Whether you are a beginner or more advanced, choosing the right golf equipment is essential to ensure you get the lowest score. Although good quality equipment will not make the game easy for you, it can help you improve your skills.
One of the most important golf equipment is irons. While golfers spend a significant amount of time trying to decide which driver is the best, they seldom pay attention to the irons they use.
What they forget is that they use a driver, less often than fourteen times during a round. On the other hand, you will need to use your irons on every hole, regardless of your level of expertise. Oftentimes, you will use more than one iron, on each hole.
This is why it’s extremely important to pick the right set of irons. Your set of irons should be based on your skill level and provide you with the confidence you need to play your best game. In this article, we will explain in detail what forged irons are and the advantages you can reap by using them.
How to Know Which Irons are Best for You?
In the beginning, it’s certainly difficult to know which kind of irons are more suitable for you and whether they complement your skills or not. If you are currently playing with a game improvement iron that contains a cavity back, then it’s safe to say that they are cast rather than forged irons.
Manufacturers make cast irons by pouring down hot metal into an existing mold or cast. This shaping vessel gives these clubheads their shape. These irons are a lot easier to make and cost less than other typical irons. Therefore, if you are at the early stage of your golf career, you can depend on an oversized set of cast irons to help you improve your game.
We would suggest you to stick to cast irons as other kinds of irons are too advanced for early players. Therefore, they are harder to control and need stable and powerful swings to achieve accurate hits.
As a golf beginner, you will need all the help you can get. This is why getting ahead of yourself and buying irons that are more advanced can actually harm your game. Even if other irons are visually appealing, resist the temptation to buy them until your game has developed enough to handle the challenges of using advanced clubs.
What Are Forged Irons?
Forged irons, as the name suggests, are forged rather than cast in a mold. This means that manufacturers have to carve these irons out of a solid piece of metal. Understandably, the process of forging is more expensive than casting. As a result, these irons typically cost more than traditional cast irons.
However, the extra cost generally pays off, as the forging process produces a much more refined product. In most cases, forged and cast irons are distinguished on the basis of a player’s level of skill in golf.
More experienced players generally stick to forged irons, as they are more suited to their skill levels. Manufacturers use casting to add various design elements that help to get the ball off the ground; hence, their designs are often unorthodox. On the other hand, forged irons have a simpler design and a muscle back or blade shape.
The Advantage of Forged Irons
Companies usually manufacture forged irons with steel. After making the initial form, they heat and then mold them into shape with the help of a pressing machine. Forged irons were the top choice among professional players well into the 20th century. However, their popularity declined with the rise of cavity-back irons in the mid-90s, as they offered lower forgiveness.
Despite that, forged irons made a comeback in 2010 and soon became the top choice among pro players thanks to a new forging technology. Professional players now favor forged irons because they add more weight to the center of the clubhead.
While this doesn’t seem to be a huge change for a beginner, experienced players understand the importance of this change. With the minor adjustment, because of the additional weight in the center, clubs are able to achieve a lower level of forgiveness. Moreover, it also gives players the highest-performing sweet spot in an iron golf club.
Although the sweet spot in forged irons is smaller than cast irons, it rewards players who are have the skills to consistently hit the sweet spot of the clubhead. Therefore, experienced players enjoy greater accuracy in their hits.
While golfers can get away from a mishit by using a cavity-back club or a cast iron, the challenge of hitting the sweet spot consistently can improve your game. This is the reason why 80% of PGA players carry a set of forged irons in their bag.
To sum it up, using forged irons has the following key advantages:
- Forged irons have additional weight in the center of the clubhead.
- The construction of forged irons is generally more consistent than the construction of cavity-back irons.
- With forged irons, you have the option to get cavity-back features and enjoy even greater forgiveness in your hits.
Are You Ready for Forged Irons?
As players continue to gain experience on the course as time goes by, they need to watch out for signs that tell them that they are ready for forged irons. Let us take a look at some of the major signs:
- Consistent scores in the 70’s or 80’s
If you are able to shoot scores in the 70’s or 80’s consistently, then there is a considerable chance that you are ready for forged irons. It’s not necessary to crack the 80 score barrier every time you play.
However, to be regarded as an experienced player, you should at least shoot in the 70’s from time to time. Until you reach that level, it’s too early to start playing with a new set of muscle back irons or forged blades.
Are You Consistently Hitting 10+ Greens in Regulation?
Do you belong to the category of golfers who keep track of their stats during each round of play? If yes, you can take a look at the rate you hit double-digit greens in regulation. This statistic can tell you a lot about your ball striking ability and the level of skill you have gained over the years.
Out of 18 holes in a round, you should at least hit 10 greens on average. The ability to hit double-digit greens regularly proves that you have the swing consistency to handle forged irons. However, if that is not the case, it’s better to avoid forged irons for the time being.
Do You Want to Shape Your Shots Better?
Game improvement irons are essential for players who are at the early stages of their game. They help them become organized and ace the basics of golf. However, players using these mishit friendly clubs often don’t have the versatility of a skillful player.
However, if you have mastered the basics and you want to try out different kinds of shots, such as draws and fades on command, and lower trajectories, you need a forged set. With that said, it’s always better to wait a bit more for something you’re not ready for than moving in too fast.
Our Final Thoughts
In summary, forged irons are an advanced set of irons that only suit expert players. Anyone who has gained an acceptable level of expertise in golf should move on to forged irons to polish their skills even further.
