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Best irons in golf of 2024: Best blades

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In our effort to assemble the 2024 best irons, we have again compiled an expert panel of fitters to help you find out which of the 2024 irons is best for your game.

Ultimately the best way to find your personal best iron set is to work with a professional fitter using a launch monitor. The difficult part is a lot of people don’t have easy access to fitters, launch monitors, and club builders — so at GolfWRX, we have done a lot of the work for you.

We are in the era of not just maximizing distance but also minimizing the penalty of common misses for each player — this applies to irons just as much as it does with any other club in the bag. And of course, proper set makeup and gapping is essential. This is why, now more than ever, custom fitting is essential to help you see results on every swing you make.

We want to give you the tools and information to go out and find what works best for you by offering recommendations for your individual iron set wants and needs with insight and feedback from the people who work every single day to help golfers get peak performance out of their equipment.

Best irons of 2024: The process

The best fitters in the world see all the options available in the marketplace, analyze their performance traits, and pull from that internal database of knowledge and experience like a supercomputer when they are working with a golfer.

It’s essentially a huge decision tree derived from experience and boiled down to a starting point of options—and it has nothing to do with a handicap!

Modern iron sets are designed into player categories that overlap the outdated “what’s your handicap?” model, and at GolfWRX we believe it was important to go beyond handicap and ask specific questions about the most crucial performance elements fitters are looking at.

These are the best iron categories we have developed to help you determine which category is most important for your swing and game.

Best irons of 2024: The categories

2024 Best irons: Best blades

This is by far the most straightforward category because it is defined by a single style of club — the blade AKA the muscle back or MB for short. Although modern variations offer a lot more playability than they did decades ago, blades are still defined by their workability, compact shaping, and lower ball flight. If you are looking for the ultimate test or just prefer something in the more traditional vein, these are for you.

Mizuno Pro 241

Their story: Grain Flow Forged HD in Hiroshima, Japan, Mizuno Pro 241 irons feature better turf interaction than their predecessors thanks to increased bounce (while maintaining the same sole camber). Additionally, the 241 irons feature more centered mass than Mizuno Pro 221 for enhanced feedback. Also contributing to enhanced feedback: Mizuno’s signature soft copper underlay. The topline has been thinned and short irons are more compact.

Fitter comments:

  • “Mizuno has made some of the best blades for over 35 years and the 241 holds up with the rest.”
  • “These are the staple in the blade market options. These just keep getting better and better each generation.”
  • “From a feel and feedback, Mizuno always hits the mark.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece. 

Titleist 620MB

Their story: The 620 MB offers ideal turf interaction throughout the set thanks to more camber and a tweaked leading edge. In addition to the sole tweaks, the blade length is progressive from the longest iron to the shortest and the transition is so smooth that unless you set clubs next to each other, it’s quite difficult to notice. The final design element is the face height progression which transitions from more shallow to tall in the pitching wedge to offer the greatest control over ball flight.

Fitter comments:

  • “Exactly what one would expect from a Titleist blade, great feel, incredible control and precision.”
  • “Nothing feels as good as a Titleist blade when hit in the middle.”
  • “Classic as classic gets for the player who wants that.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Srixon Z-Forged II

What Srixon says: “Z-Forged II is a traditional muscle back blade Iron designed in close collaboration with Srixon tour pros. Z-Forged II Irons offer crisp feel, maximum control, and pinpoint workability.”

Fitter comments: 

  • “The easiest blade to hit on the market. The longer heal-to-toe blade length inspires confidence to a player who wants to play a blade, but also wants forgiveness.”
  • “Most forgiving blade. Long blade length and V-Sole, with buttery soft feel. First gen looked better in the bag, but this performs better with the updated sole design.”
  • “Incredible feel, the dual sole creates great turf interaction and clean strikes from all lies.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Ping Blueprint T

Their story: The Blueprint T, designed for skilled golfers who prioritize workability, is a single-piece, 8620 carbon steel forging. Its muscle-back design concentrates mass behind the impact zone for a pleasing sound and feel with workability. A shorter heel-face height and narrow soles is designed for a distraction-free appearance at address and consistent turf interaction. Precision-milled grooves and a high-density toe screw provide precise swingweight control.

Fitter comments:

  • “These things are beautiful and clean looking. You don’t see much going on the outside of the iron. Small compact and very hard to hit.”
  • “By far the best blade made.”
  • “Great follow up to last year’s Blueprint that took off after being a proto club. New category opened up for Ping because of prior success. Refining the issues with blades with maintaining the classic look and lofts.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Callaway Apex MB

Their story: Callaway’s “modern tour blade” was developed in collaboration with tour professionals and is designed to deliver efficient turf interaction (thanks to Dynamic Sole Design), optimum workability, and a classic feel in a one-piece, 1025 carbon steel forging. Callaway engineers designed the Apex MB line with progressive CG throughout the set — lower in the long irons for higher launch, higher in the short irons for a more penetrating trajectory.

From the fitters:

  • “The weight…in the back positions the center of gravity directly behind the ball to give the player precision and control over the launch and shape of shots.”
  • “Easier to elevate than the previous generation, the new weight system offers a touch more forgiveness as well while still delivering similar feel.”
  • “A nice blade and a good option from Callaway.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Best irons of 2024: Meet the fitters

RELATED: Best driver 2024

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Whats in the Bag

Taisei Shimizu WITB 2024 (June)

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Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max (9 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 HL (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7.5 X

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 HL (19 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 X

Irons: Bridgestone 221CB (4), Bridgestone Tour B (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold EX X100 Tour Issue

Wedges: Jucie tT (47-6 @48, 51-6 @52, 55-6 @56, 58-6 @60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M

Grips: Elite

See more in-hand photos of Taisei Shimizu’s clubs here.

 

 

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Whats in the Bag

Patrick Cantlay WITB 2024 (June)

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Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX

Photo via Patrick Cantlay on Instagram.

3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 70 TX

7-wood: Titleist TS2 (21 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 80 TX

Irons: Titleist 718 AP2 (4-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (46-10F @47, 52-08F), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-08M @57, 6o-T @61)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos of Patrick Cantlay’s WITB in the forums.

More Patrick Cantlay WITBs

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Equipment

Three Swing Challenge: Testing the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max driver

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Callaway recently released the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max Driver, and BK is ready to see where it stacks up in this week’s Three Swing Challenge!

Why three swings?

Many years ago, the legendary Barney Adams, founder of Adams Golf told us this:

“My formula as a fitter was three shots only. I discounted No. 1 just because it was the first one, counted 100 percent of No. 2 and discounted No. 3 because the player was starting to adjust.”

Read more about the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max driver in our launch piece.

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