what is the difference between cast steel and forged steel golf clubs

The main difference in the two methods is this: in a cast process, there can be small air bubbles that are created in the process and when cool turn into tiny voids, whereas in forged clubs this does not occur, the metal is solid throughout.

Full Answer

What is the difference between forged and cast iron golf clubs?

A forged golf iron is a club that is made out of one solid block of metal. The irons are carved and shaped, and they are one solid piece of material. A cast iron is an iron that is made from a mold. Hot metal is poured in the mold into the desired shape, and the result is a cast iron golf club.

What are forged golf irons made of?

A forged golf iron is a club that is made out of one solid block of metal. The irons are carved and shaped, and they are one solid piece of material. A cast iron is an iron that is made from a mold.

What is the difference between cast and pressed steel golf clubs?

In golf, the process is a little more refined, but the premise is the same. A simple billet of steel is pressed and rolled hundreds of times to turn it from a block to a playable golf club. In order to allow this to happen, the steel needs to be much softer than the version used in casting.

How can I tell the difference between cast and forged club heads?

It is difficult to identify at a glance which club heads are cast and forged when you first get into golf. However, you'll quickly learn the differences that make them easy to tell apart. Cast heads have lumps and bumps all over them as the weight is moved around to help forgiveness - best for beginners and game improvers.

Are forged or cast golf clubs better?

Forged clubs make it easier to shape ball flight This is an attribute geared toward the better player that benefits solid shots and hurts on mishits. The cast club conversely tends to have more of a game improvement design with a lower, deeper center of gravity, which helps get the ball up in the air and aids mishits.

Are forged irons better than cast irons?

Forged Irons In reality, cast irons are going to be almost as good as a forged iron in the modern golf world. Where cast irons have started to have better feel, the forged irons have begun to have more forgiveness. The line of difference between these two types of irons is beginning to get smaller and smaller.

What is the difference between forged and cast iron golf clubs?

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Do pros use forged irons?

The best in the game, the top 10 percent, and the pros mostly play with forged irons. We do not all fall into this category so therefore have to decide on what will work best for our game. A weekend warrior or high-handicap golfer will become frustrated with most forged irons, particularly blades.

Do any pros use cast irons?

Although many pros still use forged irons, a large number now use investment cast irons and there is no stigma attached.

Which is stronger forged or cast steel?

Forged steel is generally stronger and more reliable than castings and plate steel due to the fact that the grain flows of the steel are altered, conforming to the shape of the part. The advantages of forging include: Generally tougher than alternatives.

Do forged irons give more distance?

4. Forgiveness. On the other hand, players' irons or forged irons prioritize feel and distance control more than they provide impunity to your off-center strikes.

Do forged irons wear quicker?

Problem, as you say, forged clubs do tend to wear a little quicker than cast.

Do forged irons lose distance over time?

As grooves in irons slowly wear over time, different shortcomings arise. Theoretically, a shot hit with an iron that has worn grooves will have less spin. On some shots that produces a knuckleball that swerves off line. Other shots hit with the same club might launch higher, then fall short of the distance expected.

Who should play forged irons?

If you are frequently shooting scores in the 70s, there is a good chance you are ready to play forged irons. You don't have to crack the 80 barrier every time you tee it up, but you should at least be able to sneak into the 70s from time to time before you reach for a new set of forged blades or muscle back irons.

Do any tour players use cast irons?

Tour players use cast playability clubs and forged blades alike, but they keep it on the center of the clubface with great regularity. For many better players (probably no worse than single-digit handicap), a good forged iron will provide them sufficient playability.

Does Titleist make cast irons?

Even though the set had blades into the shorter clubs, the set was cast and not forged—making them the only cast set of blades Titleist ever made.

Do forged irons feel better?

Overall, there is more feel in a set of forged irons, so your hands will be receiving tons of feedback, for better or worse. You are also going to notice a loss in forgiveness from your old set. Miss-hit shots are punished when using blades or muscle back irons.

What are the pros and cons of forged irons?

While forged irons offer incredible feel, acoustics, and greenside control, they are unforgiving and difficult to play. Even though most of the forged irons that we looked at were best suited to lower handicappers and pros. There are options for mid to high handicappers.

Do forged irons wear out faster?

Forged irons use softer steel than cast irons, but unless you're playing golf multiple times per week, the average player won't notice much different in terms of longevity. While both are manufactured to be high quality, forged irons are purer than cast irons and, in theory, should last longer.

Are cast irons more durable than forged?

One thing's for certain is that forged irons are the best for feel and distance control while the cast variety performs better when it comes to long-term durability and boosting distance. Now let's talk about all of this in a little bit of detail below.

What is a forged iron?

A forged golf iron is a club that is made out of one solid block of metal. The irons are carved and shaped, and they are one solid piece of material. A cast iron is an iron that is made from a mold. Hot metal is poured in the mold into the desired shape, and the result is a cast iron golf club. The cast golf irons are mostly known as being cavity ...

What is cast wedge?

Cast Wedges. For some players, they are going to want forged clubs throughout their entire bag, and this will include the wedges. Forged wedges are quite popular among the lower handicap players. Many people don’t realize that some of the best wedges are a cast design.

What is cavity back iron?

The cavity back irons are considered game improvement irons. They are much easier to launch, and they are more forgiving than the forged irons. Without the cast irons, many middle handicappers would still be high handicappers. The process of producing a cast iron is quite a bit easier and cheaper than that of a forged.

What is a Cobra King iron?

However, true players know that the Cobra forged irons are some of the best feeling clubs in the game of golf.

What happens if you miss a shot with a cast iron?

If they miss a shot slightly with a cavity back or cast iron, then they still have a chance of a decent result. If you miss a ball with forged iron, you will likely see some ugly golf shots. Some like to argue that this forces a high handicapper to get better at golf.

Is a forged iron better than a cast iron?

Forged irons are thought to be more of a player’s club. Since this is a more traditional iron and has been around for many years, the forged iron gets a better name than the cast iron. In reality, cast irons are going to be almost as good as a forged iron in the modern golf world.

Do cast iron golf clubs exist?

In years past, when blacksmiths were the ones that were designing and producing golf clubs, the cast iron clubs did not exist. Since the discovery of the cast golf clubs, the clubs themselves have become quite a bit more forgiving. The cavity back irons are considered game improvement irons. They are much easier to launch, ...

What is forging in golf?

In simple terms, forging is hammering metal into the shape you want it. In golf, the process is a little more refined, but the premise is the same. A simple billet of steel is pressed and rolled hundreds of times to turn it from a block to a playable golf club. In order to allow this to happen, the steel needs to be much softer than the version used in casting.

What is the difference between casting and forging?

Casting involves pouring molten metal into a mould while forging consists of hammering the metal into the desired shape. There is also the option of using some cast and some forged components on the same clubhead - a method which is becoming more popular.

Why use steel in cast iron?

Using steel that sets harder makes cast irons more durable, have increase ball speed and thus add more distance than their forged counterparts.

What is the head of a golf club?

The head of a golf club, especially a set of irons, is a very recognisable shape, even to non-golfers . However, the process to achieve this universally recognisable shape can vary dramatically from model to model, and even between irons within the same set.

How are iron sets made?

The vast majority of iron sets available are made by casting – which involves pouring molten metal into a mould. When the metal hardens, it is in the desired shape - in this case, a golf club.

Do forged irons have forgiveness?

However, what forged irons lack in forgiveness they make up for in feel. You will be able to control your shorts far easier with forged clubs as there is almost no technology helping you - this is why some PGA Tour professionals favour them - but not all. The Titleist T200 irons have a cast body and a forged face.

Why were irons stymied?

While shaping metals with early hand-forged processes did limit the design possibilities for metal irons, the development of irons was more effectively stymied by the poor durability of the early golf balls. Irons had to wait for a better ball to come along.

Is shaft more important than club head?

The shaft component in many cases (and how well it matches your game and swing) can be FAR more important than the particular club head design. Better players should focus even more heavily on matching the right shaft with a decent club head design and then being properly fitted.

Is there a Japanese sword in golf clubs?

And, despite the marketing hyperbole suggesting otherwise, there are in fact NO golf clubs made today like Japanese swords with hand-forged, thin layered, and folded steels.

Can you have both cast and forged clubs in one club?

The truth is either forged or cast clubs can be right for you, and now you can even have a little of both in one club with the multi-material combinations. The good news is you have a lot of choices, just don’t let yourself be seduced by misleading marketing.

Is golf an emotional experience?

There is no denying that for many of us golf is still an emotional experience on many levels. So, the looks and sounds and feel matter. It may not be about medal play scores for some of us at all!

Is a golf club hand forged?

Forged golf club manufacturing processes are no longer “hand forged” for nearly a century now. They are instead “drop-forged” with huge drop forge “hammers” – so large they literally shake the factory floor with every forging hammer blow.

What is a forged iron?

The clubhead starts its life as a piece of steel. It's heated until it's red hot, then the craftsman uses a machine called a forging hammer to pound the steel into shape .

How did cast iron start?

Cast irons began with molds into which molten metal was poured. This let the worker form the clubheads into any shape he wanted. When they cooled, he broke the molds and finished the clubheads. Investment cast clubs not only incorporated cavity-back designs, but they were less expensive than forged clubs.

Is cast iron the same as forged iron?

Cast irons are now capable of providing the same feel and quality as forged irons. Forged irons incorporate many of the same game improvement designs as cast clubs. But the primary choices you face when choosing between the two are the same as they have always been – how the irons feel and how much you're willing to spend.

Who uses investment irons?

Bubba Watson is just one of the many pros who use investment cast irons. Back in the days of Bobby Jones, you played forged irons. There were no retail outlets; instead, golfers had blacksmiths make clubheads for them from a block of iron. Modern golfers have less trouble getting clubs, but they have more options.

Do pros still use forged irons?

The increased competition drove improvement in both types of irons. Although many pros still use forged irons, a large number now use investment cast irons and there is no stigma attached.