Golf Irons
The role of the iron set is changing in golf. The traditional set of golf irons comprises 3-9,PW,SW (9 irons), and these will give you a variety of full shot distances from 60 yards to 200 yards depending on your ability. Nowadays golfers use their irons less during the course of a round. With easy to hit drivers, rescue golf clubs and specialist wedges taking over, you may be surprised to know that the average 18 handicap golfer may only use their irons 25 times during a round.
Careful consideration needs to go into deciding how many irons to buy. Every golfer needs the 6, 7, 8 and 9 irons so that's 4, but the rest is up for debate. You may prefer to use rescue clubs instead of the 3, 4 and 5 irons. You may even prefer to use specialist wedges instead of the "standard" PW and SW that feature in a 9 iron set. As a general guide the average golfer should look to buy 4 or 5 irons through to PW and then consider a rescue 3 or 4, plus a specialist sand wedge.
Most top manufacturer irons can be purchased in any combination. Some budget sets can only be purchased as 3-PW or 3-SW, but with the prices on offer this is not a problem as you can simply discard your 3 or 4 iron without losing too much.
Low Handicap
At the level of low handicap the distance you hit your golf irons should not be a factor. You are now looking to maximise your accuracy and ability to work the golf ball to seek out tucked away pins. Considerations for iron sets at this level are:
Look at iron sets with tour specification heads “Tour” or “TP” versions which will give you a more consistent, penetrating golf ball flight and avoid technologies which hit the golf ball too high.
Have you considered forged irons? Many tour professionals prefer to feel of forged irons at impact and believe they give more consistent results.
Look at specialist shafts which can give a more consistent performance. Very often top specification shafts can be found in “Tour” or “TP” models.
Finally, consider discarding the PW and SW which came with your set and look at specialist wedges which can offer more spin and more versatility. Many tour professionals carry a specialist PW, GW, SW and LW for to maximise their options from 120 yards in.
Medium Handicap
As your game has improved to mid handicap level, the chances are that your irons are doing ok. The considerations at this level are not extensive if you have purchased a good set to begin with. If you have been using an entry level set then consider upgrading to a more advanced one although it’s most likely that a cavity back design will still suit.
Another thing to consider could be the manufacturing process of the iron head. Most golf irons are made using a casting process (100% true at entry level) and this can lead to imperfections and inconsistencies in the head make up. Cast heads are also set to feel “firmer” at impact. Forging is a process used by top end iron manufacturers in their quest to product the highest quality, most consistently performing head. You may wish to consider moving to a forged iron. They are said to feel solid but softer at impact giving a more pleasing feedback to the golfer.
If you do not have a 4 iron you may wish to consider adding one to your set at this level. Also you may wish to look at a specialist sand wedge or indeed other wedges.
High Handicap
At this level is it recommended that you purchase a 5 to SW set. This comprises of irons 5,6,7,8,9 and wedges PW (pitching wedge) and SW (sand wedge). This golf iron set will cater for ranges of 70 yards to 170 yards on average. The seven iron set recommended here will give you the ability to add in some hybrid clubs at number 4 and maybe also number 3 which are golf clubs that are a hybrid of an iron and a fairway wood. These are much easier to hit on the correct trajectory that the 3 and 4 iron. You could also consider purchasing a 4 iron if you are good with irons and also a specialist SW later. Hence 4-PW is also a good combination.
The iron type should be a forgiving cavity back design which will give you more margin for error and also should be of a type to launch the golf ball as high as possible. There is a super game improvement sub group made up of very expensive irons which are very easy to hit and should your budget stretch to these sets then they can be a great way to start.
In terms of shaft, the majority of better golfers use steel shafts as they are deemed to be more consistent. However graphite shafts have made remarkable strides in recent years and although they are most expensive they can offer benefits to golfers with slower swing speeds including senior and lady golfers. Some Tour Professionals so use graphite shafted irons so be sure to give them a try as you may find them easier to hit and get a longer carry.
The flex of your irons should probably be regular unless you have a particularly fast swing speed. For senior golfers go for senior (or A) flex and lady golfers can go for L flex.