Pick the components you want, with our advanced customizer, to create the PC you’ve always dreamed of. 2 Pocket Pages Pack of 30-3.75' x 5.25' Pocket - 6' x 8' Page Size - Fits Mini Binder 3 Ring Binders Planners and Monster Card Binder - Holds Monster Cards 3.5x5 Index Cards Coupons. This iron, mined deep underground and known for its effectiveness against demons and fey creatures, is forged at a lower temperature to preserve its delicate properties. Weapons made of cold iron cost twice as much to make as their normal counterparts. Also, adding any magical enhancements to a cold iron weapon increases its price by 2,000 gp. The 5 iron is 2.5 degrees stronger than my 4 iron. Is anybody going to call this BS and say that length is irrelevant from iron testing. Forgiveness is definitely important, and my irons are definitely less forgiving, and I would very much like a really forgiving iron with traditional lofts, but seems to be a thing of the past. 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.

There is a lot of debate over whether forged irons are truly “better” (whatever that means) than cast irons. So… what is the difference?

First, let’s get one thing straight. More player irons are forged, and more game improvement irons are cast. Therefore, there is a direct correlation between the two iron characteristics, especially when we are talking about very high level, general concepts and relationships. Anyway, let’s keep this discussion about forged vs cast irons, not player’s irons vs game improvement irons.

Please note that all links/pictures that you click on (at the bottom of the article) will take you to the eBay listings for each set of irons.

Here are some simple bullet lists for those that want a high level explanation about the two iron making processes.

Forged irons

• Starts as a solid piece of metal
• Heated up and beat by a large hammer-like machine into the correct shape and loft
• results in improved consistency (less air bubbles –> better distance control)
• results in a more pleasant vibrations when hit (better feel)
• less iron sets are forged (~10%)
• often times used in players irons
• typically more expensive due to more difficult process

Cast irons

• Starts as a liquid metal form
• Poured into a mold
• results in the ability to add more components (extra weighting, more creative cavities)
• typically results in a less pleasant, louder sounding vibration (less feel)
• most iron sets are cast (~90%)
• typically used in a game improvement iron
• typically less expensive due to simpler process

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So should you play cast or forged irons? Is one better for durability? What about feel? Distance control? Is one better for lower handicappers? Is one better for those that struggle with ball striking?

Short answer: It varies from player to player. If you want better feel and better distance control, pick a forged set of irons. If you want a (typically) cheaper set that is focused more on distance and durability, then get a cast set of irons. These are all generalizations which, although are typically true, have many exceptions.

Long answer: You’ll have to decide which common characteristics are more important to you.

Here are all of the different characteristics of a set of irons and how they are affected by whether a club was made from a casting process of a forging process.

• Feel: in general, forged irons feel/sound better at impact. However, many cast irons feel great as well, as it is more so affected by club shape (forged are typically more compact) and weight placement (forged have the weight more focused behind the center of the club; less spread out).
• Distance: the process of making the iron (cast vs. forged) has no impact on the distance a ball will travel. If anything, forged clubs typically have weaker lofts than cast irons. That means that a forged 6 iron might be the same loft of a cast 5 iron. This all depends on the manufacturer and the specs associated with the irons. A 40 degree lofted cast iron will go the same distance as a 40 degree lofted forged iron, no matter what number is stamped on the bottom of the clubs.
• Durability/maintenance: forged clubs typically require more maintenance (just checking lofts and lies to make sure nothing has shifted). Forged clubs typically get dinged up more and rust easier than cast irons, as they are “softer.” However, it’s worth noting that you are not going to wear out forged irons so quickly that you don’t feel like you get your money’s worth. Forged irons get discolored (they form “impact spots”) quicker and more drastically than cast irons, but that doesn’t mean that the grooves are worn out.
• Distance control: The different club head manufacturing processes (forged vs. cast) does not affect launch or impact at all, unless the face springs during impact. The face springs at impact when there is an imperfection in the club making process, such as tiny air bubbles in the casting process. Forged clubs are made of more tightly compacted metal, which will lead to better distance control. Let’s be clear though, these differences are small. Plus, if you are not hitting it close to the center of the face on a forged club, your distance control will be less consistent than hitting it on the center of the face of a cast iron.
• Forgiveness: this is more so a factor of players irons vs game improvement irons, less so about forged vs. cast irons. Forgiveness comes more from perimeter weighting and the sole design. It’s not affected by how the club is made. Cast iron clubs are typically game improvement clubs though, so cast irons are typically pretty forgiving.
• Launch angle/trajectory/spin: not affected by cast vs forged. Affected more by loft, weight placement, and groove depth/placement.

1) Forged irons are only for better players

Not true at all. Forged irons are for anyone that wants an improved sound/feel at impact, as well as better distance control on average.

Besides those that want to play golf professionally, golf is all about having as much fun as possible. If you have more fun with a set of forged muscle back irons, then you rock those clubs and be proud of ’em!

There are plenty of low handicap players playing with forged clubs, and (most of them) are aware that they are not great golfers. On that same note, many great players are using cast irons, fully aware of the fact that forged irons are typically touted for their better distance control and feel.

2) You can only become so good while using cast irons

Very wrong. There are lots of great cast iron sets that are meant for better players.

Lots of incredible golfers have never used a forged set in their lives. They might be brand loyal (Ping comes to mind), or they might just be comfortable with the feel of cast irons. Many cast iron clubs made in the past 5-10 years have nearly just as good (maybe even better) distance control and “feel” than the average forged iron.

3) Cast irons feel/sound bad at impact

Nope. Golf manufacturers have made many improvements in the club making process in the past decade. They can make soft feeling cast irons, and hard feeling forged irons. There are so many things that come into play when determining how a club “feels” at impact.

A lot of what we “feel” is determined by the sound and the vibrations that are spread to our hands after a shot. It is very hard to quantify feel. On average, yes, cast irons don’t feel as good as forged irons. However, many cast irons feel better than the average forged iron. It depends on a wide array of characteristics (club shape and weight placement).

The Lowest Priced Set of Forged Irons: Wilson Staff FG Tour V6

If you are looking for the lowest priced forged irons that you can buy today, check out the Wilson Tour FG V6 irons. They are way more expensive than I typically recommend, but these are a great set of irons.

I think the best way to describe these clubs in one sentence would be: the best mix of forgiveness and price. They feel great at impact, but not as soft as the other two forged sets that I mention here.

For a players iron, though, they are both long and forgiving. For that reason, I think it’s a great entry level players iron. Many golfers would like the more compact look of this iron but would be afraid of the loss in forgiveness. That shouldn’t be a problem with this set though.

The Best Value Forged Iron Set: Callaway Apex Pro

The best value irons sets are always the ones that were the hottest releases a few years back. For that reason, the Callaway Apex Pro irons are a great option for the best budget forged irons.

These clubs are the best mix of distance, feel, and price. They are a little less forgiving than the Wilson set listed above, but they are much longer (partly due to stronger lofts). Callaway has always been focused on distance, and it shows… this is one of the longest players irons that have ever been released.

Feel wise, if you really hit it dead center on the face, it feels like you hardly hit the ball. Such an incredible feeling. A feeling that I wish I could have experienced longer than a demo day at a local club. Let’s just say I hit a few more balls with these clubs than the rep initially anticipated 🙂

The #1 Overall Forged Irons: TaylorMade 2018 P790

If you can afford the best of the best, then you should take a look at the TaylorMade P790 forged irons. They are such a sleek & sexy looking set of irons.

If you want the best mix of distance, feel, and overall appearance, this is the set for you. It’ll cost you a pretty penny, but it will be well worth it in the end.

This is a great club for someone looking for some more feedback and feel on their shots. A well struck shot feels incredible, and the forgiveness isn’t bad for such a compact iron.

The Underpriced Set of Cast Irons: Wilson Staff D200

This set of Wilson Staff D200 irons, although not a flashy or super attractive set, is a great option for those looking to save some money. They are very forgiving and long, but not much else besides those two. What more do you want in a set though? If you want more than that, you’ll have to pay a tad bit more unfortunately.

This is a pretty bulky set of irons, so I would recommend it to someone that is an average or below average ball striker. I’m not going to get into the gimmicky technology that Wilson boats about these irons. Just know that they are focused on longer shots and more forgiveness across the entire club face. If you are an above average ball striker, I’d recommend getting a slightly less forgiving set of irons focused more on distance control.

The Best Budget Cast Irons: Cleveland CBX Launcher

Cleveland irons, even more so than Wilson irons, are super underrated. Cleveland makes INCREDIBLE wedges, but they make super high quality irons as well, both for better ball strikers and those that want a more forgiving set. This set of Cleveland CBX Launcher irons is a a great mix between the two.

These irons are forgiving, but provide decent feel and control as well. The perimeter weighting on the sole of the back of the club is great for increased launch angles, so it’s great for someone that struggles hitting the ball high enough.

Compared to the TaylorMade irons listed below, these are a great value set of irons. Priced far below $1,000, this is one of the best deals so far this year.

The Best Overall Cast Iron Set: TaylorMade M4

TaylorMade M4 clubs have been a huge hit so far this year. Their woods fly forever, and the TaylorMade M4 irons follow suit. This set is focused on distance and forgiveness, and it excels in each category.

So, if you can afford the best of the best, this is the set for you! I can’t say the irons feel incredible, but it’s a set perfect for those that don’t always hit the center of the face.

If you can find a longer and more forgiving set of clubs, I want to hear about them!

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.

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….

Article Content

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:

1. 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.
2. The forged process produces a more consistent club, with better feel, while the casting process.
3. Allows the club maker to add more components (weights, cavities, etc.) – these additional components can often help the manufacturer produce “game improvement” clubs.
4. 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.

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.

Iron Forged Gaming Mouse

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:

Iron Forged Gaming Chairs

• Price – this is an expensive set, running at around $300 per iron.
• Size – depending on your taste, they are a little bulky.

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.

Mizuno JPX919 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 JPX919 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 JPX919 Forged is a more forgiving option. Mizuno leverages steel infused with Boron that makes it 30% stronger.

The Mizuno JPX919 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 JPX919 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 JPX919 forged is a nice balance for forgiveness + feedback.

Iron Forged Gaming Pc

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.

Iron Forge Gaming

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 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. 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 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!