Iron Reviews
Members Choice: The Best Players Irons of 2017
To determine the best driver of 2017, we asked the GolfWRX community of equipment experts to provide their opinions based on their individual testing and experience. Now, to find out the best players irons on the current market, we looked to our community once again.
Defining what constitutes “Players Iron” has never been easy, even for equipment aficionados. But for us here at GolfWRX, a players iron is designed with sleek top lines and soles. It places workability and control over distance, and for that reason it’s an iron you can expect to see in the bag of a professional golfer.
For the purpose of our polling, and for the benefit of consumers, we also broke down this category into “players irons” and “exotic players irons.” Since there was confusion on what exactly we meant by “exotic,” our Editor-in-Chief Zak Kozuchowski took to the forums to clarify. Here’s what exotic means in his words.
Our editorial team went back and forth on what an “exotic” players iron is. In most cases, price was the biggest factor. The majority of [exotic] irons sell for more than $1199.99, which is about the top end of the U.S. market. But as other members have pointed out, there are a few irons on [the exotics list] that don’t cost that much. There are also irons on our players irons list that cost more than $1199.99.
So what we determined for these lists was that an “exotic” players iron is something that is more limited in its availability, particularly in its availability for GolfWRX Members to test. Most of the irons on [the exotics list] are sold only through a small network of elite club fitters. Because we’re aiming to collect votes and feedback from GolfWRX Members who have actually hit these clubs, we decided to separate out these “harder to test” players irons. We’re looking forward to your votes and feedback on these irons so we can share it all with our readers on the front page.
Hopefully that clears things up.
Below are 2017 Players Irons and 2017 Exotic Players Irons that separated themselves from the pack in GolfWRX Member voting. We’ve also included real feedback about each iron from GolfWRX Member posts to help golfers better sort out which one(s) might be best for their game. Enjoy!
Note: Irons are listed by the percentage of votes received in descending order. Percentages are accurate as of May 4, 2017. Voting will remain open throughout the year.
2017 Best Players Irons
Mizuno JPX-900 Tour (14.76 percent)
RHJazz: Mizuno JPX 900 Tour — weak in the knees from first look at the satin finish and compact size. Feel is excellent and there’s just enough forgiveness to get what I deserve. Many easy-to-order shaft options and excellent custom fitting sold me on the right fit without extreme up charges. I guess I’m less traditional but prefer the satin look. This is a club I love to practice with.
friedegglie: Mizzie JPX 900 Tours are easily the best irons out there right now in terms of blending feel, forgiveness, and the ability to shape shots.
Brewhawk23: Played Mizuno JPX 900 Tour irons for a few months. WOW! Great mix of buttery feel and forgiveness. Easily able to shape shots. Unfortunately, my time on the course was not enough so went with a different set.
ifc202: JPX 900 Tours have been the best golf-related decision I have ever made.
Mini88: JPX 900 Tour — love the finish, feel is excellent as well, however, slightly different from the MP-5. I got more distance with the MP-5 on pure strikes but the JPX has more forgiveness it seems.
statgrad: I’ve hit the JPX 900 Tour and am considering buying a mini-set of 4, 6, and 8 irons. Typical Mizuno feel and very consistent distances. Very pleasing to the eye, as well.
Further Reading
- Blurred Lines: Mizuno launches new JPX-900 Tour irons
- Mizuno: The hottest irons on the PGA Tour for players not under contracts
Srixon Z765 (11.32 percent)
JimThompson: Srixon 765s. Finally available LH! Love ’em.
edresnick: The fact Srixon is getting so much love without the marketing dollars of the big three or the support of the magazines just shows how great these irons are. If you haven’t done [player testing] yet, give them a try.
cvvorst: Srixon has produced some great irons lately. They look incredible, they are soft, they are forgiving, and they are very affordable. I would have no problem recommending the Z565, Z765, or Z965 to just about any skill level golfer. The only group that likely wouldn’t like them is the small blade group. The Z965 are great, but they are a bit big for a blade.
Britannia: Definitely the Srixon Z765/965 combo. I know not the most popular brand but the best iron. Best combination in workability and forgiveness.
Hotdocta: Z765 have some forgiveness plus are sneaky long. I love them.
barosborough: Second on the looks and desire to play are the Srixon (7 and 9 series). Good lord I wanted these to be the answer. The dispersion was just to all over the place compared to the others.
grillinandgolfin: Srixon 765 (Nippon Modus S 120 shaft). They are long, good looking, and very workable IMO. Great for knock down shots, can hit some bullets even with the higher irons. I’ve been very pleased with the performance so far.
gioguy21: Srixon 765 — Forged, extremely forgiving for style head, exceptional distance. One of the best irons on the market despite the low market share of Srixon; dark horse in the field that deserves more respect amongst the big boys.
Doc420: Most of thes irons are pretty equal in performance: 900 tours, 765’s, Callaway Apex Pro, iBlade… just not many differences. If I had to pick one, I would probably pick Srixon. Considering Srixon is several hundred cheaper, then it’s a no brainer. Best bang for the buck on this list.
Further Reading
Titleist 716 AP2 (10.95 percent)
peterjh325: Titleist AP2 — If Jordan Spieth thinks they are good enough to play on tour they are good enough for me! But in all seriousness, I just had a club fitting last weekend and the amount of forgiveness Titleist has managed to build into an iron that is also workable at the same time is mind blowing. I do not think there is a better iron on the market today.
DukeOfChinoHills: I’ve had my 716 AP2’s for a couple months now. The forgiveness is absolutely noticeable and I’m sure I’ll have them for a long time.
cvvorst: Titleist 716 AP2 — I haven’t been able to knock these out of the bag. I like how they look and feel, but there are plenty of sets that look better, feel better, go longer, etc. But nothing has been as consistent and forgiving. I’ve tested super forgiving sets like the CF 16, but I much preferred the Apex Pro 16 to the CF 16.
MCCA: I voted AP2, AP2, AP2. Tried everything else keep coming back to them.
Further Reading
Ping iBlade (9.14 percent)
Brewhawk: 3rd choice is the Ping iBlade. Great forgiveness with excellent workability. The feel is fantastic for a cast club.
towncryer: iBlade — destroyed every other iron I tried in all categories. Looks, sound/feel, simulator numbers, etc. They’re fairly forgiving for the category, but there’s a sharp difference in feedback and results between purely struck shots and mis-hits. I’ve found the ball to jump off the face and have a stable and penetrating flight (some WRXers have complained profusely about excessive spin and higher trajectory than they’d like). Coming from 712 MB in my 7-PW, I don’t feel like I’ve lost any workability… easy to flight down and draw, but I have a little trouble hitting an exaggerated fade. In the longer irons, I’m coming from 712 CB in 3-6… iBlade is remarkably more playable and a little longer. My two hangups were that they don’t say Titleist on them and they’re not forged. While I still do miss having a one-brand bag, I’m totally over the forged vs. cast saga.
T-MAC: Ping iBlades were a nice surprise. Felt really good for a cast club and I could work the ball well with them.
Further Reading
Callaway Apex Pro ’16 (9.07 percent)
RHJazz: Apex Pro ’16 is outstanding in performance. Loved the size and control. Feel was good but I liked the feel of the 2014 year model better. Just didn’t like the look of the backside.
Brewhawk23: Apex Pro is a great players iron. Hit it extensively on a few different occasions. Good result but the feel is not as good as JPX 900.
Yrian: Callaway Apex Pro — Very nice feel and plenty of forgiveness. Workable and consistent. Still higher launch than P750 but nice spin numbers. Would tie this with the P770 really.
cvvorst: Callaway Apex Pro ’16 — These are a fairly close second to the AP2. These look great from address, and I’ve found them to be as soft as anything else I’ve tried. They are surprisingly forgiving for a players CB. But, the AP2 were a bit more helpful on mishits. That being said, I’ve had some of my best rounds with these, when my iron game is on.
mscontantinejr: Apex Pro 16 — Feel and performance are crazy good. Not a huge fan of the badging but I love the feel.
Further Reading
- Head-to-Head Testing: Callaway’s 2016 Apex and Apex Pro irons
- Callaway Apex and Apex Pro Irons: What you need to know
View the poll and all of the responses for 2017 Best Players Irons here.
2017 Best Exotic Players Irons
PXG 0311T (21.66 percent)
MJL313214: I hit the 0311T against the Titleist 716 CB. They were similar in top line and overall blade length, but to me the the 0311T was more forgiving and felt unbelievable.
baylorlefty: I’ve had the PXG irons and wedges in the bag since October. 0311T’s are compact like a Titleist CB and offer more forgiveness IMO than an AP2.
BirdieBob: The 0311T irons have a much softer across the face feel compared to the T-MB, especially when using a soft ball like the Pro V1. I have a full set of the Xtreme Dark 0311T irons and they replaced the full set of T-MB irons I had. Why?
- Ball height off the T-MB in the mid/short irons was too high. The 0311T brought that down.
- Face feel. The T-MB is firm/hard feeling on the face, but the 0311T is a softer forged feeling face.
Pure745: The 0311T is a great looking club, the fact that you can barely tell if it has or doesn’t have more offset than the MB (blade) 7 iron just shows how little it has. If we are comparing the 716MB to the 0311T, the 0311T outperforms the MB’s and looks really good from address.
bluesgolfer: I tried the PXG 0311T against the Titleist 716 MB in a 7 iron. PXG felt very soft on center hits and pretty soft on slight mis-hits, huge “wow” factor. The MB felt soft on center hits and a little harsh on off-center hits just as you would expect with a blade. The PXG was the clear winner with regard to pleasant feel. In fact, I can’t say I have ever hit anything that feels as good as the PXG. After several shots with each, however, I realized the dispersion was much tighter with the MB. I’m thinking the flex of the 0311T produces angle fluctuations at impact which could increase dispersion without much loss in distance. I’d rather have a slight distance loss on mis-hits with tighter more predictable dispersion. Hence, I ordered the mb’s in 4-PW.
Further Reading
Miura CB-57 (17.98 percent)
SmoothStroker81: I have only played the Miura CB-57s, but they are super sweet and solid. Not so soft that you don’t feel much like a Mizuno blade. Paired with Modus3 shafts make a very smooth, but solid feel.
Batman1971: They feel fantastic. Soft but precise. I really knew that I was hitting a smaller head than PP Straight Necks. The Straight Necks have a nice soft feel where the ball really melts into the face but with the CB57s you can really feel the weight bar when you hit it right out of the button and I believe (for myself anyway) that’s what gives the CB57s such a precise, deliberate feel about them.
MJisGOAT: Oomph describes the 57’s.
Further Reading
Titleist 716 T-MB (16.08 percent)
Pure745: The T-MB 2 and 3 irons are flat out great performing clubs. They are a great fit for me and do a lot of really good things for my game. They go high and far, and are pretty easy to hit for what they are.
jthunter: All in all, less clicky than 712U, not as soft as my CB’s (but really close) and played much much more like my CB’s than my AP2’s. At address looks just like my CB’s. Finally, they have a great muted, thump sound, which I liked a lot.
rjp322: I hit the T-MB over the past weekend with the stock AMT shafts and had what I would consider a weird experience. Was kinda tough to tell when I flushed one but I swear every damn shot just flew high and straight no matter what I tried to do. They were incredibly consistent in that regards. I’d guess they are pretty forgiving since everything flew high and straight for me. Seemed better than the AP2 in terms of forgiveness. Was overall very very impressed with them, would love to get a set.
SJP1: The flight is really powerful, same stock draw as usual but I could also hit a cut when I wanted — no different than with the MB, CB, or AP2. The feel is super hot and soft enough — like a springy AP2 — and they are STUPIDLY EASY to hit. Personally think they are way more friendly than 716 AP2. Definitely not for everyone, that’s why they’re not being mass released. But if you’re a swinger not a hitter, you should definitely try them. Says a lot that Ben Crane and Tim Clark are bagging full sets. These guys aren’t slow, but could gain a few yards by tour standards.
Further Reading
Miura MB-001 (15.67 percent)
kizdoc: …the MB-001s frame the ball nicely without looking too intimidating. They are supposed to be a little toe-up by design, but I can’t tell. The top line is thinner than the MP 69s. Feel-wise, all I can say is “WOW.” Trying to articulate the feeling, I would say they are more solid feeling than the Mizunos. It’s almost like all that mass of the club is right behind the face when the back is struck for a very solid feeling hit. On mis-hits, I can tell when I don’t strike the center, but the ball still goes almost the distance I was expecting. Not sure if it’s the honeymoon phase, but my ball striking has never been better. Even my playing partners have made the same comment and I recently shot my best score last week with the MB 001s.
tomc262: I hit the MB-001’s this weekend at GolfMD in Olathe and they were super sweet. Tried them with a few different shafts but with the SteelFiber’s they were amazing. Just wish I had a couple of grand laying around the house. Guess I could take a note out on the car…
lapinou25: I just did a fitting and this club was amazing. I hit this club better than the Passing Point (longer and tighter dispersion). This club was a surprise to me. Very easy to hit and with very good numbers. The best result was with a Steelfiber and a Recoil shaft. The Recoil was slightly better so this one will be in my set. Cannot wait to get them.
Further Reading
View the poll and all of the responses for 2017 Best Exotic Players Irons here.
Members Choice 2017
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Club Junkie
Club Junkie Review: Cobra’s new King Tour irons
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.
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Iron Reviews
Review: Honma TW737-Vs Forged Irons
Pros: Incredible feel all the way through the bag. These irons offer considerable forgiveness on mishits, and their slightly stronger lofts generate plenty of distance for a better-player forged iron.
Cons: Some will find the price point ($150 per club) too high to consider.
Bottom Line: The entire TW737 line boasts impressive specs and looks. The TW737-Vs, with their slightly larger shape and stronger lofts, could be perfect for the player ready to move from game-improvement irons to better players irons or for those those looking for more forgiveness in a forged set.
Overview
Many GolfWRX Members will already be familiar with Honma Golf, known for its intricately crafted clubs and as one of the most prestigious, fastest-growing golf brands in the world. For others, this review will be the first time they’ve heard of Honma, or seen their iconic “mole in a hole” cloisonné and wondered, “What’s that?”
That is about to change. Honma, a mainstay in the Japanese Domestic Market for almost 60 years, is making a major push to become a household name in the U.S. and Europe. This year marks the company’s first entry into national “Hot List” competitions, and you can now find and test some of their products, such as the TW737 irons, in big-box golf stores like the PGA Superstore.
While Honma has traditionally been associated with extremely high-end clubs — even gold-plated at times — the Tour World line is priced similarly with other forged irons from domestic manufacturers. Tour World also happens to be the line played by their tour pros like Hideto Tanihara, who has the TW737-Vs in his bag.
Related: More photos of Honma’s Tour World irons, driving irons and wedges
There are three unique models in the Tour World 737 line, each with slight variations in loft and head shape that are designed to fit the specific needs of forged-iron users. Each model includes Honma’s unified face progression and center of gravity design, which essentially allows for slight changes in sole width, face thickness, and head size based on loft, while keeping the same offset. The design is great in and of itself, and it also makes it easier to play a Tour World combo set.
The entire TW737 iron line is forged from S25C steel using Honma’s proprietary high strength W-Forging, a two-stage forging process that mixes hot and cold forging. According to the company, the process creates more density in the club face, especially high on the face. The extra strength is said to increase ball speed and forgiveness.
- The TW737-Vn is made particularly for better golfers who like the shape and workability of a blade, but want a little more forgiveness.
- The TW737-V has a small cavity-back head, but adds a little more forgiveness and distance than the Vn.
- The TW737-Vs, the model I tested, has a slightly larger head and strongest lofts, making it the longest and most forgiving of the three forged irons in the TW737 lineup.
You can find all the specs on the Honma site here. The TW737-Vs specs are below.
TW737-Vs irons are available now in 3-11 ($150 per club). A variety of stock shafts are available and include the NS Pro 950GH, Dynamic Gold AMT, Modus3 Tour, and Vizard 160. Honma has a retailer search on its site to help you find nearby golf stores where you can check out these clubs for yourself. Of course, custom shaft and grip options are available.
My set of TW737-Vs
I decided on the TW737-Vs because I wanted the extra performance and forgiveness. Honma built a 3-11 iron set, standard length, 0.5-degrees upright with Golf Pride New Decade Multi-Compound grips and two wraps of tape.
Having played cast, game-improvement irons my entire golfing life, I was anxious to see how these clubs would look at address, feel at impact and most importantly, how they would perform for my swing. In recent years, I have been using a forged Vega wedge, also an iconic Japanese brand. I love the feel, so I was excited for these.
You might be wondering, “Why test against a cast club and not compare Honma to Honma or Honma to Miura?” One reason is that like many of you, I’m precisely who Honma is looking to attract — a US-based consumer who has been playing mostly domestic clubs.
Take it one step further, I’ve also been looking to put forged clubs in the bag and make the move to the better-player iron category, but I was hesitant for a variety of reasons. I mentioned to a few other golfer that I was reviewing this set and their reaction was the same. Are they blades? Are they small? Are they hard to hit? All responses were followed by, “I don’t think I’d be ready for forged clubs.”
After testing I can tell you the irons are not too small, not too hard to hit, and stack up to anything else I’ve tested.
Performance
I like to start testing outside before getting on a launch monitor so I can focus purely on what I’m seeing and feeling. And with these clubs, my expectations were high, very high.
I started with the 11-iron because… how often do you get to hit a club stamped with an 11? I’ve always taken a significant divot with my wedges, but my first swing resulted in a solid, crisp shot with a thinner divot. Everything about the shot felt perfect. This happened to be a center strike and impact felt like almost nothing at all… in a good way. The sound was solid and strong, but the first real feeing I registered was slicing through the turf.
That feeling continued even with the long irons. Hitting a 3 or 4-iron around the middle provided plenty of feedback, but the more pure the strike, the less feeling there was. The ball flight appeared to be slightly lower than my current set, with a straight-to-draw flight and similar distances. Working the ball both ways was not a problem.
On the course, I struggled with distance control at first. This was my own fault for not dialing in the distances, especially with the stronger lofts in the 7-iron and shorter clubs. My expectation was that these clubs would not fly as far as my current clubs, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The exceptional feel continued. Truly effortless power on center strikes. The ball just jumped off the face and provided plenty of feedback and forgiveness. My divots from fairway lies were thinner than normal, which I don’t mind at all. These clubs cut through the rough nicely as well.
My favorite moment came at an island-green par-3, No. 16 at BridgeMill Athletic Club. I had 160 yards to the pin, with 150 yards covering the water and 175 yards to the water at the back of the green. With my old set, it would have been a smooth 8-iron (a full 9-iron is a reliable 145 yard carry). For me, the TW737-Vs 9-iron is essentially an 8.5-iron, so I went with 9-iron and played to the center with a little draw. I hit one of the most solid shots of the day, and it landed just a few feet away from the pin. Trusting a 9-iron would be enough… now that was fun.
Launch Monitor Data
My expectation going into launch monitor testing was that I’d see a flatter trajectory, lower peak height, similar distance and spin, and a decent amount of help on mishits. I tested the TW737-Vs on SkyTrak against my TaylorMade RSi 2’s using Bridgestone Tour B330 balls. I rotated clubs every 5 shots and went through multiple rounds with each club.
The launch monitor data backed up what I was seeing on the course. For the short and mid irons, the Honmas generated slightly more distance (not less as I expected prior to testing). The 9-iron had the biggest gap, but the TW737-Vs is also 2 degrees stronger.
Spin was lower, but I was also seeing slightly more draw bias to my shots. While the spin looks a little low, on the course I had no issues stopping the ball on approach shots. With the long irons, my flatter trajectory always forces me to play for a little roll, so that won’t change.
I’ve never been a high ball hitter. My swing produces a lower flight and I’m sticking with it. Not surprisingly, my launch angle and peak height with the TW737-Vs was slightly lower across the board.
Ball speed on heel and toe side of center dropped about 2 mph on average, but the shots were very playable. With the 3 and 4-irons, toe shots generated quite a bit more left spin, but heel shots didn’t really impact the flight.
For shots higher on the face, I was very surprised and happy to see a minimal loss of distance. All in all, these clubs are very playable and forgiving on shots that miss the dead center of the clubface.
Looks and Feel
Feel is subjective, but I love the way these clubs feel. There is a nice weight through the swing. The W-Forging process has created a strong face that fires balls off like little rockets. Some other irons have a spring-like feel at impact, but with these, center shots just seemed to melt into my hands.
I spent a lot of time using powder spray on the face to see the exact impact location. With other irons I’ve tested, it is easy to know if I hit the extreme toe or heel side. But with the TW737-Vs, I was able to feel if I was half a ball to the heel or toe side. Same with being low on the face or a few grooves high. Both better players and mid-handicap golfers looking to improve will appreciate the feedback these clubs provide.
As for looks, “These are beautifully simple” was my first thought when I saw them in person. The lines are clean and sharp in some areas and smooth and rounded in others. The head, while definitely smaller than what I’m used to, doesn’t feel or look too small. I don’t have any confidence issues looking down at the ball.
Each of the TW737 models have the same minimal amount of offset, creating a relatively straight edge from the shaft out to the toe. I find it easier to set up and align clubs with less offset, so I like this a lot. I wouldn’t call the top line thin, but it isn’t thick either. Overall, I just really like how these irons look at address.
The mass low and right in the middle of the face conveys a sense of power, and the designers left plenty of material on the toe and heel to help minimize mishits. The half-mirror finish on the face and top line cuts down the glare at address. I would rather see the half-mirror finish replace the rough finish on the back — it’s just a personal preference — but the third texture does provide another dimension to the look of the club.
Bottom Line
Honma might not be the first name most Americans think of when they think of forged irons. That is going to change… not just because Honma will be spending more money to reach golfers in North America, but because the company’s Tour World line is both beautifully crafted and packed with performance.
If you’re in the market for forged players irons, make sure the TW737 is on the list of clubs to hit.
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Equipment
GolfWRX Member Reviews: TaylorMade 2017 M1 and M2 Irons
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.
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!
- All 75 Reviews: TaylorMade M1 and M2 Testing Thread
- Tech Talk: What you need to know about TaylorMade’s M1 and M2 irons
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
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Tourgrinder
Jun 27, 2017 at 5:18 pm
So I read comments by someone named “bluesgolfer” in the PXG-support section of the article and after much deliberation and testing, bluesgolfer says he (or she?) decided instead to buy Titleist 716 MB 4-PW. Hmmm. I wonder how many other members voted for other irons, yet were counted in the PXG “exotic” section? For me, I’ll continue to use my Ben Hogan Apex BH Grind irons (’90-’92), still in relatively good shape, until my trialing and testing show marked and obvious improvement in dispersion, distance, workability and consistency of trajectory.
Benny
Jun 5, 2017 at 5:29 pm
Guys calm down. This is simply what Golfwrx memners find to be the best. Its all perspective of others, not data driven.
As for PXG being the best lets look at thwir wins. Lets compare those wins to Miura and all the irons made by Miura that won majors. Remember Tiger’s Nike’s were made by Miura and I am sure many others. So why woukd anyone pay Miura pricing for ugly sticks that even some of the best plauers cannot get top tens with including one of the most consistant in Zach Johnson. Haha, PXG is just such a waste pf money and time. Flash in the pan IMO but again, just a opinion. Calm down, no one is right on here, including this article.
joro
Sep 25, 2017 at 3:40 pm
Benny, you are right, but why are the wins important. These people on their staff are many and very good players, but it seems to me that TM and Callaway has more wins than Mr. Big Ego and his “perfect”, most expensive club. One that is way over looked is the Wilson V6 which is a smooth, soft, and long and accurate Iron. Trouble is they do not have a winner on their staff, but if they did they would not be able to produce them fast enough. Sadly though people go by who plays what and what is best, or best for them and that is what marketing is all about, convincing people. Have a great game and above all, have fun.
Golfandpuff
May 31, 2017 at 5:44 pm
Guys I clicked report by accident. Hit the mp5 one of the best feeling irons all over the face…been playing 30 years…got a great deal on a used set.
Tyler
May 24, 2017 at 3:45 pm
The first two irons on the list are awesome. I play the Srixons and love them. The feel of the Miz is fabulous and it is pretty forgiving for a small head. I would not spend up for PXG or Muira
Drew
May 13, 2017 at 5:19 pm
Are you serious? Do you work for PXG marketing or something? This is the dumbest comment I’ve read, PXG makes quality clubs but your statement that if you’re not using PXG then you’re using “inferior Japanese Forged crap” is 100% nonsense. First of all, the majority of golfers aren’t using PXG or Japanese clubs, they’re using off-the-rack models from the big OEMs, which are 90% cast and designed for the game improvement market. Second of all, your claim that PXG is better than all Japanese Forged clubs is straight up false, that’s not even my opinion it’s a legitimate fact that’s provable by real data so your statement is utter nonsense. The highest-quality irons have one-piece FORGED heads, which just happen to be mostly made in Japan. This is claim is verifiable by the consistency of the steel’s grain structure after forging which leads to the most consistent and reliable results. Adding some soft internal substance to the club head does nothing revolutionary and is not the miracle design feature that PXG touts it as being. The best feature of their iron heads is the external weights and only because if they’re fit correctly the SW’s can be dialed-in perfectly. However, that can be done properly with just about any iron head by a capable fitter, so even that feature isn’t outrageously innovative. You clearly have no idea what you’re talking about because PXG’s metal woods don’t even compare to the likes of jBEAM, Ryoma, Honma, Epon, and other high-end JDM brands; and their irons/wedges aren’t even in the same category as SEVEN, Kyoei, Epon/Endo forged, Onoff, etc. I won’t even bother mentioning their putters because they’re so far from the pinnacle of putter design and craftsmanship. If PXG was really so great then I think it would have been Parsons instead of Titleist who reached out to James Patrick and hired him to make (what could be) the best wedges in the world. Don’t get me wrong, like I said at the beginning PXG does make high-quality equipment, and I do appreciate that their clubs don’t have a high price tag just for the sake of making money, they actually put a great deal of funds and effort into R&D and use quality materials and manufacturing processes which increases the cost to produce the equipment and thus creates a higher price tag for the right reasons. But your comment is total rubbish, don’t demean JDM equipment just because you think it makes you sound cool, try getting some knowledge about what you’re talking about before making ridiculous statements next time.
Mat
May 9, 2017 at 6:23 am
Anyone else sick of “for a cast club”?
Compare it straight up, because you’re no metallurgist.
Matt
May 8, 2017 at 12:54 pm
I’d love to play them… when are you going to buy me a set… 1 degree upright and standard loft and length!!! Those of us that live in the real world can’t afford those clubs!!
Thomas Murphy
May 6, 2017 at 5:26 pm
Now I see two categories don’t know that T-MB is that exotic every store has those it is a meaningless separation. So ranked by score in their group and exotics rank higher nice.
Jim 55
May 6, 2017 at 7:20 am
I can’t believe you left out Wilson staff line they have the best looking blades on the market today.
RHJazz
May 6, 2017 at 9:48 pm
I believe Wilson FG tour V6 was a poll option. Just not a top pick. Great clubs but lack exposure.
Mr Muira
May 6, 2017 at 3:32 am
Members choice…lol.
Dave R
May 5, 2017 at 11:42 pm
Mizuno all the way boys
chinchbugs
May 5, 2017 at 7:19 pm
Wait, no ______ (fill in the blank of whatever iron they are currently playing that didn’t make the list here)?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Tom
May 6, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Muira got 2 (two) spots
Jim
May 5, 2017 at 1:08 pm
“Defining what constitutes “Players Iron” has never been easy, even for equipment aficionados.”
Not true – it’s real easy fellows. Not to damage any egos, but a TRUE “players” club does not have a cavity back and/or other exotic, tricky weighting. In my opinion (and that of many other old-timers) the only true players club shown above is the Miura MB0-001. A clean, pure blade or muscle-back is a Players club, everything else is just a marketing gimmick. Oh, and contrary to what the manufacturers want you to believe, you do not need a new set of clubs every 3-6 months to become a better golfer. Wiser, older golfers would tell you to spend your excess money on lessons and practice balls, not on new gear.
BB
May 6, 2017 at 5:47 am
Yeah, it would be a real shame if that happened.
Player
May 6, 2017 at 6:59 pm
I disagree that players clubs are only pure blades. I consider anything used by true “players” to be players clubs. The iblade, and even AP2 are high tech but sweet looking and feeling sticks used by some of the best in the world.
Jackson Galaxy
May 5, 2017 at 10:06 am
It’s popularity. It’s just a peak into what the perceptions are.
birdie
May 5, 2017 at 12:03 pm
To those complaining about the ranking….did you even read the title of the article
“Members Choice” – this means forum polling from golfwrx readers. yes, this measures perception, but i also find it interesting what some of the most knowledgeable die hard golf fans think is the best when it comes to equipment.
I’d still like to see a separate article with measurable data, but this article was never meant to be that.
Minnesota golfer
May 5, 2017 at 9:16 am
Golfwrx,
What happened to the panel tests you used to run back in 2014 and 2015? In my opinion, those tests were much more insightful, more objective, and more convincing. The forum voting is nothing more a popularity test as many noted, and it weighs very little if not all in the decision to buy my next irons.
SV
May 5, 2017 at 9:12 am
Question: Why are the Titleist muscle-back irons and cavity back irons never considered ‘Players Clubs” in polls like this? They certainly seem much more of a Players Club than the AP2. The AP2 seems more of a Game Improvement club than Players Club. Some of the other clubs listed also seems to straddle the line between Players and Game Improvement Clubs. Maybe the definition of what a Players Club is has gotten out of joint.
xjohnx
May 5, 2017 at 11:10 am
I guess you didn’t actually look at the list of clubs in the poll. The MB and CB are on there.
bogeypro
May 5, 2017 at 9:01 am
Were these determined by a poll in the forums? That would just make it a popularity contest, right? What are the criteria used for judging? Any data to back it up?
Tom1
May 5, 2017 at 12:20 pm
from what I’m reading most if not all comments are from hands on experience.
JThunder
May 6, 2017 at 1:12 am
The title of this article is “GolfWRX Members Choice”. Exactly what data or criteria are you asking for in a poll where members pick their favorites? If we all picked our favorite ice cream, would you ask for “judging criteria” and “data”?
If you’re suggesting “popularity contest” in the sense of marketing and hype, then you don’t know Golfwrx very well. I’d bet money that most people voted for something they’re hit (probably most have owned them).
I wouldn’t vote for a flavor of ice cream I’ve never tasted. Likewise, if I were voting, it’s unlikely I’d have eaten a gallon of every single flavor in the poll.
If you want data, buy an Iron Byron.