How to choose golf irons? Don't miss the next season.

When teeing off, if it's not a par three, you usually don't have much concern about exactly where to place the ball. Most of us try to send the ball anywhere from where we can play the second shot onto the green or at least near the green on par fives. With par threes or shots onto the green, the situation changes a bit because a good score assumes hitting the green or a spot nearby from which we can comfortably chip in one putt.

We do not recommend underestimating the selection of your iron set, as your sporting experience and ability to improve rise and fall with it. When purchasing, you can choose a more relaxed approach and be satisfied with the standard configuration directly from the store rack, or you can be measured under expert supervision and have clubs tailored exactly to your body without any extra charges.

It's good to be prepared for testing and to roughly know which clubs might be right for your game. It's not effective to come to testing wanting to try a bit of everything. Choose two or three models and leave the rest to the trained specialists at authorized fitting centers.

And how to narrow down the selection to models worth testing? We'll give you a few tips.

Head design

There is probably no one who doesn't like shiny blades, but there are few people who can play with them. Definitely do not choose clubs based on what you will grow into, because before that happens, you will hit so many bad shots that you will return to cycling or swimming.

For the right selection, it is important to classify yourself into the category of your playing skills and assumptions. To simplify, we create three groups for you. You will belong to the first group if you are a recreational player who plays more often and hardly trains. You will be in the second group if you are an advanced recreational player who plays often and trains regularly. The third group consists of very advanced competitive players who play often and train frequently.

Heads for recreational players

The main goal of this category of clubs is to offer higher forgiveness, easy playability from various surfaces, and maximum distance. Thanks to the weight distribution around the head's perimeter, it was possible to increase the effective hitting area on these irons, which has two advantages: minimal distance loss and better feel at impact. You don't have to hit the ball exactly in the center of the clubface for a great shot... the clubhead largely takes care of that itself!

Another advantage is the so-called progressive design. Irons are usually divided into short, mid, and long, and accordingly, the sole width, offset, head size, lofts, etc., are adjusted.

Long irons have a wider sole and a center of gravity further from the impact surface, which together with high forgiveness makes it easier to play longer par-threes or second shots to the green; the ball easily reaches the ideal trajectory and significantly improves your scoring position. Medium and short irons have recently become more similar to clubs for advanced players. They look sportier, offer better feel at impact, and thanks to higher spin, increased control after the ball lands on the green. The progressive design helps you achieve greater distance with long irons, where the manufacturer accounts for roll, while with short irons, where roll is undesirable, the ball will stop within a few feet of the pitchmark.

Heads for advanced recreational players

Clubs for advanced players feature a sporty head design with easier shot shaping options. Most irons in this category have a narrower sole, thinner top line, and smaller sweet spot. The manufacturer assumes these players have consistent technique and can hit the ball on an ideal trajectory for optimal landing angle and spin.

Thanks to the use of new materials and technologies, these clubs become highly sought after by a wide group of players from intermediate, ambitious players to tour professionals. Just like clubs for recreational players, this category includes sets with progressive head designs to make it easier to hit long irons, which are balanced for a higher trajectory with a steeper landing angle for better control of the landing on the green. For short irons, the main emphasis is on feel at contact with the ball for balanced spin and distance.

Design for sporty and performance players

Almost every golfer has tried to hit the ball with blades and remembers the unpleasant vibrations in the arms when the shot was not ideal, and conversely the clean, soft feeling when hitting the sweet spot. For this type of clubs, the manufacturer already assumes the player hits the ball perfectly and thus offers the possibility to play various types of shots. The club heads are smaller precisely so that the golfer has the best possible feedback and contact with the ball and the ground. The game here is mainly about accuracy and maximum control. Even a slight change in the head position at impact causes a different type of shot, and that is what sports players enjoy.

For a low score, a player must be able to play shots with various directions or trajectories, and models like Blades perfectly allow this. The main characteristics of blades are a thin top line, narrow sole, small sweet spot (effective hitting area), minimal offset, and higher lofts.

Cast or forged? The advantage of forged clubs is better feel and feedback when contacting the ball. The main advantage of cast clubs is longer durability. It cannot be clearly said which type is better and for whom. 

How to navigate shafts

If you have narrowed your choice down to two or three club models, you have the hardest part behind you. If you decide to visit a testing center, an expert will take care of the rest. If you choose a standard configuration, you are out of luck and must settle for the shafts assigned by the manufacturer.

The most important factors for shafts are weight and stiffness. For those equipped with standard clubs, the risk is that manufacturers follow the rule that the greater the forgiveness of the clubhead, the lighter the shafts are. A powerful player just starting golf then has few options to find irons with higher forgiveness equipped with heavier shafts. An advanced player with a slower tempo and slower swing speed practically has no chance to find a combination of heads for sporty players equipped with a lower weight shaft. Your swing tempo will indicate whether you should play graphite or steel shafts and with what weight.

Graphite shafts weighing from 55 to 80 grams are recommended for players with a smoother, slower tempo. Steel shafts can be divided into three categories: light from about 85 to 100 grams, medium 100 to 120 grams, and heavy over 120 grams. With a fast, dynamic tempo, the shaft weight a player should have on their irons increases proportionally. The second parameter is shaft stiffness, chosen according to swing speed. Just like with drivers, there are charts for irons where you select shaft stiffness based on your carry distance, but these are only approximate data. The correct answer comes only from quality measuring technology and an expert who can evaluate the data obtained.

The right grip increases feel on your shots

The grip is the point of contact between you and the club. We agree that you can probably play with a bad grip compared to a bad shaft, but why not make it easier for yourself.

The most important aspect of grips is their thickness. Grips that are too thick can cause your wrist to lock at impact, sending shots right of the target; conversely, thin grips increase wrist activity, causing shots to finish left of the target. Grip thickness should also be considered by anyone with wrist or forearm problems; a thicker grip requires less grip pressure, reducing tension while holding.

Women's palms are smaller than men's, so ladies usually use women's sizes. For men, there are several options: standard men's, midsize, or jumbo grips. All are graded according to your palm size, with the possibility of further adjustments by adding tape. The easiest way to determine your thickness is by your glove size; if you wear S or M, standard thickness will likely suit you, otherwise, you need to adjust the grip. The market offers countless brands, materials, and colors, but we recommend choosing based on hardness: some rubbers are softer, some harder; some grips are smooth, others corded (stitched). Corded grips offer better hold for players with higher swing speeds, while smooth grips are preferred by players with a strong grip who get blisters from corded grips. Another advantage of softer grips is their ability to absorb vibrations from off-center hits. Lastly, you can consider the grip color; some settle for black, but why not brighten your clubs with blue, red, pink, or green? It's not uncommon for players to mix grip colors in their set. Anyone playing in any weather must also consider that smooth grips become very slippery even in light rain, complicating your technique.

At the authorized CityGolf fitting center, you can try various combinations of heads and shafts so that the client always receives an offer for equipment with which they will play the best golf. Take your time choosing your ideal set of irons. It's always better to play with higher forgiveness on par than to carry a hectare with blades. Enjoy your game.

Why not base your iron selection on your HCP? Be cautious if you see a chart dividing irons by HCP. It can certainly reveal a lot about a golfer, but irons cannot be categorized strictly by HCP. A player with a 30 HCP may have excellent iron play and can easily use clubs for advanced recreational players, even if their tee shots and short game have weaknesses... Conversely, a 10 HCP player may have great short game and putting, compensating for mistakes made with irons. Such a player has two options: focus on training with clubs for advanced recreational players or try irons for recreational players with higher forgiveness.