Good, consistent iron play is the key to lowering your scores, and there are many different types of irons to suit all styles and abilities of golfer in today's market. From chunky, offset game improvement irons to sleek, refined and workable blades, there has been something for everyone in 2018.
Most manufacturers have continued the theme of focusing on ball speed and CG adjustments that we have seen over the last few years. Lightweight materials and weight distribution have been commonly used terms in new club press releases, aimed at giving golfers better launch and forgiveness whilst maintaining speed across the face for more forgiving results.
As ever at Golfalot we’ve brought you the most in-depth reviews of all the latest iron releases form all of the main manufacturers in 2018. After a year of crunching the numbers, analysing the tech, and hitting ball after ball we’ve been able to narrow the best of 2018 down to our top five.
In no particular order:
What it's all about...
The JPX919 Forged combines a mid-sized forged head with a bit of forgiveness and a face that delivers more speed than a normal forged iron.
The tech...
Mizuno has changed the cavity design by forging the head and then cutting a slot through the sole in the bottom of the cavity. This is then covered up by welding on a cap that is 52mm long by 5mm wide by 1mm thick so you can't see it. This new cavity design has resulted in a different sole grind that now has more camber and loses the grind on the leading edge and some on the trailing edge.
What we say...
Right through the set from 4 to PW the JPX919 feels great and even the longer irons will be playable for most single figure golfers. The styling is also a bit cleaner with the Mizuno name absent and the blue colouring removed for the first time on one of their irons.
Read the full review here
What it's all about...
Srixon has improved on the already-excellent Z765 irons released in 2016 by making the Z785 feel a little better and offer a touch more forgiveness.
The tech...
The Tour Cavity has been modified with more weight moved towards the toe and a little more mass put behind the centre. The top line is a little thinner and this gives it a slightly sleeker look than the Z765. The camber on the Tour V.T Sole has been modified to be greater on the leading edge with a standard bounce of 19 degrees instead of a variable one.
What we say...
The Z785 are towards the top end of the iron market by price, but pretty good value when compared to the other forged cavity back irons. So if upgrading your irons is on your list of new year resolutions, these should definitely be on your shortlist.
Read the full review here
What it's all about...
The Srixon Z585 Irons follow on from the Z565 irons and continue the forged construction combined with forgiveness that the Z5 range is renowned for.
The tech...
The main part of the muscle back is lower down and more towards the toe in order to move weight across the head and improve the MOI. This has been combined with a little more mass behind the centre of the face to give the head a bit more power. On the inside of the cavity, Srixon has improved the head by thinning out the Speed Groove in the SUP10 face insert to enable it to flex a little bit more.
What we say...
The previous model was very successful so Srixon have not messed with it much, just done a few things here and there to improve the feel and the speed off the face. Mid to high handicappers will love the combination of forged feel and forgiveness that the Z585 irons provide.
Read the full review here
What it's all about...
The Ping i210 irons are the successor to the Ping i200 irons and appear to represent evolution rather than revolution. They have taken all of the good things from the i200 model and seemingly made them better.
The tech...
The head still uses the cavity back design but now it features a larger section in the sole area into which goes a 30% bigger Elastomer Insert that is 50% softer than before. The greater size means 25% more contact with the face for more support and increased energy transfer to the ball at impact.
What we say...
Right through the set the performance was excellent and combined with a mid-sized head that has elements of the blade style, it has everything to appeal to single figure players and maybe a bit higher too.
Read the full review here
What it's all about...
The M2 irons were renowned for distance and forgiveness and the M4 irons continue in this vein, with thicker looks and a larger offset than it’s M3 counterpart for ultimate playability.
The tech...
The Speed Pocket on the M4 sole is still there but is now a longer, slimmer curved line rather than the dumbbell shape of the M2. To help reduce the loss of energy, TaylorMade has added RibCor bars behind the face slots in the heel and toe of the M4 irons to stiffen the upper portion of the head.
What we say...
They are fast, forgiving, sound better, look the part and with a competitive price and techy look, they are one of the irons to beat in the market for mid to high handicappers.
Read the full review here
Summary
So they're our top five, and its fair to say there's something for everyone. The TaylorMade M4 and Srixon Z585 are big and friendly, and focused on making life easier for the golfer. The other three options are for the 'better player' and give you great feel whilst remaining easy to hit and good looking.
Which one would be best for you? Are you a Mizuno loyalist who wants that famous forged feel, or do you want the extra forgiveness afforded by the powerful M4 irons? Let us know below what your favourite would be and why!