Mizuno

What it does: You might think that a metal used for the landing gear of jet fighter planes would be strong enough for a golf club. That’s the chromoly 4140M metal Mizuno used in previous versions. Apparently, the company found itself bumping up against some strength limitations, so it needed to find a new material. Enter nickel chromoly 4335 – an extremely powerful material that’s used in other industries for critical parts. The new alloy allows for the thinnest face ever on a Mizuno iron at 1.75 millimetres, or just a little thinner than a 10 cent coin.

Why we like it: This iron features a relatively compact shape and thin topline to fit the eye of better players seeking workability as much as distance. The single-piece construction creates the kind of ball speed one usually associates with a special face insert and does it consistently across the face because it doesn’t require weld beads to join the parts. Speaking of lofts, because so much weight is placed low and back, the lofts can be aggressive without sacrificing height. The 7-iron loft is 28.5 degrees, or basically the same loft as a Mizuno game-improvement 6-iron from a decade ago.

7-iron loft 28.5 degrees; pw loft 42.5 degrees