In golf, an iron is a club with a solid metal head, usually featuring a flat, angled face. Irons are among the most versatile clubs in a golfer’s bag and are used for approach shots, tee shots on shorter holes, and recovery shots from difficult lies.
Irons are normally identified by numbers, commonly from 3 through 9. A lower-numbered iron has less loft and is designed to send the ball farther, while a higher-numbered iron produces a higher, shorter shot. Wedges are closely related high-lofted irons, though they are usually named by function or letter rather than by number.
The traditional name reflects the club’s history: early iron heads were forged from iron, while modern heads are commonly made from steel alloys and produced by forging or investment casting. The main mix-up is with woods, which can also have metal heads today; irons are distinguished by their shorter shafts, smaller heads, and flat angled faces.