Are these the best forged irons in golf? Bettinardi 24 Irons Review
Last updated:
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At a glance
- TG Rating
- Owner Rating
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Pros
- Both are beautifully crafted irons.
- It's unusual to find so much technology in such traditionally styled irons.
- The shaft and grip options have to be fully explored.
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Cons
- The MB24 has a very limited audience.
What we say...
Forged, CNC Milled, and made from multiple materials, can Bettinardi’s first-ever irons deliver on the promise of extra forgiveness?
Bettinardi has built its name by making brilliant CNC-milled putters for the likes of Jim Furyk, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, and Matt Fitzpatrick during the last 25 years. The company has also dabbled in producing some brilliant forged wedges with CNC detailing, but never before has the Bettinardi name adorned an iron. The brand has carefully built a fan base of CNC Milling devotees across the globe, and now the company reckon the time is right to turn its attention to producing a bijou family of brand-new Bettinardi 24 irons.
My review compares both models to the best golf irons from leading competitors.
As you’d expect, the Bettinardi family insists the new MB24 and CB24 irons have to be built to the same exacting standards as their renowned 100% CNC-milled putters.
Everything you need to know about the Bettinardi MB24 and CB24 irons
One-piece Co-Forged Solid Body
The best blades are always made with a forged single-piece construction to ensure a great impact feel and sound sensation. Bettinardi say both the new MB and CB are forged from one piece of 1025 carbon steel, with additional materials strategically positioned inside to max out forgiveness in a brilliant blade and players’ iron chassis.
Tri-Material Construction
The best players’ irons and blades can never be said to be forgiving, but Bettinardi has aggressively gone at increasing playability through high-density tungsten and Military Grade CMC (Ceramic Matrix Composite). The modern-day materials allow the removal and repositioning of mass inside each head to offer greater playability than the competition.
Progressive CG positioning
By carefully selecting where the tungsten and lightweight CMC are positioned, Bettinardi’s engineers have created a progressive center of gravity throughout both new sets of irons. The idea means that golfers get a little more help flighting long irons, more controlled spin in the scoring irons, optimal gapping between clubs, and a tighter dispersion. Which for two very traditionally styled irons sounds like a huge amount of technology.
Options galore
Bettinardi has form in offering golfers choices and options with their putters, as they know premium products can never come as one-size-fits-all solutions. Both the MB24 and CB24 irons are available left- and right-handed, plus club connoisseurs will appreciate the opportunity of choosing between 24 shaft and 18 grip options to dial in their ultimate set-up.
Meet the Bettinardi 24 iron models
Bettinardi MB24 iron
Sculpted for uncompromising control, the Bettinardi MB24 irons blend tour-proven aesthetics with a brilliant, forged iron feel. The model is crafted for golfers who want a traditional-styled iron, demand precision, and want to shape every shot with confidence.
Expect a thin top edge, a sculpted muscle-back design, and Bettinardi’s iconic Honeycomb milled back detailing. Bettinardi says the back shaping precisely locates mass and optimizes weight for maximum control with a sprinkling of extra forgiveness over a typical muscle-back blade.
See the players’ iron profile and optimized sole bounce as an alternative to the Mizuno Pro 241, TaylorMade P7MB, and Callaway Apex 24 MB and you’ll be thinking along exactly the right lines.
Details: Bettinardi MB24 iron
RRP: $1,600 / £1750
Category: Muscleback blade
Forgiveness rating: 1/5
Construction: One piece forged 1025 carbon steel with tungsten and CMC inside
Handicap range: Four and below
7-iron loft: 33˚
Bettinardi CB24 iron
The Bettinardi CB 24s are designed for ultimate playability and they bring together the latest engineering techniques to create a very attractive but also forgiving modern players’ distance iron design. The model attacks head-on the best players’ distance iron market so it’s aimed squarely at golfers who desire accuracy but also don’t want to take their foot off the distance pedal.
Golfers should expect a traditional forged iron feel and, thanks to the progressive cavity back shaping/additional perimeter weighting, a slightly higher MOI and better forgiveness performance than most. Plenty of low and deep weighting promotes a higher launch and towering ball flight to max out carry distance on every shot.
See the model as a great alternative to the Srixon ZX5 MK II, Ping i530, and TaylorMade P790 and you’ll be on the right track.
Details: Bettinardi CB24 iron
RRP: $1,600 / £1750
Category: Players’ Iron
Forgiveness rating: 2/5
Construction: One piece forged 1025 carbon steel with tungsten and CMC inside
Handicap range: Eight and below
7-iron loft: 33˚
Founder and CEO Bob Bettinardi on the new MB and CB irons
“Since I founded the company, the focus has been on crafting the finest equipment in the golf industry for professionals and amateurs alike, and our putters have embodied that belief for 25 years. I’ve always dreamed of expanding beyond the short game, and now that dream has become a reality. You can feel the decades of expertise and the years of research that went into each head, and we can’t wait to finally bring them to market.”
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About the author
Simon Daddow – Today’s Golfer Equipment Editor
Simon Daddow is the Equipment Editor for Today’s Golfer. Having tested and played more than 10,000 clubs in his life, what he doesn’t know about golf clubs isn’t worth knowing.
He joined EMAP Active (now Bauer Media) as Equipment Editor in 2006 and has worked for both Today’s Golfer and Golf World. Working alongside our test pro Neil Wain, Simon has made todays-golfer.com the most reliable source for golf club testing.
Despite his youthful looks, Simon has played golf for more than 40 years and plays to a handicap of 10. A lack of club speed means he’s short off the tee, but very handy from 125 yards and in.
Simon’s job means he plays regularly around the world, and rates Kingsbarns as his favorite course. He uses a PXG 0311 GEN6 XF driver, TaylorMade Stealth 2 HL (15º), Ping G400 (20.5º), PXG 0317 X Gen2 hybrid, PXG 0311 GEN6 P irons (6–PW), Cleveland CBX2 wedges (52°, 58°), Ping 21 Fetch putter and a TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball.
You can contact Simon via email and follow him on Twitter for loads more golf equipment insight.
Product Information
Bettinardi MB24 Iron
RRP: $1600
Category: Muscleback blade
Forgiveness rating: 1/5
Construction: One piece forged 1025 carbon steel with tungsten and CMC inside
Handicap range: Four and below
7-iron loft: TBC
Bettinardi CB24 Iron
RRP: $1600
Category: Players’ Iron
Forgiveness rating: 2/5
Construction: One piece forged 1025 carbon steel with tungsten and CMC inside
Handicap range: Eight and below
7-iron loft: TBC
Visit the Bettinardi website here
