Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: John Letters TR47 Cost: £499 steel £549 graphite Tech: This set combines hybrids, cavity-back irons and a bladed SW. A thin face adds power; a rubber cell behind it enhances feel. What we said… James Ridyard: “A lot of offset and a rounded leading edge. Sat nicely behind the ball, came...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Lynx Boom Boom Cost: £549 steel £599 graphite Tech: A muscle-back cutout distributes weight around the clubhead for forgiveness, while a second, narrower deep ‘power channel’ behind the face boosts distance. What we said… James Ridyard: “Lynx have taken a traditional blade shape and made it bigger. The whistly noise through...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< Back to the start VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Cleveland 588 MT Cost: £449 steel £499 graphite Tech: Unparalleled combination of forgiveness and feel and fully inter-changeable with 588 TT and Altitude irons. What we said… James Ridyard: “You can see the back of long irons, which is off-putting. The heads are some of the biggest in the category,...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON Game Improver Irons >> Irons Test 2014: Callaway X2 HOT – GOLD AWARD Cost: £549 steel £699 graphite Tech: The X2 Hot irons have more ball speed and forgiveness making them Callaway’s longest irons ever. The exceptional sound and feel at high ball speeds come from the stabilising arch that reinforces the face. A deep central undercut...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Mizuno JPX EZ – SILVER AWARD Cost: £499 steel £679 graphite Tech: Combining Mizuno’s HOT METAL face design and ultra-pocket cavity the JPX EZ irons fly higher and longer with a predictable tight dispersion. The Harmonic Impact Technology (H.I.T) engineered cavity frame means the JPX EZ still feels like every...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Ping Karsten – BRONZE AWARD Cost: £86 steel £102 graphite Tech: Karsten irons are the most forgiving irons Ping has ever made. They feature a larger head size, perimeter weighting, stronger lofts and progressive offset and sole widths. Irons are part of a hybrid set with long iron replacements. What we...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Cost: £449.99 steel Tech: A deeper undercut cavity-back design that generates higher, straighter shots. A thinner NexCOR face and no-weld sole delivers faster ball speeds across the face. What we said… James Ridyard: “Overall shape is solid. Long, straight, flat leading edge helps alignment. Small amount of...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Wilson D-100 Cost: £349 steel £429 graphite Tech: Distance and forgiveness comes via a thin clubface that helps deliver faster ball speeds for 10 more yards. What we said… James Ridyard: “It’s got a nice shape to it and a decent DG shaft. I got a very high flight but the...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Yonex VXF Cost: £349 steel £489 graphite Tech: VXF Irons feature a new 10% larger head design. Double undercut cavity construction increases the sweetspot for maximum power and forgiveness. What we said… James Ridyard: “It feels light, mainly in the head. It’s nice to look at with a deep face, creating...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Orka GS5 CTi Cost: £59.50 steel, per club Tech: CTi (Combined Technology Iron) has a low CG and a precision-cast CG slot allowing for a stronger trajectory. What we said… James Ridyard: “Both a large head and clubface but the top edge isn’t that thick, which is nice. It’s not the...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Progen Haema Cost: £249 steel £299 graphite Tech: Heel-and-toe weighted iron featuring central polymer insert ensures accuracy and feel; heavy hybrid sole plate ensures low CG for high launch angle and distance. What we said… James Ridyard: “Long from heel-to-toe with a nice square leading edge. Limited offset is good for...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: TaylorMade RocketBladez Max Cost: £1,299 graphite Tech: The Speed Pocket works with an ultra-thin face design and improved Inverted Cone shape to promote consistently high ball speeds and distance. What we said… James Ridyard: “These should suit very low swing speeds due to the light 55g graphite shaft. I actually found...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Cobra Baffler XL Cost: £399 steel £479 graphite Tech: The new Baffler XL irons feature an oversized face with moderate offset design that yields a forgiving, draw-biased flight. What we said… James Ridyard: “Very long from heel to toe and also very rounded. It felt unwieldy at times, perhaps down to the lie...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Cleveland 588 Altitude Cost: £449 steel £499 graphite Tech: With this hybrid iron set, Altitude irons feature a bendable hosel to adjust lie angle, and can be easily interchanged with 588 MT and TT models at no extra cost. What we said… James Ridyard: “The face has loads of bulk behind...
Friday 25 April 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS IRON VIEW NEXT IRON >> Irons Test 2014: Benross MAX SPEED 2 Cost: £269.99 steel, £299.99 graphite Tech: An oversized head boasts corner stability and deep sole weighting for a low and deep CG, maximising forgiveness. What we said… James Ridyard: “Certainly feels light down to the DG light shaft, more suited to lower swing speeds. The shaft contributes to the high...
Thursday 24 April 2014
<< Back to the start >> VIEW NEXT IRON Irons Test 2014: Adams New Idea Cost: £499 steel, £599 graphite Tech: An iron set with hybrids, transitional hybrids and irons all with Velocity Slots boosting distance and forgiveness. What we said… James Ridyard: “While you get the added confidence of the bulk in the clubhead, the actual face size isn’t massive. Even the mid...
Thursday 24 April 2014
Irons are the priciest buy a golfer makes, and the most used clubs in the bag. So choosing the best for your game is crucial. There’s a bewildering array of styles available, all promising to help you hit straighter and further, so it can be tricky to whittle down a shortlist of sets to buy. To help, we’ve done our biggest...
Tuesday 15 April 2014
If I asked you to hit a fence post with a sledgehammer, you would naturally strike with a vertical movement. If asked to beat a carpet on a washing line, you’d do so in a horizontal plane. Two different tasks will lead to two different techniques – without conscious thought. Children skim pebbles across ponds without formal lessons, or a...
Tuesday 8 April 2014
Golfers may think they have a special affinity with their golf ball. After all, it’s the one piece of equipment they are sure to talk to during a round with impassioned cries of “get up!”, “sit!” or “bite!”. But the majority of us know very little about the ball that we play. A recent survey among regular players discovered that...
Tuesday 8 April 2014
With some of today’s tour players averaging more than 300 yards off the tee and generating clubhead speeds in excess of 125mph, it’s hard to believe that a ball weighing no more than 1.62 ounces can withstand such violent treatment. The transfer of power and resulting speed of the ball through its long flight trajectory at the hands of a top...