Game-improvement irons are a forgiveness-first category built with a wide sole, thick topline, and deep perimeter or heel-toe weighting to widen the effective hitting area for off-center strikes. Modern versions also lean on stronger lofts to add distance — a game-improvement 7-iron now commonly carries 28–30 degrees of loft versus the 34–35 degrees a traditional 7-iron carried a generation ago — paired with more offset to help square the face through impact and a wide, cambered sole that resists digging on fat strikes. The trade-off is a bigger, less workable head and less spin control than a players iron, which is why fitters steer higher-handicap and moderate-swing-speed golfers here first.