Golf-FAQ.com

what does feel mean as a characteristic for a golf iron

by Noemi Kling MD Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

Full Answer

How do shafts affect the feel of your Irons?

The shaft will greatly influence the feel of your irons, not to mention the launch, spin, landing angle, and distance of your golf shots. Also, there are no standards in the golf industry for shafts. One company might call one shaft “stiff,” and another might call the same shaft “regular.”

Why do golf clubs hit iron shots on the downswing?

That is because iron shots are played with the ball positioned so that it is struck on the downswing. That is, the club is still descending when it makes contact with the ball. Knowing which iron to use in which situation is mostly a function of learning how far you hit each club.

What is the difference between driving irons and standard irons?

Compared to standard irons, driving irons generally have a bulkier back of the club, which adds more weight to the swing and the ability reach further distances off the tee. They are different than hybrid golf clubs which are the combination of a fairway wood and an iron clubface.

Why do I need to know which iron to use?

That is because iron shots are played with the ball positioned so that it is struck on the downswing. That is, the club is still descending when it makes contact with the ball. Knowing which iron to use in which situation is mostly a function of learning how far you hit each club. But trajectory also often comes into play.

What is feel in an iron?

It's basically a combination of two things: the sound created by high-frequency vibrations in the club head due to impact with the ball — typically a few thousand Hertz — and the vibrations that travel up the shaft, through the grip and into your hands.

What is feel in golf?

Feel contributes to rhythm, and it is rhythm that will allow you to perform well even under pressure. Before getting further into the discussion on feeling the club head in the golf swing, there is one point that needs to be made right off the top – it is important to have a light grip pressure while swinging the club.

What a good golf swing feels like?

The golf swing should feel effortless, with minimal tension. Think of it like a coiled spring: as you rotate and load into the backswing, you are storing up energy (just as a coiled spring would) before releasing all that energy – in one sweeping downswing motion – through the ball at impact.

What are the four types of irons?

Irons are generally categorized as long irons, mid-irons , and short irons. Long irons are the 2-, 3- ,and 4-irons; mid-irons, the 5-, 6-, and 7-irons; short irons, the 8- and 9-irons and pitching wedge. (Two-irons are becoming obsolete and are exceedingly rare for recreational golfers.

Do forged irons feel softer?

forged irons question held by many golfers — perhaps most golfers — is that forged irons feel softer than cast irons. That is, that forged irons have a noticeably softer feel at impact with the golf ball than do cast irons.

How can I make my golf swing feel more natural?

2:598:57HOW TO FIND YOUR NATURAL GOLF SWING - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn Golf posture focusing on the ball that would be hitting slowly coil back my lead shoulders movingMoreIn Golf posture focusing on the ball that would be hitting slowly coil back my lead shoulders moving down in front of me you will see that this is pointing down pretty close to that golf ball.

Should a golf swing feel like a whip?

2:124:46HOW TO REALLY WHIP THE CLUB THROUGH THE BALL - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo basically the more the you direct your hands to the ball shall we say or ahead of the ball theMoreSo basically the more the you direct your hands to the ball shall we say or ahead of the ball the faster that you're gonna potentially be the wider that you go in the hands the slower you're gonna be.

Why does my golf swing feel uncomfortable?

Stance Too Narrow Or Too Wide One of the most common reasons that a golf swing can feel awkward is that your golf stance is either too narrow or too wide. When you have your feet just the right distance apart, it makes it much easier to feel comfortable over the ball and get the swing technique that you need.

What should be the first move on the downswing in golf?

So, how to put it all together, how to start the downswing? The correct golf downswing sequence starts with a pressure shift to the lead leg, followed by an externally rotated trail arm to shallow the angle of the club, before rotating the torso through to impact.

How do I choose new irons?

Choosing the best irons depends on a number of factors other than just your playing ability. The size, shape, flex, material and feel of the clubs are key elements to consider. Price also is a serious consideration.

How do I know what golf iron to use?

IRONS2-iron = 105 to 210 yards.3-iron = 100 to 205 yards.4-iron = 90 to 190 yards.5-iron = 80 to 175 yards.6-iron = 70 to 165 yards.7-iron = 65 to 155 yards.8-iron = 60 to 145 yards.9-iron = 55 to 135 yards.

What makes a good golf iron?

Steel is stronger and heavier than graphite, meaning it produces less flex and is more consistent and accurate. The carbon steel or stainless steel used in shafts is thick and offers consistent torque and flexibility, allowing you to have the same flex and stiffness in your 4 iron as you have in your 9 iron.

Why are golf clubs called irons?

The golf clubs called irons are so-called because their clubheads are made of metal. Of course, "woods" are now also made of metal, but that's a relatively recent development. Irons have featured metal clubheads (steel, these days) for centuries. The clubheads of irons are thin from front to back, and the clubfaces are grooved to impart spin on ...

Why are irons called irons?

The golf clubs called irons are so-called because their clubheads are made of metal.

What is the difference between a blade and a muscleback iron?

The difference is that a blade-style features a full back on the rear ...

Why are short irons easier to hit than long irons?

Without getting too technical, the reason is that as loft increases and shaft length decreases, a club becomes easier to master. A shorter shaft makes a club easier to control in the swing (think of baseball where a batter will "choke up" on the bat—essentially, shorten the bat—when he's simply trying to make contact rather than swing for the fences). More loft helps get the ball airborne and adds a little more control to the shot.

How many clubs are in a golf club?

A typical, off-the-shelf set of irons will include a 3-iron through pitching wedge (advertised as "3-PW"), 8 clubs total. The clubs are identified by a number (3, 4, 5, etc.) on the sole of each club, except for the pitching wedge which will have a "PW" or "P." Other irons may be available for purchase separately, including a 2-iron and additional wedges ( gap wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge). None of the additional clubs are necessary for beginners, and especially not the 2-iron. 1-irons used to be available, too, but are now virtually extinct.

How many yards is a 3-iron?

The yardage gap between irons is generally 10-15 yards. Your 3-iron, in other words, should produce shots that are 10-15 yards longer than your 4-iron. The specifics of this gap depend on the player, but the gap should be consistent from club to club.

What are the different types of irons?

Irons are generally categorized as long irons, mid-irons , and short irons. Long irons are the 2-, 3- ,and 4-irons; mid-irons, the 5-, 6-, and 7-irons; short irons, the 8- and 9-irons and pitching wedge. (Two-irons are becoming obsolete and are exceedingly rare for recreational golfers. Because of this, some sources now count the 5-iron as one ...

What do you need to know about fitting golf clubs?

You need to know what shafts can give more height or less spin and which shafts will give a firmer or softer feel but deliver similar launch conditions.

Why is it important to choose the right golf shaft?

Choosing the proper shaft is a hugely important part of the fitting process. The shaft will greatly influence the feel of your irons, not to mention the launch, spin, landing angle, and distance of your golf shots. Also, there are no standards in ...

How to measure a lie angle?

Historically, lie angle has been measured by reading divot patterns or using sole tape and a lie board to mark strike point being centered, toe, or heel down. Determining the lie angle is now done more by tracking the strike point on the face and charting dispersion patterns. Some launch monitors like the Foresight GCQuad will show the “delivered lie angle” at impact.

What should I consider when choosing a clubhead?

Things that should be considered when choosing a clubhead are forgiveness, workability, launch angle, spin rate, loft, the center of gravity, and offset. Every manufacturer has unique designs in each club to address ball-striking tendencies. If you don’t match them up properly to your swing, you are making the game harder for yourself!

What is the most important question I ask during a fitting?

One of the most important questions I ask during a fitting (usually pretty early on) is how the client likes to handle “tweener” yardages.

What factors influence a player's need for length adjustments?

Posture, torso height, leg length, wingspan vs. height, flexibility, even age can influence a player’s need for length adjustments.

Do upright clubs go left or right?

Upright clubs tend to go more left…. Bending them upright might give a cleaner divot but would make his misses even further to the left. Not a good move as a fitter. Incidentally, when the face is closed, the toe is lower, the lie board was giving him a false impression of his club’s lie angle at impact.

What does driving irons look like?

Some golfers like the look of irons better than fairway woods or drivers. Driving irons resemble the look of an iron which is appealing to a lot of golfers when setting up at the ball.

What is the consistency of driving irons?

Consistency- Many golfers struggle with finding consistency in a driving iron. In addition to the small clubface, driving irons require a golf swing much similar to that of a 4 iron or 5 iron which are hard clubs to hit for beginning golfers. (Follow the steps below to improve!)

Who Should Use Driving Iron?

Driving irons are for any golfer looking to add flexibility to their golf game.

What is the difference between driving irons and standard irons?

Compared to standard irons, driving irons generally have a bulkier back of the club, which adds more weight to the swing and the ability reach further distances off the tee .

How far can you hit a driving iron?

How Far Can You Expect to Hit a Driving Iron. Depending on the loft used, a good reference point on the average distance of a driving iron is about 10-15 yards shorter than the distance of a 3-wood. So if you hit your 3-wood 200 yards, you can expect your driving iron to reach around 185 yards if well-struck. ...

How to make sure you are fully releasing the clubface through impact?

Hold the finish – After making contact, make sure to rotate all the way through the ball so that your chest is pointing towards your target. This helps make sure you are fully releasing the clubface through impact.

How far should you drag the club before you start your swing?

Don’t break the wrists- During the backswing, drag the club about 2 feet before starting your swing. If you break the wrists to soon and start the swing, you are going to come down too steep at the golf ball and struggle with consistency.

What is an iron in golf?

Iron. Irons are golf clubs that are designed to send the ball on distances between that of fairway woods and hybrids and that of wedges. This category of clubs is usually the most represented in a golfer’s bag – oftentimes at 7 clubs and classically numbering from 3-iron all the way to 9-iron.

Which clubhead is the iron?

Irons either belong to one of two clubhead categories: the cavity back or the muscle back.

What does loft mean on an iron?

The loft (or angle of the clubface in relation to a vertical line) of irons climbs higher as does the number on the sole of the club. Or in other words, the loft will be lower on lower-numbered iron than on high-numbered irons.

What are golf clubs made of?

In the very beginning of the game, golf club shafts were made from hardwood. In modern club design however, the shafts of irons are predominantly made from steel, although a sizable segment now feature shafts made from graphite and both are readily offered by club manufacturers.

Which shaft is better, graphite or steel?

It should be stated that graphite shafts are lighter than their steel counterparts but are also more flexible, generally speaking. Better golfers with faster swing speeds will tend to prefer steel shafts as they are thought to provide more feedback to the hands.

What is the purpose of a golf ball on the green?

Their intended use is to hit the ball onto the green, from where it can be putted. As such, they are often used for the first stroke on par-3s, and on approach shots to the green from par-4s and par-5s.

What is a cavitation back iron?

Cavity back irons usually feature larger heads that are made possible by the hollowing out of the back of the clubface.

Where is the cavity back on a golf iron?

Secondly, look for the perimeter weighting. Typically a game improvement iron will feature a cavity back, where the club is hollowed out behind the sweet spot and redistributed around the perimeter of the clubface.

Why do you put weight at the bottom of the golf club?

Additional weight is often also placed at the bottom of the club to lower the center of gravity. The net effect of these changes is to give you a larger sweet spot which is more forgiving if the shot is not perfect resulting in better accuracy and improved distance.

What Are The Advantages?

If you are a beginner or intermediate player or if you were to switch to game improvement irons there are significant advantages and gains to be seen.

What is softer flex iron?

The softer flex will provide this by allowing you not to try to force it or hit too hard. Usually, game improvement irons come fitted with softer flex shafts. If necessary, the shafts cane always be changed at a later stage once you are more confident in your swing.

Why use a bottom weight iron?

The added bottom-weight helps to launch the ball into the air. Another common feature of game improvement irons is to offset the clubhead. The clubhead is set slightly behind the forward-most point of the hosel, giving the player an extra split second to square up the clubface. This further helps reduce the tendency to hook or slice.

What does heeling do to a shot?

This has a stabilizing effect on impact. Should you “heel” or “toe” the shot, this design will prevent or at least reduce the rotation of the clubface. This obviously results in a less drastic hook or slice.

What do you want in a golf club?

You want a set of clubs that suit your game, your swing and your goals. With the right fit, these clubs can potentially not only lower your scores but greatly improve your confidence and enjoyment of the game.

What is the preferred iron for golfers?

Other manufacturers switched their process to casting and, eventually, stainless steel investment cast irons were the preferred choice of most golfers.

What are forged irons made of?

They were made of softer steels and had other features such as less hosel offset and thinner top lines that appealed to professionals and better amateurs who appreciated the superior feel and ability to shape shots. The cost of making forged irons was higher than for their cast counterparts.

When did Ping irons start making golf clubs?

All golf irons were forged until the late 1960s when Ping began producing irons with a revolutionary cavity back design. By positioning the club’s weight around the periphery of the club head, Ping designers made them more forgiving of off-center hits. They found that the new head shape was much easier to make using a method called investment casting. This also allowed them to switch the club head material to stainless steel, which is harder and more durable than the carbon steel used in forging.

When did golf irons start being cast?

In the 1970s, the casting process started to become popular and by the 1990s most golf irons were cast by pouring molten metal into pre-formed molds. In 2010, manufacturers still use both of these processes to make forged and cast irons.

When did forged irons begin to evolve?

In the 21st century, the design of forged irons began to evolve.

Set Composition

Loft, Length, and Distance

  • As you go through the set, from the 3-iron to the pitching wedge, each iron has a little more loft than the previous, and a little shorter shaft length than the previous, so each club (going from 3-iron to PW) hits the golf ball a little less distance than the previous. That is, a 5-iron has more loft, a shorter shaft, and produces shorter shots th...
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Long, Mid-, and Short Irons

  • Irons are generally categorized as long irons, mid-irons , and short irons. Long irons are the 2-, 3- ,and 4-irons; mid-irons, the 5-, 6-, and 7-irons; short irons, the 8- and 9-irons and pitching wedge. (Two-irons are becoming obsolete and are exceedingly rare for recreational golfers. Because of this, some sources now count the 5-iron as one of the long irons. We still classify it as a mid-iron…
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Distances

  • Learning your distances—how far you hit each club—is much more important than trying to hit each club to some predetermined "correct" yardage. There is no "right" distance for each club, there is only your distance. That said, a typical male recreational golfer might hit a 4-, 5-, or 6- iron from 150 yards, while a typical female might use a 3-wood, 5-wood, or 3-iron from that distance. …
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Hitting

  • Irons can be played from the teeing ground, using a golf tee, and it is often appropriate to do so. On a par-3 hole, for example, you will probably use an iron on your tee shot. Or you might use an iron off any (or even every) tee in order to have better control over the shot. But most of your iron shots will come from the fairway. Irons are designed with divots in mind. That's why they have a …
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