On The Improve

If there is an overriding theme to game-improvement irons it would be distance-enhancing attributes packaged in an aesthetically pleasing design. Or, in other words, technological benefits you can’t see in a shape you can see – and like.

Increasingly, club manufacturers are continuing design ideas found in driver lines to deliver similar advances in irons; things that help raise ball speed while retaining forgiveness like thin clubfaces and faces that also cover the sole and the topline. It might be a heat treatment during the construction, a multi-material composition, slots embedded in the clubhead or a substance strategically positioned to minimise vibration. The technology is exceptionally good and is exploited with the mid-handicap player in mind.

So, how to tell if the set you’ve been eyeing in the corner of the pro shop might be classified as ‘game-improvement irons’? It’s all about sole. As a guide, the broader the sole of the clubhead, the lower the centre of gravity and therefore the more forgiving they’ll be. A lower centre of gravity helps get the ball airborne, perhaps the most cherished asset of golfers who fall into the ‘game-improvement’ category.

Still not sure whether you qualify? Take a few different irons to the practice fairway and test them out. Chances are your divots will provide the indicator you need. If you take deep divots, consider using irons with a wider sole. In truth, the span of golfer who falls into the game-improvement realm is broad (who, after all, isn’t trying to improve their game?). Most mid-teen handicappers, C-graders and even some high single-digit players with mediocre iron games will get something out of these clubs.

WILSON C200

The C200 from Wilson has three key features that give the club its unique design. FLX Face Technology means the club has an ultra-thin face and minimal contact points between the face and head. Power Holes are another key feature, where only 24 percent of the head is welded to the face of the club, giving the club lots more flex at impact. Finally there’s the urethane that fills these holes, providing a dampening effect a long with improved sound and feel.

Ball speed, launch angle and carry distance are all improved, and compared to the company’s C100 7-iron Wilson has increased the overall distance by 4.2 metres. Against competitors it averages an extra 3.7 metres.

Specifications: The set spans 3-iron to sand wedge, in right-or left-handed, with a choice of KBS Tour 90 steel or Aldila Rogue Iron graphite shafts.

RRP: $139.95 each (steel), $149.95 each (graphite). www.wilson.com

CALLAWAY XR OS

To create the new XR OS irons, Callaway club designers took the company’s industry-leading Face Cup technology and made it even faster, implemented a wider sole design and placed the centre of gravity in a location that helps optimise launch conditions. The centre of gravity has been positioned lower and further back, making these irons easier to hit and to achieve launch conditions that lead to more distance.

The XR OS irons’ multi-piece construction includes a new heat treatment of the face cup for even more ball speed and a soft heat treatment on the body for better feel. The wide sole design provides more forgiveness and progressive lengths and lofts through the set are designed to give more distance from each club. Additionally, the women’s XR OS Irons feature a wider sole, graphite shafts and light swingweights to help deliver more distance.

Specifications: The set spans 4-iron to sand wedge, in right-or left-handed, with a choice of TT Speed Step 80 steel or Mitsubishi Fubuki AT graphite shafts.

RRP: $168.75 each (steel), $187.50 each (graphite). au.callawaygolf.com

SRIXON Z355 AND Z155 IRONS

Developed with the sole objective of consistency, Srixon’s Z355 and Z155 irons are packed with technology designed to deliver increased distance and accuracy. The Z355 irons feature Action Mass technology, which combines higher head weights with one of two premium ultra-high balance point shaft options – the Miyazaki Jinsoku graphite offering and the Nippon® NS Pro® 950GH DST steel option. Both are engineered to help promote a more consistent, stable swing on every club.

The class-leading Tour V.T. Sole, one of the most talked-about technological advances inside the ropes, is enhanced for the Z355 and Z155 and delivers more consistent turf interaction. A two-piece construction in the 4- to 7-irons (maraging steel face, 17-4 steel body) and one-piece construction in the 8-iron to gap wedge (431 steel) offers full set playability and versatility. The Z155 features a wide sole design for easier loft.

Specifications: The Z355 irons are available in men’s (right- and left-handed) and women’s (right-handed only). The Z155 irons are available in right-hand only for both men and women.

SRP: $158 each (steel), $179 each (graphite). www.srixon.com.au

MIZUNO JPX 850

Mizuno’s explosively solid JPX850 irons break all the normal rules of golf equipment, with a face that flexes past the competition limits placed by the R&A and USGA on drivers.

The breakthrough in ball speed and distance is achieved through increasing the flexible portion of the clubface. A reinforced frame around the clubface makes it play effectively larger, without increasing its size. Equally as important, the framework ensures ball speeds are consistently high across the entire clubface and that high co-efficient of restitution is not created at the expense of feel or control.

The harmonically tuned short top frame edge controls vibration, a Dual Relief Zone sole cut away back edge effectively plays narrower, while the reverse set flow sees the long irons featuring a longer blade length than the pitching wedge.

Specifications: The set spans 4-iron to pitching wedge, in right-or left-handed, with a choice of XP105 steel shafts, R300 or S300, or 2014 Orochi graphite shafts.

RRP: $145 each (steel shafts), $160 each (graphite shafts). www.mizuno.com.au

PING G

Ping’s new G irons are heat-treated using a specialised process, creating a Hyper 17-4 alloy that is 40 percent stronger than traditional 17-4 stainless steel. This allows the faces to be thinner and provide four times the face flexing with improved stability. The results are big distance gains and a higher peak trajectory for better stopping power so you can hit and hold the green.

COR-Eye Technology generates sizeable distance gains by simultaneously activating the sole, face and top rail in flexing for consistently faster ball speeds across the hotter face. In addition to four times the face flexing, the G head is more stable and forgiving.

Connecting the Custom Tuning Port to the sole creates a deeper centre of gravity that helps elevate the launch angle while increasing moment of inertia for greater accuracy. At address, the iron’s refined look is created by a thin top rail, satin-blast finish and appropriate offset.

Specifications: The set spans 4-iron to lob wedge, in right-or left-handed, with a choice of AWT 2.0, CFS Graphite or TFC 80I shafts.

RRP: from $180 per iron. www.ping.com

BRIDGESTONE J15 CAST

The longest and most forgiving iron within Bridgestone’s extensive J15 line, the oversize cast steel of the J15 Cast model is designed to inspire confidence in mid- to high-handicappers.

The Flex Action Speed Technology the company utilised in creating the J15 460 driver returns with the J15 Cast irons, an addition the company says was a natural fit for a game-improvement set. A 360-degree undercut channelled pocket boosts moment of inertia to create a flexible and easy launch, with noticeable gains in distance and accuracy. Perhaps most appealing is the wide, rounded Sure Contact Sole that offers maximum forgiveness on off-centre strikes.

Specifications: The set spans 4-iron to sand wedge, in right-hand only, with a Nippon N.S. Pro 950GH shaft as standard. Custom shaft, grip and ferrule options are available

RRP: $1,294. www.bridgestonegolf.com.au

COBRA KING F6

Optimum performance in each Cobra King F6 iron is achieved through the creation of the ultimate progressive set. A full hollow design with face insert in the long irons (3- to 5-iron) delivers a low centre of gravity with a highly responsive face. A half-hollow design in the mid-irons (6- and 7-iron) provides an extremely thin face design with added discretionary weight for optimal centre of gravity positioning. The cavity-back design in the scoring irons (8-iron to pitching wedge) allows for a low/back centre of gravity position that provides more spin and added shot control.

Specifications: King F6 irons come with the FST Steel Flighted shaft or Matrix Red Tie 65Q4 graphite shaft and are available in both right- and left-handed options in L, A, R and S flexes.

RRP: $139 each (steel), $159 each (graphite). www.cobragolf.com.au

TITLEIST 716 AP1

Titleist calls its 716 AP1 the longest, most forgiving Titleist iron ever, designed for golfers seeking maximum distance and maximum forgiveness. A 360-degree undercut cavity results in a large, thin, unsupported face area, which flexes more at impact for increased ball speed. High-density tungsten, placed in the long and mid-irons, produces a lower centre of gravity for a higher launch angle.

The forgiving, high-moment-of-inertia design – with 50 percent more tungsten than prior generation 714 – maximises feel and toe stability without increasing AP1’s preferred blade length, while producing higher ball speeds across the face for more consistent distance on off-centre strikes.

Specifications: The set spans 3-iron to 52° wedge, in right-or left-handed, with a choice of True Temper XP90, MRC KuroKage TiNi 65 or MRC KuroKage TiNi 50 shafts.

RRP: $165 each (steel shafts), $205 each (graphite shafts). www.titleist.com.au

NIKE VAPOR FLY

Nike’s Vapor Fly irons feature three unique RZN-enhanced, game-improvement constructions pushing weight lower and toward the perimeter for consistent, high and long-approach shots with tremendous feel.

Modern Muscle technology balances the centre of gravity in the middle of the face to optimise stability, energy transfer and feel for consistent performance and shot-making. Lightweight RZN material enables more mass to be distributed lower and deeper for higher ball flight. The combination of a variable thickness, flexible Nexcor face supported by a stiffened, Flybeam-reinforced chassis delivers increased ball speed, with less penalising mis-hits for longer, more consistent shots across the entire face.

Specifications: True Temper’s ZT 85 steel shaft comes standard, while the set comprises 4-iron to pitching wedge. Left-handed models are available.

RRP: $1,250 to $1,350. www.nikegolf.com

TAYLORMADE M2

Designed for golfers who would benefit from an iron that prioritises both distance and trajectory, while also delivering great forgiveness and feel, TaylorMade’s M2 iron is designed for complete performance.

In creating the M2 irons, engineers employed several innovative features, including a new proprietary fluted hosel, 360-degree undercut, Inverted Cone Technology, a new 3D badge and the company’s patented Speed Pocket technology.

A significant amount of mass is trapped in the hosel of all irons. To position the centre of gravity low in the M2 iron, TaylorMade’s engineers utilised a new fluted hosel design to remove discretionary mass from the hosel, redistributing it lower and further back in the clubhead. The M2 iron also features an advanced topline construction – a 360-degree undercut that functions to increase the unsupported face area while saving weight to lower the centre of gravity

Specifications: The set spans 4-iron to gap wedge, in right-or left-handed, with a choice of REAX 88 High Launch steel or M2 REAX graphite shafts, plus custom options available.

RRP: $169 each (steel shafts), $189 each (graphite shafts). www.taylormadegolf.com.au