Looking for the best golf irons to get you closer to the green? You’ve come to the right place.
If you’re under par and there is a bunker in between you and the hole, there is only one club that gets you back on the green, the golf iron. Given its name for always being made of metal, the iron is for those medium shots, the ones that need a bit of distance but will help the ball stick to the green, and keep your score on track.
Before anyone has even touched a golf club or even thought about stepping up to the tee, you always picture an iron, they are THE quintessential golf club. In style, feel and function, they are the ones that are going to get you under par or that hole in one, but there are some things you need to know first.
What Are The Different Types Of Golf Iron?
For irons, there are two different types of club heads; the muscle back, sometimes also known as a blade, and the cavity. The blade style of a muscle back golf iron club features a full back – the muscle – and is recommended for players with a low handicap as they deliver a more precise shot with very little forgiveness.
As for your other option, the cavity irons are so named because they feature a hollow back and were designed upon what the muscle backs lacked, making them perfect for mid-range players and even beginners. It all depends on your personal feel and play style, but no matter which one you choose, both styles of golf iron will have you making the distance each shot.
As with any golf club, all the major brands have put a lot of time and effort, money and research into creating the perfect iron. From the tour-level brands such as TaylorMade and Titleist to the brands that cater to the casual golfer such as Top Flite and Yonex. In this buying guide, you will find something you need to lift your game.
Mizuno
1/21
Price: From $138
Origin: Osaka, Japan
In the iron-making business since 1990, Mizuno has decades of experience and each model they’ve come out with and, during that time has evolved and improved on the last. With their latest, the ‘MP-20’ series of irons, the brand has continued their multi-material concept by including titanium muscle plates, copper plating, carbon steel, and a protective nickel chrome over a tungsten weight sole. So if you are looking for a legendary feel and feedback, not to mention one of the irons around, look no further.
Callaway
2/21
Price: From $142
Origin: Carlsbad, California
The boys at the Callaway R&D department have done it again, creating a range of irons designed to deliver on the distance, speed, spin, ball flight through ultra-lightweight components and state of the art technology. With the Apex 21 range of Callaway irons, for example, you’ll be the owner of the first iron to be developed using Artificial Intelligence, which promises high ball speeds and increased spin robustness. You also get a greater amount of tungsten compared to previous Apex models, allowing Callaway to more precisely position the centre of gravity.
PING
3/21
Price: From $112
Origin: Redwood City, California
Most brands today are concerned with distance more than anything else when it comes to their irons, but PING have focused on the flexing of the faces of their , which helps promote a higher launch. A lot of the development of their range has been consulted by PGA pros such as Louis Oosthuizen and Tony Finau, including their ‘Blueprint’ series, which boasts a highly flexible face, a narrow tungsten sole with an internal heel weight, all within a carbon steel finish.
Titleist
4/21
Price: From $142
Origin: Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Delivering a balance of power and performance, Titleist irons are engineered from the ground up and with breakthrough technology, including ‘Max Impact’, which boasts a super-thin face, backed by a polymer core. With this kind of technology, included within the ‘T series, your shot will have a higher launch, consistent distance, and great sounding impact. Each entry into the series offers something unique from the precision balance of the ‘T100’ to the forgiveness of the ‘T400’.
TaylorMade
5/21
Price: From $112
Origin: Carlsbad, California
‘Demand more from your irons’, that’s the statement made by TaylorMade and they definitely deliver on that with their range of irons that pack powerful performance into classic designs. TaylorMade has a iron for golfers of all styles and abilities, and the SIM2 Max irons, for example, utilise an all-new Cap Back design, made using high-strength stainless steel combined with ultralight weight polymers, resulting in a iron designed to offer you the farthest possible distance. Other features include an ECHO Damping System, designed to minimise vibrations through the shaft and Thru-Slot Speed Pocket to “maximise face flexibility for increased ball speed.”
Cobra
6/21
Price: From $88
Origin: Carlsbad, California
The goal for Cobra irons has always been to provide a blend of distance, consistency and forgiveness. To achieve that, they have used some of the lightest materials, such as carbon fibre, which is also very strong and allows the engineers to save on weight and portion it to different, more crucial parts of the iron to improve performance. With their ‘Speedzone’ series they have used this proportion of weight to create an iron that boasts some of the lowest CG (Centre of Gravity) and the highest MOI (Moment of Inertia).
XXIO
7/21
Price: From $170
Origin: Japan
XXIO have become well known and well regarded for always having a weighted grip making for a comfortable shot that doesn’t require as much force on your end. With their ‘X Black’ series – some of the company’ – you’ll find this ‘Weight Plus’ technology as well as ‘Dunlop’s Flying Technology’ that promotes a lighter clubhead that improves the effectiveness of the weighted grip, and a ‘Speed Groove’ face that flexes the entire face which increases the iron’s resilience and improves performance.
Miura
8/21
Price: From $310
Origin: Himeji, Japan
Handcrafted in a family-run factory in Himeji, Japan, an area that was once famous for making samurai swords, Miura’s irons are regarded as some of the best in the business. It only makes sense that a club that is sometimes known as a ‘blade’ be given the same level of attention and detail as a forged sword and Miura delivers on that with their ‘TC-201’ series that offers the performance of a muscle but with the forgiveness of a cavity.
Srixon
9/21
Price: From $172
Origin: Himeji, Japan
Srixon is dedicated to improving your game. No matter what level you are, whether you enjoy a few rounds on the weekend, a range warrior, or a professional in a tournament, they have a iron that will help you hit the green every time. With narrow, compact and sleek designs, and offers the speed and workability of a world-class player’s iron, and that’s even just their average. Be sure to check out the ‘ZX’ series for the very best they have to offer.
Cleveland
10/21
Price: From $114
Origin: Huntington Beach, California
Offering a diverse range of cavity and hollow back construction, Cleveland aims to provide more forgiveness with lower, deeper weight distribution, and more control when attacking the tee. Basically, they know what they are talking about when it comes to irons, and they’ve been talking about it for a long, long time. With their ‘CBX’ series, you’ll find a V-shaped sole and ‘Tour Zip’ grooves that deliver maximum distance with the accuracy of a wedge and get you closer to the whole from anywhere on the course.
Wilson
11/21
Price: From $150
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
The golf division of one of the oldest and most trusted sports brands, Wilson Staff, have extended their expertise to the creation of some of the highest performing irons around. With their best model, the ‘Model Blades’, a collaboration of all of the best components from all the models that came before, they worked closely with PGA Tour winner Brendan Steele to develop an iron that is made of carbon steel, tungsten weighted, and a split heel for a low centre of gravity and optimal forgiveness.
Tour Edge
12/21
Price: From $114
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Boasting some of the most complex materials and compositions for their irons, Tour Edge wants you to experience a material advantage when playing with them. With some exotic material such as Japanese 325c carbon steel, and compositions made from methods such as thermoplastic elastomers, something which we had no idea was even possible when it came to a golf club, so you know that there is something else going on with these irons, something good. Be sure to check out the ‘Exotics’ series for the best they have to offer.
Top Flite
13/21
Price: From $25
Origin: Carlsbad, California
If you are looking for a brand that doesn’t over complicate things with exotic materials and innovative technologies, and are looking for a club that gets the job done and for an affordable price, then Top Flite will always be the very best option for you. All of their irons offer exactly what an iron should do but they have not sacrificed on the performance, as each club in their range, including the ‘Junior 8’ iron, will still have you launching far and high.
Epon
14/21
Price: Contact for Details
Origin: Niigata, Japan
A subsidiary established in 1977 to showcase the manufacturing expertise of the EPON brand, Epon Golf Co. is responsible for the construction of some of the world’s leading OEM (original equipment manufacturers) brands and supplies up-and-coming, custom brands with templates to create their own. This means that their very own irons come with a level of expertise, and it shows with their ‘AF’ series, offering a low centre of gravity and a forging technology that offers a high moment of inertia.
Honma
15/21
Price: From $212
Origin: Sakata, Japan
On the other end of the spectrum, the higher, luxury end, you have a brand like Honma, that offers some of the highest performing gold irons . With their ‘BERES’ series, for example, they’ve decided to inject their club heads with 24K gold. If you are not willing to have your club glow in the sun, you can still find the very best in their ‘TW747’ series, which offers a modern and forgiving hollow construction for a high launch.
Tommy Armour
16/21
Price: From $400
Origin: Miamisburg, Ohio
Taking the namesake from one of the most legendary PGA Championship winners, the Tommy Armour irons live up to the name and will have you launching the ball like a pro. Every iron in the range is the winning standard, but with the ‘845’ series, you’ll get an L-shaped cup combined with ‘Variable Face Thickness’ that delivers top ball speeds for increased distance, supported by a dense tungsten weight and finished with sleek carbon steel.
Yonex
17/21
Price: From $242
Origin: Torrance, California
While they may be considered a sports equipment brand first, that doesn’t mean Yonex doesn’t know what goes into creating a solid iron, in fact, it probably makes them even more qualified to create a club that is affordable for the kind of player that enjoys a casual game or two on the weekend. With their ‘Ezone Elite’ series, they’ve used innovative research, design and manufacturing, to create an iron that will always assist your swing and have the ball spinning less and flying high.
Fourteen
18/21
Price: From $230
Origin: Los Angeles, California
A brand that understands golf is a game that is always evolving and improving, Fourteen have reviewed the competition and come out with a range of irons that continue to build on that tradition. In their ‘TC-560’ series, they have utilised unique materials such as S45C steel that enhances ball speed and overall feel. This material also makes the face thicker and has a deep undercut cavity design that allows for additional weight to be positioned around the cavity area.
PGX
19/21
Price: From $230
Origin: Portland, Oregon
Cast from 431 stainless steel and utilising a wide ‘Power Chamber’ club head, PGX irons aim to provide a trampoline effect on impact, meaning if you hit that ball in the sweet spot, you’ll get results, or green, everytime. With their ‘TS’ series, you’ll find a wider sole design and an emblematic medallion finish that complements the face, so that ball knows that what you are swinging towards it, is the best.
PXG
20/21
Price: From $189
Origin: Scottsdale, Arizona
If you are looking for the kind of iron that is powered by scientific technology, look no further than PXG’s range, offering high performance that is optimised to fit every kind of golfer, no matter the handicap. With their ‘0311’ series you’ll find a diverse range of irons for a diverse range of play styles. From the ‘GEN3’, which offers their patented ‘Impact React’ technology, to the ‘GEN4’, which offers the premium ‘XCOR’ technology.
Bridgestone
21/21
Price: From $138
Origin: Osaka, Japan
The brand trusted by the GOAT Tiger Woods, Bridgestone must be doing something different when it comes to creating all of their golf equipment, and their range of irons are no exception. Offering technology that sounds like it should belong on a car, like the ‘power slit’ design on the face that increases face deformation at impact, causing higher ball velocity and launch. Be sure to check out their ‘Tour B JGR’ series for the very best, tour level, iron.