As your game (and handicap) start to improve, so, too, do your preferences when it comes to a set of irons. Maybe you want to see less offset to work the ball or a thinner sole for cleaner turf interaction. Everyone has their own wants and needs. What most single-digit handicappers can agree on is the importance of iron consistency.
If you need to flight the ball in a certain window or hit specific yardages, it’s necessary to have an iron that’s trustworthy and can get the job done. Forgiveness likely isn’t as important as it once was when you were a mid-handicapper.
With that in mind, we take a look at five better-player irons (1-6 handicap range) that excelled in the consistency department during GOLF’s 2020 ClubTest.
Callaway Apex Pro
Callaway Apex Pro
Set: 3-PW
Our take: With a compact shape, Apex Pro is designed for ball-strikers. The bodies are forged from 1025 carbon steel, but they also have urethane microspheres behind the face for a softer feel. The long irons (3-7) offer tungsten weights to lower center of gravity and 360 face cups for higher ball speeds.
ClubTester’s take (6-hdcp): “I want to buy this club right now. Can’t believe the Pro version does it all for me.”
Robot’s take: Testing confirmed that Apex delivers increased ball speed and one of the highest peak heights in the category.
Srixon Z785
Srixon Z785
Set: 3-PW
Our take: Made for low handicappers who demand control, the Z785 achieves max workability by placing mass behind the sweet spot. Additionally, the blade-like irons have laser-milled grooves and a Tour V.T. dual-bounce sole design for clean hits from all lies.
ClubTester’s take (1-hdcp): “The club just flows through the turf. Poetry in motion.”
Robot’s take: Delivers impressive carry numbers with a more penetrating ballflight.
TaylorMade P760
TaylorMade P760
Set: 3-PW
Our take: Will please both Tour-level golfers and those who need a bit more forgiveness. The long irons feature a body forged from 1025 carbon steel with SpeedFoam injected in a cavity behind the face to increase speed. The shorter irons, on the other hand, are a one-piece forging.
ClubTester’s take (5-hdcp): “Player iron look with some forgiveness near the top of the set is ideal.”
Robot’s take: A category leader in no less than six performance areas, including speed.
Titleist T100
Titleist T100
Set: 3-PW
Our take: No one played a bigger role in the development of Titleist’s T100 than Jordan Spieth, which is a good thing if you happen to be persnickety when it comes to how an iron looks and performs. The slimmed-down profile, thinner topline and reduced offset will catch the eye of a better player (or a multi-time major champion). Just don’t think reducing the overall size means a loss of forgiveness or playability — two things that its predecessor, AP2, was known for. A thinned-out face is paired with dual-density tungsten weights in the heel and toe — 66 grams on average per head — to enhance ball speed and forgiveness. So you’re essentially getting more of everything good from a more compact head shape. The beauty of dual-density tungsten is how it makes even small iron profiles uber-forgiving. Mishits off the toe still produced positive results with the robot, which tells you the multimaterial design is doing its job. Not only that, the overall dispersion pattern was one of the tightest captured during testing. It’s fair to say T100 hits the right notes.
ClubTester’s take (5-hdcp): “I’d say AP2 underwent a transformational makeover. Iron has sexy curves with game-improvement forgiveness.”
Robot’s take: Tested as one of the most forgiving and consistent irons in the Player Irons category.
Wilson FG Tour V6
Wilson FG Tour V6
Set: 4-GW
Our take: Released back in 2016, FG Tour V6 still remains in Tour players’ bags today. No surprise — they’re made to satisfy the needs of better players. The long irons have a tungsten weight in the toe and heel section for launch and stability purposes.
ClubTester’s take (13-hdcp): “Sole slides through the dirt, to the point where I no longer worry about hitting a clunker.”
Robot’s take: More spin and height for the better player.
