Equipment
Forum Thread of the Day: “Why play a split set with blades? And why are we drawn to blades??”
Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from mxkier who currently plays, and adores, his Apex Pro 19s but has an attraction to blades. Anxious about the forgiveness of blades from the low end of the bag, mxkier wants to split his bag by using them from 5-PW. Our members have been discussing the idea of playing a split set in our forums.
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.
- smithy23: “The split set is a happy compromise and a bit more confidence-inspiring. I have two sets Mizuno jpx 900 tours and Nike vapor pro blades. I’m an 11 HCP so arguably not low enough to play blades but personal preference whatever etc. (another argument that one). If you love the way the blades look at address and strike it well get them, and just play your Apex pros in 4/5/6 etc. for the known feel distance etc. and then your blades in the rest. It’s what I do play 6 upwards in blades on the nikes and use cobra utility 4 iron and Mizuno 5iron. When I really start to get off things I go back to full mizzy bag. Split set is a great way to go, why do tour pros do it ?? cos its a good fit.”
- WristySwing: “As to the question why, here it is. Blades are typically easier to shape shots with due to their weight distributions being more neutrally biased as opposed to the extremes of the perimeters. They also typically have higher CoGs, meaning they will flight the ball a bit lower, which is what most better players are after since they create enough height and lift due to their ball speed naturally. Lastly, there is no pro or con to playing a blade if you are good enough (solid, mid-low single-digit player at a decent course, not some dinky goat track that you can play with your eyes closed) apart from what I have outlined. I have hit fliers with blades just as well as I have with GI irons; fliers are caused by a significant reduction in spin due to a lack of efficient contact with face and ball. Rarely, if ever, is a flier caused by a “low spin” face…it just means the loft and/or ball aren’t fit to you properly.”
- BCULAW: “I gravitate towards blades because of feel. Mind you; it isn’t not so much the feel of the strike – there are plenty of CBS that feel outstanding on contact. Rather, for me, there is a distinct feel of a thin-sole iron through the turf that a thinner sole iron cannot replicate. Without that “feel” of turf interaction, contact doesn’t feel solid to me. As a result, I want the thinner soles, which usually are found on blades. I generally don’t put much but stock in “forgiveness,” but I expect there will be a time when I will struggle to elevate blades to an appropriate trajectory. I’m not there yet, so I play a full set of MBs. The search will be an interesting one for me when the day arrives when I need help. At the end of the day, a lot of us don’t play for scores. And, even if we did, there’s plenty that will score as well, or better, playing blades for precision as opposed to something else for other reasons (distance, forgiveness, etc. ). Play what will provide you the most joy.”
- Cptwiggly: “To me, the benefit comes with how the club goes through the turf. I grew up with Hogan and Mizuno’s in my bag. I don’t know if I was always steep or I became steep because I was hitting blades. Regardless, that’s where I am now. As I move to longer irons, I become less steep, and the wider soles become less of an issue. I tried to go more forgiving this year and put z585s in my bag. Even with the v sole, I can still don’t like the short irons, and I feel like I am a club short sometimes. When I get through the turf really clean, I’m 15 yards past the pin. Some of that comes from low spin fliers, but it makes it really hard to feel comfortable with my yardage. I just ordered a set of Z Forged with the same Modus 105s I have in my 585s. I’ll probably keep my 585 4 and 5 iron and go z forged down. I’ll have to adjust the lofts a little of course on the 585s, but I’m looking forward to going back to blades.”
- Cachualo: “I have been playing blades for a bit, and my hcp does not support it…I love the feel of the good shots but recognize the lack of forgiveness in the longer irons especially. I am intrigued by the idea of a split set but haven’t moved that direction yet, hit the MP20 MMC the other day thinking it would be a night and day difference in forgiveness, but I did not feel the 7i was any easier to hit than my MP32s. I probably am leaving some shots on the table by playing a full blade set but with the amount of golf I play (not a ton) I can live with it.”
Entire Thread: “Why play a split set with blades? And why are we drawn to blades??”
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
View this post on Instagram
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
