Best Game Improvement Irons (2023 Buying Guide)

Lightweight

Mazel’s best game improvement irons come with lightweight graphite shafts, which you’d think would help with the swing speed. I think that we’ve just become used to irons with ultra-thin, cupped faces that have trampoline-like sweet spots. These, being a budget option, don’t have that type of tech built-in. But the lightweight makes it possible to swing the long irons fast enough to get a great, penetrating trajectory.

Low CG Long Irons

The 4 and 5 irons are hollow-bodied with a very low center of gravity, allowing them to launch the ball high enough to be useful. Many players are concerned that the short length won’t generate enough speed to lift the ball, but the Mazel clubs are hittable.

Wide Soles

The Mazels have a nice wide sole, which will help beginners who may have issues digging the club into the ground and hitting it fat. The thick sole is very forgiving and encourages good contact even on poor swings. It also helps chipping around the green, which beginners often have difficulty with.

Overall

Experienced golfers who try these out maybe soured on the single-length concept if they lose yardage with the Mazel irons. That’s why I recommend these for beginners: they’re easy to hit, and they do an excellent job of keeping the ball in play. That should be the primary concern for someone just starting.

Once they’ve been hooked and are willing to invest in their game, then it may come time to upgrade to a single-length set that provides better distance. A beginner golfer won’t have any problem making the transition, and they’ll be pleased to suddenly be hitting the ball a lot further.

Buttery

I don’t know how TaylorMade did it, but these M4 Irons are a cast set that feels awfully close to forged. They’re soft and buttery, with a large sweet spot that sends the ball. While overall distance and accuracy are good-but-not-great, they make up for it in feel. The sound, which is a major and underrated aspect of feel, is excellent: a good strike is rewarded with a click that sounds like it was produced in a studio.

RIBCOR

TaylorMade’s version of a springy, large sweet spot is called RIBCOR technology. It reinforces the club’s perimeter, making the hitting area large and lively. The weighting is spread out nicely to the heel and toe, giving the irons a high moment of inertia, which transfers forward motion to the ball and gets it started in the right direction. A high moment of inertia means good forgiveness and ball speed.

Strong lofts

But some of the distance found in the TaylorMade M4s is simply achieved by making the lofts exceptionally strong. What used to be a 5-iron is now called a 6-iron. A 43-degree loft, formerly known as a 9-iron, is called a Pitching Wedge. So some of this distance is a sort of ill-gotten gain. Long irons will be a bit harder to hit because of the stronger lofts, but with the proliferation of hybrids replacing long irons, that may not be an issue for many golfers.

The hosel

If you want confirmation about how much thought TaylorMade put into the M4, look no further than the fluted hosel. They’ve shaved a tiny bit of metal off of each hosel, giving them a few more grams to use to provide a better center of gravity. This minor detail shows how far the engineers have to go to maximize every bit of technology available to them. It’s a small but impressive detail.

Overall

The TaylorMade M4 irons are a great option for players who have started breaking 90 regularly and are looking for irons that’ll help them elevate their game. With an excellent feel and good all-around performance, they’ll stay in your bag a long time.

Radial Weighting

Each iron in the set features extreme toe and heel weighting. With a 10-gram weight that rests in the sole and a 3-gram weight in the heel. Combining the two weights increases speed, lowers spin, and provides optimal stability.

A 10-gram weight sits low in the toe to center the club’s CG and help stabilize the quality of contact for longer distances with each swing.

Forged PWRSHELL Face

A forged PWRSHELL face insert represents the hitting area on each Radspeed iron. The insert is made from thin stainless steel and increases flexibility along the sweet spot for high launch and faster ball speed.

In addition to the insert, these irons also feature a carbon fiber topline that helps lower CG and increases the club’s MOI. At address, these irons dazzle with a clean look.

Oversized Head Shape

With exceptional forgiveness, the oversized head shape of the Radspeed irons is a great asset for mid and high handicappers. Along with the previously mentioned balanced weighting, the head shape also increases the shot quality with confidence.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a new, modern set of irons, the Radspeed set gives golfers more workability with exceedingly long distances. With several innovative features that reduce weight along the entire club head, including the 3D printed insert, the Radspeed offers cutting-edge technology that gives amateurs a serious advantage in obtaining the next level in their game.

Extended Distance

Along with the Power Holes, the design of the D9 promotes exceptionally long distances when finding the sweet spot.

One of the big reasons these irons offer extended length is the low CG. With more carry that translates into more yardage, the D9 Irons take full advantage of the deep center of gravity when lifting shots into the air.

Impressive Accuracy

The D9 Irons are assassins from the fairway with a keen eye for the pin. If you are in the market for irons that will tighten shot dispersion for a more predictable shot shape, the D9 delivers with gusto and swagger.

A game-improvement iron at its heart with the look of a player’s iron, the D9 provides moderate workability from mid-range distances to help customize the shot shape you are looking to achieve. 

Power Holes

Behind the face rests three Power Holes. Filled with urethane, these Power Holes are positioned to the center of the face to help create maximum flexibility across the hitting area. 

The Power Holes, a popular feature in recent Wilson irons, are utilized here to broaden the sweet spot with dynamic forgiveness on off-center strikes.

Results

The Wilson D9 irons promote extra distance with terrific accuracy on the course. For golfers that want tighter shot dispersion in a game-improvement package, the D9 irons meet this threshold with style and flair. 

Progressive Iron Transition

One of the features of a well-crafted set is progressive transition down through the iron set. Rather than every iron providing the same response, the Launcher UHX set progressively modifies the shape and weight of their irons to provide more lift, better distance, and higher spin as the golfer moves toward the pitching wedge.

The fast steel face on each Launcher iron offers high strength with extensive balance. For golfers struggling with a slice, the irons have additional weight in the heel to help get the face to a square position.

Forgiving Sweet Spot

Another feature that game-improvement irons must carry is a large sweet spot that offers forgiveness with the high consistent launch, something that the Launcher UHX irons provide with style.

Along with outstanding control, the UHX irons offer straight, accurate ball flight that improving golfers can depend upon. While they might not offer the workability of blade irons, the Launcher UHX set does give the gift of reliability resulting in more birdie putts. 

High Spin Inside 150 Yards

The Launcher UHX Irons dial up the spin from inside 175 yards. With a 7-iron, golfers will notice the high launch helps stick golf balls to the green with impressive shot-stopping power. 

The same holds true for the 9-iron and pitching wedge as both clubs are very accurate, easy-to-hit, and deliver excellent spin rates.

Conclusion

A wonderful set for high handicappers and beginners looking to launch the golf ball, the Cleveland Launcher UHX set delivers staggering yardage along with a very forgiving sweet spot.

Moonshots

Cobra’s clever center-of-gravity adjustments with the hosel and weighting help keep ball-flights low with short irons, but Orlimar doesn’t have that feature. The intercept irons have the same weight and center of gravity, so the short irons and wedges give you extremely high trajectories.

Some players may hear this and say, “I wish I could hit the ball higher, this sounds great!” but believe me, the trajectories are almost unmanageably high. If there’s even a breath of wind, the ball flies so high that the wind effects are magnified. A 9-iron that typically flies 140 will balloon into the wind and come up under 100 yards. When you try to choke down and flight the ball down, it still flies super high.

No 4-iron

One of the advantages of single-length irons is that long irons are easier to hit, but unfortunately, Orlimar doesn’t offer a 4-iron. I’m guessing that the reason behind this is that the center of gravity and short length made the 4-irons too hard to get up off the ground. Without the hosel adjustments of the Cobras, the 4-iron of the Orlimar would probably be unhittable. So you’ll need to carry a hybrid to replace the 4-iron, which starts to defeat the concept of single-length clubs and just one swing needed.

Get a grip

The grips included on the Orlimar Intercept are not very good. They feel slick out of the box and wear down quickly. I’d suggest re-gripping them soon after purchasing them, but that starts to mitigate the fact that they’re a low-cost option.

The good

Having gotten all the nitpicking aside, these are decent-feeling irons that provide very good distance and decent forgiveness on mis-hits. I can see why golfers would be hesitant to pay a steep price for what’s essentially an experimental set of clubs, so these are a good option that provides decent performance at a great price. Curious golfers may well find enough to like here to stick with them and become single-length devotees.

Hollow construction

The Launcher HB has faces like standard irons, with hollow bodies resembling woods or hybrids. You can tell by looking at them that they’re designed with a low center of gravity, and they’ll have no trouble popping the ball up into the air. Like most drivers and fairway woods, the hollow bodies offer a good amount of forgiveness. Heel and toe shots fly straight and nearly as far as a contact on the middle of the clubface.

However, the hollow bodies also mean the ball won’t curve. If you’re used to playing a bit of a slice or a draw, you’ll need to adjust to these. The ball flies straight with a very little curve, so make sure you’re getting that clubface square at impact. Wherever it’s facing, that’s where the shot will go.

High launch sacrifices distance at mid-to-high swing speeds

For higher swing speed players, the high launch of the Launcher HB will tend to mean less overall distance. They start out high and tend to float before deflating towards their target.

Slower swingers, however, may actually find that these increase the yardage they’re able to achieve. They’re great for beginners as the forgiveness level is very high. As you start to get better, though, you’ll likely want to find more workable irons.

Bag chatter

Since these are painted, hybrid-like clubs, you’ll probably want to use headcovers for all of these, or they’ll get seriously scratched up. Headcovers aren’t necessary with most iron sets, but with these hybrid irons, they’re essential.

Variable Iron Construction

One of the more impressive features of the GS Iron Set is the variable iron design that modifies each iron-based upon its number. For long irons, think 4-iron through 7-iron. Honma utilizes its L-Cup Face to maximize ball speed across the sweet spot, increasing forgiveness.

On short irons from 8-iron to the wedge, the variability helps increase the face flexibility and dramatically increase the sweet spot’s size.

Flip Slot Technology

Along the sole of each iron in this set, you’ll find a speed-inducing feature known as the Flip Slot. 

This technology helps increase ball speed, even on off-center strikes. The GS iron delivers solid forgiveness that does not minimize exit velocity when the ball is impacted away from the sweet spot.

Deep Cavity Body

The unique head shape helps players increase stability through the impact zone, due mainly to the wide, deep cavity body. 

The irons also boast high MOI for reduced twisting as the head comes in contact with the turf. With clean divots, the crisp contact produced by these irons certainly makes these irons a worthwhile investment.

Results

Available in either stainless steel or graphite shafts, the T/World GS Iron Set offers plenty of variety to help create the shot shape and distance you want from your game.

PWRSHELL Technology

One of Cobra’s newest features is PWRSHELL Technology. This innovation creates a larger sweet spot area, up to 35% larger than previous Cobra models. The expansive hitting area provides more forgiveness on off-center strikes while maintaining exit velocity for impressive distance.

The technology also expands the undercut to increase ball speed and launch angle after impact.

Carbon Fiber Topline

Cobra also included a carbon fiber topline, reducing the overall weight of the clubhead for more speed that translates into the staggering distance. The lighter topline also lowers the CG for higher shots with plenty of backspin for total control inside 150 yards.

The iron also features extreme toe and heel weighting to balance the entire hitting area with high MOI to keep the clubface stable throughout the impact zone.

Overall

If you are a beginner, high or mid handicapper, the Cobra King Speedzone Irons offer premium game-improvement iron performance. With exceptional distance and very solid forgiveness, the Speedzone irons offer a solid set of clubs that help lower your scores.

Cap Back Design

Rather than stick the old cavity-back design on the Max2 OS, TaylorMade has created the Cap Back Design, solidifying the entire sweet spot for more power directed straight to the golf ball. Running a bar through the back of the club head that attaches from the topline to the sole, the Cap Back improves feel and response.

Thru-Slot Speed Pocket

Just behind the face, TaylorMade has included their patented Thru-Slot Speed Pocket. The pocket provides golfers with more face flexibility that helps with forgiveness while increasing distance.

The Speed Pocket also reduces the overall weight of the club head, increasing swing speed for more energy directed straight to the golf ball. The feature boosts length, for higher, straighter shots that find the green with more regularity.

ECHO Damping System

When it comes to vibration absorption, the ECHO Damping System on the Max2 OS irons remains the best on the market. When a ball strikes off-center, the ECHO system stiffens the club head and dramatically reduces the vibration, so your shotmaking always feels clean and pure.

Overall

One of the best game-improvement sets on the market, the SIM2 Max OS Irons offer exciting performance. Rather than other game-improvement irons that feel thin and hollow in your hands, the SIM2 Max OS offers a muscular feel and solid sensation.

Stability Frame

Behind the company’s innovative Stability Frame, the JPX921 irons offer perimeter weighting that keeps your shots on target. Rather than imparting distance-killing sidespin, these Mizuno irons offer more toe bias, keeping your face square through impact. The resulting shots are high and soft with stunning distance.

Faster Ball Speed

All golfers seeking game-improvement irons want faster-shot speed and these Mizuno irons are happy to oblige. On shot after shot, the ball cannons off the club face producing that sweet sound that turns heads on the range.

Mizuno has worked hard to reduce the thickness of the club face, all in an effort to boost ball speed. After one swing you’ll notice they were successful, producing those high arcing shots that land softly on the putting surface.

Seamless Cup Face

Along with the other features, Mizuno has given these irons a Seamless Cup Face. Although the JPX921 irons do not qualify as forged, the spirit of that style of craftsmanship lives on with these clubs.

Contained in one complete metal piece, the cup face works like a hinge, helping to increase overall face flex for impressive ball speeds that translate into better forgiveness and more length on every swing.

Overall

If you are looking for a premium game-improvement set that will grow with your progress, the Mizuno JPX921 offers tour-level craftsmanship that will carry your game for many years to come.

Greater Face Flexibility

More flexibility across the face translates to better forgiveness and shot accuracy. With the G410 irons, Ping has dramatically increased the flexibility of the face helping to ramp up ball speeds without losing precision in your shotmaking.

The increase in the distance also allows you to club down on most holes, offering better accuracy with every shot, something most game-improvement irons cannot do for your game.

High MOI, Terrific Accuracy

The G410 irons provide golfers with a more refined club head shape with a more compact blade length and greater offset. Along with its visual appeal, the smaller head shape provides excellent forgiveness that keeps shots along the target line without a reduction in shot speed.

COR-Eye Technology

Ping also included their innovative COR-Eye Technology that expands the sweet spot, lowers CG, and improves the overall balance of the club head for smoother impact. The COR-Eye increases power on every swing, improving distance without sacrificing accuracy.

Overall

Always incredibly hard to beat, the Ping G410 irons provide a performance level that remains unmatched in most club-making circles. If you are looking for an entry-level game-improvement iron that will dazzle you on the range and course, the G410 is well-equipped for the challenge.

Faster Maraging Steel Face

Ping provides golfers with one of the strongest club heads they’ve ever created using aerospace-grade alloys. Although the steel offers strength properties, it does not skimp on the flexibility, providing mid handicappers with the ability to craft shots from the fairway and green.

The G710’s club head features help easily lift the ball into the air for more distance with staggering reliability for high handicappers and beginners.

Higher MOI, Exceptional Forgiveness

The high-density tungsten toe and heel weights lift the MOI, reducing the twist that causes slices and hooks. The G710 irons provide more muscle for golfers with slower swing speeds and are exceptionally forgiving.

When you are evaluating game-improvement irons, the ability to swing harder without worrying that the ball will dramatically go off-course is a considerable benefit. 

Arccos Caddie Smart Grips

The Arccos Caddie Smart Grips are included here with the G710 irons. Working with the Arccos Caddie app, the sensors in the grips automatically record a bevy of important statistics that help you gauge where your game is growing and, alternatively, where it needs improvement.

Overall

If you compare the G710 to any other iron on this list, you’ll find that although their performance might be comparable, it remains tough to beat the craftsmanship of these Ping irons. Delivering impressive results from the fairway and tee box, the G710 will continually delight you on the links.

Flash Face Cup Technology

Behind the innovative Flash Face Cup Technology, the company has specifically targeted the hitting area to raise the level of the golfer’s shotmaking. When looking at the performance of the longer irons, the technology helps golfers maintain distance without losing accuracy.

The Flash Face Cup Technology boosts spin rates with shorter irons to help you hold the green with more precision and accuracy.

Tungsten Energy Core

With the addition of Tungsten Energy Core weighting, golfers will receive more launch with impressive precision, especially on shots within 150 yards to the pin. The weighting, located toward the sole of the club head, optimizes launch and ball flight for extended carry and improved ball speed.

The trajectory from the Mavrik irons is another plus feature here as the ball penetrates the air with authority. For mid and high handicappers, the ball flight translates to better accuracy and tighter shot dispersion.

Urethane Microspheres

The irons also utilize Urethane Microspheres that absorb vibration creating the pure feel that golfers want from their clubs. The microspheres also solidify and boost ball speed for more distance.

Overall

When it comes to game-improvement irons that are accessible by every golfer, no matter their skill level or age, the Callaway Mavrik offers a fun and exciting option that provides a perfect marriage of playability and performance.