I'm not saying I believe in magic, but on the occasions where I've watched up close as a professional golfer flights and flutters a long iron close to a tucked pin position, I've come awfully close.
The saying may be "Drive for show, putt for dough," but iron play has always been the bread and butter of most golfers' games - especially the great ones. Yes, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus were historically capable of driving the ball prodigious distances, and both were tremendously clutch putters, but they were able to put themselves in position to win dozens of tournaments with relentlessly excellent - and sometimes downright scary-good - iron play.
In 2024, even a balky putter has not managed to slow down world #1 Scottie Scheffler from racking up top finishes. Whatever his issues on the greens, he is a marvel of iron play, putting up gaudy Strokes Gained: Approach numbers practically every time he tees it up.
We mortal golfers would do well to pay special attention to our iron play as well, from both an instruction and equipment-setup perspective. For millions of golfers, fully half of their 14 clubs are irons (granted, hybrids and high-lofted fairway woods are becoming more popular as long-iron replacements).
Irons are expensive, too; it behooves golfers to get custom-fitted and stick with a set of irons for multiple seasons. I have never had a set of irons for less than four years since I started playing golf seriously. A trusty set of irons can be leaned on for the better part of a decade if you manage to forge a good match. And iron technology doesn't tend to improve in leaps and bounds, like driver tech has (until recently).
That said, 2024 features several intriguing offerings from the major new golf club manufacturers. If you read our roundup on new drivers for 2024, many of these model names will be familiar; OEMs are pairing iron and driver names more than they used to, partly on the theory that each new model name might inspire mercurial golfers to buy new woods and irons in one fell swoop.
2 more trends among new irons in 2024
Mix and match
The concept of mixing more than one model of iron across a set isn't new, but it has never been more popular. My conversations with both fitters and equipment reps at January's 2024 PGA Tour Superstore Summit revealed that not only are more touring pros using iron sets that use two or more models, they are seeing more and more recreational golfers embrace the concept as well. Chances are good that your next set of irons will be mixed.
Price mellowing or 'shrinkflation'?
Time was, an "iron set" was 8 clubs - 3 iron to pitching wedge. Those days are over, as practically no golfers outside of the professional ranks hit anything more than a 4 iron, and even 4 and 5 irons are growing scarcer. Of course, the numbers can be deceiving as OEMs have steadily decreased the lofts on their irons. Your current 5 iron may have the loft of an old-days 3 iron. The upshot is that more and more iron sets are 6 clubs deep these days: 5 iron through pitching wedge or, depending on the model, even 6 iron through some sort of higher-lofted gap wedge or "A-wedge." This is a situation where the quoted MSRP of a set of irons could be noticeably more or less than what you end up paying, depending on your preferred set makeup. I'm still a 4 iron through pitching wedge guy, so my set of irons is 7 clubs. Be sure to pay attention when browsing.
(Note: PGA Tour Superstore is sponsoring some of our equipment coverage this year, including the videos you'll see below. Their more than 50 locations nationwide are all equipped with the latest technology and staffed with passionate, knowledgeable club fitters to help you dial in your new golf clubs.)
Taylormade Qi irons
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To go along with their new Qi10 driver release, TaylorMade has a two-pronged approach to their new Qi10 irons. There's the main Qi10 model for golfers who struggle with fades and slices, and the Qi10 HL model for golfers who also need higher launch on their approach shots. Both of these new iron lines can be mixed in with TaylorMade's new Qi10 hybrids when golfers want to steer clear of having to carry long irons in their bag. Qi10 irons from $999.99 at PGATourSuperstore.com.
Titleist T-Series irons
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Released in the second half of 2023, Titleist's new four-part forged T-Series irons promise a model for just about every golfer, with the Massachusetts-based brand's classy aesthetic preserved even in the more forgiving T350 and T200 models. Many Titleist professionals like Jordan Spieth are using the T-Series on Tour, with mixed sets becoming increasingly popular not just among pros but rank-and-file golfers, too. $1,399.99.
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke and Smoke HL irons
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Callaway's new game-improvement irons are similar in approach to TaylorMade's new Qi10: a regular and a "high-launch" version aimed at helping higher handicappers hit the ball a bit straighter. To accomplish this, Callaway leveraged its AI capabilities to come up with a "Swing Code" that drove the design of the clubface. From $714.99.
Cobra DARKSPEED irons
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Cobra's new DARKSPEED irons feature a similarly dusky, toned-down look to the corresponding driver, with a wood-inspired, polymer-filled hollow-bodied clubhead geared towards maximizing distance. For statistics-oriented golfers, the DARKSPEED irons come with optional free Arccos sensors and a free trial of the Arccos app. $999.99.
Mizuno Pro Series irons
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Mizuno continues to be synonymous with Japanese-inspired craftsmanship and player-oriented performance, and its latest Pro Series irons are no exception. The 245 model has a hollow body with internal tungsten weighting built to wring extra distance out of a compact silhouette, while the 243 is a fully forged cavity-back model and the 241 is a classic muscle-back blade. $1,399.99.
PING Blueprint, i530 and G730 irons
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PING's comprehensive approach - especially to irons - has always been impressive, and 2024 sees them taking things to a new level with the refinement of the forged, classic-looking Blueprint T blade and Blueprint S cavity-back irons. The new i530 updates PING's middle-of-the-road iron line with a forged hollow-bodied construction, while the G730 is the newest offering from the most forgiving end of the Arizona-based manufacturer's array. Blueprint from $1,274.99.
Wilson Staff blades, CB and Dynapower irons
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A respected brand for decades in the 20th century, Wilson's influenced in golf waned into the 2000s but is slowly building back up, with handsome forged irons like the new Staff blade and cavity-backs representing some of the nicest-looking forged clubs on the market. Meanwhile, the revival of Wilson's Dynapower line means a new distance-focused offering that stirs some nostalgia while also looking forward. Staff Model $1,199.99 | Dynapower $799.99.
Cleveland HALO XL and ZipCore XL irons
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Following on the success of its full-face wedges, Cleveland's new HALO XL irons feature grooves that take up the entire clubface, too. Similarly, the new ZipCore XL irons bring the low-density ZipCore feature that fine-tunes the center of gravity on Cleveland wedges to irons for the first time. HALO XL $999.999 | ZipCore XL $714.99.
XXIO 13 irons
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Similar to XXIO's popular lightweight drivers and fairway woods, the brand's new irons are all about helping golfers with moderate swing speeds. The four-piece clubhead construction and Rebound Frame features lower the center of gravity considerably and promote impressive ball speeds. $1,099.99.
Tour Edge Exotics and Hot Launch irons
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Tour Edge's historic two-part sales approach - Exotics for lower-handicappers and Hot Launch for the rest - seems to be evolving, as the Hot Launch series of clubs continues to borrow more from the tech-focused Exotics sub-brand. The result is new Hot Launch C524 and E524 iron sets that use a similar hollow-body design to their more upmarket siblings. $559.99 at TourEdge.com.
PXG
Bob Parsons' lively brand released its full range of GEN6 irons in 2023, so the only updated model for 2024 is the 0317 T, a forged iron with a filled hollow cavity that is a little more forgiving than the milled, blade-style 0317 ST irons and the corresponding cavity back set. $1,259.93 at PXG.com.
Why not seriously rank these irons instead
of just repeating what the manufacturers are
saying. How can someone seriously thinking
about purchasing use any of this info knowing
it is mainly corporate drivel instead of an independent
assessment.
We are producing individual reviews on certain products in the future that will give you the more personalized reviews that you seek. Despite your criticisms, this is hardly "corporate drivel". It's informative for golfers shopping for new equipment. We summarize what is "new" with the written copy, and if a reader wants more, he or she can watch the videos. It helps golfers comparison shop on what's more important for their game (forgiveness vs. feel vs. distance, etc). Isn't what's best a personal choice anyway?
For Ping:
How do the new G730 irons compare to the G710's? Are there major improvements? I use the G710's now.
As mentioned in the article, forgiveness is a huge emphasis for irons this year, and Ping's G730 have tested to offer more. If you're mishits are turning out very poorly, it might be worth giving the new irons a look.