Irons feature thin clubheads and grooved faces. Accomplished players might choose a "muscleback" or "blade" style of iron, whereas beginners and most recreational players will want a "cavity back" style.
The difference is that a blade-style features a full back on the rear of the clubhead, whereas a cavity back is exactly that: the rear of the clubhead is, to a certain degree, hollowed out. This creates an effect known as "perimeter weighting," which is helpful to less-accomplished players.
Each club has a little less loft than the next and a little longer shaft length than the next, so each club goes a little farther than the next. That is, a 3-iron has less loft than a 4-iron, which has less loft than a 5-iron, and so on. Also, a 3-iron is a little longer than a 4-iron, which is a little longer than a 5-iron, and so on. Therefore, a 3-iron will go a little farther than a 4-iron, which will go a little farther than a 5-iron, on through the pitching wedge.
Also, as you move through the set to the shorter, more lofted clubs, the resulting shots will have a steeper trajectory; shots will rise at a steeper angle and fall at a steeper angle.
Two other irons, the 1-iron and 2-iron, as ping g15 irons, are often offered for separate purchase. As a beginner, you'll want to steer clear of both of these. With their thin clubheads, very little loft and longer shafts, 1- and 2-irons are difficult clubs for recreational players to master. (In fact, many experts will recommend that beginners and recreational players also stay away from 3-irons and 4-irons, replacing them with utility clubs or fairway woods.)
Irons are generally categorized as long irons, mid-irons and short irons. Long irons are the 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-irons; mid-irons, the 5-, 6- and 7-irons; short irons, the 8- and 9-irons and pitching wedge.
For most amateurs, the short irons are easier to hit than the mid-irons, which are easier to hit than the long irons. Without getting too technical, the reason is that as loft increases and shaft length decreases, a club becomes easier to master. A shorter shaft makes a club easier to control in the swing (think of baseball where a batter will "choke up" on the bat - essentially, shorten the bat - when he's simply trying to make contact rather than swing for the fences). More loft helps get the ball airborne and adds a little more control to the shot.
Learning your distances - how far you hit each club - is much more important than trying to hit each club to some predetermined "correct" yardage. There is no "right" distance for each club, there is only your distance. That said, a typical male recreational golfer might hit a 4-, 5- or 6- iron from 150 yards, while a typical female might use a 3-wood, 5-wood or 3-iron from that distance. (Beginners often overestimate how far they are "supposed" to hit each club because they watch the professionals blasting 220-yard 5-irons. No matter what the commercial says, you are not Tiger Woods! Pro players are in a different universe; do not compare yourself to them.)
Irons can be played from the teeing ground, using a tee, and it is often appropriate to do so. On a par-3, for example, you will probably use an iron on your tee shot. Or you might use an iron off any (or even every) tee in order to have better control over the shot.
But most of your iron shots will come from the fairway. Irons are designed with divots in mind. Like callaway diablo edge irons.That's why they have a leading edge that is somewhat sharply rounded. If you take a shot with an iron and dig up a chunk of turf, don't feel bad. Maybe you dug up too much turf, but it is entirely appropriate to take a divot with an iron played from the fairway.
That is because iron shots are played with the ball positioned so that it is struck on the downswing. That is, the club is still descending when it makes contact with the ball (for the proper ball position, see the article "Setup for Success").
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I purchased these to have something more forgiving since I was playing Ping I3 blades. Since I don't play as often I decided to buy something that would dampen mishit. I have a personal driving range and I found that my swing fault followed me, go figure :) Anyway, my 1st round was a disaster, but it wasn't the clubs. After the disaster I practiced all week with them, along with a major revision in my setup and shot 73 in my second round with them. So, they were redeemed. One thing I've noticed is that the offset is hidden well in the design of the club. I have never cared for offset, but it's almost invisible in this club. They feel really good in my hands and the thicker sole from the Ping's now seem normal.