Irons
Golf Irons
Whether you are Tiger Woods or Mrs Woods, there's a set of irons that's just right for you. There is no doubting that the most essential and basic part of any golfers game is their iron play. The iron is truly the staple of your bag. The ability to control and shape your iron shots is what will define your game. Its great to be a good driver of the ball, but unless you find the greens from your positions, it will all be in vain.
Irons make up about 8-9 of the clubs in our bags, so finding the right set for you can have an considerable improvement on your game. There are a lot of various types of irons and different specifications you are offered and this page will help you in your quest to find golf's Holy Grail, the perfect set of irons!
Types Of Iron
Forged Irons
Forging a club is very similar to what the village blacksmith used to do. The metal is sunk into a rough shape and then hammered until the desired design is complete. The manufacturer is then presented with a raw forging iron, which is a close approximation of the club head desired. The carbon steel or chrome club head is then by finished by milling, grinding and drilling. The end result is a solid looking, soft metal iron that has a reduced sweet spot. The completed forged irons are aimed towards good players who place importance on the feel to be able work shots and control trajectory.
Cast Irons
The alternative to forged irons is the cast iron. This type of iron involves pouring the liquid metal into a mold. Producing the metal through a mold means that the manufacturers can make more complex head designs. Therefore, cast irons are more suited to the design of today's irons that are perimeter weighted and intricate. It is easier and cheaper than forged irons, which is the reason for the lower price tag.
Designs Of Irons
Blade Irons
The blade iron offers a small hitting area from thin clubhead. Blades distribute weight evenly throughout the entire head, producing a small "sweet spot" in the centre of the head. This is to say that a shot hit in the centre of the face will produce a longer, straighter flight trajectory. Shots which aren't hit pure (off-centre) will produce a shorter, unpredictable flight trajectory. Because more weight is placed behind the sweet spot it offers more feel to a shot than a cavity back (hence, the blade iron is sometimes known as a muscleback iron). Suited to low handicap players who choose to benefit from the feel and workability of a blade iron.
Cavity Back Irons
A cavity back iron, also known as perimeter weighted, has generally been associated as an investment cast iron. Again while the manufacturing process isn't really important, the design of the club head is. The cavity back iron is made from stainless steel that offers a hard-hitting golf shot. The iron distributes the weight around the perimeter of the head, producing a large "sweet spot".
This makes the off-centre shots more forgiving, flying longer and straighter, than an off-centre shot with a muscleback iron. This increased forgiveness reduces feel and means that the cavity back iron is more suited to a high handicap golfer who can benefit from the larger sweet spot technology, essentially a 'game-improvement' iron.
Hybrid Sets Of Irons
By far the most recent of the iron types on the market is the hybrid irons. Aimed towards players who struggle to hit longer irons, the hybrid set progress from cavity back short irons, through hollow back or reduced cavity mid irons to part-wood-part-iron longer clubs. The benefits of this type of set are clear. The cavity back short irons offer maximum forgiveness and control for shorter shots into greens. Following that, the hollow back mid irons move the weight of the club head lower and further back on the club to produce easily-hit high mid iron shots. Finally the long irons combine fairway wood distance with the control and accuracy of a long iron. For a mid handicap golfer or older player, this set could provide the perfect mix to help your iron-play.
