The best game improvement irons are forgiving, have great feeling, and have plenty of distance. All golfers need to improve their game, but the players in the 15 to 30 handicap range will benefit the most from a game improvement set of irons.
Most major golf companies offer one and sometimes two options for a game improvement iron. Let’s look at the best game improvement irons on the market in 2023.
Best Game Improvement Irons: Our Top Picks
Best Overall: TaylorMade Stealth
Best For Forgiveness: Callaway Rogue ST Max
Best Value: Cobra Radspeed
Best Premium: TaylorMade P790
Best For Feel: Titleist T300 Irons
TaylorMade Stealth Irons
The TaylorMade Stealth Irons was a highly anticipated release from TaylorMade; a game improvement iron with the feel of a forged golf club is hard to come by, but TaylorMade has accomplished it.
- Forged feel in a game-improvement iron
- More forgiving than the previous model
- Stylish design
- Phenomenal accuracy
- High launch
- Nice impact sound
- High price
- Low spin makes it hard to stop the ball
The TaylorMade Stealth takes all of the great things about the Sim Max 2 and expands on them to create one of the best game improvement irons from TaylorMade that we have ever seen. The new Cap Back Design has a premium look to it, and it helps improve the overall consistency of this iron.
With the TaylorMade Stealth golf irons, the Thru Slot Speed Pocket helps to increase ball speed and overall forgiveness on the club face. If you happen to miss hit the ball, chances are the end result will still be quite good.
The Stealth irons are higher launching than the previous models. Adjusting lofts to increase overall distance is important, but when it impacts ball flight, it’s hard for the player that needs a game improvement iron. The new lower center of gravity in the Stealth Irons allows for longer carry distances and the ability to get the ball to stop on the green.
Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons
The Callaway Rogue ST Max has new A.I. Face Optimization that increases speed and launch and improves spin rates for golfers in the mid to high handicap range.
- Game improvement iron that feels like a players club
- Extremely long distance irons (longest in the Callaway lineup)
- Impressive launch with the ability to stop the ball on the greens
- High ball speed and impressive forgiveness
- Feels like a forged iron
- Easy to launch
- Great distance
- The club head is still a bit bulky
- Not much workability
All game improvement irons offer forgiveness. However, some will come with premium forgiveness that will take away distance or feel. With the new Callaway Rogue ST Max, you will not have to sacrifice any performance to get the premium forgiveness you expect with a game improvement iron.
The key difference between this new Rogue ST Max and the original Rogue is AI technology. The new AI Face optimization means that each club is created uniquely and will perform to its best ability. The use of 62g of high-density tungsten has made a big difference in overall ball speed.
As we have come to expect from Callaway golf irons, there are also Urethane Microspheres incorporated into this set of golf irons. The feel at impact is very close to a forged iron, even though this is a forgiving cavity back design.
Cobra Radspeed Iron Set
The Cobra Radspeed Golf Irons offer plenty of distance and forgiveness for a fair price; Cobra is always a brand to consider when looking for a great value.
- Impressive forgiveness
- Forged face for better feel
- 3D printing to improve overall weighting and feel
- Fair pricing
- Very stable at impact
- New shaping is a bit bulky, can be difficult to adjust to
The Cobra Radspeed golf irons have been on the market for about a year, and they are the release that immediately followed the Speedback series. The shaping of the Radspeed is really what sets it apart from the previous models. With the new shaping, golfers can get a faster ball flight and more face flex.
Although the entire Cobra Radspeed golf iron is not forged, the face of the club is. Players can get a higher launch and faster overall ball speed with this forged face. In addition, the lower center of gravity helps to improve stability on the off-center hits.
One of the unique things about the Cobra Radspeed irons is that they have a 3D-printed medallion. This is the first time 3D printing has been utilized to improve a golf iron, and it helped save weight and improve the overall feel.
TaylorMade P790 Irons
These players’ irons offer you plenty of distance. The newly engineered SpeedFoam™ Air and thin-wall construction promote better launch conditions and faster ball speeds.
- Fast ball speeds
- High launch
- Consistent with tight dispersion
- Nice forgiveness
- Powerful feel
- Excellent stability
- Lower handicappers may not like the thicker topline
For golfers that don’t mind spending a bit more money on a set of game improvement irons, the TaylorMade P790 are a great option to consider. This premium set was designed with the same technology that you will find in the premium blade-style irons from TaylorMade.
With the P790 irons, the club head has SpeedFoam Air technology. This allows for a very solid and pleasant sound at impact and a serious increase in ball speed from where most golf irons are going to be.
When you look down at the P790 golf irons, you can see that they have a very clean look to them, and it will give the game improvement golfer the feeling of playing with a more premium, almost blade-style iron. However, with the sweet spot being 60% larger than previous models and the overall impressive feel, it’s hard for any other game improvement iron to compete with the P790.
Even some lower handicap golfers put the P790 in their bag for the longer irons because they feel and perform so well.
Titleist T300 Irons
Titleist has been in the game improvement sector for a few years now. The T300 shows that this is a company capable of making clubs for all skill levels; impressive distance, forgiveness, and impeccable feel are key components in a game improvement iron.
- Phenomenal feel
- Plenty of forgiveness
- Excellent feedback
- Tight dispersion
- Amazing control
- Some workability
- Other brands have slightly higher ball speeds
The Titleist T300 golf iron is a game improvement iron that did not sacrifice feel. We know that Titleist makes some of the best feeling players irons on the market, but the fact that they were able to continue that into these T300 game improvement irons is quite impressive.
The T300 features the Max Impact Technology that provides a very high level of forgiveness and the use of more tungsten weighting. Tungsten weighting is a critical feature in 2023 for game improvement irons. The idea is that with Tungsten, the feel can be better while still optimized speed, launch, and forgiveness.
With the T300 golf irons, you will not sacrifice any distance. These irons feature lower lofts just like other game improvement clubs, and the addition of the tungsten ensures that the center of gravity is still relatively low. Our favorite feature of these T300 golf irons is that when you hit a great shot, it will stop on the green as you need it to.
What Are The Pros and Cons of game improvement irons?
As great as game improvement irons can be, a few things can still be looked at as a negative. Here are the pros and cons of game-improvement irons to help you understand if this is a set of golf clubs that you should consider.
Pros
- Wider sole for easier launch
- Lower lofts for increased distances
- Low center of gravity
- Cavity back design with a large sweet spot
- Tremendous forgiveness
- High ball speeds
- Lower spin
Cons
- Feel can sometimes be lacking
- Workability is not great
- It can sometimes be hard to control ball flight
How To Choose The Best Game Improvement Irons
Now that we have given you the best game improvement irons on the market in 2023, it’s time to break down how to choose which one is for you. There are plenty of considerations that go into this, and many golfers feel like a custom club fitting is genuinely the best way to know which golf irons are the best, but here are a few things to keep in mind.
Shaft
The shaft of the golf club can either be steel or graphite. Golfers that struggle with distance tend to like the graphite shaft as it is lighter in weight and a bit easier to launch. On the other hand, steel golf shafts are better for players that want to control their shots and have lower dispersion rates.
In addition to the shaft material, golfers need to choose a shaft that is a good fit for their swing speed. The golf shafts should be a stiff or extra stiff flex for faster swing speed players. A senior flex shaft may be better for slower swing speed players or senior golfers.
When choosing a shaft for your golf irons, it can be beneficial to know your swing speed.
Feel
Great feel and game improvement irons have not always gone hand in hand. An iron with a great feel is typically seen with the blade-style clubs. However, with recent technological advances, the sound and feel of game improvement irons have come a long way.
Golfers should be able to find a balance between a great feeling and a very forgiving iron at this point. Golf technology has come a long way, and feel does not need to be sacrificed.
Iron Type
Most game improvement irons are cavity back irons. The cavity back design will increase launch and forgiveness and give golfers that extra-wide sole to improve overall performance.
Some companies like Callaway are making a forged cavity back iron, like the Callaway Apex DCB irons. These are another excellent choice for golfers who need a game improvement iron in their game but don’t want a traditional cavity back feel.
Brand
All major golf manufacturers will make a set of game improvement irons. When golfers choose irons for their game in 2023, it makes sense to be brand agnostic. Just because you have played with Callaway irons your entire life does not mean the new TaylorMade Stealth would be a poor fit for you.
The technology changes so fast from year to year that golfers need to be smart about the type of technology purchased. If you want a club that will last you the next five or seven years, it makes sense to buy a better model.
Club Set Makeup
The club set makeup for game improvement irons is often the 5 iron down through AW. Don’t feel pressured to purchase the 4 iron, as it is not a club that most golfers in the game improvement category need.
With how lofts have been adjusted through the years, chances are you will hit the 5 iron just as far as you hit your current 4 iron. In addition, the higher ball flight you can get with this lower center of gravity makes for a much better overall experience and performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the questions that we are most commonly asked about the best game improvement irons on the market. Game improvement irons are the most popular category of golf irons on the market, and narrowing down the right ones for your game takes a bit of extra effort.
What are game improvement irons?
Game improvement irons are forgiving and high flying, designed to get players’ distance and make the game of golf a bit easier. If your game needs some improvement, the game improvement irons can help you get there.
What handicap should use game improvement irons?
Any golfer can play with a game improvement iron; however, those with handicaps in the 15-25 range seem to benefit the most from this style of a golf iron. A game improvement iron is also used by many lower handicap players looking to improve their long game, and they struggle with unforgiving long irons that are more of a blade style.
Are Game Improvement Irons Worth It?
If you are a golfer struggling with consistency, distance, and forgiveness, the game improvement irons are very much worth it. Beginners that start the game with a game improvement iron often have a quicker path to initial success. If the equipment is out there to make the game easier, it makes sense to take advantage of it and use it.
Conclusion
At this point, you should feel good about the game improvement iron choices that are available to you in 2023. The TaylorMade Stealth golf irons are, without a doubt, the best possible option. WIth incredible forgiveness, the highest ball speeds around, and a forged-like feel, you will have a hard time beating the TaylorMade Stealth irons. Golfers on a budget can look at last year’s model of the Rad speed for some impressive overall technology at a fair price.
