As Golfweek explained in our 2024 Driver wrap-up, the undeniable trend in the world of drivers is toward higher-stability offerings that not only perform well when you hit the ball in the middle of the face, but also help you hit straighter shots and help you maintain distance when you mis-hit toward the heel or the toe.
When it comes to irons, the trend continues to be the broadening array of offers to meet the needs of different types of players. Not that long ago, equipment makers sold blades to the best players, cavity-backs to golfers who needed some forgiveness and oversized clubs to high-handicappers and beginners. Those clubs still exist, but they are complemented by better-player distance irons, sets that blend hybrids and irons for forgiveness, and sets that blend hollow-bodied long irons with precision-minded scoring clubs.
Take Ping as an example. The Phoenix-based brand now has the Blueprint T and Blueprint S for elite players, the tour-proven i230 for good players who want more forgiveness, the i525 for golfers who want a better-player’s distance iron, the game-improvement G430 and it still offers the G710 as a max game-improvement club. Brands like Callaway, Cobra, Mizuno, TaylorMade and Titleist have similarly deep stables.
That’s a double-edged sword for consumers because while a larger variety of irons means there is a better chance that brands are now making sets that match your needs (and your budget), finding those clubs can be a daunting task. Therefore, it has never been more important to seek out a good custom fitter, try several different shafts and heads and see what the data reveals.
Pro Tip: Indoor club fittings have come a long way and are convenient, but as spring approaches, if you have a chance to do a fitting outside, hitting off real grass and seeing real ball flights is always best.
Below are many of the irons that you will see in pro shops and specialty stores. Use this list as a starting point to discover clubs that might be ideal for you game.
Best golf irons in 2024
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke
Price: $999.99 (seven clubs) with True Temper Elevate steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips; $1,099.99 with Project X Cypher 2.0, Mitsubishi Tensei Blue White or Eldio graphite shafts
Specs: Hollow-bodied stainless steel iron
Who It’s For: Golfers who want a distance-oriented, game-improvement iron that launches the ball high.
Excerpt: “Callaway designers used supercomputers to study hundreds of thousands of swings of actual golfers to see how they hit shots. Using that data, the supercomputers employ artificial intelligence to create thousands of iron faces and simulate how they would perform in the real world.” Read the full review …
Shop Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke ironsCallaway Paradym Ai Smoke HL
Price: $999.99 (seven clubs) with True Temper Elevate steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips; $1,099.99 with Project X Cypher 2.0, Mitsubishi Tensei Blue White or Eldio graphite shafts
Specs: Hollow-bodied stainless steel iron
Who It’s For: Golfers who struggle to hitting shots high enough to land softly and stop quickly.
Excerpt: “The HL, which stands for high launch, has a face design and low center of gravity that combine with weaker lofts to make getting the ball high in the air easier, especially with the long irons. While the Paradym Ai Smoke’s 5-iron has 22 degrees of loft, the 5-iron in the HL version has 24 degrees of loft. Callaway believes this club should be ideal for golfers with a driver swing between 70 and 90 mph.” Read the full review …
Shop Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke HL ironsCallaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast
Price: $999.99 (seven clubs) with True Temper Elevate steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips; $1,099.99 with Project X Cypher 2.0, Mitsubishi Tensei Blue White or Eldio graphite shafts
Specs: Hollow-bodied stainless steel iron
Who It’s For: Slow- and moderate-swinging golfers who struggle generating club head speed and distance.
Excerpt: “The Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast has been optimized for golfers who have a driver swing that is slower than 75 mph. These irons have the same weakened lofts as the HL irons, but the Max Fast irons come standard with lighter shafts and grips, which should make it easier to create more clubhead speed and carry distance..” Read the full review …
Shop Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast ironsCallaway Apex Pro (2023)
Price: $215 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid steel shafts and Golf Pride Z grips.
Specs: Hollow-body construction with a forged 1025 carbon steel body, forged 455 cup face (3-5) and internal urethane microspheres.
Who They’re For: Low and mid-handicap golfers who want a better-player’s distance iron that also delivers shot-shaping and forgiveness.
Excerpt: “The Apex Pro long irons (3-5) have a hollow-body design and a thin 455 stainless steel cup face designed to flex more efficiently at impact to enhance ball speed. This is the same material and construction found in Callaway’s game-improving Paradym irons but in a more compact package. The 6-iron through attack wedge have faces made from forged 1025 carbon steel, the same soft material used in the Apex Pro irons’ chassis.” Read the full review …
Shop Callaway Apex Pro ironsCallaway Apex CB (2023)
Price: $215 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid steel shafts and Golf Pride Z grips.
Specs: Forged 1025 carbon steel. Available in 3-iron (20.5 degrees) through attack wedge (50 degrees)
Who It’s For: Elite golfers who want a touch of forgiveness to go along with maximum feel and control.
Excerpt: “The Apex CB was inspired by Callaway’s Apex TBC (tour cavity-back), which is the iron of choice for Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele. Callaway made the blade length a few millimeters longer than the Apex TCB, but the brand thinks this will be its most-played iron on the PGA Tour next season while also being an option to a few more amateur golfers.” Read the full review …
Shop Callaway Apex ironsCallaway Apex MB (2023)
Price: $215 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid steel shafts and Golf Pride Z grips.
Specs: Forged 1025 carbon steel. Available in 3-iron (20.5 degrees) through attack wedge (50 degrees)
Who It’s For: Pros, college golfers and club-champion level players who demand control and feel above everything else.
Excerpt: “The Apex MB is a pure muscleback blade. It has a very compact blade length, virtually no offset and a very thin topline. It has a progressive CG throughout the set and Callaway studied and modified the sole design and bounce to make it quick through the grass, so golfers can maintain speed through the strike.” Read the full review …
Shop Callaway Apex ironsCallaway Big Bertha (2023)
Price: $999.99 (six clubs) with True Temper Elevate 85 steel shafts; $1,099.99 with Callaway RCH 65 graphite shafts and Callaway Universal grips.
Specs: Cast stainless steel body with 450 stainless steel cup face, internal and external tungsten weights and internal urethane microspheres
Who It’s For: Golfers who shoot in the 90s and 100s and want to maximize forgiveness and distance.
Excerpt: “Inside each head is a large tungsten weight in the toe area that is encased in urethane microspheres. The weight varies by club – but gets as heavy as 43 grams – and helps to lower the center of gravity location and encourage a higher launch angle. The urethane microspheres, absorb excessive vibrations to improve sound and feel.” Read the full review …
Shop Callaway Big Bertha ironsCleveland ZipCore XL
Price: $899.88 (7 clubs) with KBS Tour Lite steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips; $999.99 with UST Mamiya Helium Nanocore 60 graphite shafts.
Specs: Cavity-back designed stainless steel heads with stainless steel faces. Available 4-iron through sand wedge.
Who It’s For: Golfers with a handicap ranging from eight to 18 who want a traditional cavity-back iron designed to deliver more distance and consistency.
Excerpt: “To help golfers generate more ball speed and distance, engineers gave the ZipCore XL irons a MainFrame face. It is a series of channels that are milled into the inner-facing side of the face of the 4-iron through 7-iron. They allow the hitting area to flex more efficiently, while weight pads help to lower the center of gravity location and encourage higher-flying shots.” Read the full review …
Shop Cleveland ZipCore XL ironsCleveland Halo XL Full Face
Price: $899.88 (7 clubs) with KBS Tour Lite steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips; $999.99 with UST Mamiya Helium Nanocore 60 graphite shafts.
Specs: Hollow-bodied stainless steel heads with stainless steel faces. Available 4-iron through sand wedge.
Who It’s For: High-handicap and moderate clubhead speed players who want an easy-to-hit iron loaded with forgiveness.
Excerpt: “The Halo XL Full Face irons are enormous, which should immediately give confidence to players who routinely shoot in the 90s and 100s. They are designed like small hybrids, so each club is hollow and made to allow the faces to flex easily at the moment of impact for increased ball speed.” Read the full review …
Shop Cleveland Halo XL Full Face ironsCobra Darkspeed, Darkspeed One-Length
Price: $999 (4-PW or 5-GW) with KBS Tour Lite steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips.
Specs: Hollow-bodied long and mid-irons with 17-4 stainless steel faces, 431 stainless steel chassis, CNC-milled grooves and internal weights.
Who They’re For: Mid- and higher-handicap golfers who struggle with inconsistent contact, need more distance and want more height on their shots.
Excerpt: “Inside the heads of the 4-iron through pitching wedge, the Darkspeed irons are hollow to allow the thin 17-4 stainless steel faces to flex more efficiently at impact. The sand wedge and gap wedge are half-hollow, with an open chamber behind the hitting area. Cobra gave the 4-iron through 7-iron a PWRShell face, which is 21 percent thinner than the face of last season’s AeroJet iron and wraps under the leading edge of the club and into the sole to broaden the sweet spot.” Read the full review …
Shop Cobra Darkspeed irons Shop Cobra Darkspeed One-Length ironsCobra King Tour
Price: $1,299 with KBS $-Taper 120 steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips
Specs: Forged 1025 carbon steel with TPU insert and co-molded aluminum medallion
Who It’s For: Low-scoring golfers who want a soft-feeling iron that delivers shot-shaping control with a touch of forgiveness.
Excerpt: “While the King Tour CB and MB irons are one-piece forgings, meaning the heads are made using nothing but metal, Cobra designers added a thermoplastic polyurethane insert and an aluminum co-molded badge to the back of the King Tour heads to soak up excessive vibrations. The cavity-back shaping is created by computer-controlled milling. This allowed engineers to make subtle changes to the undercuts around the head, taking extra material out of the top of the long irons to lower the center of gravity.” Read the full review …
Shop Cobra King Tour ironsCobra King Tour CB/MB Combo
Price: $1,199 with KBS $-Taper 120 steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips
Specs: Forged 1025 carbon steel
Who It’s For: Elite ballstrikers who demand the ultimate in feel and control.
Excerpt: “Forged in a five-step process using 1020 carbon steel, the Cobra King Tour CB/MB Combo set blends cavity-back 4-, 5- and 6-irons with muscleback blades in the 7-iron through pitching wedge. All seven clubs in the set have a thin topline, virtually no offset and a narrow sole. The clubs have the shortest blade length in the Cobra stable, so if you are looking for forgiveness or an iron that will give you some extra pop from the fairway, you can look elsewhere.” Read the full review …
Shop Cobra King Tour CM/MB combo ironsCobra T-Rail Hybrid Iron
Price: $999.99 (4-hybrid, 5-iron through pitching wedge) with Cobra Ultralite graphite shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips
Specs: Hybrid and hollow-bodied irons are made with stainless steel bodies, faces and railed soles.
Who It’s For: Slower-swinging golfers who struggle to generate ball speed, distance and height off the tee on par 3s and from the fairway.
Excerpt: “All the clubs in the set are hollow to allow the hitting area to flex more efficiently at impact. To maximize that trampoline effect, Cobra gave the T-Rail Hybrid Iron Combo set a redesigned, variable-thickness H.O.T Face insert. Designed with artificial intelligence, it has areas that are thicker in some spots and thinner in others, and Cobra said the result is a sweet spot that is 30 percent larger. That should lead to greater consistency for players who make inconsistent contact and mis-hit their iron shots.” Read the full review …
Shop Cobra T-Rail Hybrid ironsMizuno Pro 241
Price: $200 each with KBS Tour steel shafts and Golf Pride MCC grips
Specs: Forged 1025E mild carbon steel. Available in 3-iron through pitching wedge (right-hand) and 4-iron through pitching wedge (right- and left-hand)
Who It’s For: Elite ballstrikers who want the most compact iron available to maximize control and feel.
Excerpt: “Everything low-handicap golfers need to know about the new Mizuno Pro 241 is this: It’s the smallest, most compact muscleback blade Mizuno has ever created. There are some subtle technologies that are hard to detect, but the Mizuno Pro 241 is a club that has been stripped of extra bells and whistles that professionals, college players and golfers who annually contend in local and regional tournaments don’t ask for.” Read the full review…
Shop Mizuno Pro 241 ironsMizuno Pro 243
Price: $200 each with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 steel shafts and Golf Pride MCC grips
Specs: Forged 4120 Chromoly (4-7 irons) and forged 1025E mild carbon steel (8-iron through gap wedge) with copper underlayer. Available in 4-iron through gap wedge (right-hand only).
Who It’s For: Low-handicap golfers and solid ballstrikers who want the control and feel of a better-player’s irons combined with a touch of forgiveness.
Excerpt: “Like the Mizuno Pro 223, the 4-iron through 7-iron in the Mizuno Pro 243 have been designed with a micro slot in the sole that allows the lower portion of the face to flex more efficiently on low-struck shots. You can’t see it because Mizuno covered it with chrome plating to keep water and debris from getting inside the heads. Now, however, the slot in the 4- and 5-irons is wider and deeper, which helps to create a higher launch angle and allows the clubs to generate more spin. The slots in the 6- and 7-irons are thinner and don’t extend as far into the toe and heel, to help smooth the transition into the 8-iron, 9-iron and wedges which have not been made with the slot. ” Read the full review …
Shop Mizuno Pro 243 ironsMizuno Pro 245
Price: $200 each with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 steel shafts and Golf Pride MCC grips
Specs: Grainflow forged 4135 Chromoly with internal tungsten weight (2-8 irons), and forged 1025E mild carbon steel (9-iron through gap wedge) with copper underlayer. Available in 4-iron through gap wedge.
Who It’s For: Made to look like a better-player’s iron but perform like a game-improvement club, the Mizuno Pro 245 blends different materials and a unique construction to deliver more ball speed and distance without sacrificing feel.
Excerpt: “The Mizuno Pro 245 is a hollow-bodied iron with a face and neck piece in the 2-8 iron being grain flow forged using 4135 Chromoly, an extremely strong stainless steel alloy. Using the Chromoly allowed Mizuno designers to make the faces very thin, which, along with the hollow-body construction, helps to maximize ball speed and increase distance. ” Read the full review …
Shop Mizuno Pro 245 ironsMizuno JPX 923 Forged
Price: $137.50 each
Specs: Grain-flow-forged 4120 Chromoly (4-7 irons) and 1025E mild carbon steel (8-GW) with milled micro-slot. Available in left- and right-hand versions. 4-iron through lob wedge
Who it’s for: Accomplished golfers looking for a compact cavity-back iron that emphasizes feeling and control with some forgiveness.
Excerpt: “The face of the JPX 923 Forged is thinner in every area than the JPX 921 Forged, which should allow the hitting area to flex more efficiently at impact for increased ball speed on well-struck shots and mis-hits too. There is also a milled micro-slot in the sole that is covered by a very thin plating. The slot allows the lower portion of the face to flex more easily, which should deliver better performance on thin shots. The JPX 921 Forged had a micro-slot, but the slot in this updated version is wider.” Read the full review …
Shop Mizuno JPX 923 Forged ironsMizuno JPX 923 Tour
Price: $137.50 each
Specs: Grain-flow-forged 1025E mild carbon steel. 4-iron through lob wedge
Who it’s for: Is your name on your bag? Are you a college golfer, a club pro or someone who has a legitimate shot at winning the A Flight at your club championship? If so, the JPX 923 Tour could be a control- and feel-oriented option for you.
Excerpt: “In addition to extra trailing-edge relief, Mizuno added more bounce to the sole of the JPX 923 Tour to help the clubs work through the turf more efficiently. The added bounce should also help fitters if they want to strengthen the loft of any of the clubs. Delofting clubs often lowers the leading edge, which can cause digging; adding extra bounce can strengthen the JPX 923 Tour irons without making them dig too easily” Read the full review …
Shop Mizuno JPX 923 Tour ironsMizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal
Price: $137.50 each
Specs: Cast nickel chromoly heads.
Who it’s for: Golfers who want the looks and feel of better-player’s irons but need distance enhancement, forgiveness and spin.
Excerpt: “Nickel chromoly allowed Mizuno to make the faces thinner and lighter without worrying about durability, so the center of the JPX 923 Hot Metal’s cup-face hitting area is just 2.05 millimeters thick, with the perimeter being 1.75 millimeters. That allows the hitting area to flex more efficiently at impact across a larger area for more ball speed while also reducing weight.” Read the full review …
Shop Mizuno JPX Hot Metal ironsMizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro
Price: $137.50 each
Specs: Cast nickel chromoly heads.
Who it’s for: Golfers who want the looks and feel of better-player’s irons but need distance enhancement, forgiveness and spin.
Excerpt: “The JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro has a shorter blade length than the standard model, along with a thinner topline and slightly less offset, but the Hot Metal and Hot Metal Pro have the same lofts (5-iron, 22 degrees; 9-iron, 37.5 degrees).” Read the full review …
Shop Mizuno JPX Hot Metal Pro ironsMizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal HL
Price: $137.50 each
Specs: Cast nickel chromoly heads.
Who it’s for: Golfers who want the looks and feel of better-player’s irons but need distance enhancement, forgiveness and spin.
Excerpt: “The JPX 923 Hot Metal HL (which stands for high launch) is a super-game-improvement club designed to maximize forgiveness and deliver more ball speed and height. It has a thicker topline, wider sole and the lowest center of gravity, but the most interesting thing Mizuno did with the JPX 923 Hot Metal Hot HL was to make the lofts 2 degrees weaker than the standard JPX 923 Hot Metal.” Read the full review …
Shop Mizuno JPX Hot Metal HL ironsPing Blueprint S
Price: $230 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 steel shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips, $245 each with Ping Alta CB Black graphite shafts
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with a high-density toe screw and Hyrdopearl 2.0 finish. Available 3-iron through pitching wedge.
Who They’re For: Accomplished golfers who want a better-player’s distance iron with extra forgiveness in the long irons.
Excerpt: “Ping believes its seven-step forging process can uniquely deliver the feel low-handicap players demand while removing 10 grams of steel (weight) and replacing it with a piece of vibration-absorbing thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) that is capped with stainless steel. It also helped Ping designers lower the center of gravity and make it easier to hit the Blueprint S long irons on a higher trajectory.” Read the full review …
Shop Ping Blueprint S ironsPing Blueprint T
Price: $230 with True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 steel shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips, $245 with Ping Alta CB Black graphite shafts
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with a high-density toe screw and Hyrdopearl 2.0 finish. Available 3-pitching wedge.
Who They’re For: Low-handicap golfers who want a traditional-looking iron that maximizes feel, control and precision.
Excerpt: “The Blueprint T replaces the original Blueprint, which was released in 2019. It is the most compact Ping iron, with an extremely short blade length, a narrow topline and only a touch of offset. The Blueprint T is also the only Ping iron with a single, non-variable blade length in the 3-iron through 8-iron.” Read the full review …
Shop Ping Blueprint T ironsPing i230
Price: $205 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 shafts and Lamkin Crossline Black grips, $230 each with Ping Alta CB Black graphite shafts
Specs: Cast 431 stainless steel body with tungsten tip and toe weights, internal elastomer insert and multimaterial back badge. 3-iron through gap wedge available.
Who it’s For: Golfers who want a better-player’s iron that has extra stability, a softer feel at impact and more consistent spin performance.
Excerpt: “The most interesting new feature is an internal elastomer piece that runs from heel to toe along the lower portion of the club. It weighs just 3 grams but helps absorb vibrations at impact to create a softer feel. At the same time, it replaces 24 grams of steel, so more of the club’s overall weight naturally shifts to the perimeter of the head.” Read the full review …
Shop Ping i230 ironsPing G430
Price: $170 each with Ping AWT 2.0 steel shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. $185 each with Alta CB Black graphite shafts.
Specs: Cast 17-4 stainless steel heads with internal tungsten weights
Who It’s For: The G430 irons are game-improvement clubs for mid- and higher-handicap players who want more distance and forgiveness.
Excerpt: “The G430 has a cast 17-4 stainless steel body and face that has been given a new heat treatment. Ping said it makes the hitting area stronger, so designers could make it thinner and 3 percent lighter. The thinner face should flex more efficiently at impact to boost ball speed, and while a 3 percent weight savings may not sound like much, making the hitting area lighter means more weight can be shifted to other areas of the club where it will improve performance.” Read the full review …
Shop Ping G430 ironsPing i525
Price: $1,499.99 with Project X IO shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grips; $220 each with UST Mamiya Recoil graphite shafts
Specs: Forged 17-4 stainless steel body with maraging stainless steel face and internal polymer.
Who It’s For: Accomplished golfers who prefer the look of a better-player iron but are seeking the distance enhancement of game-improvement clubs.
Excerpt: “The body of the i525 is forged 17-4 stainless steel, with a maraging stainless steel faceplate that is robotically welded into position. The variable-thickness face is thinner around the edges and slightly thicker in the center, which broadens the sweet spot. The i525 is also hollow, which allows the hitting area to flex more efficiently at impact to increase ball speed and distance.” Read the full review …
Shop Ping i525 ironsPXG 0317 T
Price: $169.99 each
Specs: Hollow-bodied construction with forged, 8620 carbon steel body and HT1770 stainless steel face, internal tungsten weight and vibration-absorbing polymer. Available in Chrome and Xtreme Dark finish.
Who It’s For: Accomplished players who love the look and feel of muscleback blades but now want more forgiveness.
Excerpt: “The 0317 T irons are filled with a different material, S COR, a polymer that is less elastic, so not as fast as X COR (used in many other PXG irons0, but helps produce a lower launch angle and higher spin rates, which should give accomplished golfers more control and enhanced shot-making abilities.” Read the full review …
Shop PXG 0317 ironsPXG 0317 CB
Price: $169.99 each
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with milled back and adjustable swing weight. Available in chrome and dark finishes
Who It’s For: Accomplished golfers who want to shape shots but need more forgiveness than a muscleback blade offers.
Excerpt: “Like the previously released clubs, the 0317 CBs are triple forged using 8620 carbon steel, and the back of each head is milled to precisely create the shapes the designers intended. PXG engineers have also added a weight in the back of each head that can be changed during the fitting process to allow golfers to try different swing weights.” Read the full review …
Shop PXG. 0317 CB ironsPXG 0311 P GEN6
Price: $219 each
Specs: Hollow-body construction with a forged 8620 carbon steel body and a milled back area, forged HT1770 stainless steel face, tungsten weights and internal polymer.
Who They’re For: The updated 0311 P is for golfers who want a soft feel at impact with more ball speed and stability in a club that looks like a better-player’s iron.
Excerpt: “Inside each head, PXG adds a proprietary polymer it calls XCOR2. It fills the entire inner chamber of each head, absorbing excessive vibrations to enhance sound and feel. The material also supports the face, which PXG said would bend or break after only a few hits without the added reinforcement. While the XCOR2 supports the face, it does not inhibit the hitting area from flexing, so ball speed is not sacrificed.” Read the full review…
Shop PXG 0311 P GEN6 ironsPXG 0311 XP GEN6
Price: $219 each
Specs: Hollow-body construction with a forged 8620 carbon steel body and a milled back area, forged HT1770 stainless steel face, tungsten weights and internal polymer.
Who They’re For: The updated 0311 P is for golfers who want a soft feel at impact with more ball speed and stability in a club that looks like a better-player’s iron.
Excerpt: “To add stability, PXG added two tungsten weights screws to both the heel and toe areas of the 0311 GEN6 irons. In addition to adding perimeter weighting, the tungsten screws lower the center of gravity to encourage higher-flying shots that come down more steeply, enhancing distance control and stopping power on the greens.” Read the full review …
Shop PXG 0311 XP GEN6 ironsPXG 0317 ST Blade
Price: $199 each in Chrome finish, $219 with Xtreme Dark finish
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel, milled face and back, adjustable swing weight. Available in 3-iron through gap wedge in chrome and Xtreme Dark finish.
Who It’s For: Elite golfers with powerful, repeatable swings who demand control and feel in a traditional iron.
Excerpt: “The ST stands for super tour, and while PXG is blending the construction of the clubs within the set, these really are for single-digit handicappers, college players and professional golfers. Like the old joke, if you have to ask if you are good enough to play them, you probably aren’t.” Read the full review …
Shop PXG 0317 ST Blade ironsPXG 0211 XCOR2
Price: $159 each
Specs: 431 stainless steel body with HT1770 stainless steel face, two internal elastomers with progressive blade length and offset.
Who it’s For: Golfers who want PXG’s key performance technologies at a more budget-friendly price.
Excerpt: “The body of the 0211 XCOR2 is cast from 431 stainless steel while the thin HT1770 stainless steel. The hitting area has been designed to be extremely thin, so it flexes easily at the moment of impact to create more ball speed and distance. ” Read the full review …
Shop PXG 0211 XCOR2 ironsTaylorMade Qi
Price: $1,099 with KBS Max 85 steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips; $1,199 with Fujikura Ventus Blue TR graphite shafts
Specs: Hollow-body heads with multi-material back badge
Who They’re For: Golfers with a handicap between 10 and 20 who want more consistency from shot to shot and enhanced ball-speed protection on mis-hits.
Excerpt: “TaylorMade made the low-toe portion of the face thicker so it flexes less, and the area close to the heel is thinned so it bends more easily at impact. In addition to making the hitting area flex more uniformly, which should help golfers hit straighter shots, by adding mass low in the hitting area and stiffening the metal around the Speed Pocket slot in the sole, the Qi long irons can help golfers get long-iron shots up more quickly.” Read the full review …
Shop TM Qi ironsTaylorMade Qi HL
Price: $1,099 with KBS Max 85 steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips; $1,199 with Fujikura Ventus Blue TR graphite shafts
Specs: Hollow-body heads with multi-material back badge
Who They’re For: Golfers with a handicap between 15 and 25 who want more consistency and a high trajectory.
Excerpt: “The HL stands for higher and lighter, and with the club’s lighter shaft and grip, moderate-swinging players should be able to generate more speed with it. The lofts in the HL version are also 2 degrees weaker (higher lofts), so shots should also fly higher.” Read the full review …
Shop TM Qi HL ironsTaylorMade P·790 (2023)
Price: $1,399 (seven clubs) with True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts and Golf Pride Z grips. $1,499 with Mitsubishi MMT graphite shafts
Specs: Hollow-body construction with a forged 4140 stainless steel face, internal tungsten weights (3-7 irons), vibration-dampening foam and polymer-covered sole slot.
Who It’s For: Golfers who want an iron that looks like a better-player’s club, but packs the distance and forgiveness of a game-improvement iron.
Excerpt: “The precise location of the CG was a point of emphasis for TaylorMade in this version of the P·790, and by manipulating the weight of each head, the company is touting a “flighted CG” progression through the set. With a better weighting system, the 3-iron and 4-iron in 2023 P·790 now have the lowest CGs, and the CG height gradually elevates as you progress through the mid-irons and into the scoring clubs, which should result in more consistent ball flights.” Read the full review …
Shop TM P•790 ironsTaylorMade P·770 (2023)
Price: $1,299 with KBS Tour steel shafts and Golf Pride Z-Grip 360 grips
Specs: Forged 4140 stainless steel face with a forged, hollow-bodied 8620 carbon steel body, internal tungsten weight and foam
Who It’s For: Accomplished golfers who want a compact club that delivers extra distance and a soft feel.
Excerpt: “Another advantage of SpeedFoam Air is it is 69 percent lighter than the original SpeedFoam found in the previous P•770 irons, which saves weight, allowing TaylorMade designers to add up to 45 grams of tungsten inside the heads as well. The tungsten helps lower the center of gravity (CG) location in the long irons, creating a higher initial launch angle and steep descent for better stopping power on the greens.” Read the full review …
Shop TM P•770 ironsTaylorMade P•7MC
Price: $1,299 with KBS Tour steel shafts and Golf Pride Z-Grip 360 grips
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel
Who It’s For: Elite ballstrikers who want to plenty of control and feel, but also a touch of forgiveness.
Excerpt: “The updated P•7MC retains a small amount of perimeter weighting (MC stands for muscle cavity) to give the clubs slightly more forgiveness and stability than the P•7MB. Like its muscleback sibling, the P•7MC has a narrow topline and minimal offset, but it has a slightly longer blade length.” Read the full review …
Shop TM P•7MC ironsTaylorMade P•7MB
Price: $1,299 with KBS Tour steel shafts and Golf Pride Z-Grip 360 grips
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel
Who It’s For: Elite ballstrikers who want to plenty of control and feel, but also a touch of forgiveness.
Excerpt: “Competed to the previous version, the 2023 P•7MB has a slightly shorter blade length and narrower sole, but the bounce behind the leading edge has been increased to help the clubs get through the turf more efficiently. There is minimal offset and the back bar, where extra mass is concentrated, is now symmetrical. ” Read the full review …
Shop TM P•7MB ironsTitleist T-100 (2023)
Price: $200 per club with True Temper AMT Tour White steel shafts and Titleist Universal 360 grips; $216 per club with Mitsubishi Tensei White AM2 graphite shafts
Specs: Dual-cavity design with SUP-10 stainless steel body, 17-4 stainless steel cradle and internal tungsten weights.
Who They’re For: Low-handicap golfers who want increased consistency from an iron that delivers maximum feel and control.
Excerpt: “Previously, every [T100’s] face was made perfectly flat by having a wide, high-speed milling bit pass over it. The bit left circular milling marks on the face, so after the grooves were added, it was necessary to polish away the milling marks before the chrome plating was applied. Now, after adjusting the way the bit passes over the face, Titleist says the polishing step is no longer necessary, which means the grooves will be slightly sharper and the clubs should perform more consistently.” Read the full review …
Shop Titleist T-100 ironsTitleist T-150
Price: $200 per club with True Temper AMT Tour White steel shafts and Titleist Universal 360 grips; $216 per club with Mitsubishi Tensei White AM2 graphite shafts
Specs: Dual-cavity design with SUP-10 stainless steel body, 17-4 stainless steel cradle and internal tungsten weights.
Who They’re For: Low-handicap golfers seeking more distance, but who still want the look and feel of a compact iron.
Excerpt: “While the T150 line has lofts that are 2 degrees stronger through the set than the T100, the biggest difference between the two irons is the addition of a muscle channel in the T150 that is in a bar connecting the toe to the heel. It is filled with a silicone-like polymer that absorbs some of the vibrations created at impact and encourages a slightly higher launch.” Read the full review …
Shop Titleist T-150 ironsTitleist T-200 (2023)
Price: $200 per club with True Temper AMT Black shafts and Titleist Universal 360 grips; $216 with Mitsubishi Tensei Blue AM2 graphite shafts
Specs: Forged, L-shaped stainless steel face and forged body with internal tungsten weights.
Who They’re For: Golfers who need game-improvement clubs that deliver more distance and stability, but who also want softer feel.
Excerpt: “In the updated T200 irons, the Max Impact polymer piece is thinner, and the support bar has been shifted more toward the heel, so it is now near the center of the face. Titleist also made the shelf that the back plate rests upon much wider in the toe area. The polymer plate that covers the back of the club and encases the hollow chamber has also been given a series of ribs and panels. All these things work together to stiffen the T200 at impact and change the harmonics, so it sounds better and feels better without a loss of speed or distance.” Read the full review …
Shop Titleist T-200 ironsTitleist T-350
Price: $200 each with True Temper AMT Black steel shafts and Titleist Universal 360 grips; $216 each with Mitsubishi Tensei Blue AM2 graphite shafts.
Specs: Forged SUP-10 stainless steel face with 17-4 stainless steel body and internal tungsten weights.
Who They’re For: Mid- and higher-handicap golfers who want to maximize distance and forgiveness.
Excerpt: “The T350 has the widest sole and the thickest topline in the updated T Series iron family. While elite golfers want a thin topline, golfers who routinely shoot in the high 80s, 90s and over 100 often find thicker toplines reassuring. The trailing edge has also been made with a sharper upward curvature, which should help the club work through the turf more effectively, especially for players who have a steep angle of attack.” Read the full review …
Shop Titleist T-350 ironsTour Edge Exotics C723
Price: $899.99 steel/$999.99 graphite
Specs: Stainless steel body with variable-thickness stainless steel face and injected thermoplastic polyurethane foam.
Who They’re For: Low to mid-handicap golfers who want more distance.
Excerpt: “The Exotics C723 irons have the L-shaped Diamond Face VFT hitting area to broaden the sweet spot from heel to toe and allow the lower portion of the hitting area to flex more efficiently on thin shots. Tour Edge added Vibrcor for enhanced sound and feel, but the Exotics C723 irons have a thin forged stainless steel face that is plasma-welded to a 17-4 stainless steel body.” Read the full review …
Tour Edge Exotics E723
Price: $899.99 steel/$999.99 graphite
Specs: Stainless steel body with variable-thickness stainless steel face and injected thermoplastic polyurethane foam.
Who They’re For: Low to mid-handicap golfers who want more distance.
Excerpt: “The E723 irons have a Diamond VFT face designed to maximize ball speed and broaden the sweet spot. It is complemented by a 360-degree undercut that adds weight to the head’s perimeter for increased stability while also helping lower the center of gravity to encourage higher-flying shots. A thermoplastic polyurethane that Tour Edge calls Vibrcor has been injected into a pocket behind the face. The material soaks up excessive vibrations to enhance sound and feel.” Rad the full review …
Wilson Staff Model Blade
Price: $1,199.99 (4-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 115 shafts and Golf Pride Z grips
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with milled face and back areas. 2-iron, 3-iron and gap wedge available through custom order
Who They’re For: Professional golfers, college players and elite amateur golfers who want to maximize feel and control.
Excerpt: “The faces of the Staff Model Blade have also been milled to be perfectly flat to ensure low-handicap golfers get the spin and consistency they expect from shot-to-shot. Compared to previous Wilson blade-style irons, the 2024 Staff Model Blade will have a softer, lower-pitched, deeper sound, as well as a softer feel.” Read the full review …
Shop Wilson Staff Model Blade ironsWilson Staff Model CB
Price: $1,199.99 (4-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 115 shafts and Golf Pride Z grips
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with milled face and back areas. 2-iron, 3-iron and gap wedge available through custom order
Who They’re For: Professional golfers, college players and elite amateur golfers who want to maximize feel and control.
Excerpt: “The Staff Model CB –which has the same thin topline, narrow sole and minimal offset as the Staff Model Blade – offers some perimeter weighting to boost stability and forgiveness. That’s a relative thing because with a blade length this short, misses on the toe will be penalized more than with other Wilson irons, such as the game-improvement DynaPower irons.” Read the full review …
Shop Wilson Staff Model CB ironsWilson Dynapower
Price: $799.99 with KBS Max Ultralite steel shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips. $899.99 with UST Mamiya Recoil Dart 65 graphite shafts
Specs: Cast cavity-back irons with variable-thickness faces and slots in the sole
Who It’s For: Golfers who want more distance and height from the fairway and on approach shots.
Excerpt: “Wilson designed the Dynapower irons with oversized heads and gave the irons ample offset to allow golfers with a handicap between 10 and 20 to square the face at impact more easily. They also designed the irons with a variable-thickness face that is thicker in the center and gets thinner around the perimeter. That helps broaden the sweet spot, and adding three Power Holes in the sole magnifies the benefits.” Read the full review …
Shop Wilson Dynapower irons
