We have already discussed types of irons according to the handicap system that a golfer should get. However, there are a few types of golf irons in terms of build. Here, we will be discussing Forged and Cast Irons are the most important and commonly used irons. You will also find these two irons debatable as golfers tend to get to know about Forged VS Cast irons.
Now, these two types of irons are different from each other as they both have never been designed equally. It means, there would be a significant difference in their performance and there is no doubt at all. Cast irons are also known as cavity back irons and they both are the same thing.
There have been a lot of myths around these two types of irons and we will also clear them within this guide of Forged VS Cast Irons. Let’s take a detailed look at both of these so you can decide whether forged or cavity back iron is best for you.
Forged VS Cast Irons | Know The Differences & Similarities
There was a time when both forged and cast irons were having a lot of difference which is no longer anymore. Nowadays, you can only tell the difference after personally experiencing your potential clubs other than a detailed review.
They are now pretty much similar in looks, but still, there’s a significant difference when it comes to usability and feel. Both these irons can be used for high and low handicappers but you need to understand the core difference before making a decision. Anyways, let’s start taking a look at differences and similarities.
The Forged Irons
How are they made?
Forged irons are made through forging. These irons are made up of a piece of metal through forging. As a result, you get a one-piece clubhead without any parting-off line. This results in a lot of advantages. First of all, it brings an outstandingly durable iron out of the box.
Secondly, it is a traditional method of manufacturing around the world. Knives and a lot of other stuff are also commonly made through the same process. These irons are formed through a block of metal that could be steel or aluminum.
How’s the feel and usability?
Aluminum forged irons are considerably lightweight and feature almost the same durability as steel ones. However, steel irons are slightly bulky. Physically, this isn’t a lot of difference but it does affect the productivity out there on the course.
Almost every single golf irons brand is now making forged irons. However, the production method may vary in one’s case but the durability would almost be the same every time. Most of the time, forged irons are comparatively expensive. You will notice a huge difference in pricing when comparing two or more forged irons of different brands.
The reason always being the exact manufacturing process or technology. As forged irons are more popular than cast irons, you will see some brands offering forged clubs at significantly lower prices just to sell their clubs. But, they aren’t necessarily the best when it comes to deliverability. Because forging is always an expensive manufacturing technique that involves a lot of variations and factors.
What are some drawbacks of Forged Irons?
As there are a lot of good things about forged irons, it also has some drawbacks. First of all, they are comparatively expensive and you need to be careful about these guys. Then, these irons are the best choice for low handicappers and experienced golfers. Because forged irons are a bit hard to play compared to cavity back irons.
The technical reason for this could be its one-piece construction. Due to this single-piece design, you won’t get a lot of flexibility in its clubhead which will surely affect your performance if you are a beginner. If you are already playing golf for a long time, you can still go for it as you know how to make these irons maneuverable.
The Cast / Cavity-Back Irons
Here’s another champ that you would love in certain or maybe in all cases. Compared to forged irons, this is a modern addition to the golf sport that started a couple of decades ago. These clubs can also be game improvement irons but this still depends on a lot of factors.
How are they made?
These irons are a bit different in manufacturing. Cast irons are made through casting techniques instead of being forged. Here, you will have a pre-made mold with the exact shape, size, and dynamics of a club. In other words, there would be a footprint of an existing clubhead that produces a cavity within a mold.
After getting a required cavity within the mold, the blacksmith now poured liquid metal into it. This could be aluminum or steel depending upon the requirements. This keeps setting down and once it freezes, the blacksmith breaks the mold to get the clubhead out of it. After that, they will remove excess material out of it and polishing takes place after some optimization and quality test.
Compared to forging, it is a slightly easier and cheap production method as irons can be produced in a very large amount. It is quite a simple method that doesn’t require a lot of time to produce. Just a single mold would be more than enough to seamlessly produce 100s of cast irons. This results in lower production, labor, and material costs.
How’s the feel and usability?
Despite having a pretty much similar production technique, people still prefer forged irons over these cavity-back irons. These game-improvement irons feature almost the same build quality with an exception of performance and feel. The molten metal features the same durability as we had in the forged case. These irons are easy to modify as Parametric weightage is already added through this technique. However, they are comparatively lightweight and maneuverable.
The best part is their forgiveness which is almost the same as forged irons. Most of the cavity-back irons come with optimized and reduced-size club heads with a lower center of gravity. With the best Cavity back irons, you will experience a forged feel that would help in mentally improving your productivity of you!
If you are looking to improve your game, these irons are best for people looking to get from high to mid handicappers zone. Their maneuverability makes them unbeatable in this segment as this plays a key role while having a session. Along with that, you will experience higher launch and easy ball flights due to optimized clubheads. This way, beginners and casual users may experience a distant coverage.
What are some drawbacks of Cavity Back Irons?
Now, there are very few drawbacks of cast irons when taking a look at its competitive pricing. You might argue its consistency and bit of accuracy due to the incorporation of a sweet spot for its forgiveness, but you can tackle this by picking the cavity back irons from the golf brands like Taylormade, Callaway, or Cleveland.
Other than that, the feel might not be as much better as you get in forged irons, but it still gets the job done effectively and without any problem. Another drawback could be its limitation towards aggressive shots. As cavity back irons are designed for high and mid handicappers, you shouldn’t be playing aggressive shots with these clubs. Otherwise, the precision and consistency would affect.