Best Game Improvement Irons 2024
The best of the best! We roundup the best game improvement irons that have been released for the 2024 season.
Game improvement irons are designed to help golfers improve their accuracy, distance, and overall performance on the course. They tend to have a larger cavity back to help provide both visual confidence and more forgiveness on those off strikes.
In 2024, there are several top brands to consider when searching for the best game improvement irons. There is new releases from brands such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra and many others.
Check out our guide below to see which game improvement irons could help you this season…
Best Game Improvement Irons 2024
Ping G430 Irons
This club almost looks unrecognisable. Although it has that typical high square-toe Ping shaping, the back of the club head is really different. I love how they have designed the Pwrflex in the back of the club head to give this product a completely new more modern feel.
The most important thing about game improvement clubs is that they are easy to hit. These definitely tick all the boxes in this area. They are high launching, easy to strike and consistently go in the right direction.
I really like the fact these are fairly neutral down the target line and balance forgiveness with a decently high spin rate and launch so you can still control the golf ball.
Overall these are some of the most consistent game-improvement irons I have tested this year. Ping has done it again and produced an exceptional game improvement iron that will only aid performance.
PROS
- Extremely consistent irons
- Easier to hit than other models
- Controllable
CONS
- Not as long as other models on the market
- RELATED: Read our full Ping G430 irons review
Right-handed lofts: 8°, 9°, 10°, 11°
Ping stock shafts: Hzrdus Red CB, Tensei AV Blue with XLink Tech, Hzrdus Black, Tensei 1K Black
Fitted shafts (no upcharge) Graphite Design Tour AD UB, Tour AD DI, Tour AD IZ
More information: Ping Website
TaylorMade Stealth HD Irons
These look as much like a hybrid as an iron, but I think that oversized design is really comforting and confidence-inspiring for a higher handicap golfer. They’re also the ideal golf irons for senior players. I really like the design continuity from the original Stealth irons to these.
Straight away, once I started hitting these, it was easy to see how effortless it was to get high-launching shots across the set. They also felt a lot better than I expected. Yet off-centre strikes feel slightly harsh but the tech in the head to dampen vibrations certainly made those centre strikes feel nice and soft.
My longest shot carried up at 184.7 yards which is pretty impressive for me with a 5-iron. I think the longer you used these and the more you got used to the size and shot shape the more distance you would get out of these
The whole point of this club is to have something easy to launch and just really easy to hit, this was clear throughout the range. These have to be some of the easiest-to-hit products on the market.
PROS
- Super forgiving on off-centre strikes
- Very hard to hit heavy
- Improve consistency
- Draw Bias
CONS
- Big-looking club head
RELATED: Read our full TaylorMade Stealth HD irons review
Stock shafts: KBS Max 85 MT (steel) & Fujikura NX Red/Silver (graphite
Grip: Lamkin Crossline 360 Black/Red 47g 0.600 Ribbed
More information: Taylormade Website
Callaway Paradym irons
These irons are so attractive. Callaway have done such a great job with the styling. When you look at them on a shelf they really stand out. I love the navy and gold colourway and think the whole club looks premium and smart.
These irons are extremely hot from the centre of the club face and I had increased distances throughout the bag. The 162-yard carry distance with a 7-iron is over 7 yards longer than with my current irons.
The average spin rate with the 7-iron was 5434. This is clearly lower than the 7000 rpm that you might expect from a blade or smaller players 7-iron. But the height was high enough to get the ball to stop on the green with a good level of control.
Overall these are a really impressive set of irons. They are exceptionally long, so they are perfect for players who have lost distance or who want to hit the golf ball further. But the big thing that impressed me is just how well Callaway has balanced having more ball speed and distance without losing control. I think Callaway have nailed it with the Callaway Paradym irons
PROS
- Long carry distances
- Fast ball speeds across the face
- Forgiving on off centre strikes
CONS
- Not as workable as other models
- RELATED: Read our full Callaway Paradym irons review
Lofts: 4 20°, 5 23°, 6 26°, 7 29°, 8 33°, 9 37°, PW 42°, AW 47°, 52 52°
Stock shafts: MCA Aldila Ascent PL Blue, Project X Hzrdus Silver, True Temper Elevate MPH 95
Grip: Callaway Universal
More information: Callaway website
Cobra Darkspeed irons
Reviewed by Matt Coles
From the outset, these clubs look fantastic. The dark stainless steel finish differentiates the Cobra DarkSpeed irons from most other brands, and it’s a gorgeous look. That drew me in straight away, and immediately, I wanted to hit these clubs. When the club is set behind the ball, you can see there is plenty of space for the ball to hit the middle of the clubface, which promises much.
Cobra has used a hollow body construction on the DarkSpeed irons, which gives an enhanced feel while also giving players substantially more distance with every club. The DarkSpeed irons feature a Pwrshell Hot Face. Hot stands for Highly Optimised Technology. The face insert takes ball speed even further to allow for greater distance.
With my current irons, my average carry with a 7-iron is around 165 yards. With the Cobra DarkSpeed irons during this test, that pushed up towards 180 yards.
Cobra DarkSpeed irons did give me much more confidence with that extra bit of distance. It would mean taking a club less for those approaches, which should make it somewhat easier to not only hit the green but to hold it as well. The descent angles with shorter irons were all north of 40 degrees, which would give the ball more of a chance to stop and spin when required.
PROS
- Incredible distance
- Strong lofts
- Look sublime
CONS
- None
- RELATED: Read our full Cobra Darkspeed Irons Review
RRP (Variable): £849 for a steel shaft set (4-PW / 5-GW)
£949 for a graphite shaft set (5-GW)
RRP (One Length): £849 for a steel shaft set (5-GW)
£949 for a graphite shaft set (5-GW)
Shafts: 6 Featured shafts
More information: Cobra Website
Titleist T350 Irons
The T350s are the biggest of the new range, with a thicker top line and wider sole than the T100, T150 and T200 irons. They look and feel powerful behind the ball, with the lofts being pretty strong. I think they’ve done a great job disguising the offset so that they still have a player’s feel, even if they are big game improvement irons. You do feel like the ball is going to cannon from the face when you stand to the ball.
My first shot with the T350 iron was an absolute rocket. Not the low rocket that I fear, a rocket that launched high, spun enough and flew for miles in the air. I couldn’t believe I managed a shot with 130mph ball speed and with a peak height of over 100ft. The Titleist T350 irons certainly had my interest now.
The technology Titleist have put in these irons is worth knowing. This head is inspired by the T200 iron that is used on tour and just builds on everything that iron does so well. It has a hollow construction that gives it some of its immense power and forgiveness as it allows them to have more room to move weight around into optimal positions for the golfer.
It has a new, stronger forged face and improved ‘Max Impact Technology’ (a power spot directly behind the sweet spot) which allows ball speeds to remain high from all contact locations, and a new tungsten brazing process which allows engineers to be more precise with locating CoG to give you that extra forgiveness.
PROS
- Great distance
- Incredibly powerful trajectory
- Feels like a forged iron
CONS
- The Spin was a bit too low for me to game.
- Read the full Titleist T350 Irons Review
RRP: £178.50 per steel club or £1,249.50 for a set of 7
£192.50 per graphite club or £1,347.50 for a set of 7
Shafts: 8 Featured shafts
More information: Titleist website
TaylorMade Qi Irons
Reviewed by Hannah Holden
As someone gaming an iron on the smaller end of the spectrum, Hannah thinks that these irons look really good from the back, they would sit nicely in the bag, and you can’t really tell they are a game improvement iron. TaylorMade have put chrome plating on these game improvement heads for the first time, so the clubs should wear much less and keep a premium look for a much longer period of time.
These irons are so packed with new technology it’s going to be hard to cover it all. So let’s start with Hannah’s performance with the clubs. Hannah’s current P7MC 7 iron flies around 153 yards, and P770 5 iron carries 175, which are numbers that work for the gapping into fairway woods and wedges. With the Qi irons, Hannah averaged in the 170s carry with a 7 iron and then over 190 yards with the 5 iron, a 20-yard gain per iron.
What was very interesting is that despite distinctly stronger lofts in the Qi irons than in Hannah’s current gamers, the Qi irons achieved a higher peak height, so they would still have plenty of control hitting into greens. This is a misconceptions golfers have with game improvement clubs, they think the ball comes out like a low rocket and the increase in yardage comes at a cost to control.
These are brilliant distance irons, and with a ‘straight distance’ design to stop the long irons going right, they should absolutely feature at your next iron fitting and be considered for your bag in 2024.
Pros:
- The back of the club looks great in the bag.
- Long distance
- Performed really well on the course in real-world golf
Cons:
- Thicker soles may not suit the feel of all players.
- RELATED: Read our full TaylorMade Stealth irons review
RRP: £143 per iron (steel) £157 per iron (graphite)
Shafts: KBS Max MT 85 steel shafts (S, R), Fujikura’s Ventus Blue graphite shafts (7S, 6R & 5A
Lofts: 7i – 28.0°
More information: TaylorMade Website
Srixon ZX4 MKII Irons
The first strike of the ZX4 MKII blew me away. I was expecting the fairly common feeling of an explosive, low-spinning strike but I was surprised by a feeling of a forged player’s iron in my hands that left me wondering whether I’d picked up the right clubs or not.
These irons were bonkers long but I do wonder how well I or another player who naturally hits the ball low would find the long irons.
I do think that these irons have a great potential to help short hitters gain some much-needed distance, or for a mid to low handicapper to play in a split set. They look so similar to the ZX5 MKII and ZX7 MKII irons that you could seamlessly blend them into a split set for more control with the short irons and more forgiveness with the longer clubs.
PROS
- Forged face feels so soft
- Crazy long ball speeds
- Forgiving on off-centre strikes
CONS
- Super strong lofts produced a pretty low flight for me which may not suit everyone
- RELATED: Read our full Srixon ZX4 MKII irons review
Lofts: PW 43°, 9i 39°, 8i 33°, 7i 28.5°, 6i 25.5°, 5i 23°, 4i 21°
Shafts: KBS Tour Lite (steel) Diamana ZX Graphite (graphite)
More information: Srixon Website
The Best Game Improvement Irons 2024
Choosing the best game improvement irons can make a significant difference in your golf game, and it’s important to consider the top brands in the industry, including Ping, TaylorMade, Callaway, Cobra, and Srixon. With features like advanced face technologies, adjustable weighting, and improved ball speed, these game improvement irons can help you hit your best shots on the course in 2024.
Consider your own skill level and preferences to determine which brand and product will help you achieve the results you’re looking for.
How do we test irons?
At National Club Golfer we are passionate about producing accurate and thorough reviews and make sure our testing process is rigorous so we get a good understanding of how each club performs.
Each iron is hit with Pro V1 golf balls to allow us to collect launch monitor data with our in-house TrackMan and Flightscope. After this it is time to head out onto the golf course and test the clubs in practice and competition play. We do this across a variety of golf clubs in our base of Yorkshire.
What is important when buying a new iron?
When buying a new set of irons it is important to know what you want from that club to help you improve.
Most people are looking for more distance, each iron model is optimised for different things. Depending on your swing and your impact conditions, you may not actually hit the model that is advertised as the longest, the furthest. So if you want more distance it is always worth giving different models a hit before you make a decision.
For most golfers, especially high handicappers, something that is more forgiving is going to yield the best performance. Most forgiving golf irons have a slightly bigger club head with perimeter weighting for high MOI. They also have a center of gravity that is further back to help players get more height on their shots.
Do you want something that is draw bias? There are so many models out there to help with slice correction, it would be silly not to take a look if you see your ball disappearing into the right trees too often. A closed face and draw bias weighting can get you hitting straighter shots in no time at all.
Don’t forget about the shaft either. Getting the correct shaft can help dial in your spin, launch angle and can also give you some extra distance. Having a club fitting or trying different options with your local pro can really improve the performance of your new driver.
The Best Game Improvement Irons 2024: FAQ’s
What is a game improvement iron?
Game improvement irons are designed to help players hit the ball straighter, higher and further. They’re also the most forgiving of any type of irons available, whilst even including some of the longest irons you can get your hands on. This is generally achieved with a lower centre of gravity and stronger lofts. Distance AND forgiveness? Yes, please.
What handicap are game improvement irons best suited for?
These type of irons are ideal if you’re a high handicap golfer. Typically, if you’re shooting above 85 or only occasionally hitting a shot in the sweet spot then they’re also the go-to. Handicap-wise, mid-to low handicappers will benefit most from these clubs. And as we know, the average handicap is between 14 and 20, hence why they’re so popular on the shelves!
They are also great for players with slower swing speeds as they can help with higher launch, which these golfers can struggle with, especially in longer irons.
What brand produce the best game improvement irons?
All of the products in this best golf game improvement irons 2024 article are picked from the brands that offer the best-performing game improvement irons.
Do any pros use game improvement irons on tour?
Unsurprisingly, most PGA Tour pros don’t opt for game-improvement irons. As we covered earlier, the sort of irons are best suited for mid-handicap golfers looking to – quite literally – improve their game.
The most elite golfers in the world tend to game players’ irons or blades. These forged irons are thinner, have a smaller sweet spot and therefore are much harder to hit consistently than game improvement irons. From time to time some pros do add game improvement clubs in as driving irons for a more forgiving option off the tee.
We always recommend getting a club fitting before purchasing new equipment. Did you know American Golf offers free fittings across its UK stores? Find your nearest store today!
Nicola Slater
Nicola recently graduated from Stirling University where she studied Sports Studies, she wrote her dissertation on barriers to participation for women in golf.
Nicola plays her golf at Hickleton Golf Club and has recently started her professional career on the LET Access Tour. Having played for Yorkshire Ladies and has represented England at junior and senior level.
