Golf Laboratories’ swing robot has produced a wealth of gear insights for GOLF’s 2024 ClubTest, many of which we’ve shared in our testing insight reports over the last few months. The goal is always to inform and make golfers more knowledgeable about the current offerings in the marketplace. It’s also to highlight performance attributes that help negate some of the most penalizing spots on the face.
In this case, we’re talking about a toe miss on the 7-iron.
Robotic swing data revealed that carry distance decreased by 12.5 yards across all models tested on a common toe strike. That’s roughly one less club. Unless you’re playing at a course where the greens are the size of Texas and have nary a hazard in sight, losing 10-plus yards could lead to some big numbers.
So, how do you regain some of that lost distance? You could work on your game and shore up impact consistency, or you could seek out an iron that mitigates distance loss on toe misses. Which is exactly what we’re highlighting in our most recent insights report.
If there’s one thing we noticed, it’s that you don’t need a super game-improvement iron to see performance gains on toe strikes. The list below is an eclectic mix of better-player, player’s distance and game-improvement offerings, which means there are options for everyone.
(Methodology: All testing was conducted with a 7-iron at 80 mph — using the same shaft and attack angle — with six shots recorded from the geometric center and toe. The carry numbers below compare center and toe distances to achieve a carry delta.)
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Ping i530 | 7 yards of distance loss
Cleveland ZipCore XL | 7.5 yards
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast | 8 yards
Cobra Air-X | 8.5 yards
PXG 0317 T | 9.1 yards
PXG 0317 T Custom Irons
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Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf.