Simon, I think you have missed a manufacturer, maybe because they have a resurgence but the iron with the MOST wins of any iron was omitted. Wilson Staff. Their success was before your time but I think they should have been included. Their new forged irons are amazing and can compete with anything and their blades are timeless!!
Wholeheartedly agree...Last year I replaced my Srixon irons with a set of WStaff FG tour 100 irons I'd picked up 2nd hand (initailly just for old times sake) as they performed and felt better....
I agree. I was surprised to see Top Flite instead of Wilson Staff. I'm at a loss to name any top players who played Top Flight, but champions playing Wilson is a long list.
You haven't put in the club with more victories in history the Wilson Staff Tour Blade FG 17. Before yout birth, sadly not before mine so I used them to get to Plus 4. Dynamic gold sincronzed shafts. You haven't finished yet, maybe you will add them. Mizuno had not started then, nor, any of the Asian blades. Oh! You have never tried them. You must see if you can some day. You will change you view. In those days pros used the best because they were not paid to do so, like today, they used them to win a living.
Too right, iconic. Middle page of Golf Monthly advert said it had won more money than any other club. Miss mine, wish I had kept them, just to look at them.
So glad to see you put the Ping Eye 2 in the Iconic category. I have a set of JPX 921 Tour irons that I love but I still game my Eye 2s even more. You just can't miss with them and I just love them. They are just special irons.
Nike vr pro combo. In my opinion, an almost perfect iron set. A progressive set with increasing forgiveness as you get to the longer clubs, great feel, easy to use, very consistent performance. And an absolute bargain in todays market. I am a bit biased because I have a set myself. But I bought these irons when I was shooting mid-high 90’s and they’ve gotten me to mid 80’s with a lowest score of 77. Honestly a brilliant iron!
Love seeing the Ben Hogan Apex make it to the EPIC section. I got an immaculate set 3-E in 2020 and I absolutely love them. Swapped out the original thin grips and they’re unbelievable to hit and they look SO GOOD!
All time Iconic; MacGregor Tommy Armour forged blades (1948-66): Hogan, Nelson, Nicklaus and hundred more tour pros played them. New entry: Takomo for great feel, look, performance,value
Great video, and just for us guys who are mid 50’s the Wilson staff other guys have mentioned, but mizuno tp series (I had 9’s and 19’s ) from 1991 Bridgestone J’s were lovely and my first perimeter weighted forged heads , but every assistant pro in England between 84 and 85 has Ben Sayers Mentor irons and those are the clubs I got low and won the most with , just beautiful clubs ……happy days
Simon, Wilson Staff Tour blade is and has to be iconic. For years, won the most ever tournaments and most money on tour. In the mid seventies, these were “ must have”. The Ping Eye 2 , especially the 1 iron, and Hogan Apex are also iconic, but The Staff Tour Blade has to be The One.
@@rv6205 so pleased to hear you do!! You must be a “player”. Sweet spot was small, but when you hit it, it melted off the face. Hit it towards the toe, lose 20yards plus. They helped me learn to play properly. So happy to hear they are still in play👍❤️
@@chrismayor5147 Chris, its not that i want to be a huge blade fan , BUT, they are like a scalple, with blades i feel like shots are a ton easier, with cavity backs shots to me are vague , and kind of just get you close , semi close ...also with blades i can stop the ball on the green no problem , with CB the ball hits and runs, sometimes off the back of the green ....out of all the blades ive ever played , there is magic in Wilson FG blades . Hope i explained it well - RV
@@rv6205 absolutely did. Got down to scratch with these in the 70’s, balata balls as well. Really taught you to strike the middle of the face. Less emphasis on length then. Consistent strike was key. Couldn’t play with them now, would need to put in far too much practise😉😂😂
Tommy Armour 845 series irons were one of the best selling irons of all time. They should have been in the Iconic group. Wilson Staff model should have gotten a mention too.
I have 2 iconic sets that are both pleasing to the eye and feel amazing. The first is the Australian made Maxfli blades from 2000 (this is my bling set). The second is my current set, Titleist dci990's. These ones play like a blade but are cavity backed. Hit my best ever score with them.
Huge stones for attempting this list in the public square, I still occasionally rotate in my '93 Hogan Apex channel backs 😄👍. I'll offer the Cleveland TA1/TA3s as well.
Titleist AP2's are number 1 for me. Even though I never had a set it seemed like everyone else did. Tommy Armour 845s, Titleist 962 DCIs, and I'm going to add the Nike VR Forged pro combos to the list.
I think when PXG released their first iron it was iconic. The cost was so excessive and the style was so unique and bold. It also didn’t hurt that it was a buttery feel.
The Ping Ansers may have been overpriced at the time but picked up a set, 3-pw for $200 and absolutely love them. Definitely a nice cheaper set on the second hand market for someone that wants a cavity back forged iron for a reasonable price.
I really think you missed out the (at least for me) most iconic blade irons of all time, that were widelly used from high level tour pros to good amateurs for a quite long period of time, probably of nearly 10 years, from the late 80’s to the late 90’s. I’m referring to the Mizuno TP9, that alongside with the Ping Eye2 really marked an era as only a very few other golf clubs did throughout the history of the game.
Tough list to assemble, thanks for taking the time to put it together...so many irons to choose from for including in the ranking. I watched this video just to see where you put the Tommy Armour 845S. Given its status as the second best selling iron set of all time (only Ping Eye2 sold more), I'm surprised it wasn't on your radar here. Maybe it's not so well known outside the USA?
Thank you for an interesting video, Simon. Macgregor had a number of iconic blades that became the blueprint for some of the successful greats on your list. I am thinking of the Tourneys, the VIPs, the Muirfields etc. Wilson also had the staff blades.
Great episode.... But I respectfully disagree with the Ping Anser iron. Yes....The 2013 Anser was VERY expensive at the time. But look at all the technology features that Ping place in this awesome club. Tungsten sole, Progressive offset and rear stabilizing bars to name a few. In closing, The Ping Anser was mainly designed for the Asian market, which places high value on technology and quality.
That's a tough list when you've gotta sell it worldwide. It's also hard to separate those clubs from the golfers who used them to achieve their own greatness. Or downfall. I'd love to see your list of the players during their rise and fall and how they rank. Lol. Good luck brother.
Titleist DCI 962 were my first kinda players club with some forgiveness, thought they’d make the list. Got them used and loved them until I went to forged blades. Hated the offset and chunkiness of all my friend’s Bertha’s because they looked like something Fred Flintstone would hit. First true blades were an old used set of Hogan Apex blades 2-EW, they were awesome but had to sell them and the DCI’s to help get through a rough stint. Currently playing Mizuno MP33’s and Miura is on my bucket list.
Great video - I think the Ping G10's are well placed! They're legit no-nonsense, sensible clubs. They do what it says on the tin. Just consistent. Not epic, but just ... great. I played them until last year after buying them at release. I switched to the Ping G425s, and I can only hope they last as long (I suspect they will).
I played Nike SS4D irons for years, that was a fair assessment. I have a cobra one length 3 hybrid and while it's not the best at full shots it works wonders keeping it under branches or any sort of bump and run, made an amazing 2nd shot out of the woods to the green for a 2 putt par yesterday on what is typically a tough par 4. I play cobra forged tec 2020 irons and they are by far my favorite set I've had. Only irons I see as an upgrade at this point are those beautiful mizuno pro 225s!
Played the Wilson FG17 tour blades in my pomp, gave up golf for 15 years and when i restarted need some help, played Maxfli progressive red dots, 3 and 4 cavity, 5,6,7 MB 8-SW blades, game changers. Nike purchased them and built the Nike progressives
srixon 501's .... Just like the jeans they were so good I actually finished fourth in my club championship hitting a set of these ....wow beautiful feel
For a while, I played single-length irons but didn't really get good results with them. I had issues with the wedges and also had trouble getting good gaps at the top of the bag. In the end, I realized that if I was using regular wedges and more hybrids to get gapping right, that I actually had very few single-length clubs in the bag. When I went back to variable length, I went with the Nike Covert 2 Forged irons and loved them. They might not have been as famous as the blades with Tigers name on it, but for a mid-handicap golfer, the forged cavity back heads were forgiving and felt great.
Tommy Armour 845s, the original one 1988-1997 (or similar) need to be on that list. (near or at the top.) Still the best combo of forgiveness and workability I played.
@Steve Mac So true! The ones they made after the 845 were management rather than designer driven. (Reactive, not proactive.) Interestingly enough the engineers and designers from Tommy Armour all went to Titleist and Callaway/Odessey (if I remember correctly) and designed some of their biggest successes when the TA company abruptly came to an end in the late 90th.
Ping Eye 2, definitely iconic. Sold my Berylliums recently, kinda regretting it, they had serious wow factor when buffed to a golden shine finish and performed more than well enough for me.
Oh, man! I hang onto my Ping Eye 2 set and my PIng Zing 2 set because they are just too nostalgic and cool to part with. Those beryllium copper sets used to go under $200, but I guess the collector market is going up now.
@honkerh8r564 I did OK from them, paid £90 for them, played them for around 12 years and sold for £300. Bought some old i15s for £140 and pocketed change. The i15s are very impressive too despite their age, I'll be gaming them for a long time yet.
@@eskimojoe6564 Since I first commented on this thread, I scored a set of Ping Zing Beryllium Coppers. I thought it would be fun to take them out and play a round or two and then put them with the collection. Well.......I think they became my gamers. They feel so good and are so forgiving, and I don't even have to club up from my "modern" set of irons like I thought I would.
Played those in high school, sold them to buy Maxfli Tour Ltd Forged (loved those things!), was pumped to come across a crazy price for another set of BeCu some years ago and they ended up feeling like crap to me for some reason. Bummer to sell them but I did well on the sale. It was like getting back with a long lost girlfriend and then figuring out you actually don't like her😂
Tommy Armour 845 Silver Scots gave me my only hole in one. They weren't very long, but I could easily work them every direction. I had a set of Big Berthas after those, and their 2 iron changed my game forever.
I recall them being called out by '90s golf equipment Karens for their extra length being due to the lofts being 3* stronger than industry std. Loved those irons until they added a million versions that flew farther and farther away from the originals.
The forged PowerBilt irons of the early 1970s were beautiful and king of the hill in their time, as were the persimmon head woods. Wilson Staff and Wilson X31 were also widely popular. As I remember it, both models of Wilsons and PowerBilt were more commonly used than Hogan, Walter Hagen, Spalding, or the early Pings.
My first brand new set of clubs, 3-SW...man, the spin they put on the ball was insane! Funny thing is they were the OG irons of a hollow "blade" that are all over the place, now.
My grandfather gave me a set of Ping Eye2 irons back in 2002 that he got new when they came out. I played them all the way up until last year when I got Ping G430's.
If irons were listed by what they were used to do, the Callaway RAZR Forged (cavity backs) would be on the list. The came out in 2011 and Jim Furyk shot a 58 in a PGA Tour tournament with them. I agree on some of the comments below - the Wilson Stafs, the MacGregor forged VIP irons in the 1990s, etc.
I currently game the copper Ping eye2’s. I noticed almost no difference to the TM M6’s they replaced, other than having to club up by 2 clubs due to difference in loft.
What about the iconic TP series of Mizunos Tp3 Tp9 Tp11 Tp19 etc etc Faldo , Sandy Lyle , Seve ,Ollie and so many more iconic players used and won multiple majors with these pure blades they are all stunning looking and perform incredible...and came along well before any modern Mp series or look at some of the domestic Japanese Market versions they did back in the same era...i mean the Super 11 was beautiful or the Ms series wow just stunning. Can't believe any of these didn't get in.
Currently playing playing P790 and they are iconic and agree big bertha is great but model shown is the '96 model and I still have a complete set of the '94 's.
So many historical inaccuracies that I am not sure where to start! I agree with others here that omitting Wilson Staff is a huge oversight! Vast number of tour wins from the 50's through into the '80's and some of the prettiest irons ever made. Wilson and not Titleist made the first perimeter weighted irons using weight ports with their Ogg-mented irons in the 1930's. Nothing from MacGregor?!!! Other than the Apex name, the Calloway irons have no connection to the Hogan Apex irons and no mention of Hogan Precision - possibly the most iconic iron of all time and grandfather of many later icons like the MP14. John Letters Master Model? - dominant iron in the UK from '48 into the 70's at one point played by 75% of competitors in The Open! Please don't do "all time" reviews if you rely solely on your limited experience and aren't prepared to do the research. Maybe rename as best and worst in the last 20 years?
Agree with another comment, wilson should definitely be on your list under epic. Sure they made some poo, the 1200e I think the chunky ones were called but they were aimed beginners. But the epic were Wilson Staff Fluid Feel blades. They were unfriendly if you wasn't hitting the middle but when you did you were rewarded with a sublime flight and ultimate stopping power from your Balata ball of choice. I also agree with most of your ratings apart from the AP3's. Even when they came out they weren't anything new, stronger lofts were already out, with mixed results of course
Some older mentions that took markets. Ping red eye series. King cobra oversized 90’s version. (first, if not one of the first oversized and was most sold iron for most of the mid 90’s) Nike vapor fly irons. Peak Nike clubs that may not have been amazing but worth a placement. Wilson staff as above comments mention.
The pictured version of the P790 and the following version on the P770 seemed to have quality issues on the back side of the club head. When you tip them toward a light source, they seem to show a lot of waviness in the metal. Looks like a car door that has a poor metal finish job on it. Not sure if the poor finish is from metal that is too thin or maybe it is similar to “sink marks” in plastic parts from b-side details??? I noticed the newest P790 & P770 irons avoided this by having a matte/blasted finish on the head. Not sure if the change of finish was planned or just a way to cover up a visual design flaw. Callaway, on the other hand, was able to create a hollow body iron with a very glossy finish and not have these surface defects. The results of the P-series irons are great. People love them and I had a set of each for a while and liked them. But, for what Taylormade charges for their irons, one would expect a bit higher quality in the finish.
No love for the slingshot, but The first new clubs I ever bought were the first model of slingshots. I got them on sale for $300. Yes, they sounded bad (especially the hollow ones that howled when you swung). Yes, you couldn't shape your shot. For a high handicap player though, those things were a beast. I got so confident walking up to the ball. Knowing that I could be so far off the center and the most I would lost is 5 yards. I gave them to my girlfriend when I bought some new Cobras and she is hitting in the low 50s (sometimes high 40s) on nine as a new golfer with them.
Titleist 690 CB, legendary! Big place in my heart, my faces were worn had to remplaced them, i had a lot of mizuno… but never feels the same. My ping i210 are closed
I played the ‘99 Big Berthas throughout high school in the early 2000s. I went from shooting in the hundreds to breaking 80 twice by my senior year. I haven’t sniffed the 70s in almost 20 years now, maybe I should rethink my current MP-62s.
If it hasn't already been mentioned Simon, try to find a set of Srixon i302 irons to play. I think you'll be impressed and they might still be the best irons (Z 745's are perhaps a tie) Srixon has ever made and were played and won on pretty much every Tour.
I really love the value (especially second hand) of the Cleveland Tour Action irons and for me personally, the Tommy Armour 845 Oversize were incredible for my game when I was in high school (96-2000). They were so much more forgiving than the cheap set of Dunlop clubs I was using. I still have them and I really cant believe how well they hit after all these years. Great cavity weighting with a decently thin topline. They just oooze confidence.
14:48 LOL, I use the Mavrik and is the best set of irons I ever owned. Long, high, forgiving, sound good, fitted by Callaway, still use them and no reason to change. Yeah, if you want all that go get a good used set.
Same! I think they are really good allaround clubs! As you mentioned they tick every box, as they say. I really like that they are long, as a high hcp:per.
Still using my Callaway Big Bertha irons to this day, upgraded to Titleist ap2 struggled with them so went back to the Big Bertha, super forgiving but not too pleasing on the eye especially the PW and 9 iron chunky as hell!
Titleist AP2 should be at least in the great section, maybe even iconic. They were a great and massively popular choice for lower handicap amateurs, and u could find them all over the tour for years.
Ping Eye 2's are like the Toyota Tacoma when it comes to price retention. I've had 3 sets-1 cast and 2 coppers. Had them a few years and sold them for more than i paid and they were 30 years old.
Ping's original Karston iron series, 1969-1976 changed everything. Really the first perimeter weighting cavity backs. He was learning that wider soles and moving the MOI back could help duffers immensely. In 1978 the Ping Eye, then the Eye 2 in 1982. The Calloway Big Birtha came out 1994. They arrived late to the party. Ping changed the game earlier than all of the rest. I would say the other makers were hung up making "players" clubs far too long and this explains why Ping gobbled up market share quickly. There are far more poor players needing help than pro or scratch golfers. However, being one in the sea of masses, Ping helped me the most and the earliest. I did everything I could to get some Ping Eye 2 irons when they hit the market. I have re-shafted them twice to accommodate my age and re-grooved them several times. I am 65 and those irons are still in the bag. I have no idea how many times they have been regripped. Just my two cents worth. Cheers.
Clubs to try please. I played TP19’s from 19-45 but I’m now too old to muscle and shape it. The game moved on without me. I’m now playing 710 AP1’s and their ok, they do the job. I’ve got down to scratch and want to get something that will help me with distance. I can still compress it so bony necessarily need big clumpy irons. What’s out there for trajectory and distance for a scratch golfer in their late 40’s?
I like the fact that he recognized the Ping G10. Two clubs I think should have been there were the Titleist DCI or 962 irons. Also the Tommy Armour 845's.
Spalding tour edition birdie on ball gold stamped blades from the 80's. The definition of what a blade should look like. I love mine. My father had them when he competed in his 20's and he has the custom crafted ones. They are in my opinion the best blade ever made.
Simon, I think you have missed a manufacturer, maybe because they have a resurgence but the iron with the MOST wins of any iron was omitted. Wilson Staff. Their success was before your time but I think they should have been included. Their new forged irons are amazing and can compete with anything and their blades are timeless!!
Wholeheartedly agree...Last year I replaced my Srixon irons with a set of WStaff FG tour 100 irons I'd picked up 2nd hand (initailly just for old times sake) as they performed and felt better....
I agree. I was surprised to see Top Flite instead of Wilson Staff. I'm at a loss to name any top players who played Top Flight, but champions playing Wilson is a long list.
@@ronmonks6325 Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Sam Torrance all played Spalding.
You haven't put in the club with more victories in history the Wilson Staff Tour Blade FG 17. Before yout birth, sadly not before mine so I used them to get to Plus 4. Dynamic gold sincronzed shafts. You haven't finished yet, maybe you will add them. Mizuno had not started then, nor, any of the Asian blades. Oh! You have never tried them. You must see if you can some day. You will change you view. In those days pros used the best because they were not paid to do so, like today, they used them to win a living.
Too right, iconic. Middle page of Golf Monthly advert said it had won more money than any other club. Miss mine, wish I had kept them, just to look at them.
Exactamundo.
I agree completely. Should have,switched the Wilson tour blades for the Spaulding irons. Much more popular and ten times better.
Absolutely - Wilson Staff Tour Blades THE most iconic irons in my lifetime
even the newer blades from wilson are amazing ...
So glad to see you put the Ping Eye 2 in the Iconic category. I have a set of JPX 921 Tour irons that I love but I still game my Eye 2s even more. You just can't miss with them and I just love them. They are just special irons.
Nike vr pro combo. In my opinion, an almost perfect iron set. A progressive set with increasing forgiveness as you get to the longer clubs, great feel, easy to use, very consistent performance. And an absolute bargain in todays market. I am a bit biased because I have a set myself. But I bought these irons when I was shooting mid-high 90’s and they’ve gotten me to mid 80’s with a lowest score of 77. Honestly a brilliant iron!
I picked up a set of Nike vr pro 2 blades and man I love them! I’m hitting average in the 90s but progressing down. I love them so much.
Totally agree. I gave my set to my kid and he won’t give them back! Would put them straight into the bag if I could pry them out of his hands!
Nike Vr Pro Combos are a very good choice. Nike's last great iron outside of a Tiger blade.
Love seeing the Ben Hogan Apex make it to the EPIC section. I got an immaculate set 3-E in 2020 and I absolutely love them. Swapped out the original thin grips and they’re unbelievable to hit and they look SO GOOD!
All time Iconic; MacGregor Tommy Armour forged blades (1948-66): Hogan, Nelson, Nicklaus and hundred more tour pros played them. New entry: Takomo for great feel, look, performance,value
Just picked up a set of 712 ap2 irons for £100 and love them. First time hitting a forged iron just love that feel 👌🏻
Amazing clubs
Great video, and just for us guys who are mid 50’s the Wilson staff other guys have mentioned, but mizuno tp series (I had 9’s and 19’s ) from 1991 Bridgestone J’s were lovely and my first perimeter weighted forged heads , but every assistant pro in England between 84 and 85 has Ben Sayers Mentor irons and those are the clubs I got low and won the most with , just beautiful clubs ……happy days
Brilliant point about Mizuno TPs
Simon, Wilson Staff Tour blade is and has to be iconic. For years, won the most ever tournaments and most money on tour. In the mid seventies, these were “ must have”. The Ping Eye 2 , especially the 1 iron, and Hogan Apex are also iconic, but The Staff Tour Blade has to be The One.
its 2024 and i still play them !!!!!!
@@rv6205 so pleased to hear you do!! You must be a “player”. Sweet spot was small, but when you hit it, it melted off the face. Hit it towards the toe, lose 20yards plus. They helped me learn to play properly. So happy to hear they are still in play👍❤️
@@chrismayor5147 Chris, its not that i want to be a huge blade fan , BUT, they are like a scalple, with blades i feel like shots are a ton easier, with cavity backs shots to me are vague , and kind of just get you close , semi close ...also with blades i can stop the ball on the green no problem , with CB the ball hits and runs, sometimes off the back of the green ....out of all the blades ive ever played , there is magic in Wilson FG blades . Hope i explained it well - RV
@@rv6205 absolutely did. Got down to scratch with these in the 70’s, balata balls as well. Really taught you to strike the middle of the face. Less emphasis on length then. Consistent strike was key. Couldn’t play with them now, would need to put in far too much practise😉😂😂
@@rv6205 As do I.
Tommy Armour 845 series irons were one of the best selling irons of all time. They should have been in the Iconic group. Wilson Staff model should have gotten a mention too.
We had those growing up in the 90’s and then I bought the newest version I’m 2010 and it was great value for money
You are the hardest working youtugolfer...100%.perfect releasing of video timing for me!cheers to you mate!thx!
Ever heard of Wilson or McGregor mate??????? Wilson, has the most majors ever and Nicklaus used McGregor irons pretty well...
I have 2 iconic sets that are both pleasing to the eye and feel amazing.
The first is the Australian made Maxfli blades from 2000 (this is my bling set). The second is my current set, Titleist dci990's. These ones play like a blade but are cavity backed. Hit my best ever score with them.
I would have thought the Ping i210's are iconic at this stage
Ping Eye….Iconic; game changing…..Hogan Apex; pure blade…..Mizuno MP33…..Miura Tournament Blade (Tigers Nike irons 🤔)…..501CB’s 👍🏼😉
Tiger’s Titleist irons were forged by Epon and were pretty much the blueprint for his Nike irons.
Taylormade r7 gang baby! Been gaming them since 2009, and I still love them!
R9tps when I was a junior and r11's now would love to hit blades eventually
My first proper set of irons mate agree 100% lovely feel and sound
@@mangelo635I just regripped mine for the ohhhh,10,000th time...they somehow got the TPs to feel so soft for a cast club 😄👍
I love how your videos have no mess aound. Straight to the point
Huge stones for attempting this list in the public square, I still occasionally rotate in my '93 Hogan Apex channel backs 😄👍. I'll offer the Cleveland TA1/TA3s as well.
Titleist AP2's are number 1 for me. Even though I never had a set it seemed like everyone else did. Tommy Armour 845s, Titleist 962 DCIs, and I'm going to add the Nike VR Forged pro combos to the list.
I wanted those AP2's so bad growing up
I think when PXG released their first iron it was iconic. The cost was so excessive and the style was so unique and bold. It also didn’t hurt that it was a buttery feel.
Had some “old” top flites as a first set. Always drooling over the pings in the pro shop lol
Taylormade RAC LT were amazing and still play them.
Same here. Do you play the original LTs or the LT2 2005 model?
Good job Simon. I agree 100% with your choices. Always look forward to your videos.
The Ping Ansers may have been overpriced at the time but picked up a set, 3-pw for $200 and absolutely love them. Definitely a nice cheaper set on the second hand market for someone that wants a cavity back forged iron for a reasonable price.
I really think you missed out the (at least for me) most iconic blade irons of all time, that were widelly used from high level tour pros to good amateurs for a quite long period of time, probably of nearly 10 years, from the late 80’s to the late 90’s. I’m referring to the Mizuno TP9, that alongside with the Ping Eye2 really marked an era as only a very few other golf clubs did throughout the history of the game.
Tough list to assemble, thanks for taking the time to put it together...so many irons to choose from for including in the ranking. I watched this video just to see where you put the Tommy Armour 845S. Given its status as the second best selling iron set of all time (only Ping Eye2 sold more), I'm surprised it wasn't on your radar here. Maybe it's not so well known outside the USA?
Thank you for an interesting video, Simon. Macgregor had a number of iconic blades that became the blueprint for some of the successful greats on your list. I am thinking of the Tourneys, the VIPs, the Muirfields etc. Wilson also had the staff blades.
Great episode.... But I respectfully disagree with the Ping Anser iron. Yes....The 2013 Anser was VERY expensive at the time. But look at all the technology features that Ping place in this awesome club. Tungsten sole, Progressive offset and rear stabilizing bars to name a few. In closing, The Ping Anser was mainly designed for the Asian market, which places high value on technology and quality.
That's a tough list when you've gotta sell it worldwide. It's also hard to separate those clubs from the golfers who used them to achieve their own greatness. Or downfall. I'd love to see your list of the players during their rise and fall and how they rank. Lol. Good luck brother.
Titleist DCI 962 were my first kinda players club with some forgiveness, thought they’d make the list. Got them used and loved them until I went to forged blades. Hated the offset and chunkiness of all my friend’s Bertha’s because they looked like something Fred Flintstone would hit. First true blades were an old used set of Hogan Apex blades 2-EW, they were awesome but had to sell them and the DCI’s to help get through a rough stint. Currently playing Mizuno MP33’s and Miura is on my bucket list.
Great video - I think the Ping G10's are well placed! They're legit no-nonsense, sensible clubs. They do what it says on the tin. Just consistent. Not epic, but just ... great.
I played them until last year after buying them at release. I switched to the Ping G425s, and I can only hope they last as long (I suspect they will).
I played Nike SS4D irons for years, that was a fair assessment. I have a cobra one length 3 hybrid and while it's not the best at full shots it works wonders keeping it under branches or any sort of bump and run, made an amazing 2nd shot out of the woods to the green for a 2 putt par yesterday on what is typically a tough par 4. I play cobra forged tec 2020 irons and they are by far my favorite set I've had. Only irons I see as an upgrade at this point are those beautiful mizuno pro 225s!
Tommy Armour 845s
Had a set with Brunswick rifle . Could do it all with those. Kick myself for letting go.
I am impressed that you took on this monumental task. Thank you
Agree Wilson Staff…totally iconic!
Played the Wilson FG17 tour blades in my pomp, gave up golf for 15 years and when i restarted need some help, played Maxfli progressive red dots, 3 and 4 cavity, 5,6,7 MB 8-SW blades, game changers. Nike purchased them and built the Nike progressives
Good video but Miss out
Iconic++++ Dunlop Australian blade. Probably top 10 blade clubs ever. Still performs.
srixon 501's .... Just like the jeans they were so good I actually finished fourth in my club championship hitting a set of these ....wow beautiful feel
Gotta also put the Zing 2's up there. Function over form at its best for amateurs and pros alike.
I have2019 p-790 love them just dont want to even think about replacing them
For a while, I played single-length irons but didn't really get good results with them. I had issues with the wedges and also had trouble getting good gaps at the top of the bag. In the end, I realized that if I was using regular wedges and more hybrids to get gapping right, that I actually had very few single-length clubs in the bag. When I went back to variable length, I went with the Nike Covert 2 Forged irons and loved them. They might not have been as famous as the blades with Tigers name on it, but for a mid-handicap golfer, the forged cavity back heads were forgiving and felt great.
I see so many AP1 series irons at my club, played by good handicap golfers. I’m a Ping man myself, i200s.
Would have gone for AP2 myself. Great review
Tommy Armour 845s, the original one 1988-1997 (or similar) need to be on that list. (near or at the top.) Still the best combo of forgiveness and workability I played.
@Steve Mac So true! The ones they made after the 845 were management rather than designer driven. (Reactive, not proactive.)
Interestingly enough the engineers and designers from Tommy Armour all went to Titleist and Callaway/Odessey (if I remember correctly) and designed some of their biggest successes when the TA company abruptly came to an end in the late 90th.
Ping Eye 2, definitely iconic. Sold my Berylliums recently, kinda regretting it, they had serious wow factor when buffed to a golden shine finish and performed more than well enough for me.
Oh, man! I hang onto my Ping Eye 2 set and my PIng Zing 2 set because they are just too nostalgic and cool to part with. Those beryllium copper sets used to go under $200, but I guess the collector market is going up now.
@honkerh8r564 I did OK from them, paid £90 for them, played them for around 12 years and sold for £300. Bought some old i15s for £140 and pocketed change. The i15s are very impressive too despite their age, I'll be gaming them for a long time yet.
I still play with my copper eye 2’s nothing compares.I am so used to them and how they feel
@@eskimojoe6564 Since I first commented on this thread, I scored a set of Ping Zing Beryllium Coppers. I thought it would be fun to take them out and play a round or two and then put them with the collection. Well.......I think they became my gamers. They feel so good and are so forgiving, and I don't even have to club up from my "modern" set of irons like I thought I would.
Played those in high school, sold them to buy Maxfli Tour Ltd Forged (loved those things!), was pumped to come across a crazy price for another set of BeCu some years ago and they ended up feeling like crap to me for some reason. Bummer to sell them but I did well on the sale. It was like getting back with a long lost girlfriend and then figuring out you actually don't like her😂
Tommy Armour 845 Silver Scots gave me my only hole in one. They weren't very long, but I could easily work them every direction. I had a set of Big Berthas after those, and their 2 iron changed my game forever.
I recall them being called out by '90s golf equipment Karens for their extra length being due to the lofts being 3* stronger than industry std. Loved those irons until they added a million versions that flew farther and farther away from the originals.
Great series of videos looking forward to the Wedge edition!
Awesome video even if Adams was not in the lineup. Interesting & informative to the nth degree ! Bravo 👏
The forged PowerBilt irons of the early 1970s were beautiful and king of the hill in their time, as were the persimmon head woods. Wilson Staff and Wilson X31 were also widely popular. As I remember it, both models of Wilsons and PowerBilt were more commonly used than Hogan, Walter Hagen, Spalding, or the early Pings.
I am always on the hunt for the Citation Persimmon driver...talk about iconic!
Hi Simon, think you pretty much nailed it. Taylormade ICW 11 were prior to Burner i think. Foam filled and better looking. Worth a shout.
My first brand new set of clubs, 3-SW...man, the spin they put on the ball was insane! Funny thing is they were the OG irons of a hollow "blade" that are all over the place, now.
fitted into my P790 a few months ago and love em..
My grandfather gave me a set of Ping Eye2 irons back in 2002 that he got new when they came out. I played them all the way up until last year when I got Ping G430's.
If irons were listed by what they were used to do, the Callaway RAZR Forged (cavity backs) would be on the list. The came out in 2011 and Jim Furyk shot a 58 in a PGA Tour tournament with them. I agree on some of the comments below - the Wilson Stafs, the MacGregor forged VIP irons in the 1990s, etc.
I currently game the copper Ping eye2’s. I noticed almost no difference to the TM M6’s they replaced, other than having to club up by 2 clubs due to difference in loft.
What about the iconic TP series of Mizunos Tp3 Tp9 Tp11 Tp19 etc etc Faldo , Sandy Lyle , Seve ,Ollie and so many more iconic players used and won multiple majors with these pure blades they are all stunning looking and perform incredible...and came along well before any modern Mp series or look at some of the domestic Japanese Market versions they did back in the same era...i mean the Super 11 was beautiful or the Ms series wow just stunning. Can't believe any of these didn't get in.
Currently playing playing P790 and they are iconic and agree big bertha is great but model shown is the '96 model and I still have a complete set of the '94 's.
Simon, you should have included the Tommy Armour 845s.
So many historical inaccuracies that I am not sure where to start! I agree with others here that omitting Wilson Staff is a huge oversight! Vast number of tour wins from the 50's through into the '80's and some of the prettiest irons ever made. Wilson and not Titleist made the first perimeter weighted irons using weight ports with their Ogg-mented irons in the 1930's. Nothing from MacGregor?!!! Other than the Apex name, the Calloway irons have no connection to the Hogan Apex irons and no mention of Hogan Precision - possibly the most iconic iron of all time and grandfather of many later icons like the MP14. John Letters Master Model? - dominant iron in the UK from '48 into the 70's at one point played by 75% of competitors in The Open! Please don't do "all time" reviews if you rely solely on your limited experience and aren't prepared to do the research. Maybe rename as best and worst in the last 20 years?
Agree with another comment, wilson should definitely be on your list under epic. Sure they made some poo, the 1200e I think the chunky ones were called but they were aimed beginners. But the epic were Wilson Staff Fluid Feel blades. They were unfriendly if you wasn't hitting the middle but when you did you were rewarded with a sublime flight and ultimate stopping power from your Balata ball of choice. I also agree with most of your ratings apart from the AP3's. Even when they came out they weren't anything new, stronger lofts were already out, with mixed results of course
Loved my MCGB’s. What I first started on. Thought they looked awesome 😎
Great stab at a difficult catagory. Thanks, Simon.
Some older mentions that took markets. Ping red eye series. King cobra oversized 90’s version. (first, if not one of the first oversized and was most sold iron for most of the mid 90’s)
Nike vapor fly irons. Peak Nike clubs that may not have been amazing but worth a placement.
Wilson staff as above comments mention.
I bought a set of new Hogan Apex+ irons in 2000 and they were absolutely amazing. Not sure why I ever got rid of them.
Just so everyone is clear I said “ranking” at the start of the video 😂
Corrr walking a fine line between man and irons here bud 😂 love it
Taylor made RSI or psi???
If you’ve seen the comments then you know you have a Wilson set to find and do a video on 😂
Agree brave video, and has all us golf nerds apoplectic😂
Highest respect for having the nuts to do this, knowing you'd get roasted no matter what 😂👍
Ram Tour Grind. ⭐️ Early 80’s. Also MacGregor VIP, Epic Big time. Wilson Staff blades. Dunlop Australian Blades.
With you 100% on the Ram Tour Grinds - my personal favourite. Still playing a set of 80-82 Tour Grinds which replace the first set I wore out.
The pictured version of the P790 and the following version on the P770 seemed to have quality issues on the back side of the club head. When you tip them toward a light source, they seem to show a lot of waviness in the metal. Looks like a car door that has a poor metal finish job on it. Not sure if the poor finish is from metal that is too thin or maybe it is similar to “sink marks” in plastic parts from b-side details??? I noticed the newest P790 & P770 irons avoided this by having a matte/blasted finish on the head. Not sure if the change of finish was planned or just a way to cover up a visual design flaw. Callaway, on the other hand, was able to create a hollow body iron with a very glossy finish and not have these surface defects.
The results of the P-series irons are great. People love them and I had a set of each for a while and liked them. But, for what Taylormade charges for their irons, one would expect a bit higher quality in the finish.
No love for the slingshot, but The first new clubs I ever bought were the first model of slingshots. I got them on sale for $300. Yes, they sounded bad (especially the hollow ones that howled when you swung). Yes, you couldn't shape your shot. For a high handicap player though, those things were a beast. I got so confident walking up to the ball. Knowing that I could be so far off the center and the most I would lost is 5 yards.
I gave them to my girlfriend when I bought some new Cobras and she is hitting in the low 50s (sometimes high 40s) on nine as a new golfer with them.
Titleist 690 CB, legendary! Big place in my heart, my faces were worn had to remplaced them, i had a lot of mizuno… but never feels the same.
My ping i210 are closed
I played the ‘99 Big Berthas throughout high school in the early 2000s. I went from shooting in the hundreds to breaking 80 twice by my senior year. I haven’t sniffed the 70s in almost 20 years now, maybe I should rethink my current MP-62s.
Im using Tom Wishon irons and I love them!
You missed the Tommy Armour 845 Silver Scot. One of the best selling irons of the 90s and they are still in my bag.
If it hasn't already been mentioned Simon, try to find a set of Srixon i302 irons to play. I think you'll be impressed and they might still be the best irons (Z 745's are perhaps a tie) Srixon has ever made and were played and won on pretty much every Tour.
Wonder where the Titleist forged 755 would go on this list my favourite iron still use today 👌
I really love the value (especially second hand) of the Cleveland Tour Action irons and for me personally, the Tommy Armour 845 Oversize were incredible for my game when I was in high school (96-2000). They were so much more forgiving than the cheap set of Dunlop clubs I was using. I still have them and I really cant believe how well they hit after all these years. Great cavity weighting with a decently thin topline. They just oooze confidence.
A mixed set of TA1/TA3 in the black finish was pure awesome...still keep my peepers open for a deal on those cats
That’s the Big Bertha 1996 model and I play them right now! My dad bought them the day he found out that I was going to be born.
14:48 LOL, I use the Mavrik and is the best set of irons I ever owned. Long, high, forgiving, sound good, fitted by Callaway, still use them and no reason to change. Yeah, if you want all that go get a good used set.
Same! I think they are really good allaround clubs! As you mentioned they tick every box, as they say. I really like that they are long, as a high hcp:per.
I actually game those exact Callaway Apex Pro irons, the 2014 models. Still get great distance and control, and they feel like butter off the face.
Still using my Callaway Big Bertha irons to this day, upgraded to Titleist ap2 struggled with them so went back to the Big Bertha, super forgiving but not too pleasing on the eye especially the PW and 9 iron chunky as hell!
Titleist AP2 should be at least in the great section, maybe even iconic. They were a great and massively popular choice for lower handicap amateurs, and u could find them all over the tour for years.
Ping Eye 2's are like the Toyota Tacoma when it comes to price retention. I've had 3 sets-1 cast and 2 coppers. Had them a few years and sold them for more than i paid and they were 30 years old.
Bro I’m digging the hat! Do they come in flex fit L/ XL
What about the Titleist MB 690s? I always thought that they were some of the best looking irons I have ever seen!
Waited all week for this vid. Bha ha I own a M CGB 7 iron and am close to buying a full set, might reconsider lol
Missed out potentially on the Callaway XR and the Cobra Speed Zone. Honorable mention to the Tour Edge Exotics ?
Some good choices . Thanks for your insight
What to you think of the Callaway X-16/X-18 model?
Ping's original Karston iron series, 1969-1976 changed everything. Really the first perimeter weighting cavity backs. He was learning that wider soles and moving the MOI back could help duffers immensely. In 1978 the Ping Eye, then the Eye 2 in 1982. The Calloway Big Birtha came out 1994. They arrived late to the party. Ping changed the game earlier than all of the rest. I would say the other makers were hung up making "players" clubs far too long and this explains why Ping gobbled up market share quickly. There are far more poor players needing help than pro or scratch golfers. However, being one in the sea of masses, Ping helped me the most and the earliest. I did everything I could to get some Ping Eye 2 irons when they hit the market. I have re-shafted them twice to accommodate my age and re-grooved them several times. I am 65 and those irons are still in the bag. I have no idea how many times they have been regripped. Just my two cents worth. Cheers.
Clubs to try please. I played TP19’s from 19-45 but I’m now too old to muscle and shape it. The game moved on without me. I’m now playing 710 AP1’s and their ok, they do the job. I’ve got down to scratch and want to get something that will help me with distance. I can still compress it so bony necessarily need big clumpy irons. What’s out there for trajectory and distance for a scratch golfer in their late 40’s?
Titleist MBs. Love them.
I like the fact that he recognized the Ping G10. Two clubs I think should have been there were the Titleist DCI or 962 irons. Also the Tommy Armour 845's.
I can’t believe the AP2 was left out. I’ve still got the 714s and think they’ve got to be some of the most loved irons ever.
Agreed
Got the 712's and I prefer the feel over the 718 ap3's
Your loving these ranking videos. 😉 so am I!
But no Wilson’s!
I think my old Taylormade Rac irons were some of the best I've had. Always thought it was a mistake when I sold them.
What do you think of the Adams CB clubs?
How about Mizuno Tzoid pro?
Spalding tour edition birdie on ball gold stamped blades from the 80's. The definition of what a blade should look like. I love mine. My father had them when he competed in his 20's and he has the custom crafted ones. They are in my opinion the best blade ever made.
MP is Iconic,, no arguement
Wilson staff blades??? Man those take the cake in my opinion.
I'd never heard of Burner Midsize. Going to have to try them out.
Got a set of those old spaldings. Think Ill put new grips on and play them for a while. I think 7 iron is 36 degrees.Cheers