How many irons should you have in your golf bag?
Understanding how to set up your golf bag is a process that takes time, testing, and options. The easiest way of course is to get to a full bag fitting at your local professional fitter, but for the golfers that are purchasing their clubs online, or perhaps getting into the game for the first time, questions like this can be challenging. One of the best parts of the golf equipment industry is how many options are available for the modern golfer. Today with some help from our sponsor at Edel Golf we’ll dive in and guide you through the process of deciding how many irons you should have in your golf bag.
If you haven’t read our topic discussing Combo Sets, we suggest you do so before reading this article, as we will be referencing that topic a little bit. As a reminder, a combo set is a set of irons that are made up of different models, or even a combination of hybrids and irons. This evolution in set make-up has made the question of how many irons to carry a little bit more involved. Because of the idea of a combo set, golfers are actually playing more irons in their bag than before.
At Made for the Range, our typical suggestion to any golfer is to order their set of irons from the 5 iron to the Pitching Wedge. But with combo sets becoming more popular, its possible to add in more forgiving options at the top end of the bag and be perfectly okay with something all the way up to the 3 iron. It really just depends on the level of golfer, and what those clubs are likely to be used for.
An excellent ball striker may play more irons in their set because they like the control that the irons give them over something like a hybrid or high-lofted fairway wood. They are also likely to play more wedges in their bag, so their set might be something like 3iron - 9iron but then they switch to specialty wedges to finish out the bottom end of the set.
A beginner golfer on the other hand may feel more comfortable hitting a hybrid when it gets to around the 5 iron spot in the bag. Beginners aren’t looking for ultimate control at that position in the bag, but rather more forgiving, helpful clubs that allow them to get the ball traveling further and helping them to make up distance or perhaps accommodate a larger miss. These golfers however are also probably going to be playing more irons in the lower end of their bag. Some sets like the Edel SMS Hollow-Body irons which are a little bit more forgiving are available with a set Gap Wedge. This set wedge is going to be more forgiving and hotter off the face than a specialty gap wedge, which helps this level of golfer. So their set may not start until the 6 iron but will add more irons at the bottom end down to the gap wedge or even further depending on the set available.
The easiest way to know what works best for your game is to try them out. Stop by a demo bay at your local retailer and try to find the correct club options for your game. A little tip is to always check the used bins as well. The store may not have a 3 iron to demo, but there could be one available to hit from the used section! Having launch monitor data to back up your personal bias and preference is the best way to get your bag set up.
Put your ego aside
Don’t be afraid to play the more forgiving option. There are SO many options on the market right now that adding in a more forgiving iron model at the top of the bag, or the growing trend of adding a higher-lofted fairway wood to your bag could be the move. There are significant benefits to these clubs and the capabilities that they can provide you that even the pros are starting to add things back to the bag like a 7 wood. If the best ball strikers in the world are moving to the more forgiving options in the bag… should you be?
Thanks to our sponsor Edel Golf for supplying us with the product used to demonstrate this topic. For more information on all Edel Golf products or to find an authorized fitting center near you visit edelgolf.com
