Best Super Game Improver Iron 2019
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Best Super Game Improver Irons 2019: We bring you the best irons of 2019 – tried and tested as part of our biggest ever golf club equipment guide, Top Gear.
In our biggest ever equipment test we reviewed hundreds of golf clubs, and for us there were five stand out Super Game Improver performers, TaylorMade M CGB, Wilson D7, Ping G700, Callaway Big Bertha, and the Mizuno JPX 919 Hot Metal.
Don’t know which kind of iron suits your game? Our equipment editor breaks down the types of irons you should choose here
ROBOT TESTED: Which golf ball suits my game?
Best Super Game Improver irons 2019
Callaway Big Bertha iron review
RRP: £1140 (s) £1399 (g)
Availability: 4 – SW
Stock shaft: KBS Max (s), UST Mamiya Recoil (g)
7-iron loft: 30°
Callaway Big Bertha iron verdict:
Good looking, super game improver irons never used to be a thing, as old school designers thought golfers were willing to give up cosmetics for increased performance. The Big Bertha, though, shows how far the category has come. The BB’s head is created as a skeleton frame with parts attached to it, ensuring weight is positioned precisely to maximise playability from what is a head size we wouldn’t expect to see in this category.
Simon, who plays off 10, says he could happily play the Big Bertha, knowing its extremely forgiving body and slightly lighter weights would help with accuracy and power at his average swing speed. Like most irons nowadays these aren’t cheap. The PVD finish looks super sleek, too, on an iron more than worthy of the legendary Big Bertha moniker.
TaylorMade M CGB iron review
RRP: £849 (s) £1099 (g)
Availability: 4 – SW
Stock shaft: Nippon NS Pro 840 (s) UST Recoil 460 ES (g)
7-iron loft: 29.5°
TaylorMade M CGB iron verdict:
Even though the M CGB o ers more forgiveness than any other iron in TaylorMade’s line- up, they don’t have the strongest loft. And that tells a story. The extra loft and lighter weights are tailored to help average swing speed players optimise launch, spin and height to improve carry. Every iron in the set gives as much face ex as a modern driver, which you won’t get in most fast-faced models. And for a super game improver iron, the M CGB has a really nicely shaped head.
They have been in TaylorMade’s iron line for two years come August, which means they’re likely to be updated at some point soon. But in the meantime, if you want extra speed and distance from your irons, but struggle to launch the M6 or Callaway’s Rogue X from the turf, these are a brilliant option.
Which TaylorMade iron suits me?
Wilson Staff D7 iron review
RRP: £469 (s) £599 (g)
Availability: 4 – PW, UW, GW, SW (5 – PW, SW stock set)
Stock shaft: KBS Tour 80 (s) UST Recoil 460 (g)
7-iron loft: 28°
Wilson D7 iron verdict:
The D7 has a heck of a lot going for it. There’s seriously strong lofts, an extra row of power holes in the soles of the longer irons to give extra pop where golfers need it, and the thinnest faces Wilson have ever produced in an iron. Throw into the mix how the oversized head is easy on the eye, without being ridiculously chunky or off set, along with a price tag half that of the premium competition, and many golfers should be more than satisfied.
But the D7 offers something extra; it powered shots out there! 189 yards (with a 7-iron), making it our third longest iron of 2019. All that together makes the D7 a cracking package for anyone looking for an iron to boost distance, but without giving up everything in terms of looks to get it.
Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal iron review
RRP: £120 per club
Availability: 4 – LW
Stock shaft: Choose from 16 premium options
7-iron loft: 30°
Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal iron verdict:
Mizuno are renowned for their great irons, and even though the Hot Metal isn’t forged, or among our longest, we still reckon it’s a brilliant option for golfers looking for forgiving irons in 2019. It gets an Editor’s Choice Award because, where lots of game improver irons go big and chunky with masses of off set, the Hot Metal stands out as THE model for golfers demanding a good looking, reasonably compact head size.
It says bundles about its looks that Mizuno were surprised that so many decent players turned to them to experience fast face tech. Just remember, if you’re after pure power, a 7-iron loft a few degrees weaker than the strongest means the JPX919 will struggle to compete on ball speed and distance alone.
Ping G700 iron review
RRP: £149 (s) £159 (g) per club
Availability: 4 – PW, UW, SW
Stock shaft: Choose from 10 premium options
7-iron loft: 29.5°
Ping G700 iron verdict:
The G700 appears three times in our Best Gear 2019 testing, which tells us it’s a top drawer performer for a good chunk of mid to high handicap golfers. We’d say G700 is for golfers looking to add ball speed and distance to their iron game, but combine it with a high degree of forgiveness from heads that don’t look like shovels. The G700’s larger head means more face ex and ball speed, which is di cult to achieve in a smaller model. The head hinges backwards from its leading edge, increasing launch and carry, which is really clever as it counteracts the strong loft, and means shots y high and approaches stop on the green. A brilliantly powerful but super forgiving iron for 2019.
How they compare in data
Jump to: Best Player iron 2019 / Best Hollow Body iron 2019 / Best Game Improver iron 2019
Best of the rest
Honma Beres IE-06 iron review
RRP: From £480
Availability: 5 – PW, GW, SW
Stock shaft: Honma ARMRQ X
7-iron loft: 30°
Honma Beres IE-06 iron verdict:
Honma will be new to some, but thanks to Justin Rose being a staff player now it will be a name you’ll hear lots more from over the coming years. The Beres is a typical Japanese high-toe, low-heel shape, which speci cally targets easy launch at moderate swing speeds. And judging from our test results it performs beautifully. So good, in fact, we’re surprised by the sub- £500 price tag, as Honmas are known for commanding much more. Some won’t warm to the bling gold cavity badge, but put that aside and even from a weaker loft (than some) it can more than hold its own in this category.
Why we use a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor
Cobra F-MAX Superlite iron review
RRP: £499 (s) £599 (g)
Availability: 5 – GW (or a combo set with two hybrids)
Stock shaft: KBS Superlite (s) Cobra Superlite (g)
7-iron loft: 31.5°
Cobra F-Max Superlite iron verdict:
With the average age of golfers on the increase, manufacturers have spotted a gap in the market for whole ranges that help with decreasing swing speeds. We loved the F-Max last year and they’re just as good for 2019. The whole idea is to give consistent gapping between clubs (which can be an issue at slower speeds) and use lighter components to help slower- swinging golfers launch shots to maximise carry distance. The Superlite delivers in spades and it won’t break the bank.
Benross Delta iron review
RRP: £399 (s) £455 (g)
Availability: 4 – PW, GW, SW
Stock shaft: KBS Max (s) Fujikura Atmos Red (g)
7-iron loft: 32°
Benross Delta iron verdict:
Just a few years ago there was a group of mid- market brands just like Benross who made very reasonably priced kits for the gol ng masses. But it looks like Benross are just about the last man standing. Like a lot of the brand’s equipment over the years the Delta is a solid value for money option, and it comes with similar components to those you’ll find in some premium options. Our test results show they’re not the fastest or longest, but with relatively weak lofts, it would be unfair to expect them to be. A great value for money iron.
PXG 0311 SGI Gen 2 iron review
RRP: from £400 per club
Availability: 3 – PW, GW, SW, LW
Stock shaft: N/A. PXG insist on only fitting golfers for their best performing option
7-iron loft: 29°
PXG 0311 SGI Gen 2 iron verdict
The definitive “easy to use” iron. A long blade length is combined with a low profile, the most off set of any PXG iron and a thicker top rail to inspire confidence. We love how PXG use exactly the same construction method as all its other irons, which means all golfers bene t from the same tech. SGI is the only forged iron in our super game improver category, and it’s also PXG’s longest model. Think fun, fast and forgiving and you won’t be far away from the mark.
Cleveland Launcher HB iron review
RRP: £570 (s) £648 (g)
Availability: 4 – SW (stock set 5 – PW)
Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold DST 98 (s) Miyazaki C Kua (g)
7-iron loft: 30°
Cleveland Launcher HB iron verdict:
There’s no doubt in our mind that wider body hybrid heads o er extra forgiveness over traditional irons, and that explains why the HB is the only model here to receive a forgiveness rating of ve. The head is stretched from toe to heel and there’s a wide sole with low and deep weighting which contributes to ultimate forgiveness. A super forgiving hybrid iron that would help many golfers nd more greens, more often. Sadly, experience tells us only a small proportion of golfers will actually put a set in play…
