How to Choose the Perfect Irons

Choosing golf irons can be a tedious task. There are many questions which you may have when looking to purchase your set. There are many different varieties of golf irons for sale that it seems almost impossible to know which is the right club set for you.

Standing in the store looking to buy your set of irons can be so daunting that you often just opt for a set that your favorite player may be using, or a brand that you feel suits you best because you think it’s popular.

Today you will realize that choosing a TaylorMade or Titleist set of irons that you’ve seen your favorite player use is not the best idea. Below you will understand how to choose your own golf irons in a manner that it will be as good as being fitted for them by a professional.

In this article you will see a review of the exact characteristics of irons and which ones would suit which style of play. I will lay down a step-by-step procedure for you to follow in picking out your own irons in the best manner possible.

Knowing the Differences in Golf Iron Sets

There are multiple styles of irons that can be used. Each one has a specific purpose and is made for a certain type of player. The first of these are blades.

Blade Irons

Blades are made for more experienced golfers who consistently shoot lower scores. These clubs require you to ensure center impact on the club face with every shot.

Cavity Back Irons

The next type of irons are cavity backs, these clubs are for those players who play well, but are not at a professional level. Cavity backs ensure that off center hits on the club face still fly well and are not severely punished as they would be with blades.

Game Improvement Irons

The last ones are game improvement irons, these are generally for beginners, and they help the players hit easier shots which go up in the air more easily as well.

Forged vs Cast Irons

Irons can either be forged or cast. Forged irons are considered to be the better option and they are more expensive as well. Cast irons are made by pouring hot metal into a cast or mold of the club heads shape.

Forged irons are made from the stamping of steel under a lot of force into the shape of the club head. This is said to ensure the structure to be aligned far more closely and therefore creating a better product.

However, with the evolution of technology, by using heat treatment on cast irons and the use of higher quality steel, it is said to be very difficult to differentiate between forged and cast irons. As far as the type of steel is concerned, you should base this solely on what may feel better for you in your hands.

The Sole of the Iron

The next characteristic to consider for an iron is its sole. A lot of golfers prefer wider soles as this means that the club has more weight in its lower half, this ensures better loft on the ball, and it also means that the club will not dig as much, and you can execute your shot more cleanly.

However, professional players often choose a narrower sole. This means that while there is less forgiveness on the club, on a clean strike, the ball will travel longer and with more accuracy.

Offset in a Golf Iron

Offset is another characteristic which is found more commonly in game improvement irons. This allows the player more time to square the face at the time of impact and by doing this the club becomes straighter and more difficult to shape.

While this may suit the amateur golfer because it makes hitting a straight shot easier, professionals tend to go for less offset as they prefer to have the ability to shape their shots in order to manipulate the course to their advantage.

Golf Iron Distance Gaps

Gapping is another important factor to consider. While most club developers ensure that the gaps between clubs is accurate. You must consider the gap between your longest club (2/3/4 iron) and your 9 iron or pitching wedge.

You never want to have two clubs which hit a similar distance in your bag as that would make one of them redundant. Therefore, golfers usually look to have a 10 or 15 yards gap between their clubs.

Steps to Buying a New Set of Golf Irons

There are a few steps you must consider before you buy your new pair of irons.

Step 1: Which Iron Type Suits Your Game Best

You must evaluate your game and then accordingly decide which type of irons would suit you best. As discussed above, if you are a low handicap golfer who has great consistency in their shots, and in particular the impact you create with the ball, then blades would be the right pick for you.

If you are somewhere in the middle, meaning you are a consistent player, but you still can’t compete with the best because you need just a tiny bit of forgiveness, then the cavity back irons are the correct choice for you. This is because they enhance performance while offering a little bit of forgiveness for off center hits as well.

If you are an amateur and need more assistance or forgiveness from your clubs, then the game improvement irons will be your best choice as they will offer you the amount of forgiveness you need, and the ball will still go the way you want it to even if the strike was not very good.

There is one more type of iron set which is for complete beginners and this is known as the super game improvement irons, these are perfect if you have just started golf as they will ensure through their design that your off-center hits still travel more or less how you intended them to.

Step 2: Golf Iron Shaft Flex

The next step is to choose the correct shaft flex. This could be one of the trickiest parts of picking out your irons. There are many different types of shafts in terms of their weight and the flex they offer.

This ranges from shafts which are designed for women or for seniors and they offer the most flex. This means that the more flex in the golf club ensures that your game does not suffer on account of your slow swing speed.

The next variation of flex that can be found in shafts is the regular shaft. This is for players with average swing speeds, as it ensures that the flex in the shaft suits your swing speed perfectly. The flex compensates for your lack of swing speed in your downswing.

The last two types are stiff and extra stiff shafts. These are usually used by professionals or lower handicap golfers who have very high swing speed.

These would not be suited for golfers with slower swing speed as the ball will be far more likely to go right because of how stiff the club is.

Similarly, if your swing speed is fast and you use a shaft with more flex, you are likely to leak the ball either left or right when you swing through the ball.

Step 3: Feel & Visual Appearance

The next step is based solely on personal preference. That would be how the club feels when you are standing over the ball. It is important to also know how the club feels when swinging through the ball.

A huge part of your golf game is confidence, and a massive part of developing confidence is feeling good about the club in your hand and how it feels. You can try out steel shafts and graphite shafts.

Graphite shafts are generally for people who are a little weaker and cannot stand vibrations in their club as much, these shafts are also lighter in weight. Therefore, you must hold all the irons and try to take a couple of swings with them in order to ensure that the club feels good in your hands.

Step 4: Price Range

The last step is to determine what price range you have set for the irons that you want to purchase. A set of irons can cost you anywhere up to $1,500 to $2,000.

If price is not an issue for you, it is pertinent to mention that the most expensive set of irons will not necessarily be the best one for you and your game. You must look at all the factors discussed above and decide which characteristics suit your game, and in compliance to those characteristics which club would be the best fit for you.

If you find a perfect set of irons, but they are just out of your price range, you can also look at previous models of the same set. Golf equipment manufacturers often come out with a new set of irons etc. almost every year.

However, the changes to the club itself are often very minimal. Therefore, by buying the older models, you are ensuring that you get the clubs which you wanted, which suit your game the most while also ensuring that it stays within your budget.

Final Words on Choosing the Right Irons

By following these steps and by knowing the reason behind different types of irons, you can choose the one which suits your game the best.

By choosing the right set of irons, you can ensure that your shots will becomes far more consistent, and you will be able to play a much better game because of them.

So, even if you don’t have the ability to get custom fit for a set of irons, your worries are gone as with the information above, you will have the same knowledge as the individual who would fit you for your iron set.

Therefore, you will be able to make an informed decision on the purchase of your next iron set.

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