Why Are Blades Harder To Hit [Know The Real Fact!]
Let’s face the fact that golf is a challenging game to play & to score with precision. And if the game is with the “knife,” like golf blades, it feels even a bit harder to hit. But what can be the exact fact of that feeling?
The golf blade irons have shallow cavities & have a smaller sweet spot. Due to this, it becomes much harder to hit and ultimately tougher to score well.
That is not all to know! There may be fraught queries related to the matter. So, beyond the shadow of confusion & queries, we will try to answer the questions at least to our utmost. Let’s get started.
Why Are Blades Not Easier To Hit?
Blades are certainly more challenging to hit. Golf blades have a smaller clubhead, and it is more compact, reducing the margin of error on off-center strikes.
On the contrary to golf blades, other clubs like the cavity backs have larger club heads which is why the manufacturer can easily move the weight around than the forged irons.
It makes it possible to distribute the weight to the perimeter. & thus, it prevents the face from off-center strikes twisting.
But the blades have no perimeter weighting & have higher CG or Center Gravity. Any poor strikes with the blades felt much harder to the golfer.
More than that, the sweet spot on the clubface on the blades is 25% less than the cavity backs or the GI or Game improvement irons.
With this feature of the golf blades, if you do not have consistent swings like the pros or low single figures, you will find it challenging to create good contact and score well in the course.
In a recent chat in 2020 with GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast, four PGA Tour winner Kevin Na admitted that the blades are not a piece of cake to play!
You heard it right! In this podcast interview shared his point of view on swapping from golf blades to cavity backs, saying-
He chooses Callaway’s Apex Pro 16 over the golf blades. According to the philosophy of Kevin Na, playing with an iron that blends forgiveness and has a better profile is better than the golf blades.
How Do You Hit Blade Irons Better?
As you see, golf blades are not easier to hit at all. In that sense, it is better to know at least how to hit the strike with the blade efficiently.
As you know, golf blade iron is not very forgiving. So, what you need to do is to hit the ball with golf blades out of the middle. Easier to say but harder to be done!
To play with golf blades, you will require enough clubhead speed. Otherwise, you may not be hit with it so far.
To hit the ball efficiently, your angle of attack with the ball & the golf blades requires to be down, which means a descending blow on the ball.
You have to be very precise with the golf blades. Consistency delivery or enough speed is key to playing better with the golf blades.
If you are not so good at doing so or you just start playing golf, it will be better if you switch to other clubs with a larger clubhead.
Can A Beginner Use Blades?
As a beginner, let us face the fact that the blades are more challenging to hit than the cavity backs because blades have a narrow face that makes it more challenging to get a more excellent hit.
In fact, blades are more complicated than the muscle backs also, whereas the muscle backs have larger heads, making it easier to hit & especially for the beginner to learn.
It takes a year of practice to get effective control over the blades that it requires. That is why the beginner shouldn’t play with the blades right away.
Instead of it, they are suggested that they should stick with trying out cavity backs or other types of clubs to get the practice until they get better at it.
But that does not mean you should not practice with the blade at all. Blades are the best way to improve quickly.
We see if you spend time hitting with the blades, the consistency of striking will dramatically improve in a few sessions! Who knows you can also!
Does Pro Use Blades For Their Games?
Surprisingly, not many pros use golf blades for their games. Either they use both golf blades & cavity backs for their games or only use cavity backs, not the blades exclusively or alone.
But some pros of golf, particularly Tiger Woods, use golf blades. Apart from them, Dustin Johnson, Ricky Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, and Rory McIlroy use golf blades as a main.
If we look at the percentage of pro golfers who use blades, we can see in the PGA Championship in 2010, only 26 players used the complete set of golf blades in their game.
In the 2020 tournament, the number dropped to 13, almost 50% less than the previous.
Golf Magazine presents research in 2020 showing that among the top 50 PGA golfers who gained the stroke leads, 25% use the only set of blades, 44% cavity backs & where 30% opt for the mixed set.
Categories Of Golf-Bladed Iron
Traditionally golf bladed iron comes in several types. They include-
- SGI or Super Game Improvement iron
- GI or Game Improvement irons
- Player irons
- Tour pros
The golf irons fall into different categories based on the size of the club head, loft & their feel. In case of size, SGI irons like Callaway Big Bertha’s have the most prominent head, whereas the size decreases as you come down.
When it comes to feeling, the golf blades can feel like butter in the condition you hit well.
The lofts are another critical difference between the golf-bladed irons. See the chart below to see the loft difference between the traditional blades & SGI irons.
| Clubs | Traditional Blades | SGI Irons |
| PW Iron | 48° | 43° |
| 9 Iron | 44° | 38° |
| 8 Iron | 40° | 33° |
| 7 Iron | 36° | 29° |
| 6 Iron | 32° | 25° |
| 5 Iron | 29° | 22° |
| 4 Iron | 25° | 19° |
Pros & Cons Using Blades
As a golfer, it is also essential to recognize the good and bad sides of the golf blades to perform excellently in the field. That is why let us run down a list of pros of cons to decide whether golf blades are for better or worse.
| Golf Blade Iron | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Better feel & looks More consistency More accuracy More control Higher spin Easy short shaping | Less forgiveness Higher center of gravity Small head size Hard to hit for the beginners Less distance More expensive Smaller sweet spot |
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Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
We hope you understand the reason why the blades are harder to hit. Apart from these, we’ve come up with the answer to some of the most searched queries to assist you in understanding more about the matter.
Do Blades Hit The Ball Further?
If you are a compatible golfer who can hit the ball in the center heel or the center, then the blades can offer you an amazing feeling with an outstanding performance in the field. If you miss, then stick with the cavity backs, as they can provide you with better distance.
Do You Lose Distance With A Blade Iron?
Blade irons can cause you to lose distance depending on the club’s specification & the accuracy of the strike. Iron golfers can lose a distance of 10-15 yards with a blade, and it is more for beginners. For the mid handicappers, the distance loses about 8 yards or so.
Should A 15 Handicap Use Blades?
Yeah, a 15 handicap can hit blades. The blades are now made with many features to improve the game, like perimeter weighting. That is why the blades have become suitable for the 15 handicaps or even higher.
Can A Ten-Handicap Hit The Blade?
If you have a ten handicap, you can consider using the blades. However, you can expect to use a less forgiving club because you may not have that striking distance from the golf blades.
Who Should Get Blade Irons?
Blades are suitable for elite golfers. The blades are less forgiving and distant but have great control & feel. Indeed, you may have to lose multiple shots of a round until you are a better or standard.
Final Words
As you can see, blades are the staple of the golf game & harder to play. The professionals use blades to improve their game, gaining more control over the shots as they are the ones that come with more significant challenges for the golfers.
But today, along with pros, beginners or recreational players are also seen to play with blades to improve their games.
Every club has its specification & different purposes. As a golfer, you need to understand every type of club very well for the changing situations on the course.
More than that, you should consider your technical & physical needs before considering a club in the course.
So, choose a club according to your requirement, preference & situation & leave a success note in the field!
Reference: https://www.independentgolfreviews.com/blades-vs-cavity-back-irons/
Meet Jalal, a passionate golf writer and the driving force behind Golfertroop.com, your go-to destination for all things golfing! Whether you’re a seasoned golfing veteran or a beginner taking your first swing, Jalal is here to assist you in making the most out of your golfing experience.
