2015 Player Irons From Titleist, Callaway and Ping
In some fundamental ways, the latest
irons designed for accomplished players
haven’t changed much. A single-digit handicap
golfer can still expect a prototypical player’s
iron to possess classic styling, responsive
feel, a thin-to-moderate sole width, excellent
turf interaction and a high performance steel
face.
But unlike the classic blade from
yesteryear, the new player’s iron is longer.
And perhaps most importantly - it’s a lot more
forgiving. Tungsten weighted inserts and
exotic polymers that were at one point
signature components of a game improvement
iron are being judiciously used to make the
clubs featured in this list perform better for
the low-handicapper. Perhaps companies like
Nike are spot on when they campaign around
slogans like “there’s always better.” Today’s
club designers are out to prove just that.
Titleist AP2 714 Irons
Titleist’s current iteration of the AP2
irons released in 2013 are still relevant
when compared with newer products in the
marketplace. Many of the progressive ideas
associated with the AP2 irons were adopted by
other manufacturers along the way.
To make the AP2 irons longer and more
forgiving, Titleist lowered the center of gravity
and thickened the face on their long irons to
improve the launch angle and carry distance.
On short irons, Titleist thinned out the sole
and adjusted the CG higher for a flatter
trajectory. To improve forgiveness, the
company used high-density tungsten weighting
within the dual cavity design. Lastly, in
response to suggestions from tour players and
competitive amateurs, the AP2 irons were
given a pre-worn leading edge and beveled
trailing edge to improve turf interaction from
even the tightest of lies.
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Titleist AP2 irons
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The AP2 714 irons come stock with True
Temper’s Dynamic Gold S300 shaft. An
extensive array of aftermarket shafts are
available, many of them can be ordered at no
up-charge.
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Titleist AP2 multi-
material construction |
Callaway Apex Pro
Irons
When you bring back an iconic brand
(Apex) synonymous with the legendary Ben
Hogan, you better get it right. For Callaway,
it’s been a rock-solid debut for the Apex Pro
irons, earning Golf Digest’s Hot List gold
medal in back-to-back years.
While not a true blade design as some
purists would expect from a product stamped
with the Apex name, Callaway’s high-
performance player iron is nonetheless very
sleek and tastefully adorned. The Apex Pro
irons are forged from 1020 carbon steel and
feature a 17 percent thinner face than
Callaway’s now-retired X-Forged irons and
include a polymer insert to dampen any
vibration.
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Callaway Apex Pro
iron |
The long irons in the set (2 to 5-iron)
have tungsten inserts in the soles for higher
launch and additional forgiveness. All irons in
the set have Callaway’s new high performance
wide grooves that are said to impart more
consistent spin and provide pin-point control.
The Apex Pro irons come stock with the mid-
launch, low-spin KBS Tour-V shafts (R, S, X).
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Callaway Apex Pro
iron profile |
Ping S55 Irons
Ping’s S55 irons offer a good
combination of feel, distance and forgiveness,
plus a classically-inspired head design
guaranteed to please traditionalists. The
multi-material S55
irons are cast from 17-4 stainless steel
and feature a tungsten toe weight to increase
forgiveness. Elastomer is used in a custom
tuning port to dampen sound and deliver a
forged-feel.
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Ping S55 iron
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Long Irons in the S55 set have a low and
back CG placement to launch the ball higher
for added distance. The center of gravity is
more forward in the scoring clubs to flight the
ball down with optimal spin. Ping’s mid-launch
CFS shaft (SR, R, S, XS) comes standard. The
True Temper Z-Z65 (S) and TFC 1891 shafts
(SR, R, S) are also available.
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Ping S55 tungsten toe
weighting |
TaylorMade RSi 2 / RSi TP
Irons
TaylorMade’s RSi 2 irons have much
of the same game improvement features as
the RSi 1 irons aimed at mid-handicappers.
These features are most obvious in the long
irons which, like the RSi 1 models, have Face
Slot technology to improve ball speeds and
generate more distance on off-center hits
toward the heel or toe. The long irons also
have a Speed Pocket through the sole which
delivers an additional measure of distance for
shots struck low on the face.
Where it gets interesting is in the mid
and short irons. TaylorMade used high-
strength, thin steel faces in the mid irons for
better ball-strike consistency. Short irons are
given the forged carbon steel treatment and
milled grooves for a softer feel and precision
control.
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TaylorMade RSi 2
iron |
For those players who not so enamored
with the somewhat chunky look of the RSi 2,
TaylorMade also released the RSi TP irons.
Maintaining the same technology features
(Face Slot and Speed Pocket), the vastly
superior-looking TP irons are more in keeping
with the sort of player iron a single-digit
handicapper is more inclined to play. Unlike
the RSi 2 irons, the TP edition uses a two-
piece construction in the long irons. Premium
1025 carbon steel in the hosel and face is
merged with a 431 stainless steel back. The
short irons feature classic forged heads with a
slight muscle cavity.
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TaylorMade RSi TP
iron |
TaylorMade’s RSi 2 irons come with the
KBS Tour 105 shaft while the RSi TP irons ship
with the KBS Tour Steel shaft.
Nike Vapor Pro / Vapor Pro
Combo Irons
While I’m sure there’s still a number of
golfers who wish Nike had stuck to the ultra-
simple, classic-looking and limited-run MM
Proto irons, the Vapor Pro and Pro Combo
irons will have open-minded golfers look
beyond their shiny Volt-colored swoosh
badges.
The Vapor Pro
irons are everything a modern player
iron (emphasis on modern) should look and
feel like. It has a super thin sole width,
straight leading edge and practically zero
offset. Engineers at The Oven moved the
center of the gravity more towards the center
of the face to maximize the ball speed where
it matters most for better ball strikers. The
one-piece forged 1025 carbon steel
construction and machine-milled X3X grooves
combine to deliver precision and world-class
feel.
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Nike Vapor Pro
iron |
Compared to the Pro irons, Nike’s Vapor Pro combo set
offers a little more forgiveness for those
golfers who need it. Progressively-placed CG
goes from low and deep in the long irons to
high and forward in the scoring clubs. Also,
the long irons in the set (2 through 7-iron)
feature RZN in the cavity for added stability;
short irons have a small muscle cavity and
have better workability.
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Nike Vapor Pro
Combo iron |
The Nike Vapor Pro irons come stock
with a True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft (R, S,
X). The Pro Combo irons use a lighter True
Temper DB Pro shaft (R, S, X).
Mizuno MP-15 Irons
Whenever a new set of irons are added
to Mizuno’s MP category, golfers can expect
tour-level performance. But what they might
not expect from the new MP-15
irons is “full-cavity” forgiveness that
doesn’t alter the forged feel.
What Mizuno did was take a classic MP
iron forged from 1025E steel and add a
titanium insert directly into the back of the
clubhead where 38 grams of steel would
normally go. They shifted the discretionary
weight to the perimeter where it was used to
improve the club’s MOI. The end result is a
true player’s iron in terms of looks, feel and
thickness with some of the forgiveness of a
game improvement club.
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Mizuno MP-15
iron |
Mizuno’s MP-15 irons come stock with
True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts (R, S, X).
Additional aftermarket shafts are available at
no up-charge.
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Mizuno MP-15 iron
profile |
Cobra Fly-Z+ / Fly-Z Pro
Irons
Both the Cobra Fly-Z+ and Fly-Z
Pro Irons are designed for the more
advanced player. The main difference between
them is the level of forgiveness.
The milled undercut cavity design in the
Fly-Z+ long irons use tungsten inserts in both
the toe and heel to improve forgiveness
around the perimeter of the club. A vibration-
dampening TPU insert improves feel and
consistency throughout the set.
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Cobra Fly-Z+
iron |
The Fly-Z Pro iron is, without beating
around the bush, Rickie Fowler’s club of choice
and is modeled after Cobra’s AMP Cell Pro in
terms of looks. Unlike the Fly-Z+, the Pro
irons have just a single tungsten weight in the
toe which serves to shift the center of gravity
away from the heel and towards the true
center of the club face. Additionally, these
forged irons use the same groove and face-
milling pattern found in the company’s wedge
line for precise spin control.
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Cobra Fly-Z Pro
iron |
The Cobra Fly-Z+ irons use a KBS Tour
shaft (R, S, X) while the Fly-Z Pro irons come
stock with True Temper’s Dynamic Gold shaft
(R, S, X).
Srixon Z745 Irons
At first glance it can be hard to
differentiate between Srixon’s Z745 player’s iron and
the company’s Z545 game improvement
model. Both sets of clubs look nearly identical
and are forged from 1020 carbon steel. Like
the more forgiving game improvement model,
the Z745 is designed with Srixon’s Tour V.T.
sole. By increasing the leading bounce while
reducing the trailing bounce, Srixon created a
sole profile that drastically reduces turf
resistance and tightens up shot dispersion.
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Srixon Z745
iron |
The Z745 irons use a double laser
milling pattern on the club face (one parallel
to the grooves and another slightly angled) for
stable spin performance from every lie
including shots out of the rough. Compared to
the Z545 GI iron, Srixon’s Z745 line has less
offset and a thinner topline. True Temper’s
Dynamic Gold shafts (R, S, X) come stock.
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Srixon Z745 Tour V.T.
Sole |
Wilson Staff FG Tour V4
Irons
It’s been a long-time coming for this
once-iconic brand. But the road back to
critical-acclaim starts with the company’s FG Tour V4
irons which earned a gold medal in Golf
Digest’s 2015 Hot List.
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Wilson Staff FG Tour
V4 iron |
The FG Tour V4 irons have all the
premium components expected from a
player’s iron built for distance and
forgiveness. An 18-gram tungsten weight
resides in the sole of the longer irons in the
set, positioning the center of gravity low and
back for higher launch. Thinner faces on the
upper portion of the club heads allow mass to
be repositioned to optimize launch and spin
while improving forgiveness.
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Wilson Staff FG Tour
V4 tungsten
weight |
Wilson’s Staff FG Tour V4 irons come
stock with True Temper’s Dynamic Gold DG
Pro shaft (R, S, X). The FG Tour V4 irons are
available in both right-handed and lefty
models.
Ben Hogan Ft. Worth 15
Irons
Without a doubt the PGA Show in Orlando this past
January was buzzing about the resurgent comeback
of the Ben
Hogan equipment company after
a seven-year hiatus.
Headed up by company President Terry Koehler who
grew up idolizing Hogan and working for the brand
as a
marketing director in the 1990s, the
revitalized brand
released a set of player irons that Hogan himself
would be proud to put his name on.
The Ft. Worth 15
irons are everything a classic Hogan blade
should be. Forged from 1025 carbon steel, these
beauties look and
feel like an authentic Hogan
iron. But make no
mistake, while these irons clearly pay respect to the
man they are named after, they are designed with
the modern
game in mind. The Ft. Worth
15 irons do not have
traditional numbers stamped on their soles. Instead,
the company offers irons in 1-degree increments
allowing
golfers to customize the set
makeup in whatever way
suits their game. All told, these irons are available in
a whopping 44 lofts that range from 20 to 63
degrees.
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Hogan Ft. Worth Irons
come in 44 different lofts |
The Ft. Worth 15 irons can be custom built to order
starting in April. They come stock with either the
KBS Tour V or
Tour 90 steel shafts, or with
UST Mamiya Recoil graphite shafts.