LOVE my Stealths......hard to get rid of them they perform great for me and consistent ....would be willing to try the Mizuno and the Ping....but I should really stick with what worked well for me last year....went from a 14 handicap to a 9....maybe in the hunt for a driver.... Have a fitting with TXG in March....cheers from Canada
Played G400s, then G425s and was ready to put 430s in the bag but after a fit, Mizuno JPX 923s are my irons for 2023. Was surprised they pulled me away from Ping but I couldn't argue with the feel and look of them.
I’ve played Pings for over 40 years but am now the proud owner of the Mizuno JPX 923 Forged. They are like butter compared to the current Ping line up. 😊
Just upgraded to the older T300s, love them and would recommend them for sure. But, I’m sure most of these would do the job for us mid/higher handicappers
Callaway Paradigm without question. Hit most of these iron heads in a recent fitting session at Club Champion when switching to a graphite shaft. The all-forged heat was smooth and not clicky like the other heads. The ball rockets off the paradigm head. Four handicap here...
Thanks for this video. I haven't tried the new offerings for 2023 yet but you're going to be hard pressed to take my Stealths away from me. your performance chart shows why. High spin, height AND distance wins every time. Plus at 125 mph ball speed I am getting 200 yards out of 7 iron. Beat that!
Great review. Still waiting for a panel of players, who actually need a GI set. That would be more representative than letting a pro test them (in my opinion:)).
Srixon and Mizuno are the two I’d test. (Both companies doing very well at the moment without all the shouty shouty stuff that the ‘bigger’ manufacturers seem to love)
I'm assuming your a scratch golfer? Would have been nice for you to have had a mid handicap player testing the irons with you. Especially with the Wilson iron vs lets say the G430? The Paradym X iron would have been a better eye test here? Overall though, it was good watch. Thx
Not really, the Stealth was very consistent. I think when performance is similar it comes down to looks and the Mizuno JPX923 HM and Srixon ZX4 Mk II suited my eye better and had more premium appeal visually, IMO. Joel
Please explain concerning the ball stopping quickly once the ball hits the green. What is the take away concerning this? Having the golf ball run out after it hits the green is very frustrating. I want the ball to stop as quickly as possible. Thx
It's a tradeoff. Manufacturers design distance irons by increasing loft and decreasing spin. If you are having trouble holding greens, try a urethane ball or high launch irons like Mizuno HL or Ping G425. But the tradeoff is that they will not be as long as your buddies with the distance irons.
@@lkae4 my whole point is that the manufacturers like ping come out with the 430s that go 7 yards further than 425s but these reviews should talk about decent angle and spin rate. If the 430s do not stop as quick as the 425s or other ping irons then what's the point? You want the ball to stop quickly. Especially if your speed and ball speed is not good because of your age or ability. No point in gaining distance with the 430s if the ball runs out to the back of the green. With all of this said I have no reason to give up my g 25 irons unless the g 430s will give me more distance and same spin control. Does it matter if I am hitting a 7 iron into the green with my g25s but the g430 would be an 8 iron but further away from the pin. Correct?
The feel, sound, flight and feel of the 2021’s titleist T300 is unmatchable. Started with some old 714’s at 26hdp and the T300 got me down to a 18 hdcp in just 6-7 months. They make me feel way more confident and now my missed-shots are not as bad as they used to be. So since the new 2023’s T350 are out, the price and deals you’ll find on titleist T300 are great. Ping G430 is also an amazing club, tried it at my local store. Stealth is just too easy to hit and takes the fun away IMO. (Too chunky for me) Then, I have not tried any other club from this list…. All this is just my opinion.
To me on looks the srixon looks more like a bladed iron…closer enough to a taylormade p770 or p790 and not a improvement iron….I have a p790s….so I would prefer these…also is it me or are they getting more and more closer to a players distance iron now in looks and size…the game improvement irons used to be very chunky
I think your average mid handicapper doesn’t want too big and chunky and while they love the look of blades they know they haven’t got the game. TM cater for this market perfectly with the P790 and P770. I play Ping G from 2016 but I’m eying up P790, P770, Mizuno Pro 225. I don’t see why I’d look at the uglier, plastic backed offerings from Ping and Titleist etc.
@@CHuzz7777 yes but the whole point of improvement irons are usually bigger in size and easier to hit than the player distance irons. Eg I looked at the g425s and p790’s….they are in a different class..ping 425’s are game improvement…p790’s are player distance irons…when I tried both there was hardly any difference in looks in how I addressed the ball..they looked exactly the same and my stats were similar…I had g25s irons and they are game improvement irons in size and offset…the g425s are smaller and less offset now…which is fine but they could easily fit in the p790,s class…so I am saying that some manufacturers in my opinion are now to close to the p790/player’s distance irons…also the taylormade stealths are in the same class as the g425,s…the g425,s in my opinion are very close now to a player’s distance iron…also the g425 was a lot less offset than my g25’s and smaller…I could of easily picked the g425,s…only difference was the fitter (from Royal birkdale) said the p 790,s were a little more piecing flight…that was it…the look of the srixons definitely looked even smaller than the ping g425,s…if I didn’t know the class of the iron they could go in the p 770’s class…they looked really small for a game improvement iron
@@johnmurray5840 I’d say this exchange just proves the confusion over the unofficial categories. I’d say Ping’s G iron (at least my version) was straddling the game improvement /super game improvement categories. Over at TaylorMade it seems to go Stealth HD super game improvement and Stealth is game improvement with the P range straddling the categories. P790 and P770 straddle game improvement and players distance (then you drop down to MC players iron and MB scratch/tour). As ever though the proof is in the pudding and you can’t beat trying them out, seeing the numbers and getting advice from a pro. You can’t guess what’s going to suit you based on the manufacturers sales garbage!
@@CHuzz7777 absolutely…I wanted the ping 425,s when I went and they are the ones I did my homework the most on…they looked in between a player’s distance iron and a improvement iron..thought to try the p 790,s and ending up with them instead. As you say go and try for yourself as the game improvement and player’s distance irons are a minefield now…they are a little too close to me…
Great review as always most interesting. I’m playing T300 which are great and will be testing Callaway, Taylormade and Ping at my club so should be interesting. Will probably test the Wilson as have had their irons in the past and are not only good but great value. The Z4 look very nice too.
Srixon and Mizuno...always make sure at fitting also to take looks, sound and overall feeling in consideration...i could also go with Apex, Titleist but as far as looks goes Mizuno and Srixon and probably they would fitt me as i should get fitted, Japanesse irons, hard to go wrong with them
The problem with all these golf RUclipsrs reviewing mid/high handicap clubs! Their super low or scratch golfers and always using steel stiff shafts which most mid/high handicappers would NOT be using. Try doing reviews using reg graphite for once. RUclips reviews do not represent what the buyers will experience
Your handicap doesn’t determine your swing speed. Someone who’s a high handicapper doesn’t mean they need a regular graphite flex if they’re swinging 100+ MPH. They would actually need a stiff or x-stiff flex. I’ll go even further to say that most high handicappers I’ve seen are playing clubs that do not fit their swing at all.
@@jimmyjames8141 as someone that got fitted for an extra stiff shaft… I agree… even when I take some off he said I was at the low end of X stiff… and I’m still ass
Why do golf reviewers so often put the Game Improvement Iron tests in the hands of pros or low handicap golfers? Surely the point of the review is to show how well they forgive inconsistent swings, low swing speeds, off-centre hits, and so on and so forth?
Here’s a hint most 15-25 handicap players don’t care at all about the sound. This is always a problem with You Tube 4-10 handicap players testing clubs they would never play INCLUDING SOUND in evaluation. I been playing in a senior league of 30 golfers 10-25 handicap and never once heard a guy who got new clubs Say I liked the way they sounded
Why do all the golf channels have a low handicapper reviewing game improvement irons and constantly complaining about them not looking or playing like blades? Watching some 5 handicap hit them into a simulator is boring and uninformative. How about you go to a local muni course and grab 10 random golfers shooting 90-100 and get them to all play a round with the various clubs and ask them what felt and works best?
Hogwash. This is nonsense about best game improvement irons for mid to high handicappers. Handicap has nothing to do with it. A golfer can be at any level and play the same irons. What matters is if the club feels right to you. What you want to do is go to a DEMO DAY or check out a few demo clubs to take to the range and/or golf course and test them out on your own time before you decide and buy. Don't buy irons sight unseen because a salesman says that his particular clubs are right for your handicap. I only play with 4 wedges and a 9 iron and 5 hybrids and a Driver. That's it. A salesman will try to get you to buy an entire set but all you really may want is wedges and a 9 iron. The rest of your shots can easily be played with 8 hybrid to 3 hybrid, and Driver. This varies from golfer to golfer and what works and feels right for them.
I agree, went for a club fitting last week and the pings was one of the worst feeling evening know I play with an old set of pings at the minute, ended up going for the paradyms, went so soft and powerful off the face
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
LOVE my Stealths......hard to get rid of them they perform great for me and consistent ....would be willing to try the Mizuno and the Ping....but I should really stick with what worked well for me last year....went from a 14 handicap to a 9....maybe in the hunt for a driver.... Have a fitting with TXG in March....cheers from Canada
Played G400s, then G425s and was ready to put 430s in the bag but after a fit, Mizuno JPX 923s are my irons for 2023. Was surprised they pulled me away from Ping but I couldn't argue with the feel and look of them.
Diddo for me as well
I’ve played Pings for over 40 years but am now the proud owner of the Mizuno JPX 923 Forged. They are like butter compared to the current Ping line up. 😊
Just upgraded to the older T300s, love them and would recommend them for sure. But, I’m sure most of these would do the job for us mid/higher handicappers
You can’t go wrong with the performance, feel, looks and price of the Cleveland Launcher XL.
A very fair review, I went with Mizuno JPX 923 HL, they are very consistent for me. Thanks for the video.
Ordered my ZX4s a week ago, this video helps set my mind at ease, thanks
same! did a combo set with the zx5's on the 7-pw. ready to get them out in the grass!
Callaway Paradigm without question. Hit most of these iron heads in a recent fitting session at Club Champion when switching to a graphite shaft. The all-forged heat was smooth and not clicky like the other heads. The ball rockets off the paradigm head. Four handicap here...
Nice pick. Srixon looks beautiful and the sole makes it one of the most forgiving irons available.
Thanks for this video. I haven't tried the new offerings for 2023 yet but you're going to be hard pressed to take my Stealths away from me. your performance chart shows why. High spin, height AND distance wins every time. Plus at 125 mph ball speed I am getting 200 yards out of 7 iron. Beat that!
Great review. Still waiting for a panel of players, who actually need a GI set. That would be more representative than letting a pro test them (in my opinion:)).
Srixon and Mizuno are the two I’d test. (Both companies doing very well at the moment without all the shouty shouty stuff that the ‘bigger’ manufacturers seem to love)
Yes agreed...
I'm assuming your a scratch golfer? Would have been nice for you to have had a mid handicap player testing the irons with you. Especially with the Wilson iron vs lets say the G430? The Paradym X iron would have been a better eye test here? Overall though, it was good watch. Thx
How does watching a hacker slice and hook their way through the irons help anyone 🤷♂️
Surprising that wilson did not make it to your top 4 given the maximum distance, price point and sound/feel as you yourself positively assessed!
They didn’t pay enough 😅
Do Dynapower replaces the D9 ? Are they superior ?
For the stats ball speed compared to loft and launch angle the taylor made seems to be among the top. Curious if consistency was its problem?
Not really, the Stealth was very consistent. I think when performance is similar it comes down to looks and the Mizuno JPX923 HM and Srixon ZX4 Mk II suited my eye better and had more premium appeal visually, IMO. Joel
Wilson looks class
Brother bought the Mizuno 923 HM and they are great but like the Callaway Rouge ST MAX OS Better for Distant.. Short shots Mizuno was better.
Ok this is assuming you hit the ball pure. What if not? Which iron is the most forgiving for mis-hits.
That Wilson Dynapwr is an absolute weapon! 🚀
Highly underrated. This are monsters with good feel at a great price point.
Agreed!
Please explain concerning the ball stopping quickly once the ball hits the green. What is the take away concerning this? Having the golf ball run out after it hits the green is very frustrating. I want the ball to stop as quickly as possible. Thx
Stopping power is a combination of descent angle and spin rate.
You should buy 3 piece or more ball and good spinning irons.
Get the Kirkland 2.0 Golf Balls. They are 3 Piece Ball with some Spin Control.
It's a tradeoff. Manufacturers design distance irons by increasing loft and decreasing spin. If you are having trouble holding greens, try a urethane ball or high launch irons like Mizuno HL or Ping G425. But the tradeoff is that they will not be as long as your buddies with the distance irons.
@@lkae4 my whole point is that the manufacturers like ping come out with the 430s that go 7 yards further than 425s but these reviews should talk about decent angle and spin rate. If the 430s do not stop as quick as the 425s or other ping irons then what's the point? You want the ball to stop quickly. Especially if your speed and ball speed is not good because of your age or ability. No point in gaining distance with the 430s if the ball runs out to the back of the green. With all of this said I have no reason to give up my g 25 irons unless the g 430s will give me more distance and same spin control. Does it matter if I am hitting a 7 iron into the green with my g25s but the g430 would be an 8 iron but further away from the pin. Correct?
Callaway Rogue ST's are good too
The feel, sound, flight and feel of the 2021’s titleist T300 is unmatchable. Started with some old 714’s at 26hdp and the T300 got me down to a 18 hdcp in just 6-7 months. They make me feel way more confident and now my missed-shots are not as bad as they used to be.
So since the new 2023’s T350 are out, the price and deals you’ll find on titleist T300 are great. Ping G430 is also an amazing club, tried it at my local store. Stealth is just too easy to hit and takes the fun away IMO. (Too chunky for me) Then, I have not tried any other club from this list…. All this is just my opinion.
To me on looks the srixon looks more like a bladed iron…closer enough to a taylormade p770 or p790 and not a improvement iron….I have a p790s….so I would prefer these…also is it me or are they getting more and more closer to a players distance iron now in looks and size…the game improvement irons used to be very chunky
I think your average mid handicapper doesn’t want too big and chunky and while they love the look of blades they know they haven’t got the game. TM cater for this market perfectly with the P790 and P770.
I play Ping G from 2016 but I’m eying up P790, P770, Mizuno Pro 225. I don’t see why I’d look at the uglier, plastic backed offerings from Ping and Titleist etc.
@@CHuzz7777 yes but the whole point of improvement irons are usually bigger in size and easier to hit than the player distance irons. Eg I looked at the g425s and p790’s….they are in a different class..ping 425’s are game improvement…p790’s are player distance irons…when I tried both there was hardly any difference in looks in how I addressed the ball..they looked exactly the same and my stats were similar…I had g25s irons and they are game improvement irons in size and offset…the g425s are smaller and less offset now…which is fine but they could easily fit in the p790,s class…so I am saying that some manufacturers in my opinion are now to close to the p790/player’s distance irons…also the taylormade stealths are in the same class as the g425,s…the g425,s in my opinion are very close now to a player’s distance iron…also the g425 was a lot less offset than my g25’s and smaller…I could of easily picked the g425,s…only difference was the fitter (from Royal birkdale) said the p 790,s were a little more piecing flight…that was it…the look of the srixons definitely looked even smaller than the ping g425,s…if I didn’t know the class of the iron they could go in the p 770’s class…they looked really small for a game improvement iron
@@johnmurray5840 I’d say this exchange just proves the confusion over the unofficial categories.
I’d say Ping’s G iron (at least my version) was straddling the game improvement /super game improvement categories. Over at TaylorMade it seems to go Stealth HD super game improvement and Stealth is game improvement with the P range straddling the categories. P790 and P770 straddle game improvement and players distance (then you drop down to MC players iron and MB scratch/tour).
As ever though the proof is in the pudding and you can’t beat trying them out, seeing the numbers and getting advice from a pro. You can’t guess what’s going to suit you based on the manufacturers sales garbage!
@@CHuzz7777 absolutely…I wanted the ping 425,s when I went and they are the ones I did my homework the most on…they looked in between a player’s distance iron and a improvement iron..thought to try the p 790,s and ending up with them instead. As you say go and try for yourself as the game improvement and player’s distance irons are a minefield now…they are a little too close to me…
Thanks for vid
Launcher XL gang!!!!!!
where can I get this polo though?!
Did not have PXG Gen 5; big miss.
These irons are fantastic.
You’ve missed out PXG XP, there great irons, forgiving with great feel. So you’re not exactly right without comparing them also.
They didn't arrive in time for this test unfortunately. Look out for our review on the 0211 XCOR2 irons coming soon on the Golf Monthly website! Joel
Great review as always most interesting. I’m playing T300 which are great and will be testing Callaway, Taylormade and Ping at my club so should be interesting. Will probably test the Wilson as have had their irons in the past and are not only good but great value. The Z4 look very nice too.
Srixon and Mizuno...always make sure at fitting also to take looks, sound and overall feeling in consideration...i could also go with Apex, Titleist but as far as looks goes Mizuno and Srixon and probably they would fitt me as i should get fitted, Japanesse irons, hard to go wrong with them
The problem with all these golf RUclipsrs reviewing mid/high handicap clubs! Their super low or scratch golfers and always using steel stiff shafts which most mid/high handicappers would NOT be using. Try doing reviews using reg graphite for once. RUclips reviews do not represent what the buyers will experience
Scratch golfer would give you a better idea than a high handy cap as they can hit the ball more consistent etc etc
Your handicap doesn’t determine your swing speed.
Someone who’s a high handicapper doesn’t mean they need a regular graphite flex if they’re swinging 100+ MPH. They would actually need a stiff or x-stiff flex. I’ll go even further to say that most high handicappers I’ve seen are playing clubs that do not fit their swing at all.
@@jimmyjames8141 as someone that got fitted for an extra stiff shaft… I agree… even when I take some off he said I was at the low end of X stiff… and I’m still ass
Just get better then…
Totally agree. Plus they insist on telling us what THEY think. Who care??
Why do golf reviewers so often put the Game Improvement Iron tests in the hands of pros or low handicap golfers?
Surely the point of the review is to show how well they forgive inconsistent swings, low swing speeds, off-centre hits, and so on and so forth?
You should throw in the D9 Forged too. THey equal good or better than any of those irons.
Well they are players distance category not game improvement
@@SvingitGolf that’s what I said?
@@Seneale I read the title of the video wrong.
Here’s a hint most 15-25 handicap players don’t care at all about the sound. This is always a problem with You Tube 4-10 handicap players testing clubs they would never play INCLUDING SOUND in evaluation. I been playing in a senior league of 30 golfers 10-25 handicap and never once heard a guy who got new clubs Say I liked the way they sounded
Use high Handicap players to hit the irons ...then comment
Would be interesting
The fact that performance is the 3rd thing listed down this video shows me that your golf game has next to nothing to do with what club you’re using.
16?
Why do all the golf channels have a low handicapper reviewing game improvement irons and constantly complaining about them not looking or playing like blades? Watching some 5 handicap hit them into a simulator is boring and uninformative. How about you go to a local muni course and grab 10 random golfers shooting 90-100 and get them to all play a round with the various clubs and ask them what felt and works best?
Jacked lofts are probably not what a game needs.
I agree-7 iron should be min 32 °
🏌♀🏌♀🏌♀🏌♀🏌♀
Bec you didn't include launchers type cubs from either Cleveland or Wilson it's not a real analysis.
not just my opinion BUT FACT.
🦍🦍🦍🦍🦍🦍🦍
Hogwash. This is nonsense about best game improvement irons for mid to high handicappers. Handicap has nothing to do with it. A golfer can be at any level and play the same irons. What matters is if the club feels right to you. What you want to do is go to a DEMO DAY or check out a few demo clubs to take to the range and/or golf course and test them out on your own time before you decide and buy. Don't buy irons sight unseen because a salesman says that his particular clubs are right for your handicap. I only play with 4 wedges and a 9 iron and 5 hybrids and a Driver. That's it. A salesman will try to get you to buy an entire set but all you really may want is wedges and a 9 iron. The rest of your shots can easily be played with 8 hybrid to 3 hybrid, and Driver. This varies from golfer to golfer and what works and feels right for them.
You need to get an actual mid handicapper to use, not yourself. It is not an honest test. Did you get any of these for free?
The g430 feels horrible
Disagree! But feel is, after all, a subjective category. Thanks for watching, Joel
Love the 430 pings
I agree, went for a club fitting last week and the pings was one of the worst feeling evening know I play with an old set of pings at the minute, ended up going for the paradyms, went so soft and powerful off the face
@@GolfMonthly what about 225 vs srixon zx4? which is more forgiving?