Best Golf Irons For Beginners 2023

Eight of golf’s most significant brands introduced us to a whopping sixteen new iron sets for the 2023 season, and our team has tested them all to let you know which ones are the best golf irons for beginners in 2023.

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 you can actually trust.

We have scoured through all the shot data we’ve collected and dove deep into the new technology to assemble our list of the best golf irons for beginners 2023.

The best golf irons for beginners 2023

Reviewed by Hannah Holden

The Dynapower irons look really simple and stylish from the back. It is clear Wilson have cleaned up the graphics since the previous D9, and I think the red and black colourway works really nicely.

Over the ball, these have your typical game improvement shaping. The top-line is fairly thick, the head size generous, and there is plenty of offset. At address, these are confidence-inspiring for that mid-handicap golfer.

In terms of distance, I think these have to be some of the longest on the market. Some of my shots with the 5-iron carried over 200 yards. These are not numbers I have ever seen with an iron before. If you are looking for a club to give you all out distance, look no further.

Despite being long, I also found these really easy to hit. They are high launching, easy to strike, and consistently go in the right direction. These are some of the highest-launching game improvement irons I have tested this year so perfect for people who struggle to get enough height on their shots and want to get more hang time.

PROS

• Extremely long irons
• Great consistency
• High launching

CONS

• Big profile, especially in long irons

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RELATED: Read the full Wilson Dynapower Game Improvement Irons Review

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Stock shafts: KBS Max Ultralite & Mamiya UST Recoil Dart 65

More information: Wilson Website

Reviewed by Hannah Holden

These look as much like a hybrid as an iron, but I think that oversized design is really comforting and confidence-inspiring for a higher handicap golfer. I really like the design continuity from the original Stealth irons to these.

Straight away, once I started hitting these, it was easy to see how effortless it was to get high-launching shots across the set. They also felt a lot better than I expected. Yet off-centre strikes feel slightly harsh but the tech in the head to dampen vibrations certainly made those centre strikes feel nice and soft.

My longest shot carried up at 184.7 yards which is pretty impressive for me with a 5-iron. I think the longer you used these and the more you got used to the size and shot shape the more distance you would get out of these

The whole point of this club is to have something easy to launch and just really easy to hit, this was clear throughout the range. These have to be some of the easiest-to-hit products on the market.

PROS

• Super forgiving on off-centre strikes
• Very hard to hit heavy
• Improve consistency
• Draw Bias

CONS

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RELATED: Read our full TaylorMade Stealth HD irons review

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Stock shafts: KBS Max 85 MT (steel) & Fujikura NX Red/Silver (graphite

Grip: Lamkin Crossline 360 Black/Red 47g 0.600 Ribbed

More information: Taylormade Website

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Reviewed by Jack Backhouse

Ram Golf have created something really good here. The FX77s have strong lofts and a lot of offset so you really feel like the club is going to work for and help you, but they have a thin enough top line to make you feel like you are still using players’ clubs.

I was blown away after just one shot as the ball seemed to rocket off the face. I knew that the FX77 irons had strong lofts, but they’re no stronger than similar clubs on the market, so I was pretty surprised to see the 9-iron shots carrying near to 150 yards, with one landing at 156.

I was really pleased with how solid the FX77 irons felt on off-centre hits though. This is an important factor for the player’s distance irons as the golfer they’re aimed at probably doesn’t find the centre every time. It was noticeable however that the clubs seemed to mark or scuff up quite quickly with my strike pattern starting to show up after just 10 or so shots.

These are a brilliant set of irons that I recommend to anyone who needs more distance but is shopping on a budget. These may be the best value irons out in the market right now, and probably the longest I’ve hit all year so be sure to check them out!

PROS

• Long
• Very forgiving on off centre hits
• Strikes feel powerful

CONS

• A lot of offset wont suit the eye of all players
• Crazy ball speeds make distance control hard with short irons

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Lofts: 4i: 20.5 – 5i: 23 – 6i: 26 – 7i: 30 – 8i: 34 – 9i: 39 – PW: 44

Shafts:
KBS Tour 90 steel – regular, stiff
UST Recoil graphite – lite, regular, stiff

More information: Ram Golf website

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Reviewed by Hannah Holden

This club almost looks unrecognisable. Although it has that typical high square-toe Ping shaping, the back of the club head is really different. I love how they have designed the Pwrflex in the back of the club head to give this product a completely new more modern feel.

The most important thing about game improvement clubs is that they are easy to hit. These definitely tick all the boxes in this area. They are high launching, easy to strike and consistently go in the right direction.

I really like the fact these are fairly neutral down the target line and balance forgiveness with a decently high spin rate and launch so you can still control the golf ball.

Overall these are some of the most consistent game-improvement irons I have tested this year. Ping has done it again and produced an exceptional game improvement iron that will only aid performance.

PROS

• Extremely consistent irons
• Easy to launch
• Controllable

CONS

• Not as long as other models on the market

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Lofts: 4i-19°, 5i-22°, 6i-25.5°, 7i-29°, 8i-33°, 9i-37°, PW-41° (power loft and retro loft options available.

Ping stock shafts: 11 stock shafts available

More information: Ping Website

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Reviewed by Jack Backhouse

The first strike of the ZX4 MKII blew me away. I was expecting the fairly common feeling of an explosive, low-spinning strike but I was surprised by a feeling of a forged player’s iron in my hands that left me wondering whether I’d picked up the right clubs or not.

These irons were bonkers long but I do wonder how well I or another player who naturally hits the ball low would find the long irons.

I do think that these irons have a great potential to help short hitters gain some much-needed distance, or for a mid to low handicapper to play in a split set. They look so similar to the ZX5 MKII and ZX7 MKII irons that you could seamlessly blend them into a split set for more control with the short irons and more forgiveness with the longer clubs.

PROS

• Forged face feels so soft
• Crazy long ball speeds
• Forgiving on off-centre strikes

CONS

• Super strong lofts produced a pretty low flight for me which may not suit everyone

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Lofts: PW 43°, 9i 39°, 8i 33°, 7i 28.5°, 6i 25.5°, 5i 23°, 4i 21°

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

More information: Srixon Website

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Reviewed by Hannah Holden

These are some of the longest irons on the market, perfect for players who are looking to pick up extra yardage.

What was pleasing was I didn’t give up any dispersion in return for that distance. In fact, my 5-iron had the tightest dispersion of the test, with under 10 yards front-to-back dispersion and just over 5 yards left-to-right dispersion. All the data with this 5-iron is absolutely ridiculous.

Overall, I really enjoyed testing these irons. The stand-out factor is definitely the distance, but I think these are a real all-rounders and are contenders to be the best game-improvement irons this season.

PROS

• Exceptionally long
• Relatively compact shaping
• Forgiving on off centre strikes

CONS

• Not as workable as other models

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RELATED: Read our full Cobra Aerojet irons review

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Lofts: 18.5° 4, 20.5° 5, 23.5 ° 6, 26.5° 7, 31° 8, 36° 9, 41.5° PW, 47.5° GW, 54° SW

Stock shafts: KBS PGI 85, KBS PGI 75, KBS PGI 65, KBS Tour Lite

Grip: Lamkin Crossline

More information: Cobra website

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Best Golf Irons For Beginners 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 Pro V1 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 a variety of golf clubs in our base of Yorkshire.

What is important when buying a new iron?

When buying a new set of irons it is important to know what you want from that club 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 beginners, something that is more forgiving and easier to hit is going to yield the best performance. Most forgiving golf irons have a slightly bigger club head and a wide sole with perimeter weighting for high MOI. They also have a center of gravity that is further back to help players get more height on their shots.

Do you want something that is draw bias? There are so many models out there to help with slice correction, it would be silly not to take a look if you see your ball disappearing into the right trees too often. A closed face and draw bias tungsten weighting can get you hitting straighter shots in no time at all.

Don’t forget about the shaft, either. Getting the correct steel shaft or graphite shaft can help dial in your spin, 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.

Best Golf Irons For Beginners 2023: FAQ’s

What type of irons suit beginner golfers?

Beginner irons are generally irons that fall into the game improvement or even super game improvement iron category and are designed to help players hit the ball straighter, higher and further. They are cavity back irons and can be some of the longest irons you can get your hands on.

This is generally achieved with a lower centre of gravity and stronger lofts. Distance AND forgiveness? Yes, please.

What standard of golfer are forgiving irons best suited for?

These type of irons are ideal if you’re a beginner or high handicap golfer. Typically, if you’re shooting above 85 or only occasionally hitting a shot in the sweet spot then they’re also the go-to. Handicap-wise, mid-to low handicappers will benefit most from these clubs. And as we know, the average handicap is between 14 and 20, hence why they’re so popular on the shelves!

They are also great for players with slower swing speeds as they can help with higher launch, which these golfers can struggle with, especially in longer irons.

What brand produce the best golf irons for beginners?

All of the products in this best golf irons for beginners 2023, article are picked from the brands that offer the best-performing irons for players just starting the game.

Do any pros use irons for beginners on tour?

Unsurprisingly, most PGA Tour pros don’t opt for the most forgiving golf irons. As we covered earlier, the sort of irons are best suited for mid-handicap golfers looking to – quite literally – improve their game.

The most elite golfers in the world tend to game players’ irons or blades. These forged irons are thinner, have a smaller sweet spot and therefore are much harder to hit consistently than game improvement irons. From time to time, some pros do add forgiving clubs with a wider sole in as longer irons or driving irons for a more forgiving option off the tee.

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