Best Irons For Mid Handicappers 2023


Are you looking for distance and forgiveness from a new set of irons? Here’s our list of best irons for mid handicappers 2023.

The 2023 season is here, which means there’s a whole host of new irons for mid-handicappers out that are supposed to deliver a premium feel and control, but which are the best?

We’ve hit them in the sun, in the rain, abroad, at home, in the heat, in the snow, on the course and in a simulator room with TaylorMade TP5 golf balls using TrackMan to create honest reviews mid-handicap golfers can actually trust.

To help you improve your approach play in 2023, we’ve scoured our data to put together a list of the best golf irons for mid-handicappers 2023.

Best Irons For Mid Handicappers 2023

TaylorMade P770 irons

5 star review
best Mid handicapper irons

Reviewed by Hannah Holden

I really like the compact players shaping of these over the ball. I think TaylorMade have done a great job of blending the smaller shaping while still providing something that gives you confidence and doesn’t look too difficult to hit. Even the 3-iron is a perfectly manageable size behind the golf ball.

With the long irons, my bad shot is a bit bottom-groovy, and I was impressed with how my distance and ball speed stayed up even on these slight misstrikes. I have the thru slot speed pocket technology to thank for this which allows the bottom of the face to flex more.

These offer enough help in terms of extra distance for players who are a bit shorter without being so hot that it ends up affecting your distance control. This is seen in how consistent my front-to-back dispersion was throughout testing.

I was really impressed by just how easy the long irons were to launch, even if you catch the ball slightly low of centre, the flexible speed pocket design means it is still easy to get the ball in the air and maintain a nice high ball flight. The sweet spot feels huge.

PROS

  • Really attractive players irons
  • Great overall distance
  • Forgiving across the face

CONS

  • Not as much feedback as smaller options

  • RELATED: Read the full TaylorMade P770 irons review HERE

Buy Now

Last updated: 2023-03-10 16:46:48

Lofts: 3i – 19.5° 4i – 22.5° 5i – 25.5° 6i – 29.0° 7i – 33.0° 8i – 37.0° 9i – 41° PW – 46.0° AW – 51.0° 

More information: TaylorMade Website

Srixon ZX5 MKII irons

4.5 star review
mid handicapper irons

Reviewed by Jack Backhouse

The ZX5 MKII irons have serious bag appeal. The sole design creates some intrigue, and like all Srixon irons, the back of the club is shiny and draws the eyes of onlookers.

The top line is fairly confidence-inspiring for a player’s iron, and with the thicker sole and weight behind the face, you do really feel like you’re going to get some performance out of the irons.

Straight away, these irons feel fantastic off the face. The ball comes off the face really strong, producing flights for me that would play well in the wind. These irons don’t have particularly strong lofts compared to other players’ distance irons out this year, but they are no slouch for distance.

The ZX5 MKII irons have quite a thick sole for a player’s distance iron, but for good reason. Srixon have implemented their Tour VT sole on these irons, which means each iron has a different sole width, bounce angle and notches on the heel and toe, which improves ground interaction.

This means a golfer should be able to get out of thick rough easier than before with less chance of the club head snagging up. I hit a few shots from the rough during my test and can confirm that I was able to get the ball up in the air easier than normal.

PROS

  • Look brilliant behind the ball
  • Plenty of forgiveness on off-centre hits
  • A more controlled players’ distance iron than others on the market

CONS

  • The other models in the ZX MKII range are so good the ZX5 MKII almost struggle for identity

  • RELATED: Read the full Srixon ZX5 MKII Irons review HERE

Buy Now

Last updated: 2023-03-09 20:12:05

Lofts: PW 44°, 9i 39°, 8i 35°, 7i 31°, 6i 27°, 5i 24°, 4i 22°

Shafts: KBS Tour Lite (steel) Diamana ZX Graphite (graphite)

More information: Srixon Website

Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro

4.5 star review
best golf irons

Reviewed by Jack Backhouse

These irons sit beautifully in your bag. The matte chrome finish is subtle but there’s just enough shine for these to really catch your eye. For a cavity backed club the 923 Hot Metal Pro has a relatively compact foot print that will suit the eye of a lot of different standard of players.

These irons are long. I don’t just mean occasionally long. I mean really long all of the time. Straight away from my first shots with a short iron, the balls were rocketing from the face at speeds I couldn’t really believe.

What I found interesting was how far my poor strikes went. I didn’t notice much of a drop off in flight or spin and they still carried a reasonable distance. Mizuno put this down to the fact that they have been able to widen the thinnest part of the face due to the new head material being so much stronger.

Something that’s brilliant about the Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal Pro irons is that there are 21 different custom shafts to choose from. This gives a player a really great opportunity to have a proper custom fit and buy some clubs that are actually right for them. These irons are not cheap at £175 a club so you would want to make sure you are buying the right ones.

PROS

  • LONG
  • Brilliant sound
  • Small performance drop off on miss hits
  • Will suit all swing speeds

CONS

  • increased distance might cause a gapping problem at the bottom end of the bag

  • RELATED: Read the full Mizuno JPX 923 Pro irons review HERE

Buy Now

Last updated: 2023-03-10 00:26:47

Lofts: 4i 19, 5i 22, 6i 25, 7i 28.5, 8i 33, 9i 37.5, PW 42.5

Shaft: KBS Tour $ Taper light – R, S

Custom shafts: 21 Custom shaft options available

More information: Mizuno website

Callaway Paradym Irons

4.5 star review
Callaway Paradym irons review

Reviewed by Hannah Holden

These irons are so attractive. Callaway have done such a great job with the styling. When you look at them on a shelf they really stand out. I love the navy and gold colourway and think the whole club looks premium and smart.

These irons are extremely hot from the centre of the club face and I had long carry distances throughout the bag. The 162-yard carry distance with a 7-iron is over 7 yards longer than with my current irons.

With an average height of 85ft I thought these hit a really nice launch window, they were easy to launch, went high enough for optimal performance but didn’t go so ridiculously high that they got caught up in the wind.

I was impressed with just how easy the 5 and 4-iron were to hit. These are not clubs I typically like using but I found them really easy to hit, especially the 5-iron. I would happily put this straight in play as it was easy to launch and the data was super consistent which is rare with a long iron.

Overall these are a really impressive set of irons. They are exceptionally long, so they are perfect for players who have lost distance or who want to hit the golf ball further. But the big thing that impressed me is just how well Callaway has balanced having more ball speed and distance without losing control. I think Callaway have nailed it with the Callaway Paradym irons.

PROS

  • Long carry distances
  • Fast ball speeds across the face
  • Very forgiving irons on off centre strikes

CONS

  • Not as workable as other models

  • RELATED: Read the full Callaway Paradym irons review HERE

Buy Now

Last updated: 2023-03-10 12:28:38

Lofts: 4 20°, 5 23°, 6 26°, 7 29°, 8 33°, 9 37°, PW 42°, AW 47°, 52 52°

Stock shafts: MCA Aldila Ascent PL Blue, Project X Hzrdus Silver, True Temper Elevate MPH 95

Grip: Callaway Universal

More information: Callaway website

Best irons for mid-handicappers 2023

How do we test irons?

At National Club Golfer we are passionate about producing accurate and thorough reviews and make sure our testing process is rigorous so we get a good understanding of how each club performs.

Each iron is hit with TaylorMade TP5 golf balls to allow us to collect launch monitor data with our in-house TrackMan and Flightscope. After this, it is time to head out onto the golf course and test the clubs in practice and competition play. We do this across various golf clubs in our base of Yorkshire.

What is important when buying a new set of irons?

When buying a new set of irons, it is important to know what you want from the clubs to help you improve.

Most people are looking for more distance, each iron model is optimised for different things. Depending on your swing and your impact conditions, you may not actually hit the model that is advertised as the longest, the furthest. So if you want more distance, it is always worth giving different models a hit before you make a decision.

For most golfers, especially high handicappers, something that is more forgiving is going to yield the best performance. Most forgiving golf irons have a slightly bigger club head with perimeter weighting for high MOI. Cavity-backed irons also have a centre of gravity that is further back to help players get more height on their shots.

If you are a mid-handicapper, you probably are looking for a combination of distance and forgiveness. Mid-handicap players generally will want an iron that offers some forgiveness on off-centre strikes but want to look down on something that doesn’t feel too much like a game-improvement iron.

Don’t forget about the shaft, either. Getting the correct shaft can help dial in your spin, and launch angle and can also give you some extra distance. Having a club fitting or trying different options with your local pro can really improve the performance of your new irons.

Golfers should also consider club selection. Gone are the days of just ordering a standard four-to-pitching wedge set. With brands no longer conforming to traditional iron lofts, it is very important a golfer has their irons gapped properly so that there is no yardage issue between the pitching wedge and the next lofted wedge, or long irons and hybrids.

Why You’re NOT Striking Your Irons Properly

Striking your irons well is a vital ingredient to improving your golf and being a good player. It is very rare you see a top player miss-hit a ball. Understanding what should happen at impact and then getting your head around the mechanics that allow that to happen is a huge step towards shooting better scores.

Check out this video where Equipment Editor Hannah Holden and PGA Professional Jack Backhouse go through some drills and ideas you can implement in your practice and play to start to see lower scores out on the course.

5 Tips to Break 80

If you are a mid-handicap golfer, it’s likely you have parred or birdied every hole on your golf course, which means there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to put that all together in one round to shoot a low one. This can often come down to poor strategy or decision-making out on the course.

Have a look at a video Equipment Editor Hannah Holden made with PGA Pro Jack Backhouse on 5 tips you can use to break 80.

You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.




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