Forgiving golf clubs have historically been associated with higher handicappers and those who are new to the game. But it’s not quite so clear cut now.
Only a decade or so ago, if you were considered a high calibre golfer you would likely game a set of blade irons. These clubs have a compact head, offer less offset and primarily promote the ability to control ball flight.
For tour level players, these were often seen as non-negotiables. Forgiveness was something they had no issue sacrificing for greater feel and workability.
Now, there’s an increasing trend of professional golfers using more forgiving irons.
Mizuno’s senior marketing lead George Thompson believes there is a growing demand for irons that can offer better players a little more help. This is particularly the case at the top end of a set.
Mizuno’s new S-4 irons achieve this by using a graduated centre of gravity (CG) throughout the set.
“The whole trade off in terms of irons is forgiveness versus controllability, and this (Mizuno S-4 irons) sort of bridges that gap in terms of the longer irons, which are traditionally what you get in the air,” he told the Your Golf podcast.
With longer irons, getting the ball airborne and maintaining speed on imperfect strikes can be a challenge even for skilled players. As the clubs become shorter, however, the priority for most golfers shifts towards controlling trajectory and distances.
So Mizuno’s introduced a higher-launching player’s cavity back profile – a design that offers greater forgiveness and stability throughout the set.
“With this lower mass here in the 4-iron, you have a little bit more help with the lower centre of gravity, so it helps you get the ball in the air,” Thompson added.
“It pops up a bit easier and then as you move down into scoring irons, so through the 7-iron down to an 8-iron, 9-iron and pitching wedge, you’ve got a slightly higher CG. That hands a bit of control back to the player as they’re looking to control the trajectory and play those more feel type shots into the flag.”
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Mizuno irons: Even tour players are looking for more help
Perhaps the clearest indication of the changing attitude towards forgiveness is what we’re seeing in the bags of the some of the best players in the world. Thompson pointed to Mizuno staffers who have switched to the S-4s in search of more assistance.
“It’s a really tempting prospect for a lot of different players,” he said. “We had, at The Open, Adrien Saddier, who went straight into it from the 241s – the previous generation Blades.
“He loved the solid impact feel and wanted a little bit more forgiveness and a little bit more pop on his longer irons. It just made sense because of the graduated, flighted CG of the whole set.
“We’re able to have that bit of forgiveness at the top end, and then move it back down to a position where you have much more control. Players have the opportunity to control the flights a little bit more with those.”
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What irons do you currently have in the bag? Are they Mizuno irons? Do you tend to go for more forgiving golf clubs or more layer friendly ones? How important is forgiveness for you when choosing which clubs to use? Let us know in the comments or by getting in touch with us on X!
