How to pick an Iron

| How to pick an Iron | How to pick a Driver | Custom Club Fitting
		Many Golf Clubs are bought for a variety of reasons, but generally many are bought through Cosmetic Looks, the Price and the Logo Name. There is a saying in the Golf industry which is: "What wins on Sunday sells on Monday". In other words if a top player has just won a Major tournament with a particular set of golf clubs, they will undoubtedly be popular in the Golf Stores on Monday after the tournament. The Big question would they fit your swing? and the answer is quiet simply very unlikely.

To help you choose and a set of Irons that what fit you, normally you would ask your local Pro Golfer or the shop assistant. They in turn would take (in many cases) an educated guess at first of all what your swing would look like and secondly what the characteristics of the club you’re interested might be.

Unfortunately many Golf Manufacturers do not give out the characteristics of their particular Golf Club. You could hit a few balls with them if you are lucky, and if they feel OK the purchase is then made.

Golf Clubs all have there own characteristics.

These are:

• Trajectory, Forgiveness and Workability.

Trajectory

Can you get the ball airborne easily enough?

If not! An iron with a High Launch angle Trajectory is going to be beneficial to you.

These type of irons normally have a High Launch angle Trajectory and the lowest Centre of Gravity (CG) location as well as more offset which in turn will create a high launch angle and more spin.

Golfers with higher clubhead speeds will typically benefit the most from LOW or MID Trajectory rated irons. As the CG is raised in its design, the Trajectory of the ball will tend to be lower.

Forgiveness.

Once you have determined the type of Trajectory that best suits your swing, the next factor to focus on is the Forgiveness of the head.

An iron with a Maximum Forgiveness rating incorporates a high Moment of Inertia (MOI), whereas a LOW Forgiveness rated head has a low MOI.

The Moment of Inertia is a measurement used to determine the iron's resistance to twisting. When a ball is impacted in the centre of the clubface the head will not twist. It is the amount of twisting on an off-centre impact that is measured for the Forgiveness rating.

As a golfer you should have an idea of where you normally strike the ball on the face of the club. If you constantly strike the ball in the Centre of the club face you need a club with a lower MOI or Minimum forgiveness. If you are a little bit more erratic, you may need a club with more forgiveness, as shots will suffer from a lack of distance and a higher MOI would suit you better or Maximum forgiveness.

Workability.

The final characteristic to evaluate is its Workability.

Some golfers confuse Workability with the Forgiveness aspect of the golf club.

The Forgiveness of the iron is a reflection of its stability on off-centre impacts, while the Workability of the club reflects the measurements of the ability to manipulate ball flight.

If a golfer likes to shape the ball spin needs to be imparted on the golf ball.

The CG is moved closer to the hosel of the club which will decrease the MOI ie the less forgiveness in the clubhead.

The other element contributing towards the Workability rating is the hosel offset. As more offset is introduced into the design the Workability rating reduces.

An iron designed for game improvement will have a LOW Workability rating. The CG moves further away from the hosel and has greater offset in the hosel.

Materials.

Irons mainly come in two designs a Cast model or Forged Model.

Most irons are cast in stainless steel either 431 stainless steel or 17-4 stainless. Out of the two 431 stainless steels is the most popular with customised clubs as 431 steel has no memory, making it easier to bend and adjust for customisation. 

Forged irons are created from carbon steel billet and formed into their shape through extremely high compression. Forgings are the preference of many experienced golfers due to their generally so called softer feel. Another benefit of forged irons is their ease at adjusting the hosels for custom specifications.

Set Make Up.

The Rules of Golf state that only 14 Clubs can be carried and used in a Round of Golf. But it does not state what type of clubs you are to carry.

Irons sets have traditionally always been sold in a 3-iron through to pitching wedge set configuration. The longer irons have become more and more difficult to hit as length has increased and Loft Decreased.

To Help Golfers Hybrid utility woods or High lofted fairway woods are being used to replace the more difficult to hit 3, 4 and 5-irons out of golfers' sets.

Snake Eyes golf clubs do not have to be bought in a complete set. ie. You may choose a full set minus the 3,4 and 5 irons which are replaced by Hybrids.

There are a variety of designs and types of wedges all available to make a huge difference in helping saving strokes around the green.

Golfers could carry three wedges or more, which could consist of the normal pitching wedge to match their irons, a sand wedge which matches their skill level in bunker play and a high lofted wedge for stopping the ball quick on short pitch shots.

The wider the sole, the more the wedge should be used from the sand and tall grass. Also, the greater the bounce angle, the easier it is to get the sand wedge through the sand and get the ball out. The wider the sole, the less bounce is required to move the wedge through the sand and so wedges with ultra-wide soles and little or no bounce are also effective.

Click here contact Mark for custom fitting using the contact form in our retail store www.snakeeyes.co.nz/shop