BEST IRONS 2022: Discussion Thread

[GolfWRX]

A new set of irons is the single biggest investment you can make into your set of golf clubs. At GolfWRX, to determine the 2022 best irons and their categories, we have compiled an expert panel of fitters to help you find out which of 2022 irons is best for your game.

 

OEMs have again continued to push the engineering envelope of iron design by utilizing new technology and manufacturing methods to create clubs that offer forgiveness, along with faster, more consistent club faces and launch windows. We are also seeing more segmentation of models to help you determine your best set and/or set combination.

 

Ultimately the best way to find your personal iron set is to work with a professional fitter using a launch monitor. The difficult part is a lot of people don’t have easy access to fitters, launch monitors, and club builders—so at GolfWRX, we have done a lot of the work for you.

We are in the era of not just maximizing distance but also minimizing the penalty of common misses for each player—this applies to irons just as much as it does with any other club in the bag. This is why, now more than ever, custom fitting is essential to help you see results on every swing you make.

 

Check out our front page features all Irons Week long via the links below and add your comments in this thread!

 

• Best Irons: Easiest to launch
• Best Irons: Pure enjoyment
• Best Irons: The shotmakers
• Best Irons: Most technology packed
• Best Irons: Best blades
• Best Irons: Top overall performers

Edited April 9, 2022 by GolfWRX

[rockdog]

Better throw PXG in there. The 0211 are fantastic and would match up with any that were mentioned. Oh, and the price is unbelievable!

[Goldenhawk]

Easiest to launch:  The Titleist T400.  Ever feel the need to hit a PW over 140 yards with an apex of over 100 feet, well here you go.

 

Best for pure enjoyment:  The TaylorMade 2021 P790.  Great iron to play with.  Looks great, plays great and has enough distance built into them.  It is also possible to draw and fade the ball with them.

[davidsloftin]

Seems like Taylor Made and Callaway, Ping. There are a lot of good irons out there that don't get the respect. 

[Dion1970]

I just picked up the stealth irons. Wow.  They are amazing to hit.  
 

[Orange Hog]

I know it's a niche brand but how is Sub70 not in either of these lists?  They have a broad assortment that fits into pretty much every category.

[dh2o]

this sure reads a lot like ads for the big brands. short blurbs of marketing buzzwords with no objective data to be seen. yawn. 

[poryanop]

2 hours ago, Orange Hog said:

I know it's a niche brand but how is Sub70 not in either of these lists?  They have a broad assortment that fits into pretty much every category.

Agree. I bought p790s a couple years ago before I knew about the 699 pros. Haven't hit on the course but they seem every bit as good as the p790s on a simulator for half the price.

Edited April 5, 2022 by poryanop

[Tenkies]

How did Mizuno not make the list? Especially in the "Pure Enjoyment" category? Is it because of shipment delays and the fitters could not do a complete review in time? 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Tenkies

[bobfoster]

3 hours ago, dh2o said:

this sure reads a lot like ads for the big brands. short blurbs of marketing buzzwords with no objective data to be seen. yawn. 

Hate to say it, but this does seem beneath the standards of GolfWRX. Same sort of bland, high level poll of experts that is normal for mass market golf magazines - that always seem to conclude that "the best" is composed of the big OEMs (that also happen to be the ones with the biggest advertising budgets). 

 

What would be interesting would be to query the actual WRX subscriber base, asking the same questions. Kind of suspect the results would be far more varied, and possibly a lot more interesting. 

 

I mean seriously, PXG doesn't appear in "Easiest To Launch"? Mizuno doesn't appear in "Pure Enjoyment"? But see, this was (basically) a poll of the opinions of fitters. How many commonly fit for Mizuno as an option (very likely not all of them). How many fit for PXG? Sub70? Miura (another brand that is pure enjoyment to hit)? Probably very few. But pretty much all of them will have their clients hit Titleist, Callaway, Cleveland, TM and Ping as options. So did this study really result in "the best" in those two categories? Or just the best of what fitters commonly offer clients as options?

 

Just my opinion. I'm a GolfWRX Club member, and a big fan of the site. But this is frankly a tad disappointing. 

Edited April 5, 2022 by bobfoster

[zzy]

Seems like a copy of the 'hot list' right down to the graphics.. 

[puttingmatt]

Zzzzzzzz..........

Subjective ? Informative ?

Seems like the Golf Digest Hot List

Big 3 Show, 

Fortunately, I will decide what works best for me. I found the article full of rubbish.

[tomathist]

I think it might be better if "all" voted data are released instead of just releasing top 5.
I understand that Big 4 are more likely to land on top 5 because they are the mainstream brand which would be fitted often.

However, if we can have all data (100 votes per category if 20 fitters all vote 5 irons per category), we can at least see which (relatively) minor brands "at least" have been voted, so we can also look into those clubs, although they might have difficulties of landing on top 5.
I think the fitters who voted would also be interested in what other fitters have voted as well, so they can also fit those to new customers too...

[xkilgorextroutx]

While I agree with the buzz quotes in the articles, especially Easiest To Launch, I also agree with the other posters about this mostly being a fluff piece. WHY were these the top 5? What criteria was used? Doesn't feel like there's much substance here, which is odd given the source.

[Bmurr7]

Yeah I think PXG should be atop these lists... after having played just about every make of iron I could get my hands on,  I'd say PXG ticks all the boxes. The 0211 and 0311p specifically.

[gearbox]

What a complete load of garbage.
Is this a 25 hdcp enjoyment list or for people who are actually good at golf!?!
Two thumbs down 👎👎

Stealth…seriously…. Geez 

[DoughBack18]

I got the 2021 P790’s a few months ago and in my mind they certainly belong on the list. I’ve found them incredibly easy to hit, launch high, and are long but still controllable. As far as pure enjoyment I can’t ask for a whole lot more.

 

In reference to the knocks on the major oems being the majority of these lists... I agree that a lot of the smaller and direct to consumer brands make great products and have loyal followings. But wouldn’t it make sense that the largest companies (that have the most R+D dollars and access to the latest advances) would probably make at least some of the best stuff? And availability i’m sure factors in to some extent. I’ve been playing for 25 years and I’ve never seen a new set of Miuras on a shelf anywhere, so if these fitters aren’t getting any sample size to compare vs the major oems, the results will almost have to skewed. 
 

Think we can all agree there are lots of great options out there including plenty not on these lists!!

 

[davidsloftin]

I think it is difficult to get the "smaller" companies in these discussions obviously because none of us will game those irons. It would be nice to hear some feedback on some "not so popular" irons...i.e. Hogan, Wilson etc...great irons, but maybe we are missing out? 

[JahSteve]

love my hogan's. but i've only played eye 2's and a set of bob toski t-somethings... so not really a expert. 

[Red4282]

Ill be interested to see what makes the list for the players cavity/blades category. For me, absolutely in love with my 21 apex mb/apex tcb combo. Just money. The aesthetics on the back are the only real negative.

[michboomin]

T100

[Goldenhawk]

8 hours ago, Dion1970 said:

I just picked up the stealth irons. Wow.  They are amazing to hit.  
 

Stealth Irons are really good.  Flying under the radar because of the hype behind the driver.  Don’t know how TM can create a better product than the Stealth Irons next year.

[Dion1970]

I agree. They are so easy to hit. Forgiving as all get out. 

[SollyinGA]

5 hours ago, DoughBack18 said:

I got the 2021 P790’s a few months ago and in my mind they certainly belong on the list. I’ve found them incredibly easy to hit, launch high, and are long but still controllable. As far as pure enjoyment I can’t ask for a whole lot more.

 

In reference to the knocks on the major oems being the majority of these lists... I agree that a lot of the smaller and direct to consumer brands make great products and have loyal followings. But wouldn’t it make sense that the largest companies (that have the most R+D dollars and access to the latest advances) would probably make at least some of the best stuff? And availability i’m sure factors in to some extent. I’ve been playing for 25 years and I’ve never seen a new set of Miuras on a shelf anywhere, so if these fitters aren’t getting any sample size to compare vs the major oems, the results will almost have to skewed. 
 

Think we can all agree there are lots of great options out there including plenty not on these lists!!

 

I agree on the p790s. I have the model before this current release. I’d like to update them, but I doubt I could find better.

[GrandStranded]

16 hours ago, bobfoster said:

Hate to say it, but this does seem beneath the standards of GolfWRX. Same sort of bland, high level poll of experts that is normal for mass market golf magazines - that always seem to conclude that "the best" is composed of the big OEMs (that also happen to be the ones with the biggest advertising budgets). 

 

What would be interesting would be to query the actual WRX subscriber base, asking the same questions. Kind of suspect the results would be far more varied, and possibly a lot more interesting. 

 

I mean seriously, PXG doesn't appear in "Easiest To Launch"? Mizuno doesn't appear in "Pure Enjoyment"? But see, this was (basically) a poll of the opinions of fitters. How many commonly fit for Mizuno as an option (very likely not all of them). How many fit for PXG? Sub70? Miura (another brand that is pure enjoyment to hit)? Probably very few. But pretty much all of them will have their clients hit Titleist, Callaway, Cleveland, TM and Ping as options. So did this study really result in "the best" in those two categories? Or just the best of what fitters commonly offer clients as options?

 

Just my opinion. I'm a GolfWRX Club member, and a big fan of the site. But this is frankly a tad disappointing. 

Great post.

If WRX wants to be taken seriously with rankings like this, they need to scrap the idea of using fitters who cater to the big OEMs. This format is as dated and biased as the GD Hot List, and reads like a pandering advertisement for sponsors. This was nothing more than using a lot of words to say “SGI clubs are forgiving, and get the ball up easier for those who need it.”… yeah, we know that.

Look at the rival site, and the wide range of options they include when testing clubs. DTC companies like Hogan, PXG and Sub 70 not being included is sad. Mizuno’s omission is farcical, and that’s coming from someone who hasn’t played their irons in 10 years. 

The ratings here are drivel, with no statistical comparisons or data whatsoever. Overall a very lazy and disappointing effort that to be frank, is not even close to the standards expected by the educated base of readers/ golfers who contribute here.

 

[JLP_GOLF]

this list is trash ... promotion from sponsors and OEMs.  where is boutique representation?  how does this benefit the consumer?  crazy

[hdb27]

No matter what company or site reviews irons and does a "best-of", people will always be up in arms and argue that not enough companies were included or not enough data was used or the opposite and too much data was used, GolfWRX is in a tough spot and trying to make something that they feel is accurate. Truth be told, these fitters are not fitting the smaller brands, so there's not much fitting info, and that's hard to battle, I'm sure my opinion will be argued, but hats off to GolfWRX for actually putting this out and taking the heat, no company can be right, but I dont think the people replying here are the market for the list, to me, it is more for the people who are just starting to golf and need to understand what SOME OF the best clubs are for them, doesn't mean it will be correct, but offer a starting point. Remember that we are not always the target, GolfWRX is a company that must cater to many aspects of golf, and that makes making a list of any top product very hard.

[blopar]

Have several sets of irons (Forged 2019 Taylor Made P770's, Forged Srixon ZX5's and a 565/765 Combo set and Cast 2021 PXG 0211's).  Have been very disappointed with the Srixon's in terms of distance and feel.  In part may be due to the KBS shafts which are a p.o.s..  Have twice demo'd 2021 P790's with steel and fibersteel shafts--they SUCK.  Don't understand what the big whoop is all about.  Feel like playing with wooden 2x4's, no feedback from the ball at all.   The older P770's are like butter but are getting outdated and are about  1/2 to a full club shorter than new Titleist.  The  PXG's although cast feel liked forged clubs and are a club longer, launch like rockets and are an amazing direct to consumer internet bargain, but feel a bit "clangy".   Recently demo'd the Titleist T200's and will replace the Srixons with either these or T100s--best compromise in terms of trajectory, distance, club head size, shape --look and feel at address like AP2's which I played long ago,  but much longer!.

 

[bopper53]

PXG, no care.

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

IIRC, this site and Golf Digest are partners...might explain some