Buyer’s Guide For Best Irons For Beginners

As you’re a beginner, you’re probably new to golf and could use all the help you can get. We understand how choosing the best golf irons can be a daunting task, particularly for beginners. We have laid down a comprehensive buyer’s guide to help you find the best irons for beginners. 

Technology And Features

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 unprecedented rate, and the golf club industry is no different. 

Most renowned brands companies are in cut-throat competition with one another, and they leverage technology to get the better of their competitors. They add technologically advanced features to the best irons for beginners to improve ball speed, shot accuracy, and forgiveness. 

Callaway, TaylorMade, Srixon, and Cobra Golf are some of the leading brands that manufacture some of the best irons for beginners. Their irons are more sophisticated and loaded with numerous features that provide extra forgiveness, ball speed, and distance. 

Forgiveness Is Everything

The most commonly agreed-upon definition of forgiveness is the ability of a club to “forgive” badly hit shots. In other words, the higher the forgiveness of a golf iron, the higher are your chances of hitting good quality strokes, despite improper ball contact.

Forgiveness should be your primary criteria as a beginner. Choosing a more forgiving iron will enable you to hit better shots eventually help you get better at ball-striking abilities. 

Generally, more expensive golf irons with enhanced features are more forgiving than others. However, if you’re on a budget, we have mentioned a few affordable and highly forgiving best irons for beginners. 

How Many Irons Should You Have

Beginners are often unsure about how many irons they should keep in their bags. There’s almost no debate in the case of short irons as very few golfers omit short irons from their bags.

The dilemma arises in the case of long irons. Long irons are tricky for some golfers because of their complicated structure. Mastering the technique to hit long irons can take several months, if not years. This is the primary reason many beginners and high handicappers are not very fond of long irons. Instead, they choose a hybrid or a fairway wood where they would generally use a long iron. 

If maximizing your distance is your primary focus, long irons won’t be of much help. We’d recommend consolidating your grasp of short irons first before moving on to long irons. 

Should You Include A Hybrid

As we mentioned before, long irons can overwhelm beginners 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 exceptionally versatile and can be used in multiple scenarios on the golf course.

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

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

Should You Buy Wedges

Wedges are often viewed as a part of the irons family, and many brands offer these as part of the irons sets. Most irons sets include sand and a gap wedge, so you don’t need to worry about buying these separately. Some beginners decide not to buy either one or both of these wedges, hoping to manage with their hybrid or fairway woods. 

However, this can backfire horribly and turn out to be a big mistake. Sand and gap wedges are designed for specific purposes on the golf course that no other club can fulfill. For example, the sand wedge is among the golf clubs with the highest lofts and can be beneficial when you’re stuck in a bunker and want to reach the green in a single stroke. 

Shaft Material And Flex 

When in the market for the best irons for beginners, shaft material and flex are two factors you simply cannot ignore. You can choose from either a steel shaft or a graphite shaft. Your decision should be based on your goals and what areas of your game you are looking to improve. 

For instance, if accuracy and precision are your priorities, steel shafts will get you the best results. Steel is a stiffer and heavier material than graphite, which means it flexes less and makes your shots more accurate.

At the same time, if you’re prioritizing speed and distance, graphite shafts are a better solution. As a lighter and more flexible material than steel, graphite flexes more and is perfect for golfers who struggle with slow swing speed. However, you should note, graphite shafts will provide additional speed; however, you’ll compromise the precision.  

Shaft material is another critical aspect that you should consider while purchasing the best irons for beginners. The general rule of thumb is to go for a stiffer flex if you swing fast and vice versa. Most people are comfortable with a regular flex, but if you swing fast, you should try stiff or extra stiff flex to have more control over your shots.