About Golf Handicap

A golf handicap is a term that confuses golfers around the globe. In essence, it is a system used to level the playing field for all golfers. Consider a simple example where you’re racing against Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet.

The odds are significantly higher in his favor. However, you can create a level playing field by taking a head start of a few meters, making it more challenging for him in the process. 

Golf handicap is a similar process that levels the playing field for golfers with different skill levels. Golf handicap allows players with varying levels of skill to compete against each other. 

Handicap is a generic term that signifies a golfer’s average score in relation to par. It is often used interchangeably with another term, “handicap index.” Despite sounding similar and being very nearly equal in numerical value, there is a minute difference between the two. 

According to the USGA, a handicap index is defined as an estimate of a player’s ability calculated against the Slope Rating on a moderately difficult golf course (a course having a Slope Rating of 113). In other words, the handicap index is a rough estimate of a player’s potential ability on a course of standard playing difficulty.

Different Handicap Levels

There are three primary handicap levels based on the skill level of golfers, low, mid, and high handicap. The goal is to have the lowest possible handicap of zero, i.e., becoming a scratch golfer. 

Low handicappers are those with a handicap level of up to 10. These golfers are on the verge of becoming scratch golfers.

The next level of handicap is the middle handicap, which pertains to golfers lying between the handicap range of 10 to 20. These are moderately experienced players with decent skills and abilities. 

High handicap is the final handicap level which pertains to golfers whose handicap lies beyond 20. As most of you belong in this category, you’re most likely to be a high handicap player. High handicappers are generally amateurs and beginners who have recently embarked on their golfing journeys. 

What To Look For In The Best Irons For 20 Handicapper

Whether you’re looking for golf irons for a 20 handicapper or a mid handicapper, you must educate yourself about certain universal factors. We have mentioned the most important factors in a detailed buyer’s guide below. Check it out. 

Features And Technology

Technology can be your best friend in your day-to-day life, including sports. We live in an age when technological innovations are invented at an unimaginable rate, and the golf club industry is not far behind. 

Most notable golf brands are in cut-throat competition with one another, and they leverage technology to get ahead of their competitors. They add technologically advanced features to the best irons for beginners to improve ball speed, shot accuracy, and forgiveness. Ultimately, the players are the winners as they get to play with some of the best golf irons in the global market.  

Callaway, TaylorMade, Mizuno, Titleist, and Cobra Golf are some of the leading brands that manufacture some of the best irons for 20 handicappers. Their irons are more sophisticated and loaded with countless features that give extra forgiveness, stability, ball speed, and distance. 

Forgiveness

Regardless of the price of the golf irons, you should always prioritize forgiveness, even if you’re a scratch golfer or a 20 handicapper. Forgiveness is the quality of a golf club to “forgive” poorly hit shots. In other words, a forgiving club will enable good strokes even if you make improper ball contact or mistime the hit.

All golf clubs, including the best irons for 20 handicappers, have a sweet spot that generally lies in the center of the clubface. The aim is to hit this sweet spot as it causes maximum ball speed, which will cause longer shots with a favorable flight trajectory.

Forgiving golf irons typically have a wider sweet spot that covers a larger area of the clubface. A more prominent sweet spot vastly reduces the chances of mishits as it causes straighter and farther shots from a more extensive area on the face. High handicappers should look for the most forgiving irons that can help them improve their game. 

Try Hybrids

Long irons can overwhelm 20 handicappers who have recently begun their golf journeys. These golfers can get the best result by replacing their long irons with a hybrid golf club. Hybrids are incredibly versatile and can be used in multiple scenarios on the golf course.

Here are a few reasons you should include hybrids in the best irons for beginners. 

  • The primary differentiating feature of hybrids is their enlarged head. This larger clubhead has a much deeper center of gravity (CG). 
  • This low center of gravity improves forgiveness dramatically, leading to consistent shot quality on a larger area on the entire clubface. 
  • Meanwhile, long irons are possibly the toughest golf clubs to hit. Even a slight mistake in the posture or technique can cause players to slice or hook the ball.
  • It can take months or years for players to get the hang of long irons. In comparison, you can be an expert at hitting hybrids in only a few months.
  • The low center of gravity also deserves credit for creating a higher launch and ball flight that delivers a longer carry distance than long irons.  
  • Hybrids are more versatile and are better in approach play as they give you more stopping power on the green.