Hotblade Blaster (top) with the Hotblade wedge
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The 'Blaster' sand iron has been designed by Tad Moore, who has been designing clubs since 1963. He says it's 'the perfect solution' for all your bunker troubles! With its wide sole design he claims you simply 'cannot fail' to escape, even from the worst of lies. Hotblade, which was not a familiar name to me, have been precision crafting their equipment for more than 50 years and the company claims many top players have used Hotblade equipment, including Nick Faldo, who used one of their putters.
Looks: An enormous spoon of a clubface gazes back at me at address. The heavy head and huge sole are, reminiscent of the chunky 'Alien' wedge introduced in the early 1990s and designed to blast you out of any trouble. And it works! The thick Hotblade grip allowed me to really ‘get a grip’ on the situation as I literally blasted out of a variety of bad lies including sand.
Feel/performance: Coping with bunkers, poor lies and even poor lies in bunkers is a part of the game which requires both patience and confidence. The 60-degree loft of the Hotblade Blaster meant I had to swing solidly with commitment through to a high finish to get the best results. Any deceleration will left me still in the mire. The weight of the club stopped me swinging too fast, so a good tempo and positive follow-through will get the best results.
