Purchasing Your First Set Of Golf Irons – FAQs

Last updated on February 7th, 2025

If you have never purchased a golf iron before, or you are fairly new to the sport, you are bound to have a few questions. We aim to answer them in this post. 

  • After a round, I experienced some discomfort in my elbow, are there any irons that can help with this? You should look for irons that have been designed to lower club vibration, such as those featuring rubber or polymer inserts in the head. Also, doing the right exercises and preparing your body is critical. There are some great ideas for getting started online.
  • How do I tell the difference between midsize and oversize iron sets? In most cases, oversize irons have deeper cavities, very wide soles and a larger overall head size, so you should be able to notice the difference.
  • What irons should I include in my set? This all depends on your level of experience and your ability. If you are unsure, don’t be afraid to ask a shop assistant. Most people start off on a basic iron set of a 4-iron to Pitcher Wedge. 
  • How much should I spend on golf irons? Again, this depends on your level of skill, as well as how much you play golf. There is no right or wrong answer, but don’t simply go for the cheapest set on the market. Quality is important.

A Guide To Wedges

A golf irons set will contain a number of wedges, and so it is vital to know a bit more about them. A wedge is basically the term that is used to describe any golf irons that have a loft above 45 degrees. In this post, we will give you a brief overview of the four wedges that are available and who they are suited to. 

The four irons you have at your disposal are a Lob Wedge (LW), a Sand Wedge (SW), an Approach or Gap Wedge (GW or AW), and a Pitching Wedge (PW). 

  • A Lob Wedge boasts the biggest loft degree of them all, i.e. 60 degrees and above. In fact, the loft can even be as big as 64 degrees. This is when you need to throw the ball high over a very short distance. 
  • Next, we have the Sand Wedge. This tends to have a loft between 54 and 58 degrees, Due to the high bounce, these wedges tend to be used for bunker play. 
  • The Gap Wedge, which is also sometimes referred to as an Approach Wedge, is called this because it fills the gap between a sand wedge and a pitching wedge. This is an iron with a loft between 50 and 55 degrees. 
  • And, finally, the smallest loft of all the wedges is the Pitching Wedge, which has a loft between 46 and 50 degrees. You will find that the vast majority of iron sets come with a Pitching Wedge included. This tends to be utilized for longer shots onto the green.