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Best irons 2020: GolfWRX Members Choice (best pure enjoyment irons)

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What are the best pure enjoyment irons of 2020? With all things being equal, which irons are the most fun to hit when you absolutely flush one?

It’s no mistake that we are seeing overlap in the way the top irons are defined by fitters in this category. The most playable irons are most likely to be higher launching, and shots that fly higher make the game more enjoyable for everyone. This reiterates the point previously made that your iron selection should not be defined by your handicap but instead what gives you the best opportunity to play your best golf.

At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. Needless to say, that extends to GolfWRXers views on the best irons of 2020 – enjoyment category.

Join the discussion in the forums here.

The bedrock of GolfWRX.com is the community of passionate and knowledgable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members—the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.

You can see the results for the best irons of 2020 “enjoyment”, as well as quotes we pulled from GolfWRX members about the irons from our forum.

Also, be sure to check out all the other GolfWRX Member’s Choice iron categories below.

Best irons of 2020: Top 5 (pure enjoyment)

Join the discussion in the forums here.

1. Mizuno MP-20 HMB

The MP-20 HMBs are built with the same highly flexible Chromoloy material as the 919 Hot Metals except this time forged to create a Mizuno iron like never before. They offer the look and shape of a blade but with the speed and technology of a much more forgiving club. Although it looks like a blade, hidden inside the back of the club is complex geometry for both acoustics and precisely positioning mass.

Like the MP-20 MMC the HMB is a multi-material design but with the tungsten split into two 12-gram pieces (four more grams than previous Fli-Hi) and positioned into precisely formed pockets on the heel and toe in the back of the club. This allows the unsupported face to flex and makes the club more workable while still maintaining all the forgiveness you would expect from a hollow body iron built for speed.

Here’s what GolfWRX members are saying

  • “Great forgiveness yet a beautiful look and clean lines at address, what more could you ask for?” – Member survey response
  • “Such great soft feel like you expect from Mizuno. Look very good at address. I was on grass and they are very easy to hit and still I hit 2 bad shots one of the toe and one thin and both were only a few yards off. Very easy to work the ball.” – Member Lenny2
  • “The feel of the HMB blew me away! I went 2, 4-pw in HMBs bent weak. I may add some MBs down the road but definitely won’t feel like I’m missing out on that great feel the MP 20 line has.” – Member JetMech879
  • “I was really impressed with the HMBs, I’m coming from Srixon 965s and was expecting to go with the MP-20 blades but couldn’t argue with the numbers the HMB gave me. As a low spin and ball flight player the normal cranked lofts of this type of iron doesn’t work for me, but these launched over a degree higher with around 500 rpm more spin than anything else I tried. As noted by some others they feel really good for a hollow body as well, not quite as good as the blades but way better than expected and loads of feedback.” – Member Smileys

You can also read what other golfers are saying about the Mizuno MP-20 HMB irons in the GolfWRX forums: Official Mizuno MP-20 HMB Iron discussion and check out our launch piece here.

2. TaylorMade P790

The P790 has a hollow-body design built with an 8620 carbon steel body and forged 4140 carbon steel wrapped-face construction. The sole was tweaked compared to the original to improve turf interaction, and from address, there is a thinner top line and more progressive offset in 3 through 6-irons and a more compact blade length in the 7-PW to appeal to players of all skill levels

On the inside, they have SpeedFoam, which is critical to the performance of the head by supporting the extremely thin face and helping reduce vibration to keep these hollow irons feeling solid, even on miss-hits. They may look like a blade but they don’t play like one.

Here’s what GolfWRX members are saying

  • “The most impressive this is these irons suit so many different players from high handicap players to scratch golfers.” – Member survey response
  • “I’m a 6. Long hitter and have been using player distance irons for a while…. I switched to 2019 p790s a few months ago and absolutely love em. Yardage gaps are fairly large and the faces are hot so you need to learn to control the distance and trajectory, but with the right shafts it’s been no problem for me.” – Member Jkim27
  • “I have played the p790’s for the past 2 seasons and I have really liked them. In fact, this past season was my best golfing season to date. I had more rounds in the 70’s than ever before and had my first round in the 60’s … I haven’t played a set of irons for 3 seasons in a row, in a very long time, so that means something, at least for me.” – Member Mob
  • “Took these irons out for their second-round today and shot a 75 (+4). Keep falling in love with these things. On a handful of occasions, I put a terrible swing on them and the ball flight distance and spin was just as good as a flushed shot. Even got into some tree trouble and had to hit some punch 6 iron shots and could flight the ball down super low with no issues” – Member agood3putt
  • “I have the new P790’s and flat out they are the best irons I have owned, long easy to work, and stop well.” – Member English13

For more information on the TaylorMade P790 irons, you can check out our launch piece here.

Join the discussion in the forums here.

3. Srixon Z585

The Srixon Z5 series irons have always been about creating the highest launching, most forgiving, best performing forged irons, and the Z585 achieves that with an improved sole, and fast “speed groove” face made from powerful SUP10 Steel.

The multi-piece forged iron featured a midsized undercut cavity to offer forgiveness and launch but thanks to a vibration-dampening insert in the cavity behind the sweet spot golfers still get to experience that soft forged feeling. The irons also have laser milled grooves for extra control between the standard milled grooves in the face. The Tour VT sole is a staple with Srixon irons and the has been tweaked on the Z585 slightly wider sole to provide better interaction from long to short irons. The Z585s are everything you could want in an iron built to enjoy the game.

Here’s what GolfWRX members are saying

  • “Close to perfect. These make golf more fun.” – Member survey response
  • “If 785s feel like game improvement irons and are used by the pros then my 585s must be the easiest irons ever to be hit!” – Member survey response
  • “I’m playing a 4-AW set with Nippon Modus Tour 105s. So far after a couple of range sessions, I find them much easier to hit than my previous irons. They are more forgiving, have a better feel, and the turf interaction is so good I find it harder to hit chunky shots – my usual miss.” – Member survey response

You can read what other golfers are saying about the Srixon Z585 iron in the GolfWRX forums: Srixon Z585 Iron discussion. and see our launch piece here.

Join the discussion in the forums here.

4. Mizuno JPX 919 HotMetal Pro

The JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro irons are made from High Strength Chromoly 4140M and utilize a multi-thickness one-piece face cup for greater ball speeds. Like other irons in the JPX 919 line, the Hot Metal Pro irons have a “stability frame” to help maintain ball speed at impact. The irons also have Sound Ribs under the top line designed to “hit specific vibration patterns that ensure a satisfying sensation,” according to Mizuno.

The JPX 919 Hot Metals are designed to maximize approach shots for the golfer, so not only do they go far but they also create enough height and spin to achieve a proper descent angle and give golfers the ability to hold greens – a vital component to scoring better.

Here’s what GolfWRX members are saying

  • “They are chunky without being too chunky, and to be honest they are so crazy easy to hit it doesn’t matter”  -Member survey response
  • “The ball literally flies off the face of these irons – not just long but high and easy to stop” – Member survey response
  •  “Its not the smallest Mizuno iron but for everything that goes into these irons to make them so fast and forgiving, I think they feel as good as any club I’ve ever played.” – Member survey response

You can read what other golfers are saying about the Mizuno JPX 919 HotMetal irons in the GolfWRX forums: Mizuno JPX HotMetal irons discussion thread, and read our launch piece here.

Join the discussion in the forums here.

5. Ping i210

The i210 irons are made from 431 stainless steel and have the largest and softest elastomer insert ever used in a Ping i-Series iron. The bigger insert increases perimeter weighting for greater forgiveness and also helps fine-tune swing weight and create an overall softer feel.

The shaping of the irons has also been refined from the previous i200, to offer a more squared-off appearance from address and more compact shapes into the shorted clubs for great control.

Here’s what GolfWRX members are saying

  • “So easy to hit and feel great the i210 irons make the game fun.” – Member survey response
  • “I have no idea how people still think Ping iron can’t be soft and feel great. The i210 feel amazing, even when I miss it, and speaking of misses, these clubs are plenty forgiving for my 15 handicap.” – Member survey response
  • “To me, Ping owns this category of clubs that make the game more enjoyable and easier with a club that doesn’t look like fat shovels” – Member survey response

You can also read what other golfers are saying about the Ping i210 irons in the GolfWRX forums: Official Ping i210 Iron discussion and check out our launch piece here.

Rounding out the top 15 “pure enjoyment” irons

  • Ping G410
  • Titleist T300
  • Ping G710
  • PXG 0311 XP GEN3
  • Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal
  • PXG 0211
  • Ben Hogan Edge
  • TaylorMade P790 Ti
  • Callaway Big Bertha
  • Titleist T400

Join the discussion in the forums here.

Ongoing Members Choice Polls: Have your say!

We’re still looking for your feedback on the “best” items in several other categories, so head to the GolfWRX forums to have your say!

Check out the polls in the GolfWRX forums!

Join the discussion in the forums here.

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Whats in the Bag

Patrick Reed WITB 2024 (May)

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Driver: Ping G400 (8.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70 Tour X

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125MSI 80 Tour X

Hybrid: Callaway Apex Pro (18 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila RIP Phenom Hybrid 100 TX

Irons: Titleist 716 TMB (2), Grindworks PR-202 (4), Grindworks PR-101A (5-PW)
Shafts:  True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50-10 Mid), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-08M @55), SM10 (60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot RX Pt Customs No. 2

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

More photos of Patrick Reed’s WITB in the forums.

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Equipment

John Daly’s $750 custom irons and 10 must-see gear photos from the 2024 PGA Championship

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Welcome to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

In the last two PGA Championships held at Valhalla, Tiger Woods won in 2000 – when he famously pointed his golf ball into the hole during the historic duel with Bob May – and Rory McIlroy won the 2014 event, basically in the dark on the final hole.

The point is, history shows that Valhalla tends to produce top-tier champions and plenty of drama.

This week at the 2024 PGA Championship, GolfWRX got its first up-close look at what some of the LIV Tour players have in their bags in 2024. We also caught back up with a few PGA Championship legends, such as Rich Beem and John Daly, and we dove into the bags of PGA Sectional qualifiers, too.

In total, we captured 47 different photo galleries this week, including 32 individual What’s In The Bag (WITB) forum threads. Click here to see all of our photos from the event, or continue reading to see my 10 equipment highlights from Valhalla.

1) Brooks Koepka’s new putter

Koepka was previously using a Scotty Cameron T5.5 putter with a slant neck, which he used to win at the beginning of the month in Singapore on the LIV tour. This week, however, he tried a T5.5 with a plumbers neck instead of the slant neck, and it’s immediately going in the bag. According to Scotty Cameron Tour rep Drew Page, Koepka already loved the head, and now finds the plumbers neck a bit more familiar to the blade-style putters he’s used throughout most of his career.

See Koepka’s full WITB here 

2) The lead tape king returns, with putting goggles

Phil Mickelson has always been one of the GOATs when it comes to lead tape usage, so it was no surprise to see his 64-degree custom Callaway wedge slathered with slabs of lead tape on the back.

The big surprise was that lefty was spotted using ProAim putting training goggles on Wednesday during his warm-up session.

The ProAim goggles are helpful to find center lines and ensure proper alignment to the target.

See Phil Mickelson’s full WITB from the 2024 PGA Championship

3) Dobyns’ old-school gamer setup

Speaking of lead tape, check out Matt Dobyn’s old Titleist 718 T-MB irons, which are so loaded with lead tape that the club is nearly unrecognizable.

Respect.

The head professional at Meadow Brook Club is making his sixth start in a PGA Championship, and he’s using a throwback Callaway GBB Epic driver with MOI-boosting lead tape and adjustable weight placements.

As GolfWRX Forum user “InTheBag” pointed out in our Matt Dobyns’ WITB thread, he has the type of setup that makes you want to hide your wallet: “I don’t know Mr. Dobyns, but one look at that bag tells me he can take your money,” writes InTheBag.

Spot on.

4) John Daly’s custom Sub70 irons and wedges

We first saw John Daly using $750 direct-to-consumer Sub70 659-CB irons and TAIII wedges at the 2023 PNC Championship, and he still has them in the bag, but he’s since stepped up the customization on the Sub70 clubs.

Does Daly ever NOT keep things entertaining?

 

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A true showman.

See Daly’s full WITB

5) DJ’s custom putter

Dustin Johnson has always been one to test multiple putters week-to-week, and he has a keen eye for different alignment lines and crowns. This week, he’s opting for a completely gray TaylorMade Spider Tour “T3.0” prototype with a short slant neck.

See the rest of DJ’s WITB from the week here

6) Patrick Reed still rocking GrindWorks irons

Patrick Reed knows his stuff when it comes to equipment, and he’s a prolific tester. Still, however, the GrindWorks PR-101A irons are squarely in the bag after his departure to the LIV tour.

The most notable new addition to Reed’s bag is this Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond 3-wood.

Click here to see Reed’s full WITB from this week

7) Beem’s Scratch set

Rich Beem, who won the 2002 PGA Championship at Hazeltine National, came to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla with a bag full of Scratch Golf irons, which are loaded with lead tape and equipped with some of the coolest custom ferrules in professional golf.

See Rich Beem’s full WITB here

8) Jon Rahm’s 10-iron

Before going to LIV, Rahm was using a Callaway Apex TCB pitching wedge.

Now, he’s using a Callaway Apex TCB “10 iron.”

He’s also since upgraded to three Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke metalwoods, and fresh stampings on his Jaws Raw wedges. Click here to see Rahm’s full WITB from the 2024 PGA Championship.

9) “Why so serious?”

Tyrrell Hatton, another LIV player in the 2024 PGA Championship field, channels his inner Joker to ask everyone, “Why so serious?

See Hatton’s full WITB here

10) Block’s “Proto” iron, from address

As you probably know by now, Block switched out of his old TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2014 irons, and into a full set of TaylorMade’s new “Proto” irons. We’ve already seen the Proto 4-iron in the bags of Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa, but this is our first look at the higher-lofted irons in the set.

Here’s a look at the 7-iron from address:

See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Proto irons in our Forums

And, with that, we say goodbye to Louisville, and the second major championship of the 2024 season. We’ll see you next week at the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas after a champion has been crowned.

Until then, don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week at the 2024 PGA Championship!

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Whats in the Bag

Club Junkie WITB, league night week 5: Another L.A.B. putter arises

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We will be one quarter of the way through Thursday night men’s league season after this week. BK played much better last week, so he is hoping to continue that success and post another good score.

Here are the 14 clubs that will hopefully win him some skins!

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops (9 degrees, neutral setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X (2024)

3-wood: Cobra Dark Speed LS Titanium (14.5 degrees, set +1)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7x

Fairway: Callaway Apex UW (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 8 X

Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops 4h (22 degrees, Flat Setting)
Shaft: KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 85 S

Irons: TaylorMade P770 Phantom Black (5-PW)
Shaft: KBS Tour 120 Stiff

Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (50-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff

Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (56-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff

Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (60-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff

Putter: L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max
Shaft: Accra x L.A.B. White

Ball: Titleist ProV1 Enhanced Alignment

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