Cleveland’s newest irons for mid- and higher-handicap golfers are designed to be easier to hit solidly and provide more distance.
While Cleveland’s sister brand, Srixon, focuses on making irons for mid- and lower-handicap golfers, the Huntington, California-based club maker long known for producing outstanding wedges continues to focus on gear that is ideally suited for recreational players. That means focusing on technologies and features that enhance distance and forgiveness, especially for players who lack speed or consistency.
The brand’s two newest irons, the Launcher XL and Launcher XL Halo irons, deliver that and offer golfers a choice of forgiveness blended with accuracy or a no-holds-barred max game-improvement set.
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Four years ago TaylorMade released the first version of the P790, a better-player’s distance iron designed to also appeal to mid-handicap golfers who want a compact shape and more ball speed. It became one of the most popular irons in TaylorMade’s history and was updated in 2019. Now TaylorMade is releasing the third iteration of the P790, and the company said the use of new materials and enhancements in the P790’s design should make it even more popular.
Information on the clubs was not made available, but Titleist’s new irons will be available to PGA Tour players this week.
SAN DIEGO – About 12 hours after the 121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, Titleist announced Monday that it is bringing three new irons to this week’s PGA Tour event, the Travelers Championship, and making them available for staff players to use. Another new iron will join the lineup on Tour soon.
Titleist did not provide specifications or details about the irons, and they are not yet available at retail. But if history is a guide, the new T100 and T100•S are designed for accomplished golfers who want a compact head and who put a premium on control.
The original T100 irons are currently used by several top pros, including Jordan Spieth and Will Zalatoris. They feature large internal pieces of tungsten in the heel and toe areas to increase stability without making the heads larger.
Over two years in the making… all leading up to this moment. It’s officially time to introduce the all-new T·Series irons to the TOUR.👌
The T100•S was released after the original T100, and the S stands for strong. These clubs have slightly stronger lofts to provide golfers with more distance. By making the lofts slightly lower, Titleist can provide golfers with extra yards without changing the bounce or sole configuration, so the clubs work through the turf just as efficiently.
The U•505 appears to be the largest of the new irons, and U likely stands for utility iron. Titleist also used to reserve the 500 number series for clubs designated as utility irons. Like the other irons, Titleist’s utility clubs typically have had forged faces for increased ball speed, along with large internal pieces of tungsten in the heel and toe for stability.
The T200 irons will arrive on Tour in the weeks ahead, Titleist said. The original T200 is a game-improvement club that is slightly larger than the T100. The first T200 featured a Max Impact system, which is a piece of silicone polymer behind the SUP-10 stainless steel face. It was affixed inside the head by a screw that could be seen on the back of the club. The updated T200 appears to lack the screw.
Golfweek will be on-site at the Travelers Championship beginning Tuesday and will post in-hand photos of the new clubs.
See which clubs are used by the best iron players on the PGA Tour as they prepare for the Masters.
Spring is in the air, and for golf lovers that means one thing: the Masters. The best players in the world are preparing to take on Augusta National Golf Club in pursuit of the coveted green jacket.
While the course’s fairways are edged by a second, slightly higher cut of grass, there is no deep rough of the kind that traditionally faces players at most U.S. Opens or PGA Championships. For that reason, most players can be more aggressive off the tee at the Masters, but precision with irons on approach shots is critical. Missing the target by just a few feet when hitting to Augusta National’s famous greens can make the difference between a birdie chance and scrambling to avoid a big number.
The players listed below are the top 10 in strokes gained approach the green, the best statistical measure of iron play on the PGA Tour. The list also includes the irons they are playing. Strokes gained measures how much better or worse a player is versus the field average, so a strokes gained of 1.0 means that player is one stroke better than the field average per round.
Whether you are in the market for game-improvement irons, muscleback blades or something in between, check out the newest irons for 2021.
The holidays are a distant memory but ’tis the season for new golf equipment to be arriving at your local pro shop and golf specialty store. We showed you the abundance of new drivers, and now it is time to focus on irons.
The trend in irons is to utilize unique materials and construction to not only allow golfers to hit the ball farther and higher but to get better performance on mis-hit shots. However, this season there are not just game-improvement and max game-improvement irons for mid- and higher-handicap golfers. We are also seeing a bumper crop of irons designed for experienced golfers who have repeatable, powerful swings and demand feel and control.
The best way to figure out which new iron is ideal for your game is to work with a good custom fitter, use a launch monitor and test several models and shafts.
Parsons Xtreme Golf updated its flagship iron family for more distance, better feel and enhanced customization, with three model options.
Gear: PXG 0311 GEN4 T, 0311 GEN4 P, 0311 GEN4 XP irons Price: $349 each Specs: Forged 8620 carbon-steel, hollow chassis with HT1770 stainless steel face and injected thermoplastic Available: March 9 (pre-order)
Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) debuted in 2014 with a set of irons, the original 0311 model, that featured unique weight screws surrounding the heads and a hollow-bodied design. They were intended to look like a muscleback blade in the address position but play like a distance-enhancing, game-improvement club. The secret sauce was the addition of a soft thermoplastic elastomer inside each head that supported an ultra-thin face without inhibiting it from flexing. The material also softened feel and enhanced sound.
Over the past seven years, those irons have been refined and now the company has released the fourth generation of the 0311 irons, with the T model designed for accomplished golfers, the P being ideally suited for mid-handicap players who want more distance and feel, and the XP meant for players who want the maximum in forgiveness and power.
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This exclusive video with Brad Schweigert, PXG’s chief product officer, explains all the details about the new GEN4 0311 iron family.
Srixon’s hollow-bodied ZX4 irons are designed for golfers who want a classic-looking iron that delivers extra distance and forgiveness.
Gear: Srixon ZX4 irons Price: $1,299.99 (steel), $1,399.99 (graphite) Specs: Hollow-bodied irons with 431 stainless chassis, internal tungsten weights and forged HT 1770 stainless steel face. Available: March 5
Moderately-sized irons designed to provide more distance and forgiveness represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the equipment market. Many elite golfers are adding a club like this and using it as a driving iron. On the local level, accomplished players who want more distance like them because they look like traditionally-shaped irons but pack a punch. With the release of the new ZX4 irons, Srixon is offering mid- and higher-handicap golfers a club that looks like those better player’s iron but is designed to give them a lot more distance and forgiveness.
To provide that, Srixon designed the ZX4 irons with a body cast from 431 stainless steel but attached a forged HT 1770 stainless steel face. On the outside, the hitting surface looks like a typical face, but there are a series of grooves, ridges, and valleys on the inner side. Srixon refers to it as MainFrame technology, and those features are created during a milling process while a high-speed bit passes back and forth and shaves off tiny ribbons of material in specific areas. The design team used sophisticated computer systems to simulate different internal face patterns before discovering the one that most effectively spreads the sweet spot across the widest area.
At address, mid- and higher-handicap golfers will see a clean, confidence-inspiring look while the Tour V.T. sole improves turf interaction. (Srixon)
Each of the ZX4 irons is also hollow, so the MainFrame face can flex more efficiently and produce more ball speed at the moment of impact.
Internal tungsten weights in the long and mid-irons help lower the center of gravity location and encourage higher-flying shots that come down more vertically, so they stop faster on the greens.
Designers also added a wide Tour V.T. sole to the ZX4 irons. With a seam running down the center from toe to heel, the Tour V.T. sole helps the clubs enter and exit the turf more efficiently, even on step swings, to help golfers maintain speed and avoid digging.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the ZX4 irons blend seamlessly into the new ZX family. Yes, they have a thicker topline and sole than the ZX5 and ZX7, and there is more offset, but the design is clean and should inspire confidence at address.
TaylorMade’s SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS irons feature a new Back Cap design to enhance sound and feel along with a distance-enhancing face.
Gear: TaylorMade SIM2 Max, SIM2 Max OS irons Price: $799 (4-PW) with KBS Max MT shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips; $899 with Fujikura Ventus Blue graphite shafts Specs: Hollow-bodied design with 450 stainless steel face and polymer back piece Available: Feb. 19
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For golfers who struggle to get the ball high in the air and who want more distance with their irons, TaylorMade designed the M5 and M6 irons two years ago with a bar in the back of the head called a Speed Bridge. By connecting the topline to the back of the club behind a massive undercut cavity, designers made the head stiffer while also letting the face flex more for increased ball speed.
Last season’s SIM Max and SIM Max OS irons advanced the technologies for mid- and higher-handicap golfers, and now TaylorMade is releasing the SIM2 Max and SIM2 OS to deliver even better sound and feel without sacrificing ball speed.
Every SIM2 Max iron has a 450 stainless steel face that is thin and flexible and also has a unique inverted cone design. It has a slightly thicker area in the center and gets progressively thinner toward the outside. A slot cut into the sole, which TaylorMade refers to as a Speed Pocket, allows the lower portion of the face to flex more efficiently, especially on low-struck shots.
The Back Cap design stiffens the topline and saves weight. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Instead of merely having a Speed Bridge on the back of the head to support the topline, the new SIM2 Max irons have a Cap Back design. It’s a multi-material piece that stretches from the heel to the toe, made by layering lightweight polymer over an adhesive layer. It supports the entire topline, unlike the Speed Bridge, which supported it in the center, and helps absorb excessive vibrations to improve sound and feel.
TaylorMade said the critical advantage of its Cap Back design is that unlike vibration-dampening badges that are bonded to the back of the face, where they can reduce face flex, it fits on the seam created by the back cavity and topline. The face is freer to flex in a hollow chamber inside the head.
The SIM2 Max irons have a moderately-thick topline and offset. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
An additional benefit of the Cap Back piece is the polymer used to make it is seven times lighter than steel, which made it easier for designers to keep the center of gravity down for players who want a higher ball flight.
One technology that carries over from last year’s SIM Max irons is the Echo Dampening system. It is an extremely soft polymer that stretches from the heel to the toe inside the head, touching the lower portion of the face inside the head to enhance sound and feel.
Looking down at the SIM2 Max irons, golfers will see a reassuringly thick topline and plenty of offset to help players square the face more easily through impact.
The TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS irons. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
For golfers who want even more forgiveness, TaylorMade is offering the SIM2 Max OS. It has been made using the same technologies, including the progressive Inverted Cone face, Cap Back and Echo Dampening systems and Speed Pocket, but the SIM2 Max OS is larger.
Callaway’s Apex, Apex Pro ad Apex DCB irons are all forged for enhanced feel, while a cup face design and tungsten weights boost distance.
Gear: Callaway Apex, Apex Pro, Apex DCB irons Price: $185 each with True Temper Elevate ETS 95 steel shafts and Golf Pride Z Grip Soft grips; $200 each with UST Mamiya Recoil Dart 75 graphite shafts Specs: Forged 1025 carbon-steel body with tungsten inserts and urethane microspheres Available: Feb. 11
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Callaway’s Apex irons have bridged two worlds since they debuted in 2014, providing the feel of a forged club with the distance enhancement of an undercut-cavity, game-improvement iron. They provide power with feel, a combination any low or mid-handicap golfer should love.
The original Apex irons have been updated three times over the past seven years, and with the 2021 version of the Apex, Apex Pro and now the Apex DCB, Callaway believes it has the most advanced, broadest line of Apex irons yet.
Callaway Apex irons for 2021. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The standard Apex features a body forged from 1025 carbon steel for soft feel and a thin, forged stainless steel cup face designed using artificial intelligence. Callaway started developing driver faces using artificial intelligence three years ago, and it was used to create the faces in last season’s Mavrik irons, but this is the first time Callaway is bringing artificial intelligence to a forged iron. Supercomputers ran thousands of simulations to determine how each face should be made, with different parameters for each club. The long irons are made to enhance distance and forgiveness, while short irons concentrate on spin consistency and control.
Internal tungsten weights low the center of gravity and encourage a higher ball flight in the Apex long irons. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The help golfers hit higher-flying, softer-landing approach shots, Callaway added tungsten weights wrapped in urethane microspheres to the 3- through 9-irons. Referred to as a Tungsten Energy Core, the three-weight system varies the amount of tungsten in each club. The weights are metal-injection-molded to ensure precise placement, with lower-lofted clubs having tungsten designed near the bottom of the head to lower the center of gravity and encourage a higher launch. Higher-lofted clubs have tungsten placed higher in the chassis to enhance feel and promote a more piercing, controlled ball flight. On average, there is six times more tungsten in each iron compared to the Apex ’19 irons.
The urethane microspheres that encase the weights are tiny glass bubbles that absorb vibrations at impact. They enhance sound and feel but do not impede the face from flexing or reduce ball speed. Callaway said the new Apex irons are 3 yards longer than the 2019 model and 5 yards longer on shots hit low in the face.
Callaway Apex Pro irons for 2021. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The Apex Pro irons, like their predecessors, have a shorter blade length, thinner topline and less offset than the standard Apex irons. But the 2021 version is very different than last season’s Apex Pro.
Cosmetically, they have a more sophisticated look designed to appeal to better players, and the most significant difference is Callaway made the new Apex Pro hollow. This should help the forged, artificial intelligence-designed cup faces flex more efficiently to create more ball speed.
At address, the Apex Pro has the thin topline and minimal offset that low-handicap golfers like. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The Apex Pro 3-iron through 7-iron also have a Tungsten Energy Core system, like the standard Apex, but in the Pro model the mid- and short irons have the tungsten higher in the heads. The more elevated center of gravity in the mid- and short irons should allow accomplished golfers to shape shots more effectively.
The Callaway Apex DCB irons is the largest and most forgiving Apex iron. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Finally, for golfers who have admired the feel of the Apex irons but need more forgiveness, Callaway is offering the Apex DCB, which stands for deep cavity back. Like the Apex and Apex Pro, it is forged from 1025 carbon steel for soft feel, has artificial intelligence-designed faces and the Tungsten Energy Core system. However, for higher-handicap golfers the Apex DCB has a wider sole and thicker topline with more offset. The lofts are stronger, but Callaway said golfers can still hit their iron shots higher into the air because the center of gravity location is so low and back, away from the cup face.
The updated PXG 0211 irons feature an internal dual-polymer system to enhance feel and boost distance.
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Gear: PXG 0211 irons Price: $195 each Specs:431 stainless steel body with HT1770 stainless steel face and polymer insert
Two years ago,PXG debuted its 0211 irons, which are slightly more affordable for golfers who might have admired the looks and technologies found in the company’s ultra-premium PXG 0311 irons but didn’t want to shell out thousands of dollars for a set of irons. The 0211 irons lacked the 0311’s signature weight screws on the back, but PXG included several critical features in the 0211s, and they were sold at half the price of their 0311 counterparts.
Now, coinciding with the release of the 0211 drivers, fairway woods and hybrids, PXG is releasing an updated version of the 0211 irons.
The 0211 irons look like a muscleback blade but have game-improvement and distance-enhancing features. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Aesthetically, the new 0211 irons look like muscleback blades, but they have a slightly wider sole than most irons designed for elite players. From a size perspective, they match with PXG’s game-improvement 0311 XP irons. They also have a progressive–offset design, with the long irons having moderate offset that decreases as the set flows into the short irons.
There is also a progressive amount of bounce designed into the set. Most golfers sweep their long irons, so those clubs have moderate bounce, while more bounce wasbuilt into the short irons’ soles to help golfers avoid digging on approach shots. Simultaneously, the topline appears thinner on the short irons while in the address position because the back edge is beveled downward.
Inside each PXG 0211 iron head is a dual polymer system that absorbs vibrations and helps to generate more ball speed. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The strength of the 0211 irons, however, is something you can’t see. Instead of leaving the 0211’s 431 stainless steel bodies hollow or filling them with foam, PXG added two types of polymer: a soft polymer encased in a firmer polymer. The company refers to it as a DualCor system, and it debuted in the 0311 GEN3 irons last January.
When the thin HT1770 stainless steel face strikes the ball, it flexes back and compresses both the soft and the firmer polymers, which snap back into shape extremely quickly to increase ball speed and distance. PXG added more of the soft polymer to maximize the effect in the long irons, and designers gradually reduced it through the mid- and short irons to make them more control oriented. PXG said that in every case the polymers improve distance and absorb excessive vibrations to make the clubs feel and sound better at impact.
To activate a larger portion of the hitting area and protect ball speed on off-center hits, PXG designed an undercut inside each head. Basically, it is a notch that pushes the seam where the face meets the chassis farther out, so about 15 percent more of the hitting area can be activated on heel or toe strikes.
The PXG 0211 irons have a relatively-thin topline and progressive offset. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
PXG said the new 0211 irons produce about 4.6 mph more ball speedwith significantly less spin, yet shots fly to about the same height. That results in the new irons being more than 12 yards longer than the first generation 0211 irons.
