Price
$230 per iron
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Why We Like It
- 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.
- A lightweight titanium insert in the back saves five grams that is moved to the perimeter for help on off-center hits.
- A 20-gram tungsten toe weight is used to better align the center of gravity with the center of the face. The weight also adds stability on shots hit on the toe.
- Each iron is five times forged from 8620 carbon steel and has a milled back.
- SPECS: 7-iron: 27 degrees; PW: 41 degrees
what our testers said
handicap
- all
- low
- mid
- high
Jason
48, Handicap 0
10+ years testing
I didn't love the firm feel off the face, but they had great distance. I didn't have a sense of feel through the strike. You can see the bulge sticking out the back of the club at address, which I don't love.
Alex
40, Handicap 11
6 years testing
I don't think they were super forgiving, but they were wildly long. Definitely gained yards on my normal distances. The only issue is there was a bit of inconsistency—similar strikes produced some significant distance discrepancies.
RC
63, Handicap 7
2 years testing
I just thought the head was a little big to look at. When I did hit it, the performance was off. I just never was able to get that pop off the face. It looks like a quality club and material is nice. It was fun to hit, but I just couldn't get the most out of it.
Ricky
46, Handicap +3
10+ years testing
Very consistent from short to long irons. The Ball flight was high and far, like having a driving iron with every single club. Easy to hit, and you got feedback when you didn't, but not a punch in the gut. It was more like, hey you missed it, but I'm still going to cover you. I like the matted finish and it was easy to square up at address.
Ryan
49, Handicap 10
7 years testing
This understated-looking club delivers a high, workable ball flight. The challenge is that there isn't just much to look at in your bag or on the ground. There are distance gains for you to go get, but you have to do the work. The forgiveness isn't overly apparent.
SEE ALL (27)
Jason
48, Handicap 0
10+ years testing
I didn't love the firm feel off the face, but they had great distance. I didn't have a sense of feel through the strike. You can see the bulge sticking out the back of the club at address, which I don't love.
Alex
40, Handicap 11
6 years testing
I don't think they were super forgiving, but they were wildly long. Definitely gained yards on my normal distances. The only issue is there was a bit of inconsistency—similar strikes produced some significant distance discrepancies.
RC
63, Handicap 7
2 years testing
I just thought the head was a little big to look at. When I did hit it, the performance was off. I just never was able to get that pop off the face. It looks like a quality club and material is nice. It was fun to hit, but I just couldn't get the most out of it.
Ricky
46, Handicap +3
10+ years testing
Very consistent from short to long irons. The Ball flight was high and far, like having a driving iron with every single club. Easy to hit, and you got feedback when you didn't, but not a punch in the gut. It was more like, hey you missed it, but I'm still going to cover you. I like the matted finish and it was easy to square up at address.
Ryan
49, Handicap 10
7 years testing
This understated-looking club delivers a high, workable ball flight. The challenge is that there isn't just much to look at in your bag or on the ground. There are distance gains for you to go get, but you have to do the work. The forgiveness isn't overly apparent.
Skylar
26, Handicap 7
2 years testing
It felt like riding in a Maybach—very heavy but soft and riding in luxury. Very smooth and easy to swing. It looks rich. The weight perfectly blends in with the center. It's not gaudy or anything. Felt aerodynamic with equal weight distribution. Felt good and not distracting. Not obnoxious—audible with a loud whoosh. It launches high so you can land it—and you can work it very easily.
Paul
63, Handicap 4
10+ years testing
The wider sole provided better-than-average turf interaction. It produced a high flight and was spinny, but the distance was more than sufficient. The larger clubhead size frames the ball well.
Jack
35, Handicap 1
2 years testing
It looks like it was designed to be on the side of an armored vehicle. It's a maximilist design and it'll look good in your bag. Firm feel. It doesn't take any prisoners, even on good shots. You need to have strong hands.
Matt
52, Handicap 11
3 years testing
A good-looking club. Compact head. The cavity and back of the club are hidden at address. They were noticeably responsive and softer than I'd expect in this category. There's a physical reward for a good shot, but it was tough to find the sweet spot. Shots tended to be mid-height wind-busters.
Ryan
46, Handicap 14
2 years testing
There's good weight to the club, but it took me a little time to get used to the offset. I got a medium-low ball flight with a firm feel, but the ball speed was solid.
Sándor J.
36, Handicap 9
2 years testing
Fantastic performance; I couldn't hit a bad ball! Even the one I topped went straight. It's a very forgiving club.
Peter
57, Handicap 7
10+ years testing
Man, it has a full-body, lush feeling at impact. On most strikes you get that feel. Off-center hits, you can definitely feel a difference but not to the point where it puts you off at all. It's a beast. If you hit it anywhere near the center, you will be the longest guy in your group. These things fly.
Jin
30, Handicap 13
1 year testing
The club looks thinner than it actually is when you look at it from the back or sole, which I like. There was a loud smack sound at impact. Soft contact, but you can still tell in your hands where on the face you hit the ball. My flight was high and penetrating. I was getting good distance and a tight left-right dispersion.
BK
41, Handicap 1
9 years testing
It looks different than most irons, not very deep-faced. But I hit pretty good shots with it—a nice, high launch and great pop off the face.
Shane
36, Handicap 15
5 years testing
You got ballistic energy when you caught it. The shots headed for the moon. The design is a bigger footprint, but I didn't feel like I was carrying a shovel around. Mis-hits were covering a lot of ground.
Wei
55, Handicap 13
9 years testing
At address, it looks like it's going to be very, very easy to hit. The sound and feel were pleasant. Good strikes had the ball climbing quickly and staying there, achieving nice distance. Mis-hits were not punished severely and though the feedback was instantaneous and harsh, the results still ended up being acceptable.
Anand
43, Handicap 6
10+ years testing
I like the look, there's bulk, but no offset. At least I can't see it. The last groove on each club is white, which I like. If someone is having issues with alignment and squaring the face at address, this will really help. More manufacturers should do it. It was easy to hit and I got good distance. If you can get over idea that it's a little firm and loud on the face, it performs.
John
55, Handicap 11
1 year testing
The weight feels good in the hands and I got a nice high ball flight that stayed pretty straight.
Molly
37, Handicap 0
4 years testing
The clubs are high in feedback and more dramatic toward the harsher end of it. The ball does fall in both directions, which I appreciate.
Alejandra
26, Handicap 5
4 years testing
A very pretty, sleek club, but it was really hard to hit. I wanted more of a springy rebound feel for a center strike.
Alan
30, Handicap 1
1 year testing
The cool matte look makes it clean and sleek. This thing goes very high. I couldn't bring it out of the sky. There might be a few golf balls still up there. This clubhead gets down into the turf. If you're shallow, this thing will help you out.
Gary
37, Handicap 13
10+ years testing
The topline is clean and thin. The design is polished and understated, almost like a muscle-back look. Very firm but in a strong way. Not harsh. They produced consistently good distance with a medium-to-high launch. There's some hidden energy behind this club.
Matt
27, Handicap 5
1 year testing
Super firm feel. Even when I hit it off the center, I felt the vibrating, but the redeeming quality was the ball flight. It's a lower ball flight, so you can control it better.
Wayne
60, Handicap 6
2 years testing
It has a little lower launch, but that could just be a function of the shaft. It's a pretty forgiving set and would be nice for someone looking for a lower-launch club. Good way to counterbalance your game if you tend to hit the ball way too high.
Robert
28, Handicap 2
1 year testing
Looks great with the thinner topline for a game-improvement iron, and I like the white line on the bottom groove, which is helpful for alignment. The offset is not noticeable in a good way. You got the feel of how you were hitting the ball with forgiveness closer to a players iron.
Daniel
33, Handicap 12
5 years testing
You get a lot of feedback up through the shaft. Also, you get a lot of carry, longer than how firm it was feeling. It might be difficult to shape shots with these.
Jamie
51, Handicap 5
2 years testing
Definitely first-class distance should you need it, but I didn't know where it was going at times. The shape is nice with a pleasing topline and low-contrast face. The wide sole seems a little grabby in the turf.
Ryan
46, Handicap 14
2 years testing
There's good weight to the club, but it took me a little time to get used to the offset. I got a medium-low ball flight with a firm feel, but the ball speed was solid.
Jin
30, Handicap 13
1 year testing
The club looks thinner than it actually is when you look at it from the back or sole, which I like. There was a loud smack sound at impact. Soft contact, but you can still tell in your hands where on the face you hit the ball. My flight was high and penetrating. I was getting good distance and a tight left-right dispersion.
Shane
36, Handicap 15
5 years testing
You got ballistic energy when you caught it. The shots headed for the moon. The design is a bigger footprint, but I didn't feel like I was carrying a shovel around. Mis-hits were covering a lot of ground.
Wei
55, Handicap 13
9 years testing
At address, it looks like it's going to be very, very easy to hit. The sound and feel were pleasant. Good strikes had the ball climbing quickly and staying there, achieving nice distance. Mis-hits were not punished severely and though the feedback was instantaneous and harsh, the results still ended up being acceptable.
Gary
37, Handicap 13
10+ years testing
The topline is clean and thin. The design is polished and understated, almost like a muscle-back look. Very firm but in a strong way. Not harsh. They produced consistently good distance with a medium-to-high launch. There's some hidden energy behind this club.
Daniel
33, Handicap 12
5 years testing
You get a lot of feedback up through the shaft. Also, you get a lot of carry, longer than how firm it was feeling. It might be difficult to shape shots with these.
Alex
40, Handicap 11
6 years testing
I don't think they were super forgiving, but they were wildly long. Definitely gained yards on my normal distances. The only issue is there was a bit of inconsistency—similar strikes produced some significant distance discrepancies.
RC
63, Handicap 7
2 years testing
I just thought the head was a little big to look at. When I did hit it, the performance was off. I just never was able to get that pop off the face. It looks like a quality club and material is nice. It was fun to hit, but I just couldn't get the most out of it.
Ryan
49, Handicap 10
7 years testing
This understated-looking club delivers a high, workable ball flight. The challenge is that there isn't just much to look at in your bag or on the ground. There are distance gains for you to go get, but you have to do the work. The forgiveness isn't overly apparent.
Skylar
26, Handicap 7
2 years testing
It felt like riding in a Maybach—very heavy but soft and riding in luxury. Very smooth and easy to swing. It looks rich. The weight perfectly blends in with the center. It's not gaudy or anything. Felt aerodynamic with equal weight distribution. Felt good and not distracting. Not obnoxious—audible with a loud whoosh. It launches high so you can land it—and you can work it very easily.
Matt
52, Handicap 11
3 years testing
A good-looking club. Compact head. The cavity and back of the club are hidden at address. They were noticeably responsive and softer than I'd expect in this category. There's a physical reward for a good shot, but it was tough to find the sweet spot. Shots tended to be mid-height wind-busters.
Sándor J.
36, Handicap 9
2 years testing
Fantastic performance; I couldn't hit a bad ball! Even the one I topped went straight. It's a very forgiving club.
Peter
57, Handicap 7
10+ years testing
Man, it has a full-body, lush feeling at impact. On most strikes you get that feel. Off-center hits, you can definitely feel a difference but not to the point where it puts you off at all. It's a beast. If you hit it anywhere near the center, you will be the longest guy in your group. These things fly.
Anand
43, Handicap 6
10+ years testing
I like the look, there's bulk, but no offset. At least I can't see it. The last groove on each club is white, which I like. If someone is having issues with alignment and squaring the face at address, this will really help. More manufacturers should do it. It was easy to hit and I got good distance. If you can get over idea that it's a little firm and loud on the face, it performs.
John
55, Handicap 11
1 year testing
The weight feels good in the hands and I got a nice high ball flight that stayed pretty straight.
Wayne
60, Handicap 6
2 years testing
It has a little lower launch, but that could just be a function of the shaft. It's a pretty forgiving set and would be nice for someone looking for a lower-launch club. Good way to counterbalance your game if you tend to hit the ball way too high.
Jason
48, Handicap 0
10+ years testing
I didn't love the firm feel off the face, but they had great distance. I didn't have a sense of feel through the strike. You can see the bulge sticking out the back of the club at address, which I don't love.
Ricky
46, Handicap +3
10+ years testing
Very consistent from short to long irons. The Ball flight was high and far, like having a driving iron with every single club. Easy to hit, and you got feedback when you didn't, but not a punch in the gut. It was more like, hey you missed it, but I'm still going to cover you. I like the matted finish and it was easy to square up at address.
Paul
63, Handicap 4
10+ years testing
The wider sole provided better-than-average turf interaction. It produced a high flight and was spinny, but the distance was more than sufficient. The larger clubhead size frames the ball well.
Jack
35, Handicap 1
2 years testing
It looks like it was designed to be on the side of an armored vehicle. It's a maximilist design and it'll look good in your bag. Firm feel. It doesn't take any prisoners, even on good shots. You need to have strong hands.
BK
41, Handicap 1
9 years testing
It looks different than most irons, not very deep-faced. But I hit pretty good shots with it—a nice, high launch and great pop off the face.
Molly
37, Handicap 0
4 years testing
The clubs are high in feedback and more dramatic toward the harsher end of it. The ball does fall in both directions, which I appreciate.
Alejandra
26, Handicap 5
4 years testing
A very pretty, sleek club, but it was really hard to hit. I wanted more of a springy rebound feel for a center strike.
Alan
30, Handicap 1
1 year testing
The cool matte look makes it clean and sleek. This thing goes very high. I couldn't bring it out of the sky. There might be a few golf balls still up there. This clubhead gets down into the turf. If you're shallow, this thing will help you out.
Matt
27, Handicap 5
1 year testing
Super firm feel. Even when I hit it off the center, I felt the vibrating, but the redeeming quality was the ball flight. It's a lower ball flight, so you can control it better.
Robert
28, Handicap 2
1 year testing
Looks great with the thinner topline for a game-improvement iron, and I like the white line on the bottom groove, which is helpful for alignment. The offset is not noticeable in a good way. You got the feel of how you were hitting the ball with forgiveness closer to a players iron.
Jamie
51, Handicap 5
2 years testing
Definitely first-class distance should you need it, but I didn't know where it was going at times. The shape is nice with a pleasing topline and low-contrast face. The wide sole seems a little grabby in the turf.
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
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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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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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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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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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6 / 16
Mizuno
JPX925 Hot Metal
$150 per iron
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$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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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
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.
9 / 16
TaylorMade
Qi
$143 per iron
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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.
10 / 16
Titleist
T350
$200 per iron
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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.
11 / 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.
12 / 16
Honma
TW767 HX
$210 per iron
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Hot List Silver
$210 per iron
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.
13 / 16
PXG
Black Ops
$150 per iron
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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
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Golf Galaxy
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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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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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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.