Blades or cavity backs? Which type of irons truly gives you more control and feel in your game?

[Olivia Bell]

Personally, I lean towards blades. There's something about the precision and control you get with them that just feels right to me.

Sure, they're less forgiving, but when you hit that sweet spot, it's pure magic. Cavity backs have their perks, no doubt, especially for those off-center hits, but for me, it's all about that intimate connection with the ball.

What about you all? Blades or cavity backs, and why?

 

[Crow]

Blades for me, because they look the best and looks are over 50% of why I choose an iron.

 

[garyinderry]

I love chipping and pitching with blades. Also enjoy hitting full shots with 8-pw.

For proper iron shots I need a bit of help from from irons.

 

[Voyager EMH]

One of the problems I have with the forgiving nature of cavity back/ perimeter weighting is that the off-centre hit reaches the greenside bunker, but the same shot with the blade falls short of the bunker leaving an easier shot in.
Centre strike from both gives no noticeable difference to me. Swings and roundabouts.
Playing with cavities does not make the game easier. But everyone is free to make their own choice.
Blades for good players and cavities for weaker players is nonsense in my view.
In 53 years of golf, I've played more years with cavities, but that could equalise soon.

 

[Neilds]

One of the problems I have with the forgiving nature of cavity back/ perimeter weighting is that the off-centre hit reaches the greenside bunker, but the same shot with the blade falls short of the bunker leaving an easier shot in.
Centre strike from both gives no noticeable difference to me. Swings and roundabouts.
Playing with cavities does not make the game easier. But everyone is free to make their own choice.
Blades for good players and cavities for weaker players is nonsense in my view.
In 53 years of golf, I've probably played more years with cavities, but that could equalise soon.

Just playing devils advocate here as I have never played blades but surely your example shows that you can tell (probably hear not feel) an off centre hit on both types? If not, how do you know that each shot was off centre and not just a difference in the distance each club can go?

 

[Imurg]

One of the problems I have with the forgiving nature of cavity back/ perimeter weighting is that the off-centre hit reaches the greenside bunker, but the same shot with the blade falls short of the bunker leaving an easier shot in.

Or the off- centre hit with the CB clears the water against the off-centre hit with the blade that doesn't.
There are so many other variations to that take.....

 

[srixon 1]

I got to Cat 1 with blades, but have been using cavities for 20 years now. Why make the game harder for yourself. I don’t believe that blades give more control over cavity backs either. The ball doesn’t know what type of club it is being hit with.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Cavity backs. Graphite shafts will also become more popular in the coming years.

 

[Dando]

My first set of clubs were Ben sayers “Ray Floyd” blades then I managed to get 3 sets of Mizuno blades - same design just from different continents.

Now I’m using Srixon Z585 forged cavity backs.

Mishits are no where near as bad now than they were with blades

 

[garyinderry]

One of the problems I have with the forgiving nature of cavity back/ perimeter weighting is that the off-centre hit reaches the greenside bunker, but the same shot with the blade falls short of the bunker leaving an easier shot in.
Centre strike from both gives no noticeable difference to me. Swings and roundabouts.
Playing with cavities does not make the game easier. But everyone is free to make their own choice.
Blades for good players and cavities for weaker players is nonsense in my view.
In 53 years of golf, I've probably played more years with cavities, but that could equalise soon.

Blade - greenside bunker
Cavity - short of bunker
Ping iron - 10 foot birdie putt

 

[Imurg]

I've never played true blades
Probably the closet I've come is the Mizuno 223s I have now or the MP58s I had 15 years ago.
Poor shots with blades definitely go shorter than with CBs a d that may or may not land you in trouble.
Out of the middle there's not a lot to choose these days.
Play what works..I used to play with a retired Colonel who walked with a limp and a hunchback- had hit his blades as well as any CB...

 

[Slab]

Never hit a blade so cavity is a clear winner
(some of the approach shots today were sublime)

 

[bobmac]

A 3 wheeler bike is easier to ride than a 2 wheeler, but a 2 wheeler is more of a challenge and therefore more rewarding and fun when you don't fall off.
GI irons and blades are similar...blades are more of a challenge but more fun when you get it right.

 

[Hobbit]

Feel, where does it come from?

Those that played the old Titliest balata ball can tell you what a really soft ball feels like off the club face. Does it feel the same off a blade compared to a cavity back if both are hit out of the middle? I’d say for hits from the sweet spot they feel identical, assuming both are either forged or cast. But then there’s also the shaft. I had a Titliest T-mb 3 iron with a Project X 6.0 shaft. The results were good. I had the 4 iron in a Project X 5.5. The feel was very different. I could nail both irons perfectly but the feel off both was different.

The cavity gives more room for error = control. I love the look of a good blade, and thoroughly enjoy hitting them well but I’m not good enough now to get the best out of them.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Or the off- centre hit with the CB clears the water against the off-centre hit with the blade that doesn't.
There are so many other variations to that take.....

Got lots of greenside bunkers on my course - no water to get over near any greens.
But I don't disagree with what you say - I described it as swings and roundabouts.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Just playing devils advocate here as I have never played blades but surely your example shows that you can tell (probably hear not feel) an off centre hit on both types? If not, how do you know that each shot was off centre and not just a difference in the distance each club can go?

Because it wasn't struck from the centre of the face, but far enough away from the centre to make it off-centre.
"how" do I know?
Observation and use of sensory perception.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Or the off- centre hit with the CB clears the water against the off-centre hit with the blade that doesn't.
There are so many other variations to that take.....

Theres another thread running that could explain it to you. However, it is likely to send you to sleep after the first sentance in the porcess..

 

[Slab]

A 3 wheeler bike is easier to ride than a 2 wheeler, but a 2 wheeler is more of a challenge and therefore more rewarding and fun when you don't fall off.
GI irons and blades are similar...blades are more of a challenge but more fun when you get it right.

I like the analogy but given how many ppl can ride a bicycle that's more likely to be the cavity with blades being the unicycle

 

[Voyager EMH]

Blade - greenside bunker
Cavity - short of bunker
Ping iron - 10 foot birdie putt

I made a good choice in 2008 then - Ping i10 cavities. Still play with them.

 

[jim8flog]

When I used to hit balls on the practice ground nearly every day I was happy with blades.
When I stopped practicing anywhere near that amount I switched to CBs and then went to a good 'compromise' club - Nicklaus N1 more like a muscle back cavity. A combination of actually being able to play more often and those clubs are in the period that I went from 16 to 6.

I have flirted off and on with blades this century but realised I am fine with blades 8 down but want something more forgiving 7 up.