Golf Irons and Hybrid Golf Clubs

name Buying a set of golf irons can be an expensive investment, costing anywhere from $100 to over $1,000. It is important to realize that greater cost doesn't necessarily equal greater success. Considering these clubs are the most used in your bag, it should be clear how important it is to find the right set for you. They are numbered from 1-9 and golf wedges are also included in this group (Lob Wedge, Sand Wedge, Gap Wedge, Pitching Wedge). Typically, most sets sold by manufacturers contain the 3 through 9 iron and the Pitching Wedge. This includes 8 clubs, which means that you are allowed only 6 additional clubs. I recommend that you buy at least two other wedges to complement your game. See the Wedges section to go over the differences between the 4 wedges.

As the number increases from 1 to 9, so does the loft angle. This means that the 9 iron has the highest trajectory. On the other hand, the lower the number, the farther that you hit the ball. The 1 iron is the hardest iron to hit while the 9 iron is the easiest club to hit. As a general rule, irons allow you to hit up to 200 yards, but this will vary depending on your swing speed and other factors.

Cavity Back vs. Forged

Okay, we're now ready to look at the different types of golf irons. The clubhead can either be a cavity-back or a forged design. Cavity-back irons (also called perimeter weighted irons) place the majority of the clubhead weight around the the edges of the clubhead, which gives a large sweet spot typically needed for high-handicap golfers and beginners. The larger the sweet spot, the more forgiveness. Karsten Solheim, who founded Ping, came up with the perimeter-weight design many years ago. These types of irons are sometimes referred to game improvement irons and are available in mid-sized and over-sized.

Blade irons (also known a forged irons) are typically used by low-handicap golfers and professional golfers. These clubheads are made of a softer steel material which gives ideal feel when hit properly. These are much smaller than cavity-back irons and have a much smaller sweet-spot. While cavity-back irons provide more forgiveness, blade irons provide more distance, better spin and control. The only catch is that you need to hit the small sweet-spot each time. Professional and advanced golfers do not care about forgiveness, since they can hit the ball consistently at the center of the clubhead. Most golfers cannot do this.

Besides the design of the clubhead, the other main component of choosing a set of irons is choosing the correct shaft. There is a special section devoted to this. Visit the shaft section here for more information.

Hybrid Golf Clubs

If you are like most golfers, you might struggle to hit the long irons (i.e. 2 or 3 iron). A recent development has produced the hybrid golf club. These clubs are being used by players of all ability levels and have become very popular. Hybrid clubs combine characteristics of an iron and wood to create a club that is easier to hit.

Hybrid golf clubs have a flat face that is made out of stainless steel. This is a hard stainless steel material with weight distributed throughout the club. It has a low center of gravity to help get the ball in the air. While the clubface is similar to a fairway wood, the club length is similar to an iron. There is built-in forgiveness provided by the clubface that is combined with a smaller shaft than fairway woods (which provides a slower swing speed).

Hybrids are also known as utility woods because they are being used in many different situations such as out of the rough. The loft angles for Hybrid clubs are comparable to some 3 and 5 woods. If you want to replace a certain club out of your bag, then a good place to start is to compare the loft of that club to a hybrid club with a similar loft.

Return from Golf Irons section to Gear Guide