GOLD
GOLD
GOLD
OVERALL RATING ★★★★ ½ PERFORMANCE ★★★★ ½ INNOVATION ★★★★ ½ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★ ½
OVERALL RATING ★★★★ ½ PERFORMANCE ★★★★ ½ INNOVATION ★★★★ ½ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★ ½
OVERALL RATING ★★★★ ½ PERFORMANCE ★★★★ ½ INNOVATION ★★★★ ½ LOOK • SOUND • FEEL ★★★★ ½
‘Shots come off with power and a pleasing click at impact. Responsive and forgiving with a straighter, spinning ball flight.’ – 14-HANDICAP
‘Thin topline gives this a
‘Compact, blade- like design with a surprising amount of forgiveness. Mis-hits stay on line.’ – 11-HANDICAP
players look, and the wider sole ups forgiveness and cuts through the turf.’ – 12-HANDICAP
PXG 0311 P GEN6 R32 000
SRIXON ZX5 Mk II R22 000
PING i530 R30 000
WHY WE LIKE IT Ping realises off-centre hits are part of the game, even for single-figure players. This iron doesn’t ignore that unpleasant reality but also places an emphasis on a clean aesthetic and more pop. The construction is almost metal- wood like with a hollow-body design using C300 maraging steel for the face. The sole has an “arcing cascade” that aids in the flexing of the face and combines with strong lofts to ensure the desire for distance is satisfied.
WHY WE LIKE IT Increasing launch and decreasing spin is a recipe for distance in irons as well as metal woods. The internal groove built into the back surface of the high-strength HT1770 steel face insert helps in that regard. The groove, fractions of a millimetre deep, runs up both sides and across the top of the perimeter to create more give in the face while promoting increased launch and decreased spin. A large weight in the back is more than ornamentation: It allows fitters to dial in the desired swingweight.
WHY WE LIKE IT
Some irons in this category go heavy on the distance and light on the players. This one is the right combination of both. A slim hosel provides a pleasing visual at address, and the offset produces a natural flow through the set – both small enhancements better players will appreciate. The face has plenty of sizzle thanks to the use of a forged SUP10 steel plate featuring a variable-thickness pattern of grooves, channels and cavities milled into the back of the iron face to maximise rebound at impact.
If you’re struggling to make good contact with your fairway woods when the ball is on the ground, I’ve got a drill that will help you get a better feel for how these clubs are meant to be swung. In short, it’s all about the approach. Perhaps from listening to commentators on TV, a lot of my students mistakenly think they need to pull the handle of the shaft downwards before the club releases into the ball. This notion of pulling typically puts the club on a steeper approach, makes it harder to square the face and produces all kinds of poor shots – from pop-ups to tops to slices. To get the clubhead moving on a good path into impact, address a ball with your lead hand (left for righties) on the club normally, but have your trail hand resting against the grip with the palm open. Now make a golf swing. As you start down from the top, feel as if you’re pushing the club towards the ground with that open palm (above). You’ll find this “push” shallows your downswing, makes it easier to square the face and prompts you to rotate your body towards the target as the club moves through impact. That’s how you flush a fairway wood . – with Ron Kaspriske PUSH, DON’T PULL, THE GRIP END OF A FAIRWAY WOOD BY MOLLY BRAID
• The face is just 1.27 millimetres thick, increasing face flex. • A polymer core saves weight, enhancing stability on mis-hits. • An internal channel promotes face flex for extra ball speed. • 7-iron: 30 degrees; PW: 44 degrees
• A weight pad pushes mass down to lower the CG. • An EVA polymer improves feel without hindering face flex.
• The 8-iron through pitching wedge have a shorter blade height for added control. • The KBS Tour Lite stock shaft can aid swing speed. • 7-iron: 31 degrees; PW: 44 degrees
• Tightly spaced grooves increase spin. • 7-iron: 29 degrees; PW: 42 degrees
BALL FLIGHT
BALL FLIGHT
BALL FLIGHT
Lower
Higher
Lower
Higher
Lower
Higher
SENSORY
SENSORY
SENSORY
Softer
Firmer
Softer
Firmer
Softer
Firmer
PLAYABILITY
PLAYABILITY
PLAYABILITY
Workable
Forgiving
Workable
Forgiving
Workable
Forgiving
Molly Braid is Golf Digest’s No. 1-ranked instructor in Wisconsin. She teaches at Westmoor CC.
TOP 3 IN PERFORMANCE, PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS, HIGH-HANDICAPS
TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, PLAYERS-DISTANCE IRONS, MIDDLE-HANDICAPS
TOP 5 HIGHEST FLYING, PLAYERS-DISTANCE IRONS, LOW-HANDICAPS
77 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 78
HOTLIST 2024
HOTLIST 2024
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software