What are the best irons for high handicappers available on the market in 2018?
Firstly what is an iron for a high handicapper? Well, there are no irons on the market that can turn a bad swing into a good shot but there are some which can limit the damage.
So expect perimeter weighting and larger heads for stability. Low centre of gravity to help the ball get in the air quicker and easier.
Many have thin faces with a cavity behind to increase ball speed. Some have plenty of offset which help players return the face square to the ball.
And some are designed to fill you with maximum confidence when in the address position.
Strong lofts have been a big feature in irons aimed at high handicappers but many brands say this has been negated through high launch.
All these clubs should offer a bit more help to higher handicappers but there are no hard and fast rules.
We’ve seen plenty of low single figure handicappers have success with models like these.
Maybe your swing speed isn’t what it was and you’ve lost a few yards over the years? Put your ego to one side and take the help on offer…
Since this list was created we have also tested out the new Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal and Srixon Z585 which may also be of interest.
1. Best irons for high handicappers 2018 – Callaway Rogue
In a nutshell: It’s rare to get a distance iron which sounds and feels this good.
A lot of the technology in the Callaway Rogue irons is what we have seen in previous models such as the Epic and Steelhead XR irons.
Callaway say that the regular Rogue irons – their mass-market irons for 2018 – are ‘long, accurate, easy to hit, versatile, great sound and feel with substantial sized head with medium topline, medium sole-width and progressive offset. Suited for average players seeking balanced performance’.
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So how has this all been achieved?
More ball speed comes from the 360 Face Cup which gives the iron more of a wood-like performance.
And there’s a tungsten-infused internal standing wave to get the centre of gravity in exactly the right place for optimal launch.
But the key new technology really helps to improve the sound and feel. Hollow irons can often sound and feel a little bit well, hollow? We don’t get that nice solid feel we get from a forged club.
So the Callaway Rogue irons feature something called urethane microspheres behind the face which dampen vibrations without sacrificing ball speed.
And if you want even more distance, try the Rogue X which have even stronger lofts.
SRP: £849/£1,049 (Steel/graphite)
Click here to watch the full video review.
More information can be found on the Callaway website.
2. Best Irons for high handicappers 2018 – TaylorMade M CGB
In a nutshell: These irons feature pretty much every piece of technology that TaylorMade have used in their game-improvement irons over the last five to 10 years.
We’ve got the speed pocket, face slots, 360˚ under cut, tungsten weighting, and a fluted hosel to name just a few!
These clubs are all about maximum distance through the set. In sets like the M4 there will be maximum distance in the long irons but then progressively the faces will become a bit slower and more playable as you get into the shorter irons.
With the M CGB the COR on the face (bounciness) is right at the legal limit through the set.
TaylorMade say having a set of these will be like having a bag full of drivers…
We’re not sure about that but they are incredibly easy to use, forgiving and consistent.
SRPs:
£849 (7 piece set with Nippon NS Pro 840 steel shafts)
£1,099 (7 piece set with UST Recoil 460 ES graphite shafts)
Click here to watch the full video review.
More information can be found on the TaylorMade website.
3. Best irons for high handicappers 2018 – Ping G700
In a nutshell: The most stylish game-improvement iron ever from Ping. In fact, we think they could be the best looking iron of its kind on the market.
The Ping G700 irons have a hollow construction with a thin maraging steel face.
Ping say it’s their longest and highest-flying iron to date. To me they looked and felt a bit like mini G400 Crossovers.
These are ideal for those who need a bit of help getting the ball in the air. Expect fast speeds as the ball really does come off hot.
SRP: £149 per iron w/steel shaft; £159 per iron w/graphite shaft
Click here to watch the full video review.
More information can be found on the Ping website.
[skylab_video id=”148683″]Ping i500 v Ping G700 irons – Which are most forgiving?[/skylab_video]
4. Best irons for high handicappers 2018 – TaylorMade M4
In a nutshell: As with the new M3 irons the TaylorMade M4 irons feature something called ‘Ribcor’ which work like stability bars to help the impact area flex more for extra speed.
The face thickness has been reduced which also allows for a bit more flex.
TaylorMade say the Ribcor structure also helps to dampen the vibrations for a better sound and feel.
There are face slots for improved speed on off-centre hits and a fluted hosel to allow more weight to be placed lower in the club.
Heel and toe weighting makes the TaylorMade M4 irons more stable than the M2 irons by 24 percent.
They look sound and feel a lot more appealing than the M2.
SRP: £749/£849 (steel/graphite)
Click here to watch the full video review.
More information can be found on the TaylorMade website.
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5. Best irons for high handicappers 2018 – Titleist 718 AP1
In a nutshell: Tungsten was the big tech story in the 716 AP1 and it is again a key material in the construction of these irons.
What’s also really interesting here is that the irons go down to a 53˚ model.
So the pitching wedge is 43˚, then there’s a 48˚ wedge and 53˚ gap wedge. That would then just leave room for a specialist sand wedge.
We have hollow body long irons for more distance and forgiveness and undercut cavity mid and short irons to offer a bit more control.
The high-density tungsten weighting produces a lower CG for higher launch. That helps counteract the strong lofts – 7-iron is 30˚.
There’s an average of 58.5 grams of tungsten per head, placed low and in the toe of the long and mid irons for more stability.
We think they are even more stylish than the 716 AP1 irons and have a crisper feel off the face.
The long irons in particular have explosive distance – even if you don’t quite catch them right.
SRP: £115/£140 per club (steel/graphite)
Click here to watch the full video review.
More information can be found on the Titleist website.
[skylab_video id=”126599″]Titleist 718 AP1 irons review – mid-handicap testing[/skylab_video]
6. Best irons for high handicappers – Cobra King F8
In a nutshell: To the untrained eye the tweaks to the club heads compared to F7 may seem subtle but there’s plenty going on.
We’ve got an all-new thinner forged face which should add a bit more ball speed over a wider area.
There’s new Carbon inserts that are strategically-positioned and new Carbon medallions behind the face dampen vibrations for improved sound and feel throughout the set.
We’ve still got the progressive cavity system – which Cobra call Tecflo – where we see a full hollow design on the 4-7 irons, a traditional cavity-back design on 8-PW.
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The grooves are different too with reduced spin on the longer irons for more distance and more spin on the shorter irons for stopping power.
Two bonuses here are they fact the F8 is available in One Length and comes with the built-in Cobra Connect system powered by Arccos to track your stats.
You won’t find a better value-for-money package than this. And the irons are superb -very consistent with a lovely sound and feel.
SRP: Variable/One Length 7-piece set: £649/£749 (steel/graphite)
Click here to watch the full video review.
More information can be found on the Cobra website.
7. Best irons for high handicappers 2018- Mizuno JPX900 Hot Metal
In a nutshell: Mizuno have used Chromoly in the JPX900 Hot Metal which they say has allowed them to add their thinnest-ever face which will really get the ball coming off at high ball speeds.
It is also a very versatile metal which opens up the door for more precise lie and loft adjustments for proper custom-fitting.
Now these were launched in Autumn 2016 and for me, there hasn’t been an iron releases since which is a better all-round package. Superb looks and feel.
SRP: £105 per iron
Click here to watch the full video review.
More information can be found on the Mizuno website.
[skylab_video id=”152584″]Mizuno JPX919 Irons Fitting + FULL SET GIVEAWAY[/skylab_video]
8. Best irons for high handicappers – Wilson C300
In a nutshell: So the key USP if you like of the Wilson C300 irons is the power hole technology.
We saw these in the C200 irons and now there are even more of them!
The C300 irons have two rows of these holes – which aren’t really holes – on the sole and the cast head has them along the topline as well.
Wilson say they reduce the contact points between the face and the club to give it a bit more flex and speed resulting in more distance and forgiveness.
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SRP: £599 4-PW
Click here to watch the full video review.
More information can be found on the Wilson website.
9. Best irons for high handicappers – Cleveland Launcher HB
In a nutshell: There’s a fully hollow construction with a high-strength steel face, something Cleveland call a HiBore Crown – this allows weight to be pulled low and back into the head.
So overall it’s a hybrid-like design to help golfers launch the ball higher and farther than typical cavity back irons.
Yes, they do look a bit weird as you address the ball but they are incredibly easy to use.
SRPs:
Men’s steel Set (5-PW): £570 (single iron: £95)
Men’s graphite set (5-PW): £648 (single iron: £108)
Click here to watch the full video review.
More information can be found on the Cleveland website.
[skylab_video id=”133142″]Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons Review – Mid-handicap testing[/skylab_video]
10. Best irons for high handicappers 2018 – PXG 0311 XF
In a nutshell: Premium materials and looks. Perimeter weighting and an elastomer injected into the cavity for improved sound and feel.
They will set you back a few quid but you will be the envy of your playing partners.
Are they worth the price? We hit them last year and don’t think there is a better-feeling game-improvement iron on the market but don’t expect 20 yards of extra distance!
SRP: £2,400
Click here to read our interview with PXG boss Bob Parsons.
More information can be found on the PXG website
