Once golfing fever has taken over, there is no going back!
A symptom of this “fever” would be the desire to buy the latest golf clubs on the market, hoping they will level up your game and inch you closer to the PGA.
However, as a beginner, you shouldn’t be so quick to buy any old set of irons and should research which are best suited to you.
Below, we have made a list of the best irons for beginners, designed to be more forgiving, hit the ball longer, and launch the ball higher in the air.
Also, in this post, you will find some tips/advice on how to find the perfect irons for you.
Without further ado, let’s get right into it.
1st – Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal HL Iron
2nd – Titleist T400 Irons
3rd – Taylormade Stealth Irons
4th – Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Irons
5th – Callaway Rogue ST MAX Irons
6th – Ping G425 Irons
7th – Wilson Launch Pad 2022 Irons
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Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal HL Iron
Pros
Cons
Full Review
The overall winner and our choice of best irons for beginners is the Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal HL irons.
Starting with how they look, these are, without a doubt, the best-looking game improvement irons on the market.
Although the head is chunkier than usual at address, it doesn’t look that different from a standard iron. We think the classic choice of silvers and chromes works beautifully for this club.
The feel you with these clubs is so satisfying as they come of the face comfortably even on mishit shots.
Also, the sound from a well-struck shot with these irons is sensational, and nothing else on the list compares to them in this aspect.
In terms of distance, they are incredibly long and launch the ball high into orbit, our team was averaging an additional 10 yards compared to other game-improvement irons.
Everything checks out so far and so does the overall forgiveness the club offers. The slightly larger club head helps spread out the sweet spot and make sure you catch more of the ball.
Lastly, what caught us off guard was how much spin you can get with these irons. Many irons in this category sacrifice spin to send the ball farther, which sometimes makes stopping on the green challenging.
From our experience, often the ball would stop dead on the greens if not spin back a little.
Overall, the only drawback is the price might be a little more than a beginner golfer would be willing to spend, but considering you will have your first set for years, we see it as a good investment.
Titleist T400 Irons
Pros
Cons
Full Review
The Titleist T400s are, in our opinion, the second-best-looking irons on our list, coming in with a classic design that would almost make you second guess if they are game improvement irons.
When it comes to sound and feel, they are a lot lighter in your hands than you would expect from a club with such a large clubhead.
The noise of a clean strike is excellent and unique compared to other irons on this list.
Often, game improvement irons have a dull, solid sound on impact, but these irons have a high-pitched ping on clean or off-center hits.
Even for some strongly lofted clubs, they still manage to launch the ball high into the air because of the tungsten weighting added to the club heads.
Clubheads are hollow, and the face is thin, meaning it is easier to get faster clubhead speeds while offering some of the best forgiveness on the list.
Overall, these are some fantastic game improvement irons with a classic look, great distance, solid feel, and amazing forgiveness.
The only thing that might put you off these irons is that their price point will be higher than other irons on this list.
Taylormade Stealth Irons
Pros
Cons
Full Review
Taylormade irons are known for producing some of the best-looking and most sought-after irons on the market, but in our opinion, they fall short of their usually high bar.
The irons are chunky, which is to be expected from game improvement irons.
At address, you know you are using a game improvement club where the previous two sets on this list don’t give you the same look.
That being said, the sound and feel of these irons were excellent, the ball feels nice of the clubface and makes a solid sound on impact.
These irons are very long and have strong lofts throughout the set, meaning you will get those extra yards without having to try any harder.
Even though the lofts are strong, the weighting of the clubhead is heavy enough that the ball still shoots off into the air with no problems.
Ultimately, we’re interested in how forgiving they are as a beginner, and these irons were some of the most consistent in this list.
This means you can relax over the ball knowing that a mishit won’t cost you dearly, as these forgiving irons are extremely accurate.
Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Irons
Full Review
Okay, let’s get this out of the way: they are not the most attractive club on the market but bear in mind you are buying them to get results, not to look good.
They are pretty much a set of hybrids with the addition of what Cleveland calls the glide rails for the longer irons.
As you get to the shorter irons,, they slim down a little bit but are still chunky overall. They trim down so you can hit your short irons using a steeper attack angle, which is necessary to hit them correctly.
The clubface has added weights to help generate speed and balance out the club face, resulting in longer, more forgiving shots.
Cleveland used AI to design the clubface and to distribute the materials to help with shots hit off-center.
These irons have the largest heads in the Cleveland range and can choose graphite or stainless steel shafts.
Overall, these irons are perfect for people who struggle with hitting their long irons but like the shape of traditional irons when hitting their shorter clubs.
Callaway Rogue ST MAX Irons
Pros
Cons
Full Review
Callaway is rolling back the years with the design of these irons. They remind us of the old Big Bertha-style irons in the early 2000s & 90s.
The irons are thick, but the weight is well distributed from top to bottom.
One thing many golfers will love about these irons is the distance they will hit compared to their older ones.
The clubs have strong degrees of loft. In simple terms, it means that the 7 iron may have the same degree of loft as a conventional 6 iron.
This means you can hit the ball farther than your old irons without changing a thing.
We found them incredibly forgiving, too. However, the feel of a clean strike wasn’t as satisfying as others on the list.
But let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter how they feel when the golf balls take off hot and fast from the clubface.
The additional weight in the head allows the golf ball to shoot high into the air despite the stronger lofts. You’ll need the ball high in the air if you want to land softly on the green.
As usual, because of their thickness, if you enjoy experimenting with different shots around the greens, you may look into buying a set of wedges separately.
Ping G425 Irons
Pros
Cons
Full Review
Regarding a game improvement iron and how they look, they are some of the better-looking ones. Although they are still on the thicker side of things when lined up behind the golf ball, it’s easy to forget there is a lot going on at the back of the clubhead.
When you strike the ball, there is a nice solid feel and sound of them, which is nice. Some irons make a lot of noise for no reason, but it is not a problem with these Pings.
We noticed that the golf ball seemed to carry in the air forever, launched high and fast of the clubface. Put all of this together, and these irons are incredibly long!
This shouldn’t be a surprise with the addition of strategically placed weights, added face hinging, a 3-piece badge, and variable face thickness. Making it sound good, feel good, and perform good.
In terms of forgiveness, these irons are not short in any means. Even on slight mishits, the ball still shot off towards the target. It’s worth mentioning that there isn’t an iron on the market that can make the ball go straight after a terrible swing.
The thicker design doesn’t have a huge effect on chip shots around the green, but like with all chunky irons, if you want to be a greensman, invest in some traditionally shaped wedges.
Wilson Launch Pad 2022 Irons
Pros
Cons
Full Review
These irons will not win any beauty pageants; they are clunky and look like hybrids, but you don’t buy these wedges for their design.
No, you buy them because you want to use their forgiveness on poor strikes, and these clubs are some of the most forgiving on the market. Not only that, but the feeling you get from a clean strike is very satisfying.
Because of their wide soles, hollowed head, and thick top line, these clubs provide fantastic distance and forgiveness. Wilson definitely added everything they could to make these super game improvement irons.
We were pleased to find that the long irons traveled longer than expected, which is great. One of the main issues with this set for us was the short irons or wedges are a bit on the chunky side.
Making hitting various shots around the green a challenge for more experienced golfers. You could balance this set out using a different set of wedges or short irons. Mix and match!
Overall if you can get over their overall appearance and have a limited shot type around the greens (Which shouldn’t be an issue if you’re starting out), then these irons are perfect for you.
They offer great distance, forgiveness, and come with an option to swap for graphite shafts for those with a slower swing speed. Not to mention, they are some of the cheapest game improvement irons on the market.
Tips To Find The Perfect Set of Beginner Irons For You
Figure Out What You Can Afford To Spend
Figuring out how much you can afford to spend should always be your first step when buying clubs.
Of course, in a perfect world, we would all love to use nothing but the latest models on the market, but unfortunately, not everyone has an endless supply of cash.
By sitting down and coming up with the figure you’re willing to spend it will make sorting through the irons on websites or golf shops easier.
You can walk right past the latest models or filter to your price range online.
Another reason you should have a budget is that golfers often fall into the trap of testing out the latest clubs when they go to the store.
Then all it takes is for the salesperson to say, “You’re hitting the latest version 5 yards farther on average” and then before you know it, you’ve splashed money on custom shafts and punched a hole through your bank account.
How Committed Are You?
After you figure out how much you’re willing to spend, you have to be realistic about how often you’re going to play and what stage you’re at before buying.
How often do you play golf? Multiple times a week? Once a week? Once a month?
How long are you playing golf? Just started playing? A couple of years? Your whole life?
It would make no sense to buy the most expensive irons on the market if you’re only new to golf and you’re not 100% sure you will stick with it.
Similarly, if you’re playing golf once a month, then this option makes no sense either.
On the other hand, if you play regularly and have done so for years, the investment would be a safe bet as you will get your money’s worth.
Ultimately, it’s up to you how much you spend, but there is no harm in getting cheaper models as a starter set and working up to the newer models once you’re up and going.
Golf irons are made to last a long time so you don’t need to get a new set every year.
What Style Do You Have In Mind
Golf clubs come in all shapes and sizes, so walking through a golf store can become overwhelming, sometimes not knowing which one to pick.
A good place to start is if you have used any clubs before and how you found them to hit. Do you prefer forged or cast irons?
Traditional-shaped irons are the most commonly preferred style, unlike chunkier iron heads that sometimes resemble hybrid clubs.
These chunkier clubs may not be the most visually appealing, but if you can hit them more consistently, that’s all that matters.
There are now sets that mix traditional and chunkier club heads in the one. It’s important to like the way your club looks, but it’s no good if they look well if they don’t work.
Get Your Swing Assesed At A Golf Store
The majority of golf stores or even driving ranges offer a service where you can get your swing assessed.
However, the added benefit of doing this at a golf store is that you can try out a few different irons and see which ones work best for you.
By getting your swing looked at, you can ensure you get the right irons.
They look at things like how fast your swing speed is and your ball flight, amongst other things.
But probably the most important would be how fast your swing speed is because if you buy clubs that are not suited to your speed you will have problems with inconsistency.
These assessments are often not that expensive, and if you buy clubs from the store that day, they do not charge for the session the majority of the time.
Pick The Right Shaft
Beginner golfers or high handicappers rarely even consider which shaft comes with their irons, which could become detrimental to their golf game.
Regarding shafts, there are two types of material: graphite and steel.
Graphite shafts, on average, are more expensive and are often used by golfers with slower swing speeds.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Then, you have to decide if you want a regular flex, stiff flex, senior flex, or even extra stiff flex.
The stiffer the flex is, the faster your swing speed will need to be to hit them consistently.
Usually, if you’re starting out, you will be fusing a regular flex, but if you got your swing assessed, you can be sure you will pick the right one.
Shafts make a difference, so don’t add to the cart without checking them out first.
Do You Prefer Hybrids Or Long Irons?
Many golfers, not just beginners or high handicap golfers, either hate long irons or love them.
Long irons to be hit differently when compared to how your swing for short iron shots will be. They need more speed, and you will find hitting them tough if you don’t have it.
Hybrids are becoming more popular as the years go by, and even professional golfers on the tour have chosen to add them to their bags.
Some sets will come with hybrids, others will have the entire set resemble hybrids, and then traditional sets won’t have any.
Figure out what you hit best and work with that. Don’t just get something for the sake of it. If you can’t hit long irons, don’t worry about it.
Hit the hybrids, and once your swing develops, you can experiment with these irons again.