Best Players Irons: Innovation
Identifying the most deserving clubs for our Hot List equipment guide requires the ability to decipher among thin lines of excellence. That’s why we commit to extensive player-testing and spend hundreds of hours meeting with manufacturer R&D teams and our academic panel of scientists to better understand the nuances that make each club special. The most innovative Players irons use softer steels, various methods of sound-dampening and even 3-D printing. Here is how our editors and academic panel evaluated Players irons based on the criterion of Innovation, with each achieving a minimum of 4.5 stars.
Cobra
3DP MB
$330 per iron
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Hot List Gold
$330 per iron
Cobra partnered with nTop, a leader in engineering design software (NASA and Airbus use its tools) to develop the internal lattice structure of these irons.
Cobra uses a lattice geometry that redistributes more than 40 grams into high-density tungsten components to optimize the center of gravity in each iron while maintaining the rigidity and stiffness required for consistent sound and feel.
A major driver behind the creation of the 3DP MB irons was feedback from Cobra’s tour staff. Those players wanted a smaller blade shape with a hint of forgiveness, without sacrificing feel and precision.
CNC milling allows the face and grooves to get as close as possible to the USGA limits. That’s because of the added precision that milling provides, allowing for the creation of an aggressive groove design.
Top 5 in Sound/Feel, low-handicaps
SPECS: 7-iron: 34 degrees; PW: 46 degrees
Cobra
3DP Tour
$330 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
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Hot List Gold
$330 per iron
The irons are completely 3-D printed, allowing for a level of precision and intricacy not available in clubs that are forged or cast.
The 3-D printing allows for a soft, forged-like feel in an iron with game-improvement traits.
An interior lattice provides support for durability and produces a pleasing sound. The weight savings allows the use of tungsten weighting to achieve more stability.
Tungsten also helps lower the center of gravity, making this an iron even 15-handicappers can play.
The company has produced more than 50 3-D print projects for tour players with nearly 20 put in play, proving the viability of 3-D printed clubs.
Top 5 in Performance, low-handicaps
SPECS: 7-iron: 31 degrees; PW: 45 degrees
Callaway
Apex Ai150
$236 per iron
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Hot List Gold
$236 per iron
Callaway used player data and AI to optimize the face for each iron to retain ball speed and manage spin regardless of impact location.
The face material transitions from a lively 455-stainless-steel face cup in the long and middle irons (3- through 7-irons) to a less springy 17-4 stainless steel in the scoring clubs (8-iron through wedges).
The center-of-gravity depth in the long irons starts deeper in the head and gets progressively shallower in the short irons. This is achieved by removing weight from the rear section of the sole, promoting a higher launch in the long irons and a penetrating flight in the short irons.
This iron replaces the Apex Pro in Callaway’s lineup and is built off the Apex TCB profile, offering a sleek, blade-like look with slightly more forgiveness.
Top 5 in Performance, low-handicaps
SPECS: 7-iron: 31 degrees; PW: 44 degrees
Mizuno
Mizuno Pro M-13
$215 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
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Hot List Gold
$215 per iron
Mizuno uses different constructions within the set while maintaining a continuity of look and distance gapping.
The 4- and 5-irons feature a forged Chromoly steel face, topline and neck and a 431 stainless steel back. The face is as thin as 1.37 millimeters for a ball-speed boost, almost 35 percent thinner than this iron’s predecessor.
The 6- through 8-irons are grain-flow forged from 4115 Chromoly steel with the face as thin as 2 millimeters in the lower portion where shots are routinely struck.
The short irons are one-piece forgings from 1025E soft carbon steel to enhance sound, feel and control.
A copper underlay beneath the surface of all the irons fosters a syrupy feel.
The triple-cut sole reduces effective sole width with the leading-edge bevel providing a sharp leading edge with high bounce. This minimizes digging, and the trailing-edge bevel reduces turf drag as the head is passing through the grass.
Top 5 in Look, low-handicaps
SPECS: 7-iron: 32 degrees; PW: 44 degrees
PXG
0311 T GEN8
$230 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
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Hot List Silver
$230 per iron
Compared to the P and XP models, the T version features a shorter blade length, less offset, a thinner topline and sole, more loft and a thicker face. The purpose of this iron is shot control more than distance.
However, forgiveness isn’t forgotten. A 20-gram internal tungsten toe weight helps pull the center of gravity closer to the center of the face and raise the moment of inertia, which reduces ball-speed loss on mis-hits by 17 percent over the GEN7 model.
The face is .062 inches at its thinnest, providing an unusual amount of heat in a players iron.
Keeping feel intact in such a thin-faced club is not easy. The use of a polymer inside the hollow clubhead minimizes unwanted vibrations.
SPECS: 7-iron: 32 degrees; PW: 46 degrees
TaylorMade
P·770
$200 per iron
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Hot List Gold
$200 per iron
A hollow-body construction with a forged, high-strength steel face insert produces plenty of distance sizzle.
The face insert wraps around the leading edge into the sole for more potential ball speed from impacts lower on the face.
Tungsten within the head (as much as 41 grams) lowers the center of gravity for more effective launch.
The tungsten also is used to produce a consistent center of gravity (vertically) through the set for added consistency.
TaylorMade’s “SpeedFoam Air” material is inserted within the head, reducing those pesky unwanted vibrations on mis-hits.
Structural ribs in the walls of the body deliver noticeable sound and feel dividends.
SPECS: 7-iron: 33 degrees; PW: 45 degrees
Titleist
T100
$215 per iron
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Hot List Gold
$215 per iron
A new variable-thickness face, lower center of gravity and progressive groove design all work in concert to reduce distance dispersion—a key desire of better players.
Not to be overlooked are the steeper-walled grooves in the 7-iron through PW. These help maintain spin rates from the rough or wet conditions for improved consistency.
A new muscle channel in the 3- and 4-irons raise launch and peak height.
High-density tungsten is used in the heel and toe, between five to 10 percent more than in the previous generation, to increase off-center-hit forgiveness.
The lofts have been altered on this version of the T100. They are 1 degree stronger than the previous model.
Top 5 in Performance, low-handicaps
SPECS: 7-iron: 33 degrees; PW: 45 degrees
Titleist
T150
$215 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
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Hot List Gold
$215 per iron
The shape has been altered slightly from its predecessor. The blade length is one millimeter longer, which provides a modest inertia lift for more forgiveness on off-center strikes.
High-density tungsten is placed in the heel and toe to lower the center of gravity and aid heel-toe forgiveness. How much? Nearly 45 percent of the head mass is tungsten.
A refined muscle channel through the 7-iron promotes a higher launch and better angle of descent on approach shots.
More aggressive grooves in the middle and short irons deliver increased consistent spin out of rough, wet conditions or flier lies.
Top 5 in Performance, low-handicaps
SPECS: 7-iron: 32 degrees; PW: 44 degrees