Golf for Beginners : When To Use Irons

 Golf for Beginners : When To Use Irons

Irons are generally used when you are less than 200 yards away from the green. The closer you are to the green, the higher the iron you will use. A standard set of irons consists of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 irons and the pitching wedge (PW). The 3 and 4 irons are harder to hit than the higher number irons.

The driver and putter get plenty of attention, but your irons are the workhorses in your bag. They’re the clubs you’ll use the most in between the tee and the green. By getting to know your collection of irons, you’ll be in better position to pick the right one for the distance and shot you have in front of you.

What You Need To Know

• As irons get longer, the number on the bottom gets bigger -- and the farther the club hits the ball.

• Shorter clubs have more loft and produce shots that come down more steeply and stop more quickly.

• Wedges come in three varieties -- pitching, sand and lob -- and are designed for shots around the green.

• It certainly feels good to hit one a long way, but it’s more important to know how far you can comfortably hit each iron than producing maximum distance.