Price
$210 per iron
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Why We Like It
- This hollow iron disguises itself as a large muscle-back with plenty of speed thanks to a thin maraging-steel face.
- Honma positioned the 5.5-gram weight screw on the back of the clubhead to improve sound and feel.
- Weight screws and 16 grams of internal tungsten mass help minimize spin and the loss of carry distance on common misses golfers make with their 5- through 9-irons.
- The lightweight Vizard EZ-C graphite shaft is a nice option for those with slower swings.
- Top 5 in Sound/Feel, high-handicaps.
- SPECS: 7-iron: 28 degrees; PW: 41 degrees
what our testers said
handicap
- all
- low
- mid
- high
Wayne
60, Handicap 6
2 years testing
It gave me a lower, penetrating flight but I wish it had higher carry. I couldn't get it into the air enough. A lot less carry. My numbers were just fine, but that ball flight would be a sticking point.
Robert
28, Handicap 2
1 year testing
It had excellent reaction through the turf with no feedback in your hands. It was pleasant sounding on the loud side, and I moved the ball with ease and a good amount of forgiveness. There was minimal change in distance and accuracy.
John
55, Handicap 11
1 year testing
They have a clean look and nice finish. It's a no-nonsense design, which I like. They felt really easy and comfortable in my hands, like I could really control it through the swing. My ball flight was beautiful—high launch and soft landing. Super consistent, too.
RC
63, Handicap 7
2 years testing
It's got a nice sleek look to it, especially looking from the top down. Looks like it's in a class above. It kinda felt like a players iron. You do have to figure out how to hit it.
Scott
37, Handicap 14
9 years testing
It felt a little heavy through the ball but gave me really good distance with high flight and the shots dropped like a rock. Firm through contact. It put the right amount of spin on draws and fades. It handled mis-hits by maintaining distance and target line.
SEE ALL (29)
Wayne
60, Handicap 6
2 years testing
It gave me a lower, penetrating flight but I wish it had higher carry. I couldn't get it into the air enough. A lot less carry. My numbers were just fine, but that ball flight would be a sticking point.
Robert
28, Handicap 2
1 year testing
It had excellent reaction through the turf with no feedback in your hands. It was pleasant sounding on the loud side, and I moved the ball with ease and a good amount of forgiveness. There was minimal change in distance and accuracy.
John
55, Handicap 11
1 year testing
They have a clean look and nice finish. It's a no-nonsense design, which I like. They felt really easy and comfortable in my hands, like I could really control it through the swing. My ball flight was beautiful—high launch and soft landing. Super consistent, too.
RC
63, Handicap 7
2 years testing
It's got a nice sleek look to it, especially looking from the top down. Looks like it's in a class above. It kinda felt like a players iron. You do have to figure out how to hit it.
Scott
37, Handicap 14
9 years testing
It felt a little heavy through the ball but gave me really good distance with high flight and the shots dropped like a rock. Firm through contact. It put the right amount of spin on draws and fades. It handled mis-hits by maintaining distance and target line.
Wei
55, Handicap 13
9 years testing
The shortish blade length at address makes it look like these might be difficult to hit, but that's not true. This is very much an aim-and-fire set. These clubs are forgiving. Even my slightly thin or chunky shots still went straight and only minimally lost distance. The sound and feel was exquisite. The springiness to the club makes me want to hit it more and more.
Anand
43, Handicap 6
10+ years testing
Love the looks. It's very traditional with a little bit of tech. As far as performance, I was hitting beautiful baby draws across all the clubs. If I were going to get a complete set, this is probably the only one I'd get.
Jason
48, Handicap 0
10+ years testing
They look fantastic at address. The good shots were really good. The bad shots, however, were really bad, which is a bit strange considering these are game-improvement irons.
Molly
37, Handicap 0
4 years testing
I appreciate the way this club looks throughout the set. If it wasn't for the lengths, you might not know the difference. It had a harder feel on toe hits, harsh and not forgiving. Overall flight was average.
Matt
27, Handicap 5
1 year testing
The look is the look of a players iron, because it is in my opinion. It doesn't perform, look or feel like a game-improvement iron. It's an incredibly workable kind of iron, with a low-launching, penetrating ball flight. It might not help the person who's looking to launch the ball in the air.
Gary
37, Handicap 13
10+ years testing
Kind of borders on a players-distance look with its thinner lines and the hollow design. It gave me a really firm thump and a level of aggression at impact and through the turf. It asks you to be aggressive.
Sándor J.
36, Handicap 9
2 years testing
It has great craftmanship. I almost confused it with a blade with how smooth and nice it looks. Very slick. I couldn't hit a bad ball, and I don't have the most consistent swing. They were all going well. My one issue is that I had a hard time working it.
Sean
53, Handicap 6
8 years testing
This was easy to hit and the face is hot. The design had too much going on with the noticeable weight in the back of the clubhead. Still, it's easy to launch the ball high so for game improvement, this one is good.
Paul
63, Handicap 4
10+ years testing
This is a club I got excited to hit because it was a little smaller. It gave me a low, boring flight that was not too spinny. If you didn't flush it, the lack of forgiveness was brutal.
Megan
39, Handicap 0
1 year testing
When I hit the ball well, there was such a big difference between that and the bad shots. The bad shots had much less distance and the feeling vibrated up the shaft. You have to hit these perfectly to get the benefit. There's a very small sweet spot.
Ryan
46, Handicap 14
2 years testing
The head is kind of on the smaller side and it looks great behind the ball with minimal topline and offset. The ball really jumped off the club with a great launch angle. I could work it both ways with good power through the turf.
Peter
57, Handicap 7
10+ years testing
It looks really appealing and the ball comes off nice. You definitely get feedback based on where on the face you make contact. On center strikes, it has an interesting pitchy sound to it. Not loud, but different. You know you hit it well when you get that sound.
BK
41, Handicap 1
9 years testing
Really nice feel. Like a pillowy feel. High launch and forgiving. Overall, a very good club for better players. It's a hybrid between game-improvement and players irons.
Ryan
49, Handicap 10
7 years testing
There was a clap-like sound at impact. The ball flight got high, but it took its time getting there. Distance-wise, you really had to reach back and get it. It was a bit of work to hit these clubs.
Jamie
51, Handicap 5
2 years testing
I don't see a whole lot of offset, but whatever is there seems to be effective in keeping the ball on the intended line. Impact was a little firmer than I prefer. I like a little more muted thump and this was more clicky. I felt like this was more of a players-iron look than game improvement.
Ricky
46, Handicap +3
10+ years testing
It's a wolf in sheep's clothing. A players-iron look but total game improvement. The ball flight never got squirrely. It corrects a lot of flaws in a swing. Quieter sound. A smooth transition between club, turf and ball interaction. It felt good through the grass.
Jin
30, Handicap 13
1 year testing
Very high spin, high launch but in terms of distance, it's lacking. That said, mis-hits still travel within 10 yards of my intended number. There's a quick, loud sound at impact but it feels soft in the hands.
Jack
35, Handicap 1
2 years testing
It doesn't do anything poorly. They strike me as a good set of starter irons—safe, stable, solid.
Thomas
60, Handicap 7
10+ years testing
I hit some of my best, most accurate shots but also some of my worst. I never knew which was going to come out of the club. It couldn't overcome my swing flaws.
Matt
52, Handicap 11
3 years testing
It looks well-crafted, a machine-shop look to it. When I made good contact, I was rewarded with a high, straight ball flight, but I think it's less forgiving than a club in this category should be.
Alan
30, Handicap 1
1 year testing
As a lower-handicap golfer, I would play these. They have a nice professional feel to them. And they are very forgiving.
Alejandra
26, Handicap 5
4 years testing
Very pretty. Felt smooth at impact, but they sounded clicky. The sound didn't match what I felt in my hands. Because of the thin head, it was easy to get under the ball and get it in the air but not a consistent flight.
Shane
36, Handicap 15
5 years testing
These are simple, clean and elegant. Good crisp, cushioned initial ignition. The shot dispersion is so minimal on these. There is no fear of slightly fat shots straying off line.
David
66, Handicap 8
1 year testing
You get a nice penetrating ball flight that will perform well in the wind. It's likable.
Scott
37, Handicap 14
9 years testing
It felt a little heavy through the ball but gave me really good distance with high flight and the shots dropped like a rock. Firm through contact. It put the right amount of spin on draws and fades. It handled mis-hits by maintaining distance and target line.
Wei
55, Handicap 13
9 years testing
The shortish blade length at address makes it look like these might be difficult to hit, but that's not true. This is very much an aim-and-fire set. These clubs are forgiving. Even my slightly thin or chunky shots still went straight and only minimally lost distance. The sound and feel was exquisite. The springiness to the club makes me want to hit it more and more.
Gary
37, Handicap 13
10+ years testing
Kind of borders on a players-distance look with its thinner lines and the hollow design. It gave me a really firm thump and a level of aggression at impact and through the turf. It asks you to be aggressive.
Ryan
46, Handicap 14
2 years testing
The head is kind of on the smaller side and it looks great behind the ball with minimal topline and offset. The ball really jumped off the club with a great launch angle. I could work it both ways with good power through the turf.
Jin
30, Handicap 13
1 year testing
Very high spin, high launch but in terms of distance, it's lacking. That said, mis-hits still travel within 10 yards of my intended number. There's a quick, loud sound at impact but it feels soft in the hands.
Shane
36, Handicap 15
5 years testing
These are simple, clean and elegant. Good crisp, cushioned initial ignition. The shot dispersion is so minimal on these. There is no fear of slightly fat shots straying off line.
Wayne
60, Handicap 6
2 years testing
It gave me a lower, penetrating flight but I wish it had higher carry. I couldn't get it into the air enough. A lot less carry. My numbers were just fine, but that ball flight would be a sticking point.
John
55, Handicap 11
1 year testing
They have a clean look and nice finish. It's a no-nonsense design, which I like. They felt really easy and comfortable in my hands, like I could really control it through the swing. My ball flight was beautiful—high launch and soft landing. Super consistent, too.
RC
63, Handicap 7
2 years testing
It's got a nice sleek look to it, especially looking from the top down. Looks like it's in a class above. It kinda felt like a players iron. You do have to figure out how to hit it.
Anand
43, Handicap 6
10+ years testing
Love the looks. It's very traditional with a little bit of tech. As far as performance, I was hitting beautiful baby draws across all the clubs. If I were going to get a complete set, this is probably the only one I'd get.
Sándor J.
36, Handicap 9
2 years testing
It has great craftmanship. I almost confused it with a blade with how smooth and nice it looks. Very slick. I couldn't hit a bad ball, and I don't have the most consistent swing. They were all going well. My one issue is that I had a hard time working it.
Sean
53, Handicap 6
8 years testing
This was easy to hit and the face is hot. The design had too much going on with the noticeable weight in the back of the clubhead. Still, it's easy to launch the ball high so for game improvement, this one is good.
Peter
57, Handicap 7
10+ years testing
It looks really appealing and the ball comes off nice. You definitely get feedback based on where on the face you make contact. On center strikes, it has an interesting pitchy sound to it. Not loud, but different. You know you hit it well when you get that sound.
Ryan
49, Handicap 10
7 years testing
There was a clap-like sound at impact. The ball flight got high, but it took its time getting there. Distance-wise, you really had to reach back and get it. It was a bit of work to hit these clubs.
Thomas
60, Handicap 7
10+ years testing
I hit some of my best, most accurate shots but also some of my worst. I never knew which was going to come out of the club. It couldn't overcome my swing flaws.
Matt
52, Handicap 11
3 years testing
It looks well-crafted, a machine-shop look to it. When I made good contact, I was rewarded with a high, straight ball flight, but I think it's less forgiving than a club in this category should be.
David
66, Handicap 8
1 year testing
You get a nice penetrating ball flight that will perform well in the wind. It's likable.
Robert
28, Handicap 2
1 year testing
It had excellent reaction through the turf with no feedback in your hands. It was pleasant sounding on the loud side, and I moved the ball with ease and a good amount of forgiveness. There was minimal change in distance and accuracy.
Jason
48, Handicap 0
10+ years testing
They look fantastic at address. The good shots were really good. The bad shots, however, were really bad, which is a bit strange considering these are game-improvement irons.
Molly
37, Handicap 0
4 years testing
I appreciate the way this club looks throughout the set. If it wasn't for the lengths, you might not know the difference. It had a harder feel on toe hits, harsh and not forgiving. Overall flight was average.
Matt
27, Handicap 5
1 year testing
The look is the look of a players iron, because it is in my opinion. It doesn't perform, look or feel like a game-improvement iron. It's an incredibly workable kind of iron, with a low-launching, penetrating ball flight. It might not help the person who's looking to launch the ball in the air.
Paul
63, Handicap 4
10+ years testing
This is a club I got excited to hit because it was a little smaller. It gave me a low, boring flight that was not too spinny. If you didn't flush it, the lack of forgiveness was brutal.
Megan
39, Handicap 0
1 year testing
When I hit the ball well, there was such a big difference between that and the bad shots. The bad shots had much less distance and the feeling vibrated up the shaft. You have to hit these perfectly to get the benefit. There's a very small sweet spot.
BK
41, Handicap 1
9 years testing
Really nice feel. Like a pillowy feel. High launch and forgiving. Overall, a very good club for better players. It's a hybrid between game-improvement and players irons.
Jamie
51, Handicap 5
2 years testing
I don't see a whole lot of offset, but whatever is there seems to be effective in keeping the ball on the intended line. Impact was a little firmer than I prefer. I like a little more muted thump and this was more clicky. I felt like this was more of a players-iron look than game improvement.
Ricky
46, Handicap +3
10+ years testing
It's a wolf in sheep's clothing. A players-iron look but total game improvement. The ball flight never got squirrely. It corrects a lot of flaws in a swing. Quieter sound. A smooth transition between club, turf and ball interaction. It felt good through the grass.
Jack
35, Handicap 1
2 years testing
It doesn't do anything poorly. They strike me as a good set of starter irons—safe, stable, solid.
Alan
30, Handicap 1
1 year testing
As a lower-handicap golfer, I would play these. They have a nice professional feel to them. And they are very forgiving.
Alejandra
26, Handicap 5
4 years testing
Very pretty. Felt smooth at impact, but they sounded clicky. The sound didn't match what I felt in my hands. Because of the thin head, it was easy to get under the ball and get it in the air but not a consistent flight.
NO REVIEWS
There are no tester reviews here.
Range Results
We tracked 27,000 shots through player testing and then had them analyzed by our team of scientists. These graphics reflect the relative performance our players saw for each club in the category.
Surviving The Hot List: Celebrity Intern
Featured In
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1 / 16
Callaway
Apex Ai300
$200 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$200 per iron
The Apex Ai300 replaces the Apex DCB and targets golfers who are early in their journey or are looking to step up from the super-game-improvement category.
The forged 455-steel face was designed with the help of AI analysis of everyday player impact data in which the topology behind the face is different for each iron—thinner and thicker in areas where it needs to be to create maximum consistency.
The tungsten core has urethane with “microspheres”—tiny air bubbles encased in glass—that lowers the center of gravity to help with launch despite slightly strong lofts.
2 / 16
Callaway
Elyte
$150 per iron
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GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$150 per iron
The hollow-body construction features a variable-thickness cupface designed with the help of AI analysis of thousands of golfer swings.
The special high-strength stainless steel is thinner than traditional stainless steels, resulting in a fast-flexing face.
Select areas of the clubhead have been stiffened, primarily the topline, to allow the cupface to transfer energy to the ball more efficiently.
3 / 16
Callaway
Elyte HL
$143 per iron
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GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$143 per iron
Designed for players with moderate to average swing speeds seeking a higher launch with more carry.
As with the standard Elyte model, a high-strength stainless-steel cupface—in which the sole wraps around part of the sole and topline—provides Formula-1 speed off the face.
The irons feature the RCH S2H2 short hosel that Callaway’s late R&D chief Dick Helmstetter was famous for designing. The shorter hosel saves six grams that were used to lower the center of gravity to achieve higher launch.
4 / 16
Cobra
DS-Adapt
$143 per iron
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Hot List Gold
$143 per iron
The L-face insert (in which part of the face wraps around the sole) is used on the 4- through 7-irons to boost ball speed. The face has a new leading-edge channel that extends around the face from the sole into the toe area to help with impacts there.
For the first time in a Cobra iron, the interior leading-edge channel has been added to the 8-iron through sand wedge.
Cobra engineers used simulated golf-ball impacts to adjust the face pattern and interior leading edge and toe area thicknesses to deliver faster ball speeds.
5 / 16
Cobra
King Tec-X
$186 per iron
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Hot List Gold
$186 per iron
6 / 16
Mizuno
JPX925 Hot Metal
$150 per iron
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Hot List Gold
$150 per iron
The new face on the 4- through 8-irons is 30 percent thinner at its thinnest point or a slim 1.2 millimeters on the low heel and high toe for faster ball speeds.
The cupface—in which part of the face wraps around the topline and sole—enhances ball speed throughout the hitting area.
Tungsten weighting is positioned low in the 4- through 7-irons to mitigate the loss of ball speed on off-center strikes and to help golfers launch the ball higher.
7 / 16
Ping
G440
$157 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
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GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$157 per iron
The face is shallower and thinner compared to the G430 for increased ball speed and a more player-preferred look at address.
The size reduction saves four grams per iron that is placed lower and farther back in the head to drop the center of gravity and assist launch.
The shaft length of the 4-, 5-, and 6-irons were extended three-quarters of an inch to help golfers launch those irons higher.
8 / 16
PXG
0311 XP GEN7
$230 per iron
|
Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$230 per iron
Compared to the P model, the XP targets middle- to high-handicaps who don’t mind looking at a little heftier clubhead with more aggressive offset and stronger lofts in exchange for extra distance and forgiveness.
At its thinnest, the maraging-steel face is just .05 of an inch thick, helping the face to flex. An internal channel in the back delivers even more spring and potential distance.
An internal polymer supports the face and delivers a pleasing sound and feel.
9 / 16
Srixon
ZXi4
$186 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$186 per iron
The hollow body was designed with the help of AI, a process that produces way more potential clubhead iterations than humans are capable of in a given timeframe.
Unlike the company’s ZXi5 and ZXi7 irons, the body of the ZXi4 is not forged. Instead the cast multi-piece iron uses a forged high-strength steel face insert (HT1770) supported by a cast 17-4 stainless-steel body and hosel that is heat treated to allow for bending.
The backside of each iron face is milled in a variable-thickness pattern comprising indentations to provide ball speed while saving mass.
10 / 16
TaylorMade
Qi
$143 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
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GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$143 per iron
TaylorMade prioritized reducing the chances of a slice with the Qi. A multi-material cap-back that is lighter than the steel it replaces reduces weight in the high toe, making the club easier to square at impact.
The center of gravity is lower in the long irons for easier launch and higher in the short irons for optimal control, launch and spin.
It has been a staple of TaylorMade irons for over a decade, but to ignore the heat brought by the “Speed Pocket” slot up to the 7-iron would be journalistic malpractice.
11 / 16
Titleist
T350
$200 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$200 per iron
The T350 is the company’s most aggressive approach to forgiveness and ball speed with its larger size and wider sole.
The high-strength, variable-thickness steel face features the same alloy as the T200 as well as the L-shape that overlaps into the sole for extra rebound at impact.
Healthy chunks of super-dense tungsten in the heel and toe foster sumo-wrestler stability on off-center hits.
12 / 16
Cleveland
ZipCore XL
$130 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Silver
$130 per iron
This game-improvement set uses two constructions: a hollow body for the 4- through 7-iron and a cavity-back design for the 8-iron through sand wedge.
Golf Digest’s academic panel has seen a lot of interesting technology over the years and isn’t easily impressed. An exception is Cleveland’s ZipCore tech in which a lightweight aluminum silicate compound replaces steel in the hosel to better position the center of gravity.
ZipCore saves nearly 15 grams of weight that is redistributed to reduce ball-speed loss on off-center strikes.
13 / 16
PXG
Black Ops
$150 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Silver
$150 per iron
Black Ops is a hollow-body, dual-cavity design with a larger profile intended to instill confidence for the game-improvement audience.
The irons have the same thin face and power channel as the 0311 GEN7 line, but the larger face and thicker topline on the Black Ops are designed for the player seeking help getting the ball airborne as opposed to getting it close to the pin.
The hollow body features the company’s XCOR2 polymer filling and a lightweight insert on the outer cavity to save weight that is repositioned to improve forgiveness.
14 / 16
Tour Edge
Exotics E725
$115 per iron
|
Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Silver
$115 per iron
The extreme low-rearward center of gravity provides an extremely high moment of inertia, which helps maximize speed on off-center strikes.
A one-piece, high-strength steel body with a 360-degree undercut helps lower the center of gravity for a higher launch.
Tour Edge’s diamond-face variable-thickness design features 103 “diamonds” in the face that serve as mini-trampolines to maximize ball speed.
15 / 16
Vice
VGI02
$100 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Silver
$100 per iron
The VGI02 features lighter head weights than most irons. Vice believes lighter heads are easier for everyday players to control and swing faster for more ball speed.
Vice also says that data from years of fitting reveals that a lighter club is easier to square at impact, reducing the likelihood of a slice.
The irons are two-piece with a springlike steel for the face to increase ball speed.
16 / 16
Wilson
Dynapower
$128 per iron
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Golf Galaxy
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Hot List Silver
$128 per iron
The most common miss by amateur players is on the toe. To combat that in the Dynapower 4- through 8-irons, Wilson uses a two-piece construction in which the face is welded on around the topline and the upper part of the toe area. This provides a larger area of the face that is unsupported, which leads to more ball speed.
The face is made from 17-4 stainless steel, like the body of the iron, but is created from a forged/stamped process. This manufacturing approach allows for a stronger and thinner face and maintains high strength and durability.
The iron also has changing thicknesses on 27 points on the face, ranging from 2 millimeters to 2.5 millimeters for zippy ball speeds.