Picking irons that give you good distance, quality, and control all the way down the line is tough. In this guide, we review the best golf irons available today that you should consider adding to your golf bag.
We’ll review the best irons for golfers, including average players, beginners, and semi-pros.
Find out the best forged irons, blade irons, and what the tour pros use. Each iron in our list has gone through rigorous testing and truly stands out from the crowd.
If you purchased new irons this year, we want you to comment down below and let us know what you bought!
What are the Best Golf Irons?
- Callaway Rogue ST (Best Golf Irons for the Average Golfer)
- TaylorMade Stealth (Best Golf Irons for Beginners)
- Mizuno Pro 221 Irons (Highest Quality Irons)
- Srixon ZX7 MK II (Best Non-Premium Players Irons)
- Cobra King Tour Irons (Underrated Option)
- Cobra Speedzone One Length (Best Game Improvement Irons)
- TaylorMade Sim 2 Max (Best for Mid Handicappers)
- TaylorMade P770 (Best Forged)
- Mizuno Pro 225 Irons (Best Tour Golf Irons)
- Cleveland Launcher UHX (Best Driving Irons)
- Callaway Mavrik Max (Most Forgiving Irons)
Callaway Paradym (Best Premium Irons for Mid Handicappers)
Key Features
- A.I. Designed Forged 455 Face
- Hollow Body Construction
- Dual Tungsten Weighting
Key Drawback
- High price point compared to other brands
The Callaway Paradym golf irons are a remarkable addition to the players’ distance iron category. With their combination of forgiveness and game improvement features, these irons are designed to enhance the performance of golfers with low to mid handicaps. The irons boast a compact clubhead design, providing players with a sleek and appealing look.
One of the standout features of the Callaway Paradym irons is their A.I. design and high-strength forged 455 steel construction, which results in exceptional ball speed and increased distance. Additionally, the jacked lofts contribute to longer shots, making these irons one of the hottest in the players’ distance category.
The Callaway Paradym irons also incorporate two pieces of tungsten strategically positioned to optimize launch and ball speed. This ensures that golfers can achieve consistent distance with their shots, allowing them to play their standard shot shape confidently.
However, it is essential to note that these irons may not be the best fit for high handicaps, as they are specifically recommended for low and mid handicaps. Additionally, these irons’ prices are higher than others in the same category.
The Callaway Paradym golf irons give golfers excellent ball speed, forgiveness, and a fantastic feel. Their impressive features and positive customer reviews make them a compelling option for golfers to enhance their game.
TaylorMade P770 (Best Forged Irons)
Key Features
- Compact shape
- FLTD CG (Flighted Center of Gravity)
- Thru-Slot Speed Pocket
Key Drawback
- Upgrade may not be worth it over previous models.
The 2023 TaylorMade P770 irons blend traditional design and modern technology, offering golfers the best of both worlds. These irons are aimed explicitly at low-handicap golfers who value forgiveness and distance without compromising the classic appearance.
With their compact shape, thinner topline, and reduced offset in the longer irons, the P770 irons exude a traditional look at address. However, their performance is anything but conventional. The irons feature a hollow body with a forged L face, combining a soft carbon steel body with a thin forged steel face for enhanced feel and ball speed.
The FLTD CG technology ensures improved launch and playability, providing golfers consistent performance and lower spin rates. The incorporation of SpeedFoam Air reduces density and dampens sound, resulting in a medium-soft feel and a pleasing impact sound.
The P770 irons offer outstanding forgiveness and impressive distance. Despite their weaker lofts than the P790, these irons deliver higher launch, more spin, and predictable distance. The consistent ball speed across the face ensures precision and accuracy with every shot.
The 2023 TaylorMade P770 irons are excellent for low-handicap golfers seeking forgiveness and distance in a classic-looking iron. While they may not be suitable for higher handicaps, these irons combine traditional aesthetics and modern performance, making them a compelling option for golfers who value style and substance.
TaylorMade P790 (Best Players Distance Irons)
Key Features
- SpeedFoam Air Technology
- Intelligent Sweet Spot
- Optimal Center of Gravity Placement
Key Drawback
- Upgrade from the previous model may not be worth it.
The 2023 TaylorMade P790 irons are excellent for low-handicap golfers seeking forgiveness and distance in a classic-looking iron. These irons have a clean, sleek appearance, matte finish, and futuristic font. The size and shape are consistent with previous versions, featuring progressive offset and average blade lengths. The irons offer outstanding forgiveness, impressive distance, and constant ball speed across the face.
One of the key upgrades in the 2023 version is the fine-tuned center of gravity, which enhances launch and playability. The FLTD CG technology allows for varying the center of gravity position, providing more control and spin across shorter irons and improved launch and forgiveness in the longer clubs. The enlarged sweet spot ensures better performance on off-center hits. Additionally, the irons incorporate a sound stabilization bar for an improved feel and a more prominent sweet spot for enhanced accuracy and ball speed consistency.
The TaylorMade P790 irons offer a medium-soft feel due to the incorporation of SpeedFoam Air, which reduces density and dampens sound. These irons deliver fast ball speeds, making them one of the longest in golf. The individualized AI-driven mass optimization ensures strategic weight placement throughout the clubhead. The irons provide a balanced launch and spin, offering distance, forgiveness, and controlled flight.
While the 2023 TaylorMade P790 irons are designed to cater to low-handicap golfers, they may not be suitable for higher handicaps. The irons are known for their power and speed but might lack control regarding left-to-right dispersion. However, for golfers with low handicaps who prioritize forgiveness, distance, and a classic appearance, the TaylorMade P790 irons are an excellent choice to enhance their game and take their performance to the next level.
Cobra Aerojet Irons (Most Forgiving Irons)
Key Features
- PWRSHELL Insert
- PWR-BRIDGE Weight Design
- Incredibly forgiving
Key Drawback
- Not the greatest feel
The new Cobra Aerojet irons have overtaken the golfing world with their exceptional forgiveness and performance. These irons are specifically designed to cater to golfers who prioritize forgiveness and consistency in their game.
One key feature that makes the Cobra Aerojet irons forgiving is their cavity-back design. This design allows more weight to be distributed around the clubhead’s perimeter, resulting in a higher moment of inertia (MOI). This increased MOI helps to stabilize the clubhead and minimize the effects of off-center hits. As a result, even if you don’t strike the ball ideally, you can still achieve solid distance and accuracy.
Additionally, the Cobra Aerojet irons feature a deep undercut cavity. This cavity allows more weight to be moved lower and deeper in the clubhead, which helps lower the center of gravity (CG). A lower CG promotes a higher launch angle and ball flight, making it easier to get the ball up in the air and land it softly on the green.
Furthermore, the clubface of the Cobra Aerojet irons is designed to be incredibly thin and flexible. This thin face increases the ball speed and the size of the sweet spot, ensuring that even mishits still have reasonable distance and accuracy.
Overall, the Cobra Aerojet irons deliver exceptional forgiveness by combining a cavity-back design, a deep undercut cavity, and a thin clubface. These features work together to minimize the impact of off-center hits and maximize forgiveness, allowing golfers of all skill levels to improve their game and enjoy consistent performance.
Callaway Rogue ST (Best Irons for the Average Golfer)
Key Features
- Made form high strength 450 steel
- Precision tungsten weighting gives you huge loft and power
- Other models for beginners or tour players
Key Drawback
- Higher price point
Review
Callaway is promoting their new Rogue ST irons as the “longest ever, ” which is a pretty heavy claim. However, many of the features and specs in the new irons are made with distance in mind.
Callaway has designed the clubs out of high-strength 450 steel, urethane microspheres, and precision tungsten weighting. The combination seems to work for the most part to add distance no matter what your golf handicap is.
Callaway has designed these irons for the regular golfer, offering forgiveness, performance, and high quality without a ton of effort required.
Up to 62 grams of tungsten have been added to these irons, depending on your chosen model. Tungsten gives you stronger lofts and ball speed by adding weight underneath to the part of the irons that makes contact with the golf ball.
A urethane compound has been added behind the face of all Rogue ST irons to enhance sound and make your hits feel full.
Callaway has built a high-quality set of irons for the regular golfer. They aren’t as fat on the bottom as the new Stealth irons (see below), so they are more enticing for the regular golfer.
Click here to read our full Rogue ST irons review.
TaylorMade Stealth Irons (Best Irons for Beginners)
Key Features
- Cap back design just like the SIM and SIM 2 irons
- Thru-slot speed pocket for faster club speed
- Inverted cone in the sweet spot
Key Drawback
- Very thick backs
Review
The TaylorMade Stealth irons are the newest game improvement irons released by TaylorMade. Where the Stealth driver is geared towards golfers looking for a premium club with the latest technology, the Stealth irons have a bunch of beginner-friendly features that should appear to regular golfers.
TaylorMade has revamped the Cap Back design in which the midsection of the toe has been completely removed to lower the iron’s CG (center of gravity). In doing so, this assists with both ball speed and the ball’s launch angle off the face of the iron.
In addition, TaylorMade has included their patented Thru-Slot Speed Pocket, which, when working with the cap back design, creates a larger unsupported area on the club face. This will translate to a larger and more forgiving sweet spot, plus a solid feel when you hit the ball..
TaylorMade was aiming to create a game improvement iron that was aesthetically pleasing to look at. After taking a look at the new Stealth irons, we can agree that they are visually appealing.
The Progressive Inverted Cone Technology is located heel to toe in all TaylorMade irons. This is a new 450 stainless steel face specifically positioned on each club’s sweet spot that spans the most common impact points on the face of the iron. This delivers explosive ball speeds and consistent hits every single time.
The long irons in the Stealth set are designed with slightly more draw bias. The mid- irons are then designed with even more draw bias than the short- irons. This design element is intended to provide the most accurate ball flight for a wide range of golfers.
The only thing we don’t like about these irons is the thick cap-back. It felt too awkward to hit if you are a mid-handicap golfer. It’s hard to get a lot of spin with these irons because of it.
Mizuno Pro 221 Irons (Highest Quality Irons)
Key Features
- One-piece grain flow forged manufacturing process
- Soft copper underlay, which allows you to add spin and control
- A wide center of gravity
Key Drawback
- Less forgiving than other irons on this list
Review
The Mizuno 221 irons are a traditional muscle-back blade iron. They are forged from a single piece of 1025E pure select mild carbon steel with the Grain Flow HD forging process we mentioned above. This gives them a dense hitting area, which gives the distance to average golfers. The new 221 irons replace the old MP-20 lineup from Mizuno.
Mass has been shifted from the heel of the irons into the entire muscle pad. It also has a narrower top line, but there is no mass loss in the upper blade, which is nice.
The 221 has a wide center of gravity, which I felt was consistent when I tried these irons out. The new Mizuno 221 irons are a replacement for the previous MP-20 irons. They are certainly easier to hit than the MP-20s, which average golfers will like. They are also a bit shorter and more compact in appearance, which might throw Mizuno experts off a little bit.
One big drawback about the 221s is that they, like the previous MP-20s, are only available in right-hand.
The Mizuno Golf Pro series irons are a premium selection of clubs for good players looking to become better. The concept of Mizuno Pro is to incorporate the latest technology into a sleek and simple-looking design shape. Mizuno is known for using high-quality materials to develop all its irons.
Srixon ZX7 MKII (Best Non-Premium Players Iron)
Key Features
- New PureFrame Technology
- Tour V.T Sole
- New laser progressive grooves
Review
Srixon didn’t need to make massive changes with the new ZX7 irons, as the previous ones were trendy among some of the best golfers in the world. They did tweak a few things that will push these irons over the edge into some of the best player’s irons available on the market.
Included in the new ZX7 MKII irons is a new PureFrame technology. This PureFrame ridge is forged as an 80% thicker piece of steel and is placed right behind the sweet spot on the iron where most good golfers can strike the ball. You can see where it is on the iron and notice a difference when hitting the ball. It helps to provide a very soft feel.
Srixon also still has its dynamic Tour V.T. Sole. This sole ensures a higher bounce on the leading edge and prevents digging into the ground. They have a lower bounce on the trailing edge, which curves away from the ground, allowing you to work the ball however you want.
After review, the Srixon ZX7 MKII Irons are an excellent choice for low-handicap golfers who want a sleek blade iron while still getting maximum performance and workability. The forgiveness on off-center hits isn’t great, but if you are playing these types of irons, you shouldn’t be worried about that.
The Srixon ZX7 MKII Irons are available in one shaft, the Nippon NS. Pro Modus3 Tour 120. The stock grip is a Golf Pride Tour Velvet.
Cobra King Tour Irons (Underrated Option)
Key Features
- Improved shape from the King Forged TEC irons
- CNC Milled Undercuts to improve launch
- TPU Inserts for a better feel and sound
Review
The Cobra King Tour Irons are a brand new player’s iron. Cobra took what they did with their previous King Forged TEC and King Tour MIM irons and built upon that in better ways. They made a thinner topline, less offset, and made them a more compact blade look. The result is a great iron that will work for several golfers and increase distance due to the lofts being strong-lofted by 2 degrees.
Traditional irons usually utilize a 4-step forging process, but Cobra takes it one step further for an even better feel and precision in the fifth step. On the back of each King Tour iron, there are CNC-milled undercuts that allow them to reposition weight to a lower center of gravity which helps improve the launch on every shot. The lower CG also helps add forgiveness on mis-hits.
These CNC-milled undercuts are then filled with a TPU material, which helps to soften the blow on every shot and provides an exceptional feel and a great sound. After using the King Tour irons, I can confirm that the feel of every shot is incredible. It was so effortless to square up the ball and send it into the air, and the compact blade-like helped with spin and workability around the course.
If you are a lower handicap golfer who doesn’t like the feel of traditional blade irons, I highly recommend checking out the Cobra King Tour Irons. You definitely won’t be disappointed.
TaylorMade Sim 2 Max Iron Set (Best for Mid Handicappers)
Key Features
- Lots of distance
- Very forgiving
- Feels forged
- Easy to launch long irons
Key Drawback
- The top-down look is very thick
Review
The TaylorMade SIM 2 Max irons stand out as the best irons of mid handicappers. It is one of the best cavity-back golf irons I tried because they almost feel like they don’t have that cavity in the back.
TaylorMade has worked very hard to take their distance technology and their forgiveness and make it feel suitable for the average golfer. It uses its revolutionary speed bridge technology. Speed bridge makes SIM 2 max to have an explosive carry distance, forgiveness, and even sound and feel.
With the TaylorMade SIM 2 Max irons, you will see one of the best golf irons with the highest ball speeds. The speed pocket technology has been part of the Taylormade golf irons for several years now, and it just keeps improving.
TaylorMade combined this speed technology with a large and forgiving club head and added their echo-damping technology. This is what helps to eliminate the majority of vibration at impact. When you take this vibration away, golfers will get a much better feel, even on those shots that slightly miss the sweet spot.
Cobra Speedzone One Length Irons (Best Game Improvement Irons)
Key Features
- easy to hit and launch
- PWRSHELL face insert
- very forgiving
- excellent for high -handicappers
Key Drawback
- It’s chunky
Review
The Cobra King Speedzone One Length iron is ideal for beginners and high handicappers looking for game improvement iron. The irons set are all in 7-iron length to promote repeatable setup for players to be consistent regardless of the iron you are hitting. Speedzone One Length irons were available in graphite or steel shafts with different flex options.
If you’re going to look at the One Length, it is almost identical to the Speedzone standard. The standard has a dynamic gold, while this club has a blue color. We like this iron; aside from forgiveness, it has exceptional sounds and feels. The only drawback we found about this iron is that it’s chunky, which other golfers also complained about.
Mizuno Pro 225 Irons (Best Tour Golf Irons)
Key Features
- Grain Flow Forged HD manufacturing process
- Fast-flexing face insert for maximum control
- Hollow-body design with included tungsten weights
- Maximum quality
Key Drawback
- Not for average golfers
Review
The Mizuno 225 irons are hollow irons with a fast-flexing face insert and small tour-ready profile that provides distance, quality, and control. They feature tungsten weights in the bottom of the club head to help provide some extra launch on the club. A majority of PGA players has used Mizuno irons such as these have been ranked #1
The face thickness on the 225s are variable to promote quicker ball speeds for each club. The Hot Metal Blade design is very high quality.
The 2 through 7-iron features a 28.5g tungsten weight, while the shorter irons go without any weight placement because they don’t have any measurable benefit. The 8-iron, 9-iron, and wedges have a 1025E carbon steel face and 17-4 stainless steel cap over the muscleback area. Long story short, these features allow you to add spin on to your shots around the green.
Being hollow, the 225s feature a COR-forged hollow body design (except for that tungsten we mentioned above).
The new Mizuno 225 irons replace the previous MP-20 HMB irons. They should be picked up by a few PGA tour players this year to give them some extra legitimacy.
TaylorMade P770 Iron Set (Best Forged)
Key Features
- Brand new high performing technology
- Thin face for extra distance
- Thinner top line
Key Drawback
- Expensive new release
Review
If you have followed golf equipment in the last few years, you know that the TaylorMade P790 irons have also been some of the most popular and high-performing. The P770 irons are an improvement on the P790 with some slight tweaks.
The P770 are forged irons, so they will have an incredible feel. They are built with the same SpeedFoam technology that TaylorMade has been perfecting for years. This Speedfoam allows for the hollow club head while still having some great feel and very low vibration at impact.
Sometimes, when you switch to forged iron, you will see a decrease in the distance the ball will fly. With the P770, this is just not the case. This club has a compact player shape but still has plenty of distance and power.
The speed pocket technology used to create some of the best ball speeds that golf has ever seen is continued in the P770 iron. Golfers across a wide range of handicaps will enjoy the performance of this iron.
Cleveland Launcher UHX Irons (Best Driving Irons)
Key Features
- Progressive design
- Tour Zip grooves on the pitching wedge and short irons
- Wider sole on the long irons for higher ball flight
- Very fair pricing considering the technology
Key Drawback
- The top-down look is still a bit thick for a lower handicapper to enjoy the look
Review
Cleveland makes some of the highest-performing golf irons for the mid and high-handicapper. This progressive UHX iron offers incredible control in the short irons and lots of launch and distance in the long irons. That combination is hard to beat, especially for this price.
Our favorite thing about the Cleveland Launcher UHX irons is the progressive design. The pitching wedge is going to look a bit different than the four iron, and that is exactly the way a forgiving set of irons should be built.
The longer irons will have a wider sole, and they will help promote a higher launch and some better ball speed and flight. The short irons on this set are built with the Cleveland Tour Zip grooves to help golfers get the spin they need to stop the golf ball where they want.
The UHX irons are built for the mid-handicapper who is looking to improve their game, but they want to do so with a set of irons that rewards for good shots. The low center of gravity on the UHX will help you get some forgiveness should you miss the center of the clubface slightly, but you will also get rewarded when you hit a great shot with the UHX iron set by Cleveland.
Callaway Mavrik Max Irons (Most Forgiving Irons)
Buy It Now
Key Features
- Amazing feel
- Very low center of gravity
- Higher ball flight
- Large sweet spot
Review
The Callaway Mavrik irons are an update and a significant improvement from last year’s Callaway Rogue irons. The Rogue was long, forgiving, and had a low center of gravity. The problem was that they didn’t look and or feel all that great.
Callaway went to the drawing board and, using artificial intelligence. It could develop a very high-performing replacement with golfers hitting the ball longer, straighter, and more consistent than ever before.
The Mavrik Max Irons are built with slightly higher lofts than some other game improvement irons on the market. The 360 face cup for better great speed. We love this fact about them. The golf iron set in today’s world keeps getting lower and lower lofts to increase the distances. For golfers working on their game, they need shot-making capabilities in addition to distance.
The extra loft the Mavrik Max provides allows players to get the ball in the air and hit the shots they need to score. This is a mid to high-handicapper iron with some performance benefits that golf has never seen before.
This is possible with Callaway Mavrik as it uses the tungsten in the bottom of the head that pulls CG to the center of the head.
Best Golf Brand for Irons
Callaway
Callaway is one of the top golf companies known for their golfing equipment, clothing, and golf needs. It is one of the companies introducing some of the best golf irons ever made. The premium design of their golf iron set can captivate any golfer.
One of the cons with the irons Callaway is the price. But please don’t let this discourage you.
TaylorMade
For years, TaylorMade irons have been one of the favorites of many golfers. Its iron is pack with innovative features that appeals to different handicapped players. Among its irons, the TaylorMade Sim 2 Max is one of the best golf irons ever made. It feels like forged iron compared to TaylorMade’s other cavity back irons.
Ping
If there’s one brand that we can consider iconic and that has already made history with its irons, we can say it’s Ping. For decades, it continued innovating in producing the best golf irons ever. These irons became popular among amateurs and professional golfers.
Ping often plays catchup in popularity compared to Callaway and Taylor Made but has carved out its niche and popularity. Their new irons offer maximum forgiveness and high launch to appeal to most golfers.
Titleist
Titleist is one of the brands that produces the best golf irons ever. They are known initially for their golf balls, but over time, they have produced some of the best golf irons for amateur and professional golfers. Their irons are packed with technology that can help golfers take their game to the next level.
Cobra King
Cobra King is one of the most sought-after golf brands in the market. Over the years, they introduced an array of the best golf irons ever in the market to help golfers advance in their game. They are one of the best golf brands that offer irons with the best value of money. Their irons will be pricy, but it is worth every penny.
Mizuno
Mizuno is one of the brands you don’t want to miss out on. Mizuno irons have sleek and minimalist designs. Their irons have an exceptional feel.
The new Pro Series from Mizuno has a golf club for every kind of golfer, all manufactured using a high-quality forging process from Hiroshima, Japan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
With all the iron choices on the market, golfers have many questions about which set to pick. We understand how overwhelming this can be. Here are a few of the questions we get asked most frequently about choosing the best golf irons on the market.
What Should A High Handicapper Look For In A Set Of Irons?
When choosing a golf club set for the high handicapper, it is ok to choose forgiveness over distance. Forgiveness will allow golfers to get better ball speed and flight and increase consistency.
High handicappers should stay away from blade-style irons, and they should look for something with a low center of gravity. If a higher handicapper struggles with distance, looking for a lighter shaft with a graphite design makes sense.
What Should An Average Golfer Look For In an Iron Set?
Average golfers who struggle with forgiveness should look for a cavity-type design with a low center of gravity.
Average golfers with very good iron performance can look into forged or blade-type irons. If your irons are the best clubs in your bag, you should play to your strengths and play with the highest-performing iron you can handle.
How Many Irons Should I Carry In My Golf Bag?
Most iron sets are sold as a 4-iron to pitching wedge. In recent years, with all of the loft changes done by golf companies and the popularity of hybrid golf clubs, these iron sets sold more in the 5-iron to gap wedge configuration.
Why Are Some Golf Irons More Money Than Others?
Most of the time, the higher-priced irons will feel much better than the lower-priced irons. If you are new to the game, this feeling will not make that much of a difference. As your game gets better and you are looking for higher performance in your irons, spending a bit more money on a set makes sense.
Who Should Use Hybrid Irons?
For many players, this is a great benefit, and it allows them much more forgiveness from the rough and much better ball flight.The only downside of hybrid irons is that you won’t have as much control over the shorter irons as you do with traditional irons.
Testing Criteria used for evaluation
Before you decide about the best golf irons ever set on the market, you should consider a few things. Making sure you purchase a set of clubs that fit your game both now and five years from now is a bit of a challenge. Here are the most important factors to consider.
Fitting
If you are taller or shorter than average, it almost always makes sense to get fitted for golf clubs. The standard men’s golf clubs are made to accommodate 5’6” to 6’0” players. A fitting is probably unnecessary if you fall outside of this range.
Shaft
Golf shafts come in two materials: graphite and steel. Irons also come in many different flexes. For men’s clubs, you will mostly see extra stiff, stiff, regular, and senior.
Your swing speed will tell you which shaft is the best for you. You will need a stiffer shaft if you have a faster swing speed. Slow swing speeds need lightweight shafts that have more flex to them.
Graphite shafts are best for distance but are not always as accurate as steel. Steel shafts are great when it comes to control, but they may cost you a few yards.
Cavity Back Vs. Forged Vs. Blade
Most of the time, blade irons will be saved for the lower handicap player.
Choose the forged irons if you want:
- Better feel
- Ability to hit more draws and fades
- Ability to control ball flight
- Very little vibration at impact
- Ultimate forgiveness
Conclusion
Hopefully, our guide highlighting the best golf irons ever has helped you figure out the perfect set of clubs for your game. As we mentioned, purchasing golf iron sets can be overwhelming, which is very understandable for the average golfer.
Technology has come a long way, but golf irons don’t receive updates as frequently as golf drivers do. So, pick a set you are comfortable hitting, and you will be set for up to ten years.
Last update on 2023-12-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
