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Most Forgiving Irons

Last Updated: September 14, 2020
Mark Woods
Product Review by Mark Woods

If you are looking for a new set of golf clubs, the likelihood is you are desperate to know just which set are the most forgiving irons on the market today.

Well, with that in mind, we here at Hack Golf have done all the hard work for you and compiled a list of all the most forgiving irons out there to help you make the best purchasing decision possible.

During this review, we will go over each set in great detail, covering its pros and cons, it’s main features, and of course, which set offers value for money.

The first thing we need to highlight, though, is what exactly we mean by “forgiving.”

If you are new to the game, you may not be aware that in golf parlance, “forgiving” means that the golf club has been designed to lessen the effect of bad swings and contact with the ball.

The more design and construction features that a golf club contains, the more “forgiving” the club is and, therefore, the better chance of a golfer hitting better shots.

Now you know the terminology let’s get started with our review and hopefully find you a set of the most forgiving irons on the market and potentially improve your game.

Our Reviews
1

Callaway Rogue X Irons

We all know Callaway and sometimes they nail it and sometimes their clubs flop. With the Rogue X Irons, you could say they hit a nice shot right down the fairway. All-in-all this is a quality set of clubs for a decent price.

Although they are marketed as distance irons they offer plenty of forgiveness for the casual golfer.

And since they were built with distance in mind, you should in theory have enough club to get there on that long approach shot. I say in theory, because so many factors go into distance that a club of this caliber can only do so much.

They Rogue’s are coming in a bit cheaper than the pricer Epic model from Callaway, which makes them a nice affordable and quality choice for the casual weekend golfer.

Thinking the Rogue’s might be for your but want to learn more? Check out our full Callaway Rogue X Irons Review or click the button below to check current price on Amazon.

 

Pros

  • Highly rated brand
  • Maximum forgiveness
  • Offer great distances
  • Sound great on impact

Cons

  • Not too much to dislike for mid-handicappers
2

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons Set

If your tastes lean more towards the premium end of the market, then the Titleist 718 AP3 Irons set is one you should definitely consider looking at due to its premium quality components, design, and features.

Perfect for more experienced golfers who know exactly what type of irons they need on the course, the 718 AP3 is the player’s distance iron.

With an innovative hollow blade design and precision-engineered high-speed face technology, this set of irons is one of the most forgiving iron sets on the market available today.

Featuring a thin, unsupported L-Face insert that combined with the hollow blade construction is able to launch balls longer, higher, and more accurately.

A high MOI design and tungsten weighting produce higher ball speeds across the whole of the face of the club and means that this game-improvement iron is a fantastic addition to any golfers game.

Coming with a premium price, it is worth noting that if your budget can stretch to it, this set will provide you with the latest cutting edge technology in forgiving irons and could exponentially improve your game.

Undoubtedly one of the most forgiving irons available today this set is perfect for the experienced golfer with money in his pocket.

To learn more check out our full Titleist 718 AP3 Irons Set Review.

Pros

  • Premium design
  • Excellent forgiveness
  • Great look

Cons

  • Premium price
3

Wilson Staff Golf Men's D7 Irons

Conversely, if you are looking for a forgiving iron at the more affordable end of the market, then why not check out the Wilson Staff Golf Men’s D7 Irons set.

The D7 Irons golf set features an amazing price that should be more than affordable for most golfers and is an ideal investment for golfers just beginning their golfing journey.

Featuring a design that boasts clean, straight lines and a sophisticated looking clubhead, the D7 Irons Set offers an exceptional level of forgiveness when considering its price and its nearest competitors.

The Wilson Staff Golf Men’s D7 Irons features two different sets of progressive power holes; longer irons have three rows of power holes for maximum distance, whereas shorter irons have fewer holes but are weighted for maximum feel and precision.

With an ultra-thin face that is both more responsive and perfect for longer shots, the D7 Iron Set has an exceptional feel for such an affordable product.

Including seven perfectly weighted and precision-engineered golf clubs, this is a set that all eagle-eyed bargain hunters should take note of and is a fantastic addition to our list of most forgiving irons.

To learn more check out our full Wilson Staff Golf Men’s D7 Irons Review.

Pros

  • Excellent price
  • Responsive
  • Straight and clean design

Cons

  • More premium models are available
4

TaylorMade M4 Iron Set

The TaylorMade M4 Iron Set is an exceptional golf club set, and, in our opinion, definitely a contender for the most forgiving irons on the market today.

In this set, a golfer gets an amazing seven different, phenomenal golf clubs perfectly designed to provide enhanced forgiveness with every swing.

With their sturdy steel shafts providing greater strength and rigidity, these forgiving irons are designed to deliver high launch and maximum ball speed.

Boasting an innovative RIBCOR design that helps localize face flexibility in the hitting area and transfers extra energy into the ball for increased distance and accuracy.

The RIBCOR design also stiffens the perimeter of the head, providing a more rigid structure and enhancing both sound and feel upon striking.

Additionally, the M4’s optimized heel and toe weighting provide an increase in MOI, resulting in even more forgiveness.

Sporting a fluted hosel and a 360 Undercut that helps redistribute mass low in the head, thereby increasing launch distance and strike consistency.

Very well priced and affordable for most golfers, we highly recommend the TaylorMade M4 Iron Set.

To learn more check out our full TaylorMade M4 Iron Set Review.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Extra forgiving design
  • Increases distance

Cons

  • Limited availability
5

Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal Golf Iron Set

If you are looking for a truly premium forgiving golfing irons set, then look no further than the Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal Golf Iron Set.

Exceptionally designed and boasting an eye-catching sleek and stylish look, the Mizuno Iron Set is one of the most critically acclaimed iron sets in recent times.

Made with innovative Chromoly 4140M the Mizuno’s face is incredibly strong and has an excellent weight ratio and malleability, and even features a bendable hosel for easier fitting.

With a frame designed for maximum stability, the clubface opens at the heel to enhance rigidity and launch while at the same time providing Tour levels of vibration and sound.

Designed with a seamless construction, it’s one piece cupped geometry increases feedback even at high ball speeds.

A truly aesthetically pleasing design culminating with its excellent pearl brush finish that softens its precise lines whilst in sunlight.

All of these incredible features do, of course, come with an additional price tag, but if your budget can afford it, this would certainly be one of the most forgiving irons you could possibly invest in.

To learn more check out our full Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal Golf Iron Set Review.

Pros

  • High strength to weight ratio
  • Sleek design
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Premium price
6

Cleveland Golf 2018 Men's Launcher CBX Iron Set

Another excellently priced and incredibly versatile golf club set is the Cleveland Golf 2018 Men’s Launcher CBX Iron Set.

Cleveland Golf pride themselves on being the leaders in wedge spin and turf performance and with the CBX Iron Set have pooled all their extensive knowledge to create a lightweight, innovative and simple design.

Featuring Tour zip grooves and double laser milling that, when combined, produce phenomenal spin consistency from all lies.

The innovative Progressive V sole provides amazing forgiveness and lift that has been precision engineered for each separate club in the set.

All clubs within the CBX Iron Set boast a launcher cup face that increases ball speed across the whole of the face, leading to greater distances able to be hit with virtually all hits.

With its feel balancing technology included in every club, the CBX Iron Set has seven golf clubs that shift the weight away from the hosel and toward the impact zone for improved feel and distance control.

Exceptionally well priced and affordable for most golfers, the Cleveland Golf 2018 Men’s Launcher CBX Iron Set is certainly worth a look for any golfer looking for maximum forgiveness for minimal price.

To learn more check out our full Cleveland Golf Men’s Launcher CBX Iron Set Review.

Pros

  • Excellent price
  • Eye-catching design
  • Surprisingly versatile

Cons

  • Larger sets are available

Having gone through the above iron sets, we now need to discuss some of the more general features we are looking for and how this will influence our overall choice for the most forgiving irons.

Hopefully, after considering the below points, you will have a better understanding of what is expected from a forgiving golfing iron and which of the above sets are most suitable for you.

Forged or Cast Iron

One of the first things we need to consider is the specific manufacturing process of the irons in question.

Many golfers have seen their golfing heroes excel on television and want to immediately get the same type of clubs as them.

More often than not, professional golfers will be using forged clubs, and unsurprisingly these come with a significant price tag.

Cast iron clubs, however, are cheaper but have a much different manufacturing process and, more importantly, a different feel when striking the ball.

Both forged irons and cast iron clubs are capable of producing exceptional shots, and whilst choosing between them can sometimes be based upon personal preferences, forged irons are usually considered the best and more premium option.

Head type

The next important point we need to go over is what type of head is best for you.

For background, there are three main types of heads available in irons, the blade, the cavity back, and the hybrid.

Again all of these three different types of heads are capable of producing excellent shots; however, a more inexperienced golfer may not be able to utilize a bladed head as well as an experienced golfer, as this head type relies heavily upon the skill and experience level of the golfer.

Cast iron clubs will normally have a cavity-backed club that moves the weight to the bottom of the club and provides a lower center of gravity.

Manufacturers are therefore able to give cavity-backed heads a larger sweet spot, which in turn provides more forgiveness for off-center shots and makes them perfect for a player who is still getting to grips with the game.

A hybrid head combines the best aspects from irons and merges them with the best qualities of woods.

This gives a hybrid head an irons swing mechanics yet also provides the forgiveness and longer distance many golfers associate with woods.

Shaft type

There are two main shaft types that will influence both your purchasing decision and help you decide which irons set is the most forgiving.

Steel shafts are the standard shafts you would expect to see in nearly all irons, they provide strength and resilience whilst at the same time, being flexible.

Steel shafts are cheaper to produce and, therefore, cheaper to purchase, which is ideal if you are shopping for a forgiving iron set on a budget.

Graphite shafts, however, are considerably more expensive to produce and, in all likelihood, will cost you far more than a steel shaft.

But for the extra price, you will have a much more flexible and lightweight shaft, which could help your game significantly.

It is critical however, that to make sure you definitely know which shaft type suits you best, you practice with a range of clubs, shaft types, and with varying heads.

Only by practicing with different clubs can you narrow down what club suits your specific preferences.

Size of set

Another important point to consider is the size of the set you require and the size of the set on offer.

Are you getting far more new clubs than you need? Would your money be better spent not on an iron set at all but rather used to purchase one specific iron that actually fills a hole in your game?

Additionally, just when comparing iron sets against one another, having more clubs does not necessarily mean that each club is of a better quality or design than those featured in a smaller set.

To ensure you get the most for your money and from the product in question, it is imperative you know what you are looking for before making this purchase.

Price

Possibly the most obvious and important of all considerations is the price of the iron set in question and if this fits within your budget and offers value for money.

We here at Hack Golf always try to high emphasize just how important it is to have a budget in mind when considering making a purchase.

Whilst we all want the best and most premium products, it would be foolhardy in the extreme to go over your budget when more affordable options are available.

This is one of the main reasons why our list of most forgiving irons included within this review all have varying prices, so hopefully, you are able to choose one that not only suits your golfing needs but is also within your budget.

Recap

So now that we have gone over each set of irons in detail and looked at the more general considerations we need to keep in mind, we here at Hack Golf are delighted to award the title of most forgiving irons to the TaylorMade M4 Iron Set.

The M4 Iron Set is a fantastic and incredibly versatile range of golf clubs that we believe has just the right design features to assist any golfer out there and improve their game.

Boasting a fantastic price when compared to its closest rivals and offering exceptional value for money, this iron set is a perfect blend of brilliant design and innovative construction.

Whilst cheaper alternatives are available, many of these will offer less functionality and variety and so, therefore, cannot be considered a legitimate contender for the title of most forgiving irons.

Hopefully, the TaylorMade M4 Iron Set is an affordable option for you and comes within your budget with change to spare.

We hope you have enjoyed reading this review as much as we enjoyed reviewing these exceptional irons and would love to hear your thoughts.

Do you think we made the right choice? Do you have experience of another iron set you would like us to review?

Why not get in touch via the comments box below and let us know what you think.

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