a lower sense of gravity than cavity back irons having far less margin for error due to a smaller clubhead sweet spot.
Should I play with blades?
As a general rule amateur golfers should never make the switch from cavity backs to blades. Blades are less forgiving, travel less far and further offline when not hit properly and are more expensive. As a result 99.9% of amateur golfers are not good enough to hit blade irons consistently well.
When should a golfer switch 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.
Are blade irons forgiving?
What Is A Blade Golf Club? A bladed golf club is an iron that has a more traditional look to it. They've been used for a long time and are commonly known as forged clubs. They have a small sweet spot, aren't very forgiving, and are primarily used by skilled golfers.
Pros And Cons Of Blade Irons & Should You Use Them?
A Blade Iron is the traditional Iron, before all this fancy technology helping you to hit it straighter, higher, further and with more forgiveness, everyone played with blades.
Blade Irons Overview
What makes a Blade Iron, firstly it is made from Forged Steel, the steel is melted and then forged into its shape usually with a really heavy press.
Advantages Of Blade Irons
Due to the forging process a Blade Iron has a much softer feel than the Game Improvement Irons, which are Cast Steel.
Disadvantages Of Blade Irons
There is no technology built into Blade Irons, this means they won’t be forgiving, as we said before, the better player isn’t looking for forgiveness, so this isn’t an issue for them.
How To Hit Blade Irons?
Blade Irons are not forgiving at all, so the first thing you need to do is hit them out of the middle. This is easier said than done.
Forged Vs Cast Irons
These are the two manufacturing ways Irons are made. Each is very different and produces a different result.
Blades Vs Cavity Backs
A Cavity Back Iron is a Forged Iron similar to the Blade, however there are a few differences.
Why do you need blades in golf?
For example, blades make it easier for advanced golfers to control trajectory and shot shape, two key elements of scoring. So, if you decide to switch to blades as a way to improve your game, just know you’ll get worse before you get better. But once you figure them out, you’ll have the potential to shoot lower scores.
How does looking down at a blade affect golf?
Here’s a good analogy – when you look down at a blade, you feel like you’re holding a precise tool, like a scalpel. When you look down at a cavity back, you feel like you’re holding a butcher knife.
Why are blade irons called blade irons?
Blade irons were given their name based on their sleek metal appearance that some would say looks like the blade of a knife: Blade irons are typically only used by advanced players because they have a smaller sweet spot compared to cavity backs and other game improvement irons.
Why do some golfers think blade irons provide more distance?
Here’s where the confusion lies – some golfers think that blade irons provide more distance because they see several top tour pros using them. They see people like Dustin Johnson hit a 7 Iron 200+ yards and then head to the golf store to buy the same clubs.
Why do pro golfers use blade irons?
Many pro golfers elect to use blade irons because they find them easier to control trajectory and shape the golf ball. They also provide superior feel coming off the clubface when hit solid. Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, and many other notable players use blade irons.
How to make blade iron?
There are two methods that can be used to create blade irons: Forging – forged irons begin with a large chunk of metal that has already been formed. Special equipment is then used to shape this metal until it has reached the desired specifications.
Why use blade irons?
Allow You To Shape The Ball. One of the biggest advantages of blade irons is they allow for greater control when shaping the golf ball. Unlike cavity back irons, where the weight is positioned around the perimeter to reduce sidespin, blade irons have their weight concentrated in the center.
What are blades in golf?
A blade iron is forged out of a block of steel, meaning there is no weight dispersion – what you forge is what you get. By comparison, a cavity-back iron is hollowed out so that the weight can be distributed around the perimeter of the club head.
Are blades golf clubs harder to hit?
Blades are certainly harder to hit than cavity-back irons. Because most cavity-backs have a larger club head, manufacturers are able to move the weight around easier than they can with forged irons. This enables them to redistribute the weight to the perimeter of the club, which prevents the face from twisting with off-centre strikes.
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. At the 2010 Players Championship, 26 golfers competed using a complete set of blades, compared to only 13 golfers at the 2020 tournament just 10 years later.
When should you switch to blade irons?
In general, you should only consider using blades if you have a handicap under 10. However, if your handicap is improving, there is little reason to switch to blades as they are not guaranteed to drop your handicap any lower – in fact, because they are harder to hit than cavity-backs, they may actually make your ball-striking worse.
Can high-handicapper use blades?
It’s generally not recommended that high-handicappers use blades. They are less forgiving when it comes to off-centre strikes, meaning they will be much harder to use for beginner players who often struggle to control the low-point of their swing, and also their club-face direction and swing path.
Can a mid-handicapper use blades?
Mid-handicappers can use blades; however, they may benefit more from using cavity-backs as they still provide excellent feel and control, without being as punishing on off-centre strikes. Most mid-handicappers can strike the ball consistently enough, but likely not to the level that would enable them to use blades effectively.
How do you hit blade irons better?
Hitting blade irons are no different to hitting game improvement or muscle-back irons, however they may appear more intimidating to players due to their thinner sole width, smaller clubhead and lack of off-set at the hosel (commonly seen with beginner irons).
What are the advantages of golf blades?
The major advantage that blades give, aside from feedback, is control. It is MUCH easier to shape your golf shofts and hit high fades, low running draws, punch shots under the wind, landing and stopping a ball dead etc with the extra loft and feel that blades give you.
What are the different types of golf irons?
Golf irons traditionally fall into one of several categories: 1 Super Game Improvement (SGI) Irons – like the Callaway Big Bertha’s 2 Game Improvement (GI) Irons – like the Taylormade Sim Irons 3 Player Irons – like the Titleist T200 4 Tour Pros – like the Ping iBlade
GolfSpy Dave
I have seen this debate on other forums and I always wonder why people care what other people play. I love the look of the TM blades, but I like hitting the ball well too. However, if someone wants to bag blades and shoot 120, go for it. Same thing for a low number person who plays GI.
mudfish
I would never play blades because at this point in my game I can't even make square contact on the ball with the SGI irons I am using now consistantly. I feel that in order to play blades you should be good enough to replicate the same swing every time (which I can't yet), and be able to play multiple shot types (draw, fade, punch, etc.).
Moecat
There are also those who claim that golfers who want to improve their swings should actually play/practice with blades or "players" irons in order to develop better swing habits.
Matt Saternus
I think this is one of those immortal topics because a lot of people hold really strong opinions about it. For me, I don't care what is in anyone else's bag. If you want to play blades with a 30+ cap, fine. If you want to play SGI's with a positive cap, fine.
Tony Covey MGS
As I said in the review, I'm pretty much of the notion that anyone can play any club he/she chooses and be successful with it. With blades (or blade-like irons) you're talking about better feel, more control, and tighter dispersion. With cavity backs you lose some of that, but generally speaking, pick up some "forgiveness".
Moecat
As far as the discussion goes blades v. handicap, I will refrain from giving my opinion.....
jamo
I have always been of the opinion that everyone can hit a club of the forgiveness of, say, the Mizuno MX 300/200. Forged, for great feel, decent size but not giant, technologically advanced, plenty forgiving, and well made. I don't really see a need for most people to play, say, the Callaway iBrids.
Why do cavity backed and blades fly different yardages?
Because cavity backed and blades aim to achieve different goals it is very possible that identically lofted irons from the two categories will fly different yardages. Which means that your combined set could give you some problematic ‘gaps’ in the yardages you can cover with your shots.
Who sticks in the main with blades?
The list of pros who stick in the main with blades – Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Ricky Fowler – still exists and although it changes from time to time the critical thing to bear in mind is that the majority of pros are using cavity back clubs.
Why did golfers use cavity backs?
At the same time cavity backs made it easier for the average player to get the ball airborne and for longer which then led to them hitting the ball further as well as straighter.
Why are golf clubs less distance?
Less distance – Due to the lower launch angle delivered by the slower club head speeds of the vast majority of golfers blades do not go as far as cavity back clubs. Golfers typically get distance from hitting their irons higher, not lower. Lower launch – Although potentially great in the wind golfers typically will find ...
Why are hollow head clubs so expensive?
As with everything that sounds great there is always a catch and with the ‘hollow head’ clubs it is simply that because they are produced in two pieces they are more expensive than traditional cavity back irons.
What was the first blade made of?
Once golf clubs evolved from the old hickory wooden shafts, and golf moved into the modern era, the first blades which came out on the market were made of very thin metal and required you to hit the ball squarely in the centre of the clubface to hit a decent shot.
What irons does Rory McIlroy use?
And even the best ball strikers in the world including Rory McIlroy, who uses some of the most unforgiving blade irons from 5 iron to pitching wedge (Taylor Made P730s), uses the more forgiving hollow backed Taylor Made 760s for his 3 and 4 iron.
Are Cavity Backs Or Blades Better? The Lowdown
Cavity back irons are easier to hit and have more forgiveness than blades. If you don’t play golf frequently or are a high handicapper, you’ll do better with cavity back than blades. The large club face on cavity backs makes for a larger sweet spot, which makes it easy to hit the center of the clubface consistently.
Do Pros Use Cavity Back Irons?
Titleist reports that up to 70% of tour pros use cavity back irons. The remaining 30% use blades. In another report by Golf Magazine, the number of players playing cavity-back is 44%, with only 26% playing irons. Even at 40%, the percentage of pros playing cavity back is almost half of all.
Blades Vs Cavity Back Distance: Which Club Will Perform Better?
Advanced players and PGA tour pros already know how to hit their irons long, consistently. To achieve distance, these players often draw on their skills, not relying on a specific feature on the golf club .
Muscle Back Vs Cavity Back: Which Is Better for Your Game?
The main difference between muscle back (also known as blades) and cavity back is in the design and playability. Muscle back is a type of iron with a compact club head, thinner top line and sole and a small amount of offset. The traditional design of the blades makes them cleaner and lighter than cavity back irons.
Frequently Asked Questions: Which Irons?
Golfers with a low handicap, who can manipulate the ball and can shoot below par consistently, will find blades better than cavity back.
Pro Golfers and the Blades
Golf equipment has evolved considerably over the last decade. Golfers are carrying lofted long irons, which were designed for extra carry distance, instead of traditional long irons like the 3 wood and 5 wood.
Pros Are Fetish People!
It’s no secret that club manufacturers put out new products to keep their names in swingers’ bags. Design companies have taken notice of what professional players are carrying and have created new designs intended to fill a need or improve on what is being currently being played.
Beginner Golfers and the Blades
I often get the question in my mind when teaching golf in my lesson is “should I use a blade or should I use a cavity back?”. This is always asked by beginning players, which is good because it tells me that they are willing to learn and think about the game.
High Handicappers and the Blades
Blades are characterized by their smallish, or short, head and thin topline. The smaller the head the better for high handicappers which is the best answer of What handicap should play blades as this allows them to take a faster swing with less effort than would be possible if they were using larger-headed clubs.
Putters –What are blades in golf?
Golf’s newest club is the “blade.” With a putter head that has no bulge and is shaped closest to the blade of a shovel, it can be aimed with eyes closed. This allows most golfers the ability to aim the leading edge of the putter face toward their intended target line.
