Nearly every major equipment manufacturer has released their 2023 club lineup. Now the work begins. If you’re in the market for new irons, consider this guide a roadmap to tracking some potential options to complement your game.
To be clear, the goal of this guide is to highlight clubs that do certain things well. We’re of the belief that golfers deliver the club differently, thereby making it impossible to claim any one club is the “best” for someone with a tendency to slice. But with the help of our robotic and player-testing insights, we’re able to whittle down the field and provide some options to test. It’s up to you and a certified club-fitter to determine where you should go from there.
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Game-improvement irons are designed for maximum forgiveness and feature wider soles, larger profiles, and fast faces to help minimize distance loss caused by shots not hit on the center of the face.
MORE CLUBTEST 2023: Drivers | Fairway Woods | Hybrids | Wedges | Putters
Callaway Paradym X
Callaway Paradym X Irons
The Paradym X irons are designed to offer the best combination of feel and distance by pairing Callaway’s Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) face technology with a forged 455 material. Each iron face is uniquely optimized through A.I. based on parameters set by the engineers to deliver more ball speed and higher launch through the set. The Paradym X irons also feature a hollow body with what Callaway dubs Speed Frame construction. The frame adds support to the face for extra ball speed on off-center hits and also allows the structure to be made thinner to free up mass.
Cobra AeroJet
Cobra Aerojet irons
The new Aerojet iron, is designed for players who not only want added forgiveness but an iron that cranks out additional distance in much the same manner as the Aerojet woods do.
Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal
Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Irons
Combined with Mizuno’s vibration controlling V-Chassis and deep CG design, the JPX923 Hot Metal irons are as enjoyable and controllable as they are long. They are made with 4334 Nickel Chromoly which is not only 35% stronger than the material used in the previous Hot Metal irons but it also allows engineers to make the clubface 8% thinner for more ball speed.
Ping G430
Ping G430 Irons
The G430 isn’t your standard game-improvement model. Touted as Ping’s “longest iron ever,” the multi-material club offers a lower center of gravity with stronger, custom-engineered lofts and a thinner face. The trio of improvements leads to an additional 2 mph ball speed across the entire face.
Srixon ZX4 MKII
Srixon ZX4 MKII Irons
The hollow body design the ZX4 MKII makes it easier to chase distance, especially when paired with a red-hot HT1770M steel face. This iron offers the longest blade length of the Srixon MKII irons and a generous sole width. While those attributes might turn some golfers off, the sleek curves make it look visually appealing in the address position. The ZX4 MKII is a great option for golfers who struggle with consistent contact but don’t necessarily want to go up in head size to solve the problem.
TaylorMade Stealth HD
TaylorMade Stealth HD Irons
The Stealth HD iron is a completely new design intended to increase the likelihood of what TaylorMade calls a successful shot out on the course. The premise for the design came from a change in the testing process for the iron design team with a focus on what success means to golfers in the game-improvement category. With a low profile and rounded leading edge these are some of the easiest-to-hit irons TaylorMade has ever made
Wilson Dynapower
Wilson Dynapower Irons
The all-new 2023 Dynapower irons build on the original weighting-shifting concept to redefine distance by pulling mass away from the heel side of the club toward the toe where most amateurs tend to miss with their irons. By using an exclusive A.I. modeling platform, Wilson engineers went through thousands of variations of variable face thickness designs for the cavity of the iron to optimize the faces through the set and offer optimal performance in every club.
Want to overhaul your bag for 2023? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out the Fully Equipped podcast below.
