Best game improvement irons 2022: Which came out on top?

What are the best game improvement irons 2022 has to offer?

The biggest brands in the game are pulling out all the stops this year, and I’ve tested nine models across a number of categories.

So which came out on top in each and, more importantly, what will I be gaming this year?

You can watch the video above or, if you’d prefer to read about what I have to say, flick through the links below…

The methodology

Irons are your scoring clubs and the game improvement category is one of the fastest growing in golf, with single-figure to double-digit handicappers putting them in play.

In testing, there are a number of features they need to have. Getting more distance is important – if your ball travels further, you can hit shorter clubs into the green – while more loft and a shorter shaft will improve accuracy.

But added distance is no use if it isn’t consistent, so dispersion is a vital measure when picking the right irons.

For this test, I used Titleist Pro V1 balls and state of the art TrackMan technology to help give consistent, high quality, accurate results, and I tested each iron on and off the course, so you can head to your next fitting much more informed about which model will suit your game.

THE CONTENDERS

THE WINNERS

WHAT’S GOING IN MY BAG?

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Best game improvement irons 2022 contenders

In alphabetical order, these are the nine game improvement irons I tested for 2022…

Callaway Rogue ST Max

Visually these are one of the bigger offerings available, which can be confidence-inspiring for players looking for more forgiveness. The Rogue ST Max also have more offset than some of the other contenders, and this impacted the overall performance as this was one of the most draw-bias models I tested. Instantly I was really impressed with the powerful sound at impact, as well as the feel. The consistency of start line was impressive, and they had one of the smallest left-to-right dispersions in the test.

RRP: £849

Cleveland Launcher XL

A hybrid-style iron that doesn’t have what we would call a traditional iron shaping. Yes, these had a larger shape overall, but the sole is cambered enough that it can still be hit from a wide variety of lies. The hybrid-like shaping make these really easy to hit and launch, and helped me achieve exceptionally high ball flight. The Cleveland Launcher XL are perfect for the golfer who needs more stopping power to get their ball to grip that putting surface quicker.

RRP: £499

Cobra LTDx

Some of the more compact irons in terms of size, yet they still have a thick top line. These were some of the best performers in terms of distance, so perfect if you are looking to squeeze that extra bit of yardage in your iron game. The carry distance was also very consistent which is crucial when firing into greens. If you hit a bigger fade than you would like – and a lot of us do! – the Cobra LTDx irons also offer a fair amount of right-to-left shot shape to help counter that.

RRP: £799

Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal

I love the way these set-up at address. Even though they have a slightly bigger size than the rest of the JPX921 range, they really don’t feel like a game improvement product. The Hot Metal irons also impressed in the feel category and were some of the softest feeling in this test. While these weren’t the longest, it’s a small price to pay in return for exceptional feel and a remarkably consistency given the smaller head size. I’d be willing to make that sacrifice.

RRP: £135 per iron

Ping G425

The G425 irons have a traditional Ping shaping with a longer blade length than other irons in the test. This is balanced out though with a thinner, more rounded top line that looks great behind the ball. These delivered an extremely high ball flight and were also neutral down the target line. In terms of consistency, these were the best in test with great left-to-right and right-to-left dispersion. You know what you get from Ping irons, and nothing’s changed this year.

RRP: From £129 per iron

Srixon ZX4

At address the larger sole shape is well hidden, although this has a decent thick top line, while the offset isn’t overwhelming. The wider sole really helped with launch angle, making these some of the highest launching products in the test. My left-to-right dispersion was incredibly consistent, but the wider sole meant the front-to-back dispersion wasn’t quite as good. These ranked highly in the looks category, if that sort of thing is important to you.

RRP: £899

TaylorMade Stealth

Although these have a wide sole, it is well cambered and hidden more at address which gives a great visual over the ball. The standout factor in terms of performance was distance. And not only were these the longest in the test, they were also very consistent in terms of front-to-back distance The high ball flight helped with hang time and carry, especially good for players who feel they flight it too low, while the draw bias will work for players wanting to straighten out a left-to-right shot shape.

RRP: From £122 per iron

Titleist T300

Titleist have cleverly used two tones on the top line to give the illusion that the T300 irons are smaller than they are, which works well behind the golf ball. These were some of best in terms of distance, including the longest shot of the whole test – a 7-iron which carried 173.5 yards – which was very impressive. There were also strong performances in the height and land angle categories, so you can get lots of stopping power when hitting into greens.

RRP: From £129 per iron

Wilson Launch Pad 2

These don’t have a traditional iron shaping, but Wilson have done a great job with the visuals to give these an iron-like feel at address. If you struggle for ball flight, these will definitely help you get more height on your shots, as they were extremely high launching throughout my testing. They were also the most draw bias, so they are perfect if you’re struggling with a slice. These were the easiest irons to hit – an important factor in the game improvement category.

RRP: From £600

METHODOLOGY

THE WINNERS

WHAT’S GOING IN MY BAG?

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And the winners are…

Best for distance

An important category to leave shorter approach shots, and the Titleist T300 and Cobra LTDx impressed here. But in terms of distance and consistency, the TaylorMade Stealth was the clear winner.

1. TaylorMade Stealth
2. Titleist T300
3. Cobra LTDx

Best for dispersion

Another strong performance from the TaylorMade Stealth, while the Callaway Rogue ST Max also impressed, but the Ping G425 undoubtable had the smallest dispersion in the test.

1. Ping G425
2. TaylorMade Stealth
3. Callaway Rogue ST Max

Best for draw bias

If you’re after something that tames your slice, the Wilson Launch Pad is the best I tested. Once again the Callaway Rogue ST Max and TaylorMade Stealth performed well in this category.

1. Wilson Launch Pad
2. Callaway Rogue ST Max
3. TaylorMade Stealth

Best feeling

Feel is always going to be subjective, but you won’t be surprised to hear the Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal came out on top here, while the Callaway Rogue ST Max and Titleist T300 were close runners-up.

1. Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal
2. Callaway Rogue ST Max
3. Titleist T300

Best looking

Again, a subjective category but for me TaylorMade always make irons that stand out in the bag and the Stealth is no different. Also a strong push from the Titleist T300, and I also really like the Srixon ZX4.

1. TaylorMade Stealth
2. Titleist T300
3. Srixon ZX4

Best value for money

As in my best drivers and best fairway woods tests earlier this year, another strong performance from Wilson who continue to impress, but the Launch Pad irons are just edged out by the Cleveland Launcher XL.

1. Cleveland Launcher XL
2. Wilson Launch Pad 2
3. Cobra LTDx

METHODOLOGY

THE CONTENDERS

WHAT’S GOING IN MY BAG?

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What’s going in my bag?

While game improvement irons don’t really suit my game, I’m happy to discuss which model I would put in play if I were to make the switch.

There are three main contenders, and coming in third place are the Cobra LTDx.

I really like the compact shaping, which gave me more confidence through the strike, and they carried an average of 163 yards with the 7-iron. But my favourite feature was the draw bias element which helped provide very consistent dispersion.

In second is the Ping G425. While they don’t really suit my eye, that didn’t impact performance and what really stood out for me was the consistency. I loved the overall dispersion, which would make attacking pins very easy, and carry distances were very consistent.

But overall – and this will come as little surprise – it’s the TaylorMade Stealth that take it.

They were the longest in the test, averaging 169 yards with a 7-iron, and were nearly half a club longer than the G425s. It’s really hard to turn down that extra distance!

They were also more draw bias, which I think suits the majority of golfers in the game improvement category, while the front-to-back dispersion was the smallest in the test, meaning more distance control into the greens which will help you drive down your scores.

METHODOLOGY

THE CONTENDERS

THE WINNERS