There is no definite answer to the question is do pros use cavity back irons or not. It depends from player to player and their style of playing. For example, many pro golf players such as Tiger Woods don’t use cavity back iron but instead use a complete set of blade irons or clubs.
It’s not essential or compulsory for a pro golf player to stick to a particular type of club forever, let it be blade iron or cavity back iron. Since they are pros, they test various types of irons a couple of times before deciding what they want to use.
The majority of pro golf players make use of both types of clubs and have them in their set. It’s rare for a player to have a complete golf set of just blade irons or clubs.
Read further to know precisely the cavity back irons and how they are different from the traditional blade irons. In addition to it, you’ll also get to see the reason various pro golf players prefer one over the other.
What Are Cavity Back Irons?
The cavity back irons are also known as ‘game improvement’ irons because they were invented as a forgiving design. The term ‘forgiving’ in golf is used to describe the changes made in a traditional iron to eliminate its harmful effects.
They were invented in the 1960s by the founder of PING, Karsten Solheim. He ditched the traditional forging process of making blade irons and made cavity back irons with a casting process.
The cavity back irons are hollow due to the casting process and, at the same time, have a pretty thick exterior. Since it is hollow, it is light in weight and cheaper as compared to the traditional blade irons. Their lighter weight makes them quite desirable amongst all the golf players.
Cavity Back Irons Different From Traditional Blade Irons?
As mentioned above, the primary difference between both of them is how they are constructed. Their way of construction results in them having different advantages and disadvantages over each other.
The cavity back irons have a hollow club head. Therefore, the weight of the club is distributed equally around and not limited to the center. This massive change allowed pro golf players as well as amateur golf players to make off-center swings with ease.
On the other hand, the traditional blade irons get their name from their sharp edge that almost looks like a knife blade. They have a thin top line that would allow the golf player to control the golf ball’s speed and direction.
In addition to it, they are also known as muscle backs because they are not hollow, and the weight of the clubhead is focused upwards. This compels the golf player to swing the club with more strength and make use of their muscles a bit more.
Due to their construction differences, many beginners, learners, and a few pro players have now shifted towards the cavity back irons. Meanwhile, the majority of pro golf players still prefer the traditional blade irons over the cavity back irons.
Now that you know the difference between both types of irons, let us look at the reasons why some pro golf players prefer one over another.
Why Pro Golf Players Prefer Cavity Back Irons?
A few pro golf players use cavity back irons extensively in their golf games, as you already know. The following reasons will help you understand why they do that.
1. Easy To Hit
Since cavity back irons are hollow, they have the majority of their weight present at the clubhead base. So, whenever any pro golf player would use this iron, they wouldn’t feel a lot of vibration of the heavy iron and could concentrate on the golf ball’s direction.
In addition to it, it’s perfect for people with short height who struggle to make long shots with other clubs. The short height would create difficulties for them by not allowing them to coordinate properly between the golf ball and the hole.
Therefore, the cavity back clubs make it simpler for them to hit the golf ball over a long distance.
2. Forgiving Nature
The cavity back irons allow the pro golf players to swing some amazing off-center shots and let the golf ball go directly into the hole. In addition to it, the club reduces the chances of missing a hit.
3. Increases the Distance
The cavity back irons have a heavy and broader base and lower gravity levels in the middle. Due to this, they allow pro golf players to cover way more distance in a single shot or swing.
Along with that, the weight of the club is distributed all around the clubhead. This feature gives the pro golf players the benefit of covering a decent amount of distance even during a missed hit or wrong shot!
4. Consistent Shots
The cavity back irons have a natural look that would help the golf players. Especially, the ones that are short in height can easily coordinate between the golf club, golf ball, and the distance between them and the golf hole.
Additionally, these clubs would allow the golf player to make shots in a fixed direction throughout the game without creating any fear of missing it slightly.
5. Cheaper
Even though a pro golf player never prioritized the golf club’s cost over its features and abilities, the fact that the cavity back irons are pretty cheaper than the traditional muscle backs is an additional advantage.
If a pro golf player is comfortable using cavity back iron, they would be able to get multiple irons at a low cost. Simultaneously, they would invest more in the care and maintenance of the club.
Pro Golf Players That Use Only Cavity Back Irons
Due to all the factors mentioned above, many pro golf players have developed an interest in cavity back irons. However, it’s still rare for pro players to rely extensively on these clubs.
The following pro golf players make use of cavity back irons only in their matches:
Despite the ease and comfort provided by the hollow and lightweight cavity back irons, many pro golf players still insist on using only the traditional blade irons or muscle backs. Read further to know the reason for this surprising preference of them.
Why Pro Golf Players Prefer Blade Irons?
The following are some of the reasons why no other irons can take the place of the traditional blade irons that players have used since the beginning of golf.
1. Better View and Coordination
The blade irons provide the pro golf player with a better and highly comfortable top-to-down view. The thin and sharp clubhead of the iron allows golf players with a low handicap to coordinate the golf ball with the golf hole easily.
2. Shape The Golf Ball
One of the primary reasons pro golf players prefer blade irons over the cavity back irons is that the former allows them to shape the ball at their convenience.
This is because the whole weight of the iron is focused at the center of the clubhead. It increases the iron’s ability to side-spin the golf ball from left to right and vice-versa.
Pro players must shape the golf ball from time to time as it would increase their confidence by reminding them that they aren’t obliged to play from a single side. It provides them with the assurance that they can change its direction as is convenient for them.
3. Control The Direction Of Golf Ball
The traditional blade irons are the best option for pro golf players if they wish to control the golf ball’s speed, direction, and overall trajectory.
The blade irons are definitely heavier than the cavity back irons, but they have a light base. The reason behind the light base is that its weight is more focused at a higher position.
The light base makes sure that the golf ball doesn’t fly away in a single shot. Instead, it gives the ball a light push and a sustainable flight. This provides the pro golfer with a chance to modify the golf ball’s trajectory.
Moreover, just a single shot impacting the trajectory of a golf ball can make the difference between the victory and loss of any golf game and tournament.
4. Constant Feedback
It’s not only living things that provide feedback. In the golf game, this type of iron used by the pro golf players allows them to play and gives them constant feedback.
Whenever a pro golf player would hit the golf ball with the blade iron, they’ll feel a strong vibration. The reason behind the vibration is that, unlike cavity back iron, they aren’t hollow.
The wholly-filled blade iron will produce a wave of vibration and inform the golf player if they missed the shot. The player would know where the golf ball would land even before it would come in contact with the ground.
This feedback in the form of vibration gives the pro player another chance to rectify their mistake. This is why blade irons are the top and foremost choice of the best-of-the-best golf players like Tiger Woods and Adam Scott.
5. Aesthetic Look
Just like how a good pro golf player would never prioritize the cost of their iron over its features, they won’t prioritize the iron’s look and aesthetic.
However, it’s an advantage that, despite being old, blade irons look more aesthetically pleasing as compared to the modern cavity back irons. The better look might provide the golf player a psychological boost and make them feel comfortable using that particular iron or club.
Pro Golf Players That Use Only Blade Irons
Considering all the advantages of blade irons over cavity back irons, the former is the ideal club for golf payers playing for a long time. This is because they are entirely aware of their style, swing speed and can estimate what their shot would result in.
The following pro golf players still make use of only traditional blade irons in their matches:
Pro Golf Players That Use Both Cavity Back Irons and Blade Irons
Interestingly, many pros prefer both cavity back irons as well as blade irons to play. Almost 30 to 40 percent of the pro golf players use cavity back irons along with blade irons. They choose the type of club as per the location and distance of the game.
If the golf game would require them to cover a long distance in a limited number of strokes, they’ll shift to cavity back irons. Whereas, if they need to maintain their game style and accuracy throughout the game for a long time, they’ll stick to the usual blade irons.
Some of the pro golf players that make use of both cavity back irons and blade irons are:
Conclusion
The answer to the question of whether pros make use of cavity back irons depends on the player. Pro golf players who have been playing for an extended period prefer using the traditional blade irons because they are much more familiar with it than the cavity back irons.
However, many pros nowadays make use of both types of irons simultaneously during any match or tournament. Moreover, none of the irons are better or worse than each other.
The only difference between the types of irons is how they work and benefit different golf players as per their habits and preferences. Many pro golf players prefer a thin clubhead so that they can have complete control of the golf ball, and hence, the overall game.
Whereas, several pro golf players prefer a club like a cavity back iron that would allow them to make long shots win the game within a few numbers of swings.