Are Cavity Back Irons or Blade Irons Right for Your Golf Game?

While enjoying your next round of golf look around at the different club heads being used. If you are like me and my golfing buddies, you will see lots of cavity back irons. But every now and then you will see a golfer use a set of irons that you might think look old and not so high tech. Chances are that golfer is really good and is using what is known in the golfing world as blades. Many golfers that have been playing for sometime are unaware that there are two different types of irons, cavity backs and blades, and are unaware of the pros and cons that come with each. But learning the difference can help you to lower your handicap. So what will it be? Are cavity backs or blades right for your golf game?

First let's take a look at the most commonly used irons; the cavity backs. A cavity back iron has a small amount of metal removed from the back of the clubface thus creating a hole and a bigger "sweet spot". By removing the metal the club weight is redistributed around the edges of the clubface further away from the center of gravity (source: travellinggolfer.com). Why is this important?

Most golfers that are just starting out have a lot of mis-hits. This is caused by an inconsistent swing that leads to the ball being struck by a different part of the clubface other than the center. With the increased sweet spot the mis-shots that occur will be more manageable with a cavity back iron. It is this forgiveness that makes the cavity back iron much more popular in the world of golf than that of the traditional blade. So if you are just starting out or have a high handicap you should consider strongly using cavity backs. Now that is not to say that low handicappers don't use them because they do. In fact you can even catch a few pros using them. But as a general rule of thumb in golf, a beginning golfer should use cavity backs (source: travellinggolfer.com). Knowing about the forgiveness of the cavity backs why would anyone choose a blade?

Golfers that are really good or have a low handicap generally prefer the blades because the blade has a solid back thus the weight is distributed evenly across the clubface and allows for a better feel and more control of shots taken. The added control is important if you are attempting a round of golf at a harder course. But there is little forgiveness with the blades and your swing needs to be just about perfect to ensure the shot will be a good one (source: travellinggolfer.com). But if you are good enough to use a blade, then chances are you have a really good swing and are fairly accurate when striking the ball.

Now the majority of you reading this will know that you should stick to your cavity backs (as should I) but there may be some of you wondering if you should make the switch. The only sure fire way to determine if a cavity back or blade iron is right for your golf game is to try both. If you have been using cavity backs for a while then you already know what those feel like. Shoot a couple of rounds with some blade irons and form your opinion on what makes you feel more comfortable and confident. After all, in golf, it's all about lowering your handicap so use whatever works.