Sexy Beasts

Blade irons have come a long way though, with more forgiveness built in through a variety of techniques, innovative shaping and weighting also precisely placing centre of gravity (CG) for best results.

The following pages features the best of the blade category in world golf that will be the envy of your playing partners and take pride of place in your golf bag. They will also allow shotmaking like no other clubs should you be talented enough to make them sing.

There is also some of the best models of the past used by players to win majors that still find their way into the bags of retro enthusiasts.

These are some sexy beasts that even if you can't put them in play are worth drooling over their beauty.

Callaway Apex MB

A company like Callaway is known for its technologically driven golf equipment, and its Apex MB irons are no different despite fitting into the blade iron category.

‘MB’ stands for muscleback and this irons are very much that, with a modern twist.

The classically shaped irons features high performance grooves for spin increases with the short irons and ball flight, while the feel is soft as butter.

The weight in the back is not just for show, helping to redistribute weight to the perimeter of the head for an increase in stability, as well as ideal CG placement and the ability to perfectly swing weight each and every club.

www.callawaygolf.com.au

COBRA KING MB

Cobra's offering in this space isn't strictly a full set of blades, instead a combination of the CB and MB models to offer a little extra help in the longer irons. However, the beauty of the blade part of the set warrants its inclusion here.

A traditional shape with a thin topline and compact head, these are for ball strikers with a taste for the finer things.

Feel is where these irons standout thanks to a 5-step forging process applied to the 1025 carbon steel heads for a more uniform grain structure and shape, as well as top notch sensations at impact.

www.cobragolf.com.au

MIURA AS-1

The most recent player in this category is one of the most special sets of irons you will lay eyes on.

After an entire career under an equipment contract, Adam Scott went the free agency route with the opportunity to seek out what was best for his game. The result, a new collaboration with Miura, the renowned Japanese forging house.

Making clubs since 1957, Miura creates some of the best forgings in world golf Scott's personal model offered in a limited offering that is special boxed and designed to his specifications, including increased offset on what you would normally find in a blade.

Hand finished to avoid hard edges under the watchful eye of Miura-san himself, the AS-1 even has Scott's logo stamped in the back of the head.

And they are good enough to be exactly the same model that Scott has in the bag when trying to win majors, a pretty good recommendation.

www.miuragolf.com

Mizuno Pro 221

When you think of blades, most think of Mizuno … and with good reason.

The Japanese company has been at the forefront of iron forging for as long as even the most ardent equipment aficionado would care to remember, earning places in the major winning bags of players such as Tiger Woods, Sandy Lyle and Sir Nick Faldo.

The latest blade iron from the brand is inspired by the irons of the past yet more playable thanks to a new shape and precise weight placement, evidenced by the shape of the muscle.

Bevelled edges give the appearance of a more compact head and thinner topline, the short irons are significantly more compact than previous Mizuno blades of the modern era.

Grain Flow Forged in Hiroshima from 1025E Pure Select mild carbon steel, with a thicker portion behind the impact zone and a copper underlay beneath the chrome, or blue if it takes your fancy, finish, the Pro 221 delivers on the feel Mizuno is famous for.

The company says "Nothing feels like a Mizuno" and this iron proves the point.

www.mizunogolf.com

PING Blueprint

Anyone familiar with PING irons will know the company that got its start in putters revolutionised irons as well with cast model cavity backs like the Eye2.

The modern Tour player chases complete control and unmatched feel though, and in response PING developed a forged blade for just that player.

Shorter blade lengths with low offset are perfect for workability, while the narrow soles offer brilliant turf interaction.

The grooves of the face are machined, so too the face, and every club inspected to create optimal spin in each head forged from 8620 carbon steel.

It wouldn't be a PING however without some technology to push performance further, the Blueprint getting this in a tungsten screw in the toe for precise weight placement and elevated forgiveness.

www.ping.com

Srixon Z-Forged II

Muscle back irons are designed by each company with substantial input from its Tour staff, and for Srixon that means guidance from the likes of major champions Hideki Matsuyama and Brooks Koepka.

The Z-Forged II screams Matsuyama and ball striking with its compact contemporary blade shape that is super clean at address, with muscle shaping and placement increasing MOI and optimally placing the CG. The shaping and weight distribution named ‘Pureframe’ by the Japanese company.

Like so many other irons here, there is more tech than suggested by first glance, with progressive grooves creating ideal spin rates for high soaring long iron approaches and controlled and flighted down short irons.

Forged from 1020 carbon steel, Srixon's ‘Tour V.T.’ sole delivers the best possible turf interaction and playability.

www.srixon.com.au

TaylorMade P•7MB

When you think of golfers and blade irons it is hard to go past Tiger Woods, who has always carried a set of muscle backs that the 15-time major champion has used for amazing accuracy and control.

These days TaylorMade are the choice of weapons for Tiger, and although slightly different to the personal model offered by the brand, this blade for all still has touches of his influence in the design.

Short blade lengths, narrow soles and progressive offset are part of the modern classic look of the P•7MB, while more than 2,000 tonnes of pressure is used during the forging process of these irons for precision and unmatched soft feel.

Machine milled faces and grooves deliver the trajectory and shot shaping in this simply stunning set of blades.

www.taylormadegolf.com.au

Titleist 620MB

If there is another company that springs to mind when one thinks of muscle back irons it just has to be Titleist.

The brand's ‘MB’ offering has been a constant in its line up for decades and is one of the most used irons on these pages on the Tours of the world.

A "classic muscle" the 620MB is the iron of choice for some of the game's best balls strikers, including Max Homa and Justin Thomas, with its aesthetically pleasing look backed up by serious performance.

The current blade from Titleist takes its lead from all the popular predecessors with a focus on blending technology into a classic product, the brand's engineers achieving this through an advanced muscle-back design, progressive blade lengths, reduced offset, a matched profile for combination sets, the tour-preferred MB sole and a one-piece forging from 1025 carbon steel.

The clean, brushed chrome finish rounded out by only one stamp … the famous Titleist script.

www.titleist.com.au

Wilson Staff Model

The heritage of Wilson's blade irons is rich and full of tournament, particularly major, wins.

The FG line was one of the consistent players in the equipment game for decades, and the newest blade from the brand pays tribute to the past while offering in performance of the present.

A ‘Fluid Feel Hosel’ moves weight from the heel to the centre of the club for feel and control, while the sole is cambered to offer improved turf interaction.

The muscled of these muscle backs precision milled for precise placement and a look that any blade purist would happily have showing in their bag.

www.wilson.com

Depending on where you are in the world, the list of best muscle back irons ever will vary from the days when companies forged irons all over the world, including here in Australia. But there are some standouts, and these are the top-10 from our equipment guru's point of view for their own reasons. You can probably trust him, he has used most of them.

* Last two images by Adrian Logue.