TOP 10 PLAYERS’ IRONS

Mizuno Pro 223 | £180 per club

TG VERDICT Mizuno say the Pro 223 best fit 5-9 handicappers. They’re a beautiful model, but our test pro gave up 4.4mph of ball speed and nine yards carry distance with a 7-iron against the hollow body 225, and for most club golfers that’s likely to be too much of a compromise. Even so, the Pro 223 was our third most powerful players’ iron this year.

Ping i59 | £239 per club

TG VERDICT The i59’s tech from a 1° weaker loft (compared to Ping’s i210) produced a 2mph faster ball speed and two yards extra carry distance. But what’s really impressive is the i59 launched and flighted shots higher, so approaches hit the green with a steeper descent angle and stopped more quickly, giving additional control. A brilliant modern players’ iron.

Srixon ZX7 | £899 (s), £999 (g) or from £149.50 per club

TG VERDICT Distance should never be a consideration when choosing irons at this end of the spectrum. That said, the ZX7 was our test pro’s second longest players’ iron this year. We love the slightly higher toe shaping and the superb straight line profile. If you need to keep an eye on distance, have a look at the Srixon ZX5, which added six yards of 7-iron carry distance for our pro.

PXG 0311 T GEN4 | £170 per iron

TG VERDICT Nobody picks up a PXG iron and doesn’t like the shape, they’re exactly what’s expected of a super-premium model. The head shapes from short to long irons are superb, and that’s often very important to golfers within this category. At £170 per iron the 0311 are decent value for money (they hit the market at £420 a stick), but the newer GEN5 model offers additional MOI forgiveness.

Callaway Apex 21 Pro | £1,099 (s), £1,399 (g)

TG VERDICT While our test pro thought the Apex Pro were a fraction louder than some of the competition, the hollow body and tungsten-laden construction delivers levels of forgiveness that some of the competition just can’t. The Pro was our third fastest players’ iron but also, crucially, third best at protecting ball speed on off-centre hits. A hugely impressive modern players’ iron.

Taylormade P770 | £1,299

TG VERDICT What’s clever about Taylormade’s P770 is how their designers have said, “OK, keep your more traditional loft, head size and shape and let’s see how much speed and off-centre performance we can build into that chassis”. The P770 has been a great players’ option for two years and it will continue to be that until a scheduled update appears later in 2022.

Sub 70 639 CB | From £540

TG VERDICT It’s less common for golfers to look for extreme value for money at this end of the market, but if you are, Sub 70 have to be on your radar. The 639 CB are really very good. There’s a decent-sized cavity back and a forged stainless steel head, and while they’re not the fastest or longest (two things that shouldn’t matter within the category), they’re really very solid and half the price of a major brand.

Wilson Staff Model CB | £849

TG VERDICT Wilson have a long history when it comes to forged irons, and the brand has seen a real resurgence over the last few years. This is Wilson’s most played tour iron. If you find yourself drawn to a set, make sure you have decent club speed and that you’re comfortable giving up 3mph of ball speed and 10 yards of carry distance (with a 7-iron) over Wilson’s brilliant D9 Forged (players’ distance) iron.

Honma TW757 Vx | From £159 per club

TG VERDICT Over the last few years Honma have carved themselves out an enviable position within the forged iron market. The 757 Vx is brand new for 2022 and it’s every bit as good as its award-winning predecessor, the TR20 V. If you’re drawn to Honma, make sure you get the best from any new purchase by utilising the brand’s first-class fitting service.

Titleist T100 S | £164 (s), £178 (g) per club

TG VERDICT Our data shows the 2° stronger T100 S 7-iron added 1.8mph of ball speed and a couple of yards of carry over the standard T100. But real players will want to know that the model also gave our pro his second smallest ball speed drop off and just seven yards of carry distance difference between his longest and shortest hits, which means the T100 S will also be accurate and consistent to live with.