The Best Players Irons of 2019

By: Alex Picken | Tue 26 Feb 2019

In previous years, manufacturers would simply release a new standard stock set of irons, a design that would be available for golfers of all abilities but would unfortunately not work for all golfers in the same way. As science and modern innovation has improved our knowledge of the golf swing, we now understand that players of different abilities and handicaps require slightly different specifications and fittings for the majority of their clubs. Sets of irons have possibly been the biggest recipient of this changing construct, with golf manufacturers working hard to design different versions of irons that will benefit every kind of golfer. Here is Golfshake’s gear guide to the latest players irons of 2019, specifically targeting golfers with low handicaps who consider themselves better than average players.

TaylorMade P760

The TaylorMade P760 forged irons are the latest development from the very popular P700 iron series. This progression has led TaylorMade to manufacture a set of forged irons that have been specifically designed with tour-calibre quality in mind. The slight changes in design characteristics, materials and specifications aim to provide high quality golfers a set of irons that will enhance both distance and precision during their rounds.

One notable feature that has improved in the P760 iron series is the forged multi-material construction. Not only has this design changed the aesthetic appearance of the club, the entire construction of the club has been altered to improve performance. The hollow cavity construction (3-7 irons) produces consistent distance while adding forgiveness to maintain optimized gapping throughout the set. Alongside this is the one-piece forged construction in the 8 through AW, resulting in remarkable feel and shot shaping capability for better ball strikers. Another notable development from the P700 series is the focus in shot-shaping ability that TaylorMade designers have placed on the engineering for the P760 forged irons. Head-size, offset and lofts have been meticulously detailed to engineer specifically what better players demand for precision shot making.

While the foundational aspects of the previous P700 series are all still part of this unique design, the developments and progression in the engineering and manufacturing of the P760 forged irons have been specifically aimed with providing the best players with a club that will give them the best results.

Specifications

Shaft

Dynamic Gold 120 (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)

Grip

Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360

Price

£999.00

More information about the TaylorMade P760 irons, click here for a more detailed analysis of TaylorMade’s latest forged irons.

Callaway Apex Pro

The Apex Pro irons are the first forged tour performance irons with advanced distance technologies. Callaway has introduced a variety of new and exciting golf clubs for 2019, the Apex Pro irons are one of the showcase features of this product range. With innovative design ideas and unique engineering techniques, the Apex Pro forged irons are the pinnacle of the Callaway iron range.

One of the standout features of the Apex Pro irons are the incredibly soft feel and improved distance they provide golfers with. The carbon steel body promotes amazing Apex sound and feel, and the urethane microspheres consist of over one million tiny air pockets that absorb unwanted vibration without slowing the face. The Apex Pro irons also include the unique feature of Face Cup technology. Face Cup employs a shallow, flexible rim around the perimeter of the face that flexes and releases at impact to promote fast ball speed for consistent distance and maximum power.

Engineered with input from experienced tour players and professionals, the Apex Pro irons have been designed with a unique appearance that promotes visual confidence and stylish feel. The classic look has a straighter leading edge, higher toe, thin top line, and a smooth hosel transition, providing golfers with an iron that both looks and performs with tour quality.

Golfshake View

Specifications

Shaft

True Temper Elevate Tour (Steel) – (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)
True Temper Catalyst (Graphite) - (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)

Grip

Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360

Price

£1,299 (Steel)
£1,399 (Graphite)

For more information about the Callaway Apex Pro 19 forged irons, click here for a featured video review and detailed description.

Titleist 718 AP2

Renowned for being the number one iron on the PGA Tour since 2005, Titleist have always provided their customers with tour-quality performance and appeal, the AP2 iron range is no exception.

Designed to provide golfers will the ultimate efficiency in forgiveness and precision. With the help of perimeter tungsten weighting and a unique co-forged construction, the AP2 irons offer unmatched stability and forgiveness, providing golfers with consistent distance control and ball striking.

With the influence of PGA Tour golfers and Titleist golf ambassadors, the AP2 irons have been manufactured with the intention to match the physical and aesthetic needs of a tour player. The innovative engineering of the new refined leading edge provides for more efficient turf interaction and pure feel through impact. Aesthetically, the sleek and stylish forged iron design offers a beautiful appearance that sits ideally behind the ball, promoting extreme confidence and touch.

From March 1^st, 2019 Titleist will be unveiling the blacked out edition of the AP2 and AP3 forged irons. Finished with a sleek, High Polish Black PVD coating to create a look that stands apart, the unique all-black colour offers an alternative design to the classic and traditional modern irons.

Golfshake View

Specifications

Shaft

True Temper AMT Tour White (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)

Grip

Golf Pride Tour Velvet White

Price

£899.00

For more information about the Titleist 718 AP2 irons, click here for a detailed description.

Ping i210

Renowned for their brilliant designs that incorporate improved distance, forgiveness and control, the Ping i210 compact irons provide their golfers with a variety of expert features to promote confidence out on the course.

Ping engineers understand the importance of control and precision, they constructed the i210 irons with a patented multi-material construction that combines a 431 stainless steel head with a larger and softer elastomer insert. This technology provides golfers with the confidence of extreme accuracy and forgiveness when targeting any tough to reach pin.

Ping have also redesigned the club face of the i210 irons, aiming to engineer a club face that offers expert control and feel. The i210 iron’s face and grooves are precision milled as is the cavity, giving it a high-end appearance. Tighter groove spacing in the pitching wedge and U-wedge provides greater precision and control on shots that matter most.

This innovative and unique design provides their golfers with tour-quality performance and appearance, with all the aspects of a forgiving and precise iron.

Golfshake View

Specifications

Shaft

True Temper Dynamic Golf 120 (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)

Grip

Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Price

£759.00

For more information about the new Ping i210 irons, click here.

Mizuno JPX919 Forged

Mizuno have always been renowned for manufacturing golf clubs that are sleek and stunning in appearance, while still performing at a tour-quality level for amateurs and professionals alike. Designed with this target market in mind, the new JPX919 Forged irons have already boasted to be very popular amongst some of the world’s best golfers.

Arguably referred to as Mizuno’s most versatile iron, the JPX919 Forged irons provide the perfect balance between tour-quality precision and amateur golf forgiveness. Using the unique engineering material of boron makes the steel billet in the iron 30% stronger, allowing greater design possibilities in a forged head, amplifying distance and control.

Another feature of the JPX919 Forged irons is the CNC milled technology in the sole. This innovation boasts a larger area of minimum face thickness for consistently increased ball speeds. Extra and unnecessary weight has also been removed, allowing a deeper centre of gravity for more easily flighted long & mid irons.

Renowned for being one of the most aesthetically appealing irons on tour, the sleek design and finish of the JPX919 Forged irons along with its state of the art manufacturing techniques have created a golf club that symbolizes both beauty and power.

Golfshake View

Specifications

Shafts

Dynamic Gold 105 (Stiff and Regular)
Dynamic Gold 120 (X-Stiff and Stiff)

Grips

Golf Pride MCC Align Plus 4

Price

£945.00

For more information about the JPX919 Forged irons, visit the Mizuno website.

Cobra King MB

Created with the helpful input and expert advice of PGA Tour golfer, Rickie Fowler, the Cobra King MB irons provide golfers with a unique and professional feeling iron, with features that aim to benefit players of all abilities.

One of these unique features is the weight of the Cobra King MB irons. The irons have been cleverly engineered with two tungsten inserts that are strategically positioned on the toe and in the centre of the club head, providing players with added forgiveness, feel and trajectory control.

The use of the innovative CNC Milled face and grooves, combined with the unconventional diamondized black metal finish has helped Cobra create an iron that stands out from the crowd in both performance and appearance. The precise structure of the grooves on the face along with bladed tour-shape appearance gives a confident and professional feel for low handicap players who demanded that added control and touch.

The technologically advanced and exciting appearance of the Cobra King MB irons showcase a golf club that is designed with tour-quality and performance readily in mind.

Specifications

Shafts

KBS $-Taper (Black PVD)

Grips

Golf Pride Tour Velvet COBRA CONNECT grips

Price

£849.00

For more information about the Cobra King MB irons, click here for a detailed review.

Srixon Z785

Arguably one of the most underrated golf club manufacturers on tour, the Srixon Z785 irons showcase the best of what Srixon has to offer when it comes to golf club engineering.

The blade-like design is aimed at being favorable towards better golfers who demand a slim and sleek design at address, while the cavity back reinforcement and unique weight distribution also allows for added forgiveness and versatility.

Another innovative feature of the Srixon Z785 irons is the reduced heel-toe MOI which is designed to provide the ultimate freedom to control your shots and work the ball around the course.

A combination of fantastic forged construction and laser milled groves allow golfers to less vibration and more feel through impact, along with a more consistent output of spin from the rough and fairways, dramatically increasing the stopping power on the greens.

This stylish and forgiving design provides the best golfers with a golf club that consistently excels in power hitting with maximum precision.

Specifications

Shaft

Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 105 Shaft (Stiff and Regular)
Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 Shaft (X-Stiff and Stiff)

Grips

Tour Velvet Rubber Grip

Price

£799.99

For more information about the Srixon Z785 irons, visit Srixon's website.

Ping iBlade

Ping have always been renowned for their simplistic but incredibly effective golf club designs, the Ping iBlade is the embodiment of aesthetic appeal combined with maximum efficiency.

One standout feature of the Ping iBlade is the fresh and sleek design finish of the golf club. With a new combination of a thin top rail, minimal offset, a straight leading edge and a sharp high toe, the iBlade’s simple head shape and slim aesthetics provide a confident look at address with tour-quality performance.

The innovative engineering techniques from Ping manufacturers has helped create a set of irons that showcase elegant yet powerful performance. The iBlade is made from soft stainless steel which means there is a higher strength-to-weight ratio, provides increased forgiveness and control.

Other standout features include the improved elastomer insert which helps improve feel and sound at impact, the thin, high-speed face for increased ball speeds and higher trajectories and the refined bounce angles that provide a more workable sole.

The combination of outstanding technological innovations and stylish design has helped Ping create a set of irons that provide the best golfers with unrivalled confidence in feel and touch, along with tour-standard quality.

Golfshake View

Specifications

Shafts

True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 (Stiff and Regular)
True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 (X-Stiff and Stiff)
FST KBS Tour (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)
Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 105 (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)
Project X LZ (5.0, 5.5, 6.0 and 6.5)
True Temper XP 95 (Stiff and Regular)

Grips

Ping 5L Grips
Golf Pride New Decade Multi-Compound

Price

£799.99

For more information about the Ping iBlade, visit their website.

Lynx Prowler Forged CB Irons

Lynx had perhaps become a forgotten brand name when it came to high quality golf club manufacturing, but their latest Prowler Forged CB irons highlights how Lynx is still producing golf clubs of the highest quality.

The Prowler Forged CB irons are a cavity backed iron forged from 1020 carbon steel. The unique carbon steel technology combines perfectly with the narrow sole, thin top line and minimal offset to produce a set of irons that specialize in forgiveness and precision.

A unique feature of the Lynx Prowler Forged irons is the satin chrome and gun metal finish that the irons are coated in. This unconventional colour and design provides a rustic and classical feel to the irons, highlighting the tremendous history of this great golf club brand.

Specifications

Shafts

Grips

Lamkin Crossline Grip

Price

For more information about the Lynx Prowler Forged CB irons, visit their website.

PXG 0311 T Gen2 irons

A relatively new golf club manufacturer currently on the market, PXG has made a name for themselves with their unconventional designs and innovative technological ideas, the 0311 T Gen2 irons are the shining example of this fascinating brand.

With a design that has been aimed at better players with high club head speeds and solid ball striking, the tour-inspired look of the 0311 T Gen2 irons not only improves these characteristics, but also provides golfers with added forgiveness and precision.

One outstanding feature of the PXG 0311 T Gen2 irons is the unique and innovative COR2 technology. COR2 is a low density, high speed and vibration dampening material with explosive C.O.R (coefficient of restitution) properties. The material has been injected into the forged, hollow body of 0311 T Gen2 irons to provide golfers with an extremely efficient energy transfer at impact for a consistent response, accuracy and feel.

The lack of any considerable offset and blade-like aesthetics of the PXG 0311 T Gen2 irons provide the best golfers with a set of irons that oozes tour-quality in both performance and appearance.

Specifications

Shafts

Steel
- True Temper Dynamic Gold (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)
- KBS (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)
- Nippon (X-Stiff, Stiff and Regular)
- Project X (5.5, 6.0 and 6.5)
Graphite
- Accra (Regular and Stiff)
- Aerotech (Regular and Stiff)
- UST (Regular)
- KBS (Stiff)
- Project X (6.0)