Best Irons for High Handicap Golfers

[Donnie-mac]

Hey guys, I’m relatively new to golf and was just wondering what would be the best golf irons for a high handicap player like myself.

[boogielicious]

12 hours ago, Donnie-mac said:

Hey guys, I’m relatively new to golf and was just wondering what would be the best golf irons for a high handicap player like myself.

I would recommend going to a store and hit as many as you can including used sets. See which look, sound and feel best to you and make note of the shaft. The shaft can be as important as the club head. Getting fit by a good fitter would be recommended but a lot of new players are reluctant to do that.

[dennyjones]

Welcome to TST @Donnie-mac.    @boogielicious gave you some good advice.   Make sure to try clubs before you buy.   When I bought my clubs I was leaning toward buying Ping.   After hitting several different brands, Ping clubs weren't for me.  

[Donnie-mac]

Thanks for the replies its tough at the moment to try out clubs in the store due to coronavirus restrictions in my country.

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, Donnie-mac said:

Thanks for the replies its tough at the moment to try out clubs in the store due to coronavirus restrictions in my country.

Understandable. If you’re not wanting to invest a big chunk I think the general consensus is that buying a used set of quality irons probably fairs better than one of those ‘off the shelf box sets.’ 
Basically all the major brands have what’s called Super Game Improvement ( SGI) and Game Improvement ( GI) irons. Search around for what looks the best to you. SGI tend to have thicker top lines and a bit more offset than GI irons.

Ping, Callaway, TalylorMade, Cobra, all have irons of these types. Most sites offer an online static fitting that will at least get you a decent starting point. But what the others have said certainly stands true.

Happy searching! Cheers.

[Donnie-mac]

I’m after doing a bit more research and seeing a lot of recommendations for the Cleveland launcher irons. They are hybrid irons and have a very thick club head. Would they be a good choice?

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, Donnie-mac said:

I’m after doing a bit more research and seeing a lot of recommendations for the Cleveland launcher irons. They are hybrid irons and have a very thick club head. Would they be a good choice?

If you can stomach their hideous appearance ( lol ) I’m sure you’d find them easy enough to hit. All of the SGI irons are geared to help get the ball in the air. I prefer a more ‘traditional’ look. Cleveland launchers simply took any thought of aesthetics out the door. Sorry...you can tell I’m not a fan of those...but if you’re good..that’s all that matters. Never mind if I wouldn’t mercy kill a possum with them...🤭🤣

Edited November 2, 2020 by Vinsk

[Double Mocha Man]

I love the Cleveland HB Launcher website with a video showing supposedly challenged golfers hitting the club with a near-pro swing.  They should have shown some weak choppy/loopy/stabbing golf swings hitting the ball on target with a superior shot pattern.  

LAUNCHER HB TURBO IRONS | Cleveland Golf

---

The Launcher HB Turbo Irons deliver maximum forgiveness and a higher trajectory for game improvement players seeking more...

 

[Vinsk]

13 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

They should have shown some weak choppy/loopy/stabbing golf swings hitting the ball on target with a superior shot pattern.  

Hell that’s the norm. Remember when the AB-Roller was hot? Every commercial showed some Adonis cracking out reps with this thing. We need to see someone who can hide a universal remote in their gut rolls doing it....

[Double Mocha Man]

1 minute ago, Vinsk said:

Hell that’s the norm. Remember when the AB-Roller was hot? Every commercial showed some Adonis cracking out reps with this thing. We need to see someone who can hide a universal remote in their gut rolls doing it....

😄

[IowaGreg]

Cleveland HB Launcher...……  That's what I have an am doing good with them.

16 hours ago, Vinsk said:

If you can stomach their hideous appearance

LOL - I can...……..

[Carl3]

On 11/1/2020 at 6:13 PM, Donnie-mac said:

Hey guys, I’m relatively new to golf and was just wondering what would be the best golf irons for a high handicap player like myself.

Echoing others, go for used name brands if $$ is an issue. A new golfer should have a club that is forgiving, i.e., "Game Improvement". Maltby tests every golf club known to mankind and keeps adding to their data base so you can compare new vs. recent vs. older clubs and how they perform. The higher the playability factor supposedly the easier the club is to use. Since I am a Ping guy, I went to their ping page , scrolled down to look at some older, but recent models and clipped this for you:

So when you go to ebay or someplace like that and see a set you like, you can look them up and see if they are geared towards a beginner (game improvement, super game improvement) or an experienced player (conventional). As far as Ping goes, you could be looking at 15 year old G5 or newer G10, G15. The more recent G30 or G irons would also be good.

[davechen]

I've got Ping G30s and have been very happy with them.  I'm thinking about upgraded to a more recent set in the Ping G line.  But that's just because I've had them a long time, and I'm getting an itchy trigger finger.

[DrvFrShow]

Don't overlook Cobra SZ One Lengths either. Maltby Playability Factor 865. I have the F9 One Lengths. You just play everything like a 7 iron.

[Piz]

The best irons, for people starting out, are any irons one can acquire.  We cannot know, before we have gained some degree of proficiency, what we do and do not like.  What, four egg sample, is the best "Chef's" knife for people who have never used a knife before?  There is no one answer that will turn out to be true for everyone.

[cooke119]

On 11/2/2020 at 2:33 PM, Donnie-mac said:

I’m after doing a bit more research and seeing a lot of recommendations for the Cleveland launcher irons. They are hybrid irons and have a very thick club head. Would they be a good choice?

I don't know if you have pulled the trigger on the Cleveland Launchers yet but if not I would rethink my choice. I have a set and I'm not that impressed, aside from the look which isn't that nice. I found a loss in distance and didn't feel they were easier to hit then a regular set of irons. 

Now I'm a bit of a club hound and I'm always looking around, especially on eBay. I was fitted by Ping a few years ago and was black dot, (standard lie), no adjustment in length needed, basically off the shelf. I use to play Ping and always liked them, (don't ask me why I ever changed, I don't know). Anyway found a nice set of G25s really cheap, got them regripped and took them to the range yesterday, felt like I was home again.

Ping makes a very forgiving club and there are a ton of them out there for sale if you're not looking to buy new, (obviously buying new is good if you can afford it). 

Just a suggestion.

[StuM]

On 11/2/2020 at 6:50 AM, boogielicious said:

I would recommend going to a store and hit as many as you can including used sets. See which look, sound and feel best to you and make note of the shaft. The shaft can be as important as the club head. Getting fit by a good fitter would be recommended but a lot of new players are reluctant to do that.

I slightly disagree with @boogielicious.  I endorse club fittings and have done three over the years but in the first year I personally would forego the club fitting.  Instead get a reasonable set (Many good ideas above) and get some lessons.  The lessons will help you develop your swing and then you can do a fitting in the next year or two and upgrade at that time.  

[Roblar]

On 11/6/2020 at 9:07 PM, Piz said:

The best irons, for people starting out, are any irons one can acquire.  We cannot know, before we have gained some degree of proficiency, what we do and do not like.  What, four egg sample, is the best "Chef's" knife for people who have never used a knife before?  There is no one answer that will turn out to be true for everyone.

100%

5 hours ago, StuM said:

I slightly disagree with @boogielicious.  I endorse club fittings and have done three over the years but in the first year I personally would forego the club fitting.  Instead get a reasonable set (Many good ideas above) and get some lessons.  The lessons will help you develop your swing and then you can do a fitting in the next year or two and upgrade at that time.  

100%

 

Get clubs that you feel positive about. Spend as little on them as you can. Invest in some lessons.

When I started out, I bought some outdated irons (new & cheap from a discount website) and asked my family to gift me lessons. My swing was so inconsistent that I really don't think it would have mattered what clubs were in my hand.

...Then, I bought a new set of used irons to celebrate my milestones: breaking 100, breaking 90, breaking 80, turning 40... It was fun for me to add the pressure of 'no new clubs unless I can improve my game'. Made every round a bit more exciting too. 🙂