TOP 10 GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS
Benross HTX Compressor Type R £420 (s) £490 (g) I www.benrossgolf.com
Our verdict: The cup face is clearly doing a job, though remember the loft’s pretty strong, too. KBS shafts and Golf Pride grips are components you’ll find in other top brands.
Availability: 4-GW Stock shaft: KBS Tour 90 (s) Kuro Kage (g) 7-iron loft and length: 30° / 37in
Callaway Apex CF 16 £879 (s) £1,099 (g) I www.callawaygolf.com
Our verdict: If how irons look is important to you, but your game demands good forgiveness, you must look at the Apex. They are a beautiful set and prove game improvement tech doesn’t have to mean irons look like shovels.
Availability: 3-SW inc AW (stock set 4-PW) Stock shaft: True Temper XP 95 (s) UST Mamiya Recoil (g) 7i loft/length: 31° / 37in
Cobra King F7 £549 (s) £649 (g) I www.cobragolf.co.uk
Our verdict: There’s little not to like, especially when you consider the price. The fact Cobra has invested in CNC milling each groove at this end of the market demonstrates how seriously they take every last detail.
Availability: 4-PW, GW, SW (stock 4-PW, 5-SW, 5-GW) Stock shaft: True Temper King F7 (s) Fujikura Pro 63i (g) 7i loft/length: 30° / 37.25in
MD Golf Superstrong STR £299 (s) £399 (g) I www.mdgolf.co.uk
Our verdict: MD are not as widely available as they once were and they’re not quite as keen to offer custom fitting on their 2017 line-up, either. But that doesn’t take away from the STR being a decent proposition, especially at this price.
Availability: 4-PW Stock shaft: Precision Rifle (s) Mitsubishi Rayn JAVLN (g) 7i loft/length: 30° / 37in
Mizuno JPX900 Forged £120 per club I Golf.mizunoeurope.com
Our verdict: A cracking looking iron that sits beautifully between a GI and better player model. You’ll need to be a more consistent ball-striker to hit them as well as some of our other favourite game improvement models.
Availability: 4-GW Stock shafts: Project X LZ 5.5 (s) Project X LZ (g) 7i loft/length: 31° / 36.75in
Ping G £92 (s) £102 (g) per club I www.ping.com
Our verdict: Still a seriously good iron. Lots of game improvement irons talk of combining the look of a players’ iron in a game-improvement chassis, but don’t quite get it right. The G pulls it off superbly.
Availability: 4-LW Stock shaft: Ping AWT 2.0 (s) CFS Graphite (g) plus four steel options at no extra cost. 7i loft/length: 30.5° / 37in
Srixon Z 565 £770 I www.srixon.co.uk
Our verdict: Srixon makes some very solid forged irons right now, and if your game demands the extra feel and control they offer, the 565s are one of a handful that legitimately can be called “forgiving”.
Availability: 4-PW (stock set 4-PW) Stock shaft: Nippon NS Pro 980 (s) Miyazaki Kaula 8 (g). 7i loft/length: 31° / 37in
Taylormade M1 £849 (s) £1,049 (g) I www.taylormadegolf.com
Our verdict: Iron designers will tell you that combining good forgiveness in a more compact head is a real challenge. So while the M1 is more compact than the M2, it wasn’t quite as long. But it didn’t stop gear ed Simon really wanting a set.
Availability: 3-PW, AW, SW Stock shaft: True Temper XP 95 (s) Mitsubishi Kuro Kage (g). 7i loft/length: 30.5° / 36.75in
Wilson Staff C200 £525 (s) £609 (g) I www.wilson.com
Our verdict: The C200 did absolutely fine, without being exceptional. If you’re attracted to the tech, have a good look at Wilson’s D300, too. Their stronger lofts meant a decent increase in ball speed and carry over the 200s.
Availability: 4-PW Stock shaft: KBS Tour 90 (s) Aldila Rogue Pro (g) 7i loft/length: 32° / 37.50in
Yonex EZONE Elite £399 (s) £559 (g) I www.yonex.co.uk
Our verdict: Even if the Elite is a bit plain, it’s well worth a look, particularly if you consider the price. There might not be lots of visible tech, but across the board it’s solid and will do a good job for a club golfer.
Availability: 5-SW Stock shaft: FST 115 (s). Yonex M60 (g) 7i loft/length: 29° / 37.25in