Equipment

Should you be playing game improvement irons? Testing PXG’s Black Ops irons

Published

1 year ago

Mar 17, 2025

According to the National Golf Foundation, the average score of golfers who regularly keep score is 94. The same study shows 32 percent of golfers report average scores between 90-99, with 29 percent of golfers reporting average scores between 80-89.

While many of us want to play players irons, the reality is that most of us should be using more game improvement-style irons, or at least strongly considering this category. PXG wants to show you that just because you need game improvement irons doesn’t mean you have to give up soft feel, great sound, and classic looks.

Where we come in

GolfWRX took to our forum to find two gearheads who not only wanted, but needed to make a chance when it came to the irons in their bag. That’s where Dan and Joe come in. Two longtime GolfWRX forum members and Scottsdale, Arizona, golfers who were looking for added distance, forgiveness, and were interested in the tech behind the PXG Black Ops irons.

About the members

Dan aka dahn (Member since 2008)	Joe aka puttnforthe8 (Member since 2009)
13.2 handicap	10 handicap
Current Irons: Callaway Paradym	Current Irons: Srixon ZX5 & Ping S56

.. and how the PXG Black Ops irons could benefit them:

Dan: “The dual cavity will hopefully give me the added distance while maintaining the aesthetics that we all want from a players/players distance iron.”

Joe: “I personally could benefit on a number of fronts. Firstly, the forgiveness the Black Ops technology is providing will be truly welcome. The mishits have increased right along with age – so need some irons that reverse aging! The distance provided of course is going to be beneficial, but if I am going to get forgiveness and length back – sign me up. Mentally, the look is going to be a big win – some of the GI/SGI irons look like a shovel and my head gets wrecked looking at those. These look streamlined and thinner at the top so as not to cause a mental breakdown.”

Getting fit

PXG welcomed each member to their Scottsdale location for a fitting. Remember, getting fit is a vital step to find what clubs will work best for you and uncovering the most optimal setup to unlock your full potential as a golfer. Dan was fit into a set of Black Ops irons (4-gw) with Aerotech SteelFiber 95s shafts. Dan picked improvement in distance (approximately 5 yards), but his “dispersion and ball descent was much better.”

Joe had never been fit for irons. He came into this fitting looking for better distance, more forgiveness and to hit the ball higher. After working through a few different options, Joe and his fitter settled on the PXG Black Ops irons with the Accra I-series Graphite shaft. Joe stated that this setup was “balanced, the head felt great and it really inspired confidence“. With this setup, Joe was able to achieve a faster swing speed, more distance, and a 30 percent increase in height.

Hitting the course

By this time we had seen the improvement in their numbers following their fitting, but we wanted to see how it impacted their game on-course in a location that they frequent, one they’re familiar with, and perhaps have proved challenging to them in the past. We hit Camelback Golf Club’s beautiful Ambiente Course, a 7,225-yard, par 72 course that challenges players with several striking features: eye-catching elevation changes and rolling fairways with significant drops.

No. 4, a long par-5 on Ambiente, is one that has particularly proven to be one that is tough to overcome for Joe. This time, though, it was different. He came equipped with the PXG Black Ops irons, a set of irons that was more suitable for his game and packed with technology, ultimate forgiveness, and maximum distance for a mid-handicap player like Joe.

Tune in below to see how both Dan and Joe fared.

For more information on the PXG Black Ops irons, visit the PXG website here and be sure to schedule a fitting at one of their 200+ fitting locations. Read more about this experience from Dan and Joe, and get in on the action by visting our forum.

This article is presented in partnership with PXG.

Equipment

TaylorMade launches Spider Tour Torched putters

Published

13 mins ago

Jun 4, 2026

Brian Knudson

TaylorMade has dominated the mallet putter market with their expansive Spider putter line over the last few years. From players on professional tours to us everyday players, you will see a lot of Spider putters in bags. For 2026 TaylorMade is updating the Spider line with the new Spider Torched series that features a new torched PVD finish and some new head shapes.

The first thing you will notice about the Spider Torched putters is the bronze color finish. This finish takes inspiration from Rory’s custom Spider that is heated with a torch to get a multi-color bronze finish. When you heat stainless steel to around 600°F to 900°F it will change to this bronze color in a process called temper color. This happens because very high temperatures cause the metal’s surface to react with oxygen in the air, creating a thin transparent layer that gradually becomes thicker over time. Instead of using the time-consuming torching process, TaylorMade went with a more durable PVD finish to get a similar look.

Rory’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X

With the new launch we get the familiar Spider Tour head shapes that we know and love with the Spider Tour and Spider Tour X. Both are offered with different hosels as well to give looks that golfers will love and influence the toe hang of the putters for fitting different putting strokes. It doesn’t stop there as TaylorMade is also giving us the new Spider Tour V and Spider Tour F shapes that offer a different look and alignment at address. All of the heads stay true to being a Spider by their high MOI design for stability and forgiveness. A sole plate with updated graphics moves weight away from the center of the club head and out to the perimeter.

“The Spider Tour putter family represents the very best of what we do at TaylorMade. Nearlytwo decades of engineering, refinement and Tour feedback have gone into building thisfamily—and this new finish brings a level of visual sophistication that matches theperformance underneath it. These are putters that belong in the hands of the best players inthe world, and they’re proving it every week.”–Andrew Oldknow, Senior DirectorProductCategory and Design

More Photos of the TaylorMade Spider Tour Torched Putters

For lining up the putter we see the tried and true True Path alignment that TaylorMade has been using on Spiders for what feels like forever. This high contrast line makes it faster and easier to get the putter pointed towards your target for more accuracy. You can also see the legendary Pure Roll insert that is made from white TPU for a softer feel. Each insert contains horizontal 45 degree grooves that put more forward roll on the ball and reduce hopping and skidding. Behind the insert is a Hybrar Echo Dampener that will reduce unwanted vibrations for a softer feel and sound at impact. On the sole TaylorMade kept the TSS weights so that you can dial in the head weight in order to get the perfect feel out of your Spider Tour Torched.

Spider Tour

Spider Tour F

Spider Tour V

Spider Tour X

Spider Tour Counter Balanced

More Photos of the TaylorMade Spider Tour Torched Putters

All of the new Spider Torched putters are offered with a premium KBS CT 120 putter shaft that features a gloss black finish. This upgraded shaft features a stiffer feel and low toque for added stability and consistency. The stock grip is a Super Stroke Pistol 1.0 while the counter balanced models get a Super Stroke 2.0 XL grip that is longer, 13.75″, in order to grip it further down easily. A new brown head cover has a leather texture and looks really good with the brown and light blue accents on it.

The new Spider Torched putters will have a $349.99 price for both the standard and counter balanced models.

Whats in the Bag

Sungjae Im WITB 2026 (June)

Published

1 hour ago

Jun 4, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Sungjae Im had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.

Driver: Titleist TSi2 (8 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7 X

3-wood: Titleist TS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X

Hybrid: Titleist H2 818 (19 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD Hybrid DI 105 X

Irons: Titleist T100 ’19 (3-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (48-10F, 54-14F), SM7 (60-04L)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putters: Scotty Cameron Special Select F-5 Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype
Grips: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos of Sungjae Im’s clubs here.

Whats in the Bag

Lucas Glover WITB 2026 (June)

Published

1 hour ago

Jun 4, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Lucas Glover had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.

Driver: Titleist GTS2 (10 degrees, B2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X

3-wood: Titleist GTS2 (15 degrees, B2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X

7-wood: Titleist GTS2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X

Irons: Srixon ZX5 (4), Srixon ZX7 (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Wedges: Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack (52-10 MID, 56-12 FULL,60-12 FULL) Cleveland RTZ Tour Rack (54-12 FULL, 60-12 FULL)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400