Connect with us

Iron Reviews

Review: Honma TW737-Vs Forged Irons

Published

on

Your Reaction?
  • 247
  • LEGIT31
  • WOW17
  • LOL2
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP8
  • OB1
  • SHANK37

When he is not obsessing about his golf game, Kane heads up an innovation lab responsible for driving innovative digital product development for Fortune 500 companies. He is also the co-founder of RoundShout and creator of Ranger GPS, the free iOS GPS app for the driving range. On a quest to become a scratch golfer, Kane writes about his progress (for better or worse) at kanecochran.com and contributes golf technology-focused articles on GolfWRX.com.

29 Comments

29 Comments

  1. Satya Mantena

    Aug 11, 2019 at 11:43 pm

    Kane – Thanks for sharing the review is great detail. I bought 737-VS for $499 @ PGASuperstore, its an amazing set. I have added you to my LinkedIn connections (hope you accept). Enjoy Golfing … Forever

  2. David

    Sep 9, 2018 at 12:39 am

    Kane,

    Great article! I was lookingnfor a set myself and i thought you provided more than enough information. Your review was very insightful and helpful.

    BTW, I didnt know there were so many trolls on GolfWRX. Dont mind them. Keep up the good work!

  3. Matt smith

    Apr 25, 2018 at 2:24 am

    I picked a set up six months ago, and have nothing but praise for these irons. I wanted to get into a set of titleist irons, but my fitter handed me one of these irons, the feeling of the ball off the face, made it a no brainer. When pured, they feel like a soft blade. The cost was $20 cheaper then the titleist offerings. Give them a try

  4. Roy

    Mar 4, 2018 at 7:47 am

    I’ve switched to tw737vn from titleist CB last year.
    VN has almost normal spec (34deg/7i) and distance comes from those are almost par to Titleist CB.
    Both feels butterly smooth and soft, but This Honma has more forgiveness at off center hit.
    Also I had my own hook problem with CB, but Honma turn its head milder than CB at the impact while keeping distance.
    This makes me much less dispersion at scoring shot and fully satisfied with it.

  5. smartphone

    Sep 10, 2017 at 6:13 pm

    I’m gone to convey my little brother, that he should also visit this blog on regular basis to
    get updated from most up-to-date news update.

  6. Steve C

    Sep 8, 2017 at 11:51 am

    My observation is this. Club manufacturers put out new product on a regular basis always claiming improved performance. I can’t believe that technology moves so fast that I am going to be able to take an average of multiple strokes off my rounds just by upgrading clubs every couple years. Ultimately, it’s still me that has to hit the ball. Would a purchase like this (or any others new model) take me from my current handicap of four, down to one? I really doubt it.

    • LITM

      Sep 8, 2017 at 9:19 pm

      Some of us make enough money to have the nicer things in life…
      There’s levels to this, peasant

    • Buck

      Sep 8, 2017 at 9:23 pm

      Do you really have nothing better to do with your time than spam/troll these forums with your nonsense?
      You must have a word-of-the-month calendar, and for September it was “infantile”.
      If you don’t like the price of the clubs, then don’t buy them and get on with your life.

  7. Woody

    Sep 7, 2017 at 10:30 pm

    The lofts make no sense to me..actually they do they are 2-PW.

  8. david

    Sep 7, 2017 at 2:47 pm

    Just curious, did Honma give you these clubs in exchange for the review? If not, why would you pay that money for clubs before you test them out? Not criticizing, just want to know. I play the rsi 2s as well and hit it low (recovering sweeper). interesting to see how they compare.

    • Kane Cochran

      Sep 7, 2017 at 3:04 pm

      Hi David – Yes Honma did provide the clubs for me to review, which is very typical. You’re right, it would (almost) never make sense to buy a new set of clubs without testing them first. I’ve swapped out the RSi2 for these already. Not sure if you’ll have the same impression, but I would definitely give them a hit when you’re testing new clubs.

      • Jose

        Oct 26, 2018 at 3:03 am

        Hi kane,
        Could you tell me if in the United States your head is made in sakata? How many digits do you have there 7 or 8? I would like to be able to verify the ones that are bought in USA.
        Thanks

  9. Amr

    Sep 7, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    Not a very convincing review and the reason it lacks the most important thing, how do these compare to other forged offerings from Mizuno, Miura, BStone, etc…..
    The review keep driving the feel aspect of the clubs while not comparing to similar feel biased brands like Mizuno or Miura
    Like how is this set different than the JPX-900s, Z765, Z565 etc…

  10. OB

    Sep 7, 2017 at 11:58 am

    What a silly club design only intended to suck in the sad geerheads. There is no relevant technology in these clubs that will improve performance. Clubheads are just pieced of dead metal that have little to no influence on swing performance or even ball flight. Only neurotics who fall in love with clubheads will claim fantastic performance by the clubhead. Sad.

  11. Ns

    Sep 7, 2017 at 11:28 am

    These irons are no longer made in Japan, therefore the lower prices

    • Kane Cochran

      Sep 7, 2017 at 11:53 am

      You’re right. They moved most of their TW line outside Japan. Only clubs stamped with Made in Japan Sakata are still produced at that facility. The set I received was not so I didn’t focus on that aspect. They claim to use the same materials and have moved craftsmen from Japan to the new facilities to continue to provide the same level of quality. Whether that is true across the board or not we will wait and see.

      • Raymond CHASTEL

        Sep 8, 2017 at 10:04 am

        If your clubs are not made in JAPAN ,they are HONMA by the name ,not by the quality .
        It’s like a TOYOTA not made in JAPAN .I have one which is 20 years old ,it runs like a Swiss Watch :nothing to do with the TOYOTA’s made outside of JAPAN .
        I know the JAPANESE manufacturing very well ,I was CEO of OTIS and SKF :the factories we had in JAPAN produced better products than those we had in USA or EUROPE .I have visited all the Toyota factories in JAPAN :what a difference with their German and US counterparts .
        Remember MITSUBISHI produced the ZERO fighter which outclassed every isngle US British or German fighter of the time !

        • AL

          Sep 10, 2017 at 2:54 pm

          Japanese quality = Dr. Deming + no obese factory workers + no unions.
          Golf club so-called ‘quality’ is well subordinate to golf swing ability.
          IOW…. ability > quality …. in golf performance.
          Just look at Bobby Jones swinging a hickory shafted primitive design clubhead and hitting whacky golf balls.

        • Fk

          Sep 11, 2017 at 1:48 am

          Well, at least irons like these don’t have mechanical or electronic parts to them, so I’m sure the quality is fine, being made in Taiwan as they are, like the rest of them in China. Not a big deal

    • Wizardofflatstickmountain

      Sep 8, 2017 at 6:36 pm

      It’s a japanese company, so irrelevant.

      Cant get lower than failing as a troll.

  12. Mark

    Sep 7, 2017 at 10:02 am

    Thanks for the thorough review. I will argue that the feel isn’t there. I hit these up against the MP18 series, the Srixon 765, Bridgestone J15CB. Not even close as the Homna suffer a harder impact feeling. And with those blocky cavity design characteristics it better feel good or it’s got very little going for it.

    • Kane Cochran

      Sep 7, 2017 at 10:29 am

      Thanks for your feedback, Mark. It’s tough to get everyone to agree on feel, it’s just one of those super subjective aspects of testing. So I appreciate hearing what others think, thanks for sharing.

      • canadiangolfer

        Sep 8, 2017 at 1:12 pm

        Honestly such a true fact. I work in a golf shop and everyone has different opinions. I have had people say the M2 irons feel amazing. Kinda have to take a quick walk and have a laugh. Some people hate the feel of Mizuno. Personally I play Miura irons, which many people debate are the softest in the world. When I hit them they feel more “solid”. That may be what this guy is feeling. I feel like this is what this gentleman is feeling. It is a soft feel once you get used to it but it does feel solid.

  13. Tcann32

    Sep 7, 2017 at 9:35 am

    They look great, and as much as I hate beating a dead horse, those lofts are insane, and unless there is a mechanical issue in the tester’s swing, which I’m guessing there’s not, then that 9i isn’t spinning nearly enough. With lofts this strong, the clubs will legitimately become less accurate.

  14. SV

    Sep 7, 2017 at 8:26 am

    Pitching wedge way too strong and a 3 iron that is probably close to un-hittable at 19*. Cost is listed as a Con, but this model is only $10 per club more than Titleist AP1s, a cast club. Titleist AP2s, which are forged also are listed at $185 per club on Titleist’s website.
    My usual tirade;when are manufacturers and players going to come to their senses. Irons are for accuracy, not distance. As lofts continue to get stronger how many gap wedges are going to be needed? Also, as gaps between clubs get smaller (2*), why do we need to carry a full complement of clubs?

  15. Anders

    Sep 7, 2017 at 7:54 am

    Look great but 43* PW, yikes! How were the 3i strikes because there is only 17 yards difference to the 6i?

    • Kane Cochran

      Sep 7, 2017 at 10:24 am

      Hey Anders – The 3 iron felt great and these numbers are based on solid shots. Sadly, my long iron swings with any club end up with narrower gapping than they should on average. Its a limitation of my own swing and not the clubs and something I’m working on.

      • Ns

        Sep 7, 2017 at 11:27 am

        But you said yourself you’ve always hit the irons low, so why get clubs also made to hit lower with stronger lofts? duh

        • Kane Cochran

          Sep 7, 2017 at 11:37 am

          Your point is spot on. Usually it wouldn’t make sense. I will likely not keep the 3i in the bag, at 19º in a smaller package and with less distance than I hit a hybrid, it doesn’t make sense for me. This review was about the set as a whole though. I’ve actually tried clubs designed for higher launch and haven’t found one that fit my eye or game. Probably because I’ve dealt with a lower trajectory for so long. These fit nicely with similar on course performance, but better feel, so they’ll go in the bag for now.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Club Junkie

Club Junkie Review: Cobra’s new King Tour irons

Published

on

The Cobra King Tour irons have been proven on the PGA Tour already and will be in bags of better amateur players this year. The previous King Tour MIM irons were very underrated and offered great precision with a solid shape that many players liked. Cobra went away from the Metal Injection Molded construction and went with a five-step forging process for soft and solid feel.

Make sure to check out the full podcast review at the links below and search GolfWRX Radio on every podcast platform.

I was a big fan of the previous Tour MIM irons and played them in rotation throughout the last two years. Out of the box, I was impressed with the more simple and clean look of the badging on the new King Tour. Badging is mostly silver with just small black accents that should appeal to even the pickiest golfers. I didn’t notice the shorter blade length in the new irons but did notice that the leading edge is just slightly more rounded. Topline is thin, but not razor thin, but still has enough there to give you the confidence that you don’t have to hit it on the dead center every shot.

Feel is solid and soft with just a slight click to the thud on well struck shots while mishits are met with a little more sound and vibration to the hands.

These King Tour irons are built to be cannons and place more emphasis on consistent and precise shots. I also felt like the new irons launch easily and maybe a touch higher than some irons in the same category.

My launch monitor showed my 7 iron with an average launch angle of 22 degrees and spin right around 5,800 with a Project X LZ 6.0 stock shaft. Ball speed isn’t the ultimate focus of this iron but it did well with an average around 108mph and the iron was able to keep the speed up well when you didn’t strike the center. You will still see a drop off in speed and distance when you miss the center, but you don’t have to be Navy SEAL sniper accurate on the face to achieve a good shot. Dispersion was very tight, and while there are bigger irons with more forgiveness, this players cavity still allows good playability when you aren’t bringing your A-plus game to the course.

Cobra lists the King Tour as an iron for a Tour level player up to a 7 handicap and I think this iron could see the bags of more golfers than that. I am a 9.4 handicap, and I felt more than comfortable playing this iron even on less than perfect days.

Your Reaction?
  • 14
  • LEGIT4
  • WOW2
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

Equipment

GolfWRX Member Reviews: TaylorMade 2017 M1 and M2 Irons

Published

on

One of the many benefits of being a GolfWRX Forum Member is exclusive access to Giveaways and Testing Threads. For Giveaways — we give away everything from golf clubs to golf balls to GPS units — all it takes is a forum name. Enter any Giveaway, and we select winners randomly. You’re then free to enjoy your prize as you wish.

For Testing Threads, the process a bit more involved. GolfWRX Forum Members sign up to test the latest and greatest products in golf, and then they provide in-depth reviews on the equipment. Being the intelligent golf-equipment users they are, GoflWRX Members are able to provide the most-informed and unbiased reviews on the Internet.

df5745825623a9697f92315cd9d8f1d7

In this Testing Thread, we selected 75 members to test a TaylorMade M1 2017 7-iron and TaylorMade M2 7-iron. Each of the clubs were built with the stock lofts and shafts — M2 2017 (28.5 degrees) with a TaylorMade Reax shaft, and M1 2017 (30.5 degrees) with a True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 shaft — and the testers were instructed to post their review of the clubs here.

Below, we’ve selected what we’ve deemed the most in-depth and educated reviews out of the 75 testers. We have edited each of the posts for brevity, clarity and grammar.

Thanks to all of those involved in the testing!

Brock9007

To be honest, looking down on the TaylorMade M1 and M2 irons at address, there is really not much difference. I would have to pick one up to see which is which.

The first 10 balls I hit were with M1 and 6/10 felt great, while the other 4 were toe hits, which I felt and the distance reflected that. Kinda what I expected with a club design for lower-handicap players. Distance was about 1/2 longer than my Srixon iron and dispersion was close, as well. I will say they did not feel as good as the Srixon on center hits.

Next 10 (ok, 15) balls were with the M2. Wow, can you say “up, up and away? The ball really popped of the club face, but wasn’t a ballon flight. Waited for the ball to come down and WTH, with the roll out it was 5-8 yards longer than balls hit with M1, and that is with a few toe shots. I did some smooth swings and then very aggressive swings and was a little amazed at this iron. Just like the M1, it does not have the forged feeling and does have a clicky sound (which I hate).

Bottom line: M2 is the longest iron I have ever hit. I love my 545s, but I could see myself playing M2 very easily. Matter of fact, I will be taking this M2 7 iron in my bag and play it more head-to-head against my Srixon 545 on the course.

deathbymuffin

These are both beautiful clubs. What surprised me the most is how much alike the two clubs look at address. I was expecting a chunky topline and significant offset in the M2, but it’s footprint looked almost exactly the same as the M1, outside of the chrome finish on the M2 versus the frosted finish of the M1. The M2 could almost pass as a player’s iron to my eye at address. These clubs both get A’s from me in the looks department.

The M1 felt a tad thicker than most player’s irons I’m used to, but it seemed to come with a bit of added forgiveness too. Well-struck shots felt good, with a nice mid-trajectory and with the workability that I’ve come to expect from a player’s iron. But true to TaylorMade’s claims, the M1 seemed more forgiving than a traditional player’s iron. Had a nice soft feel at impact, mishits didn’t sting and left you with a more playable result. A really nice combination of the better attributes of both player’s and game improvement irons. I’ve been playing with an old set of Tommy Armour blades, but I’ve been recently wanting more forgiveness for when I’m stuck with my B or C swing. Based on the early returns, I could definitely see myself bagging these.

I’m not sure if it’s the shaft, the design of the clubhead, or a combination of both, but the M2 is definitely a different animal than the M1 at impact. This club launches the ball high, arguably ridiculously so. I was hitting Jason Day moonbombs with this bad boy. Didn’t seem to matter what kind of swing I put on it, the ball launched high, flat and dead straight. The club was super forgiving and if not for the insanely high ball flight, I would love to have a set of these for when my swing is out of sorts. I didn’t really try to flight it at all, so I’m not sure what it’s capable of at this point. One other note was that the M2 had a clicky feel at impact. It didn’t bother me since it still felt so sweet… so strange as it sounds, clicky, but smooth and sweet at the same time. I think these clubs will be big winners with the mid-to-high handicap set.

The M1 is a fine iron, but doesn’t really stand out in any way from other irons of its class.

The M2, on the other hand, is an iron on steroids. I’m really starting to love this thing. It’s super forgiving and just goes and goes. According to my laser, flush shots were going 195 yards (my usual blade 5 iron distance) and very high. I can’t help but think golf would be a whole lot easier, particularly longer courses with long par 3s, with a full set of these in my bag.

poppyhillsguy

M1 feels softer than the M2 and I felt the ball flight was more consistent and what I want in an iron. The M1 did have a harsher feeling in my hands than I typically like, but I’m going to credit a lot of that to the range balls.

M2 flies very high. It was a windy afternoon and about 100 degrees. I love the high ball flight on the range, but I have a concern what that ball flight would be like on the course. I like to hit the ball different heights for different shots and I don’t think I could do that confidently with the M2, but I could with the M1. I don’t like the sound of the M2. It sounded “clicky” to me.

Fourpar18

Initially on the range I was scared because the M1 had a regular flex in it, so I took it easy for my initial 10-15 swings with it. Ball SHOT off the face, loud crack (didn’t care for it, but not too bad) and ball just kept rising and rising but didn’t balloon. I thought, “whoa,” that’s not what I expected…did it again…another CRACK and the ball just flew. I set another down and I paid attention to how it looked behind the ball, not much offset for a game improvement and I thought…”I could actually play this club!”  The 5-7 were EASY swings, aimed at a target of 170 yards away (my normal 7 iron distance) and with a EASY swing I was flying it by 20 yards or so. The next 5-10 I really went after it, same CRACK and ball just flew but to my surprise it was a nice draw, harder draw than the first but it was a nice 10-yard draw. This time the balls were landing just short of the 200 yard marker. Damn, 200 yards with a 7 iron! I know they are jacked lofts but it feels good to say “my 7 irons just few 190-200 yards!”

P.S. LOVE the Lamkin UTX grip!

Now, this was interesting, the M2 was quieter then the M1… weird!  Now, there is more carbon fiber added to this one and there is a “Geocoustic” label on the back. I am sure that it has something to do with all that carbon fiber but it does have a better sound. Other than the sound, it played exactly like the M1: long and straight. The REAX shaft felt a little weaker than the True Temper shaft and it flew a little higher but nothing else I could pick up.

noahdavis_7

Finally got out to the range after getting these bad boys in on Friday. My first impression of them is that they look really sharp. The graphics and design really stand out and really give these clubs a cool, modern look.

They were both a little to big IMO, as I am currently bagging Mizuno MP-68s. The M2 isa definite “game improvement iron”, while the M1 was similar in size and shape to my previous irons, Titleist AP1s.

They both really launch it, high and far. Ridiculous for 7 irons. I don’t have access to a launch monitor, but it was about a 20-yard difference between my gamer 7 iron and these (stronger lofts, as well).

The M1 definitely was more suited for my eye, and produced more consistent ball flights. It felt much more smooth and solid as the M2 had a clicky, cheap feel.

The M2 just isn’t for me. I felt like it was launching too high and ballooning, which could be due to the shaft (the M1 had the S300, while the M2 just had a stock “Reax” shaft). The feel off the face of the M2 just turned me off, to be honest.

While I don’t think I’ll be putting either model in play, I can definitely see the appeal for mid-to-high handicaps. Both irons were super forgiving, and they should be a dream to the average weekend golfer who has trouble with ball striking consistently.

golfnut5438

Looks: As expected, I preferred the M1 with less offset, slightly smaller sole and a smoother finish. Less glare looking down on the iron. I must say the M2 did not look as bulky, or have as much offset as I thought it might have.

Feel: This was a close race, probably due to the shafts as much as the heads. The M1 was just a slight bit smoother feeling on solid shots. But the M2 was not bad at all, just not quite as smooth.

Distance and performance: Our range has a slight incline up the length of the range, so specific yardage gains or losses were difficult to measure. Both irons had a higher trajectory than my gamer 7 iron. Neither sole dug onto the turf either. The lofts for both irons are a degree or two stronger than mine, so I would think they probably flew a little further than my gamers. Neither iron flew “too” high, however. Might be a little harder to hit knock down shots, though.

Final thoughts: I had hit both the M1 and M2 irons last year during a fitting day, but did not like either. This year’s model were both better in my eyes. I asked a fellow member at our club to hit both and he felt the M1 was his preferred model, and he is a 20-index player. So coming from both a single digit, and a high double-digit, the M1 won this battle of wills. I will try and see if I can locate both a 5 iron and 9 iron to see if a full set might be a winner for me.

DblEgl

I was surprised that the M2 was the winner in this brief session. It felt better, flew higher, easier to hit and about 1/2 club longer that my gamer Apex CF16. The feel/sound was better than I thought it might be, but really not up to the CF16. I could, however, easily game the M2’s.

Bstein74

Feel: I hit the M2 first, and found it to be very solid when hit on the screws. There was almost no feel off the club face at all. When I mishit it, you knew it was, but it wasn’t harsh at all. Hit the M1 next, and same type of feel when hit solid. Much more harsh when mishit though, but I knew that was coming.

Distance and performance: This is was where I was curious to see how they would play. The M2 went out high in the air, and just kept going forever. Now granted my eyesight isn’t that great anymore, but it looked like I got about 10-15 yards more from the M2 compared to my Wilson D300. The only thing I didn’t like about the M2 was how much I was able to turn it over. Got a lot more hook compared to my D300. Don’t know if that was from the REAX shaft, but would love to find a less spinning shaft to correct that.

The M1 wasn’t a great performer for me. Same height as the M2, but much straighter off the club face. Didn’t get any great distance advantage as compared to my D300. Can’t game a player’s iron anymore, and testing this one just reaffirmed that.

Final thoughts: Was very happy with the distance I gained with the M2 compared to my current gamer. Very good-performing iron for me, and something I would definitely consider changing them out if I could reduce the spin off the face. If you’re looking for more distance, you need to try these out. The M1 just wasn’t for me, but as a player’s iron, I can see it as a great option.

Bobcat271

Like the other testers, I found the M2 to launch the ball much higher and is 10-to-15 yards longer than my Adams XTD forged 7 iron. Of the two 7 irons I prefer the M1. I like the design of the M1 and its visual appearance at address. I feel more confident in trying to work the ball with the M1. The M1 gave me more feedback as to where the club head was in relation to my swing plane. If I had my druthers I would put the M1 in the bag as it stands now. Will continue to test, what a treat to compare the two irons.

myurick2

Once I started making solid contact with a decent shoulder turn, the M2 really came alive in my hands. Towering flat height, for me, and very long. No more clacky hollow feel, just a very mild pleasant sensation… then zoom. Once I started making better swings, back to the M1, which was a very nice iron. Shorter than the M2 (though not short) and a little lower ball flight. Felt nice and substantial without being heavy. Very forgiving on slight mishits.

But the M2 was the star for me. High trajectory and very long. Club felt lively and fun. Frankly, unless a player wanted a lower trajectory, or likes to hit a lot of knock downs or feel shots, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t choose the M2. They are very attractive and a very fun iron. I think folks who say that the M2 feels and/or sounds clicky, clacky or hollow may be mishitting the iron toward the toe. I am not judging — I mishit a lot of shots at first. I agree on toe mishits the iron did not feel great. It almost felt like plastic. The ball still flew pretty well, but it wasn’t a very enjoyable experience. Not painful, just felt very dead. But when hit nearer the center, the iron felt fantastic. Light, springy and very lively. 

hammergolf

They are both good-looking clubs. Not too long heel to toe and toplines were not that distracting. M1 is more what I like to see shape wise, but M2 was not bad at all. Personally, not a fan of seeing the face slots. But I could see how some people may like how they frame the ball. 

Ace2000

M1 

– Has a very odd sound on contact, almost sounds a tad like a fairway wood “ting. Not a fan
– Looks very good at address with the brushed finish
– Most shots I hit with it seemed to fall out of the sky (very likely a lack of spin). Ball flight was much lower than I would have expected (not super low, just not much different than my 7 iron)
– Inconsistent misses. Next to no distance gains vs RocketBladez Tour 7 iron

M2

– Doesn’t look as good at address as the M1. Chrome finish at address is not an issue in even direct sunlight for me
– Feels and sounds quite nice to my ears at impact. Not a classic sound but very good considering what type of club it is
– Ball flight is very strong (comes off hot). Ball stays high in the air for awhile. Very high and lands soft
– 10-12 yards longer on average vs my 7 iron, it even had the horsepower to hang with my 6 iron
– VERY forgiving on thin strikes. Couldn’t believe how a near-top still traveled to nearly the front edge in the air and still went as far as the M1 did on a good strike
– Shaft is too light

Even though I’m a 2-handicap and don’t fit the M2 “mold,” I could see myself playing this club from 4-6 iron (although gapping would be a major issue mixing these with almost anything else) if it had a heavier shaft in it (I can only imagine how far this 4 iron must go… yikes)

M1 = 2.5/5 stars
M2 = 4.5/5 stars

tpeterson

Visual first impressions: The M1 7-iron is visually appealing to me as far as the finish and overall look. Even though it is classified as a player’s iron, it doesn’t seem so tiny that it would be tough to hit. I am not a huge fan of the bright-yellow badging, but I probably could get over it. The iron inspires confidence with its topline and a little bit of offset. The “rubber” piece on the hosel is a little bit funky to me.

I thought the M2 7-iron would look clunkier than it really is. Besides the finish being a little bit different, the difference between the M1 and M2 is actually pretty small. The M2’s topline and sole are a touch wider, but not by much. Not a huge fan of the fluted hosel since it can be seen at address. The M1’s fluting is only on the rear of the club.

I did notice that the sole’s finish did scratch pretty easily. Overall, I thought the M1 and M2 are pretty good looking, but I would definitely give the edge to the M1. I also preferred the stock Lamkin grip on the M1 vs. the ribbed M2 grip.

On course action: They both feel solid. I tried hitting both irons in all different types of on-course situations over a two week period. Both clubs launch the ball high but I would not say they balloon. For me, the M2 was about 10 yards longer and higher than the M1. Compared to my Cleveland irons, they are 1 to 1.5 clubs longer.

M1 loft = 30.5
M2 loft = 28.5
Cleveland TA7 loft = 33.5

I know this accounts for the distance gain but the ball definitely comes off hot compared to my set. I was hoping I would hit the M1 better since I like the appearance better, but that was not the case. The M2 definitely felt better for me and I felt more confident with it in my hands.

Discussion: Read all 75 reviews and the responses in our Testing Thread

Your Reaction?
  • 30
  • LEGIT4
  • WOW1
  • LOL1
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP3
  • OB3
  • SHANK20

Continue Reading

Equipment

Members Choice: The Best Irons of 2017

Published

on

To help golfers find the best irons for them in 2017, we enlisted the services of GolfWRX Members, the most knowledgeable golfers on the internet. They not only understand the technology used in the latest golf equipment, but they also test new clubs extensively. Following their detailed experiences and words of wisdom about the latest products is the perfect starting point for anyone interested in purchasing new golf clubs.

To gather their votes and feedback, we as a company first needed to properly sort the irons into categories. We aimed to keep the categories as simple as possible with 2017’s crop of irons, and we broke them down into three general categories:

  • Players Irons: Basically, small-sized irons. These irons have sleek top lines and soles. They place workability and control over distance, and for that reason they’re irons you can expect to see in the bag of a professional golfer.
  • Game-Improvement Irons: Basically, medium-sized irons. This category includes a wide-range of clubs that blend distance, forgiveness, good looks and workability.
  • Super Game-Improvement Irons: Basically, large-sized irons. These irons are juiced with hot faces, wide soles, thick top lines, big offset and a low center of gravity, among other engineering feats, that are often unique to each company.

Note: Because of the abundance of Players Irons currently available, we divided that category into two categories: Players Irons and Exotics Players Irons. The Exotic Players Irons list included players irons from companies such as Epon, Fourteen, Miura, PXG, and Honma, which are not as widely available for testing in the U.S.

Below you can access the full results of our Members Choice 2017: Best Irons lists, as well as feedback about each iron from the GolfWRX Community. We’d like to sincerely thank all the GolfWRX Members who participated in the voting and provided feedback on the irons. We also want to thank those of you who provided feedback on the voting process itself. We assure you that we read and consider everything, and we’re going to continue to improve our process in order to provide the best and most useful information about the latest golf equipment.

Members Choice: The Best Players Irons

Mizuno_JPX_900_Tour_Feat-1021x580

Vote Leader: Mizuno JPX-900 Tour

“WOW! Great mix of buttery feel and forgiveness.”

Overall, the Mizuno JPX-900 Tour irons earned nearly 15 percent of votes on the Players iron category, giving them top billing for players irons. One GolfWRX member said he was “weak in the knees from first look at the satin finish and compact size,” and that the “feel is excellent, and there’s just enough forgiveness.” Another said the JPX-900 Tour irons are the “best irons out there right now in terms of blending feel, forgiveness, and the ability to shape shots.”

Full List: The Best Players Irons of 2017

Members Choice: The Best Exotic Players Irons

PXG0311t-600x377

Vote Leader: PXG 0311T

“I can’t say I have ever hit anything that feels as good as the PXG.”

With more 21 percent of votes for the Best Exotics Players Irons of 2017, PXG’s 0311T irons were described by GolfWRX members as “a great looking club,” and that they “felt unbelievable.” When comparing the irons to Titleist’s 716 MB irons, one member said, “The fact that you can barely tell if it has or doesn’t have more offset than the MB 7 iron just shows how little it has.”

Full List: The Best Exotic Players Irons of 2017

Members Choice: Best Game-Improvement Irons

CallawayApexMembersChoice

Vote Leader: Callaway Apex CF ’16 

“Apex CF is simply the most explosive, best feeling iron I’ve ever hit in this category.”

Acquiring nearly 20 percent of votes of all models in the Best Game-Improvement Iron category, GolfWRX Members described the Callaway Apex CF ’16 irons as “simply the most explosive,” and that they “perform very well on center hits and almost as good on mishits.”

Full List: The Best Game-Improvement Irons of 2017

The Best Super Game-Improvement Irons 

PingGironsWRX

Vote Leader: Ping G

“The Ping G takes what Ping has done for years and added in increased ball speed, improved feel and much better looks.”

An iron that “will appeal even to Ping haters.” GolfWRX Members described the Ping G as “stupid easy to hit,” providing a “high and straight ball flight,” and “an eye opener.” The irons also accumulated more than 22 percent of the total votes in the category.

Full List: The Best Super Game-Improvement irons of 2017

Your Reaction?
  • 298
  • LEGIT39
  • WOW16
  • LOL18
  • IDHT8
  • FLOP15
  • OB10
  • SHANK115

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending