Irons: golfdigest.com

Player's Irons

Photos by Jim Herity

By E. Michael Johnson

February 2009

CALLAWAY X-22 TOUR

STREET PRICE: $800 (set of eight, steel)
WEBSITE: callawaygolf.com
LOFTS: 6-iron: 30 degrees, PW: 46 degrees

TECH TALK: To get the CG low and toward the center of the face (as opposed to some irons that have the CG high and toward the heel), Callaway thinned out the hosel and topline, lowered the blade height and redistributed weight in the undercut channel.

PLAYER COMMENTS: (L) "Not the cleanest topline in the world, but it's a fine club." . . . (L) "This one is for me!". . . (T) "The compact head and lack of offset make this a club that is classic and pure. A nice feel for cast, too."

HOT: Although it says X-22 Tour on the badge, this iron is less like its predecessor, the X-20 Tour, and more like the X-Tour, one of our favorites from the 2006 Hot List. It's a change we favor, along with the sole design that features a beveled trailing edge that narrows the sole. The X-20 Tour was a player's club for wannabes. This one is the real deal.

NOT: When it comes right down to it, the iron still emphasizes forgiveness over feel.

MIZUNO MP-52

STREET PRICE: $900
WEBSITE: mizunousa.com
LOFTS: 6-iron: 31, PW: 47

TECH TALK: A pair of deep, crescent-shape pockets are milled into the back cavity, saving 14 grams of weight that has been moved lower. The sole design, with a rolled leading edge, cambered mid-sole and beveled trailing edge, is designed to improve turf interaction in a variety of conditions.

PLAYER COMMENTS: (T) "Excellent across the board. Forgiveness in longer irons was exceptional." . . . (L) "I bought the MP-60s but could never adapt to them. These are much better than those.". . . (T) "I like the fact that off-center hits still felt solid."

HOT: The sole is a bit beefier than you'd expect in an MP iron, but these are a fine option for the player who wants the sweet, forged feel of a Mizuno iron but doesn't have quite enough game to handle the MP-62.

NOT: Unfortunately, you can catch a glimpse of the pocket cavity at address on the 3- and 4-irons.

MIZUNO MP-62

STREET PRICE: $900
WEBSITE: mizunousa.com
LOFTS: 6-iron: 31, PW: 47

TECH TALK: The dual-muscle design blends two muscle pads -- the outer pad allows Mizuno's engineers to precisely place the CG in each iron, and the inner pad puts mass behind the sweet spot for optimal feel. And, of course, the iron features the company's "grain-flow" forging process.

PLAYER COMMENTS: (T) "Surprisingly good workability in the short irons." . . . (L) "The harder you hit these, the softer they feel. That's a pretty neat trick." . . . (T) "Slightly lower trajectory and more responsive than the MP-52."

HOT: A Plain Jane that scores well in the talent portion of the competition. The sole glides through the turf, and the minimal offset helps move the ball anywhere you want it to go. If you've got game, you'd be a fool not to look at these.

NOT: Stronger players will gravitate to this club, so we'd like to see the stock shafts include the Project X 6.0, not just the 5.5.