#7 DON’T BECOME THE VICTIM OF LOFT

If you’ve bought a new set of irons (from 5-PW) over the last five years, there’s a chance you’ll have a “4-iron” iron in your bag without knowing it... even though the longest iron has a 5 on the sole. Iron lofts have got stronger over the years as manufacturers have milked every last drop of ball speed and carry distance out of new designs. In fact, lofts have become so strong that some 5-irons actually have the same loft you’d expect to find on a 4-iron from a few years ago. Mizuno backed up the thinking by comparing long iron lofts from 15 years ago against their latest JPX919 Hot Metal irons...

2003 MX-20 3-iron = 20° = JPX919 Hot Metal 4-iron (2018)

2003 MX-20 4-iron = 23° = JPX919 Hot Metal 5-iron (2018)

2003 MX-20 5-iron = 26° = JPX919 Hot Metal 6-iron (2018)

What does it mean to you?

Just be aware when getting fitted that you probably won’t be able to hit the long irons from your new set on the day (pros will often use a 6- or 7-iron and won’t have the long irons in stock).

If you can buy individual irons (that’s how Ping, Mizuno and Titleist sell theirs), just buy to the number you know you’re confident using.

Above that look at exploring wider-soled, hollow-body utility irons. They offer more forgiveness and are easier to flight, and you should be able to try them on a fitting day – turn over to see our pick of the best hybrids and utility irons of 2018.