Golf digest 2007 game improvement irons

Who It's For: Better players who like to work the ball. These irons have forgiveness, but that's a relative term. They're still forged players' clubs. All the cool Gelback Tech and heel-toe weighting is still there, only it's jet black. What We Like: The great looks aside, these irons are remarkably forgiving. And with new groove rules, the Laser-Milled grooves seem to really help hold the greens.

Nice soft feel, too. Who It's For: Every type of player. Better sticks will like the CG7 Tour version. Specs: Available in 3-SW, in a variety of steel or graphite shaft options. What We Like: The stepped sole offers the best of both worlds—playability and forgiveness. And who doesn't love a high MOI in an iron? Who It's For: Those looking for more distance and accuracy. And, oh yeah, did we mention mega-forgiveness? You'll find that in this set for sure.

Callaway Diablo Edge Key Feature: Callaway claims these are the longest stainless-steel irons they've every made. What We Like: The sole is a bit thick, but that's helpful if you hit it fat or thin. And the low CG really launches the ball upwards in a hurry.

Specs: 3-LW, with graphite or steel shafts. Custom options available. What We Like: The feel of a forged iron with added distance and forgiveness to boot. What's not to like? The short irons are workable—we like that, too.

Who It's For: Good to better players who appreciate the look and feel of a compact and versatile forged iron, but who also want some added distance. Specs: 3-SW, with Nippon steel shafts. What We Like: The hollow body design is a forgiving one, but we think the new lightweight shafts are what make the difference between this set and previous versions.

Fifteen grams doesn't seem like much on paper, but the added swing speed means more yards. Who It's For: Game-improvement fans. Specs: Available in 3-SW, in steel or graphite shafts. They're among the most aggressive forged irons we've seen this year. What We Like: Cobra makes a statement, and the S2 Forged prove you can have that forged feel in a very playable and very long iron. The CNC-milled grooves really help control trajectory. Who It's For: Better players, but not really.

These irons are as forgiving as many nonforged models we've seen. Specs: Available in 3-GW, in either steel or graphite shafts. What We Like: We've always been big Dynacraft fans. The Prophet Tour also are amazing to look at. After decades of reading the bs in all the golf magazines I can only say this. They may sell magazines but they don't make better golfers. This "club testing" is a complete charade. Are any of the testers swinging exactly like you?

Of course not. Do yourself a favor. Find a good clubfitter like Everardo and try everything they have. Then buy your club. As I've written, there are so many new designs that's it's a worthwhile exercise to do your own testing and not follow what some bunch of magazine testers think is good. Frank Thomas, the former equipment guru for the USGA, keeps stating that at this point, any improvements in club design are so infinitesimally incremental that a two year old driver is going to do you as much good as the 4X more expensive latest and greatest.

So what do I think? Read it. Then go practice with what you have. Everardo January 9, There is a growing trend among golf publications and internet golf sites conducting club tests, and evaluating and ranking equipment. Among the several reasons we have decided not to participate in these third-party tests e.

January 10, Ya know, I know what you mean. One of my best friends is a PGA pro at a range. It's just amazing the stories he hears when it comes to club fitting. Back in the old days I could understand somebody wanting to play, for instance, a MacGregor driver because half the PGA Tour was playing them.

But that was when there were maybe three or four decent persimmon heads and one shaft to choose from. That's why, Everardo, I could never deal with the "public" as do you. Sometimes somebody just wants something that's so wrong.

And the best thing you can do is give it to them. That's painful. But that's life and that's golf today, I guess. There's been talk on TV recently. Some commentators have noted that "feel" has been replaced by "mechanics" I think there's a lot to that.

We've lost the workman-like swings of Palmer and Trevino. Now we've got Adam Scott and his Tiger swing as the model. The average guy doesn't seem to undertand that golf is personal, it's not an emulation. It's not about being Tiger.

It's about you. Ergo, it's what really, trully works for you. And if is your average carry, then let's get you a club that gives you some roll after and gets you in the fairway more often than not.

But I type in vain. There's too much "I wannna be him" than "I wanna be me" in golf today. Back to the Hot List - Does anyone else hate the little graphics they use to designate the 3 levels of excellent, good, and very good? Would it not be much easier on readers if they just used 1 - 9?

I think I made this point last year and I think convinced myself that if someone saw a '1' or a '2' by a club they would think it was horrible. But screw it, I want something easier to read at a glance.

All these irons which we discussed above in the article are best in their domain so it is now up to you how you will use them to improve your game. Some have the best specifications which will help beginners to perform well in the game because they offer control in the game.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Top Pick. View on Amazon. Check Price. Microspheres with a patented design increase COR and reduce vibrations. Cons Visual degeneration is a common occurrence.

Pros One of the longest irons in the game even among the distance focused iron Provide you consistently ball speed and heights across the face and even in a mishit as well Develop modern-day technology with great design and style.

Cons The height trajectory it produces might be too high for some players, need some time to get used to The sound is little muted due to the face slot technology. Pros Behind the ball, there was a lot of confidence, and it was easy to hit. On well-struck strokes and slight mishits with decent feel, you should expect above-average distance.

Pros Has a great deal of range while remaining forgiving Effective, cutting-edge technology Excellent turf contact Affordable. Cons If you repeatedly miss the ball, it might be unpleasant.

Pros It has a terrific feel and sound Sturdy and lightweight. Cons In terms of shape, there is no new addition The performance is limited by the light club heads The irons are a progression, not a revolution, of the previous model. Pros Exceptionally forgiving High handicappers and even mid handicappers benefit from it Allows you to hit the ball at a high rate. Cons Compared to other clubs, this one is a little heavier.

Pros Ball speed and launch are among the best in the category, and there are three variants to suit different players. Cons The SIM model has an extremely high price tag. To achieve incredible ball speeds in the hollow-body construction - without compromising feel - TaylorMade replaced the clubhead's steel back with a composite badge.

The badge also lowers the club's mass since it is lighter than the steel it replaces. Also, to minimise two common misses, the cone-shaped variable-thickness pattern behind the face is located differently in each iron. It's closer to the toe in the long irons to decrease the chance of a fade. The weight moves towards the middle and heel to minimise a pull in the shorter irons.

Callaway has extended its Apex family to include an iron option in the game-improvement category. The forged, carbon-steel body has a cavity-back that is a little deeper and a little wider than the regular Apex, but it's jam-packed with many shared technologies.