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Best Blade Irons – Buyer’s Guide

Gone is the time when we used to call them just irons. But like everything else, including humans, even irons went through the evolution. Now you have multiple options to choose from, especially when it comes to blade irons. And the list keeps increasing every year, doesn’t it? So what are the best blade irons of all time?

As a golfer, you know that irons are the most number of clubs found in anyone’s golf bag. This means they are highly functional. So what does that tell you? It means that irons contribute to improving your game to a significant level.

There’s no reason why, as an enthusiastic golfer, you don’t need to know the top 10 blade irons available on the market right now!

Photo credit: golftips.golfweek.com

The Best Blade Irons

They have a carbon steel construction with chrome plating. And hitting the golf ball squarely with the help of a blade iron is something that all players look forward to. So let’s find out the ten best options that make achieving such a goal easier.

NAME	CONFIGURATION	Shaft Material
TaylorMade Men’s Rocketbladez Tour Iron Set	5-PW	​ Steel	Check Price
Callaway Men’s Apex Pro Individual Iron	5-AW	Steel	Check Price
TaylorMadeRocketbladez HL Irons 4-AW	4-AW	Steel	Check Price
Mizuno Golf MP-54 Club Iron Sets	3-PW	Steel	Check Price
Cleveland Golf 588 MT Iron Set (Editor’s Choice)	4-PW	Steel	Check Price
Nike Golf Men’s VRS Covert 2.0 Cast Golf Irons Set	4-AW	Steel Shaft, Cast Irons	Check Price
TaylorMade M2 Men’s Golf Iron Set	4-PW	Steel	Check Price
TaylorMade Men’s SpeedBlade Golf Complete Set	4-PW	Steel	Check Price
Callaway Men’s Apex CF16 Iron Set	4-PW, SW	Steel	Check Price
Cobra KING Pro Golf Club Iron Set	3-PW	Steel	Check Price

1. TaylorMade Men’s Rocketbladez Tour Iron Set – The Best Blade Irons for All Skill Levels

I remember the time when the standard version of Rocketbladez came out. Although the iron set offered excellent performance for all types of golfers, it had a tad too thick top line and slight offset. And these two features were enough to dissuade better players to opt for the model as they were used to forged irons.

But that’s not the case anymore with the TaylorMade Men’s Rocketbladez Tour Iron Set. It is a slim version of the standard Rocketbladez irons with a valid Tour suffix.

You will not come across any offset with these blade irons. Even the club head size and top line are optimally compact. There’s no difference between the head size of the TaylorMadeRocketbladez Tour clubs and that of better player clubs.

Now it’s time to talk about the performance of the iron set. The sound and feel that the irons offer are quite up to the mark. In fact, they are easy to shape as well. The manufacturer has done a swell job with the set’s short irons. And the fact that they are considered to be one of the best in the industry is proof of that.

The TaylorMadeRocketbladez Tour Irons have a bottom slot that’s responsible for delivering more consistency, forgiveness, and ball speed. I appreciate the higher ball speed with the lower spin. And that’s because it added the distance of 10 yards per club.

With all the remarkable features, this particular iron set is suitable for amateurs and professionals who can strike the center better and more often.

Let me make it clear to you that the TaylorMade Men’s Rocketbladez Tour Iron Set consists of great clubs. If you’re good playing with the earlier standard version, then these should be easier to work with.

The only disadvantage here is the slightly heavy and short stock shaft of the blade irons. This makes blending the short and long irons of different sets quite impossible. The specifications of the Rocketbladez Tour and standard Rocketbladez are in a way poles apart from each other.

We Like

• ​The irons offer the forgiveness you need.
• They provide an excellent feel, sound, and ball flight.

We Don’t Like

• Stock shaft is a tad too heavy and short.
• Stiff shaft is more on the X stiff side.

The History and Innovation of TaylorMade Irons

2. Callaway Men’s Apex Pro Individual Iron – The Best Individual Blade Iron

The best golfers demand a responsible, soft feel, don’t they? This is what makes the Callaway Men’s Apex Pro Individual Iron one of the best irons on the market. Thanks to the excellent carbon steel material forging of the club.

The weighted inserts integrated into the sole allow you to strike the iron easily. On top of that, the wide grooves offer a high performance by delivering a better and more consistent spin.

If you’re into appearances too, then you’ll be glad to know that the Callaway Men’s Apex Pro Individual Iron looks pretty good. It has a beautiful and luxurious satin finish.

The feel of the iron is incredibly soft and pure. Even the ball flight and sound live up to your expectations. The blade iron doesn’t send the ball flying off the face. So you can gauge distance control for better performance.

All in all, it offers trajectory that’s easy to control. And the wide grooves make ball flight even better by producing a higher launch.

If you’re a single figure golfer, then the Callaway Men’s Apex Pro Individual Iron might be the best option for you. Even the pros seem to love the iron because of its remarkably soft and responsive feel.

Every golf club comes with at least one downside. So the drawback with the Callaway Men’s Apex Pro Individual Iron is its poor quality. But the professional launch trajectory that the blade iron produces makes up for the flaw.

We Like

• ​The iron offers excellent feel and balance.
• It contributes to distance improvement.

We Don’t Like

• The quality of the iron is weak.
• It has a slim, sleek profile.

Apex Iron Introduction – Callaway Talks

3. TaylorMade Rocketbladez HL Irons 4-AW – The Best Game Improvement Irons

For game improvement, blade irons need to deliver stability and forgiveness. In that context, the TaylorMade Rocketbladez HL Irons are the most useful. The club head of the irons has a higher loft to provide better trajectory. So it doesn’t matter if your swing speed is slow.

The irons feature thin club face thickness along with deep, undercut designed cavity-backs. What this does is maximize distance. You will also be quite impressed with the crisp sound and excellent feel of the club. Thanks to the vibrational and sound control mechanisms.

The TaylorMade Rocketbladez HL Irons come with a unique feature known as “RBZ Speed Pocket technology.” This particular component is responsible for delivering super-fast ball speeds. Combine it with the low gravitational center, and you get higher launch angles and increased stability.

The best part about the TaylorMade Rocketbladez HL Irons is that you can choose from steel or graphite shafts. It all depends on your particular capabilities and needs. Just remember that they are an excellent choice for competitive mid-range golfers looking to improve their performance.

The problem with these irons is that they aren’t as heavy as they should be. Some players prefer that additional weight to avoid losing the golf club during the backswing.

We Like

• ​The irons offer better flight trajectory.
• They result in increasing distance.

We Don’t Like

• The clubs are not heavy enough.

4. Mizuno Golf MP-54 Club Iron Sets – The Best Blade Irons for Shot-Making

There are many reasons why the Mizuno Golf MP-54 Club Iron Sets are considered to be one of the best blade irons. They have a strong, thick grain flow equipped forged iron design. The cavity irons (namely 3 and 7) offer excellent stability. This even applies to off-center strikes.

To make things even better, the sole allows the club to interact with the turf in a much better manner. And this contributes to improving your ball striking abilities.

The feel of the Mizuno Golf MP-54 Club Irons is pure. And it tends to get highlighted due to the forged carbon steel design and the Step Muscle construction. The latter, in particular, is responsible for retaining thickness behind every impact.

The classic yet modern appearance of the set accentuates the high-quality, traditional craftsmanship. And not just looks, the feel of the blade irons is also remarkable. They have a soft feel with an incredibly sweet clubface. These characteristics help in delivering excellent distance control.

So even though the Mizuno Golf MP-54 Club Irons offer blade performance, they make way for forgiveness. What you might appreciate the most is the customized hosel blend. What this element does is create an illusion of minimal offset. And we all know how beneficial that can be, right?

When playing with the Mizuno Golf MP-54 Club Irons Set, be prepared to experience high launch and great forgiveness. The phenomenal forged iron build awakens the “shotmaker” instinct in golfers that require some degree of forgiveness.

To be honest, it was hard for me to find a flaw with this one. But if I had to pick one, then it would be the length of the irons. They are not considered to be the best longest blade irons in the industry. And this, in itself, can open a huge bag of worms.

We Like

• ​The irons help in lowering handicap.
• They offer excellent control.

We Don’t Like

• Not the ideal long blade irons.
• The feel of the club is like butter.

Mizuno MP-54 irons: Step Up your Shotmaking.

5. Cleveland Golf 588 MT Iron Set – The Best Golf Irons for Advanced and Intermediate Players

I would like to start the review by stating that the Cleveland Golf 588 MT Iron Set is not suitable for beginners. And that’s because the blade irons have a slightly complicated design. But such a construction goes a long way in enhancing your golfing skills to a whole new level.

The club features blade height that offers the perfect balance for a higher loft. The complete hollow design makes the irons durable and lightweight. It consists of forged technology that promotes better feel and ball speed.

Now let’s talk about the inserts. They have a multi-material construction, which includes aluminum and polymer. These types of inserts contribute to dampening vibration during impact to offer a more consistent feel for every swing.

The most striking aspect is the combination of long irons that are easy to strike with more traditionally designed short irons. Such a blend is responsible for making your every round of golf not only easier but also more enjoyable.

The Cleveland Golf 588 MT Iron Set has an exclusive mid-trajectory engineering. The blade length of the irons is constant throughout. But the height increases progressively as you move on to the high-lofted clubs. This means the playable design delivers excellent performance.

It’s the quality of the blade iron set that might let you down. But as an experienced golfer, I can tell you that poor quality of clubs is something that most players deal with. It all depends on how you use and care for your precious golf clubs.

We Like

• ​The clubface enhances feel and ball speed.
• The vibration dampening feature provides consistent feel.

We Don’t Like

• The quality of the irons is not up to the mark.
• Not ideal for beginners.

6. Nike Golf Men’s VRS Covert 2.0 Cast Golf Irons Set – The Best Blade Irons for Distance

The Nike Golf Men’s VRS Covert 2.0 Cast Golf Irons Set is one of the best options on the market that offer additional range. They come with a unique NexCOR face, which consists of optimal club face thickness. And the reason why Nike Golf chose to incorporate this particular element is to deliver fast ball speed along with great distance.

The irons have a high-speed performance cavity back construction with a deeper, lower CG. So you get the opportunity to achieve straighter and longer shots. The grooves of the golf clubs are close together and deep enough on the clubface to increase spin while maintaining ball flight.

With the Nike Golf Men’s VRS Covert 2.0 Cast Golf Iron, you can expect the ball to fly off the face pretty well.

Just like me, you might also fall in love with the forgiveness factor of these best blade irons. Missing the sweet spot is a thing of the past when using the Nike Golf Men’s VRS Covert 2.0 Cast Golf Irons Set.

In this section, I’m only going to talk about the best feature of these particular blade irons. And that is forgiveness. Nike has successfully managed to shift the club’s sweet spot from its original position to one that players strike the most. And doesn’t that sound like an excellent idea!

Now it’s time to discuss the downside. With the Nike Golf Men’s VRS Covert 2.0 Cast Golf Irons Set, there is only one drawback. The thick topline and long face make the club slightly difficult to hit. But the sweet spot helps in rectifying this particular flaw.

We Like

• ​The irons offer straighter trajectory and longer distance.

We Don’t Like

• The irons are not easy to strike.
• They come with an excellent grip.

7. TaylorMade M2 Men’s Golf Iron Set – The Best High-Performance Blade Irons

The TaylorMade M2 Men’s Golf Iron Set is designed to enhance the performance of both beginners and professionals. And TaylorMade gives you enough reasons to believe so. For one, it chose to move the discretionary weight of the club head lower. This was achieved with the help of the hosel and thinner top line. So you get incredible distance and higher launch.

Then comes the remarkable face slot feature. The slots offer additional forgiveness for shots struck in the toe or heel. And when you combine this advantage with the invaluable speed pocket component, the experience gets even better.

You might also appreciate the compact shaping of the TaylorMade M2 Men’s Golf Irons. The M1 has a comparatively smaller club head design than the remaining distance irons.

The thin top line, reduced offset, and shorter length all combine to provide confidence at impact. Even tiny details such as the M1 iron edges have a unique design to deliver optimal turf interaction. So there’s no major disappointment when playing with the TaylorMade M2 Men’s Golf Iron Set.

Do you know what makes the TaylorMade M2 Men’s Golf Irons stand out from the crowd? It’s the high density, multi-material design of the tungsten. The tungsten quality and weighting minimize CG to improve ball speed and launch.

The bad news here is that the TaylorMade M2 Men’s Golf Irons have toe inserts that tend to wear out quickly. This means poor quality, doesn’t it? But by now we all know what a common problem that is!

We Like

• ​The weight of the irons is sufficiently heavy.
• They offer optimal forgiveness for every shot.

We Don’t Like

• The toe inserts are not durable enough.
• Overall quality of the irons is weak.

M2 Irons – Distance Above the Rest

8. TaylorMade Men’s SpeedBlade Golf Complete Set – The Best Blade Irons in Terms of Value for Money

TaylorMade decided to take their SpeedPocket version to a whole new level. And this gave rise to the TaylorMade Men’s SpeedBlade Golf Complete Set. It consists of the best blade irons that provide you with the opportunity to improve your approach shots. This, in turn, enables you to strike more greens along with shooting lower scores.

On the outside, the TaylorMade Men’s SpeedBlade Irons have a striking appearance. Thanks to the satin, two-tone nickel chrome equipped plating combined with the luxurious ion plating. And on the inside, the performance features make the SpeedBlade version stand out from the rest on the market.

The handle bar slot present in the 3 and 7 irons’ club soles allows the clubface’s large area to flex as well as rebound during impact. This contributes to increasing ball speed and launch. Even the feel of the club benefits from such a feature.

Low-impact strikes are quite common in the game of golf. In that case, the TaylorMade Men’s SpeedBlade Irons are responsible for producing a consistently longer carrying, higher, and smoother landing trajectory.

You will also be quite taken aback by the length and width of these best blade irons. Such a design gives you more clubface area towards the heel and toe. And what this does is promote steady trajectory along with high launch and steep yet quick halting descent angle.

The manufacturer made it a point to manage the gaps between the irons quite meticulously. TaylorMade did this by controlling the loft, club length, shaft characteristics, CG location, and face thickness. As a result of which, you get the best golf irons that offer balance and consistency in design.

The disappointment comes in the form of a sort of dead sensation during impact. But it’s only a matter of time. Playing with the TaylorMade Men’s SpeedBlade Golf Complete Set is not easy initially. The clubs take some getting used to.

We Like

• ​The club head structure is advanced.
• The different irons have balanced engineering for better play.
• The speed slot feature improves feel and distance.

We Don’t Like

• The clubs are slightly stiff at impact.
• They are not high in quality.

TaylorMade Golf | SpeedBlade Irons… A Distance Machine

9. Callaway Men’s Apex CF16 Iron Set – The Best High-Quality Blade Irons

Isn’t it always an excellent idea to begin by stating the obvious? In this case, I want to discuss the most appealing factor of the Callaway Men’s Apex CF16 Iron Set. And that is the industry-leading Face Cup technology of the company. The exclusive Cup 360 feature of Callaway contributes to redefining ball speed when it comes to irons and woods.

So now you know what to expect from the Callaway Men’s Apex CF16 Iron Set, don’t you? The face cup of the irons has precision engineering to provide consistent speed all across its clubface. Thanks to the forged Apex construction.

The optimal notch weighting, CG height, sole widths, and offset deliver just the right kind of ball flight balance. They also go a long way in improving control, forgiveness, and overall playability.

The long irons give you more offset for additional forgiveness. And the shorter ones come with a compact shape that offers minimal offset for better control and feel.

The high tech design of the Callaway Men’s Apex CF16 Iron Set is an invaluable combination of feel, distance, and control. Both beginners and professionals will appreciate the Cup 360 feature in the long irons. And that’s because it increases forgiveness and ball speed across the clubface.

You should know that the Callaway Men’s Apex CF16 Irons provide an incredibly soft feel. And that’s primarily because of the advanced forging. Not many iron sets in the industry have such a precision-milled, carbon steel design.

Now let me give you a piece of bad news. The shaft of the Callaway Men’s Apex CF16 Irons is not long enough. And some golfers don’t like a shorter shaft when at the range.

We Like

• ​The unique face plate of shorter irons enhances control, distance, and feel.
• The different features offer stable ball flight and forgiveness.

We Don’t Like

• The shaft of the irons is a tad too short.

Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons – The Ultimate in Distance, Beauty, Feel & Control

10. Cobra KING Pro Golf Club Iron Set – The Bonus Pick

The last but not the least choice for the best blade irons is the Cobra KING Pro. The most striking aspect of these golf club irons is their Tour performance quality. Professional golfers demand not only a soft feel but precision too, right? And that is what you get with the Cobra KING Pro Golf Club Iron Set.

These best blade irons deliver precision and accuracy with better control and feel. This means you can attack the pin most efficiently. And the shorter irons are an excellent option to achieve that goal.

The longer irons, on the other hand, have tons of forgiveness to offer. And just like that, the Cobra KING Pro Golf Club Iron Set delivers the perfect combination for every round of golf.

You will also be quite thrilled to find out that the toe tungsten inserts feature optimal weight placement. What this does is help in shifting the gravitational center to the right spot. So you can enjoy high precision along with shot making. And isn’t that every golfers’ dream!

If you’re looking to buy an iron set that ranks high in performance as well as durability, then you’re in the right place. The Cobra KING Pro Golf Club Irons come with five times forged club head. This characteristic delivers better precision shaping and structure. And the former, in particular, provides a soft, solid feel for each shot.

The part that’s slightly disappointing with the Cobra KING Pro Golf Club Irons is that they produce more mishits. And nobody likes the sound and feel of that, right? But if you’re a somewhat experienced ball striker, this shouldn’t be a problem for you.

We Like

• ​The irons have a compact, sleek aesthetic profile.
• They offer excellent accuracy and distance control.

We Don’t Like

• The clubs provide dead feel and sound for mishits.

Best Blade Irons Buying Guide

Photo credit: pga.com

Before I discuss how to choose the best blade irons, let’s find out the difference between the blade and cavity-back design.

What is a Blade Design?

Let me begin by stating that not all modern irons are known as blades. That’s because an original blade was not only difficult to hit but extremely thin too. So golf club manufacturers realized that they could shape the head to add more metal in the lower and back regions of the club’s hitting area. This just means easy shot-making.

These types of blades achieved the name “muscle backs.” They became more expensive than the others. And the reason is quite evident, isn’t it? The muscle backs had to go through the shaping and forging processes. So a lot of time and labor went into crafting them.

What is a Cavity-Back Design?

Photo credit: golfgeargeeks.com

On the other side, manufacturers adopted cheaper or more affordable ways of producing irons. But at the same time, they wanted to create clubs that were easy to hit. This gave rise to the casting process. It involves the use of molded molten metal.

This particular method of crafting economic irons contributed to the further success of “muscle backs.” It allowed the weight of the club head to move to its edges or base with similar ease.

What Are the Advantages of a Blade?

Despite the affordability and high performance of the cavity-back design, many golfers still prefer to use blade irons. Thanks to the benefits they offer.

• Well-struck blades provide better feedback to experienced golfers. This way the players can evaluate the performance of every shot.
• Iron blades enable you to shape your shots more efficiently than the cavity-backs. Thanks to the straight ball flight that blades tend to produce.
• ​Irons blades are also known as “player’s clubs.” That’s because some of the best professional golfers enjoyed the added feedback and control.
• Lastly, an iron blade design offers smoother lines than its chunky counterpart.

What are the Advantages of a Cavity-Back?

Now it’s time to highlight the benefits of using a cavity-back iron.

• These types of irons don’t require you to strike a perfect shot to produce an acceptable result. It’s called forgiveness, isn’t it? With the cavity-back design, the excessive weight moves to the club head’s periphery. This means that your bad shots don’t reach far offline or suffer a significant distance penalty.
• Also, when the additional weight shifts to the club’s sole, it becomes easier for you to lift the golf ball from the ground. This is great news for the beginner or average golfers. With such an advantage, you don’t need to use too much loft, which means longer distance.
• Most of the best game improvements irons on the market have a cavity-back design.

How to Choose the Best Blade Irons?

Photo credit: toptruthsports.com

Blade irons have a smooth back and thin top-line, which is responsible for delivering better spin and control. And this is the primary reason why most skilled golfers decide to opt for the best blade irons instead of cavity-backs.

So let’s find out how to choose the best ones!

• Club Head Design

The whole point of using a blade iron is that it offers less forgiveness but with a fantastic opportunity to sharpen swinging skills (the difference between iron swing and driver swing). Once you get accustomed to the club head weight, you can begin to use the blade to your advantage.

So a relatively smaller sweet spot is not such a bad idea now, is it?

• Material & Construction

Forged iron is the material that manufacturers use to construct blade irons. Such a design also affects the club’s sweet spot. No wonder skilled players prefer using forged iron golf clubs!

And now it also seems logical to know why a blade iron is exclusively built using this particular technique.

• Shaft

The shaft of the best blade irons come in two types; graphite and steel. Steel shafts offer more durability and consistency than their graphite counterparts. But graphite ones are comparatively lighter, which means faster swing speed.

You will also come across composite shafts. They are nothing but a combination of graphite and steel materials to provide you the best of both worlds (i.e. weight and durability).

Final Note

My Choice: Cleveland Golf 588 MT Irons

So now you know what the top 10 best blade irons are and how to choose them as well, right?

I have listed clubs that are suitable for both professional and amateur golfers. But if you think that a particular set is more apt for a pro than a beginner, then I have a solution for that too. The majority of beginners purchase the best golf irons, of any kind, so that they can upgrade their golfing skills.

But when it comes to choosing a single best set on the market, nothing beats the Cleveland Golf 588 MT Irons. They come with a constant length for all the blades present in the set. It’s only the blade height that increases progressively. This means you’ll find a perfect balance even in the high-lofted clubs.

Apart from that, each iron features an invaluable forged face technology. Such a feature contributes to enhancing feel and ball speed. The vibration dampening characteristic that takes the form of inserts delivers a consistent feel at impact.

All in all, the Cleveland Golf 588 MT Irons are not difficult to hit. And even better, they can be blended with the more traditionally designed short irons.

You might like these:

• Best Driver for Average Golfer Buyer’s Guide
• Best Golf Clubs for Women to Buy​
• Top 5 Irons for Beginners List

Sources:

1. Golf irons buying guide.

2. Blades vs. cavity back irons.

3. Forged vs. cast irons: which are better for you?