This is Golfer Geeks’ review of the best irons on the market in 2023.
I’m an avid golfer, an 8ish handicap on my way to a 2 (been a 5.6) and frequent tester of golf clubs and equipment since 2015.
I’ve played irons from most manufacturers and from almost every category of golfer over the last few years.
We test a lot of very good irons and only our best recommendations from our testing for each handicap are listed below on this page.
Note – Some irons appear in two categories.
For more info on all our iron testing, visit these pages – iron comparisons, round-ups, and reviews.
In this best irons review, I discuss my experience with each club, unique features and benefits, as well as customer reviews.
Best Irons of 2023 By Category
Best Game Improvement Irons
- Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Irons (Editor’s Pick)
- Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro Irons
- Ping G425 Irons
- Ping G410 Irons
- Srixon ZX5 MKII Irons (Best for Better Ball Strikers)
- Exceptionally Soft & Solid Feel
- Loads of Distance & Forgiveness
- Absolute Eye Candy
- Great Price
- Unbelievably Soft & Solid Feel
- Plenty Distance & Forgiveness
- Premium Looks
- Great price
- So... so easy to hit
- High trajectory
- Great distance & forgiveness
- Easy to hit and elevate
- Good trajectory & playability
- Excellent distance & forgiveness
- Long & Forgiving
- Improved Sound & Feel
- Stable, Accurate & Consistent
Best Player’s Distance Irons
- Mizuno JPX 923 Forged Irons
- Titleist T100S Irons (Most Refined Irons in this Category)
- Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro
- Srixon ZX5 MKII Irons
- Taylormade P770 Irons
- Callaway Rogue ST Pro Irons
- Callaway Paradym Irons
- Best Feel in Golf
- Superb Distance & Forgiveness
- Gorgeous
- Reasonable Price
- Consistent Distance, Launch, Carry & Accuracy
- Premium Feel & Sound
- Premium Looks
- Unbelievably Soft & Solid Feel
- Plenty Distance & Forgiveness
- Premium Looks
- Great price
- Long & Forgiving
- Improved Sound & Feel
- Stable, Accurate & Consistent
- Stellar Distance & Forgiveness
- Great Feel
- Flies High & Straight, but Workable
- Gorgeous
- Easy launch & Explosive distance
- Superb feel & Just enough forgiveness
- Flight & Work the ball easily
- Incredible price
- Easy & Consistent Distance
- Easy to Launch, Shape, or Flight down
- Touch of forgiveness
- Softish and solid feel
Best Low Handicap Irons
- Consistent Distance, Launch, Carry & Accuracy
- Premium Feel & Sound
- Premium Looks
- Best Feel in Golf
- Superb Distance & Forgiveness
- Gorgeous
- Reasonable Price
- Long & Forgiving
- Improved Sound & Feel
- Stable, Accurate & Consistent
- Best Player Iron Value
- Exceptional Feel & Performance
- Classic Elegant Titleist Design
- Surprisingly long
- Scoring MO-chines
- Long & Forgiving
- Great Sound & Feel
- Easy to elevate & great trajectory
- Great Sound & Feel
- Surprisingly forgiving
- Excellent playability
- Great looking
Best Irons in 2023 Reviewed
Game Improvement
Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Irons
- Exceptionally Soft & Solid Feel
- Loads of Distance & Forgiveness
- Absolute Eye Candy
- Great Price
- Nada
Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal irons are our #1 Recommendation for game improvement irons. They excel in everything, including unbelievable feel for a game improvement iron…or any iron.
A few of the attributes we love:
- Buttery, marshmellowy, unbelievably soft (yet solid) feel.
- Incredibly forgiving and easy to hit. Great contact is not needed for good results.
- Exceptional distance.
- You can play any shot you want if you’ve got the game. (once that’s part of your game)
For this year’s JPX 923s, Mizuno combined Chromoly and Nickel to form Nickel Chromoly which allowed them to make the clubface 8% thinner yet 35% stronger than last year’s JPX 921s.
So, the sweet spot is bigger for more forgiveness and distance over a larger portion of the face.
At least, I thought I did. The Chromoly metal Mizuno uses to make the Hot Metals (and Forged & Hot Metal Pro irons) is on a completely different level.
Conclusion: An incredible amount of value and performance for the price.
Recommendation: We like the Hot Metals for 10ish handicaps on up to 18s or so. (Never hurts to test if you aren’t sure) Just try them. You’ll thank me.
Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro Irons
- Unbelievably Soft & Solid Feel
- Plenty Distance & Forgiveness
- Premium Looks
- Great price
- Nada
Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro irons are our Runner up in the game improvement category.
Like the Hot Metals, they excel in everything. But, with a slightly smaller clubhead.
A few of the attributes we love:
- The same unbelievably soft (yet solid) feel.
- Exceptional forgiveness, launch, and distance. Great contact is heavenly, but not needed for good results.
- Superior playability once that is part of your game. (shaping, flighting, distance control)
As mentioned above, the clubheads are more compact than Hot Metals. They’ve also got a thinner topline and sole, and less offset. So, a little more playerish-looking, but still plenty, plenty forgiving.
Conclusion: Same superior performance and feel as Hot Metals, but in a in a slightly smaller package.
Recommendation: We like the Hot Metal Pros for 8ish handicaps on up to about a 12 or so. Again, Just try them. You’ll thank me.
Ping G425 Irons
New & Used clubs available
Get 8%off from Global Golf with Code: GolferGeek
- So... so easy to hit
- High trajectory
- Great distance & forgiveness
- Nothing - you need to try them
Ping G425 irons are our former Editor’s Pick for best mid-handicaps and game improvement irons.
- Supremely easy to hit and elevate.
- All the distance you need.
- Can hit good shots all day long without needing perfect contact.
- Awesome feel and sound for a mid handicap iron.
- You can play any shot you want if you’ve got the game.
I was not expecting the G425s to perform as well as they did. I play soft carbon-steel low handicap irons and I thought the 425s would feel harsh and wooden. No sir. I’m a low handicap ball striker with my irons and these did anything I wanted.
Center contact feels great and slight mishits feel about the same, with very little loss of distance. There’s a ton of forgiveness built into these irons.
The lofts are already jacked, but Ping offers even stronger lofts if that suits your game.
Conclusion: The G425s are one of the best irons for the average golfer I’ve tested in recent years.
Recommendation: We like the G410s for most mid and high handicaps. Say a 10ish to even beginnersYou’re going to want to at least test these. My money is on you keeping them if you do.
Ping G410 Irons
New & Used clubs available
Get 8%off from Global Golf with Code: GolferGeek
- Easy to hit and elevate
- Good trajectory & playability
- Excellent distance & forgiveness
- Not the best looking
We still love Ping G410 irons and keep them high on our list for game improvement.
- You get great results without great contact.
- Playable and forgiving all over the face.
- Exceptional sound and feel for a mid-handicap iron.
I tested the G410 irons at the same time as the G425s. They are remarkably similar in every way, except for a few cosmetic differences.
Ball flight between the two were identical. The sweet spot is generous and delivers beautiful trajectory shot after shot.
I didn’t want to stop hitting the G410s. And don’t sleep on distance, either. They have excellent carry numbers and should hold any green a mid handicapper plays.
Conclusion: Play and feel EXactly like the G425s – Just different cosmetics.
Recommendation: We like the G410s for most mid and high handicaps. Say a 10ish to even beginners. Give them a try if you’re in the market. You won’t return them because of performance. I almost guarantee it.
Srixon ZX5 MKII Irons
- Long & Forgiving
- Improved Sound & Feel
- Stable, Accurate & Consistent
- Nada
Srixon ZX5 MK 2 irons are our new favorite irons for better mid-handicappers. Taking over the spot from last year’s ZX5s (still great clubs – see below).
They took everything good about the ZX5s and improved on it.
- Long & forgiving
- Improved sound & feel
- Still accurate, solid, & consistent for better scoring.
- Player iron looks with game improvement features.
Srixon says the MK 2s are for low to mid handicaps – And, I agree. Up to about. a 10 handicap or so. (Wouldn’t hurt to test them if you’re a little above a 10)
There are definitely game improvement features, but they’re understated, so they don’t have the look of pure game improvement irons.
But, they’re easy to hit and hit consistently. They’re stable through impact and show off on slight mishits.
The ZX5 MK 2s are second only to Mizuno Hot Metals in feel.
Conclusion: Player iron looks with game improvement tech hidden away.
Recommendation: We like the ZX5 MKIIs for good ball-striking mid-handicappers. On up to a 12ish handicap.
Player’s Distance Irons
Mizuno JPX 923 Forged Irons
- Best Feel in Golf
- Superb Distance & Forgiveness
- Gorgeous
- Reasonable Price
- Still looking
Mizuno JPX 923 Forged irons are our #1 Recommendation for best players’ distance irons. (I don’t even think they’re classified as “player’s distance” by Mizuno)
What we like:
- You get every bit of the playability you expect from low-handicap irons.
- Best feel of any iron I’ve ever put my hands on.
- Loads of forgiveness & distance.
- Compact clubhead & clean lines.
- Best price for new premium irons.
It’s hard to overlook the heaps of forgiveness and distance I got (and you’ll get) with the 923 Forged irons. And the head is more compact than the 921s I reviewed last year.
We had 20+ mph winds for one of the rounds I played with them. I was able to flight them down into the wind and elevate them with the wind with relative ease. They perform exceptionally well in all conditions.
The lofts aren’t as jacked as most player performance irons, but that didn’t hold them back. I think they play probably half a club longer than their stated loft.
Customer Reviews: Mizuno doesn’t collect reviews, but everything I’ve read on the clubs themselves is 100% positive.
Recommendation: Go to your local golf store and get your hands on them or demo a set from Global Golf. You’ll know
Titileist T100S Irons
- Consistent Distance, Launch, Carry & Accuracy
- Premium Feel & Sound
- Premium Looks
- Nada
Titleist T100S irons are our 1st Runner Up for best players distance irons.
They’re the most refined and true tour-level player iron that offer a little help with distance and launch.
What we like:
- Good distance true to their lofts. They’re not just longer than standard-loft irons; they’re reliably long for exceptional scoring and accuracy. The lofts are 2 degrees stronger from pitching wedge through 6-iron. The 5-iron is 1-degree strong at 25 degrees, and the 4-iron is standard loft at 22 degrees.
- Soft and solid feel at impact. Exactly what you want from a premium player iron.
- Just a hint of forgiveness.
- Compact and elegant clubhead & clean lines. (My images don’t do them justice)
I’ve tested the 620 CBs and 620 MB irons from Titleist, so I know how their low handicap irons feel and perform – Exceptional.
The T100S irons were no different. Some clubs just stand out the second you look at them. They look premium and refined, like serious thought and effort went into making them.
So, I expected greatness and got greatness from these irons.
They’re not the most forgiving, but they’re not supposed to be. They’re legit tour-level irons. That being said, I didn’t find them overly punishing on minor mishits.
The lofts aren’t as jacked as most player performance irons, but that didn’t hold them back. I think they play probably half a club longer than their stated loft.
Customer Reviews: Mizuno doesn’t collect reviews, but everything I’ve read on the clubs themselves is 100% positive.
Recommendation: The T100S irons are your choice for refined feel and performance with a little help with distance.
Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro Irons
- Unbelievably Soft & Solid Feel
- Plenty Distance & Forgiveness
- Premium Looks
- Great price
- Nada
Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro irons are our next Recommendation for best players’ distance irons.
What we like:
- Mizuno’s exceptional feel and sound.
- ALL the playability of player irons – shot shaping, flighting, consistency, compact clubhead.
- Packed with forgiveness & distance.
- Superb value at ~$137/club.
I expect greatness from the Mizuno Hot Metal Iron series and I get it every single time.
You will not beat the forgiveness or the distance, the consistency, and certainly not the feel.
All at the lowest price in the category.
Customer Reviews: Mizuno doesn’t collect ’em and the rest of the internets have no ill words for them.
Recommendation: Go to your local golf store and get your hands on them or demo a set from Global Golf. You’ll know
Taylormade P770 Irons
- Good Distance, Forgiveness & Feel
- Flies High & Straight, but Workable
- Gorgeous
- None
Taylormade P770s are our next pick for best player’s distance irons.
What we like:
- Stellar performance in a compact “player” package.
- Superb feel and solid at impact.
- They’re gorgeous. Look great behind the ball at address and in the bag.
I spent a couple of weeks with the P-770s. On the range, on my mat, and on the course. My only regret was returning them.
They can deliver any shot your skill level allows. High and straight is their default, but you can:
- Flight them down into the wind.
- Step on them for more distance.
- Take something off if you’re between clubs.
- Turn it left or right if that’s part of your game.
I’ve said it before on this site, but Taylormade knows how to do irons.
Customer Reviews: Average rating of 4.9 with 182 200 reviews. 100% (81 of 81) would recommend the P-770s.
Recommendation: Excellent choice for ~11 handicaps on down that prefer compact clubheads and player performance with a touch of game improvement forgiveness & help with distance.
Callaway Rogue ST Pro Irons
- Easy launch & Explosive distance
- Superb feel & Just enough forgiveness
- Flight & Work the ball easily
- Incredible price
- None
Callaway Rogue ST Pros are our next choice for best player’s distance irons.
What we like:
- They look the part – Compact, with a thin topline and sole and minimal offset.
- EXceptionally easy to hit well.
- Can play any shot.
- Great pricing for player irons.
I’ve owned, played, and tested Callaway irons for years. So, it’s kinda hard to surprise me. The Rogue ST Pros did just that.
Make no mistake, the Rogue ST Pros are compact player-looking heads. Yet, they are incredibly easy to hit and play. Any shot you got, they can deliver.
Really, really, really underrated irons.
Customer Reviews: 100% of buyers would recommend the Rogue ST Pro irons with 4 pages of reviews.
Recommendation: Do yourself a large favor and test these irons if you are in the market. Either at your local golf store or go through Global Golf (like I did).
Callaway Paradym Irons
- Easy & Consistent Distance
- Easy to Launch, Shape, or Flight down
- Touch of forgiveness
- Softish and solid feel
- Premium Price
Callaway Paradyms are our next choice for best players distance irons.
What we like:
- The compact head looks great behind the ball at address.
- They launch easily and carry high without ballooning.
- Good distance. They were about half a club (~7 yards) longer than their loft.
- Thicker topline and sole for added forgiveness and confidence at address.
These are the Rogue ST Pros but in a more forgiving package. Namely, the thicker sole and topline for more perimeter weighting. (and some other things)
Customer Reviews:
- 20ish reviews and mostly 5 stars.
- All complaints centered around manufacturer defects, customer support, and durability (the finish dulled or scratched too easily). Oh, and the price.
- 94% of buyers would recommend the Paradyms to a friend.
Recommendation: Excellent performance at a premium price. (I can’t speak to manufacturer defects or the durability of the finish. I’ve only had mine a couple of weeks and they look fine.)
Srixon ZX5 MKII Irons
- Long & Forgiving
- Improved Sound & Feel
- Stable, Accurate & Consistent
- Nada
Srixon ZX5 MK 2 irons are next on our list for best players distance irons.
What we like:
- Long & forgiving
- Improved sound & feel
- Still accurate, solid, & consistent for better scoring.
- Player iron looks with game improvement features.
They’re our new favorite irons for better mid-handicappers to low handicappers. Taking over the spot from last year’s ZX5s (still great clubs – see below).
Srixon says the MK 2s are for low to mid handicaps – And, I agree. Up to about. a 10 handicap or so. (Wouldn’t hurt to test them if you’re a little above a 10)
There are definitely game improvement features, but they’re understated, so they don’t have the look of pure game improvement irons.
But, they’re easy to hit and hit consistently. They’re stable through impact and show off on slight mishits.
The ZX5 MK 2s are second only to Mizuno Hot Metals in feel.
Customer Reviews: 53 of 55 reviews are 5-star. 100% of buyers would recommend the ZX5 MKIIs.
Recommendation: You will not be disappointed in their performance and the looks are among the best in class if not the best.
Low Handicap Irons
Srixon ZX7 MKII Irons
Player irons
- Long & Forgiving
- Improved Sound & Feel
- Stable, Accurate & Consistent
- Best Player Iron Value
- Nada
Srixon ZX7 MK 2 irons are our new Runner Up for best low handicap irons for 2023 for a few reasons:
- Improved feel over last year’s ZX7s.
- Plenty of distance & more forgiving than most player irons.
- Consistent and accurate and can deliver all the player shots.
- Among the best-looking irons on the market
- Best price for premium irons in 2023.
I knew the ZX7 MK 2s would be good irons, but I wondered if they could improve over the ZX7s. They managed to in a couple of areas. Better feel and a more compact clubhead.
Check out our full review here.
Customer Reviews: 96% of buyers would recommend the ZX7 MK IIs to a friend. 29 reviews total on the Srixon website and with a 4.8 average rating.
Recommendation: These are the best value in the player / low handicap iron category. While sacrificing zero performance. Test them, you’ll see.
Titleist 620 CB Irons
- Exceptional Feel & Performance
- Classic Elegant Titleist Design
- Surprisingly long
- Scoring MO-chines
- Nada
Titleist 620 CB irons are excellent low-handicap cavity back irons and we continue to recommend them for a few reasons.
- They perform precisely how you would expect premium low-handicap irons to perform.
- They feel and play as good as they look…and they look GOOD.
- Not overly punishing on slight mishits.
This is the second set of Titleist irons I’ve ever tested. The first being the T200s from a couple years ago, which I loved. So, I had high expectations for the 620 CBs. They were exceeded.
Online images don’t do justice to how beautiful these irons are. From their minimal, elegant design to their perfectly sized compact head. Titleist knows how to do player irons.
I loved them on the range and I loved them on the course. The long irons are a bit much for me, but you can order any iron combo you want. So, no worries. I play hybrids starting with 4-hybrid anyway.
Customer Reviews: There’s not a whole lot out there on the interwebs, but the few I found had nothing but good to say about them.
Recommendation: Try them. I bet you’ll want to keep them. I did.
Ping I230 Irons
New & Used Clubs Available
Get 8%off from Global Golf with Code: GolferGeek
- Long & Forgiving
- Great Sound & Feel
- Easy to elevate & great trajectory
- Price
Titleist 620 CB irons are excellent low-handicap cavity back irons and we continue to recommend them for a few reasons.
- They perform precisely how you would expect premium low-handicap irons to perform.
- They feel and play as good as they look…and they look GOOD.
- Not overly punishing on slight mishits.
This is the second set of Titleist irons I’ve ever tested. The first being the T200s from a couple years ago, which I loved. So, I had high expectations for the 620 CBs. They were exceeded.
Online images don’t do justice to how beautiful these irons are. From their minimal, elegant design to their perfectly sized compact head. Titleist knows how to do player irons.
I loved them on the range and I loved them on the course. The long irons are a bit much for me, but you can order any iron combo you want. So, no worries. I play hybrids starting with 4-hybrid anyway.
Customer Reviews: There’s not a whole lot out there on the interwebs, but the few I found had nothing but good to say about them.
Recommendation: Try them. I bet you’ll want to keep them. I did.
Titleist 620 MB Irons
- Great Sound & Feel
- Surprisingly forgiving
- Excellent playability
- Great looking
- Price
The Titleist 620 MBs are next on our list for best irons in golf and are our #1 Recommendation for blades.
WYSIWYG – What you see is what you get. These are premium blades and play like them.
They are made for shot-making.
- Not forgiveness.
- Not distance.
- Not easy to launch.
If you don’t bring it, you’re not going to find it.
Having said all that – I was able to get around the course with them fine. My distance and ball flight were good when I made good contact. Slight mishits (where I live) weren’t punished too harshly and left me on or around the green – just a little short.
There are better options out there for those of us that aren’t low single-digit handicaps. I require more forgiveness – like with the CBs or Callaway Rouge ST Pros above.
Customer Reviews: Again, not a whole lot out there. But, what there is is positive. Complaints center around shipping and delays and such.
Recommendation: You’d be hard-pressed to find better blades. Worth a test at your local golf store or through Global Golf.
