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Could a forged iron improve your game? I am sure you have heard it many times – forged irons are only for good players and the pros, but that isn’t the case anymore.
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While it is true that 80%+ of PGA tour professionals leverage forged irons, manufacturers have started to build “game-improvement” sets using the forged process as well.
Like most club choices, it comes down to your preference related to feel, look, and performance with your swing. So Yes, forged irons might be the right answer for you but what are the most forgiving forged irons available in 2021?
But first, let’s tee off by looking into forged irons in more detail….
What is a Forged Iron?
The term “forged” describes how the club is made. The two primary ways to make an iron are Forging and Casting – lets quickly explore the key differences:
- A forged iron starts as a single piece of steel and is hammered/pressed into the correct shape and loft, while a cast iron starts as liquid medal and is poured into a mold.
- The forged process produces a more consistent club, with better feel, while the casting process.
- Allows the club maker to add more components (weights, cavities, etc.) – these additional components can often help the manufacturer produce “game improvement” clubs.
- On average, forged irons will be more expensive, because the process of creating the club is more difficult.
Is a Forged Iron Better than Casted?
From a construction perspective, the answer is probably yes.
Since you start with a single piece of metal, a forged club will be more solid and the casting process will often create small air bubbles in the liquid metal that will find their way into the club.
That doesn’t necessarily mean a set of forged irons will make your score lower and there is plenty of high-performing, cast irons on the market. Here are three products for you to consider.
1. Callaway Epic Forged
The Callaway Epic Forged Iron is one of the best irons you can use to improve the way you play. What makes these forged clubs very good is the fact that it’s designed through perfect craftsmanship and your counting on the years of experience that Callaway Golf bring to the table.
With this forged set, they integrated a suspended tungsten core and that helps suspend the tungsten weight thanks to a dedicated set of urethane microspheres.
This means you have a controlled launch and distance. You will find that playing is a lot simpler and more convenient, with results being more consistent and overall lower scores on the fairway.
The dedicated 360 face cup has a flexible but shallow rim around the face perimeter. It releases on impact and flexes. The main focus here is to bring in very fastball speed and offer you the utmost efficiency and quality when you play.
Features: This is an innovate, high-end, luxury set of irons. Callaway has used new technology to produce a high-performing, game-improvement option.
The clubs are made from 1025 Carbon Steel and for the first time, Callaway has added their suspended Tungsten core in a forged club. These clubs were considered “Gold” on the 2021 Golf Digest Hot List (game improvement).
An interesting feature for the Callaway Epic Forged Iron is their VFT pattern. The idea with it is that it promotes a very consistent ball speed.
You will also have a great spin rate. But still, everything is under your control and you’re receiving the best value and results with little to no issues.
They also bring this in multiple options, like the Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grips and the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Silver Shaft. Having multiple options is great and it will make the process simpler and more convenient.
Pros:
- Distance – these clubs are long! You can expect to gain a ½ club to a full club with these irons and impress your playing partners.
- High Launch – they will help you get the ball up in the air.
- Premium Grips and Shafts – the stock offerings are high-end.
Cons:
- Price – this is an expensive set, running at around $300 per iron.
- Size – depending on your taste, they are a little bulky.
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2. Cobra King Forged TEC
The Cobra Golf 2021 King Forged Tec Iron Set was created with a single premise, and that’s to boost your golfing game to the next level.
It’s an incredibly dependable and professional product with high-quality results and a very good experience for every customer. Not only is it a pleasure to use, but it comes with a vast range of options to consider.
What you will notice right from the start with the Cobra Golf 2021 King Forged Tec Iron Set is the amazing build quality. It’s designed to be stiff rather than flexible, so it can hit golf balls with better accuracy over the duration of your golf round.
The overall design is impressive – the clubs have a hollow construction. The muscle back shape for this unit is actually hiding a hollow core. This hollow core is the one that brings you controlled distance and a low CG.
Features: The Cobra King Forged Tec are hollow-bodied irons with internal tungsten weight. The inner chamber (hollow-body) is filled with foam microspheres that absorb vibration – this enhances the sound and improves the feel. 2021 Golf Digest Gold Hot List (Players Distance Irons).
Pros:
- Price – reasonable price compared to competitors for this type of iron.
- Distance – ball speed off these irons is above average – high ball flight.
- Same Length Option – if you want to be Bryson DeChambeau, they are offered with one length for all clubs (7-iron length).
Cons:
- Players Club – a beautiful set of irons, but maybe visually intimidating for mid-to-high handicappers.
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3. Mizuno JPX921 Forged Iron Set
When you want to buy a good iron set, you need the best quality and value on the market. and the Mizuno JPX921 Forged Golf Iron Set certainly offers that without any issues. It delivers an incredible experience and the results you receive are really good.
Another thing you will like here is the versatility of the iron set. It’s clearly designed to offer you great accuracy and ease of use. That’s what you need when you use an iron set, and this particular set definitely delivers on that promise. You get the best of both worlds.
Features: Mizuno is universally known as a “better player” club, but the JPX921 Forged is a more forgiving option. Mizuno leverages steel infused with Boron that makes it 30% stronger.
The Mizuno JPX921 Forged Golf Iron Set is very useful because it has a back milled face. It’s basically CNC milled from the sole up, and it comes with a large area without a huge face thickness. This means you can increase the ball speed without issues and that on its own will still offer the true value and quality that you might need.
The clubs also have a stability frame, which opens at the heel portion in order to boost launch and stability. You also get the right sound and vibration upon launch – something that you should take into account with thinking about your next forged iron set.
Pros:
- Look – Mizuno is known for making visually beautiful irons and the JPX921 forged is no exception.
- Forgiveness with feedback – most game-improvement irons can make you sloppy – they cover up a mishit so well, you don’t really know when you caught one perfect. The JPX921 forged is a nice balance for forgiveness + feedback.
Cons:
- A bit bulky – if you are used to over Mizuno models, this one is a bit larger and maybe a turn-off.
- Distance – still solid, but if you are looking to gain yardage with your irons, a different set might be your choice.
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Do I Need a Set of Forged Irons?
It all comes down to what is important to you. Is price a concern? If so, most forged irons will be more expensive than a comparable cast iron set.
Is feel a critical component? Generally speaking, forged irons will provide a better feel and feedback on your game.
That being said, over the last 5 years, the technology related to these two different ways to build irons has gotten closer and closer.
There are forged sets designed for game improvement and cast-iron sets made specifically for professionals.
The Best Forged Iron Set for 2021 is the TaylorMade SIM MAX Irons
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In most cases, if you were handed a club, you wouldn’t be able to tell how it was made.
If you are playing an older set of clubs, you would benefit from the new technology.
You don’t need to be scared of forged irons – make your choice based on feel and appearance. If you don’t like how a club looks at an address, avoid it.
The last thing you need is negative thoughts before you even start your swing, even when are you considering which are the most forgiving forged irons.
Cast vs. Forged is an argument from the past – buy the clubs that you hit the best/feel the best/look the best and shoot low numbers!