I went for a fitting and ordered the Srixon ZX5 irons, had them now for 3 weeks. I really can’t speak highly enough about these irons, for me I think they are beautiful, brilliant and the feel is wow. Perfect.
@@jedsantos2218 Possibly Jed, you really need to give them a try. Obviously they were not designed for 20 handicappers, but the extra loft over the XP might be playable so long as you have a reasonable level of ball striking consistency. Hope that helps.
@@ChrisDavis333 yes they are but I hit the mp225 and I honestly didn’t notice a huge difference. I would go with the 225’s if u find a deal but I got a really good deal on my 245’s. I would say the 245’s have a smidge more forgiveness in them
Thank you Simon and Neil! Your presentations are always informative and helpful. Based on your testing I'm going to test the Srixon ZX5 MKII, TaylorMade P790, Wilson Dynapwer Forged and the Ping i530. If you plan to test the Ping i530, it would be really great if you could drop the results into the tables you've created for this video. Thanks again.
Great review guys as always. I’m a senior 15/17 handicapper with a 74 mph swing speed (7 iron) and nearly always recommended game improvement iron in fittings which is fine but would love a players distance iron but in many tests distance is lost. In your ratings I was surprised to see the Wilson Dynapwr forged as not one of the easiest as it looks quite big and friendly. So far my favourite iron tested is T350 but tried the new i530 which shocked me as it was as easy as the T350 so would value your opinion on easiest most forgiving distance iron. Many thanks and again thank you for another great review.
Thanks for the feedback Seve, appreciate you taking the time. The Titleist T350 is designed to be a game improver iron so it could be right up your street. The slightly stronger loft certainly won't give up any distance either. Just be aware the back badges of the T350 do have a habit of scuffing up quite easily. Hope that helps.
Tried plenty of irons mainly in the game improvement category, but tried P790 and i530 but then tried the Wilson Dynapwr forged iron and loved it so forgiving and great looks and feel , plenty of spin a good launch 24 degrees and descent 44. I’m a senior with a slow swing speed so will be working on my contact just to gain more difference, the price is great too.
When you did the "Best players Irons 2024" , 3 weeks ago, u had the PXG 0317 T flying 182 at 124 ball speed, I know different days, not apples to apples, but still saying that, that 0317T blurs the line of Players and players distance. quite an interesting Iron, looking and feeling like a PLAYERS cavity back while also being a "Players Distance" Iron (actually hollow body) as well
Completely understand your point. The determining factor for us though is the loft of the 0317 T. At 32deg in the 7-iron that's more comparable to the TaylorMade P770 (a modern players' iron) than the P790 at 30.5deg (a modern players' distance iron), so to ensure a fair comparison the model has to fall into the players' category. Let's not forget too, PXG developed the 0317 family for elite golfers, and the filling inside the T is less about distance and more about lower launch more spin (than the 0311 P and XP). All in that makes it tough for us to say hand on heart the should be seen as a 'players' distance' iron.
I absolutely agree with the category you chose for the 0317, I was just pointing out the interesting dual-class possibility of that Iron. @@todaysgolfer
I was between players distance irons (forgiveness) and players irons (loft and feel) and I ended with the i230s which I truly feel is a hybrid between both categories. I thought I’d be giving up distance with the weaker lofts of the i230s but I’ve noticed the same yardages that I used to get from my MP225s. The i230s are so forgiving and can play all the trajectories. I’m shocked more people don’t play them as I think you could be anywhere from a tour pro to a 20 handicap and play them (would need a decent swing speed)
like the video. I have PXG gen 5 but I am not sure they are the clubs for me. PXG says I hit my 7i 170-175 yards, not close to that. I might get 165 with a good roll out. But one of the comments made in the middle of the video was about the distance and how that might not be the right club, I believe that is true with my PXG, no stopping power. I think I need to get a neutal fitting done and test my clubs against other clubs in that fitting.
Completely understand where you are coming from. Spin, shot height and descent angle have all become so much more important today than how far you hit a 7-iron. Do you have the the GEN5 XP iron? If so as we mention the lofts are very strong.
Funny that you said Wilson DPF is more towards players irons and still it was the easiest one for me in the fitting session. Lots of forgiveness. Even thought it has small head all my shots were in the middle of the club.
I like control so the first things I look at are descent angle, spin rate and peak height. My eye is immediately drawn to the P790, the Yonex (big surprise), Srixon (low spin but descent angle and peak height make a compelling case) and T200. Yonex is not the nicest looking club, but I have played Yonex in the past, not sure I would pick them. Srixon is a great looking iron, I would definitely try them. As always difficult to go wrong with the P790s or T200s
I’ve just ordered a set of Srixon’s after finding it a bit of a struggle with my players irons (getting older!). I tried most of the irons suggested here but the Srixon iron had a good compromise with what I’m used to in an iron. I can’t wait to get my hands on them. By the way, do you not think shaft selection would have a big differentiator when it comes to performance? I’m wondering if the irons in the test were fitted for tester. It might have had an effect on the overall dispersion. I know that when I was going through the fitting process we found a shaft that really tightened up my shots to almost blanket size!
Good choice Martin Srixon irons are really solid. Absolutely shaft would make a difference, our view is though we test the stock option that manufacturers produce, if we fitted them all with the same shaft we would end up testing some products in a set-up that wouldn't be available to buy. Enjoy the new set.
One thing that nobody tested is the specs , my last Mizuno set was terrible on lofts and swingweight , my new P790 set is correctly made from factory. Will be nice to know if the quality test is going better like the price is going up.
At 52, I’ve played a CB type iron most of my life. With a 7 iron speed of mid to upper 70’s, is there a model you might encourage me to try? Great content!
Thanks WarHound. There's a lot of good models in this category. Our winners would be where we're looking. If you've only ever played cavity backs definitely try a hollow body construction, just so you can rule them in or out and see how they compare to your own irons. Hope that helps.
@@j.w.matney8390 Ping refer to the G730 as their longest and most forgiving iron to date, so it doesn't fit into the players' distance iron category. Unfortunately the G730 launched after our test sessions wrapped up, which I why we've produced a further 'Which Ping iron suits me?" video to show how it compares to the rest of the family. Hope that helps.
Hi guys!! I know the Pro 245 7 iron, 6 iron and down are equally as forgiving as the P790, i530 and T200. My question is,since Mizuno takes away all of the tungsten in the 8 iron through wedge, is it still equally as forgiving as the P790, i530 and T200 in the 8 iron and down? I know the P790 drops the tungsten in the 8 iron and down too. I am not sure when the i530 and T200 drop their tungsten? I am just curious if the Pro 245 becomes a little bit more of better ball strikers iron on the 8 iron and down vs P790, i530 and T200. Thank you, Joe
Hi Joe, thanks for the question. From the conversations we've had within the industry it's pretty much accepted in the players' and players' distance iron categories that forgiveness is much less of a consideration in the short irons (8, 9, PW). There won't be too many engineers looking to optimise forgiveness at this end of the set, as talk turns to distance control and subjectives likes looks and profile. That being said the Pro 245 throughout the set has the feel of a set edging towards the Players' category where the P790 faces the opposite direction towards the mid-handicap iron category. Hope that helps?
I still play the Wilson V6 forged....ive had the P790's...Titleist T100 and JPX921 but still go back to Wilsons as theyre softer and higher launching....have to look at the Dynapower and the new CB's...
I like Wilsons. Wilson doesn't have the sex appeal of a Brad Pitt or George Clooney. It's the Robert Redford of golf clubs. A little more marketing muscle and placing this in the hands of Scottie, Xander or Rory and for sure these will fly off the shelves. Like Redford, he'll produce a film or star in it every now and then and it seems to be nostalgic and will come out with a blockbuster.
Why doesn't launch monitor average left dispersion and right dispersion separately for two numbers.... even a child's math class would know not to average left and right together lol Excellent video as usual thanks!!!
Thanks for the feedback Jimmy really appreciate you taking the time. Standard Deviation can do that do today, but still dispersion can be a misleading way to analyse equipment as it's so player related.👍
The thing I don’t get about the dynapower forged was it didn’t have the greatest launch, peak height,but yet at end be was complimenting those features but said he couldn’t play the jpx forged or HMP with the same numbers. Was it because the spin was higher?
Hi, is there a reason that there is such a large difference between the results of last year's test and this year's? For example the P790 is 13 yards shorter this year compared to 2023.
I wondered myself, but found his ball speed, across the board, is down quite a bit this year. like 5-6 MPH ! now, the P790 suffered more than most, but the T200 had the same thing happen for instance.
Hi Peter, there's quite a few reasons. The P790 is actually a different model compared to last years as it was replaced in July 2023. We used a different ball which can also make a big difference and as someone else has said Neil's swing/speed has changed. Hope that helps?
It's in there. Admittedly it doesn't get too much air time as we feel there were other better performers in the category, but there is a slide at 6:58 that has the dispersion data for the T200.
Look for something with some extra loft over your current irons Nick. A higher launch and spin shaft can also help. Make sure you try several models on a launch monitor so you can see how launch, spin, peak height and descent angle differ between them. Hope that helps.
@@todaysgolferI think the best way to go about it is to just order the heads. Then put whatever shaft you like in it. Rather than buying a pre made set from Takomo.
Hi, we write to most if not all manufacturers to invite them to take part. We're UK based so typically most of the equipment needs to be available here or samples can be tough to get hold of. Unfortunately Honma pulled out of Europe a couple of seasons hence why they no longer appear within our tests. Hope that explains.
It's compact, there's not too much hole offset, the sole width isn't as wide as the original Dynapower, and the lofts are weaker. The shaft weight is heavier than the original Dynapower too.
@@todaysgolfer I ask because I tried them out, along with ZX5, Mizuno 245, JPX 923 Forged and I found the Dynapower Forged easier to hit and the largest profile.
They hadn't been launched when we tested for this video, apologies. We have filmed this Which Ping iron suits you video since... czcams.com/video/8vWo3vwvlPo/video.html
You guys got some whacky results. 75 percent of the irons in that test had a similar poor decent angle to the JPX HMP. The wilson is getting universally praised for forgiveness, and its rather large for the category Just strange results. A tester (and this goes for drivers as well) who can get the ball off the ground would be helpful
Apologies, the i530 launched after our test sessions wrapped up, but we have produced a further "Which Ping iron suits me?" video to show how it compares to the rest of the family. Hope that helps.
Please do more hitting in a sim, range, course! It gets too dry to watch. You have lots of info, I think you have high quality content that could take off on subs but more action please!
Appreciate the Ping i530 isn't in there Josh, but we work to print deadlines so had to test in January before the i530 was announced. What else do you feel is missing? We'll have a further Ping iron video up within a week or so. 👍
@@joshsloth Appreciate where you are coming from on the i530, which we've explained. There isn't a model in the Apex 24 family that fits this category, the loft spells that out. The apex Pro rivals the TM P770 in the Players' Iron category.
I went for a fitting and ordered the Srixon ZX5 irons, had them now for 3 weeks. I really can’t speak highly enough about these irons, for me I think they are beautiful, brilliant and the feel is wow. Perfect.
A cracking choice, you are right they are beautiful. In our opinion the head shape and profile is second to nothing on the market. 👍
I bet mine soon. I can’t wait!
I play the PXG 0311P Gen 6 and could not be happier with the look, distance, accuracy, and forgiveness.
Fantastic choice Bryan.
Can a 20 Hcp like me handle a 0311P?
@@jedsantos2218 Possibly Jed, you really need to give them a try.
Obviously they were not designed for 20 handicappers, but the extra loft over the XP might be playable so long as you have a reasonable level of ball striking consistency.
Hope that helps.
I was gonna go with p790’s but I tried the Mizuno Pro 245 and they were amazing. They are in my bag now
Are they your first MP’s? How do they compare to the previous models? I haven’t hit them yet I’ve personally always loved Mizuno.
@@ChrisDavis333 yes they are but I hit the mp225 and I honestly didn’t notice a huge difference. I would go with the 225’s if u find a deal but I got a really good deal on my 245’s. I would say the 245’s have a smidge more forgiveness in them
Thank you Simon and Neil! Your presentations are always informative and helpful. Based on your testing I'm going to test the Srixon ZX5 MKII, TaylorMade P790, Wilson Dynapwer Forged and the Ping i530. If you plan to test the Ping i530, it would be really great if you could drop the results into the tables you've created for this video. Thanks again.
Thanks Brian appreciate the feedback. The i530 is next on our list for sure.
Great review guys as always. I’m a senior 15/17 handicapper with a 74 mph swing speed (7 iron) and nearly always recommended game improvement iron in fittings which is fine but would love a players distance iron but in many tests distance is lost.
In your ratings I was surprised to see the Wilson Dynapwr forged as not one of the easiest as it looks quite big and friendly. So far my favourite iron tested is T350 but tried the new i530 which shocked me as it was as easy as the T350 so would value your opinion on easiest most forgiving distance iron. Many thanks and again thank you for another great review.
Thanks for the feedback Seve, appreciate you taking the time. The Titleist T350 is designed to be a game improver iron so it could be right up your street. The slightly stronger loft certainly won't give up any distance either.
Just be aware the back badges of the T350 do have a habit of scuffing up quite easily.
Hope that helps.
@@todaysgolfer many thanks for your reply will be checking out i530 and P790 and QI which was also very good. Also checking Cobra, Srixon/ Cleveland.
Tried plenty of irons mainly in the game improvement category, but tried P790 and i530 but then tried the Wilson Dynapwr forged iron and loved it so forgiving and great looks and feel , plenty of spin a good launch 24 degrees and descent 44. I’m a senior with a slow swing speed so will be working on my contact just to gain more difference, the price is great too.
@@sevesellors2831 Thanks for your input Seve, great to hear you have found your happy place.
Pxg gen 6 are my favorite irons. Thought there are so many great players distance irons
When you did the "Best players Irons 2024" , 3 weeks ago, u had the PXG 0317 T flying 182 at 124 ball speed, I know different days, not apples to apples, but still saying that, that 0317T blurs the line of Players and players distance. quite an interesting Iron, looking and feeling like a PLAYERS cavity back while also being a "Players Distance" Iron (actually hollow body) as well
Completely understand your point. The determining factor for us though is the loft of the 0317 T.
At 32deg in the 7-iron that's more comparable to the TaylorMade P770 (a modern players' iron) than the P790 at 30.5deg (a modern players' distance iron), so to ensure a fair comparison the model has to fall into the players' category.
Let's not forget too, PXG developed the 0317 family for elite golfers, and the filling inside the T is less about distance and more about lower launch more spin (than the 0311 P and XP). All in that makes it tough for us to say hand on heart the should be seen as a 'players' distance' iron.
I absolutely agree with the category you chose for the 0317, I was just pointing out the interesting dual-class possibility of that Iron. @@todaysgolfer
I was between players distance irons (forgiveness) and players irons (loft and feel) and I ended with the i230s which I truly feel is a hybrid between both categories. I thought I’d be giving up distance with the weaker lofts of the i230s but I’ve noticed the same yardages that I used to get from my MP225s. The i230s are so forgiving and can play all the trajectories. I’m shocked more people don’t play them as I think you could be anywhere from a tour pro to a 20 handicap and play them (would need a decent swing speed)
Great to hear Ed, thanks for your input.
like the video. I have PXG gen 5 but I am not sure they are the clubs for me. PXG says I hit my 7i 170-175 yards, not close to that. I might get 165 with a good roll out. But one of the comments made in the middle of the video was about the distance and how that might not be the right club, I believe that is true with my PXG, no stopping power. I think I need to get a neutal fitting done and test my clubs against other clubs in that fitting.
Completely understand where you are coming from. Spin, shot height and descent angle have all become so much more important today than how far you hit a 7-iron.
Do you have the the GEN5 XP iron? If so as we mention the lofts are very strong.
@@todaysgolfer yes I do, I got their top of the line clubs. My game has improved, but I believe it more to be the lesson than the new clubs.
@@87toyhighlux It would be interesting to see how things change with the extra loft of the P iron.
Funny that you said Wilson DPF is more towards players irons and still it was the easiest one for me in the fitting session. Lots of forgiveness. Even thought it has small head all my shots were in the middle of the club.
Thanks for your input, appreciate you taking the time.
I like control so the first things I look at are descent angle, spin rate and peak height. My eye is immediately drawn to the P790, the Yonex (big surprise), Srixon (low spin but descent angle and peak height make a compelling case) and T200.
Yonex is not the nicest looking club, but I have played Yonex in the past, not sure I would pick them.
Srixon is a great looking iron, I would definitely try them. As always difficult to go wrong with the P790s or T200s
I’ve just ordered a set of Srixon’s after finding it a bit of a struggle with my players irons (getting older!). I tried most of the irons suggested here but the Srixon iron had a good compromise with what I’m used to in an iron. I can’t wait to get my hands on them. By the way, do you not think shaft selection would have a big differentiator when it comes to performance? I’m wondering if the irons in the test were fitted for tester. It might have had an effect on the overall dispersion. I know that when I was going through the fitting process we found a shaft that really tightened up my shots to almost blanket size!
Good choice Martin Srixon irons are really solid.
Absolutely shaft would make a difference, our view is though we test the stock option that manufacturers produce, if we fitted them all with the same shaft we would end up testing some products in a set-up that wouldn't be available to buy.
Enjoy the new set.
One thing that nobody tested is the specs , my last Mizuno set was terrible on lofts and swingweight , my new P790 set is correctly made from factory.
Will be nice to know if the quality test is going better like the price is going up.
Interesting idea Joseph, we might have a look at this in the future, although specs are always subject to any machines calibration.
At 52, I’ve played a CB type iron most of my life. With a 7 iron speed of mid to upper 70’s, is there a model you might encourage me to try? Great content!
Thanks WarHound.
There's a lot of good models in this category. Our winners would be where we're looking. If you've only ever played cavity backs definitely try a hollow body construction, just so you can rule them in or out and see how they compare to your own irons.
Hope that helps.
Ping G730
@@j.w.matney8390 Ping refer to the G730 as their longest and most forgiving iron to date, so it doesn't fit into the players' distance iron category.
Unfortunately the G730 launched after our test sessions wrapped up, which I why we've produced a further 'Which Ping iron suits me?" video to show how it compares to the rest of the family.
Hope that helps.
Hi guys!! I know the Pro 245
7 iron, 6 iron and down are equally as forgiving as the P790, i530 and T200. My question is,since Mizuno takes away all of the tungsten in the 8 iron through wedge, is it still equally as forgiving as the P790, i530 and T200 in the 8 iron and down? I know the P790 drops the tungsten in the 8 iron and down too. I am not sure when the i530 and T200 drop their tungsten? I am just curious if the Pro 245 becomes a little bit more of better ball strikers iron on the 8 iron and down vs P790, i530 and T200.
Thank you, Joe
Hi Joe, thanks for the question.
From the conversations we've had within the industry it's pretty much accepted in the players' and players' distance iron categories that forgiveness is much less of a consideration in the short irons (8, 9, PW).
There won't be too many engineers looking to optimise forgiveness at this end of the set, as talk turns to distance control and subjectives likes looks and profile.
That being said the Pro 245 throughout the set has the feel of a set edging towards the Players' category where the P790 faces the opposite direction towards the mid-handicap iron category.
Hope that helps?
I still play the Wilson V6 forged....ive had the P790's...Titleist T100 and JPX921 but still go back to Wilsons as theyre softer and higher launching....have to look at the Dynapower and the new CB's...
The CB's could well be an alternative for you Craig, completely appreciate it's hard getting out of set off irons you love.
I like Wilsons. Wilson doesn't have the sex appeal of a Brad Pitt or George Clooney. It's the Robert Redford of golf clubs. A little more marketing muscle and placing this in the hands of Scottie, Xander or Rory and for sure these will fly off the shelves. Like Redford, he'll produce a film or star in it every now and then and it seems to be nostalgic and will come out with a blockbuster.
Thanks for your input, Wilson are making some very nice kit right now, especially under the Staff Model umbrella.
Why doesn't launch monitor average left dispersion and right dispersion separately for two numbers.... even a child's math class would know not to average left and right together lol
Excellent video as usual thanks!!!
Thanks for the feedback Jimmy really appreciate you taking the time. Standard Deviation can do that do today, but still dispersion can be a misleading way to analyse equipment as it's so player related.👍
@@todaysgolfer Thanks.
The thing I don’t get about the dynapower forged was it didn’t have the greatest launch, peak height,but yet at end be was complimenting those features but said he couldn’t play the jpx forged or HMP with the same numbers.
Was it because the spin was higher?
Hi, is there a reason that there is such a large difference between the results of last year's test and this year's? For example the P790 is 13 yards shorter this year compared to 2023.
I wondered myself, but found his ball speed, across the board, is down quite a bit this year. like 5-6 MPH ! now, the P790 suffered more than most, but the T200 had the same thing happen for instance.
Hi Peter, there's quite a few reasons.
The P790 is actually a different model compared to last years as it was replaced in July 2023. We used a different ball which can also make a big difference and as someone else has said Neil's swing/speed has changed.
Hope that helps?
Would you recommend this category for low spin players?
Shouldn't the Titleist T200 be in this category as well? Any reason why you haven't included it?
It's in there. Admittedly it doesn't get too much air time as we feel there were other better performers in the category, but there is a slide at 6:58 that has the dispersion data for the T200.
Which iron would you suggest is the best for peak height? I play the Mizuno forged currently and have an issue with the peak height. Thanks
Look for something with some extra loft over your current irons Nick. A higher launch and spin shaft can also help.
Make sure you try several models on a launch monitor so you can see how launch, spin, peak height and descent angle differ between them.
Hope that helps.
Looked like the 101t’s performed great and cost like 1/3 what most of the others cost.
They're good for sure, you just need to order online. If you don't know what you need it's a very hit and miss way to buy equipment.
@@todaysgolferI think the best way to go about it is to just order the heads. Then put whatever shaft you like in it. Rather than buying a pre made set from Takomo.
Hi. How do you decide what irons to test? E.g. two years ago you included Honma, now they're not to be seen in your reviews.
Hi, we write to most if not all manufacturers to invite them to take part. We're UK based so typically most of the equipment needs to be available here or samples can be tough to get hold of.
Unfortunately Honma pulled out of Europe a couple of seasons hence why they no longer appear within our tests.
Hope that explains.
What is it about the dynapower forged that is geared to the better player?
It's compact, there's not too much hole offset, the sole width isn't as wide as the original Dynapower, and the lofts are weaker. The shaft weight is heavier than the original Dynapower too.
@@todaysgolfer I ask because I tried them out, along with ZX5, Mizuno 245, JPX 923 Forged and I found the Dynapower Forged easier to hit and the largest profile.
@@MrMatthew262 Agreed. I’ve heard others echo this as well.
No titleist irons in the test? One of the main manufacturers. I can't take this test serious!
Not sure why you can't see it but the Titleist T200 is definitely in the video.
Ping i530?
They hadn't been launched when we tested for this video, apologies.
We have filmed this Which Ping iron suits you video since...
czcams.com/video/8vWo3vwvlPo/video.html
You guys got some whacky results. 75 percent of the irons in that test had a similar poor decent angle to the JPX HMP. The wilson is getting universally praised for forgiveness, and its rather large for the category
Just strange results. A tester (and this goes for drivers as well) who can get the ball off the ground would be helpful
🤣🤣🤣 Not sure it's ever been said Neil Wain isn't able to get the ball off the ground before.
What I meant, sarcastic, was he launches VERY low compared to most. makes some numbers harder to translate to a more median launch@@todaysgolfer
Too bad they couldn't test the Ping i530. I tested them and others and bought the i530's.
Apologies, the i530 launched after our test sessions wrapped up, but we have produced a further "Which Ping iron suits me?" video to show how it compares to the rest of the family.
Hope that helps.
Please do more hitting in a sim, range, course! It gets too dry to watch. You have lots of info, I think you have high quality content that could take off on subs but more action please!
T150?
With a 7-iron loft of 32deg the T150 falls into the Players' Iron category. You can see our results here
czcams.com/video/NLbXgdk9S6Y/video.html
T200
Most of these irons are from 2023.....C'mon guys get more newly released irons in there!
Appreciate the Ping i530 isn't in there Josh, but we work to print deadlines so had to test in January before the i530 was announced.
What else do you feel is missing?
We'll have a further Ping iron video up within a week or so. 👍
@@todaysgolfer Yes definitely the new Ping i530 and something from the Callaway Apex series.
@@joshsloth Appreciate where you are coming from on the i530, which we've explained.
There isn't a model in the Apex 24 family that fits this category, the loft spells that out. The apex Pro rivals the TM P770 in the Players' Iron category.