Looks, feel, workability and performance are essential to a great players iron. These deliver.
We considered 23 models; 14 made the list.
GOLD
LISTED ALPHABETICALLY
Callaway
apex pro 19
Performance ★★★★★
Innovation ★★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★★★
VERDICT
The key story behind the Apex Pro is the addition of a cupface to a forged 1025 carbon-steel frame (the previous Apex was a single-piece forging). The cupface design, in which the iron’s face plate wraps around the sole and topline, is used in the long and middle irons (through the 7-iron) to enhance springlike effect across a larger area of the face. The result: more ball speed.
COMMENT
“Effortless power. The secret must be the little biceps
in the back of the club so you don’t need to use yours to get the ball moving.”
Cobra
king tour
Performance ★★★★★
Innovation ★★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★★
Demand ★★
VERDICT
Improvements in materials and manufacturing allow clubmakers to go beyond what they’ve done before. This iron is proof of that. The King Tour irons are made from a blend of 17-4 stainless steel and 304 stainless steel to provide a softer feel while maintaining durability. That material is then manufactured using an ultra-precise metal-injection-moulding (MIM) process, marking the first time a full set of irons has been made this way.
COMMENT
“The turf interaction was perfection. I could hit
a low or high shot without even thinking about it.”
Mizuno
jpx919 tour
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★★
VERDICT
Iron design hinges on metallurgy and manufacturing, but at some point the engineering has to match the aesthetic. With an increase in tour use in recent years, Mizuno has used player feedback to drive the design of this iron. That meant a thinner topline with a slight bevel. This allows more weight to be added in the toe and the sole, providing more forgiveness than a typical players iron – something golfers of all levels can appreciate.
COMMENT
“An ideal head shape: the topline is thin without being intimidating.
Centre hits had a luscious feel.”
Mizuno
mp-20 mmc
Performance ★★★★★
Innovation ★★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★★
Demand ★★★½
VERDICT
The company’s “grain flow” forging process produces some of the best-feeling irons in the game. This model uses another Mizuno technology in which titanium is forged into the back cavity. In this case, two pieces provide a smooth centre-of-gravity progression throughout the set. Also, a lighter titanium muscle in the long and middle irons combines with tungsten low and towards the toe to provide stability on off-centre hits.
COMMENT
“The look says you’re a player.
The weight in the sole makes it simple to get height on shots.”
Ping
i210
Performance ★★★★★
Innovation ★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★★★
VERDICT
Ping has long pursued meaningful forgiveness in players irons, so anyone wanting to jump-start their game might consider the i210. A large, wide port for the elastomer in the back provides perimeter weighting to help your mis-hits. That elastomer also helps absorb vibration. The 431 stainless-steel casting (a softer steel than traditional 17-4) includes milled grooves that change throughout the set to create more consistent spin in a players-friendly shape.
COMMENT
“The hat trick: The long irons have punch, the middle irons stay up and the short irons are scoring magic.”
Ping
iblade
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★
Demand ★★
VERDICT
The ultra-thin face provides a powerful strike, but better players demand more, specifically feel and forgiveness. The former is addressed by using soft 431 stainless steel for the clubhead and adding an elastomer insert that runs from heel to toe in the back cavity. Stability gets a boost from a tungsten block in the low toe. How significant is this iron? It’s the first in the history of the Hot List to earn a gold medal four consecutive years.
COMMENT
“Very sharp. No-frills look. Gets through the turf well and even works with my semi-competent swing.”
PXG
0311 t gen3
Performance ★★★★★
Innovation ★★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★★
Demand ★★★½
VERDICT
PXG is a company that caters to one of golf’s most exclusive market segments, but golfers willing to pay a premium for their irons demand uncompromising performance. Key to achieving that in this iron is the addition of a new interior design in which a soft polymer inside reduces unwanted vibrations while transferring more energy into the ball. The face has a channel around the internal perimeter to create more rebound.
COMMENT
“The looks have a certain cool factor.
Emits a thump at impact and rockets towards the green.”
TaylorMade
p760
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★★★
VERDICT
Better players often find the right combo of looks, feel and forgiveness by mixing their iron set with two or more models. TaylorMade hopes to eliminate that need with the P760. The 3-iron through 7-iron are a hollow, multiple-piece design with a forged 1025 carbon-steel body and a thin steel face insert with foam inside to support the face. The short irons are single-piece forgings made of 1025 carbon steel that maintain the compact shape.
COMMENT
“The turf interaction was exceptional, but what I liked most was the consistency from club to club.”
Titleist
cncpt cp-02
Performance ★★★★
Innovation ★★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★
VERDICT
For the past decade, Titleist has put a lot of effort into making irons for better players. This one even further distinguishes itself. The face is forged, and its L-shape is similar to the company’s T-MB and AP3 irons. But the CP-02 gets additional power from an extremely thin face made from a unique steel alloy the company refers to as “super metal”. The hollow-construction irons also use generous amounts of tungsten to improve off-centre hits.
COMMENT
“Love the new-age design to the back.
When you hit it pure, it delivers a lower, powerful trajectory.”
Titleist
T100
Performance ★★★★★
Innovation ★★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★★
Demand ★★★★★
VERDICT
The forged T100 replaces the popular AP2 irons, so it was logical the company would rely on the input of players such as Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth for this makeover. The result is
a new shape that includes reduced offset and a thinner topline. The T100 still features plenty of heat thanks to a thin face design (just
1.8 millimetres thick on the 3 through 6-iron) and loads of tungsten in the middle and long irons to promote a higher launch.
COMMENT
“I like how it cradles the ball at address. The feel is so smooth.
Hardly felt like I was making contact.”
SILVER
Honma
tr20v
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★
Demand ★
VERDICT
An effective mix of classic craftsmanship and modern-player desires. The blade length for this one-piece body with a cavity-back design is slightly shorter than the TR20P model. The topline and sole, however, are modestly wider, offering a comforting look at address and extra help when you take too much turf. Not to be overlooked is Golf Pride’s +2 grip, where the bottom portion is larger to reduce tension in the lower hand.
COMMENT
“These are hot. Trajectory penetrates the wind.
My mis-hits weren’t penalised too badly, either.”
