Overview of Golf Clubs

Most iron sets consist of a 3-iron through pitching wedge (listed as 3-PW). This accounts for 8 of the 14 clubs you can carry according to the Rules of Golf, leaving room for a putter and three woods. Some players substitute a high-lofted wood for the 3-iron because they find it easier to hit.

Here's a guide to the key features of today's irons:

Blade versus cavity-back

A blade iron offers a smaller hitting surface and a thin top-line (portion of the clubhead viewed at address). It also has more mass behind the middle of the clubhead, sometimes called a "muscle-back," that gives a very soft feeling when hit properly. In contrast, a cavity-back or perimeter-weighted club has more weight around the outside edges of the clubhead to produce a larger sweetspot. 

Blade Design	Cavity-back Design

The easiest-hitting irons of all generally have a large cavity-back, thick top-line, and oversize clubface. But increasingly, clubmakers are offering designs that incorporate the forgiving benefits of cavity-back in a blade style with a thinner top-line.  

 

Casting versus forging

Up until the early 1970s, forged steel clubheads accounted for more than 90% of all irons made. This manufacturing process of forged steel clubheads involves hammering and shaping. Now, investment casting has taken over as the primary manufacturing method. 

Casting, in which the metal is poured into a mold, costs less and makes it easier to produce the complex shapes of today's perimeter-weighted, cavity-back designs within tight specifications. However, forging is not likely to disappear because many golfers believe it offers better feel and ball "workability." It also offers a cleaner look for the tradition-minded golfer. 

As the forging process technology advances and its cost becomes lower, more and more manufacturers are starting to offer forged cavity-back designs.

Progressive weighting

This involves placing a heavier material, such as copper or tungsten, in the sole of lower-lofted irons. This helps lower the center of gravity and get the ball in the air. Progressive weighting is generally eliminated in the shorter irons to help produce a lower, flatter trajectory.

 Wood/Iron Hybrids

Perhaps descendants of the original hollow iron designs, these clubs are used from the tee, fairway and rough. The popularity was spawned by TaylorMade’s introduction of its Rescue series of woods. 

These small, low CG (Center of Gravity) heads, available in a variety of lofts, have proven easy to hit from a variety of lies; pros and amateurs alike are using them in place of long irons. 

Some manufacturers are calling these unique clubs as woods, others are calling them – and assembling them – as irons. Regardless of what you may call them, the “Rescue” type of clubs have thus far proven to be a technological improvement in comparison to the difficult-to-hit long irons.

All wedges are characterized by high lofts (typically 45 - 60°) to increase trajectory, and significant sole weighting to help you penetrate sand or grass. Most are also heavier overall. But that's where the similarities end. Each wedge type has its own characteristics, making it suited to a particular distance or lie.

Wedge technology has changed over the years as well, but not nearly so much as with irons or woods. In addition to groove type, probably the biggest advancement in wedges had been head material. Wedges may be cast or forged. 

Clubhead of wedges are often made of softer materials, such as copper or beryllium alloy, to increase feel and touch around the green. Carbon steel is among the softest metals from which clubs are produced. Most carbon steel heads are chrome plated; if they weren’t, they would rust. Chrome is a hard coating; some players say chrome plating makes the club feel too hard. Carbon steel wedges, left unchromed to rust over time, gives soft feel and unique appearance.

Manufacturers have also devised unique ways to impart more spin on the ball and help it hold the green upon landing. The most basic treatment is scoring or sandblasting of the face. U-shaped grooves, which are square at the bottom, are also used. Still another method is to use a different material altogether in the face, such as a super-hard diamond compound.

One major development has been the introduction of the "gap" or "dual" wedge. As manufacturers decreased the loft of the typical pitching wedge to increase its distance, they created a "gap" between it and the next longest club, the sand wedge. Thus, in order of distance, the progression is as follows: pitching wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge, and lob wedge. They are described here in order.

Pitching Wedge

This club has typically 45 - 49° loft and is used for longer approach shots, about 90 - 110 yards. Because it's most often hit from the grass, it has minimal bounce (2 - 5°). In fact, a higher bounce would be undesirable in this club, because it would make it more difficult to get the leading edge under the ball, causing you to skull it.

Gap Wedge

This club has typically 49 - 54° loft and is used for shots of about 95 - 100 yards. Bounce is typically 5 - 12°. Choose a gap wedge with a loft that divides the "gap" evenly between your pitching and sand wedges. For instance, if you have a 48° PW and a 56° SW, choose a gap wedge with 52° loft. This club is also known as a "dual" wedge [DW] or "attack" wedge [AW].

Sand Wedge

This club has typically 54 - 57° loft and is used for shots of about 80 - 90 yards maximum. It also has the most unique clubhead of the bunch, with lots of bounce (10 - 16°) and another feature called heel-toe camber. This is what gives the sand wedge an oval shape on the bottom of the face. 

Finally, sand wedges have more sole width (the distance between the leading and trailing edge). All these features are designed to reduce the risk of digging in.

Lob Wedge

This club has 57° loft  or more and is used for shots of about 60 - 65 yards maximum. These clubs, also called "finesse" wedges, are for "touch" shots around the green that need to get into the air quickly and land softly. Bounce is minimal (0 - 10°), because in these situations there is generally very little room under the ball, and a tiny error can make the club bounce off the ground and cause a skulled shot. It has less sole width and a sharp leading edge. One reason many players like this club is because it allows a full, unimpeded swing to cover a short distance, rather than making you rely on an abbreviated swing. The ball flies short and high with this club.