THE RESULTS HOW 36 SETS OF NEW IRONS COMPARE

Game improver irons

Very few golfers turn down extra distance, but don’t be seduced by the Epic Forged carry numbers. We’re all for strong lofts so long as they work, but Epic is bordering on a step too far. Callaway’s Rogue X irons (not forged) are our longest irons of 2019, and Epic Forged has the same 7-iron loft. But – crucially –Epic has less offset. And less offset usually means shot fly lower which isn’t a great combination for club golfers.

Game Improver irons as a category averaged the lowest ball speed drop-off numbers of any category, and our second lowest carry distance drop-off, showing just how effective perimeter weighting is, even in the hands of a pro.

Players’ irons

Two of our players’ irons fall into the ‘distance’ category (Honma Tworld 747 Vx and Cobra King Forged Tec Black), and the data shows the effect a 30° loft (7-iron) has on ball speed, height, descent angle and carry. The pair averaged 10.5 yards longer than the 35° loft Wilson FG Tour V6 (the shortest players’ iron) which shows how much the wrong decision could cost your game. We don’t show dispersion numbers (left to right), as they’re a reflection of the tester rather than each iron. Ball speed and carry distance drop-offs though give a good indication of how each model protects ball speed and distance on off-centre hits.

Hollow body

The performance of the latest hollow body tech speaks for itself. A gain of over 2mph ball speed and almost six yards extra carry distance (with a 7-iron) over our better player irons explains exactly why they’re so popular. They also boast of smaller drop-offs in ball speed and carry distance than our player models, showing how their extra forgiveness helps preserve both ball speed and carry distance on off-centre hits.

Blades

Some golfers insist blades are the only true way to play golf. It’s an opinion and we’re not going to argue with it. Admittedly, blades gave the smallest carry distance drop-off of all the irons tested, but remember shots were hit by a consistent professional. Results in the hands of an 13 handicapper would be very, very different! Only 10% of tour players now use blades, which spells out how they’re for a very small niche of golfers. Choose blades when your game calls for game improver irons and you put 13 yards of carry distance on the line with a 7-iron...

Bigger profile

By bigger, we don’t mean ugly. Where the size of a muscleback or players’ iron might scare the life out of you, game improver irons have a much more friendly, inviting appearance. Callaway’s Apex 19 and PXG 0311 XF are brilliant examples of game improving irons that are designed to look like a player iron but combine those cosmetics with the playability of a cavity back.

Deeper cavity back

The deeper the cavity, the more mass can be removed from the centre of the iron and repositioned around the perimeter to increase offcentre hit efficiency. Often, cavity irons will be made in two pieces which allows engineers to very precisely control where mass is positioned, as well as giving the flexibility to use a different material to construct the face.

Extra technology

Cup face and fast face tech are used on game improver irons to help golfers increase ball speed and carry distance. The faces are made as a separate part to the body and hosel so can be tuned, just like a driver face to deliver extra off-centre hit performance. Some forged cavity backs also have shock dampening inserts to raise sound and feel levels over traditional cavity backs.

Strong lofts

Brands are well aware more golfers than ever now test new clubs on a launch monitor, and if their iron can deliver an extra six-10 yards over the competition, it pretty much seals the deal. So most game improver sets have stronger lofts than their player iron cousins. To understand the gains and drawbacks of strong lofts, and see if your game’s suited to them, see page 56.

More offset and a wider sole

Most game improver irons have wider soles irrespective of whether they are forged or cast. A wider sole not only gets more mass below the equator of the ball, which improves playability, it also helps with turf interaction, ensuring the iron doesn’t dig too deeply into the turf, just like a wide-sole wedge. Extra offset means the leading edge is behind the hands, giving a fraction more time to square the face at impact and positioning the centre of gravity slightly further back to help flight shots a little higher.

Lighter shafts

It’s simple physics – the lighter the shaft, the quicker you swing it. And the faster you swing, the further shots go. Callaway’s Apex and Apex Pro irons are a great example of different shaft weights for different player types. The Apex 19 has a lighter, higher launching, higher spinning shaft, while the Apex Pro 19 has a slightly heavier, lower launching version.