The most common type of shaft for an iron is one composed of stainless steel. This material is heavier compared to graphite or composite shafts but provides a consistent level of torque and flexibility. The advantage for golfers is that all irons will offer the same flex and stiffness from a 3-iron to a 9-iron. A stainless steel-shafted iron is typically less expensive compared to graphite editions, making it a popular choice among golfers. Regardless of handicap and playing style, selecting a set of irons is a personal choice, and there's no doubt that irons are the most essential part of any golfer's arsenal. The ability to adapt your iron shots to your style truly defines your game and can lower your handicap. While hitting long, straight distances with a driver is one thing (like the Honma Beres MG702 Iron Set), unless you can find an optimal position on the green through iron play, the rest is in vain. Golf irons typically make up 8 to 9 clubs in your golf bag, so choosing the right set of irons can significantly improve your game. The market is full of different brands of irons, each with their own specifications; the following suggestions will help guide you in selecting the perfect set of irons for your game.
This type of iron is better known as the perimeter-weighted iron. The design of the clubhead makes this type of iron very powerful. Made from stainless steel, this iron produces a hard-hitting shot by distributing its weight around the perimeter of the clubhead, creating an oversized sweet-spot. An oversized sweet-spot results in more forgiving, longer, and straighter shots, even when struck off-center. However, the more forgiving the iron is, the less feel it offers, making it more suitable for high-handicapped players who benefit from a large sweet-spot. Thus, the cavity-back iron serves as a prime example of a modern game-improvement iron.
Hybrid Sets of Irons
Steel Shafted Irons
Blade Irons
Graphite Shafts Irons
Cavity Back Irons
The latest evolution in iron sets is the hybrid iron, designed for players who struggle with long irons (3 and 4). The hybrid iron set evolves from cavity-back short irons to reduced-cavity mid-irons to hybrid rescue woods. The benefits for beginners are undeniable. Cavity-back short irons provide maximum forgiveness and additional control for short-distance shots to the green. Hollow-backed mid-irons reposition the weight lower and further back towards the heel of the head to produce straightforward high mid-iron shots. Hybrid iron sets also offer the distance of a fairway wood with the control, distance, and accuracy of a long iron. This type of iron is best suited for mid-handicapped or senior players.
Selecting the Correct Irons for Your Short Game
The graphite-shafted iron is traditionally more expensive than a stainless steel iron. Graphite offers a lightweight alternative to steel and increases the potential to deliver a more powerful swing, providing increased distance at the expense of feel. A stiff graphite shaft won't feel like a stiff steel-shafted iron. The cost of graphite-shafted irons is typically higher than stainless steel shafts. A graphite shaft is best suited for senior, junior, and lady golfers who prefer the light feeling of a graphite-shafted iron.
Blade irons offer a small striking area through a thin clubhead, distributing its weight proportionally across the entire clubhead, producing a sweet-spot in the center of the iron's clubhead. A strike to the center of the face will produce a long, straight flight trajectory. A swing that creates an off-center shot will undoubtedly result in a short, uncontrolled trajectory of the golf ball. Manufacturers of blade irons place additional weight behind the sweet spot to produce more 'feel' in a shot compared to cavity-backed irons. This type of iron is best suited for low-handicapped players who benefit from the additional feel and workability offered by this type of iron.
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