The Best 9 Irons For Mid Handicappers [2020 Edition]

One of the more unique club sets on the market is the Cleveland Launcher HB Iron Set.

With a hybrid-like design, Cleveland has elevated the level of the Launcher set through creative engineering that has made one of their longest and most forgiving club sets to date.

For the Launcher HB irons set, it all begins with their appearance. The hybrid design improves contact and allows the golfer to get the ball into the air faster for long and straight shot-making ability. With the lack of mass inside the clubhead, Cleveland has moved the weight around the incredibly strong club face. 

As a result, the Launcher has terrific forgiveness that reduces side spin preventing those score-killing hooks and slices that can ruin an afternoon. All the Launcher clubheads utilize Cleveland’s patented HiBore Crown technology. 

Now why this important for the average golfer is because the technology has moved the center-of-gravity to a low and deep area on the clubhead. 

This design feature helps give the golfer a high ball flight and longer distance. For the beginning golfer or mid-handicapper, this improved launch angle will give the player a tall and soft entry into the green.

Another reason that the ball jumps off the clubface of the Launcher irons is a high-strength steel insert that flexes on impact. 

Now that may sound like a negative, but it helps on off-center shots. By flexing, the clubface reduces side spin and delivers the distance that golfers are expecting from the Launcher irons.

Cleveland has also given the Launcher iron set a progressive shape as the irons increase in number. For longer irons, such as a 4-iron, the shape of the clubhead is lower and wider than the higher irons. 

By shaping these longer irons differently, golfers find that their ball flight is higher than they typically see from their previous long irons.

With cutting-edge technology, the Cleveland Launcher HB is an excellent set for the mid-handicapper looking for longer distance and more forgiveness.

TaylorMade has created a dynamic new set of irons that raise the stakes for mid-level golfers looking to improve their distance and launch angle.

The M4 Irons have been built to increase accuracy to help lower scores via closer entry shots into the green.

Dependable construction is at the heart of all TaylorMade products and this attention to detail is what sets the M4 apart from other game-improvement irons.

With the company’s strong research and development department, TaylorMade has produced a set with the M4 irons that is a terrific experience on the golf course.

For the M4 irons, every feature utilizes TaylorMade’s patented RIBCOR technology.

Starting with the clubface, the company has introduced a variety of details that increase the areas of the game that most mid-handicappers are looking to improve. From longer distance, higher ball flight and increased accuracy, the M4 brings the muscle to any golfer’s game.

The first feature on the M4 irons is a Speed Pocket seen on the sole of the iron. Placed directly behind the clubface, the Speed Pocket primarily boosts ball speed. 

This feature helps on shots struck on the lower half of the clubface to propel forward without the punishment that lesser irons would place on the golf ball.

The second feature on the M4 that uses the RIBCOR technology is the face slots placed alongside the grooves on the clubface. 

The face slots are two vertical bars that run from the top of the clubhead to the sole of the club. The slots stiffen the clubhead but allow for flexibility at impact that help direct more energy to the golf ball.

And the final notable specification on the M4 irons is a lower center-of-gravity that improves launch angle. By increasing backspin, shots with these irons fly high and land soft.

With outstanding features, the M4 irons are an excellent set for the golfer looking to make the leap to lower their handicap.

With the Speed Bridge helping the M6’s Speed Pocket, the irons are the company’s longest and most forgiving set they offer. The Speed Pocket allows the M6 irons to generate head-turning speed for incredible distance.

The face on the irons also has a massive sweet spot that when coupled with TaylorMade’s Twist Face technology allows the golfer to get away with a lot of mistakes due to the reduction in sidespin and lift in forgiveness.

When we got the M6 irons on the range, we were blown away by the feel and sound the M6 produces with each shot. For low-handicappers, you’ll have a blast using these irons to craft shots of any height or flight path. After hundreds of balls hit, we were in love with the response and direction the M6 takes on every swing.

The M6 set does come in a variety of options with most revolving around how many wedges you want in your bag. Golfers can start with a 4 or 5-iron and add anywhere from one to three wedges. For mid-handicappers who like to buy and play a different group of wedges, the 4-iron through pitching wedge should do the trick.

If you are just entering the mid-handicap category, then the M6 iron set should definitely be tested before buying. That’s not to say they are an acquired taste, quite the contrary. Instead, the M6 set is a collection that gives you special tools to shape shots. When looking at your skill level, if you feel that you don’t have that skill set, then the M6 set might not be ideal for your game just yet.

Although these would be considered game-improvement irons, they perform beyond that moniker. Bottom line is, these irons will improve your length on entry shots into the green. And if you are in the market for clubs to help your swing speed, these are an excellent option.

Perhaps our biggest complaint about the X-Hot Iron Set is the lack of ability to grow with them as your skills improve. If you are a lower-end mid handicapper, the X-Hot set will definitely help you find the consistency that is lacking in your iron play.

But once you feel comfortable and begin to see a difference, you’ll want to learn how to shape shots and that is something that the X-Hot cannot do with regularity.

That said, these irons are an upgrade if you are playing with older clubs that give you middling results. Great for distance, even better for accuracy, the Callaway X-Hot set is a winner.

The M2 iron set is one of the best irons for mid-handicappers due to its innovative approach and enhanced technology.

What TaylorMade set out to do with the M2 irons is help mid-handicappers with the accuracy of their shots. They attacked this common problem with the invention of Face Slot technology. 

What Face Slots do on an M2 iron is very important because it assists in keeping the ball headed toward the target. More specifically, these redesigned Face Slots maintain ball speed on off-center shots so that your shot doesn’t fall victim to elements such as wind or that dreaded sidespin that causes slices or hooks.

Another alteration the company made with the M2 is relocating the center-of-gravity by moving weight lower behind the clubface. Simply put, a lower center-of-gravity forces the ball higher into the air. For mid-handicappers, by moving the weight lower, the M2 guarantees that golfers will get the maximum distance, height, and backspin when using the irons.

TaylorMade has also given more attention to how the M2 irons react when they interact with the turf behind the golf ball. Irons react differently when then cut into the grass on the downswing, but what the M2 irons do is smoothly glide through the divot to enable clean contact with the golf ball. 

This clean contact is created through a unique design along the sole of all M2 irons. As a result, the M2 irons smoothly move through the turf and focus maximum clubhead speed onto the golf ball, where it belongs.

By utilizing cutting edge technology, the M2 irons are a terrific option for mid-handicappers. With increased clubhead speed and maximum forgiveness, the M2 irons will help bridge the gap until your handicap reaches single digits.

The center of gravity (CG) placement is moved further backwards than your usual irons, which is achieved with a rounder rear edge on the sole. 

This CG placement allows an easier time to lift the ball and offers more forgiveness. This rounded edge is a little noticeable from 4-iron and above, but shouldn’t be a major compromise to the design.

While the Cup Face is missing in the 8-iron all the way to the included wedges, it is replaced by an especially engineered face plate that feels just as good, giving you a consistent feel throughout the set.

All clubs in the set have beautiful chrome and matte satin finish that is very beautiful and expensive-looking, as you can expect from a Callaway club set. 

Regarding looks, the Callaway Apex CF16 Iron Set is simply one of the most beautiful club sets available.

The Apex clubs are always famous for their sound and feel, and they are retained in the Apex CF16. 

All the clubs in the set are very responsive with sharp, pleasing sounds. Even among forged irons, the Apex CF16 clubs are some of the best in this category.

Regarding forgiveness, the Apex CF16 is more forgiving than out-and-out blade irons. The club faces are relatively small, especially with the shorter irons. 

Therefore, the Apex CF16 set is more suited for better mid-handicappers that are more consistent with their shots. The set will reward consistent players in feel, distance, and shot-shaping ability.

The standard shaft for the set is the lightweight True Temper XP95 steel shafts. It feels very solid with excellent feedback, and is well-suited with the forged club heads.

The Callaway Apex CF16 Iron Set is a very high quality iron set, as expected from both the Callaway and Apex brands.

It is excellent in feel, sound, looks, and performance both in distance and shot-shaping ability. The multi-material forged heads are rewarding, especially for mid-handicap players that can produce consistent well-struck shots.

It is not the most affordable set available, but the price is justified with the excellent quality. The relative lack of forgiveness can be a downside, making the Apex CF16 Set more suited for better mid-handicappers with a handicap of 15 and below.

The Callaway Apex CF16 Iron Set is a very high quality iron set, as expected from both the Callaway and Apex brands.

It is excellent in feel, sound, looks, and performance both in distance and shot-shaping ability. The multi-material forged heads are rewarding, especially for mid-handicap players that can produce consistent well-struck shots.

It is not the most affordable set available, but the price is justified with the excellent quality. The relative lack of forgiveness can be a downside, making the Apex CF16 Set more suited for better mid-handicappers with a handicap of 15 and below.

The Rogue offers a great feel throughout the set, and paired with its decent forgiveness, you get a very beautiful iron set with excellent performance. 

Another plus point is its versatility, as you can easily control various height trajectory with the irons. The irons are also relatively light, thanks to the True Temper XP 95 ST 15 shaft which is very light while being stable enough to maintain consistency.

Regarding head size, it is a little bigger than the Apex CF16, while being a little smaller compared to the Callaway Steelhead XR Pro, its spiritual predecessor. In our opinion, the head size is perfect for mid-handicappers who want more forgiveness without sacrificing looks with bulky clubheads.

Although the head is relatively compact compared to most super game-improvement irons, it is surprising to find how the clubs felt powerful during impact, giving a lot of feedback without the annoying vibrations, again thanks to the very stable shaft.

The design of the clubs, and especially on the cavity back part, is relatively simple, as you may expect from the classic Callaway. 

The Rogue comes in Callaway’s classic chrome silver finish, which is the favorite of many players and especially mid to low-handicappers. 

Newer Callaway clubs often feature colorful design on the back of the heads, but that’s not the case with the Rouge, which features simple black patterns and logo, giving it a classier look.

In many aspects, the Callaway Golf 2018 Men’s Rogue Iron Set offers a very rare balance of performance, looks, and forgiveness which is sought after by many mid-handicap golfers, especially those that are capable of producing well-struck shots but still deal with consistency issues.

It features a cavity back design for more forgiveness but still sports a relatively compact head prefered by better players. It produces great sound and feel, and is very versatile on the course, giving you excellent control of trajectory.

A minor downside is that it doesn’t have the shot-shaping ability of better-player iron sets, including the Apex CF16 discussed above. Yet, a pretty decent iron set for mid-handicappers offering well-rounded package.

The space behind the forged part is hollow, filled with 4 grams of foam, dubbed the SpeedFoam, and is screwed in the toe. 

The SpeedFoam expands to four times its normal size inside the space, supporting the very thin forged face that is only 1.75 mm thick. 

This might sound as a new technology for TaylorMade, but they already used a foam inside the head with their RS irons back in 2009.

Being very thin with a hollow head, you might wonder if the lightweight will be an issue. So, the 3- to 7-irons are weighted with high-density tungsten. 

The weight is placed on the lower-back part of the head, just below the cavity. This allows the center of gravity to move lower and further back, increasing the MOI and thus, forgiveness.

TaylorMade’s answer to Callaway’s Cup Face technology is their Speed Pocket. 

The concepts are similar: allowing the face to flex more during impact, and so allowing faster ball speed even during off-center hits. 

Although it does have a cavity back design, the recessed part is very modest, giving the P790 a premium, professional look that will cater to many. 

The blade size is thicker than average, which is typical TaylorMade, but we have to say that the P790 irons do look very good when you put it down at address. 

The name ‘P790’ comes from the length of the blade, which is 79 mm, and the thick head does feel and look powerful with a modern high-tech design but classy, premium look. We have to say that regarding looks, the TaylorMade P790 irons are some of our favorite ever.

The P790 is not all about looks either, and as expected from TaylorMade clubs, the irons are built for better performance in distance with high ball speed and low spin. 

This is thanks to the SpeedPocket technology and the relatively high lofts throughout the set. The head is relatively big without looking bulky, and so it has decent forgiveness. The highlight of the P790 is really the distance and impressive ball speed.

To accompany the very fast head, there is the True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 shaft, which is ultra light and flexible. It does produce great feel, but if you have a swing speed above 110 mph, you might want to switch to a slightly heavier shaft with more stiffness.

While the whole set feels and plays excellent, the 7-irons and upwards are on a whole other level. With the bigger head, we can feel the combination of tungsten weighting, Speed Pocket, and cavity back together, giving excellent performance and forgiveness.

The 8-irons and wedges do feel a little lacking due to the loss of the tungsten weighting. The wedges, especially, feel a little to light, and might be an issue for better players with decent swing speed.

The downside? Being a hollow club, the sound and feel does feel muted, although they do offer decent response on solid impacts. The hollow feel might also hinder consistency, and will take some time getting used to.

The key highlights of the TaylorMade P790 Iron Set are speed and distance, which is typical from TaylorMade.

It does offer proper forgiveness level for players around 12 to 20 handicaps, and they are really good looking clubs. In short, the P790 set is one of the best choices available on the market for mid-handicappers.

With the hollow design, there is the compromise on sound and feel. With the ‘muted’ feel, the P790 set does lack consistency sometimes due to lack of response. Still, an excellent iron set especially if distance is your priority.

The key highlight of the AP3 is indeed the mid-sized head, which offers more forgiveness while still being compact enough for your classic better-player look down at address. 

The head is made up of a hollow blade design with a cavity just behind the Titleist logo. 

Also unique is the undercut design that is progressive throughout the set, with the 3- to 7- irons featuring high density tungsten weight, similar to the Titleist P790. 

This helps with the stability of the 17-4 stainless steel cast body. It has an L-shaped face insert, which is designed for more ball speed during low strikes.

The 8- and 9-irons use the same 17-4 chassis, but the insert is also a 17-4 stainless steel for a more solid feel. For the wedges, both the body and face use a solid 17-4 steel. These rather unique face constructions allow for more ball speed throughout the set.

What about forgiveness? The AP3, while not as forgiving as the AP1, is very decent in forgiveness, thanks to the pre worn leading edge with a heavy sole with low center of gravity. So, it is quite easy to launch with the AP3 clubs.

While the AP1 and the new AP3 are cast irons, the AP2 irons are forged with excellent sound and feel. We are pleased to report that the feel and sound are not much different with the AP3, which is very responsive with nice, pleasing sound. The 5-iron and upwards do sound a little more muted thanks to the bigger cavity, but it is still a manageable downside.

Similar to the progressive approach used with the heads, the shafts are also progressive, with the default shaft choice being the True Temper AMT Tour Black: lighter in the long irons, and heavier in the short irons. Of course, you can also choose other options through Titleist’s custom fitting service.

The Titleist AP2 is the most used irons in the PGA Tour for a reason: they are the most forgiving irons available for better players.

For mid handicappers, now there is the Titleist 718 AP3 where you can get the same sound and feel, equally good-looking clubs, with more forgiveness and bigger head without being too bulky.

With this excellent forgiveness, consistent performance and good looks, it’s hard to find any fault with the Titleist 718 AP3. If any, the AP2 and other true blade irons do provide more playability and versatility, but the AP3 is simply and excellent choice for mid-handicappers and even single-digit handicappers.