How To Choose The Right Irons

When Rory McIlroy was victorious I wrote about his humility then recently I learned that he ranted at a fellow pro who was a commentator who may have criticised him saying that he was just a pro who barely made it and has no right to talk. Sad or maybe it was just the heat of the moment? Pressure and disappointment can make us all like that?


So if you are not hitting with the right sticks, you may end up with more pressure you set yourself up for and irons has the most sticks in a golf bag than driver, putter, wood or hybrid. They are the bread and butter clubs so to speak. It pays that you know not what is best, sold the most or is the latest but what is suited to your game. There are three types of irons - "Player's", "Game Improvement (GI)" and "Super Game Improvement" (SGI). Players'c clubs are like blades or TP (Tour Preferred), Game Improvement has midsized club heads and SGI clubs are those with extreme perimeter weighting and the biggest heads and some come in a full hybrid set. These are designed to take your ball up and to go straight with all the help you need. Almost like auto-pilot.


What To Look For In Irons


Looks, set up, flight, control, feel, consistency, forgiveness, customs-fitting, playability. Quality of course is a must but distance is dependent partly on loft and length. Before you even look at these, if you have to find out first if you need blades or cavity backs, forged or cast. Today, no two brands or models of say a 7 iron has the same length or loft. Please see my previous articles on the difference between cast and forged irons and on buying the right clubs.




High handicappers are not necessary beginners but beginners are all high handicappers. Maybe you could golf only once a month and have no time to practise. Golf is already frustrating enough, so there is no need to fight with your clubs. Play with clubs that are the easiest to use which are the super game improvements as these usually have bigger heads (bigger sweet spots) with more weights behind (lower CG) and chunky sole that prevents digging. They include those that comes in an entire set of hybrids. These are built to get the balls flying up high and is as forgiving as a Golden Retriever so that off centre hits lose less direction and distance. If you are a more seasoned high handicappers who plays more often then you may consider those Game Improvement types.


Most of the average golfers out there have a dark secret - they would love distance in their irons. They may not tell you but I bet you that they will secretly be searching for it at golf shops or the Internet. Those who are older may also loose some distance so they will also be looking for a magic elixir to restore lost youth and I am not talking about Viagra. So you will need a bit of technology to help you.


The TaylorMade Burner 2.0 is there to help you achieve you all these and more. More forgiving plus greater distance and I like the darker look which will not reflect sunlight. Then there is Ping who invented "forgiveness". Sometimes I was surprised when some folks told me that they heard Ping clubs are difficult to play. How can it be when they gave the golf world "perimeter weighting" before anyone else beginning with the putter and extended to irons? The G15 irons has the most forgiveness in dollar term because folks out there who know Ping would look for used versions so your Ping clubs will hold their value. They keep a record of your custom-fit and you can easily get a replacement for even one club and gives more bang for your bucks as they do not drop prices. Have you ever heard of a Ping sales?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w-J7CZ-tNg (TaylorMade Burner 2.0)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJP3AOwHtKo (Ping G15)


While talking shop here, TaylorMade will be launching the latest R11 irons while Ping is rolling out the G20.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8EFsD_1reo (TaylorMade R11)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG5ZW0rBH8w (Ping G20)


Callaway makes interesting irons too from the famous X-14 to now X-24. Their new RAZR X line looks cool. Should be worth checking out. Callaway also has the "Diablo Edge" which is like the Burner category. They are probably the most forgiving irons Callaway ever made and so that the worst hacker among you can also look good playing with it.






Meantime, Adams popular for their hybrids has very interesting forged irons with their CB1 and CB2 Black. They look sleek and are sharp tools but CB1 are meant for single digits while the CB2 are more like transition clubs for those going from mid to low handicap.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp493HfUSEg (Adams CB 2 - forged)


Mizuno are famous for their grain-flow forged clubs. They are most noted for their MP series (MP for better players & MX for high handicappers). Forged clubs are noted for thier impeccable feel on impact. They are a purist's dream just like what audiophile would look for in their speakers. However, not everyone can handle the MP as they are less forgiving so Mizuno came out with the JPX800 Pro (forged) with a reasonably thin top line but with added forgiveness for those who are progressing from mid to low handicap much like the Adams CB2.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIZLDUThF6Q (Mizuno JPX800 Pro - forged)


Titleist are synonymous with quality but in the past they were known to be more difficult to play with. Their AP (Advance Performance) series should change your perception. AP1 are cast irons with good feel and suitable for mid-handicappers while the AP2 are forged and meant for better players.




There are many other brands and models out there. Looks are important because the human mind is biased. If you don't like the looks you think it is not good. Some clubs set up more easily than others such that when you put it down, it lies nicely as if you can strike it straight away without further adjustments. If your flight is always too low it could mean that your shafts are too stiff or your swing speed is too slow, then go for those that help your ball take off easily as you will need the ball to go a certain trajectory before it can max out in distance.


Control is important if you know how but generally I would deem that control is good when the club's dispersion is tight meaning that shots do not veer off course and instead drop within a given circumference of the targeted zone. Feel is subjective but for better players, feel is essential and even imperative for others because feel provides instant feedback of the shot on impact. You know which part of the club head you hit the ball with - toe/heel or sweet spot. By and large players describe feel (especially forged clubs) to be like a hot knife cutting through butter - meaning it is a very soft feel but feel is also largely related to sound, how a club sound on impact on the ball.


Playability are for golfers who know how to hit it higher, lower, fade, draw or straight as the situation demands. Highly forgiving clubs are easy to use but they are built with weight placements created to bring the ball to go high in a rapture, self correction to go straight so it is harder when you want to try to fade or draw or to hit it low to avoid trees and branches. Better players would want some playability here.


Forgiveness is what we should all hope for. If you are unforgiven you will live in torture. Golf is hard enough without having to fight with our own clubs. Know your own game and understand how much forgiveness is needed in your clubs. Do not be ashamed or afraid to use big headed ones if your situation calls for it. I can tell you that easily 70% of the golfers out there are playing with clubs that are above their ability. It is not just ability alone but how frequent are your golf escapades. Also there are too many confusion and misconception out there.


Finally, whenever you have a chance, get fitted. We are all with different built, height, size, swing and set up so our lie angles are all different. When your lie angles are wrong you will be hitting your balls left or right mostly. Ping offers one of the most comprehensive fitting programmes. Titleist has theirs too and Mizuno has a "shaft optimizer" that they attach to your shaft and within a few swings, they can tell you your swing DNA.


Get it right and you won't have to change them so often and you will have less frustrations and enjoy your game more. I hope that your game will improve after you have come here and read this.


Golf as in life, play as it lies.

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