Distance didn’t win this iron test

Golf Digest

There's a 7-iron in this year's field of would-be suitors that carries almost 13 yards shorter than the longest head on a dead-center strike. On paper, that could look like club that would never make the cut in your head-to-head testing session.

Why would anyone willingly leave that much yardage on the table? Because most of us don't hit it out of the middle nearly as often as we'd like to admit.

This year we expanded our iron testing protocol with the Golf Laboratories swing robot to include something we've never measured before—low-face contact at each position across the face. That equates to six strike zones per head instead of three, 36 shots per iron, and a much clearer picture of what happens as contact moves around the face to common strike locations.

Following up on last week's extensive iron test, we ran 30 7-irons through the protocol, and the iron that stood out wasn't the one that carried it the farthest. It was the one that barely changed its carry number no matter where you struck it on the face.

If you're someone who enjoys analyzing iron data, the latest interactive tool we created lets you compare any two irons side by side, zone by zone. Find out which ones hold their number when you miss.

Are you willing to leave yards on the table for a more consistent iron? That's something worth chewing on during your next fitting.

We tested 30 irons on a swing robot to determine their carry and spin consistency

Results from a recent iron test highlight why distance might not be the whole story

By Jonathan Wall

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jonathan Wall

The addition of Titleist's Pro V1 and Pro V1x "split arrow" golf balls to the USGA's conforming golf ball is a strong signal that updated versions are ready for the company's seeding and validation process that typically occurs before a product is released to the masses. The "split arrow" naming isn't a new version of V1 or V1x, but rather how the USGA differentiates the forthcoming 2027 offerings from previous versions. Titleist didn't mention any testing occurring at the Biltmore Championship, so we'll have to wait and see which event they tap for the first round of tournament testing.

Jonathan Wall

If you missed it, Srixon just launched its latest ZXi iron lineup, which consists of three distinct models. Nothing about that sentence is a major detraction from what Srixon has done in the past. But there's one model that deserves a deeper conversation—and that's ZXi5+. On this week's Club Lab podcast, Uncle Gene and I discuss why Srixon's foray into the premium players-distance space has the potential to shake up a category that continues to boom. We also dive into our latest robotic test on strong-lofted irons, the return of Brooks Koepka's trusty gamer and more. Listen to Club Lab on Apple, Spotify or wherever you consume podcasts.

Greg Gottfried

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