In this article, we’ll cover the best game improvement irons currently on the market. Below are some quick jumps to check the price of our top picks, or scroll down to read the full review of each iron set.
This is a category where you are spoilt for choice.
At the end of the single iron reviews, I’ve put together a versus section in case you are stuck between two sets of irons.
- Best all-round performance – TaylorMade Sim Max
- Best for forgiveness and feel – Mizuno HMB
- Best control and performance – Ping G410
- Best value – Wilson D7
- Great for distance – Callaway Mavrik
- Great for feel – Mizuno JPX 921
- Great value – Tour Edge Hot Launch C521
- Still worth considering – Tour Edge HL 4
- Still worth considering – TaylorMade M6
Best game improvement irons review
TaylorMade Sim Max Irons
Up first we have the TaylorMade Sim Max irons. These irons are a solid progression from TalyorMade’s M6 irons.
Looks
You can opt for the standard Sim Max or Sim Max OS (oversized) options in your search for great game improvement irons. The OS version has even greater perimeter weighting and features a thicker top-line as you look down at the irons from address.
The OS irons also feature a little more offset, making the OS a great option for golfers who slice their long irons.
Forgiveness
The TaylorMade Sim Max irons offer great forgiveness – the large cavity back is accompanied by a steel bridge extending across the back of the clubhead. Both of these features push the centre of mass away from the clubhead and prevent the club from twisting – providing great forgiveness for off-centre strikes.
Read our full review of the TaylorMade Sim Max irons here.
Distance
The face of the Sim Max iron is the thinnest TaylorMade have created, combining this tech with the speed pocket located across the bottom of the irons allows the clubface to flex upon impact generating maximum ball speed and distance on your iron shots.
These irons really do make the ball fly!
Feel & control
The Sim Max irons offer all of the forgiveness of the M6, but with a softer feel off the face. This is achieved by a new dampening system placed along the length of the clubface, meaning fewer vibrations travelling up the shaft where ever you make contact on the clubface.
Golf Insider UK verdict
Overall, the Sim Max irons offer great game improvement clubs for a range of golfers. Distance and forgiveness are exceptional, if you want to trade these two attributes in for a little more control then check out the Mizuno HMB irons below.
I would suggest most players opt for the standard Sim Max, with the Sim Max OS being a great option for golfers who suffer from a stubborn slice.
Mizuno MP-20 HMB
The MP-20 range is Mizuno’s latest set of beautiful looking golf irons, with options for every level of player. Here we’ll review the MP-20 HMB (hot metal blades).
Looks
In my opinion, these are the best-looking irons within the game improvement category. The HMB irons look like a beefed-up blade, providing a sleek design but a thicker top line than a traditional muscle-back club.
The Mizuno HMB irons also feature far less offset compared to many of the other iron sets in this roundup.
Forgiveness
The HMB irons feature a hollow club head, although you would never know by looking at it or when hitting golf shots. The hollow design allows Mizuno to produce a muscle back look which offers the forgiveness of a cavity back.
Want to check out our full Mizuno MP-20 review?
The HMB’s also have two additional tungsten weights positioned low down within the clubhead to further increase the club’s inertia, resulting in greater forgiveness and straighter golf shots across the clubface.
Distance
The face has been forged from Chromoly – a strong alloy that has allows Mizuno to make the face ultra-thin. As you may have guessed from the name (hot metal blade), the result is a club that offers greater ball speed and distance.
This extra distance has been achieved without de-lofting the irons like many other game improvement and super game improvement irons. Which ensures you still have control over the trajectory of your golf shots.
Feel & control
Mizuno are keen to offer great forgiveness, but allow golfers to keep a neural ball flight – this is great news if you tend to overdraw or hook your iron shots.
The HMB’s also have a progressive design running throughout the set – the length of the clubhead, amount of offset and width of the sole gradually reduces as you move from the long irons into the mid-irons and short irons. The result is great forgiveness in the longer irons and great control and the ability to flight your short irons and wedges.
Golf Insider UK verdict
As you can tell from this review, I am really impressed with the Mizuno HMB’s. There are irons in this review that offer more forgiveness, but none that offer this blend of forgiveness, distance, control and feel.
If you want a great set of game improvement irons that you can use all the way down to a scratch handicap and beyond the Mizuno MP-20 HMBs are my top pick. However, those forged club heads and tech do come at a price.
Ping G410 Irons
Ping have been masters of making great irons for decades and the G410 is their offering for golfers looking for game improvement irons.
Looks
The Ping G410 is more compact than previous G-series irons. However, the profile has still retained that classical Ping look. The clubhead looks refined and traditional – we are not talking about a blade-like appearance, but a sleek design for the game improvement iron category.
Forgiveness
The G410s feature a deep cavity back design, pushing the centre of mass down low and away from the clubface – this design creates great forgiveness across the clubface.
Along with the cavity back design, additional toe and hosel weights have been incorporated into the head to further stabilise the club head during off-centre strikes. This results in less twist and longer, straighter iron shots (even on your off days).
The deep, rolling sole will also provide great forgiveness on shots where you catch the ground just before the ball.
Click here to read the full Ping G410 review.
Distance
The Ping G410s have keep a traditional amount of loft on each club, with each iron having 1 – 1.5º greater loft compared to the Sim Max and Mavrik Max irons.
This means they are not the longest irons featured in this review, but offer excellent distance and sensible lofts on the mid and longer irons – making them easier for golfer to hit.
Feel & control
The Ping G410 irons feel as you would expect – brilliantly solid and powerful. The smaller head compared to previous G-series irons does also give the sense of better control when trying to hit less than full iron shots.
Golf Insider UK verdict
The Ping G410 irons are all-round great looking, great performing game improvement irons for golfers wanting a blend of forgiveness and all-round control. If you want game improvement forgiveness which offer less all-out distance and more control then the Ping G410s are a great choice.
Titleist T300 Irons
Titleist describe the T300 iron as – a player’s game improvement iron with max impact-powered distance and forgiveness in a mid-sized head.
Looks
These are the largest, most forgiving club in the T300 range. They have a thicker top line and wider sole compared to the rest of the T-series irons, but are relatively refined compared to irons with similar levels of forgiveness.
Unlike many other manufacturers’ game improvement irons, the T300 have minimal offset. This offers a nice alternative for golfers looking for great forgiveness, but not enjoying the look of a large offset on their irons.
The T-300 irons also have a progressive profiles running through the set, meaning you have large forgiving long irons and a sleeker look as you move into the mid and short-irons.
Forgiveness
As you would expect the large club head results in great forgiveness. The deep cavity back design has been paired with a tungsten weight in the toe to further increase the club’s MOI and reduce twisting on off-centre strikes.
The low centre of gravity and large perimeter weighting on these irons really does give every support possible to get those thin shots and heel / toe strike up in the air and onto the putting surface.
Distance
These irons are hot off the face! This is in part due to the new max impact technology, which is a combination of a thin face to max out your ball speed, combined with a structural support behind the sweet spot.
However, the other reason for this exceptional distance is stronger lofts on these irons (4-iron = 20°, 7-iron = 29º). The lofting on the T300 irons bring them inline with the TaylorMade Sim Max.
Feel & control
The feel of these irons match their performance – they feel very powerful when struck well. What you do sacrifice some sense of control, there is less feedback as to where you struck on the club face (which isn’t always a bad thing) and these certainly don’t match up to the forged Mizuno HMB in terms of buttery soft control.
However, the Titleist T-300 irons do launch high and create a good decent angle to help you hold the greens.
Golf Insider UK verdict
The Titleist T-300 irons are well worth considering within your search for a game improvement iron. If you value distance over a soft feel and want forgiveness without a large, offset iron then these will be ideal for you.
Mizuno JPX 921 irons
The JPX 921 irons are Mizuno’s latest offer for golfers looking for a solid feel and sound in a forgiving iron. Their classical blade-like appearance alone justifies their place this review of the best game improvement irons.
The Mizuno JPX 921’s forged design creates a material that cannot be reproduced with cast irons, making these a serious contender if you’re on the lookout for the best game improvement irons with exceptional feel.
Despite their sleek design they still offer great forgiveness, thanks to the milled cavity sitting behind the club face. This has allowed more weight to be place towards the toe and heel of the club – increasing the size of the sweet spot.
Read our full review of the Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal irons
The increased sweet spot is not only good for accuracy, but also your ball speed. Mizuno have created the thinnest forged face to date which has led to the highest max and average ball speed across the entire face.
This is a feature all golfers with benefit from, let’s face it we all me that sweet spot from time to time…
The JPX 921 irons have a progressive design running throughout the set. The longer irons have a thicker top line and greater perimeter weighting resulting in maximum forgiveness and a higher launch. The irons slowly become more blade-like as they run through the mid-irons into the wedges, leading to great control and feel as you move closer to the green.
There are game improvement irons with a larger sweet spot, but no set can offer the levels of forgiveness, feel and design found in the JPX 921 irons.
Wilson D7 irons
The Wilson D7 irons provide a great game improvement iron at a great price. Wilson have created a progressive design into these irons. The longer irons are designed for max forgiveness and distance, but as you move towards the short irons and wedge there is more of an emphasis on control and feel.
This setup is ideal for golfers wanting great forgiveness, but still wish for a set of irons that provide control and finesse when chipping and pitching around the greens. The Wilson D7 irons provide a solid looking iron when setting up to the golf ball and feature a large, under-cut cavity that limits the amount the club head will twist on off-centre shots.
Like other irons in this review, the D7 irons have quite strong lofts (28º for a 7-iron) which will result in longer iron shots if you are upgrading clubs from a few years ago. Overall the D7 offers a great value game improvement iron for a golfer wanting brand new irons, that offer distance and forgiveness in the longer irons and control around the greens.
TaylorMade P770 Irons
The TaylorMade P770 irons are the most forgiving in the P7 series, but don’t be fooled we are a world away from the TaylorMade Sim Max irons. The P770 irons are strictly speaking in the players category, but they will suit some mid to low teen handicap players.
Looks
The P770’s irons have a thinner top line, shorter blade length and less offset than the larger TaylorMade P790 irons. If you are a fan of traditional looks and minimal offset you will love the look of these behind the golf ball.
There isn’t a large chunk of metal behind the ball as you setup to hit your longer irons, but these do give a sense of forgiveness compared to clubs of a similar size.
Check out our full TaylorMade P700 iron series review
Forgiveness
The hollow head construction have allowed TaylorMade to create levels of forgiveness that you would not expect from such a small club head. This is accompanied by a tungsten toe weight to further increase the clubs’ moment of inertia and Speed Pocket™ technology in the longer irons.
All of this tech shifts the centre of gravity low down and away from the face, resulting in increased forgiveness. However, as you’ll see from our rating they are forgiving considering their size, but not comparable to the TaylorMade Sim Max or Titleist T300 irons.
Toe and heel shots will result in some dropped yardage and be prepared to strike the ball well to get the most out of the long irons – great clubs, but I hope this gives a sense of what to expect.
Power & distance
The TaylorMade P770 irons are looooonnnnng. The P770’s have a touch more loft (4-iron = 22.5º, 7-iron = 33º) than the TaylorMade P790’s and sit more in-line with traditional player’s lofts.
However, the forged hollowed-body construction and ultra-thin face to ensure maximum ball speed off the club face. The mid and long irons also feature a Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ at the base of the club face to further improve face flex and ball speed.
The result is that these irons make your golf ball – fly!
What I found interesting is that the TM P770 irons produce consistent levels of distance, despite their power. This is something that other game improvement irons can suffer from.
Feel
The TaylorMade P770 irons are constructed from a forged face and cast body. The forged face creates a soft feel and the SpeedFoam injected into the head creates a solid feeling upon impact.
You really do notice the difference in feel from the forged face compared to cast game improvement irons. Powerful, yet wonderfully soft.
Control, launch & shot shaping
The added loft on the TaylorMade P770 irons compared to the TM P790’s really does add an extra level of control across the set and ability to stop your longer irons.
Despite their neutral look, in testing, these seems to promote a slight draw, which is good news if you tend to lose your iron shots right.
TaylorMade P770 Golf Insider verdict
If you want great distance, a classical design and great feel than the TaylorMade P770s are a great choice. These are not going to top the poll for forgiveness, but if you strike your irons consistently well and want great distance, feel and control these should be top of the list for you along with the Mizuno options in this review.
Tour Edge Hot Launch C521 Irons
The Tour Edge Hot Launch C521 Irons are the latest release in their Hot Launch range catering for players wanting great forgiveness, distance and control.
Looks
The TE Hot Launch C521 irons have a large face, thick top line and slight offset which really do sing – forgiveness and distance when you place them behind the golf ball.
Despite the large club head size, I feel Tour Edge have done a great job in their design. The profile still looks sleek rather than clunky.
Forgiveness
The deep cavity in the C521 Irons pushes the centre of gravity low down, which prevents the club from twisting and creates great forgiveness across the face.
The sole on the C521 Irons is 15% wider than previous versions (see the Tour Edge HL 4 irons) which shifts the centre of gravity further away from the face and creates a high launch.
This wider sole also creates a more forgiving club-turf interaction for players – great news if you have a tendency to catch the ground before the ball. The Tour Edge C521 irons also feature additional toe weighting to increase the forgiveness across the club face for heel and toe strikes.
Power & distance
The Tour Edge C521 Irons produce excellent distance, whilst maintaining sensible lofts and trajectory on your iron shots.
The low centre of gravity in the club heads, along with the shaft options available in these irons will make these a great option for golfers with lower swing speeds looking to optimise distance and carry.
Feel & control
The Tour Edge C521 Irons have a slight draw bias which is great news if you do tend to lose your iron shots right. The Tour Edge C521 Irons are made from an extremely soft 431 stainless steel, providing the optimal feel. The feel is further enhanced by the polymer insert behind the club face which dampen vibrations from off-centre hits.
These irons feel powerful and solid when struck well and do a great job of softening the vibrations when you don’t catch the sweet spot.
Golf Insider UK verdict
These clubs provide great forgiveness and superb value. These are more towards golfers looking for great forgiveness from a game improvement irons, but the design is particularly well suited to golfers with slower swing speeds looking to maximise distance and carry.
Even better news – all Tour Edge irons come with a lifetime warranty.
Callaway Mavrik and Mavrik Max Irons
Callaway’s latest game improvement iron comes in the form of the Mavrik and the Mavrik Max (over-sized) irons. Similar to the Sim Max irons, Callaway have gone to great lengths to shift as much of the weight to the sole of the club and to the edge of the iron face to maximise forgiveness.
The Mavrik’s also features a face that is designed to maximise ball speed across the entire club face. This is combined with a tungsten bar that is located at the back of the club to maximise ball speed and generate a high launch. This has allowed the designers to further reduce the loft of the irons by 1º to add more ball speed and distance to your iron shots.
The result of this design is a game improvement iron that is super long when hit out the middle, and still long when shots are struck out of the toe or heel. This is combined with multiple layers of urethane dampeners positioned behind the club face to provide a great feel alongside the powerful flight.
The Callaway Mavrik and Mavrik OS are great game improvement irons for golfers looking are looking for great forgiveness and a few extra yards with their iron shots.
Tour Edge Golf Hot Launch 4
I’ve sold many sets of Tour Edge irons during my many years coaching new golfers and high-handicap golfers. Why? Tour Edge provide great equipment at a great price. The Tour Edge HL 4 is the latest offering in the game improvement market.
The HL irons feature an expanded under-cut cavity and additional toe weighting to stabilise the club head during off-centre strikes. The shallow face means the club sits flush to the ground and provides maximum forgiveness for thinned iron shots.
As you may guess by the name, the hot launch irons provide great ball speed too. Tour Edge have gone against the trend of reducing loft on their irons, this set has a 7-iron with 31º of loft meaning your shots will fly with a higher trajectory and a little short than some of the stronger irons in this review. This shouldn’t be seen as a negative, as it will make the longer irons easier to hit, compared to some of the other iron sets featured.
The Tour Edge HL 4 irons are a great game improvement iron at a brilliant price.
TaylorMade M6
I’m sure you are all familiar with the TalyorMade M6 irons. These irons are the predecessors to the Sim Max range and although they are a few years old, they still are an excellent game improvement club. When compiling this review I found you can now pick them up at a very good price.
Like the Sim Max the M6 irons have a large cavity back design and speed bridge across the back of the club head. This design provides great forgiveness across the club face and results in a powerful ball launch.
Where the Sim Max has improve upon the M6 is in the dampening effects, meaning the M6 may sound a little louder and may not feel quite as soft as the Sim Max, but it lacks very little in performance.
Iron versus iron
Buying new irons is be a big decision. Here I’ll do my best to provide some insight if you are stuck between two sets within this review.
TaylorMade Sim Max irons vs Callaway Mavrik irons
Both these sets of irons are top of the class when it comes to providing distance and forgiveness. Meaning there is little to choose between these two and you’ll likely be happy with which ever option you go for.
The Mavrik irons edge it with distance, relative to the club lofts. However, they do produce a slightly lower trajectory and descent angle, meaning you’ll likely find the TaylorMade Sim Max give you the upper hand when hitting long and mid irons into the green.
Both are great, all out distance go for the Callaway Mavrik Max. For a slightly higher launch and shot stopping ability go for the TaylorMade Sim Max irons.
Ping G410 irons vs TaylorMade Sim Max irons
Two great choices – but here we do have some separation. If you want to max out on distance and across the face forgiveness opt for the TaylorMade Sim Max irons. If you want a great blend of forgiveness, distance, control and feel go for the Ping G410 irons.
The Ping G410 irons are still very forgiving and are a great choice if you are a keen golfer who is playing, practicing and has dreams of knocking 5 shots off your handicap in the next 12 – 18 months.
Ping G410 irons vs Callaway Mavrik irons
If you’ve read the TaylorMade Sim Max irons vs Callaway Mavrik irons section you’ll know that the Sim Max and Mavrik are almost identical in performance. Therefore, if you want maximum forgiveness and distance grab the Callaway Mavrik Max irons. If you want a great blend of forgiveness, distance, control and feel go for the Ping G410 irons.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I buy new irons?
After reading the marketing pushed out by club manufacturers you’d think every new iron has revolutionised the game of golf. In reality, we tend to see noticeable improvements in iron performance every 3 to 5 years.
Within this time period it is also likely that your own golf game and evolved. For this reason, it is worth testing new clubs every few years just to check there aren’t any new options that better suit your game.
What are the best game improvement irons for an average golfer?
The best irons for an average golfer are clubs with a large club head and perimeter weighting. Both of these factors increase the club’s forgiveness. All irons featured in this review feature these qualities.
What are the best game improvement irons for a high handicapper?
High handicappers tend to struggle with their ball striking and consistency. As a result, high handicappers will benefit from a game improvement iron with a large sweet spot, high levels of perimeter weighting and a low centre of gravity.
The TaylorMade SIM MAX Irons and the Callaway Mavrik Max Iron sets are two great options for high handicap golfers looking for extra consistency and help with their ball striking. These sets both include long irons that are very easy to hit.
You can also check out our full review of the best irons for high handicap golfers.
What type of player should use game improvement irons?
There is a misconception that game improvement irons are solely for golfers above a 20-handicap. However, these irons are more about how they perform, rather than what level of golfer you are.
The clubs featured in this roundup offer forgiveness first and distance as a close second. This means they will help you get the ball up in the air and keep your iron shots as straight as possible when you strike shots off the toe or heel.
I know many low-handicap golfers and pros who play with iron sets that would be classed as ‘game improvement irons’. The key is to find a set of irons that maximise your potential and ability to score.
Do game improvement irons offer less control and shot shaping ability?
Historically, game improvement irons created a powerful ball flight and great forgiveness, but lacked some control over distance and trajectory. In recent years we’ve seen a shift in sets of irons within this category.
Most sets nowadays focus on maximising forgiveness in the long irons and offering more control with the short irons. The Mizuno HMB’s and Ping G410 iron sets are two that have created a beautiful blend of forgiveness and control, for golfers wanting a mix of both.
I could be argued that the perimeter weighting and greater heel-toe weighting do keep the club face more stable and make it a little harder to shape your shots. Irons in this category do also tend to promote a higher ball flight compared to players irons.
Should I play game improvement irons?
Game improvement irons are primarily designed for distance and forgiveness. Whereas smaller, bladed irons offer more workability and feel. If your aim is to lower your scores and become more consistent at golf these irons are a great choice.
Should I buy super game improvement irons?
Super game improvement irons are a spin-off from the best game improvement irons. they offer superior forgiveness and ease of use but do lack control.
I would suggest that most golfers do not need super game improvement irons. The irons featured within this roundup are forgiving enough. The additional benefits you will get from super game improvement irons are often out-weighted by the lack of control the irons offer when pitching and hitting chip shots.
How do I choose the right irons for me?
In this review I’ve only featured clubs I would be happy to recommend to students I coach. All the clubs featured offer great forgiveness, so choosing the right for you comes down to personal preference.
Are you looking for greater distance, a higher ball flight or more control around the greens. These are the features that will determine the best choice for you. I’ve tried to highlight these features during the main review.
When should I switch from game improvement clubs to player irons?
May golfers think they should switch from playing game improvement clubs when you reach a mid-teen handicap and/or can break 80. This is not actually the case, many low handicap golfers and scratch players still play with game improvement irons.
You only need to switch from game improvement irons when you feel the benefit you are getting in forgiveness and distance is outweighed by the lack of control inside 150-yards.
These days there are game improvement irons that offer a great blend of both. Check out the Mizuno HMB’s and Ping G410’s as two great examples. For more, check out our review of the best irons for mid-handicap golfers.
What is the difference between forged and cast irons?
These names relate to the production method used. Cast irons are created by pouring an alloy metal into a mould and allowing it to set. Cast iron design is commonly used in clubs that require multiple components. Whereas forged irons are made from one solid piece of metal that is forged (hammered) into shape.
The game improvement irons featured in this review are all cast, this is due to their multi-piece head design, allowing designers to shift the mass of the club head to the extremities and creating great forgiveness.
Should I choose over-sized or standard irons?
Over-sized irons offer a wider club head, meaning you have a larger surface area to strike the golf ball. Over-sized irons also feature a thicker top-line, which some golfer prefer.
If you commonly hit shot a long way out of the toe or the heel of the club then you may wish to consider over-sized game improvement irons, but for most golfers the standard irons featured in this review will offer enough forgiveness.
Do I need off-set irons?
Off-set irons have the club face set back slightly behind the hosel. This helps the club face square up and can help you if you suffer from a slice. All irons have some off-set, but in some irons this is larger and more evident.
If you have a fade or a slice look for irons with more off-set, if you hook your iron shots find game improvement irons with less off-set.
What swing speed should I have to play with these kinds of irons?
These irons will suit you whatever your swing speed. You just need to match your shaft choices to your swing speed (see the section below).
One other small tip – if you have a low swing speed you will also benefit from irons with a low centre of gravity. The low weight distribution will help increase the launch angle through our set of irons and should lead to a little extra distance.
Should I choose graphite or steel shafts?
A graphite shaft makes the overall club lighter, meaning you can generate great club head speed. If you are looking for greater distance with your iron-play it is well worth considering graphite shafts.
If you hit your 5-iron 175 yards or further I would suggest you stick with steel shafts, as they will offer greater control. These days there are also light-weight steel shaft options, these provide a great middle-ground for golfers wanting the best of both worlds.
What are the best value game improvement irons?
The Wilson D7 irons are exceptional value for a forged set of irons, at roughly $300 less than a forged set from another manufacture.
If you are shopping on a budget the Tour Edge HL 4 irons are great game improvement irons at a great price.
Best game improvement category irons by manufacturer
Below is a list of the best game improvement irons by manufacturer based on our testing.
- TalyorMade – TaylorMade Sim Max
- Ping – Ping G410
- Titleist – T300
- Callaway – Callaway Mavrik Max
- Mizuno – Mizuno MP-20 HMB
- Wilson– Wilson D7
- Tour Edge – Tour Edge HL 4
Best Game Improvement Irons – Summary
I sure hope this review of the best irons on the market has helped you in your search. If you’re looking for more ways to improve your iron-play check out this article on why golfers thin and fat their iron shots.
And, if you would like an article like this one emailed to you every Monday, come join the Golf Insider weekly post.
Happy golfing – Will @ Golf Insider UK
