Is It Hard To Hit A Blade?

Blade irons are golf irons forged from thin blocks of carbon steel formed by hand or machine, then plated with chrome. Pro golfers that use blades swear by them as they allow greater control in shaping the ball. But where does this leave the average player? Is it hard to hit a blade?

While it’s not hard to hit a blade, it is hard to hit a blade well, and that is the challenge when using these very intimidating-looking knife-like irons. Those thinner edges and no perimeter weighting mean you need to be swinging like a pro to hit them, as there is little margin for error.

Blade irons are a bit like your wife when you come home drunk at 4 am – they have zero forgiveness! And this is what makes them difficult for the average golfer to hit well and consistently.

So, if they are so hard to hit, why do some people still buy and try to use them? With the introduction of cavity backs and their popularity and effectiveness, why would anyone want to hit blades, and how many pros still use blades? Let’s find out!

Why Is A Blade So Hard To Hit?

It is a little inaccurate to refer to modern blade irons as blades as they are not the same as the traditional blades of a few decades ago. The modern blades are referred to as “muscle backs.” They are a little thicker than the traditional blades.

The main reason blades are hard to hit well is that the sweet spot on the clubface is about 25% smaller than the sweet spot on a cavity back or game improvement iron. If you don’t have an incredibly consistent swing, as low single figures or pros do, you will struggle to make good contact and get good results.

Any offset strikes are punished with hooks and slices, as these irons have no sense of humor whatsoever, so they are usually reserved for the realm of the small percentage of players that shoot close to par and under consistently.

Another reason that blades are hard to hit is that they have no perimeter weighting like the cavity back and improvement irons have and have a higher center of gravity (CG). This makes getting the ball in the air much more difficult for the average player.

Also, the club heads on blades are smaller and more compact, so your swing plane accuracy must be much better to strike the sweet spot on the club consistently.

How Does Perimeter Weighting Make Irons Easier To Hit?

When the club’s weight is positioned around the edges rather than the center as with blades, this stabilizes the club head and allows for higher ball flight with off-center hits.

In everyday speak, it means that players with a less-than-perfect golf swing can still get the ball straight and far even if they don’t flush it!

While you have seen the pros hit the ball the proverbial country mile with their blades, an average player would struggle to get even close to that far and would have far better results using the cavity backs, GI, or SGI clubs.

Why Do Average Golfers Try To Use Blades?

Blades have an almost mystical appeal about them. That forged compact head and sleek design make them almost irresistible in their attraction – but that’s where it ends! Many a high handicap golfer who has tried to hit them has reverted to their cavity backs.

When learning the game, you want as much assistance as possible, and sadly blade irons have hearts made of ..well… steel, so you are going to find no sympathy there, but the attraction of the blade is because if you manage to flush one, that feeling is like no other.

Why Do Some Pros & Single Handicap Players Opt For Blades?

Players who opt for these clubs say they feel amazing when you hit them pure. While most clubs and shots feel amazing, flushing a blade is the pinnacle of the perfect swing experience, and the sheer joy is severely addictive.

The other reason that many scratch and pro players opt for blades is that they get far more control in shaping the ball with the blades than you do with cavity backs and GI/SGI clubs.

Being able to shape the ball accurately is a critical skill at the semi-and professional levels of golf. The cavity backs and other game improvement irons cannot produce that level of accuracy and control.

Do All Pros Use Blades?

Surprisingly not!

Many pros have either a mix of cavity back and blades or only cavity backs. There aren’t that many pro golfers that exclusively use blades. Only players in the ‘GOAT’ category like Tiger Woods do that.

The reason for this is simple.

When cavity backs were introduced, many pro players recognized the assistance they could provide, and as you have seen, if you watch golf, even the pros don’t get it right all the time.

Any assistance they can gain by using non-blade irons is worth looking at. Despite the misnomer that all pros use blades, this game is about consistent, accurate golf that wins tournaments, and if you do that with cavity backs, no one will pick them out.

What Percentage Of Pros Use Blades?

In 2010 at the PGA Championship, only 26 players in that field used a complete set of blade irons; by the 2020 tournament, that number had dropped by 50% to just 13.

Research done by Golf Magazine in 2020 showed that of the top 50 PGA players that lead in strokes gained, 44% were using cavity backs, with 30% opting for a mixed set and only 25% using complete blade sets.

While Tiger was a steadfast proponent of blades, other great players like Phil Mickelson use cavity backs, and so in the pro game, it seems as though the blade iron is not the preferred club of choice either.

By the way, if you want to know what irons Tiger uses, check out this article, What Irons Does Tiger Woods Use?

Final Thoughts

The influence of cavity backs, GI, and SGI clubs is significant in the modern game as golfers seek to achieve better consistency and accuracy with their irons.

However, when answering the question, “is it hard to hit a blade?” you should remember that most golfers are in the 14+ handicap range, so adding additional players’ difficulty using blades is just not an option.

Related: What’s The Average Golf Handicap In The US?

Aside from their alluring beauty and promise of achieving that ultimate shot of flushing a blade, most players lack the technical and physical ability to do this. So the best we weekend warriors can do is live vicariously and watch as the world’s best do it for us!