Equipment

Predicting the hottest irons of 2016

Published

8 years ago

Dec 20, 2015

Testing a new driver is often fairly straightforward; if it’s longer and straighter, it goes in the bag. Irons are a little different. Being a successful iron player depends on hitting them certain yardages and with certain trajectories consistently, which makes changing irons a longer-term, more subjective process.

When new iron models come out, most Tour players aren’t fast to switch from the trustworthy set they’re currently using… at least right away. Even if the new irons are longer and straighter, there’s a comfort factor and a transitionary period that can’t be ignored.

With that in mind, you’ll understand why the hottest irons each year on the PGA Tour are often unpredictable. There are, however, a handful of new irons that quickly made their way into the bags of top touring pros before the start of 2016. That’s generally a good indication of an iron’s future success on Tour, and good intel for GolfWRXers to consider if they’re in the market for new irons.

Enjoy this list below, a prediction of hottest sets of irons in 2016 based on Tour presence, our early testing, and a few other factors.

King Forged MB irons

Rickie Fowler wasted little time putting Cobra’s King Forged MB irons in his bag this fall, despite winning The Players Championship with the Fly-Z Pro irons in the spring.

The new irons, which are part of a line that includes King Forged CB and King Forged TEC, offer a new look with a “diamonized” black finish that’s more durable than black PVD. The finish is a change from Fowler’s typical chrome-finished irons — but when blades look this good, wouldn’t you make the switch as quickly as possible, too?

From a tech perspective, the Forged MB irons use tungsten plugs in their toes, which raises moment of inertia (MOI) to makes the irons more forgiving on mishits.

Rickie Fowler’s custom set of Cobra King Forged MB irons.

While not necessarily applicable for the buyers at home, it appears that Fowler (See his WITB here) carried over the specially made tungsten plugs from his old irons to raise the swing weight of the clubs. See those subtle, grey circles where weight was inserted on the sole and muscleback of the iron?

Titleist 716 T-MB

Any equipment release from Titleist is noteworthy in the golf world because of the company’s widespread following, but the T-MBs may be the most significant Titleist iron release in years.

We learned in our testing that the T-MB’s are pound-for-pound the longest, highest-launching Titleist irons ever. As for their looks, the two-toned, hollow-cavity, blade-style looks irons are also something new for Titleist. Adding to their allure is that they can only be purchased as a full set through the company’s MOTO program ($1599 per set). Golfers can, however, find the tungsten-laden long irons (2-5) at retailers for $199 per club.

Peter Malnati (Sanderson Farms) won with a full set in his bag, while Jason Bohn, Ben Crane and Tim Clark are gaming full sets as well. Adam Scott and Jimmy Walker, among others, are currently using individual T-MB long irons to round out their sets.

Ping i

Like Titleist, any iron release from Ping garners attention because of its expansive following, but this iron in particular will be well-received by Ping loyalists.

The Ping “i” irons remain leaders in forgiveness in the players iron category like their predecessors, the i25 irons, but they’re made from a softer material — 431 stainless steel — to feel better, as well. Those changes, as well as their improved, progressive design, resulted in a 5-star rating from editor Zak Kozuchowski in our review.

Lee Westwood, Hunter Mahan and Alex Prugh can be spotted playing the Ping i irons around the world.

What you need to know about Ping i irons

TaylorMade Psi/Psi Tour

TaylorMade’s PSi and PSi Tour irons are the company’s second-rendition of irons with face slots. With the new release, the TaylorMade focused primarily on improving their looks and feel, compared to their predecessors. Here’s what our front page review had to say about the PSi irons:

Exceptionally long and forgiving players irons. They have thinner top lines, less offset and shorter blade lengths than TaylorMade’s RSi 2 irons, and feel noticeably softer at impact.

The softer feel of the PSi’s can be attributed to the “Distance Feel System” (DFS), which uses a material called “hybrar” that’s wedged between the face and cavity of each iron to reduce unwanted vibrations at impact.

To maintain maximum performance, the long irons (3-7) are made from 431 stainless steel and have tungsten weights in their toes to boost MOI. The short irons (8-PW), which are more compact in size than previous models, are forged from 1025 carbon steel to offer better consistency and feel.

The PSi Tour irons, which will hit retailers on Dec. 20, have been in Tour pros bags since the fall. Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia, among a slew of others, are gaming the PSi Tour irons.

Srixon Z745

If we’re talking PGA Tour wins, there’s no iron hotter than Srixon’s Z745. The irons were in the bags of Smylie Kaufman (Shriners Open), Russell Knox (WGC-HSBC) and Graeme McDowell (RSM Classic) during their victories in late 2015.

Made from 1020 carbon steel, the Z745’s use a “Tour V.T.” sole, which increases leading edge bounce and decreases trail-edge bounce to improve turf interaction — especially on sightly fat hits. The irons also have laser double milling on the face to stabilize spin and distance control, and a tungsten weight in their toes improves forgiveness.

If you’re into blades, Srixon has released its new Z945 irons, which integrate the same technologies as the Z745 irons into a smaller package. See what our Forum Members have to say about them.

Callaway Apex and Apex Pro

Callaway’s X Forged irons from 2013 its Apex/Apex Pro irons (2014) are popular around GolfWRX Headquarters. They’ve been in and out of three of our editors’ bags since their release dates. With the release of the 2016 Apex/Apex Pro irons, however, that’s likely to change.

Callaway’s new Apex and Apex Pro models are no joke according to our early testing. You can read more about the tech here, and a full review is coming soon to our Front Page.

On Tour, Matt Every and Jason Kokrak made the switch to the new Apex Pro irons this fall, and we expect several more of Callaway’s PGA Tour Staff members to put the new irons in the bag this January after off-season testing.

PXG 0311T

PXG irons are quickly becoming a household name, at least among gear heads and tour players. For PXG, it began with Ryan Moore, but now players like James Hahn (irons), Zach Johnson (lob wedge) and Davis Love III (wood, irons and wedges, and is testing the driver) are gaming the sticks.

PXG originally released the 0311 irons, which have a fairly significant amount of offset and a game improvement-like profile. The company’s newest irons — the 0311T — have a smaller chassis with less offset, and they have found growing popularity on the PGA Tour.

PXG irons are expensive, and since they’re only sold through a select network of fitters they can only be tested by appointment. But judging by the interest level of tour players, the 0311T irons are something special.

Mizuno MP-5 and MP-25s

Old school meets new school, and technology meets art with Mizuno’s new MP-25 and MP-5 irons. The company expertly blended the classic head shapes, soles and toplines that golfers have grown accustom to from Mizuno, but added in a slew of technology to make them sound, feel and perform better than ever.

Tour players have been quick to game them, and even traditionalist Luke Donald already put a set of MP-25s in the bag. The irons also received a 5-star rating from GolfWRX… impressive.

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

30 Comments

Pingback: GolfWRX Predicts the Hottest Irons of 2016 | Honourable Society of Golf Fanatics
Roosterredneck

Dec 26, 2015 at 6:22 pm

I really like the C200s from WilsonStaff .Not Forged but they can compete any.

Reply Report comment
Blackwell

Dec 23, 2015 at 9:53 pm

This just proves golf is a rich mans game!

Reply Report comment
- Johny Thunder
  
  Jun 2, 2016 at 4:46 am
  
  Prices of golf clubs haven’t increased as much as houses, cars and food. Staying alive has become a rich man’s game. Also, if a less wealthy person wants to play, Titleist 975D drivers can be had for under $50 on eBay. Older 460cc models in the same range or slightly higher.
  
  Reply Report comment
KK

Dec 23, 2015 at 6:33 pm

AP2 and Ping I are blue chip as usual but T-MB looks to be a game changer.

Reply Report comment
Crabbie

Dec 23, 2015 at 12:27 pm

Metal moved around to different parts of the club are good for all, but practice is still needed to improve anyone’s game. Put an old blade in a good players hands and they can still play well. The key I have found is to be correctly fitted (no matter what brand you like) and that’s when they work the best for you…. which is the really HOT item of the year. Great club fitters.

Reply Report comment
Steve

Dec 22, 2015 at 6:09 pm

One of the best parts of having a hobby like playing Golf is the fact we can spend money on new products every year or two…How many old $300 or more drivers have you sitting under sun bleached head covers in your garage? And those sets of irons you just new would improve your game in 2010 in an old cart bag under a box of your wife’s old Tupperware. My favorite all the sleeves of new golf balls mixed in with my garden equipment now 5 or 6 years old that just had to much spin or were hard as a rock for me to shoot 89….either hit and spoon back to far or hit and ran a mile past the pin….GOTTA LOVE NEW EQUIPMENT because for sure that is all we need to shoot PAR>

Reply Report comment
- Regis
  
  Dec 23, 2015 at 12:50 pm
  
  Well said and 100% true if we are being honest. On another site, regular contributors often supplement their comments with a What’s in the Bag summary at the bottom of each post. So if your searching for feedback on last year’s Cobra driver you come upon a very emphatic post by Joe who says this club is a true beast. Matched with my BB triple X Flex Blue shaft (trimmed 1/2 inch) I can safely say this cannon is never leaving my bag. But just under the post in the WITB portion (which has been updated in the interim) you see he is now playing a Taylormade R13 with a Misubishi Kamakze white dove shaft.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  Dec 23, 2015 at 11:13 pm
  
  It’s easier to buy new clubs than score in the single digits. Though even if the money spent on clubs is spent on playing at the courses, we’d all improve a lot more too.
  
  Reply Report comment
Weeprogolfer

Dec 22, 2015 at 4:35 pm

We need to send in a set of the new Chikara irons for testing

Reply Report comment
Bijan

Dec 22, 2015 at 10:23 am

Recently hit he pxg set, incredible feel, distance was too far though. My standard 6 is around the 190 mark, they were flying at 200, gapping would be a struggle with those things.

Reply Report comment
- Paul Clarke
  
  Dec 31, 2015 at 7:18 am
  
  Bijan, why should gapping be an issue? As I understand it these clubs are only available through a small number of high end outlets. To that end they should have the time and skill set to fit the irons to your particular needs whether that be strengthening or weakening the lofts on various irons. Distance will be determined by swing speed, shaft length and loft angle. If your swing speed is constant but shaft length is longer and loft angle has been jacked you are probably hitting a club or club and a half longer than what you are used to. Just a point for consideration.
  
  Reply Report comment
George

Dec 21, 2015 at 4:41 pm

You are missing the 3 new Exotics irons those tungsten irons are better than the tungsten titleist irons!! The tungsten sole is almost double the weight on the titleist. I agree that the Z745 irons are going to be hot from Srixy!!

Reply Report comment
DrawDaddy

Dec 21, 2015 at 10:27 am

I have the new Apex Pro’s and I have never hit a better iron in my life. Except maybe the MP-5’s. Mp-5 and Apex Pro are easily the best looking out of the bunch with the Cobra’s close behind. Apex and Mp-5 both feel really good.

Reply Report comment
LaBraeGolfer

Dec 21, 2015 at 9:14 am

Callaway Apex line for sure, as well as the Mizzy’s, but I feel more people outside of golfwrx will be playing the Apex line. The irons I should play Apex or I line, the irons I want to play j15 MB.

Reply Report comment
Teaj

Dec 21, 2015 at 8:49 am

I shoot in the low 70’s….. any hotter I don’t like to golf

and by the way the Ping i’s are not just for scratch nor would I say the Z745’s are ether. Do you need to know how to strike a ball for the 745’s sure but there is some forgiveness there, and boy are they perdy.

Reply Report comment
.?????

Dec 20, 2015 at 9:46 pm

Can’t take this serious without j15cb…. Kuchar and snedeker play them if PGA presence matters

Reply Report comment
- mhendon
  
  Dec 22, 2015 at 6:14 pm
  
  Demoed them today, well at least the 5 iron. It had good feel, very good distance and accuracy. Over all good looks with a slightly longer blade length than I like but they are definitely on my short list.
  
  Reply Report comment
Dan

Dec 20, 2015 at 5:29 pm

I have to agree these are nice clubs, but no set of clubs retailing for $1500 is going to be “hot”… 🙂

Reply Report comment
golfraven

Dec 20, 2015 at 2:59 pm

I predict a riot!
Ok if I had to choose by looks it would be the MP25s for sure. Cheers

Reply Report comment
Deejaymn

Dec 20, 2015 at 12:01 pm

So these clubs are good for the 1% scratch golfers, how about four the rest of us.

Reply Report comment
- Bobby Stevens
  
  Dec 20, 2015 at 12:46 pm
  
  Everyone on GolfWrx is a scratch golfer. We just shoot in the 80’s.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - cb
    
    Dec 20, 2015 at 2:36 pm
    
    couldn’t have said it better myself bobby
    
    Reply Report comment
  - DatSliceDoe
    
    Dec 20, 2015 at 3:20 pm
    
    Ain’t this the truth!
    
    Reply Report comment
  - jgpl001
    
    Jan 12, 2016 at 3:56 pm
    
    Exactly, this is a scratch only site, let’s keep it that way..
    Can’t wait though for one of our loyal scratch members to tell us the new Ping G iron should be here, and how they play it, etc…….ha ha ha
    
    Reply Report comment
- Chris
  
  Dec 21, 2015 at 11:29 am
  
  Apex, PSi, MP-25, maybe even throw the T-MB in there. Those are all clubs with some forgiveness to them. No need to be a scratch to play those. MP-25 has the least among those 4 as far as forgiveness, but that doesn’t mean it’s a straight blade with no room for error.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - SBoss
    
    Dec 22, 2015 at 10:50 pm
    
    Throw in the Nike Vapor Pro Combos….great irons for better players. You get all the performance you’re looking for and some forgiveness in the smaller cavity. They’re a grand slam iron.
    
    Reply Report comment
- ken
  
  Dec 23, 2015 at 2:13 pm
  
  I’m a scratch golfer…..And I take offense to those who call us the 1%….Because I think there is a much higher percentage of amateur scratch golfers…..
  You know, Hit the shot and stand there scratching your head wondering how the heck that one came up short/in the woods…LOL
  
  Reply Report comment
  - mhendon
    
    Dec 24, 2015 at 8:00 pm
    
    Hardy har har you should do stand up. On second thought don’t quit your day job!
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Johny Thunder
      
      Jun 2, 2016 at 4:47 am
      
      Try the veal. Or the ham.
      
      Reply Report comment

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Whats in the Bag

Cameron Young WITB 2024 (March)

Published

14 hours ago

Mar 25, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Cameron Young WITB accurate as of the Valspar Championship.

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra Tour Z5 65 M5

2-wood: Titleist TSR 2W Prototype (13 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist T100 (4-5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: MMT Utility 105 TX (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 58-08M, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7

Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 5.5 Tour Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot

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Equipment

Best hybrids 2024: Expert fitters recommend the hybrids for your game

Published

17 hours ago

Mar 25, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

At GolfWRX, we believe the best hybrid for your game is going to be the one that gives you the greatest opportunity to both score and save shots during your round of golf.

In 2024, we have seen a continued expansion of hybrid options from every manufacturer with models designed to fit golfers of all skill levels and clubhead speeds. Some manufacturers offer models all the way down to 8-iron-replacement lofts.

That being said, ultimately the best way to find the best hybrid or hybrids for you is to work with a professional fitter using a launch monitor and gap them accordingly. 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 want to give you the tools and information to go out and find what works best for you, and we’re offering recommendations based on exactly what you need from your hybrids.

We have again broken our 2024 best hybrid list into two categories.

Best hybrid for golfers seeking forgiveness
Best hybrid for golfers seeking versatility

We reached out to our trusted fitters to discuss how they sort through the hybrid club options available to golfers. Forgiveness and versatility were the highest-ranked choices.

Most versatile hybrids of 2024

Titleist TSR2

“Forgiving speed and performance,” is the branding for the TSR2. TSR2 hybrids remain slightly longer with a classical shape. Center of gravity is lower and deeper in the TSR2 for higher launch and maximum forgiveness.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Ping G430

In all of the G430 fairway woods and hybrids, Ping developed Carbonfly Wrap in a bid to deliver more distance by positioning the CG closer to the face line in design to maximize ball speed, resulting in higher, longer carries. The lightweight composite crown wraps into the heel and toe sections of the skirt, creating weight savings of 10 grams, which are reallocated to achieve a lower CG and increase ball speed.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke

Leveraging the company’s new Ai Smart Face, Callaway’s Paradym Ai Smoke hybrid has been reshaped and features a larger profile for greater forgiveness and a refined sole camber for better turf interaction. The Tungsten Speed Cartridge is positioned in the front of the club for lower spin and ease of launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

TaylorMade Qi10 Rescue

The Qi10 Rescue is designed with an all-new Carbon Crown that helps free up weight for improved weight distribution in the heads. The club has split internal weighting to achieve more distance and a higher launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue

The Qi10 Tour Rescue model features a C300 face with a more compact look and a higher-toe design. It’s designed for better players who seek to combine distance and control with iron-like turf interaction, workability, and precision.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Most forgiving hybrids of 2024

TaylorMade Qi10 Max Rescue

Qi10 Max Rescue clubs are designed with all-new Carbon Crowns that help free up weight for improved weight distribution in the heads. The Qi10 Max has an ultra-low CG (center of gravity) and a shallow face height for even higher launch and greater forgiveness.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke HL

Designed for players with moderate to average swing speeds who are looking to hit the ball higher to maximize carry distance, the Paradym Ai Smoke HL leverages the company’s new Ai Smart Face. It features a larger profile for greater forgiveness and a refined sole camber for better turf interaction. The Tungsten Speed Cartridge is positioned in the front of the club for lower spin and ease of launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Ping G430

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast is designed for moderate-swing-speed players. In addition to Ai Smart Face, Max Fast features a larger profile for greater forgiveness and a refined sole camber for better turf interaction. The Tungsten Speed Cartridge is positioned in the front of the club for lower spin and ease of launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Titleist TSR1

Titleist’s new TSR1 hybrids are built with a larger, “wood-like” size to help golfers find more speed and forgiveness. They’re also built 0.5 inches longer than standard to provide additional assistance in creating speed.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Best hybrid of 2024: Meet the fitters

Adam Rathe: Club Champion
Adam Scotto: Club Champion
Adam Seitz: Club Champion
Aidan Mena: Club Champion
Alex Dice: Carl’s Golfland
Alex Praeger: Club Champion
Ben Giunta: The Tour Van
Blake Smith, PGA: True Spec
Bo Gorman: True Spec
Brad Coffield: Carl’s Golfland
Brett Ott: Club Champion
Brian Riley: Club Champion
Cameron Scudder: Club Champion
Carmen Corvino: True Spec
Christian Sandler: Club Champion
Clare Cornelius: Cool Clubs
Dan Palmisano: Club Champion
Dane Byers: Club Champion
Darren Joubert: Club Champion
Dennis Huggins: Club Champion
Drew Koch: Club Champion
Eric Touchet: Touchet Performance Golf
Erik Gonzales: Club Champion
Evan Morrison: Club Champion
Gus Alzate: True Spec
Jake Medlen: Stripe Show Club Fitters
Jake Woolston: Club Champion
Jake Wynd: Club Champion
Jay Marino: Club Champion
Jeremy Olsen: Club Champion
Jim Yenser: Club Champion
Joe Stefan: Club Champion
Joey Simon, PGA: Club Champion
Jonathan Kaye: Club Champion
Jordan Patrick: True Spec
Jordan Rollins: Club Champion
Kevin Arabejo: Club Champion
Kevin Downey: Club Champion
Kirk Oguri: Pete’s Golf
Kyle Lane: Club Champion
Kyle Murao: Club Champion
Marc Roybal: True Spec
Mark Hymerling: Club Champion
Mark Knapp: Carl’s Golfland
Matt Miller: Club Champion
Matt Rish: Club Champion
Matthew Gandolfi: Club Champion
Mike Martysiewicz: Club Champion
Mike Weis: Club Champion
Mitch Schneider: Club Champion
Nicholas Barone: Club Champion
Nick Sherburne: Club Champion
Nick Waterworth: Haggin Oaks
Preston Vanderfinch: Club Champion
Rick Lane: Club Champion
Rob Anderson, PGA: Club Champion
Russell Hubby: Club Champion
Ryan Fisher: Grips Golf
Ryan Grimes: Club Champion
Ryan Johnson: Carl’s Golfland Bloomfield Hills
Sam Kim: True Spec
Scott Sikorski: Club Champion
Scott Felix: Felix Club Works
Scott Trent: Club Champion
Sean Pfeil: Club Champion
Shaun Fagan: True Spec
Steve Harrow: Club Champion
Tad Artrip: Club Champion
Thomas Mattaini: Pull the Pin
Tony Rhode: True Clubs
William Buse: Club Champion
William Cho: NovoGolf
William Fields: Club Champion

Conclusion

The fitters consulted for this piece have accumulated data from thousands of fittings with golfers just like you. From beginners to tour players, their feedback and information can’t be undervalued.

Join the discussion about the best hybrids of 2024 in the forums.