Percentage of PGA Tour Pros playing Cavity Back?

I won't mention names but I'm hearing different opinions/statements here.

1. " PGA Tour guys are playing blades, without question"

2. "80% of PGA Tour guys are now using cavity backs"

Those are quite different statements and I heard both of them within the last 48 hours. So which is it? Are they playing blades or cavity backs? I'm talking irons here as a full or near full set. A full set here is like pw-4/5 iron. Wedges don't count. A guy using a cavity back 2 iron and all the rest blades, is playing blades! Oh, and don't mention hybrids either. So don't get too technical on me :wave:

Most of the WITB pics I have seen, the pros using cavity backs might as well be playing blades with the lead tape they have going on. I forget who it was that had AP2s and the cavity looked almost full of lead tape on almost all the clubs.

To answer your question, I would bet that most are advertised as playing cavity backs and that most are actually playing them. There are a lot of Razr X, TM tour preferred type clubs that they are playing now, the players' cavity backs.

Based on the WITB pics we see on this site each week, my guess is most play blades with a stray 3 o 4 iron player's cavity thrown in.

When I say "most" I don't mean 80%. I'm just saying that my unscientific observation of these photos makes me think more than 50%.

30% of tour players use blades........ Heard that stat during a PGA tourney

Remember there are 240 players that have played in the PGA Tour this year so far and most of the WITB photos are of guys hovering in the top100 or so...names that people will know. I'd expect that the numbers would be surprising either way..

How about the winners? What are those guys playing?

Per the top 20 in the world...

1. Luke Donald - Cavity
2. Rory McIlroy - Blade
3. Lee Westwood - Cavity
4. Tiger Woods - Blade
5. Bubba Watson - Cavity
6. Matt Kuchar - Cavity
7. Justin Rose - Blade
8. Hunter Mahan - Cavity
9. Jason Dufner - Cavity
10. Martin Kaymer - Blade
11. Steve Stricker - Cavity
12. Phil Mickelson – Cavity/Blade Mix
13. Webb Simpson - Blade
14. Charl Schwartzel - Cavity
15. Louis Oosthuizen - Cavity
16. Zach Johnson - Cavity
17. Adam Scott - Blade
18. Rickie Fowler -Blade
19. Jason Day -Cavity
20. Dustin Johnson – Blade recently

11 Cavity / 8 Blade / 1 Mix Blade Cavity

I did not count Ping s56 or s59 irons as Blade irons as they both have a milled cavity.

From all of the stats I've seen about 2/3 play cavity and perhaps a bit more

So what I'm reading is that either of my original statements are exagerations.

The responses so far indicate that just over 50% of the Tour guys (top 20 sample) are playing cavity backs. Not all blades but not as high as 80% cavity either.

[quote name='gioGolf' timestamp='1339080076' post='5046712']
Per the top 20 in the world...

1. Luke Donald - Cavity
2. Rory McIlroy - Blade
3. Lee Westwood - Cavity
4. Tiger Woods - Blade
5. Bubba Watson - Cavity
6. Matt Kuchar - Cavity
7. Justin Rose - Blade
8. Hunter Mahan - Cavity
9. Jason Dufner - Cavity
10. Martin Kaymer - Blade
11. Steve Stricker - Cavity
12. Phil Mickelson – Cavity/Blade Mix
13. Webb Simpson - Blade
14. Charl Schwartzel - Cavity
15. Louis Oosthuizen - Cavity
16. Zach Johnson - Cavity
17. Adam Scott - Blade
18. Rickie Fowler -Blade
19. Jason Day -Cavity
20. Dustin Johnson – Blade recently

11 Cavity / 8 Blade / 1 Mix Blade Cavity

I did not count Ping s56 or s59 irons as Blade irons as they both have a milled cavity.
[/quote]

dustin johnson switched to cavity backs, i think

What Cavity's are Schwartzel playing???

[quote]What Cavity's are Schwartzel playing??? [/quote]


Charl plays blades.. Vr Pro I believe.. This is from the BMW Euro PGA

[attachment=1200506:charl.jpg]

Pretty sure the AP2 is the number 1 iron in play on the PGA Tour...

[quote name='gioGolf' timestamp='1339080076' post='5046712']
Per the top 20 in the world...

1. Luke Donald - Cavity
2. Rory McIlroy - Blade
3. Lee Westwood - Cavity
4. Tiger Woods - Blade
5. Bubba Watson - Cavity
6. Matt Kuchar - Cavity
7. Justin Rose - Blade
8. Hunter Mahan - Cavity
9. Jason Dufner - Cavity
10. Martin Kaymer - Blade
11. Steve Stricker - Cavity
12. Phil Mickelson – Cavity/Blade Mix
13. Webb Simpson - Blade
14. Charl Schwartzel - Cavity
15. Louis Oosthuizen - Cavity
16. Zach Johnson - Cavity
17. Adam Scott - Blade
18. Rickie Fowler -Blade
19. Jason Day -Cavity
20. Dustin Johnson – Blade recently

11 Cavity / 8 Blade / 1 Mix Blade Cavity

I did not count Ping s56 or s59 irons as Blade irons as they both have a milled cavity.
[/quote]

Bubba plays a blade.

[quote name='Doublebuck' timestamp='1339119569' post='5050224']
[quote name='gioGolf' timestamp='1339080076' post='5046712']
Per the top 20 in the world...

1. Luke Donald - Cavity
2. Rory McIlroy - Blade
3. Lee Westwood - Cavity
4. Tiger Woods - Blade
5. Bubba Watson - Cavity
6. Matt Kuchar - Cavity
7. Justin Rose - Blade
8. Hunter Mahan - Cavity
9. Jason Dufner - Cavity
10. Martin Kaymer - Blade
11. Steve Stricker - Cavity
12. Phil Mickelson – Cavity/Blade Mix
13. Webb Simpson - Blade
14. Charl Schwartzel - Cavity
15. Louis Oosthuizen - Cavity
16. Zach Johnson - Cavity
17. Adam Scott - Blade
18. Rickie Fowler -Blade
19. Jason Day -Cavity
20. Dustin Johnson – Blade recently

11 Cavity / 8 Blade / 1 Mix Blade Cavity

I did not count Ping s56 or s59 irons as Blade irons as they both have a milled cavity.
[/quote]

Bubba plays a blade.
[/quote]

I agree that the S56 and S59 aren't blades.. They have a milled cavity.. It could be argued that they are 'blades'.. But not a true muscle back blade that we are accustomed to

dustin johnson switched to cavity backs, i think

Then two weeks ago he switched back to the TM blades he played all last season

[quote name='Doublebuck' timestamp='1339119569' post='5050224']
[quote name='gioGolf' timestamp='1339080076' post='5046712']
Per the top 20 in the world...

1. Luke Donald - Cavity
2. Rory McIlroy - Blade
3. Lee Westwood - Cavity
4. Tiger Woods - Blade
5. Bubba Watson - Cavity
6. Matt Kuchar - Cavity
7. Justin Rose - Blade
8. Hunter Mahan - Cavity
9. Jason Dufner - Cavity
10. Martin Kaymer - Blade
11. Steve Stricker - Cavity
12. Phil Mickelson – Cavity/Blade Mix
13. Webb Simpson - Blade
14. Charl Schwartzel - Cavity
15. Louis Oosthuizen - Cavity
16. Zach Johnson - Cavity
17. Adam Scott - Blade
18. Rickie Fowler -Blade
19. Jason Day -Cavity
20. Dustin Johnson – Blade recently

11 Cavity / 8 Blade / 1 Mix Blade Cavity

I did not count Ping s56 or s59 irons as Blade irons as they both have a milled cavity.
[/quote]

Bubba plays a blade.
[/quote]'

s59 is not a blade.

Yeah Charl plays the VR PRO BLADES. Dustin has gone back to the TP MB's.

Does what pro's play affect what you play? Drivers, wedges, putters, and fwy's maybe, but irons should be based on what you're comfortable with right?

I think the OP was curious on the numbers of players not what he should play.

Wk