Golf Clubs: Irons

Irons are golf clubs have a flat angled face and a shorter shaft compared with the wood. Irons are designed for shots towards the green or from relatively more difficult locations such as the rough over or through the trees or base of hills. There are short, medium or long irons. All these have flat heads. "Wedges" are a special type of iron, heavy and shorter than other irons with a less flat face. These are designed to loft the ball higher.

Irons get their name because, originally, they were made from forged iron. These days, of course "Woods" are also made of metal, but the nomenclature has not changed. Club heads of irons are contoured to be thin from front to back. The club faces are grooved to allow the ball to spin. Recreational players prefer a cavity back , while seasoned players would prefer a blade style of iron- also called muscle-pack iron. The difference between the two is that in the case of the blade style, the rear of the club head is full, whereas, in the cavity back the rear of the club is partially scooped out.

Long clubs which have a smaller degree of loft are used to propel the ball to a larger distance. Short clubs have a higher degree of loft and are used to drive the ball to a shorter distance.

The largest headed and longest headed club is the driver. Woods are slightly shorter but are still comparatively large headed clubs used for long distance Fairway shots.