PLAYERS’ DISTANCE IRONS
MIZUNO PRO 245
£215 per club
Stock shaft: Dynamic Gold Mid 100
7-iron loft: 30°
Forgiveness rating: 2.5/5 TG VERDICT: Even though the new fast face Mizuno Pro 245 gave up 4.8mph of ball speed and 13 yards of 7-iron carry compared to our longest players’ distance iron this year (Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal Pro), our test pro was adamant this was the model he’d want in his bag. His thinking came down to loving the punchy feel of the Pro, and how its slightly weaker 7-iron loft gave him the hanging rather than boring ball flight he prefers. Our test data supports what his eyes and gut were telling him, too. Unless you specifically want to lower ball flight with the JPX923 Hot Metal Pro, the 245 launched and flew higher (1.5° and a yard respectively), span 600rpm more and hit the green at a 1.8° steeper descent angle – all numbers that will help decent golfers score better. The JPX was 13 yards longer (with a 7-iron) but its dispersion/shot area was also 63.4% bigger – a huge price to pay in the area of the bag where most golfers crave accuracy.
TAYLORMADE P790
£172 (s), £200 (g) per club
Stock shafts: Dynamic Gold 105, Dynamic Gold 95 (s), Mitsubishi Chemical MMT (g)
7-iron loft: 30.5°
Forgiveness rating: 2.5/5 TG VERDICT: The P790 is the gift that keeps on giving for Taylormade. Now into its fourth generation, it continues to go from strength to strength and remains the model other brands want to knock off its hollow body pedestal. Every version has been a TG award winner and the latest iteration does not let the side down. There’s a real beauty in how the P790 has been designed to be a timeless classic. The idea means there aren’t huge changes from generation to generation, and if you happen to own a set of the originals from 2017, they’re just as good today as they were seven years ago. The untrained eye will likely look at our data charts and wonder why, thanks to being in a ‘distance category’, the P790 warrants such praise, given it posted almost bang-on average carry. The reason is that at 30.5° in the 7-iron, the P790 is nowhere near the strongest lofted players’ distance iron we tested this year, in fact it’s 2° weaker than the JPX923 Hot Metal Pro. But look more closely and you’ll see how the P790 produced a ball speed above our test average, while flighting shots higher, spinning more and hitting greens at a steeper angle. Players’ distance irons just don’t come any better.
PXG 0311 P GEN6
£209 per club
Stock shafts: True Temper Elevate Tour and Elevate MP 95g, KBS Tour Lite, Nippon Modus Pro 125 (s), UST Recoil dart 75g, Project X Cypher 60i, Mitsubishi MMT 70/80g (g)
7-iron loft: 30°
Forgiveness rating: 2.5/5
TG VERDICT: PXG irons excel within this category as their hollow body construction allows the company to combine blade-like looks with cavity back levels of forgiveness – a very potent combination for lots of reasonable club golfers. The 0311 iron family have won a stack of TG awards and the most recent GEN6 P is just about the best the brand have to offer in the hollow body arena. The profile shape is very slightly longer than some (which helps forgiveness), there’s a lovely crisp toe shape and beautifully clean blend into the hosel, which means the P is open to being used by quite a wide audience of players. In terms of performance, it stuck stubbornly on our test averages for launch angle, backspin, shot height and descent angle, but was faster, longer and produced a tighter carry distance drop-off and shot area. To us, that says the model will be supremely playable out on the course when compared with some of the models in this category.
SRIXON ZX5 MK II
£999 (s), £1,099 (g)
Stock shafts: KBS Tour Lite (s), UST Recoil Dart (g)
7-iron loft: 31°
Forgiveness rating: 2.5/5 TG VERDICT: Take a look at the winners in each of our categories and you’ll quickly spot how we rate Srixon’s three ZX MK II irons very highly, even though they’re not brand new for 2024. Like its siblings, the ZX5 is an absolute beauty, oozing classic, understated Japanese gorgeousness. Nothing about this model is blingy or trumpedup, which is just what proper players want. There’s no hiding that it produced a touch less spin than our test average, but that needn’t be a major issue as this is one of the weakest lofted models in the distance category. Shots launched and flew a little higher and hit the green at a steeper angle than average, so it’s not like they fire off the springy face like low-spin bullets. Not too many irons are TG award winners in their second year, but we love the ZX’S combination of forged head with a thin, fast and springy face for excellent speed and distance.
WILSON DYNAPOWER FORGED
£900 (s), £834 (g)
Stock shafts: KBS Tour Lite (s),
UST Recoil Dart 75 (g)
7-iron loft: 30.5
Forgiveness rating: 2.5/5
TG VERDICT: If there’s a ‘traditional’ players’ distance in 2024, this is it. Wilson have cleverly built some ball speed and distance tech into this forged beauty, then decked it out in a traditional shiny, high-polished finish that gives a classic, timeless appearance. Some golfers will say the finish glares in bright sunlight, but there’s no getting away from the Dynapower Forged blending tech and tradition seamlessly. It wasn’t the fastest or longest iron in the category, but that doesn’t stop it being a very attractive package in 2024. Based on our data, we see the Dynapower as a great option for slightly better golfers than those who might be attracted to a Taylormade P790 or PXG 0311 P. The head is pretty compact and our test pro didn’t feel there was quite as much forgiveness or ball speed protection on offer as a hollow body alternative. Our data also highlights a slightly lower, less hanging ball flight, which tends to be desirable for more serious golfers than those just wanting to look the part of a low double-digit handicapper with a great set of irons in their bag. Solid value, too.