GOLD
GOLD
GOLD
GOLD
‘This club produces a hard, muted sound. The technology is well hidden at address yet helps me launch
OVERALL RATING ★★★★ ½ PERFORMANCE ★★★★ ½ INNOVATION ★★★★ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★ ½
OVERALL RATING ★★★★★ PERFORMANCE ★★★★★ INNOVATION ★★★★★ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★ ½
OVERALL RATING ★★★★★ PERFORMANCE ★★★★★ INNOVATION ★★★★ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★★
OVERALL RATING ★★★★ ½ PERFORMANCE ★★★★ INNOVATION ★★★★ ½ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★
‘Centre hits are firm, workable and rewarded with distance, and off-centre strikes are forgiving.’ – 0-HANDICAP
‘Looks and feels like a true players iron. Produces a pleasant, muted sound, but the ball springs off the face.’ – 1-HANDICAP
‘The stability allows you to shape shots. Centre strikes feel energetic and have a mid- to-high flight.’ – 7-HANDICAP
the ball with consistency.’ – 0-HANDICAP
MIZUNO JPX923 TOUR R27 000 WHY WE LIKE IT
PING i230 R30 000
PING BLUEPRINT S R34 000
MIZUNO MIZUNO PRO 243 R31 000
WHY WE LIKE IT Of all the irons in the Mizuno Pro line, the 243 offers the most dramatic change from the previous version. Mizuno’s engineers set out to make the club smaller to appeal to better players yet still add speed. Designing such an iron meant thinning the face, as thin as 2.1 millimetres on the long irons, with those irons having a “microslot” that is wider and deeper than the one used on the 6- and 7-irons to produce the desired distance boost. • Grain-flow forged from 4120 chromoly steel. • A wrap-around sole grind improves turf interaction. • Strengthened lofts on wedges provide consistent loft gaps. • 7-iron: 32 degrees; PW: 44 degrees
WHY WE LIKE IT Manufacturing a soft, forgiving players iron with an undercut shape is a difficult engineering challenge. Ping took five years to develop the Blueprint S, which replaces the i59 model. The forged irons are essentially two sets in one: The 3- through 5-iron have a pocket- cavity in which an elastomer insert saves 10 grams of weight that is redistributed to assist launch and forgiveness in the clubs where it is needed most. The shorter irons are single- piece forgings that encourage more ball-flight control. • Toe weight screws assist the centre-of-gravity placement. • The face and grooves are milled to precise tolerances. • Retro Spec (weaker lofts) and PWR Spec (stronger) available. • 7-iron: 33 degrees; PW: 45 degrees
WHY WE LIKE IT The company famous for forgiveness keeps pushing the limits of how to make a golfer’s worst misses more playable, even in an iron designed for better players. The i230’s elastomer insert saves 21 grams that is repositioned low and towards the perimeter to make it easier to get the ball in the air and foster forgiveness. The elastomer also helps support the face, providing a pleasing feel, even on shots hit slightly off centre. For those particularly severe mishits, tungsten toe and tip weights help mitigate loss of ball speed. • A revised cavity badge dampens unwanted vibrations. • Compact long irons produce a reliable clubface delivery. • Machined grooves deliver consistent launch and spin. • 7-iron: 33 degrees; PW: 45 degrees
This is the epitome of a modern iron for better players. The blade length was shortened in the 6-iron through pitching wedge from the JPX921, and the topline is trimmer. On the sole, a more rounded trailing edge increases shot-making ability and enhances turf interaction. As with most Mizuno irons, its “grain-flow forging” process tightens the carbon steel’s grain structure to produce a beyond-pleasant feel at impact – a reminder you don’t have to play for pay to enjoy benefits normally reserved for tour players. • A copper layer underneath the chrome finish enhances feel. • More compact short irons appeal to better players. • Rounded trailing edge of the topline softens look at address. • 7-iron: 34 degrees; PW: 46 degrees
BALL FLIGHT
BALL FLIGHT
BALL FLIGHT
BALL FLIGHT
Lower
Higher
Lower
Higher
Lower
Higher
Lower
Higher
SENSORY
SENSORY
SENSORY
SENSORY
Softer
Firmer
Softer
Firmer
Softer
Firmer
Softer
Firmer
PLAYABILITY
PLAYABILITY
PLAYABILITY
PLAYABILITY
Workable
Forgiving
Workable
Forgiving
Workable
Forgiving
Workable
Forgiving
TOP 3 IN PERFORMANCE, OVERALL AMONG HIGH-HANDICAPPERS TOP 5 BEST SOUND/FEEL, PLAYERS IRONS, LOW-HANDICAPS
TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, PLAYERS IRONS, LOW-HANDICAPS
TOP 5 BEST SOUND/FEEL, PLAYERS IRONS, LOW-HANDICAPS
TOP 5 HIGHEST FLYING, PLAYERS IRONS, LOW-HANDICAPS
67 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 68
HOTLIST 2024
HOTLIST 2024
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