Equipment
At what point is playing blades an advantage? – GolfWRXers discuss
In our forums, our members have been talking blades. WRXer ‘Douglsss’ poses an intriguing question, “at what point is playing blades an advantage?” and kicks off the thread, saying:
“All things being equal – loft, lie, etc. – If I have a level of ballstriking to where playing blades vs player distance vs GI irons clubs each have similar average distances, why wouldn’t you play blades? IMO – easier to work multiple trajectories, easier to remove spin, better consistency( no hot faces ).
Another argument could be made that in this scenario – what are you losing in the scoring clubs, say 8i – PW, by not using a bladed club?”
And our members have been responding in their numbers.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- Thebiles: “Considering that the majority of pros are moving away from pure blades, I don’t think there is an advantage given today’s technology.”
- llewol007: “Your argument is watered down because you ultimately got rid of the big differences in playing a blade versus a player distance and game improvement. That is the main reason most would or would not play a blade. So the comparison is really not comparing. If all things are equal as you say, it just becomes personal preference.”
- AsianGolfer1995: “It’s mostly personal preference at this point, but for most of the blade users I’ve played with, they want their mishits coming up short of the target instead of flying 3-5 yards longer so they know what a true ‘miss’ feels like so they can work on it in practice to hit the center more.”
- Red4282: “Advantages of blades would be thinner soles and generally less bounce. Flighting becomes a little easier. Distance control is more consistent on good to slight misses. You really don’t see much advantages from GI irons until you get to the mid and long irons and on bad misses.”
Entire Thread: “At what point is playing blades an advantage? – GolfWRXers discuss”
More from the Forums
This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.
Joel Thelen
Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.
First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.
Mitchell Meissner
Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.
Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX
Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.
@Lamosteve began:
Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine
Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6
Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
- JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
- jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”
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Michael Sarijoen
Sep 18, 2022 at 6:01 am
If you want to fine-tune your swing to the highest degree, blades can help
Paulo
Sep 17, 2022 at 8:24 am
If golf clubs were cars the blades would be a 911. Beautiful to look at , probably going to make you look sexier but utterly impractical if you have a couple of kids and can’t practice every day . If there’s even one of the worlds
Too 1000 golfers using cavities then everyone reading this should be too
Brandon
Sep 17, 2022 at 8:13 am
In my experience my score doesn’t fluctuate based on what irons I have in the bag at all. Keeping my drive in play and not having any disasters around the green are all that matters. I can just as easily shoot 70 or 90 with blades or SGI clubs depending on how the other parts of my game go.
S
Sep 16, 2022 at 10:38 pm
It’s so laughable what has become of golf. All that manufacturers want to do is sell you expensive clubs. They don’t even care if they fit you, because they know that if it doesn’t work, you’ll just buy another one.
One of the most glaring problem with modern golf is general, is actually not the equipment but the courses. There’s literally barely any rough at most courses these days, and that makes it seem like you don’t need small heads in irons. As soon as there is some ankle high rough and the ball is sitting down in it, I dare you to try to hack it out of there with a shovel headed club. You can’t. You won’t be able to.
Barney
Sep 16, 2022 at 1:21 pm
I’m glad we can finally address this topic! Well done!
Prime21
Sep 16, 2022 at 10:56 am
This is the 4,167th time this has been a “subject” on this sight. Regardless of the situation, pick the club that allows you to score the best, period. Can we please stop using this topic?!
Bhickey
Sep 16, 2022 at 9:30 am
Please ban this tired old subject.
Hogan
Sep 17, 2022 at 7:06 am
Why ban this subject! This is the kind of stuff this site was built on. So what should we talk about? How the newest driver gets you 30 more yards, or maybe how the new irons hit every green.. no I got it how the new putters never miss putts. Don’t read the topic if you don’t like it… easy!!
Bhickey
Oct 11, 2022 at 5:34 pm
Seriously get a life and use another name besides Hogan.
Holden Tudiks
Sep 15, 2022 at 7:45 pm
They become an advantage when people gather around your bag in awe of blades. Men will do most anything to another man just to hold them.