The BEST Golf Clubs of 2021
Choosing a new set of golf clubs can be an intimidating process. There are so many sets of golf irons out there boasting new technology that claim to be the best golf clubs ever. Sorting through all of the marketing gimmicks and getting down to exactly which golf irons are the best golf clubs for your game is exactly what this review is intended to do. We haven’t received any of these golf clubs for free, we don’t get paid by these companies, and we’re not out here to sell you a bunch of garbage. Our best golf clubs review is meant to save you some time and to get the right golf clubs in your hand for your game. With that said, here are our recommendations for the best golf irons of 2021.
The Best Golf Clubs of 2021 are:
- TaylorMade M4 Irons (best game improvement golf clubs)
- Mizuno JPX 900 Forged Irons (best golf clubs for intermediate golfers)
- Callaway Epic Irons (best new luxury golf clubs)
- Callaway Rogue Irons (best game improvement irons for distance)
- TaylorMade M3 Irons (best intermediate golf clubs for distance)
- Mizuno JPX 919 Tour Irons (best golf clubs for max feel and responsiveness)
- Titleist AP3 Irons (most improved golf irons)
- King Utility Iron (best utility golf iron)
- Cobra King Pro Irons (best golf clubs for style)
The most important thing to remember when picking the best golf clubs for your game is that golf technology is meant to make the game easier, not harder. Just like our best golf ball reviews, we encourage you to choose the best golf clubs for YOUR game. We do not encourage you to choose golf clubs simply because of the way they look or because you shot in the mid-low 80s that one time on that one easy course that you always play. Taking even the best golf clubs onto the course that are too advanced for you will lead to a stressful round of golf. As the great poet Bubba Watson famously said, “golf is hard.”
We encourage you to explore our reviews and err on the side of cavity back irons when making your selection. We hope that these best golf clubs reviews are helpful and allow you to lower your scores out there. If there are golf clubs that you want us to review that you don’t see here – please leave a comment. We love to hear from you guys. Swing well!
More Golf Iron Reviews:
Not all golf irons can make our top list. However, there are plenty that are still some of the best golf irons available and deserve a review. Below are some other great golf irons that you may want to learn more about:
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- TaylorMade P750 Tour Proto Irons
- Srixon Z355 Irons
- Callaway Big Bertha Oversized (OS) Irons
- Titleist AP1 718 Irons
- King Forged Tour Irons
- Callaway Steelhead XR Pro Irons
- Taylormade M2 Golf Irons
- King Oversized Irons
- Mizuno MP5 Irons
- Taylormade M1 Golf Irons
- Callaway Apex Utility Irons
- Ping G25 Irons
- Callaway XR OS Irons
- Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons
- Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons
- King F7 Irons
- Ping G30 Irons
- Mizuno JPX 900 Hot Metal Irons
- Ping G Irons
- Mizuno MP25 Irons
Mizuno JPX 919 Tour Irons
When you think about the best golf irons Mizuno may not be the first brand that comes to mind. Equipment giants Callaway, Ping, Titleist, and TaylorMade will probably pop up first, but this is only because they heavily engage in marketing to brainwash you into buying their clubs. If you’re trying to figure out which golf irons are the highest quality, Mizuno irons should be at the top of your list. Mizuno irons are arguably the best-engineered and reasonably priced irons that money can buy. A host of PGA Tour players that are equipment free agents play Mizuno irons by choice. Paul Casey and most notably back-to-back US Open champion Brooks Koepka both have a set of Mizuno irons in the bag by choice. With the Mizuno JPX 919 Tour irons, Mizuno has raised the bar again.
How these golf irons are made
The Mizuno JPX 919 Tour irons are packed with industry-leading technology. They are forged from high-quality mild carbon Japanese steel. A single billet of steel gets used in the forging process. The forging process is a high-density forging process that concentrates the grain in the steel. This results in a tightly forged clubhead that delivers incredible forgiveness and control. Mizuno really focuses on precision more than anything else. Don’t look to Mizuno to market a 7-iron that flies the ball 210, that simply not what this company is into.
Mizuno JPX 919 Tour Aesthetic
The top edge of the Mizuno JPX 919 Tour irons is narrowed to match the look and grind of the best golf irons used by tour players. The top edge of these irons measures 4.6mm. This constitutes a 10% reduction when compared to previous designs. The Mizuno JPX 919 Tour irons are very stable. The clubhead has a stability frame in its design that is open at the heel section, which is meant to enhance stability and launch while reducing vibration. The Mizuno JPX 919 Tour irons were designed to look like tour preferred irons. They feature a sleek overall design with a very thin top edge. If you didn’t like the blue numbering and Mizuno logo placement on the JPX 900 irons, you may like the look of these a bit more.
Golf Club Specs
The Mizuno JPX 919 Tour irons feature a standard setup. The 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft which is the industry standard for tour preferred irons. A variety of shaft options are available to choose from when ordering a set of JPX 919 Tour irons. One of the best aspects of buying Mizuno irons is that you can upgrade to the premium shaft options free of charge.
Feel
The JPX 919 Tour irons are rumored to be some of the most forgiving tour preferred irons currently available on the market. This unbelievable feel is achieved by using 1025E pure select mild carbon steel for the clubhead design. The high-density forging process that gets used in manufacturing also contributes to precise feedback and great feel with every shot.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
It depends. Are you a low single-digit handicapper? If you are, continue; if not, stop here and check out some of our other best golf club reviews. For single-digit handicap golfers who value feedback and feel above all else, the JPX 919 Tour irons may be the best golf clubs for you. These irons sacrifice on the distance a bit (when compared to similar category irons), but the trajectory, shape, and power behind each shot. They’re principally designed to reward precise contact and to tell the operator of the club exactly how s/he struck it – especially on off-center hits.
Pros
- Phenomenal feel
- Great design
- Shaft Upgrades
Cons
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- No left-handed option
- Loss of a bit of distance over the JPX 900s
- Loss of a bit of spin when compared to the JPX 900s
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TaylorMade M3 Irons
Similar to last year, with the Taylormade M2 and M1 irons, Taylormade has designed a golf club for an improving player who wants a sleek golf iron with innovative forgiveness. TaylorMade has designed and produced some of the best golf irons in the game recently and they’re still adding to that growing list. One of the latest additions to their family is the Taylormade M3 golf iron.
These golf irons are the predecessor to last year’s Taylormade M1 irons. They’re built for distance, very forgiving, and designed for bogey golfers or better. We’d place these irons somewhere between the Taylormade P790s and the Taylormade M4s in terms of forgiveness. A lot of the technology found in the Taylormade M1 is found in the M3 with a few differences that make this golf club even longer. Let’s take a look at what puts the Taylormade M3 irons near the top of our best golf club list.
Design
The Taylormade M3 golf irons feature a smaller profile with a thinner sole and topline. This gives them a nice look from the top line without that clunky feel we all want to avoid. At address they look clean and the back of the clubhead doesn’t feature any loud colors or over-the-top branding that will go out of style by the end of the year. Taylormade’s minimal design and classic look is great for golfers looking to play these irons for a few years.
RIBCOR Technology
The M3 irons feature TaylorMade’s new breakthrough iron innovation called RibCOR. RibCOR technology promotes a longer, higher, and straighter ball flight by reducing the penalty suffered on mishits. In engineering speak, RibCOR technology increases the coefficient of resolution (COR) throughout the entire surface of the clubface. This makes the golf club far more forgiving by increasing the amount of energy that is transferred from the golf club to the golf ball on off-center shots. This increased forgiveness is accomplished by placing two bars on either side of the clubface (as seen above). Placing these bars on the outer portions of the clubface increases the flex of the face, which in turn increases COR.
TaylorMade M3 Golf Iron Specs
| CLUB | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PW | AW | SW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOFT | 18.0° | 20.5° | 23.0° | 26.5° | 30.5° | 35.0° | 40.0° | 45.0° | 50.0° | 55.0° |
| LIE | 60.5° | 61° | 61.5° | 62° | 62.5° | 63° | 63.5° | 64° | 64° | 64.5° |
| OFFSET | 3.3MM | 3.1MM | 2.9MM | 2.7MM | 2.5MM | 2.2MM | 2.0MM | 1.8MM | 1.6MM | 1.0MM |
| LENGTH | 38.75" | 38.25" | 37.75" | 37.25" | 36.75" | 36.25" | 35.75" | 35.5" | 35.5" | 35.25" |
| BOUNCE | 1.0° | 1.5° | 2.0° | 2.5° | 3.0° | 4.5° | 7.0° | 10.0° | 10.5° | 9.0° |
| SWING WEIGHT (ST/GR) | D2 / C9 | D2 / C9 | D2 / C9 | D2 / C9 | D2 / C9 | D2 / C9 | D2 / D0 | D2.5 / D0.5 | D2.5 / D0.5 | D4.5 / D3 |
Speed Pocket
The Taylormade M3 golf irons also feature speed pockets. These speed pockets are designed to increase ball speed at impact by also increasing the flexibility around the clubface. You may be noticing a theme here. Taylormade has really focused its efforts on making its drivers and golf irons flexible around the clubface this season. This flexibility is meant to make these golf clubs more forgiving.
Tungsten Weights
The Taylormade M3’s feature 15-gram tungsten weights to optimize the center of gravity. The result of this optimal center of gravity is improved launch and stability.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
If you’re better than a bogey golfer but not a single digit handicapper and you’re looking to hit the ball further, these may be the best golf clubs for you. They’re aesthetically pleasing and will add yards to your game on every club. However, if you’re looking for maximum forgiveness, you may want to check out the Taylormade M4 irons. The Taylormade M3 irons are made for golfers that want distance, but also like feel and may be looking to shape a shot or control trajectory from time to time.
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TaylorMade M4 Irons
TaylorMade’s M4 irons are currently the longest irons in the TaylorMade lineup. If you’re looking for distance and forgiveness, these may be the best golf clubs for you. The Taylormade M4 irons are the follow-up to the TaylorMade M2s released last year. The M2s were extremely popular so it’s no surprise that TaylorMade kept a lot of the features that made the M2s popular. Just like the M2s, the Taylormade M4 irons are very forgiving and are packed with technology that promotes a straight and penetrating ball flight. These irons are game improvement irons (just like the M2s), which means they are meant to get the ball high in the air and to minimize the penalty of a miss-hit. With that said, let’s take a look at the technology that powers the TaylorMade M4.
Design
The Taylormade M4 golf irons are a fairly sleek set of cavity backs. These golf clubs feature a smaller profile with a thinner sole and top line than most traditional cavity back irons. This gives them a nice look from the top line and avoids that clunky look that tends to really stand out after you’ve played with a set of golf clubs for a couple of rounds. At address, they look clean, but in your bag, they look great too. The back of the clubhead doesn’t feature loud colors or over-the-top branding that will go out of style by the end of the year. Taylormade’s minimal design and classic look is great for golfers looking to play these irons for a few years.
RIBCOR Technology
The M4 irons feature TaylorMade’s latest iron technology, RibCOR. RibCOR technology increases ball speed by centralizing the flexibility of the golf club in the clubface. The localization of face flexibility within the clubface ensures that more energy is transferred to the golf ball at impact. As you might have guessed, a more efficient energy transfer leads to increased distance. For golfers looking for more distance and height when hitting irons, these golf clubs are worth testing.
Specs
| CLUB | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PW | AW | SW | LW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOFT | 19.0° | 21.5° | 25° | 28.5° | 33.0° | 38.0° | 43.5° | 49.0° | 54.0° | 59.0° |
| LIE | 61.5° | 62° | 62.5° | 63° | 63.5° | 64° | 64.5° | 64.5° | 64.5° | 64.5° |
| OFFSET | 5.8MM | 5.2MM | 4.7MM | 3.9MM | 3.5MM | 3.0MM | 2.6MM | 1.8MM | 1.5MM | 1.5MM |
| STEEL LENGTH | 38.88" | 38.25" | 37.63" | 37.00" | 36.50" | 36.00" | 35.50" | 35.50" | 35.25" | 35.00" |
| LEFT HAND | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | NO |
| SWINGWEIGHT (ST/GR) | D2 / D0 | D2 / D0 | D2 / D0 | D2 / D0 | D2 / D0.5 | D2 / D1 | D2 / D1 | D2.5 / D1 | D3.5 / D2.5 | D4 / D3 |
Speed Pocket and Face Slots
Most golfers struggle to consistently hit shots off of the middle of the clubface on a regular basis. Even golfers that are single digit handicappers have trouble with striking it pure consistently. If you struggle with consistent ball striking, you should know that you have plenty of company. The M4 irons feature Speed Pocket and Face Slot technology that assist in reducing the margin of error on miss-hit shots. Both Speed Pocket and Face Slot technology enhance face flexibility (a theme wtih the M4 if you haven’t noticed) in areas of the golf club where golfers commonly miss-hit their irons. This enhances allows the golf ball to maintain its speed after impact reducing the amount of distance that you loose on a poorly struck iron shot. Essentially, it can mean the difference between being on the green and being in the greenside bunker.
Low Center of Gravity (CG)
The TaylorMade M4 irons feature a low center of gravity. It’s CG is, in part, due to the fluted hosels that you can see on the image above. Removing the weight in the hosel area allowed TaylorMade to re-allocate it in the clubhead. The result is an improved CG that improves launch, spin, and forgiveness.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The TaylorMade M4 irons are a great follow-up to the popular M2 irons. The TaylorMade M4 irons are crazy long, forgiving, and inspire confidence from their sleek design. TaylorMade played it smart with these irons and kept most of the technology that made the M2s extremely popular. If you’re looking for a set of irons that will help you get the ball in the air and will minimize distance loss on off-center strikes, these may be the best golf clubs for you.
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TaylorMade M2 Irons
The TaylorMade M2 irons are probably one of the most popular irons on the market right now. These things are flying off of the shelves. Part of that is probably due to the relentless marketing that TaylorMade is brain washing us with. But the other reason is that these irons really are the best cavity backs available.
If you lack a bit of experience playing golf, these are the best golf clubs that you can buy. These clubs are a great option for golfers ready to move beyond their first set of off-brand clubs. The TaylorMade M2 golf clubs are designed to get the ball into the air, to fly straight, and to fly far. They are game improvement clubs that are intended to make the game easier and more enjoyable for more people. If you’re ready for a new set, but want a lot of forgiveness in your set of golf clubs, these are the best golf clubs for you. Not to mention, these golf clubs are very affordable when compared to their competition.
What Do The M2s Do?
One of the basic challenges that most golfers face on the golf course is getting the ball into the air. Getting the ball to fly high is a critical element of maximizing distance and landing the ball softly on the green. If you can’t get the ball in the air, you’re not going to have fun on the golf course. However, hitting the ball high is easier said than done. You can’t expect to step onto the course and immediately hit a towering 9-iron 140 yards. If you make poor contact with the ball, or if you have a low swing speed, you may find that it’s difficult to hit the ball high enough to maximize distance and attack your targets. This is exactly what the TaylorMade M2s are designed to help you with.
But remember, nothing will improve your game like understanding and implementing sound fundamentals. Don’t expect miracles out of inanimate objects. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own golf swing. These golf clubs will simply help you play better golf by not penalizing you for poorly struck shots as much as other golf clubs will. They will not magically help you swing play really good golf. With that said, lets get into the specifics.
Built for Height – and Distance
These should be considered distance irons, as it is plain to see from their design that they are meant to help you hit the ball far. The weighting of these golf clubs is designed to get the ball to fly high into the air- a critical element of distance. They also feature large cavity backs on the clubheads, which maximize forgiveness. When a club launches the ball high and reduces the negative effects of mishits, you’ll hit the ball farther and straighter more often.
These golf clubs feature face slots that make the clubhead more forgiving by preserving ball speed even on mishit shots. This face slot technology is a new addition to the M2 line of golf clubs and golfers love it.
Fluted Hosels
It is amazing to see the subtle details that go into modern club designs. Thanks to the technologies that are available today, club designers are able to dissect the importance of each specific element of a club, and then refine that element to make sure it is living up to its potential. A great example of this concept is the fluted hosel on the M2 irons. If you look closely at the hosel of the M2 irons, you’ll see the fluted technology. Essentially, this means that material has been taken away from the hosel portion of the golf club to reduce its weight. It is estimated that the fluted design saves a total of five grams whem compared to a traditional hosel. While that might not sound like a lot, every little bit helps when trying to lower the center of gravity and increase the trajectory the golf ball.
Super-Strong Lofts
The M2 irons are distance irons. Because of this, TaylorMade has used strong lofts for these golf clubs. This means that the typical degree of loft used for a nine iron may be used for the pitching wedge. While the length of each club won’t change, the degrees of loft will. This will allow the golfer to hit each club further. For example, the loft on the PW for the M2 golf clubs is just 43.5’’, which is low by pitching wedge standards. However, the design of these golf clubs launches the ball high into the air, so you won’t have to worry about hitting line drives. Instead, a lower loft can be used and additional distance can be achieved.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The TaylorMade M2 irons are the best golf clubs on the market for golfers looking to buy a nice set for the first time. They are forgiving, launch the ball high, and maximize distance. All of these characteristics help golfers that are starting to play golf more regularly but haven’t lowered their handicap significantly. Without question, these are the best golf clubs on the market for entry level players.
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TaylorMade M1 Irons
TaylorMade has never been afraid to use the latest in technology when manufacturing golf clubs. They constantly strive to be on the cutting edge to provide golfers with any conceivable (legal) advantage. Some golfers love this because it makes the game easier, other golfers hate this because it’t not “traditional.” Regardless of which side of the line you fall on, the M1 irons are unmistakably some of the best golf clubs for golfers who want plenty of forgiveness. These golf clubs are a smaller and sleeker version of TaylorMade’s M2 line of golf clubs.
Overview
Overall, these golf clubs inspire confidence, get the ball into the air and on target, and are some of the best golf clubs money can buy. They are a great option for players looking to move on from their massive cavity backs, but still need forgiveness. They only criticism we came across is that these golf clubs don’t look as sleek as one might like. However, this is subjective and we like the look and feel of the golf club.
A Golf Club for the Middle Man
The M1 irons occupy an increasingly popular space within the iron market. They are somewhere between bladed forged irons and cavity backs. With this blended design, they are much easier to hit than blades, yet they offer the playability that improving golfers desire. Compared to the M2s, the M1s allow golfers to work the ball more and to hit lower trajectory controlled shots. The M2 line is specifically designed to maximize height, distance, and forgiveness. However, the M2 line is meant to straddle the line between pure workability with a little forgiveness.
Design
As we mentioned, we like the look of the M1 line. It does its best to have a thin top line and to avoid the “clunky” look associated with pure cavity back irons. Making a golf club look sleek when its purpose is to be (in part) forgiving is a difficult task. The technology that TaylorMade included in this golf club to make it easier to hit also makes the golf club look like less of a traditional blade. While some golfers think that TaylorMade missed the mark here, we disagree. They’ve woven in the technology of the tungsten toe and slotted sole with the golf club head without overpowering it with a cyborg-like look.
The heads of these irons start off small with the wedges and get a little larger as the clubs get longer. These golf clubs also have more offset in the long irons. However, none of these features are overwhelming from a visual perspective and most golfers should be happy with the appearance of these golf clubs.
Speed Slots and More
TaylorMade used a feature on the M1s that has been included in some of the other popular TaylorMade irons. TaylorMade is no stranger to speed slots and has included them in this set of golf clubs. As you’ll notice from the pictures, TaylorMade has included a speed pocket in the sole of this golf club. It’s primary object is to help maximize ball speed at impact by increasing the flexibility of the boundaries of the clubface. When you mishit a golf ball off of the toe or the heel of the clubface, you typically lose distance because these areas of the club head are terrible at converting the energy generating by swinging the club into ball speed. With more flexible and rebounding edges of the clubface, the energy from your swing will transfer more efficiently to the golf ball. This will lead to more distance on improperly struck shots.
Additionally, TaylorMade has creatively used a tungsten weight in the toe of the longer irons (3 – 7) so that these golf clubs are still easy to hit despite the smaller clubhead size. Not only are you likely to appreciate the way these clubs look at address due to the smaller clubheads, but you will should also feel good about your chances of hitting a quality shot with each swing.
Driver-like Customization
One of the most important things you can do with any golf club is to customize it to fit your own swing. Very few golfers can play clubs ‘off-the-rack’, as most players need at least some degree of customization before the golf clubs will compliment their swing. With that in mind, TaylorMade has included a small notch on the back of the hosel of the M1 irons. This notch makes it much easier for club fitters to adjust the lie angle of the irons. If you’ve ever had clubs professionally fitted, you know that the lie angle of the golf club at address is extremely important and is different for each golfer. With the TaylorMade M1 irons the process of finding the correct lie angle with your golf clubs is made much easier because of the hosel notch.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The TaylorMade M1 irons are pretty much a no-brainer. If you’re in the market for new golf clubs and are ready to move past pure cavity back irons, these are by far the best option. The technology packed into the golf clubs are second to none. These golf clubs include features that no other golf clubs on the market offer and they are truly designed to make the game easier for you by giving you more access to the customization that professionals enjoy. When you consider the cost of these golf clubs, right now, they are the best golf clubs money can buy. You’re just not going to find this type of technology and quality for this price anywhere else.
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Titleist AP3 Irons
We can’t believe that Titleist has already released another set of irons. It seems like yesterday that the redesigned Titleist AP2 irons came out. Nevertheless, Titleist has released the new 718 AP3s. The new Titleist AP3 irons are being marketed as “player’s distance irons.” That means they’re designed for good players looking for more distance. The Titleist AP3s combine the best features of Titleist’s AP1s and AP2s and don’t disappoint. Titleist has improved on a great design in the clubhead of this golf club, which allows mishit golf balls to generate great ball speed despite the user’s error. Overall, these are a great set of golf clubs for good players looking to add more predictability and distance to their game. Let’s get into the details:
Slightly Larger Clubheads
Amateur golfers (rightfully so) often think that Titleist golf clubs designed for good players are difficult to hit. I like to watch players with Titleist AP2 or T-MB irons in the bag when i’m on the course or the range. Usually, the player is either a very good ball striker or is hitting the ball completely sideways half the time. Titleist has seemingly heard the grumblings of us less-pure ball strikers that can break 80. The new Titleist AP3 irons feature slight longer blade lengths than the AP2s, but a smaller clubhead than the the AP1s. This increased clubhead size makes the Titleist AP3s a bit more forgiving.
New Clubhead Design
The Titleist AP3 irons feature a hollow face that is L-shaped and wrapped under the leading edge of the golf club and onto the sole. The metal used for this clubface is unsupported 455 stainless steel while the rest of the clubhead is 17-4 stainless. The unsupported 455 stainless combined with the wrapped face and hollow clubhead makes the face of this clubhead bounce. This improved design really launches the golf ball off the face and produces a lot of ball speed. This sends the ball farther down the fairway and allows to stay on target a bit better when compared to the AP2s. But don’t kid yourself, these are not game improvement irons. You still need to be a fairly consistent ball striker to get the benefit out of these irons.
Tungsten Weighting
The Titleist AP3s, much like the AP2, feature perimeter tungsten weighting. Tungsten is a fairly heavy metal and Titleist has decided to concentrate the weight of these clubs down in the sole and out toward the toe. This type of Tungsten perimeter weighting creates stability in the golf club so that the face is square through impact. As you might imagine, increased stability means more accurate shots. The Titleist AP3, as advertised, offers a little bit more forgiveness – a welcomed improvement.
Style
These golf clubs looks pretty good at address. They have a thin top line, which better players prefer. The don’t look bulky and the clubhead is fairly compact. The look and feel over the golf ball inspires confidence despite the fact that the Titleist AP3 irons have been made more forgiving. The finish on the Titleist AP3 irons also looks nice. It’s not flashy, but looks great in the bag. The only small issue with these clubs is the small offset that Titleist has added to the longer irons. For you purists out there that are accustomed to simple forged irons, this can throw you off a bit at first. But it all it takes is a bit of getting used to. Overall, the Titleist AP3 irons look great.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The Titleist AP3 irons are a great new addition to the world of distance irons. They offer good golfers more forgiveness and distance than found in a traditional Titleist iron. This is a welcomed improvement for golfers that were formerly scared off by Titleist golf clubs. The Titleist Ap3s look great at address and inspire confidence as you stand over them. Titleist has a done a great job blending the AP1s and AP2s into a new iron that fist right into the middle of that gap. Overall, the Titleist AP3 irons are great distance irons for solid ball strikers.
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Callaway Rogue Irons: Best Golf Irons for Distance 2018
Callaway is billing this as the “have your cake and eat it too iron.” That’s mostly just another annoying marketing ploy. However, what Callaway is trying to say is that, typically, you can’t have a super fast thin iron without sacrificing sound and feel. Nobody wants a rock hard non-responsive club that sounds like crap. Yet everyone wants the best golf clubs to slice through the air and turf without being impossible to hit. Callaway seems to have hit the mark with the Callaway Rogue Irons. Keeping with the trend of the tech takeover in the golf industry, Callaway actually had 3M create a new type of material for this golf club. If you appreciate feel and you’re looking to hit it a long way without spraying it all over the course, these are the best golf clubs for you.
Face Cup & VFT Technology
Just like the Callaway XR OS irons (last years distance irons from Callaway), the Callaway Rogue irons feature 360 face cup technology. Face cup technology is designed to improve ball speed off the clubface at impact for more distance. Callaway’s cupface technology is one of the main reasons they’re always at the top of the list of best golf clubs for distance. But Callaway had another trick up its sleeve this year. For the Callaway Rogue irons, Callaway combined the cupface technology with its variable face thickness (VFT) technology. The VFT in the Callaway Rogue golf clubs makes the perimeter flexible so that it releases at impact. Callaway claims that the combination of the VFT and the cupface technology creates super fast ball speed, which again, makes it one of the best golf clubs for distance.
Tungsten Perimeter Weighting
As we touched on above, the Callaway Rogue irons also feature perimeter weighting. This places extra weight at the bottom of the golf club and away from the face of the club. Each golf club has a different weighting system to match its individual club length and clubhead size and weight. The point of this is to improve each golf club’s center of gravity for more consistent ball striking. The more forgiveness a club has, the better your off-center shots will be. This will obviously translate to lower scores and more fun out on the golf course.
Urethane Microsphere Technology
As we mentioned at the outset, a thin faced golf club that can be swung fast suffers from the ailment of increased vibration and poor sound quality. The best golf clubs on the market create a crisp sound that inspires confidence and gives you feedback. To combat this common phenomenon, Callaway partnered with 3M to develop a specially formulated urethane material. This new material is infused with thousands of “microspheres,” which flatten under pressure. This allows the urethane to compress and “give” reducing the unwanted vibration that used to plague thin faced clubs. This means that the clubhead on the Callaway Rogue can move fast without the drawbacks of a thin face.
Aesthetically Pleasing
Many players hate game improvement irons (or cavity backs) because of the way they look. People say they have oversized clubheads, are made with aesthetically displeasing material, and feature bright off-putting colors. Callaway seems to have recognized this and intentionally moved towards making a sleeker iron. The Callaway Rogue irons look pretty good for large cavity backs. Looking down on the club inspires confidence and there is nothing offensive about the color scheme. Overall, they don’t look like gimmick clubs that will be out of style next season. I’d say thats a win.
Strong Lofts
Some players love strong lofts because of the added distance, other players think its a cheap trick. Regardless of which side of the isle you fall on, strong lofts add distance. Almost all of the best golf clubs for distance have strong lofts. The strong lofts on the Callaway Rogue irons will make you hit each club a little further with a little less loft. This can be a great advantage as long as you’re aware of the difference when you’re playing. The Callaway Rogue pitching wedge is angled at 44 degrees, which is about the loft a typical 9 iron. The same can be said of all of the other irons in the bag, but the golf clubs feature traditional progressive gapping. Each iron will de-loft gradually as you go down the set like any other set of golf irons.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The Callaway Rogue irons are uniquely designed to give you big distance with great feel. This is a new development for game improvement distance irons. With more feel and forgiveness in an iron, these golf clubs would be a great choice for a lot of golfers. While they’re certainly not made for those of you out there shaping shots and altering trajectories, they’re definitely for those of us who want to keep it in the short stuff and hit it long. If you want to add distance and reliability to your game without sacrificing feel, these are the best golf clubs for you.
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Callaway Epic Irons
We can’t know this for sure, but the Callaway Epic Irons appear to be Callaway’s response to PXG’s luxury line of products. If you’re not familiar with PXG, they’re a relatively new company that makes incredibly expensive golf clubs. Callaway spared no expense when developing the Callaway Epic irons and combined the features of many of their best golf clubs into one product. Previously, major golf club manufacturers avoided jampacking one golf club full of the best golf club technology because of cost. There simply wasn’t a market to justify the investment. However, it appears that these days, Callaway and some other golf club manufactures have changed their minds. Enter the Callaway Epic Irons. The Callaway Epic golf clubs give you long distance, tons of forgiveness, and the ability to shape shots – all in one golf club. To state the obvious, the design of the Callaway Epic incorporates the best elements of Callaway’s best golf clubs for players of all skill types.
Improved 360 Face Cup
Similar to the new Callaway Rogue irons, the Callaway Epic irons feature 360 face cup technology. Face cup technology is a Callaway innovation designed to increase ball speed on their best golf clubs. Face cup technology makes the face of the clubhead extremely thin (1mm at its thinnest point) to increase flex and rebound on the clubface. As you might imagine, this typically keeps Callaway’s best golf clubs in the running for the best golf clubs for distance.
Exo-cage Construction
Callaway’s Ex0-cage construction is not new to the company. They implemented this technology into one of their best golf clubs last year (Big Bertha OS irons). Exo-cage construction is a bit complicated, but essentially, it’s designed to make the face of the golf club take on more of the load of impact. This is known as “energy lensing” and improves the amount of energy transferred from the golf club to the golf ball at impact. Efficiently transferring energy to the face of the golf club through impact creates more ball speed via a more efficient energy transfer. In nerd speak, the Ex0-cage construction has improved the coefficient of restitution (COR) of the golf club. In doing so, exo-cage reduces the amount of kinetic energy wasted when the golf club collides with the golf ball. All you really need to know is that this makes the ball go faster and farther.
Tungsten Perimeter Weighting
Most of Callaway’s best golf clubs feature perimeter weighting. The Callaway Epic Irons are no exception and also feature perimeter tungsten weighting. This feature places more weight at the bottom of the golf club and away from the clubface. Each golf club has a different weighting system to match its individual club length and clubhead size and weight. The point of the tungsten perimeter weighting is to improve each golf club’s center of gravity for more consistent ball striking and flight. The lower a golf clubhead’s CG, the higher the ball will fly.
Hollow Hosels
In addition to the tungsten perimeter weighting, Callaway has hollowed out the hosel of these golf clubs and redistributed the weight to the clubhead. In total Callaway removed 20 grams from the hosel. This move is specifically designed to increase the stability of the golf club.
Premium Shafts
Similar to many Mizuno products, the Callaway Epic irons offer premium shaft upgrades at no extra cost. In a golf club, the shaft is like the engine of the iron. A bad shaft will produce bad results no matter how fancy the clubhead. With the Callaway Epic irons, Callaway spared no expense and allows you to choose among a few premium shaft options. Although they market this as “no additional cost,” these clubs cost over $1500, so in our opinion, its the least they can do.
Aesthetically Pleasing
Callaway really worked on the style of these “game improvement” irons. The best golf clubs out there look great from address and inspire confidence. A major criticism of game improvement irons is that they look clunky and awkward at address. However, this awkward look is due to the technology in the clubhead that makes it easier to hit. If you take it away, you have more of a forged iron with no offset and you lose forgiveness. Callaway took this issue on with the Callaway Epics. Although we still think they have that game improvement “look,” they do improve upon previous designs. As we indicated, you can’t take away the game improvement look completely without sacrificing forgiveness.
Callaway Epic Pro Irons
For those of you who want to explore Callaway’s luxury Epic Irons, but don’t want to play a “game improvement iron,” Callaway also offers the Callaway Epic Pro Irons. These golf clubs offer the same benefits of the Callaway Epic, but with slightly smaller clubheads and more of a forged iron look with less offset. Check out the Callaway Epic Pro Irons.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The Callaway Epic irons are just that, epic. They really went down the engineering rabbit hole on these ones. By placing an unlimited budget on their design, Callaway took the features of these golf clubs to the next level. By all marks they seem to improve on previous designs. If you couldn’t tell by our review, these are meant for distance, distance, distance. Almost all of the engineering moves improve distance in one way or another. Aside from distance, what we’re impressed by is the ability to work the ball with these clubs. A If you’re a high to mid-level handicap these are some of the best golf clubs out there. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t address the cost. These things are expensive. Callaway is tapping into the luxury golf club market for sure. If you’re in the market for big distance and playability and you have a big budget, these are the best golf clubs for you.
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TaylorMade P750 Tour Proto Irons
Golf clubs described as “tour” clubs have a lot to live up to. If you purchase a set of golf clubs that have been designated as tour-level equipment you should expect great performance. The TaylorMade P750s aren’t cheap, but are among the best golf irons available for any elite player. These golf clubs aren’t forgiving, but they offer great feel, great design, and the testing and product reliability of TaylorMade. If you’re game really is ready for this set of clubs they are a great option, but good luck explaining the price tag to your significant other.
Great Look & Feel
If you’ve seen the design of the TaylorMade P770 irons, you will certainly notice plenty of similarities between these two sets of golf clubs. While they look nearly identical, there are some key differences which good golfers will notice. First, the top line is thinner in the P750 irons, a look that inspires confidence in skilled players. The TaylorMade P750s feature a small offset, which is also a popular feature with low-handicap players. While some game improvement irons have large offsets between the shaft and the clubhead, the P750s do not.
These Things are Expensive
It would be a mistake to highlight the qualities of the TaylorMade P750 Tour Proto Irons without mentioning their significant price tag. These golf clubs are not cheap. While your final price may vary depending on the exact set you order, you can expect to spend around $1,600 for these golf clubs. Any way you look at it, that is a lot of money. With that said, you do receive impressive quality and performance in exchange for your money. TaylorMade is a brand known for quality products, so you should be able to play with these irons for 5-10 years. While the price tag is still steep, thinking of it this way may make it more manageable.
Difficult to Hit
Golf is hard and we would never recommend a product that makes golfer more difficult for you. Improper club selection will make the game harder for you, so make sure that you’re game is where it needs to be before you purchase these golf clubs. They are not forgiving and are marketed as forged blades. Blade being the keyword. These golf clubs are prinicapally designed for maximum feedback and workability for the best players in the world. In the hands of the right golfer they’ll allow you to shape shots, control trajectory, and analyze the feedback that you get from each shot (good or bad). In the hands of the wrong golfer they’ll be an expensive way to embarrass yourself in front of your buddies.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The TaylorMade P750 Tour Proto irons are impressive to say the least. For golfers who are either professionals or extremely talented amateurs, these are a phenomenal set of golf clubs. They implement TaylorMade’s latest engineering technology for maximum feel and control. If you can stomach the price tag, they’re among the best golf clubs out there for golfers looking for blades. However, those of you (most of you) who should not be playing these golf clubs are encouraged to check out TaylorMade’s M1 and M2 line of golf clubs.
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TaylorMade P770 Irons
The Taylormade P770 golf clubs are a stylish set of irons with sleek lines and angles. Although these golf clubs are forged irons (as opposed to pure blades), they maintain that thin, sleek look often associated with the irons used by top players. Of course, in addition to the stunning looks, these irons offer exceptional playability for elite golfers looking for responsiveness and feel from their golf clubs. However, if you’re a fairly high handicap golfer, these are not the best golf clubs for you. Take a look at the TaylorMade M1 or M2 irons instead. For those of you who break 80 on a regular basis, these golf irons are a phenomenal set.
Who are these golf clubs for?
As we mentioned above, the TaylorMade P770 irons are not a great choice for average weekend golfers. These golf clubs simply do not have the forgiveness features that the average player needs to have fun on the golf course. As we’ve indicated in other reviews, golf technology is supposed to make the game easier and more accessible. There is no reason to use technology that will make the hardest game in the world even harder. That being said, if you a relatively accomplished player who shoots in the low 80s (or below), the P770s might be the perfect set to take your game to a new level.
Thinking of shot shaping?
Because of the construction of the irons they are great for shaping the golf ball without penalizing the golfer too much for over-spinning the ball. Shot shaping is a delicate artwork where the too much wrist action or a slightly off kilter swing plane can send your ball into the deep stuff. With these golf clubs, you can confidently shape the golf ball knowing that a slight mishit won’t end up in the parking lot.
More than Simple Blades
Many ‘players’ irons are nothing more than straight blades with little in the way of technology or innovation to help the player. TaylorMade doesn’t seem to follow this model. They are known for integrating plenty of technology into all of their golf clubs. The TaylorMade P770 golf irons offer you a tungsten bar in the 3-7 seven irons. This tungsten bar makes the longer clubs in your bag a little easier to hit. The result of this addition is a club that is workable but more forgiving than a plain blade. If you’re a bit nervous about jumping into the world of blade irons (and you should be), these might be the best golf clubs for you if you want to start working the ball.
Thin top line & classic shape
Even though TaylorMade has snuck a bit of technology into these irons, they still look classic from the top-down. You will see a thin topline on these irons, which is typically the look preferred by experienced golfers. Also, the head of each golf club is a modest size and the lofts come in around a standard range (PW at 46 degrees). The standard lofting is actually becoming more rare as club manufactures are creating stronger lofts. Strong lofts allow them to claim that you hit the ball further, and some view it as a little deceptive.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
If you’re looking to shape the golf ball, but still require a bit of forgiveness, these may be the best golf clubs for you. Not only do these golf clubs look great, but they are specifically designed for golfers who are starting to shoot in the single digits and are starting to shape the ball. They are a great set of golf clubs for taking the next step.
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Srixon Z355 Irons: Best Golf Clubs for Beginners
Who are these golf clubs for?
These golf clubs are meant for those of us who need a bit of assistance from club technology. The design of this club, like other cavity backs, focuses on forgiveness, high ball flight, and straight shots. Golfers who aren’t looking to shape the ball should consider the Srixon Z355s. Srixon has done something interesting with the Z355s, they’ve made the head heavier than similar clubs. This added weight gives the golfer a lot of benefits – which we explain below. Overall, this golf club has a great look and feel and offers golfers a sleek and reliable way to shave a few strokes off of their game.
Lots of forgiveness and high ball flight:
The Srixon Z355s offer the largest cavity back of all four irons in this serious for maximum forgiveness. The larger cavity back maximizes the benefits of perimeter weighting to reduce the consequences of mishits. On the 355s, the cavity size is standard for current golf clubs and allows a large portion of the clubface to serve as a good point of contact. As we all know well, the bigger the sweet spot, the more consistently we hit quality golf shots.
Weighted Head –
In this version of the 355s Srixon decided to make the head of the club heavy. Srixon has coined this technology as its “Action Mass” feature, which is counter weighted with lighter shafts. Though heavy clubheads on game improvement irons (think: large cavity backs) are nothing new, they allow users to say on plane and generate clubhead speed through impact. These are two great advantages for any golfer regardless of skill level. Although the heavy head is noticeable, it doesn’t affect your golf swing when taking the club back or when bring it down plane through the impact zone. The light shaft of these clubs compensates nicely for the additional weight, and its not so dramatic that it throws you off. Overall, this is a great improvement by Srixon to make these long hitting irons even longer.
Wide Sole –
Srixon has given the 355s a larger sole on the bottom of the golf club. This larger and wider sole prevents the club from digging into the ground. Typically, when amateur golfers “dig” the ball it leads to a chucked shot that falls well short of the intended target. By giving the 355s a wider sole, Srixon is trying to get golfers to “pick” the golf ball off of the hitting surface instead of hitting it down into the ground. Srixon has coined this technology the “Tour V.T. Sole” and its a great addition to this game improvement iron.
Larger Sweet Spot –
The construction of the Srixon 355s has also given the clubface a larger sweet spot. This doesn’t require much explanation. Without going into the details of the clubhead’s two-piece steel construction, just know that you won’t be penalized as bad for hitting a shot that doesn’t find the sweet spot. Although it will be tougher to shape shots with these irons, the golf ball will fly roughly the same distance and will be closer to your intended line.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The Srixon z355 golf clubs are a fantastic set of irons. They are extremely forgiving, long of the tee, and they look great. Although Srixon hasn’t been in the golf club business for very long, they have produced a fantastic product. If you’re a mid to high handicapper looking to get the ball up in the air and keep it on line, these are the best clubs for you.
Check the Price on Amazon
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King Pro Irons: Best Golf Clubs for Style
Let’s just get this out of the way up front. Holy crap these are cool. If you’re looking for the best golf irons to wow your buddies, these are the best golf clubs for you. The Cobra King Pro Irons are possibly the coolest looking irons Cobra has ever produced. It’s like they took Rickie Fowler and made a golf club based around his modern style and respect for tradition. After a number lackluster years in the manufacturing game, Cobra owes a debt of gratitude to Rickie for helping bring them back into the mix.
The King Pro Irons are forged golf clubs and have a super slick looking black gun metal finish. They also have orange and black paint highlighting on the back of the clubhead. In addition to their slick look, they’re a mixed or progressive set. This means the longer irons are cavity backs while the shorter irons transition into muscle backs. This idea is a pretty common feature now and for good reason. Golfers have more control with their short irons, so if you’re a good player, why not have muscle back short irons? It makes sense. In a nutshell, these golf clubs are awesome.
Feel and Functionality
Right now you should be saying to yourself, great they look good, but how do they play? Aesthetics are great, but the golf Gods don’t care how great your irons look. What matters is whether they can help you produce lower scores and enjoy the game a bit more. Good news – the King Pro Irons play great. To be sure, these are what we refer to as “players irons.” This means they’re meant for good players. The King Pro irons feature smaller club heads and need to be struck properly to obtain optimum ball flight. However, these golf clubs provide solid feel and a crisp sound that we’re all looking for at impact. Golfers also love the progressive structure of the clubs with muscle back short irons. All in all, these can do more than hold their own among the best golf clubs out there.
Great Look
Let’s talk a little more about how these things look. The dark gun metal finish a new and welcomed addition to the golf club world. The black finish is highlighted by the orange paint on the back and gives the irons a certain flare that’s hard to describe. These are definitely designed with lower handicap players in mind and have a thin top line. Despite the longer irons being cavity backs, they don’t have incredibly wide soles meant to avoid digging to get the ball in the air. If you need this assistance then these aren’t the irons for you. But if you don’t and you are starting to shape the golf ball or shape the golf ball, these are a great set. The muscle back shorter irons look like professional tour quality irons from Mars. They’re just cool. Period.
Sharp Irons for More Advanced Players
As we mentioned before, these golf clubs are not for beginners. They’re designed for golfers shooting at or below the low to mid 80s consistently. If you’re just starting out in the game or still learning to hit truly functional shots on a regular basis, you should check out some of our game improvement iron reviews. However, if you’ve achieved a repeatable swing and consistently shoot in the low 80s or lower, the King Pro Irons certainly deserve your attention and are the best golf clubs for aesthetics. Be warned though, all of your friends, and even some strangers, will probably ask to hit them.
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Callaway Big Bertha Oversized (OS) Irons
Sometimes, a name says it all. That is certainly the case here, when discussing the Big Bertha OS (oversized) irons from Callaway. The name ‘Big Bertha’ itself suggests a large clubhead, and Callaway has added the ‘OS’ to make sure there is no confusion. When you play Big Bertha, you push boundaries. These are large irons, and they are designed for players who want to maximize distance above all else. If you are looking for forgiving, game-improvement style irons which will help you send the ball as far down the fairway as possible, these should be high on your list. Without a doubt, these are the best golf clubs for maximizing distance.
A Specific Target Market
Low-handicap players who like a compact and precise head should check out some of our other reviews. However, these golf clubs are perfectly suited for golfers with slower swing speeds who need help getting the ball up in the air and creating distance. One look down from the address position will tell you everything you need to know about these golf clubs. These irons feature a thick top line, a wide sole, plenty of perimeter weighting, an offset design, and more. These are not blades and they are not trying to be sexy, they are simply trying to get the ball farther down the fairway. Plain and simple.
Callaway has been a leader in the golf club market for a long time now. If you’ve ever seen a Callaway commercial, you know that they brag about being the number one company for golf clubs. One of the reasons Callaway has made some of the best golf clubs for so long now is their cool designs. People just seem to kind of love how Callaway golf clubs look. The Callaway Big Bertha oversized irons are no different. It would have been easy for Callaway to make an ugly set of oversized clubs, but they didn’t. The slate gray finish is appealing, and the standard Callaway clean yet colorful design is in tact.
Control – In a Straight Line
When looking for game improvement irons, most golfers want distance and consistency. With large club heads and big sweet spots, it is easy to hit these kinds of clubs impressive distances. However, the Callaway Steelhead XR OS golf clubs also offer a fair amount of playability. Make no mistake, you won’t be able to carve the ball around the course with the Big Bertha OS irons because of the weighting and deep cavities. But, for the average golfer, the only goal is to hit it far and straight. These golf clubs help you do just that and are also designed to reduce sidespin that causes a hook or a slice.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
If you play to a handicap under 10, or you usually shoot in the high-70s and low-80s, these are probably not the right irons for your game. If your scores are a bit higher than that range, however, and you would like some added distance and forgiveness, these are among the best golf clubs for you. You should hit the ball longer than ever before, and you can trust Callaway construction to hold up over time.
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Titleist AP1 718 Irons
Titleist golf clubs get a bad wrap for being impossible to hit. When comparing them to the best golf clubs available, amateur players often pass them up due to their reputation for a lack of playability. Titleist has taken note of this and has started creating irons that can compete with the best golf clubs. Unlike the thin blade designs which mark many of the Titleist sets, the Titleist AP1 718 golf irons feature perimeter weighting, features to improve ball speed, and even a wider sole to minimize chunked shots. All of these adjustments are welcomed tweaks that make Titleist’s irons easier to hit.
The majority of amateur golfers around the world need to play forgiving golf clubs. Blade-style irons are simply too harsh and unforgiving for the average golfer. With the AP1 718 irons, Titleist has finally created something for all of us. And to make things better, they price is great when compared to the best golf clubs on the market.
Serious Distance
Like you’re like many golfers this season, you’re looking for a bit more distance out on the golf course. The Titleist AP1 718s give you just that, distance. The AP1 718s are an improvement on the 716s and these golf irons are in upper echelon of long-hitting irons. This is largely due to the thin club faces used in their construction. The quality club head construction and weight dispersion give the club a large sweet spot that gives you more distance. Titleist’s focus on quality in this golf club makes the game easier without sacrificing look and feel. These golf irons also feature a new hollow design on the 4 and 5 ions to promote higher ball flight. Overall, this makes the longer irons easier to hit high in the air giving you more distance.
The Power of Tungsten
One of the big stories with this set of golf clubs is the use of tungsten in the heads of the irons. Tungsten is a particularly heavy metal, which has allowed Titleist to concentrate the weight of these clubs down in the sole and out toward the toe. The result of this material use and weight dispersion is an iron that is more forgiving than previous versions. Game improvement irons are supposed to help you get the ball up in the air without much trouble, and that should be the experience you have with the AP1 718 golf irons – thanks, in part, to the use of tungsten in the design of the clubs.
Pick It Clean
If there is anything to complain about for the average golfer when it comes to game improvement irons, it’s the fact that they can be difficult to hit from tight lies. Wide soles often have a fair amount of bounce. This bounce prevents the leading edge of the iron from getting down cleanly to the turf at impact. To counteract that problem, Titleist has softened up the leading edge of the AP1 irons. This means you should be able to get that leading edge under the ball without much trouble, yet the rest of the sole retains the camber needed to help prevent the head from digging in on a steep swing.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The quality found in a set of Titleist golf clubs needs no introduction. Titleist is among the most popular brands on the professional tours for a good reason – they produce quality gear. With the AP1 718 golf clubs, a wide section of the golfing population has an opportunity to experience Titleist quality without having to sacrifice playability. To be sure, the Titleist AP1 718 irons rank among some of the best golf clubs on the market today.
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King Forged Tour Irons
Cobra’s King Forged Tour Irons bear a striking resemblance to the Cobra Fly-Z+ Forged Irons from a few years ago. Cobra simply gave these irons a slightly updated look and added the single length option. The strange thing about golf clubs is that the technology behind the club really doesn’t change much from year to year. Yes, trends enter the game (hybrids) die out and the comeback again. But you can basically lump a majority of golf clubs into three or four categories. These golf clubs aren’t going to blow you away in any specific category, but they hold their own when compared to the best golf irons out there.
Clean Look
We give Cobra a bit of a break when it comes to the look of these irons. They look pretty good in the bag and at address. In terms of design, they’ve actually been described as semi-cavity blades. That may not make a lot of sense to golf club design purists, be we will explain what we mean. The King Forged Tour Irons have a thinner top line, minimal offset, and a narrower sole than most pure cavity back irons on the market. The head size is also a bit smaller so they really do look like blade at address. In this golf club, Cobra combined the forgiveness of a cavity back with some of the aesthetics of a traditional blade to give us the solid looking King Forged Tour Irons.
Feedback with Forgiveness
The delicate balance between feel, feedback, and forgiveness on off center shots is constantly on the minds of golf club engineers. King Forged Tour Irons come pretty close to finding equilibrium between these variables. The golf clubs give you great positive feedback on mishits. Positive feedback means knowing that you missed the sweet spot on a given shot. This is an incredibly important trait in a golf club. If you can’t feel your mishits, its harder to diagnose what you’re doing wrong. In addition to great feel, the cavity back element of these golf clubs gets the ball near the target on mishits. This is one of those happy win-win situations. It’s obviously better for you to understand your mishits and to be on or around the green.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The King Pro Tour irons are a great option for good golfers. Although they are forgiving, King Forged Tour Irons by Cobra are better designed for lower handicap golfers looking for a bit more forgiveness. These golf clubs are a great improvement on a set of older irons. With the addition of the single length golf clubs for those looking for consistency, these are a great option and rank among the best golf clubs available.
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Callaway Steelhead XR Pro Irons
The Callaway Steelhead XR Pro irons are, obviously, the ‘pro’ version of the standard Steelhead XR irons. As is usually the case when a set of irons has been modified to attract the low handicap set, these irons have features suited for better players. For example, they have less offset than seen in a standard set, which is something most low handicap players prefer. Like other Callaway irons, the lofts are also tweaked into a stronger position by 1-degree. This gives better players, who don’t need help getting the ball into the air, more distance. Overall, these are classic Callaway irons with small tweaks to suit a more skilled player. Let’s get into the details.
A New Look
One of the first things you will notice about the pro version of the Steelhead XR irons is the fact that they feature a black finish. It’s a sleek improvement on the traditional Callaway look that makes these golf clubs stand out – in a good way. This is a matter of personal preference for each golfer, but we think these look great.
Unique Shaft-Head Connection
Very few irons feature a bore-though design, but that is exactly what you will find when you pick up the Steelhead XR Pro irons. Bore through design means that Callaway bored all the way through the head in order to attach the shaft. This design takes the weight out of the heel portion of the club head, which frees designers to put the weight of the club in other areas. When striking a golf ball, you should notice a great feel across the face of these irons, in part due to the bore-though design and the weight dispersion.
Thin Top Line
A big part of the change seen when moving from standard Callaway golf clubs to a ‘player’s set’ is the visual difference. We have already talked about the black finish, but the thinner top line may be an even more important change. This is something that is likely to appeal to the eye of the experienced player. No clunky look, no clunky feel. Alternatively, a novice golfer is more likely to enjoy a wide club head and the confidence that such a design inspires. Callaway irons have rarely been known for their compact looks, but this model could change that.
A Realistic “Pro” Model
Too many of the ‘pro’ irons on the market today are way too hard to hit for golfers that aren’t on the PGA tour. The designs are unrealistic and leave very good players with an expensive set of clubs that they hit just “okay”. With the Callaway XR Pro Irons, great golfers are given a happy medium. These clubs offer workability, feel, and look of pro clubs without hurting your game. These are some of the best golf clubs produced by Callaway and should be at the top of any good golfer’s list.
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King Oversize Irons
Cobra didn’t attempt to pull of a slick marketing move with these golf clubs. They are simply described as “oversized” because that is what they are. These clubhead of these golf clubs are big and designed with high handicappers in mind. The goal of golf is to have fun. And we typically have more fun when we play well or at least play better than we played the last time. These golf clubs are intended to make the game easier and a little more fun. They are fantastic for distance and incredibly forgiving. Cobra is obviously looking to make your golf journey a little more enjoyable with this set of golf clubs. If you’re interested in reducing shot error on the course and hitting the golf ball further, these are among the best golf clubs for your needs. Let’s get into how these golf clubs will help your game.
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
When elite golfers look down at a classic blade iron they typically love the simple, clean, and powerful design of blades. When golfers who are not elite (all of us) look down at the tiny and unforgiving clubhead of a blade iron, we wonder how anyone manages to them consistently. The truth is, an elite few hit blade irons consistently and most golfers shouldn’t touch them. The King Oversize irons are not meant to wow your buddies with cool aesthetics. These golf club are meant to help you beat your buddies. Ask yourself this question, when you’re on the 19th hole after a horrible golf round, do think about how good your golf clubs look? If you’re anything like us, all you can think about is how you played like crap. Good news, these golf clubs will help.
SUPER Forgiving
HUGE Sweet Spot –
Everything about this club is big. It has a large clubhead with a big sweet spot. Cobra refers to the huge sweet spot on this golf club as the “Sweet Zone.” This sweet zone isn’t the size of Texas, it’s the size of the continental United States. You will hit more pure shots with these golf clubs and you will get the ball in the air. The technology behind the sweet zone is also great. The hollow back design provides a bigger and more distributed sweet spot so you’ll find yourself hitting more functional golf shots that give you more birdie and par opportunities.
High Ball Flight –
The King Oversize irons feature a hollow face which allows for a lower center of gravity. A lower center of gravity helps golfers get the ball up in the air with a higher launch angle. A more optimum trajectory with a faster ball speed means the golf ball will go farther. Not only will you keep the ball on line with these clubs, but you’ll hit it further as well.
Wide Sole –
The King Oversize Irons also help minimize or eliminate fat (or chunked) shots because they feature a very wide sole. This means the divots you take will be much shallower and you should have an easier time picking the ball clean off of tight lies. On the occasions where you hit the ground before you hit the golf ball, the wide sole will bounce or brush off the grass through the golf ball. This will minimize the damage on those frustrating 40 yard skippers when you’re trying to hit it 140.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
As far as Game Improvement Irons go, it’s hard to imagine a better option than the King Oversize Irons by Cobra. These really are some of the best golf clubs for hitting the golf ball further and straighter. The Cobra engineers obviously had a singular focus when designing this set of golf clubs, and they nailed it. If you want to immediately play a little better by eliminating the terrible shots, these are the best golf clubs for you.
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Callaway Apex Utility Irons
Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past ten years, you know that hybrid clubs have become popular. This trend is not without merit. These types of golf clubs are the best golf clubs for players that don’t like to hit long irons. Let’s be honest, hitting a 3 iron is hard – really hard. The name ‘hybrid’ comes from the fact that these clubs are part iron and part fairway wood – but more wood than anything else. This combination has allowed many golfers to hit high quality shots without a 3, 4, or even 5 iron in their bag. However, not every golfer has fallen in love with hybrid golf clubs.
Some golfers feel that hybrid golf clubs too much like woods. They offer a high ball flight that can be hard to control in certain situations and the ball doesn’t have any bite when landing on the green. The solution to this problem lies with utility irons. The Callaway Apex Utility Irons fill that gap. They are much easier to hit when you get into long iron situations, but they offer the control of an iron. Let’s get into the details.
Not Quite a Hybrid – Not Quite an Iron
In many ways, these clubs are a hybrid of a hybrid. These utility irons from Callaway look more like irons than a standard hybrid, yet they have a hollow head like a fairway wood. Thanks to the hollow head, these clubs are easier to hit than your normal long irons, and they will launch higher as well. Depending on the kind of distance you are looking for with this club, you can pick from three available lofts – 18, 21, and 24 degree.
Standard with Graphite Shafts
If you play a steel-shafted set of irons, you probably have steel shafts in your long irons as well. Those steel shafts might work nicely when you are playing a nine iron or pitching wedge shot, but they can make it tough to get the ball off the ground with a 3 iron. The Callaway Apex Utility Iron’s graphite shaft carries a lower overall weight and makes it easier for you to lift the ball. Pick the correct flex for your game and you’ll find that the graphite shaft makes this one of the best golf clubs to replace a long iron.
A Very Versatile Golf Club
So what kind of shots can be handled by a utility iron? Is it the best golf club for shaping the ball with a long golf club? First, and most obviously, these are great clubs to use off the tee on short par fours or in narrow fairways. This type of golf club is also excellent for approach shots on par fives when you are trying to reach the green in two. Essentially, the Callaway Apex is one of the best golf clubs for situations that demand both length and accuracy. With more forgiveness than a long iron and more control than a fairway wood, you may find yourself putting for eagle more frequently. Around the greens, you can even use your utility iron to play little bump and run shots from the side of the putting surface.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
If you hate your 3 iron and want more versatility than a traditional hybrid, this is the best golf clubs for you. Overall, this is forged golf club will be much easier to hit than your old long irons. If you want more out of a golf than hybrids offer, the Callaway Apex Utility Iron is the best golf club for you.
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Ping G25 Irons
Ping golf clubs have staying power. When discussing quality golf equipment the Ping brand comes to mind. The entire G series irons from Ping is geared towards the average golfer. The Ping G series are some of the best golf clubs for beginner, but they’re also some of the best golf clubs for improving players. When we talk about what makes the best golf clubs, the conversation revolves around forgiveness, distance, playability, and style. The Ping G series holds its own with any of the best golf clubs because they compete in all of these categories. These golf clubs are meant to make the game easier through features like wide soles and perimeter weighting. Players who are looking for plenty of forgiveness and a golf club with that classic ping look and feel will be impressed with the G25s.
Better Style – More Confidence
The G25 irons continue where sets like the G15s and G20s left off. While these irons are still extremely forgiving, the design has been condensed a bit. This change is meant to appeal to a wider audience. Some players felt the G15 and G20 irons went a little too far in terms of their oversized, wide-sole design. With the G25, the forgiving nature of the design is still present, but everything has been toned down a bit.
Thinner Lines
As we mentioned, these golf clubs are likely to appeal to a wider base of golfers. Why is that? The thinner top line and sole of these golf clubs make them more appealing. Thick top lines are commonly associated with game improvement irons, but not all golfers like that look. Needless to say, Ping was starting to develop a reputation for cartoon-like golf clubs. This meant that stylistically picky golfers stayed away. With the G25 irons, Ping took note of golfers’ preferences – and that is a good thing.
Disappearing Offset
In addition to perimeter weighting, another common feature of game improvement irons is the aggressive offset used to help beginning players straighten out their ball flight. The G15 and G20 irons certainly had this offset, and it is still present in the G25s. However, the offset is slowly reduced as you move from long irons to short irons, so the short clubs play less like game improvement irons than you might expect. This gives you more feel and control when you get closer to the green. You will still have the help of the offset in your long irons – where you are likely to need it most – but the short irons are going to look cleaner at address.
A Golf Club for Anyone
Even if you are a player on the border of the ‘low handicapper’ category, it would still be worth your time to test out a set of Ping G25 irons. The features included with this set of irons have moved somewhat away from the game improvement category, although perimeter weighting and a relatively wide sole are still there to be found. For players who shoot scores from the high-70s all the way up into the 100s, the Ping G25 irons are some of the best golf clubs for the money.
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Callaway XR OS Irons: Best Golf Irons for Distance 2017
Most golfers in the world can’t break 100. So, despite the fact that there are plenty of players’ irons on the market today, the bulk of the golfers need to look in the game improvement category to find the best golf clubs for their bag. If you don’t really keep score or are trying to break 90-100, the Callaway XR OS Irons are among the best golf clubs that you can choose from. These clubs offer great distance and forgiveness and will help you keep the golf ball in the short grass. The Callaway XR OS irons are specifically designed for maximum distance. If you’re looking to gain a few more yards with each club, these are the best golf clubs for you.
The Face Cup
What is a ‘face cup’? The face cup is a piece of Callaway design technology meant to provide you with impressive ball speed off the face of your irons. It essentially gives the clubhead a “hot face” for increased ball speed. Increased ball speed equals more distance. When you properly strike the XR irons, your ball will launch off the club with that searing sound that we all love. In addition to face cup technology, they have a multi-piece construction that will help the ball launch even faster. Think light clubhead, optimized iron blend for efficiently transferring energy to the ball, and longer ball flight. In the end, you’re left with a set of irons that are built to launch the ball a long way down the fairway. These really are some of the best golf clubs for distance.
Perimeter Weighting
Like most game improvement irons, you will see plenty of weight distributed to the bottom of these irons. With these irons, Callaway has moved the weight of club away from the face. This engineering move gives the club a better center of gravity and allows for improved and more consistent ball striking. Not only will such a low center of gravity help you to hit the ball longer, but it will help you get better results from your miss-hits as well.
Aesthetically Pleasing
Some players hate game improvement irons (or cavity backs) because of their design. Golfers don’t like the gimmicky colors or feel. Game improvement irons are traditionally oversized irons and can look a bit cartoonish when addressing the golf ball. Callaway XR irons don’t look like a set of blades. However, we think they have a clean look that inspires confidence. Callaway has made improvements to the style of their cavity back irons by moving towards a cleaner look with fewer dramatic color schemes.
Strong Lofts – More Distance
Strong lofts are becoming a trend these days. Some players hate it, some players love it, but its a reality that we have to deal with. The Callaway XR irons have strong lofts, which means that you’re going to hit each club a little farther. This is a key reason why this set of golf clubs offers such great distance. The pitching wedge you receive will be angled at 44 degrees, which is rather strong for a PW. For comparison, 44 degrees is the loft a typical 9 iron. Despite the strong lofts, you will find traditional progressive gapping in the lofts of the irons. This means that each iron will de-loft gradually as you go down the set like any other set of golf irons. You never want to have two irons which go roughly the same distance.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
The Callaway XR OS irons are designed to add yards to your game. Plain and simple. They’re built for distance and are extremely forgiving. Callaway has engineered these golf clubs to make you have more fun and they accomplish just that. They also provide you with a look and feel that will inspire confidence. If you are a recreational golfer looking for extra distance and to keep the ball in play, these are the best golf clubs for you.
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Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons: Best Golf Clubs for Improving Players
While Callaway has long been recognized for their great work in the area of game improvement irons, they have also produced some of the best golf clubs for great golfers. The Callaway Apex CF 16 golf irons fit into that category, these golf clubs are built for high performing golfers. These “players’ irons” feature a clean look and forged construction. These golf clubs occupy a popular ‘middle ground’ in the market, as they are not nearly as large as many game improvement irons, but they are a bit bigger and more forgiving than a set of strictly blade irons. Purchasing a set of the Apex line of Callaway golf irons will provide you with a high-end quality set of golf clubs that you can play for years. Let’s get into the details.
A Set for Years to Come
If you’ve played a set of game improvement irons, you know that those kinds of golf clubs can only take you so far. While they’re the best golf clubs for improving your game as a high handicap player, they have their limitations. And eventually, they will prevent you from hitting certain kinds of shots. This is not the case with the Callaway AP CF16 irons. Thanks to the compact design of the clubheads and the golf club’s focus on feel, you play these irons as a mid-handicapper all the way to a single digit handicapper. As your game improves, you’ll discover that you can hit more and more shots without having to buy new clubs. These irons aren’t going to hold you back.
Not Blades – And That’s a Good Thing
Single digit handicap golfers tend to think of blade irons as a badge of honor. Blade irons are a statement that golfers don’t need the forgiveness offered by many modern designs. While it’s tempting to jump into the world of classic blades, very few golfers need to play them. We recommend trying a set like this if you think you’re ready to make the jump. These golf clubs offer much of the same great feel you will find with blades, yet they have forgiveness to make up for some of your minor mistakes. At address, these clubs look beautiful from the top, and you can’t even tell that they have any kind of cavity behind the sweet spot. With minimal offset and a classic look, the Callaway Apex CF 16 irons are likely to impress players with a wide range of skill levels.
The Forged Difference
One of the reasons many skilled golfers turn to blades is due to their forged construction. Forged clubs tend to feel softer than cast irons, all other things being equal. However, you can also enjoy the forged feel with the Apex CF 16 golf irons, even though they aren’t technically blades. When you hit a quality golf shot, you’ll be rewarded. The ball flight off of these clubs is piercing and shaping shots is easier than with a set of unforgiving blades. If you’re ready to purchase a set of golf clubs that can hit tour quality shots, these may be the best golf clubs for you.
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King F7 Irons
Cobra has sneakily been a produce of some of the best golf clubs out there. Although they fly under the radar for golf clubs, they make a great product. Over the last decade they’ve added some major star power to their stable to grow their brand. With Rickie Fowler as their franchise player, they’re aiming to strike a proper balance between tradition and innovation.
The King F7 golf clubs are a mid sized cavity back iron engineered for forgiveness and distance. Ultra low handicappers will likely choose a different set of golf clubs, but for mid-level golfers these are a great option. The King F7s are designed with the improving player in mind. Someone buying a set of clubs because they’ve outgrown the big cavity backs they’ve been playing. Through a combination of technical innovations, these clubs will help you launch the ball higher and hit more greens in the process. Additionally, these clubs are more affordable than many of their competitors. They range from $699 to $899 depending on shafts and other specifications. A price that beats their competitors. Let’s get into the details.
Easy on the Eyes
Let’s face it, sometimes mid-sized cavity back irons look terrible in your bag and from the address position. Thankfully, the King F7s don’t suffer from poor aesthetics. These golf clubs feature a moderate but not distracting offset to help you square the face at impact and the mid-sized top line actually serves to instill a sense of confidence when standing over the ball at address. These golf clubs also boast a clean nickel chrome type of finish and a subtle black and orange color scheme on the back. The color is not distracting or too flashy, but gets your attention when you look at the club.
Wide Sole
Mid to high handicap golfers often have vertical swings. This means that their hands get very high on the backswing forcing them to “get steep” on the down swing through impact. This type of swing often causes players to dig into the ground and chunk the golf ball. The King F7s try to alleviate some of these chunked shots with a wide sole. A wide sole will glide a bit better along the ground instead of stabbing into it on the downswing. While these golf clubs look great at address, they’ll also help you hit it clean which maximizes distance.
A Secret Up Cobra’s Sleeve
The King F7s feature the trademarked Thin, Optimized, and Personalized (TOP) medallion on the back of the club. This technology progressively changes the weight throughout the set to optimize the center of gravity. It also serves to lessen harsh vibrations on mishits and give the clubs a more forgiving feel.
Unique Design for Every Golf Club
When you take a closer look at the King F7s, you’ll notice that there’s actually a few different head designs to the set. These are sometimes called “hybrid sets,” “progressive sets,” or “mixed sets”. Feel free to choose whatever adjective you want to describe the different head designs. But the logic behind this move is fantastic. The long irons are designed with a full hollow design which allows Cobra to back up and lower the center of gravity (CG) on these clubs. This will help you produce a higher launch angle with the long irons. The 6 and 7-irons feature a half hollow design and a CG placed higher and more forward. The 8-Iron, 9-iron, and pitching wedge have a traditional open cavity back design. It’s a clever idea on Cobra’s part to improve the functionality and forgiveness of the entire set.
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Ping G30 Irons Review
If you are looking for game improvement irons, you have arrived at the correct review. The Ping G30 irons are some of the best golf clubs on the market. Players looking for a bit of assistance on the course should be familiar with the ‘G’ line from Ping. The Ping brand is one of the leaders in the game of golf, and the iron sets that fall into the ‘G’ lineup are some of their most popular. This set, the G30, is specifically aimed at helping high handicap golfers take their games to a new level. Let’s explore the details.
Classic Ping Aesthetics
These golf clubs, like all ping golf clubs, are unmistakably ping. They have the classic ping look and feel that we have all become accustomed to. When you first look at the G30 irons, you are sure to notice that they are unmistakably a set of Ping irons. If you’re a fan of the classic Ping look, you’re going to love them. Some golfers stick with Ping through thick and thin because of their look and feel, while others hate it. This visual element is a personal preference point, but is important for confidence. When you stand over the ball at address, you want to feel positive and confident. If you like the look of Pings and are looking for game improvement irons – these are some of the best golf clubs.
High Straight Ball Flight
The game improvement golf clubs are just that – designed to shave strokes. At first blush, it’s hard to imagine these clubs doing anything other than hitting the ball high and straight. And, naturally, that is what they have been designed to do. These are not ‘player’s clubs’ in the sense that they are not meant to help you carve the ball around the course. They are perimeter weighted (meaning the weight is distributed to the ends of the clubhead) and they feature a wide sole – two features which help get the ball up into the air time after time.
A Touch of Versatility
Despite being designed to allow you to hit the ball high and straight, you shouldn’t assume that these clubs are only capable of one type of shot. They are actually rather versatile in the right hands. These golf clubs aren’t going to be confused with a set of blades anytime soon, but they do have the potential to create a few different types of shots. As your game improves you’ll add punch shots, slight fades, and maybe a baby draw. These golf clubs can still accomplish these shot types if you strike the ball correctly. As you work to improve your game, these golf clubs should be up to the challenge of keeping up with your newfound skills.
Instill Confidence
As we mentioned before, when you stand over a golf ball at address you want to feel confident. The Ping G30 clubs have large clubheads that should give you all the confidence you need. These iron heads are large and have a thick appearance, which gives you confidence that you’re going to find the sweet spot. Don’t underestimate the importance of this trait in a golf club. Some golfers go out of their way to play golf clubs far too advanced from them simply because of the way they look. With the Ping G30s, you get the best of both worlds as long as you like Ping designs.
Quality to Last
In addition to the great design and quality of these golf clubs, Ping irons last forever. We know players who have been swinging Ping Eye 2 golf clubs for like 20 years. This is a brand with an excellent reputation in the golf industry. Ping clubs are known to stand the test of time, so you could potentially be using these G30s for many, many rounds to come. Given their performance characteristics and their tendency to make this tough game a bit easier, these are some of the best golf clubs out there right now.
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Mizuno JPX900 Hot Metal Golf Irons
Mizuno has a great reputation for making high quality “players irons”. Players irons are the best golf clubs for advanced golfers who have a low handicap. In other words, golfers who are great ball strikers and who intentionally shape the golf ball. Unfortunatley, not all of us fit into this category. Although Mizuno has always produced quality golf clubs for all skill levels, with the JPX Hot Metal Irons, they’ve taken it up a notch. With these golf clubs, Mizuno focused on creating a set of the best golf clubs for average golfers. The Mizuno JPX Hot Metal Irons combine a great look with top of the line engineering that maximizes forgiveness and distance. The irons are definitely some of the best golf clubs of 2018. Let’s get into why these are some of the best golf clubs out there.
Lots of Distance
If you ask the average golfer why he or she isn’t playing Mizuno irons, they’ll likely tell you that they are too hard to hit. Most average golfers picture blade irons when the picture Mizuno golf clubs, not forgiving cavity backs. Mizuno does indeed make awesome clubs aimed at advanced players. But Mizuno JPX900 Hot Metal Irons do not fit this mold. These golf clubs are specifically designed for the improving player who is more concerned with gaining extra yardage. The clubs are not designed for players debating whether to go with the high drawing six iron or a butter cut 5 iron. Launch monitor testing with these advanced cavity back irons consistently produces an optimal smash factor. If you’re looking to hit the ball a little further, these are some of the best golf clubs on the market.
Lots of Forgiveness
Most average golfers are also concerned about forgiveness. There’s not point in playing the best golf clubs in the world if you can’t hit them. The average golfer wants to play golf clubs that are easy to hit and don’t penalize shots that miss the sweet spot. Mizuno designed the JPX900s with this concern in mind. To hit these golf clubs far, you don’t have to be the perfect ball striker. Launch monitor tests have shown that the Mizuno JPX900s are extremely forgiving when hit off-center. The tests showed that there is less face movement on shots that miss the sweet spot, which means straighter and truer flying shots even on mishits.
Look and Feel
Mizuno golf clubs have a reputation for looking and feeling great. There are a ton of golfers out there playing Mizuno golf clubs just because of the way the look (i know a few). While the JPX900 Hot Metal Irons won’t win the gold medal for aesthetics (no cavity backs will), Mizuno has done a great job making them look and feel fantastic. The clubhead is deep and long with blue lines and a chrome finish. This golf club will give you plenty of confidence when standing over the golf ball. Although the top line is thicker, it’s still pleasing to the eye when resting the club behind the ball at address.
Are these the best golf clubs for you?
Like any other Mizuno golf club, when you hit it pure, this golf club feels fantastic. Because these clubs are designed for distance, you can really compress the golf ball even when you hit it a bit off center. This translates to more of those soaring shots that sort of scream through the air off of the clubface.
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Mizuno JPX 900 Forged Irons: Best Golf Clubs for Workability and Forgiveness
The Mizuno JPX900 forged irons are the successor of the JPX 850 Forged Irons. The JPX 850s were one of the most popular clubs that Mizuno produced and were some of the best golf clubs in their heyday. Golfers from a wide range of skill levels loved to play them. Mizuno forged irons offer more advanced golfers the ability to do more with the golf ball than large cavity back irons. These golf clubs offer players a bit of extra forgiveness while maintaining the ability to shape shots. However, these golf clubs are not designed for high handicap golfers strictly looking to hit it high and straight. These golf clubs are meant for golfers who are progressing and exploring the world of shot shaping. With the Mizuno JPX900 forged irons, Mizuno is improving on an old favorite.
If you’re a high handicap or casual golfer it’s probably a good idea to purchase an even more forgiving set of golf clubs (check out the JPX900 Hot Metals). But the JPX 900 Forged Irons are a great fit for mid handicappers (shoot in the 80s) all the way down to scratch golfers. Don’t kid yourself if you’re a low handicapper, there’s no reason to make the game harder. These irons are a fantastic option for a little more forgiveness without sacrificing workability. Let’s get into how Mizuno improved one of the best golf clubs out there.
A Unique Forged Iron
Mizuno is well known for blending the technology of various types of golf clubs. They have designed many blade-like cavity back irons over the years. However, with the JPX 900 Forged Irons, Mizuno is doing something a little different. Like a driver, the JPX 900 Forged Irons have a variable thickness face. This characteristic produces a hotter hitting area while reducing the weight of the clubface. The fact that the clubs are a little bit lighter translates into increased swing and ball speed and hence, more distance. This unique design also creates more efficient weight distribution throughout the clubface, which provides more forgiveness on off center strikes.
Improved Cavity Back
Again, Mizuno irons are tough to classify. There was a time when you just didn’t see forged cavity back irons. Forged clubs were almost exclusively blades. Those days are now behind us and it is fairly common to see forged irons with a cavity back. JPX 900 Forged Irons are indeed cavity back irons, but they are improved cavity back irons. These irons feature a “pocket cavity design” that moves the center of gravity back in the clubhead. Because of this weighting feature, JPX 900 Forged Irons produce a higher launch angle without the need to alter your swing plane. With the advent of the modern launch monitor, data has shown that higher launch angles produce immediate distance gains. More distance equals lower scores.
Aesthetically Pleasing
As we’ve mention, Mizuno is known for producing good looking golf clubs. Of all the best golf clubs out there, Mizuno’s fly far above the competition aesthetically. The JPX 900 Forged Irons are no different. The design is technologically advanced yet simple. The top line is thin due to the narrower bottom of the clubface. Naturally, with cleaner lines, this golf club sets up beautifully behind the ball at address. The Mizuno branding is kept to a minimum and there are no loud colors or flare. These irons are plain and simple, clean and classic, as always. You’ll also notice that the shorter irons are a bit smaller which provides a more classic look. Let’s not kid ourselves, they aren’t quite as pretty as a pure blade, but they’re amazing for a forged iron.
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Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons
Until recently, almost all professional golfers played bladed irons.f you’ve read our other reviews, you know that we don’t encourage people to play blades unless they’re truly ready. What you’ll notice if you take a look at the clubs that PGA Tour players use today is that many professionals are playing forged irons. Think about that for a second, if forged irons are good enough for a PGA tour players, don’t you think they’re good enough for you? Mizuno has taken note of this fact and has created the JPX 900 Tour irons. Mizuno didn’t put the word “tour” in the name for no reason. These golf clubs are built for high performance with an eye on forgiveness.
As you might imagine from the name, these golf clubs are definitely designed for advanced players with near single digit handicaps. Mizuno has a long running tradition of making high quality irons for players that shoot lower scores than most. But Mizuno threw us a bit of a curve ball with these golf clubs. Mizuno’s players clubs used to be their blade MP line. These golf clubs were not built for forgiveness and focus on workability. While the JPX 900 Tour irons are not blades, they do share some similar qualities. The JPX 900 Tour Irons have very little if any visible offset, a thin top line, and a thin sole like a classic Mizuno blade. But they aren’t chrome and have a little cavity back. These changes are welcomed by many great ball strikers out there and make these irons some of the best golf clubs available.
Low Tech, High Performance
The JPX 900 Tour Irons are another example of the Mizuno tradition of blending the best aspects of cavity back irons and blades. These golf clubs are surprisingly fairly simple and straightforward. They don’t boast any type of speed pocket or other fancy feature to provide improved distances. But remember, that’s not the aim of these clubs. These golf clubs are not game improvement irons, they’re players irons. Players irons tend to be fairly straightforward. The JPX 900 Tours are forged from carbon steel and aren’t designed to be particularly forgiving.
What Makes Them “Tour” Irons?
While these golf clubs are not blades, the JPX 900 Tour irons could almost pass for them. However, the big difference between these golf clubs and blades is that they have a small cavity back. And when we say small, we mean small. This tiny little cavity back is designed to provide immediate feedback on mishits and to offer a tad bit more forgiveness. With these golf clubs, Mizuno is targeting shot shaping golfers who want slight mishits to fly closer to their target distances. The engineering behind these clubs is meant to provide true workability with any club. As such, advanced players who draw and fade mid irons and wedges can do so with a variety of trajectories.
Forged for Feel but Built to Last
Players report that the overall feel of the JPX 900 Tour Irons is fantastic. A solid feel is almost expected now from Mizuno forged irons – as long as you strike the sweet spot. The predictable searing and penetrating ball flight can be expected when you swing these clubs correctly. Forged golf clubs from Mizuno usually have a high polished chrome finish and have a reputation for wearing out quicker than many would like. The JPX 900 Tour model is a departure from this tradition and features a matte grey finish designed for increased durability.
Designed for Advanced Players
This needs to be restated. JPX 900 Tour Irons are not for the recreational golfers or even solid mid-handicap players who shoot in the 80s on a consistent basis. If you don’t shoot in the 70s regularly you should look toward other options. It’s just the smart thing to do. It makes no sense to invest over $1000 on some of the best clubs if they’re only going to hurt your game. But if you’re one of those super skilled players, the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons are definitely some of the best golf clubs out there for your game.
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Ping G Irons
The G Irons from Ping are the latest golf clubs in a long line of trusted iron sets. Ping golf clubs are loved by countless golfers across the country and around the world, and this latest set is sure to follow in that tradition. The G Irons, like the Ping G30s, fall into the category of ‘game improvement clubs’. This means that they are designed for mid-to-high handicap golfers. These irons are some of the best golf clubs with cavity backs. Like all cavity backs, these irons will help you get both greater height and distance on your shots. Additionally, a set of G Irons won’t break the bank. These golf clubs cost about as much money as any set from a top manufacturer. Expect the price to range between $800 – $1,000 depending on the exact set you purchase.
Let’s get into the details.
Variable Face Thickness
One of the notable design elements included in the G Iron set is the variable face thickness. Ping refers to this as COR-Eye technology. The unique design is obvious when you look at the back of any of the clubs in the set. On these golf clubs, there is essentially a ‘bulls-eye’ behind the sweet spot, which works to spread power around the entire face of the club.
What does this mean?
A bullseye on a golf club? Yup. A bullseye. What does this mean for you as a golfer? These clubs are going to offer you more consistent distances on miss-hit shots. Even if you hit the ball off the toe or the heel of the club, you should still receive a relatively standard distance by the time the ball comes down. As compared to blade-style irons, which will punish you for your miss-hit shots, the G Irons are tremendously forgiving.
Designed to Fly Straight
If you are thinking of purchasing a set of G irons, you should know that these clubs are made to hit the ball straight first and foremost. On the plus side, that means you should have little trouble keeping the ball in play. However, if you do need to curve a shot around an obstacle, you may struggle to do so with these game improvement clubs. Rest assured, a well struck golf ball with a proper swing will fade or draw as desired. But you should know that these clubs are not designed for moving the ball right to left (or voice versa). As such, any intentional draw or fade will be slight. These clubs are not hook or slice proof, they’re just not designed to work the ball.
A Wide Sole
You will see across the various members of the ‘G’ iron category from Ping that all of the irons have a wide sole design – and that trend continues with this set. A wide sole helps the club slide through the grass as it approaches impact. Many smaller club heads want to ‘dig’ into the ground, but this isn’t a problem with the G Irons. Digging often causes you to chunk the ball or hit it fat. Even if you hit the shot a little fat, the club should still slide into the ball enough to get the ball into the air.
Perfect Choice for Many Players
For the player who can benefit from the game improvement features offered by the G Irons, it will be hard to find a better set on the market. These are simply some of the best golf clubs out there for high handicap golfers. You can always count on quality when you choose a Ping product, and the G Irons are another in a long line of irons meant to help the average golfer. For anyone with an average score up in the mid-80’s and beyond, these are some of the best golf clubs for your game.
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Mizuno MP25 Irons
The MP-25 is another one of Mizuno’s engineering marvels. Admittedly, these golf clubs are bit difficult to describe. They look like a cross combination of a blade, a cavity back, and a muscle back iron all at the same time. Mizuno once again proves that when it comes to inspiring confidence with a beautiful iron, they make the best golf clubs. The MP-25 is another golf club aimed at more advanced players who carry lower handicaps and place a premium on feedback and workability. These golf clubs are not designed for those of us shoot low occasionally, but do not do so on a consistent basis. However, the MP-25 provides exactly what an advanced player is looking for in an iron. This golf club offers solid feel, impressive aesthetics, and impressive playability. Let’s explore the details.
Lots of Feel, Great Feedback
The Mizuno MP-25 golf clubs are grain flow forged from a mix of boron and steel. Grain flow forging is a process used to provide a solid yet soft feel on well struck shots and immediate feedback on mishits. With this material you’ll know when you mishit a shot and this type of feedback is a good thing. Feedback is information that you can use to minimize the swing flaws that lead to mishits. An iron that allows you to feel more in each golf shot provides you with more data for diagnosis, which means more data for improvement.
These materials have other benefits as well. For example, Mizuno chose to use boron as well as steel for the MP-25 golf clubs to impart a bit more distance to these irons. Boron is lighter and stronger than steel so the face can be a bit thinner and hotter. The lighter the clubface, the faster you can swing the golf club – and we all know that leads to more distance.
More Distance
Although the Mizuno MP 25 golf clubs look like blades, they play like advanced hybrid golf clubs. These golf clubs take the workability of a blade and combine it with the forgiveness and distance of a muscle back or cavity back iron. Essentially, you can have your cake and eat it too. As we mentioned earlier, the integration of boron allows the MP-25 to have a hotter face which translates to more distance. But Mizuno also had another little trick up their sleeve when they designed these golf clubs. The MP-25s also feature a hidden cut-through slot behind the face which allows for greater ball speed. Not to beat a dead horse, but increased ball speed means more distance.
Beautiful Golf Clubs
It shouldn’t matter what the best golf club looks like, but we all care. We can’t help it, we want to play the best golf clubs and we want them to look like the golf clubs the pros use. The Mizuno MP-25 golf clubs are clean and classic and look great at address. Plenty of other manufacturers are introducing bright colors designed to grab your eye and attention but Mizuno is not playing that game with the MP-25s. There is no paint on the club head, no bright lettering, no gimmicks. The MP-25s boast different shades of grey and chrome that give the club a sharp and sophisticated look.
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Mizuno MP5 Irons: Best Golf Irons for Elite Golfers
This the most beautiful club in golf – period. You can always depend on Mizuno to deliver a perfect union of top of the line performance and beautiful aesthetics. The MP-5 Irons are no exception. The Mizuno MP-5 golf clubs are forged blades designed for singe digit golfers and professionals. You may actually intimidate the other players in your group with these clubs in your bag. If you’re playing these golf clubs, it means you’re going low. Although we call these clubs “blades,” the industry appears to be referring to these as “channel back” irons. This is due a difference in thickness between the top line of the club and the muscle back. We don’t think that this means that it plays different than a blade. It’s more likely that Mizuno’s marketing department figures the word blade means “hard to hit” in the minds of most golfers.
Mizuno’s marketing department might be on to something if that is the case because these golf clubs demand pure ball striking. If you’re not a single digit handicap player who likes to work the ball, you’d be better served purchasing something else. If you really like Mizuno, check out Mizuno’s JPX 900 series irons. It only makes sense to play the clubs that will compliment your game the most, help you shoot lower scores, and bring you more enjoyment when you’re out on the links with your pals. With that said, let’s explore the MP-5s.
Channel Back Head Design
Let’s talk a little bit more about the channel back head design on this golf club. There is indeed a difference between the MP-5 and pure blades like the old school Mizuno MP-14s. The Mizuno MP-5 is based on the recent MP-64 muscle backs, which are almost cavity back looking irons. Mizuno likes to make continual advances in club design and typically blends various aspects of a variety of models. It’s an example of the company’s dedication to innovation and their roots in classic style. Because these golf clubs are aimed at more advanced players, the head is slightly smaller than other models but sets up to the ball absolutely beautifully. The MP-5 boasts a thinner top line than most clubs to fit the eye of lower handicapped players and provides a sense of improved workability.
Forgiveness Factor
The Mizuno MP-5 golf clubs are not forgiving. They simply aren’t. If you don’t the ball off of the sweet spot, it is not going to react the way you want it to – plain and simple. However, when compared with other blades, the Mizuno MP-5 is on the more forgiving end of the spectrum. This is due to the channel back design that we discussed before. The channel back is kind of the middle ground between a muscle back iron and a blade. This increases the diameter of the sween spot, but not by much. Remember, the club head is smaller and less surface area means less room for error.
Playability
The MP-5 irons are grain flow forged and made from carbon steel. This construction gives these golf clubs a soft yet solid feel when struck properly. These golf clubs are also built for players that like to work the ball. The efficient clubhead and weight distribution provide players with excellent control. Most golfers describe themselves as feel players. Pure is the word that comes to mind to describe the feel of the MP-5. Mizuno has a long tradition of using nothing but the best raw materials and coupling it with advanced Japanese technology to provide golf clubs of truly the highest caliber.
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King Utility Irons: Best Golf Club (utility category)
Contrary to popular belief, utility irons are not a new phenomenon. However, they are traditionally referred to by a different name. There’s no doubt that when watching the British Open you’ve heard of players hitting shots with “driving irons”. These are essentially an older version of the utility iron. Driving irons were renamed utility irons for multiple reasons. First and foremost, they were rumored to be difficult to hit (and those rumors were true). The second reason is due to the technological improvements that have been made to the golf club – they’re no longer just for driving in high winds.
In today’s game, adjustable golf clubs like the utility club have become fairly popular. They add a dynamic layer of usefulness to what were once static clubs. We’ve seen this advancement in drivers, fairway woods, and hybrid clubs, and now we’re seeing it with irons. If you’re looking to add a reliable and powerful long iron to your bag that is great in the wind, this may be the best golf club for you.
A Bit of Background
Driving irons were popular back in the Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus days. But even for some of the best golfers, 2-irons and 1-irons were too difficult to hit. Trevino famously said, “Only God can hit a 1-iron”. Lee was exaggerating a bit, but only by a bit. Manufacturers in the 1970s developed driving irons to replace 1-irons but the club never really caught on. Players preferred to hit 5-woods that were much more forgiving and allowed for softer landing shots. Hybrids really came into the picture about 15 years ago and replaced 5-woods and 2-irons in many bags. Driving Irons came back into fashion about 5 or 6 years ago as basically beefed up and more technologically advanced 2-irons. They allow for a combination of high launch and penetrating flight. King Utility Irons are keeping the technology alive and stepping it up a few notches at the same time.
An Adjustable Iron
We’ve been experimenting with adjustable heads on drivers for a while now. Even Tiger Woods abandoned the old glue-in hozel driver for a Taylormade M2. The benefits of adjustable technology are obvious. You can skip spending a ton of money on custom clubs and instead buy one that you can adjust to your swing. Playing a club that fits your swing and your game plan will save you strokes. The adjustability is present in the King Utility irons. You can adjust King Utility Irons to be an 18 degree 2-iron or a 21 degree three iron in addition to other lofts in between. This provides a level of versatility not yet seen in a driving iron.
Lots of Technology
Adjustability isn’t the only advantage of King Utility Irons. This is one of the best golf clubs for another reason. It also features an oversized and hollow head design. These are common driver features, but here they are paired with the playability of an iron. This is a great combination, especially if you have trouble keeping a driver in the short grass. Looking down at the golf club at address gives you a sense of confidence because of the size and shape of the head. The hollow nature of the golf club also allows for a thinner face. A thinner face typically means more energy is transferred to the golf ball giving each shot more distance. But remember, if you’re not using the golf club for pure distance and accuracy, you can easily adjust the clubhead for added loft and softer landing shots.
Not Just For Advanced Players
As we’ve mentioned, driving irons and long irons used to be impossible to hit for most golfers. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. With the combination of technology present in King Utility Irons there’s no need for improving players to be intimidated. At the same time, advanced players can add one of these clubs to their bags and still benefit on tight par 4s. Regardless of where you are in your game, this is one of the best golf clubs for keeping it in the fairway and hitting it a long way.
