Cleveland TA1 Form Forged vs Cleveland TA3 Form Forged

Side-by-side factory specifications. Differing values are highlighted.

Specification comparison

ClubTA1 Form Forged loftTA3 Form Forged loftTA1 Form Forged lieTA3 Form Forged lieTA1 Form Forged lengthTA3 Form Forged length
11716575739.7539.75
21918575839.2539.25
32221585938.7538.75
42524596038.2538.25
52827606137.7537.75
63230.5616237.2537.25
736346262.536.7536.75
84038636336.2536.25
944426463.535.7535.75
PW4846646535.535.5
DW—50—64—35.25
SW—56—64—35

Highlighted cells differ between the two sets. Lofts and lies are factory standard.

Lofts compared

  • TA1 Form Forged
  • TA3 Form Forged
TA1 Form Forged and TA3 Form Forged lofts comparedLine chart of loft in degrees by club for the TA1 Form Forged and the TA3 Form Forged. 1: 17 and 16. 2: 19 and 18. 3: 22 and 21. 4: 25 and 24. 5: 28 and 27. 6: 32 and 30.5. 7: 36 and 34. 8: 40 and 38. 9: 44 and 42. PW: 48 and 46. DW: none and 50. SW: none and 56.10°20°30°40°50°60°123456789PWDWSWTA1 Form Forged 1: 17°TA1 Form Forged 2: 19°TA1 Form Forged 3: 22°TA1 Form Forged 4: 25°TA1 Form Forged 5: 28°TA1 Form Forged 6: 32°TA1 Form Forged 7: 36°TA1 Form Forged 8: 40°TA1 Form Forged 9: 44°TA1 Form Forged PW: 48°TA3 Form Forged 1: 16°TA3 Form Forged 2: 18°TA3 Form Forged 3: 21°TA3 Form Forged 4: 24°TA3 Form Forged 5: 27°TA3 Form Forged 6: 30.5°TA3 Form Forged 7: 34°TA3 Form Forged 8: 38°TA3 Form Forged 9: 42°TA3 Form Forged PW: 46°TA3 Form Forged DW: 50°TA3 Form Forged SW: 56°Loft
Lofts differ on 10 of the 10 clubs the two sets share. A lower point is a stronger loft.

What the differences mean

At the 7-iron, the TA1 Form Forged is 36° and the TA3 Form Forged is 34°, a 2° gap. Each degree of loft is worth roughly 3 to 4 yards of carry at the same swing speed, so the TA3 Form Forged should carry roughly 6 to 8 yards further with that club, on a slightly lower, shallower flight than the TA1 Form Forged. Across the 10 clubs both sets share, the TA3 Form Forged averages 1.4° stronger, with the largest gap at the 7-iron (36° vs 34°). The pitching wedges are 48° and 46°; the stronger one leaves a 4° jump to a 50° gap wedge, which matters when planning wedge gapping. Beyond loft, the TA1 Form Forged 7-iron sits 0.5° flatter (62° vs 62.5°), which nudges start direction slightly right for a right-hander.

The sets are built differently: the TA1 Form Forged runs 1-iron to PW (10 clubs), the TA3 Form Forged 1-iron to SW (12 clubs).

The TA1 Form Forged is a blade iron and the TA3 Form Forged a players iron, so they sit one step apart on the forgiveness scale. The TA3 Form Forged is the more forgiving design, with a wider sole, more offset and more perimeter weighting for roughly scratch to 10 handicaps. The TA1 Form Forged trades some of that for a more compact head, thinner topline and more control over flight and shape, which suits low single-digit handicaps who strike the ball consistently.

The TA1 Form Forged is listed as forged muscle back and the TA3 Form Forged as forged shallow cavity back with VAS vibration damping. The TA1 Form Forged's muscle-back shape keeps mass directly behind the strike for feedback and control, where a cavity spreads it to the perimeter for forgiveness.

Both sets were introduced in 2000, so this is a choice between two models from the same lineup rather than an upgrade: Cleveland designed them to sit side by side for different players.

Which should you choose?

The TA3 Form Forged is the stronger-lofted set — up to 2° stronger than the TA1 Form Forged on matching clubs. Expect longer carry per numbered iron but a flatter descent angle; gapping at the wedge end is where that shows up.

Both charts are reproduced in full on their own pages: Cleveland TA1 Form Forged specs and Cleveland TA3 Form Forged specs.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Cleveland TA1 Form Forged stronger lofted than the TA3 Form Forged?

No. The TA3 Form Forged is the stronger-lofted set: its 7-iron is 34° against 36° for the Cleveland TA1 Form Forged, 2° stronger and worth roughly 6 to 8 yards of extra carry.

What is the loft difference between the Cleveland TA1 Form Forged and TA3 Form Forged?

At the 7-iron the difference is 2° (36° vs 34°). The largest gap on a shared club is 2° at the 7-iron, and all 10 shared clubs differ.

Which is better for higher handicap golfers, the Cleveland TA1 Form Forged or the TA3 Form Forged?

The TA3 Form Forged. As a players iron it is the more forgiving design, suited to roughly scratch to 10 handicaps. The Cleveland TA1 Form Forged is a blade iron, better suited to low single-digit handicaps who strike the ball consistently.

Do the Cleveland TA1 Form Forged and TA3 Form Forged have the same lie and length?

Not exactly. At the 7-iron the Cleveland TA1 Form Forged is 62° lie and 36.75 inches, the TA3 Form Forged 62.5° and 36.75 inches. Both can be bent or built to your own fit.

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