What Are The Best Irons In Golf?

[GolfSpy_APH]

No wrong answers here as every golfer is different and each golfer has different experiences with products to determine what the best products are. 

So for this thread what is the best set of irons you ever used? What would you consider to be the best set of irons and finally why? Was it all head design, or was it a shaft or even grip that made the big difference for you?

Looking forward to hearing what all of you think!

[Shankster]

I came here 7 years ago banging the “Blades or bust” drum.  My drumstick broke for a few years, but I’m back on the bandwagon.  From my eye test, granted I haven’t hit the new Wilson’s, or Srixon blades… the Titleist 620 MB is the best currently made iron.  I technically haven’t owned a set yet but the head shape, ball flight, and feel are other worldly.  
 

Clubs that I’ve owned… has to be the ones in the bag. The sole on the OG T100S short irons and mid irons is very nice. 

[Redhawk]

Founders Club CB Tours!!! Enough said! The decade of the 90's belonged to these irons.

[Josh Parker]

For irons that I have owned.... dang that's a tough one.

Either my wilson deep red tours (they were my first set)

Or

Mizuno mp32s

[IndyBonzo]

My current Maltby TS1 short irons (8-G) are the most accurate I have ever had.

The Apex II are the sweetest to hit I have ever played.  Buttery.

But I still have a wandering eye …

Edited 12 hours ago by IndyBonzo

[Coulter]

I know my answer now! Look no further than the PXG gen 7 review

[Shannon Robinson]

For me it is Muria or Epon And at the Moment Grindworks CB 1 why because the Top Players on the Tour have there irons made buy the Japaness Makers they are only stamp with the OEM logos for Marketing and too sale to Joe Blogs but the Qualilty Sadely is in The Far East not in Europe or America Any More.

[D-M-G]

Never played a better iron than Honma TW-X, T // WORLD

[Cfhandyman]

Oh boy that’s a tough one. The easy answer, is whatever you are fit into and performs well for you.  My old reference set, the Hogan Apex edge irons are buttery smooth when you hit them well, but you pay a punishing price when you mishit them. Always a good test to see how good my swing is. In terms of current, I still have a preference for Japanese forged irons (Mizuno, Srixon, Miura, Epon,  etc). So while I love the feel of the JPX line forged irons, it’s the Mizuno hot metal pros that are still in the bag, because of the performance.   I’ve reshafted them a couple of times, now with Accra graphite shafts shafts and adjusted the lofts and lie.   But, I’m always searching for something better.  Only my fitter (TXG) knows for sure. 

[DanFranco]

Has to be a brand like Takomo or Carley. That what clubs for whatever handicap you might be and are affordable. The big brands are pricing themselves out of the market…

[CFreddie]

Very tough question - I love my Cobras (they were my first fitted set), but I sure do miss my old Mizunos JPX 800s, since they were the irons I really “learned” the game through.  So the “best” iron? Probably not, but it was easily the most nostalgic for me. 
 

And as many have said, I think the “best” iron for players is the intersection of what works best for your swing and skill, along with budget. 
 

Now that Ive advanced quite a bit in skill, I’d love to consider a different set / configuration - excited to see what new sets come in 2025 that could sway me one way or another.

 

 

 

 

[TJ Hall]

I only have limited insights here as I have only played 2 sets of irons…yeah, I don’t change them very often.

First set were Harvey Penick Classic Players, loved these for many years.

Moved on from those to TM Tour Preferred CB for the past 12 years with no regrets.

[Josh Parker]

58 minutes ago, Shannon Robinson said:

These are pretty slick looking!

[Trevor613]

The Ping Eye 2 was an iconic club for me because it was my first "real" set of irons.  Yes, I know...they aren't forged blades, but the confidence that I had in those clubs were a big factor in growing my love of the game.  To this day, I'm continuing to search for a set of irons to which I have that kind of connection.  Of the other clubs I've hit over the years (not necessarily played full rounds with), the feel of a forged Mizuno or Srixon is tough to beat.  I realize this is a different category as well; however, the Titleist Vokey wedges are probably my favorite things in my current bag to hit.  The 50 deg in particular has the most wonderful feel to it. Perfectly balanced and you know when you catch it just right...that tuning fork just goes off inside of you and it is an indescribable feeling.

[cnosil]

The Cleveland TA7 Tour irons are my personal favorite.  One of the clubs that in the back of my head i regret switching away from.  Went down the rabbit hole of new clubs are better….pre MGS involvement days

shot my best rounds with them and got my handicap down to a 4.   I still have a  6 iron that I used as a practice club; it still is a great club.   
 

[Dad-Rad]

The ones you can hit with confidence. Without confidence no irons are worth much over another.

Edited 10 hours ago by Dad-Rad

[Henri-Martin]

Miura without any doubt.   Many tour players are, and have been, playing Miura made clubs under the brands of other companies and to a more limited extent at this time, under the Miura brand. Miura Golf's policy is that we don't pay professionals to play our clubs.

[jeepjrn]

Golfing for well over 50 years I’ve had a variety of irons. Starting with Titleist and Spalding blades before moving to a set of Hogan Directors which I played for many many years. As I aged and needed more help I went to Tommy Armour 845’s and eventually settled in on a set of Ping Zing irons, again playing them for a long period before going to Ping G30’s. When the graphite shafts started snapping earlier this year I was encouraged to purchase a set of Callaway Ai Smoke irons. Needless to say I wish I had my Ping G30’s back. To sum it up, my favorites by far were the Hogan Directors, later the best for my game as I grew older was the Pings by far. Now well into my senior years, I’m looking to Ping irons again in the near future as my last set! 

[Swood1994]

19 minutes ago, cnosil said:

The Cleveland TA7 Tour irons are my personal favorite.  One of the clubs that in the back of my head i regret switching away from.  Went down the rabbit hole of new clubs are better….pre MGS involvement days

shot my best rounds with them and got my handicap down to a 4.   I still have a  6 iron that I used as a practice club; it still is a great club.   
 

Ditto. I played these during my HS days. Sold them to a friend who was in desperate need of an upgrade. He still games them. 

I love my Mizuno’s. I am a fan boy, right now my MP-18’s are top choice but the love started when I was fitted for MP-64 during my senior year the only thing that stopped me was price at the time. 

[rangergolfco]

I truly think right now- the best Irons in Golf are the Titleist T-150’s. They are the sweetspot for at least 70% of amateur players almost finding their own category of irons. Incredibly soft, decently forgiving, workable, incredible looks, what more can you ask for. Titleist to me is on fire at the moment and ready to dethrone king Taylormade whos been on top of the throne the last few years. 
 

Best irons of all time- simple bias pick but my Mizuno MP-32’s made me so incredibly happy. Still have them as my clubs in my office for a nod to nostalgia, they got me into low single digit handicaps, i went through multiple swing changes with them and they were always there to look great and pick up the slack where i needed it. I felt like a tour pro with these in my bag and to this day find them to be the best irons ever produced.

Edited 9 hours ago by rangergolfco

[Cyclereport_Nate]

of all time?
Maybe Ping Eye 2.
 

Now? that's tough with ever expanding list of categories that are hard to compare together.

I actually think PXG 0311 line (xp, p, t) because they really pushed the (now very common/popular) hollow body movement forward. Not the  first to do it, but they did it well. Giving golfers of all abilities/handicaps fully forged iron options with slim looks (not necessarily pretty but hollow body irons emulate blade shape with nearly game improvement tech). 

They perform well, and created a whole category of imitators (p790, mp225, forgedTec, etc). Some of those are arguably just as good/better but the PXG really kick started the segment that has become one of the most popular in golf. 

[russtopherb]

The best irons are the ones you have fun hitting and help you keep wanting to play more golf.

For me, I think all-time my favorite set were the Callaway Diablo Edges. Huge and chunky but all they wanted to do was go straight and far. Can't complain about that.

Edited 9 hours ago by russtopherb

[Byrnzee]

I have limited experience here, but I would say the TaylorMade P7CBs I'm currently testing are the best irons I've used (shameless plug to the testing thread, sorry not sorry ). I love my Mizuno MP-54s and they served me well for the last five years or so. My first adult full set was a used set of TaylorMade R7s that I was gifted by a neighbor. The Mizunos were my first brand new set that I bought myself and the P7CBs have been my first set I've been fitted into. So many good irons out there currently so I'll echo what @russtopherb said!

17 minutes ago, russtopherb said:

The best irons are the ones you have fun hitting and help you keep wanting to play more golf.

[DRLEONARD58]

I am currently really enjoying my Srixon ZX5 MkII's and before that had nothing but good things to say about my Ping Eye 2's.. 

I will probably never be a good enough golfer for blades or player's irons, but I do love the look of the Mizuno's..

[kdubz114]

Picked up the Mizuno 243s at the start of this season and I am not sure I will ever be able to part with them.  I have never had approach shots like this in my life. Easily my favorite iron set of all time. Would love to try the new t100/t150s as well, I think those look fantastic. HM: mp5

[averygrant20]

Have had quite a few different sets of irons over the last couple years (about a dozen) and in my opinion the 2021 Titleist t100s black are the best irons all around. They give you the players shape, control, and feel mixed with lofts and distance you would expect from a players distance iron. 
 

Second place would easily be the cobra forged tec copper. These take the cake in the players distance category. Feel great, you can get some decent shot shaping from them and they go a mile. I played these for two years sold them and then went back to them later on because nothing else could compete. 
 

Third place would go to the Taylormade P730 or P760. I had a combo set of these irons and really loved them. The only reason I don’t still play them is the T100s gave me the same control with better numbers across the board but non the less great irons that don’t get the respect they deserve. 
 

 

[WYBob]

Of the modern brands, it is the Mizuno Pro line. Of historic brands, it would be Ben Hogan Apex of various iterations (my favorite is still the FTX). 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Has to be my current set, which is the Cobra Aerojet irons. Do I think they are the best ever irons? No, but they are fit to me and I can't speak to how much of an impact that had on my game the past two seasons. I am planning on upgrading to a new set in 2025, at which point they will more than likely lose the crown; but for the time being, they have the slot!

[Dweed]

I have to admit that I'm playing my best golf in my life this past year. Lots of practice and not trying to kill the ball to make up for lost distance. Yeah, over 70 yrs of age that is a distinct possibility. I attribute this to swinging with what my body allows and accept that. If I need a 5 iron when a 7 used to work, so be it. The other attributes are my clubs. 6 years ago I went with Ping G400's irons and driver after a fitting. Budget said buy Ping G's but head said what the heck. Splurge. enjoy retirement. Don't regret it at all. G 400's are the best I've ever had.

[sman3115]

Obviously whatever one's you hit the best and most consistently from day to day.

I had been cruising with my MP-14's in high school when my dad won a set of TA-1's in gunmetal black finish +1/2" I never hit an iron so pure in my life.  He took them to FL and I only ever got to hit them once since on the range.  I think about those irons all the time.  Not sure I could handle them anymore though .  I wonder what could've been if I had just stuck with those or my dad's MP-33's I stole in retaliation instead of the 762's I ended up playing through college and beyond... sigh