This month our fearless testing panel get to grips with five sets of the latest game improvement irons, but were they as easy to hit as the clubs claim to be?
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The panelists (Left to right)
Richard Copeland
Age: 46
Handicap: 13
Home Club: Hassocks. East Sussex
Steve White
Age: 46
Handicap: 15
Home Club: Coombe Wood, Surrey
Nick Bayly
Age: 39
Handicap: 14
Home Club: Horsham Golf & Fitness, West Sussex
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 | | Contact: | Tel; 020 8391 0100 www.callawaygolf.com |
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Specs: |
3-PW, plus AW, SW, LW. |
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Shaft: |
Callaway BB graphite |
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Price: |
£699 (g), £549 (s) |
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Manufacturers say: The latest incarnation of the Big Bertha irons feature hybrid-like long irons called i-brids, with the 3-, 4- and 5- irons built for control, as well as distance and versatility. The new centre of gravity of all the irons is 30 per cent farther back from the clubface than previous BB irons, as well as increased offset, a larger effective hitting area and a constant width sole in the mid and short irons.
Richard says: I really got on with these, and found them by far the easiest to hit of the five. They were buttery soft, which surprised me, and were just a pleasure to hit. I thought I'd hate the huge hybrid-like 4-iron, but it was embarrassingly easy to hit, with bags of distance and a good launch angle. I would buy these irons if I had the money.
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Callaway Big Bertha
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Steve says: Typically Callaway in appearance from wedges up to 6-iron, with their distinctive hosel, notch weighting and deep undercut. The big difference with these is the i-brid longer irons - a strange amalgamation between an iron shape, but with the sole width of a utility.
Initially, I found the rear flange, projecting from the back of the clubhead, a little distracting but the quality of strike and its consistency soon won me over. I probably hit the Berthas equally as well and as long as the Mizunos, but prefer the more traditional styling of the Bertha. The ball flight was noticeably higher as well. The wider soles gave me a few concerns on how well they would play on tighter lies, in firmer conditions.
Nick says: The new BBs won't win too many prizes for their looks, but they will win plenty of praise for their performance, which is just stupidly good for what looks like a really clumsy clubhead. The 4-iron could well double up as a garden spade, but it was so easy to launch the ball long and high, so the vegetable patch will just have to wait! They offered a surprisingly good feel for game improvement irons and I have no hesitation in recommending these for all high handicappers looking for more than a little help from their irons. They hit the ball straight, go the distance and are a cinch to get in the air.
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Contact: | Tel:0118 936 2100 www.mizunoeurope.com |
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Specs: |
3-PW. |
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Shaft: |
Dynalite Gold Superlite steel, Exsar IS2 graphite.
(steel) 749 (graphite) |
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Price: |
£649 |
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Manufacturers say: The MX-950s offer a combination of irons and hybrids and are designed for mid to high handicappers looking for ease of launch and high levels of forgiveness. Made from grain flow forged steel, the 3 and 4 are hybrids, while the 5, 6 and 7 irons feature internal tungsten weights in the cavity and wide soles to help deliver solid, forgiving and consistent shots. The remaining short irons (8-PW) are one-piece forgings for scoring clubs that offer unparalleled feel.
Richard says: I really loved these irons, perhaps because the 5-iron to wedge offered the least amount of width to the soles and top lines, and least amount of offset. They gave me a great feel and lots of feedback. I got a nice penetrating ball flight, not ballooning like some of the others, and was able to draw the ball quite easily. The 3 and 4 hybrids that replace the same irons were rather disappointing, and I really didn't get on with them. I'd seriously consider buying the irons, but would leave the hybrids alone.
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Mizuno MX-950
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Steve says: Easily the best-looking set I tested. Sleek and classy, with the head size big enough to inspire confidence, but compact compared to others. The strike from each club was beautifully soft and I liked the utility iron replacement. This may be a minus point for some, who may prefer the option of having irons throughout the set. The shafts were Dynalite Gold, which although not my personal choice, performed well. I struck the ball consistently well, with a penetrating flight throughout. Due to their sleeker appearance, they will probably appeal to mid rather than high handicappers.
Nick says: The forged construction gives these irons a superb soft feel rarely found in a game improvement iron. They feel sweet off dead centre strikes, but let you know that you'd missed the middle when you did which made them less forgiving than some of the other models. The shiny heads are neat and quite compact, and the back cavity is simple and subtle. I didn't have much time for the hybrids that replaced the long irons, and would much rather choose my own hybrids or have the option of more irons. Not for out-and-out choppers, more for pretty consistent iron players who want a bit of extra help.
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| Contact: | Tel: 0800 056 1649 www.nikegolf.com |
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Specs: | 4-PW. |
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Shaft: |
True Temper Speed Step Superlite, UST Graphite shafts. |
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Price: |
£385 (steel) £455
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Manufacturers say: The Slingshots feature a new head design that allows for hybrid-like forgiveness in the long irons, as well as accuracy and control in the mid-size short irons. The Slingback design positions weight low and back in long irons and higher and more forward in the short irons to help ball flight. Progressive offset and a sole width that progressively narrows throughout the set also improves launch conditions.
Richard says: Never hit a Nike iron before, so wasn't sure what to expect, but I was blown away with the performance of these. They felt really solid and well made, and had nice weight to them. The mid to short irons gave me a great trajectory and were among the longest of those we tested. To my eye, the long irons were on the cumbersome side, with plenty of the back of the clubhead visible at address, which tends to make them extremely forgiving. Wide sole makes them hard to nip off a tight lie but off the fairway or the tee they were very easy to hit. Overall, a really good quality set or irons that a wide cross-section of golfers could benefit from.
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Nike Slingshot 4D
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Steve says: The positioning of the Slingback to produce a wider sole made these irons far more visually appealing than the earlier Slingshots. Although not specifically designed for me (I use more of a player's iron), their performance was excellent and I would certainly try other Nike clubs (maybe the CCis) having tried these as they were nicely weighted and produced plenty of distance.
Nick says: I like these, mainly for their distance, which was the longest of those I tested. They felt exceptionally solid, and the lowering of the Slingshot back weight not only helped to launch the ball higher, but put weight right where it was needed to get the clubhead cutting through the turf. The long irons were not overly attractive to look at from address, but it didn't take long to get used to the bulbous look of the backweight, which obviously gives the club its ease of use. A well-made club that offers genuine game improvements.
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| Contact: | Ping |
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Specs: | 3-PW, plus three wedges. |
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Shaft: |
Ping AWT steel, TFC 129i graphite. |
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Price: |
£75 per club (steel), £90 (graphite) |
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Manufacturers say: The G10s are designed with extreme low toe weighting to increase the moment-of-inertia for added forgiveness and consistency and feature large, perimeter-weighted head with a wide sole. The centre of gravity is positioned away from the face and low in the clubhead to promote higher launching, lower spinning shots. An elastomer CTP insert helps produce a solid feel and sound. The shafts are lighter in the long irons to help produce a consistent weight progression and increase clubhead speed and add control and consistency to the short irons.
Richard says: I've never liked the look of Ping irons, as the matt grey finish makes them look rather industrial and workmanlike. I also thought the clubhead looked too long from heel to toe, but that is obviously what gives them forgiveness on slight miss-hits. Looks aside, I really couldn't fault their performance, with the short irons nice and punchy and I got excellent distance and feel off the long irons. I also liked the grips, but still found it hard to warm to their overall appearance.
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Ping G10
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Steve says: A classic Ping iron, the G10s are very understated with its muted matt finish. It still looks classy but in a more functional and sturdy fashion. I like the fact that the basic design of Ping clubs remains the same and that they have not followed the trend of producing over-complicated looking heads. Although the clubs perform well, the strike was firmer than some of the other models and a little less forgiving. They produce a good, strong ball flight, but a little low for my liking in the longer irons. As the G10s are available as single clubs, this would not be too much of an issue, as they could easily be replaced with utilities.
Nick says: Of all its recent game improvement models, Ping's G10s are the most confidence inspiring, with the length of the blade helping to convince me that anything off centre will not be overly punished. Contact felt sweet and solid for a cast head and they are so easy to hit and control. The ball flight is excellent and distance-wise they are right up there, without being the longest of the bunch.
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| Contact: | Tel:0800 731 1480, www.taylormadegolf.com |
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Specs: | 3-PW in Ultra-light graphite or TMTK AM T-Step ultra-light steel |
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Shaft: |
Ping AWT steel, TFC 129i graphite. |
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Price: |
Steel: £849, Graphite: £949 |
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Manufacturers say: Designed to be the easiest hitting of all TaylorMade irons, the 08 version of the r7 CGB Max irons feature an oversized head with visible tungsten weights that increase MOI for greater stability and forgiveness. Clubhead speed is boosted by an ultra-light shaft and the thin, flexible clubface. Inverted Cone Technology, visible on the back of the face, promotes high ball speed on off-centre hits.
Richard says: I love the look of these irons. They are highly polished and the overall package is very classy. Set down behind the ball they are very inviting to hit. The clubhead and shaft are lighter than I was used to, so I had to slow my swing down to get them to perform well for me. They produce a nice high ball flight and even get good distance on the occasional poor contact. Not a fan of the sound at contact, which feels surprisingly tinny for such a respected iron brand.
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TaylorMade r7 CGB Max
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Steve says: The heads looked rather over-complicated for my liking, although their space-age appearance may appeal to some. As soon as I picked the clubs up, I was disappointed, as the grips felt thin and cheap. I only take a medium/large glove size and my initial feeling about the grips was confirmed, as they were too small in diameter.
The sound the club makes at impact, I feel, is unbelievably tinny. Even if the ball flight is good and high, I can never consider putting this club in my bag, as the impact noise was so distracting. Had this been a blind test, I would have said that these were cheap clubs and was staggered to discover their actual cost.
Nick says: I like the overall head design, as you can't see much of the fussy back cavity at address, just a medium thickness topline. The black steel shaft is slightly off-putting and had me questioning whether it was a graphite shaft. There's lots of club to put behind the ball and plenty of offset (without appearing too obvious) for those who like a bit of help keeping the ball straight. I was disappointed with the harsh feel. While they went a good distance, with a higher-than-normal trajectory, I had no idea where the ball had made contact with the clubface, and the sound was plain awful. They are very forgiving, but there was a complete lack of feedback. The shaft is exceptionally light, which will help those with slow swings to generate more clubhead speed, while the flex helped get the ball airborne with ease.
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| | Discuss this article, 1 of 25 messages, read more: |  Gavin Stupple | |
| Posted: 24/04/08 10:28:36 36 | I have just bought some G10's and they are awesome, used to have G2's so I was used to the appearance but I can understand wheer people are coming from here. The clubhead feels like it has so much weight making an easy swing a breeze, I'm using a stiff shaft with cushin insert (only using stiff shaft as mine are 2" longer cause I'm 6' 7" If only I could hit my driver like these!! Gav |
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