FIVE NEW IRONS TO MAXIMISE DISTANCE

The key to distance, even in an iron, is to make the ball go fast.

Thin faces bend or flex at impact so the ball flies faster, higher and with less spin. However, the kind of distance you want is consistent distance, not just the isolated shot that goes farther. Some irons improve mis-hits because of an oversize shape that offers a larger area of the face that flexes.

Others boost distance marginally on your best hits but maintain a compact size for shaping shots. How do you decide which is right for you?

First, make sure the irons you’re comparing have the same loft. Not all 7-irons do, for example. That’s why data from a launch monitor is so important. It’ll show you how the maximum height or landing angles differ, and it’ll show the distance range of all your shots.

Second, you want an iron that produces the tightest range from your longest to shortest hits and as close to the longest average distance as possible. That’s consistency and distance.

Here are five new models that might give you both.

CALLAWAY BIG BERTHA OS

MIZUNO JPX-900 FORGED

The boron-infused forged carbon steel not only flexes to create extra ball speed, it’s also light so that about four quarters’ worth of weight is redistributed to the corners for extra stability.

PXG 0311XF

Slightly larger than PXG’s 0311, the thin face insert – thinner than a pair of credit cards – is supported by a forged frame filled with a rubber-like material.