Hot List
Best Super Game Improvement Irons: Performance
The best clubs in each category of the Hot List reflect excellence across an array of criteria. In Super Game Improvement irons, the best performing clubs, whether iron-like or hybrid-style, provide ample help getting the ball in the air. This is critical because golfers with slower swing speeds need more carry to maximize distance. Here is how 12 players evaluated clubs in this category based on the criterion of Performance, with each achieving a minimum of 4.5 stars.
Callaway
Elyte X
$143 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
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GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$143 per iron
Callaway used AI analysis of average-golfer impact points to selectively thin areas on the face to maximize ball speed. The face also wraps around the topline, sole and toe to further widen the springlike effect.
A metal-injection-molding process fashions the internal tungsten weighting to better position the center of gravity.
That weight is encased in urethane microspheres that helps deliver a soft feel.
The lofts are super strong, but the oversize construction and wide sole allow them to launch broadly equivalent to irons with more conventional lofts.
Also assisting launch is a shorter hosel, which saves six grams that is relocated low in the club to make getting the ball in the air easier.
The pre-worn leading edge of the sole helps prevent digging at impact.
Top 5 in Performance, high-handicaps.
7-iron: 28 degrees; PW: 41 degrees
Mizuno
JPX925 Hot Metal HL
$150 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$150 per iron
High-strength chromoly 4140M steel is used for the face. The hitting area is thinned around the perimeter, increasing rebound for maximum ball speed.
The wide sole teams with tungsten weighting low in the head of the 4- through 7-iron to help golfers get the ball up in the air.
Internal ribs are used to provide a softer feel yet explosive sound at impact.
Mizuno used data gathered from its shaft optimizer to determine that golfers with slower swings had difficulty achieving sufficient height on iron shots. Consequently, the lofts on these irons are up to 3 degrees weaker than the standard and Pro models.
Balanced weighting of the iron’s frame improves control while maintaining forgiveness.
Top 5 in Performance, high-handicaps.
7-iron: 31 degrees; PW: 45 degrees
TaylorMade
Qi HL
$143 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$143 per iron
The multi-material cap back is lighter than the steel it replaces and wraps around the high-toe area. The reduced weight in that area makes it easier to square the club at impact, reducing the chance of hitting a slice.
The center of gravity is lower in the long irons to boost trajectory and progressively rises, allowing for controllable short-iron shots that don’t balloon.
The irons feature extreme heel-toe weighting to provide stability across a wide swath of the clubface.
Slots on the sole allow the face to bend, particularly on shots hit low on the face.
A “hybrar” compression damper helps get rid of those nasty, unwanted vibrations that typically come with shots struck off-center.
Top 5 in Performance, high-handicaps.
7-iron: 30 degrees; PW: 44.5 degrees
Yonex
EZone GT
$175 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$175 per iron
An L-shaped maraging-steel face wraps around part of the sole. The steel is durable, allowing it to be made thin to easily flex. This creates more speed and helps launch shots higher in lofts that are extremely strong.
The hollow-body construction uses forged S45C steel for a soft feel. The face actually uses two steels (one for the main irons and another for the gap and sand wedges).
The irons use a graphite back plate and stabilizer bar that allow the face to bend while maintaining an acceptable sound and feel.
The bounce on the sole increases by 1 degree on each iron from the 5-iron through sand wedge to provide the optimum turf interaction for each club.
A new, ultra-lightweight RK-04GT shaft with high-modulus graphite increases snapback for more clubhead speed.
Top 5 in Sound/Feel, high-handicaps.
7-iron: 25 degrees; PW: 37 degrees
Cobra
Air-X
$114 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
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Hot List Silver
$114 per iron
Through weighting, center-of-gravity placement and relatively weaker lofts, the irons provide the kind of launch-angle boost slower swingers need.
The variable-thickness face was inspired by Cobra’s driver. By tweaking the thickness and size of each “zone,” ball speed can be optimized across the face.
The lightweight Air-X starts with a cast head that is two grams lighter and a 41-gram grip that is six grams lighter. Saving eight grams makes the club easier to swing faster.
Helping boost ball speed is a variable-thickness face that is thinner in the heel and toe to promote extra yards on off-center strikes.
A more upright lie angle in the long irons makes it easier to square the club at impact, and heel-bias weighting promotes a slight draw bias.
Helping bolster launch is a low-profile head with a deep undercut cavity, offset hosel and wide sole that help lower the center of gravity.
Top 5 in Forgiveness, high-handicaps.
7-iron: 30 degrees; 43.5 degrees
Cobra
DS-Adapt Max
$143 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$143 per iron
Most of the same technical features of the DS-Adapt irons are used here but with a longer blade length, thicker topline, more offset and a wider sole—all things that are highly useful to players in this category.
Feedback from clubfitters that weaker-lofted irons benefit less skilled golfers resulted in lofts here that are about 2 degrees higher than other irons in this category.
Concentrating weight low and back is key to achieving easier launch and more speed. That’s accomplished via a steel weighting system inside the head that gets weight in the proper position while allowing maximum flexing of the face.
This iron takes a step forward in the feel department with a foam filler that improves the sensation at impact.
The lighter-weight design and shallower face (compared to the DS-Adapt) inspire confidence at address and more speed in the swing.
Top 5 in Performance, high-handicaps.
7-iron: 29 degrees; PW: 43.5 degrees
Ping
G730
$185 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
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Hot List Gold
$185 per iron
An enhanced metalwood-style variable-thickness face uses a special heat treatment to allow thinning of the 17-4 stainless-steel.
The large head and wide sole offer increased stability and instill confidence.
The rear badge is a 10-piece construction that uses two plastics and has five bending regions to assist face flex for higher launch and a steeper landing angle.
Shaft lengths are a focus here. The set starts at the 5-iron and uses .75-inch increments for the 5- and 6-iron instead of .625-inches to improve ball speed and height.
Ping offers Power (stronger lofts) and Retro (weaker lofts) specs as fitting options to further match the set to the player’s launch conditions.
Top 5 in Performance, high-handicaps.
7-iron: 28 degrees; PW: 40 degrees
XXIO
13
$157 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Silver
$157 per iron
These irons use a titanium face plate that is thinner for greater flexing.
An L-shaped internal groove etched deep into the interior of the iron’s stainless-steel body further enhances spring, especially for shots struck low on the face.
In clubs up to the 7-iron, 31 grams of tungsten are used to drive the center of gravity low and back, fostering a high ball flight to optimize carry distance.
The lightweight construction and shafts that feature a weight in the butt end help get the hands in a better position at the top of the swing.
Fun fact: The average hand size in North America is 10 percent larger than in Japan, so XXIO uses larger grips on clubs sent here to be sold at retail.
7-iron: 28 degrees, PW: 42 degrees