Equipment

At what point is playing blades an advantage? – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 years ago

Sep 15, 2022

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

Your Reaction?

LIKE13
LEGIT2
WOW0
LOL5
IDHT2
FLOP1
OB1
SHANK6

Related Topics:featured

Up Next

Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama make big gear changes in Napa

Don't Miss

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (9/15/22): Ping Glide Forged Pro wedge set

Gianni Magliocco

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

10 Comments

Michael Sarijoen

Sep 18, 2022 at 6:01 am

If you want to fine-tune your swing to the highest degree, blades can help

Reply Report comment
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

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
Barney

Sep 16, 2022 at 1:21 pm

I’m glad we can finally address this topic! Well done!

Reply Report comment
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?!

Reply Report comment
Bhickey

Sep 16, 2022 at 9:30 am

Please ban this tired old subject.

Reply Report comment
- 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!!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Bhickey
    
    Oct 11, 2022 at 5:34 pm
    
    Seriously get a life and use another name besides Hogan.
    
    Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment

Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

7 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

Your Reaction?