Yes, if your irons are more than 10 years old or they are not the right clubs for your swing, you can benefit from a new set of golf irons.
Golf is a great game, it is even a better game when you have the right golf irons for your game.
Many golfers will spend hundreds of dollars on a new driver or maybe even a new putter, but will hesitate to buy new irons.
Maybe it is because hitting an iron to 15 feet seems less appealing than launching a 280-300 yard drive!
Are New Golf Irons Worth It?
Our top two reasons to buy new irons:
- Your irons are more than 10 years old
- You don’t have the right irons for your swing
Let’s dive into these top two reasons to buy new irons.
Reason #1: Your Irons Are More Than 10 Years Old
Driver technology seems to improve every 2-4 years, the marketing behind these drivers is always in the golfer’s face and the dream to hit their driver longer and straighter can entice the golfer to invest the money.
When it comes to irons, the technology might drastically improve every 8-10 years. Currently, I play an iron set that is 8 years old and I will be exploring my next set in the next year or so to ensure I am maximizing the technology in today’s game.
The possible change in iron technology includes the following:
- Easier to launch
- Easier to control
- Easier to hit further
We all want to hit precise irons that start on a certain line, fly the right distance and are easy to hit further.
The last thing we want is a hard to hit iron, that is difficult to get in the air and lacks the ability to hit the iron high and far.
Different level golfers will have different needs out of their irons. Which leads us to the 2nd reason to invest in new irons. You want the right irons for your game.
Reason #2: You Don’t Have The Right Irons For Your Game
There are a variety of irons in the market, built for different levels of golfers. Let’s dive into what you might need based on your handicap level:
- High Handicap Golfer: Should seek an easy to launch, high flying iron set.
- Mid Handicap Golfer: Should seek an easy to launch with an element of distance control.
- Low Handicap Golfer: Should seek distance and workability in their irons.
The high handicap golfer is worried about center of gravity and getting the ball in the air a high percentage of the time. A bigger club face with a low center of gravity will help with mishits and ensure the ball advances.
The mid handicap golfer is looking for something between the high handicap level and the low handicap level. The mid handicapper is making better contact, but isn’t as concerned about launching it high, but still needs some help. They are starting to dial in distances and don’t want a major variation in the carry distance of their irons.
The low handicap golfer is seeking distance control and the ability to work the ball 2-3 yards right to left or right to left depending on the shot. They will want a club the can hit high or low depending on the situation they are faced it.
The high handicap golfer playing elite player clubs will struggle. The low handicap golfer playing an easy to launch iron might struggle with distance control and not be able to be work the ball as easily.
Identifying the right irons for your game is important to your overall success.
Several options for the golfer include:
- Going through a personal fitting session with a club maker.
- Testing out clubs at your local big box store that has a simulator.
One is obviously better than the other, but also costs more money. Try to determine where your game is currently at, the budget you have and how much you are looking for an advantage!
Next Steps: Track Your Data
I would highly recommend the following process over your next five rounds. After each approach shot with your iron track distance to hole, proximity to pin and the iron hit. For example, it might look like the following:
- Hole 1: 110 yards – 8 feet from hole – SW
- Hole 2: 200 yards – 35 feet from hole – 4 Iron
- Hole 3: 125 yards – 24 feet from hole – PW
- Hole 4: 145 yards – 21 feet from hole – 9 Iron
- Hole 5: 95 yards – 1 foot from hole – SW
- Hole 6: 55 yards – 6 feet from hole – LW
- Hole 7: 165 yards – 36 feet from hole – 7 Iron
- Hole 8: 103 yards – 4 feet from hole – SW
- Hole 9: 200 yards – Missed green right – 30 yards – 4 Iron
Track this over your next 18 hole round and measure how you are hitting your irons. There are different shots gained calculators for free that you can use to see if you are gaining or losing shots from certain distances on a golf course.
What If I Am A Beginner Golfer?
You will want an easy to launch set of irons. Unfortunately, we see way too many beginners playing a set of clubs that are 25 years old that someone gave them or they found at a garage sale. This makes having any kind of success near impossible early on in your golf journey. Spend some decent money, use a site like Callaway Pre-Owned and get yourself a decent set of golf clubs.
How to play golf for cheap (11 Tips)
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About five years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing: