WRX Forum Buzzz

Members Choice: The Best Game-Improvement Irons of 2017

Published

9 years ago

May 26, 2017

What are the best Game-Improvement Irons of 2017? Before you can answer that question, you of course have to define exactly what a Game-Improvement Iron is. After conducting this poll and reading the responses from GolfWRX Members, however, it seems defining a Game-Improvement Iron is not as straightforward as it might seem.

To create this list, we defined Game-Improvement Irons as models that fall in between Players Irons, which are designed with small frames, thin top lines and have few distance-enhancing technology features, and Super Game-Improvement Irons, which focus on generating as much distance and forgiveness as possible for golfers. That leaves Game-Improvement Irons as a wide-ranging category of clubs that offer a blend distance, forgiveness, good looks and workability.

Some of you may disagree with how we’ve categorized our lists of Players Irons, Game-Improvement Irons and Super Game-Improvement Irons in Members Choice, and that’s fine. As always, we’re listening to your feedback and working to get better. We want to thank all GolfWRX Members for the votes and feedback you’ve provided, and believe that you have provided an important resource to the greater golf world.

Below are the results for Members Choice: Best Game Improvement Irons of 2017, where four models separated themselves from the pack of 27 options. Along with the percentage of the vote each iron garnered, we’ve also highlighted noteworthy responses from GolfWRX Members about each of those irons, which have been edited for brevity.

Note: Percentage of vote is accurate as of the time of publication. Voting will remain open throughout 2017 as GolfWRXers continue to test and evaluate the latest Game-Improvement Irons.

Callaway Apex CF 16 (19.45 percent of votes)

CallawayApexMembersChoice

eldog-in-the-hizouse: CF 16 is every bit as good as the others

mxskier: CF 16 for me is best (why I play it :)). I love the look of the matte silver, not too white/bland like the Mizuno (JPX-900 Forged).

Striker Ace: Callaway Apex CF 16. I’m new to the sport, but I didn’t want to start with beginners clubs and they feel great.

Warrenpeace: Apex CF ’16 are nice feeling, but are so long it’s hard to know just what is going to happen when you hit one good. Will my 7 iron go 165 or 195?

TonyJ10: My top 3 were the Apex CF 16, JPX-900 forged and the Steelhead XR 16s. I settled on the Apex CF 16s over the JPX-900 because there is not much loss of distance on mishits. I’m a 18 Handicap and was intimidated at first because I didn’t think my swing was “good enough” to play them until I actually hit them. They felt great from the beginning and I love the look of them. To me, that’s the first step of playing good it to like what you are looking at. They perform very well on center hits and almost as good on mishits. If you are in the market, definitely consider the Apex CF 16.

gallas2: They’re like Kelly Clarkson: a little chunky, but still workin’. Confidence, ball speed and spin. KBS Tour 90 (also tested xp95).

LeftyDanny: Apex CF is simply the most explosive, best feeling iron I’ve ever hit in this category. It hasn’t even been close (for me).

Mizuno JPX-900 Forged (18.84 percent)

JPX900ForgedMemebrsChoice

Willstuart2328: I voted for Mizuno JPX-900s because I game them. I feel they are a pretty solid mix of players irons and game improvement. It was a tough adjustment for me at first because I’ve played players irons since high school. I just only get to play maybe 8-10 times a year now so I need the help in the long irons. I can honestly still work the 8-PW though in these. I also like them because they are a little fade biased, whereas the others I tried were all draw biased if anything with my swing.

Warrenpeace: Mizuno JPX-900 Forged are great irons although the lofts are super strong, but they feel great. Look a lot like the tour model, but are longer and stronger.

MPG: I went through a extensive fitting and this was the iron with Project X LZ shafts for me. I will say it wasn’t immediately, but it took me a few practice sessions and rounds to get comfortable with these. I will say that once I got use to these, they are not going anywhere. They are amazing and my overall numbers are terrific. The distance, trajectory, spin, forgiveness and consistency are perfect for me. These are real close to the Z565, and I could go either way once you find the right shaft head combo.

Shawn Paul: I went into my fitting with Ping i200 or MP-25 in mind. I ended up with Mizuno JPX-900 Forged. The Mizunos had the best accuracy, flight, feel, and distance. I did not consider them a true GI. A bit spendy, but top quality. Great looking irons.

Ping i200 (17.84 percent)

Pingi200MembersChoice

eldog-in-the-hizouse: The i200 is yet another consistent performer from Ping.

jtothep21: I am gaming the i200s and love ’em. Nothing bad to say except they are hard to keep clean.

oldtimie: Picked up my I200s yesterday, replacing my i20s. Took them out to the course that afternoon. One thing about new clubs is that you can see right away where on the face you are contacting the ball. Hit a six iron and thought, wow, that didn’t feel good! Then noticed that it was a toe hit. Well, the ball ended up just right where it normally would for a good hit. Had a couple more off-center hits with other clubs, also toe hits, and results were still acceptable. Decided that I wasn’t setting up close enough to the ball. Point is, these clubs are very forgiving for those of us that don’t always contact the sweet spot.

Mtngolfer1: I voted for the Ping i200. This is as versatile of an iron as I believe you will find. It offers a ton of technology, providing a high level of playability and ample forgiveness all packed in a attractive iron design. Ping definitely has a winner with the i200.

MPG: I will say i have had limited time with these. I did enjoy them, but I definitely liked the S55 irons much better than any of the new i-Series clubs. Yes, the S55 are not game-improvement, but they played like game-improvement with enough forgiveness across the entire set. I am not saying these are not good; they are really good irons but just do not match up for MY game like the Mizuno or Srixon irons.

gallas2: (Tested with an) AWT 2.0 shaft (also tested XP95 and KBS Tour 90). Second cousin once removed to the RAC irons we all loved.

Srixon Z565 (15.62 percent)

Srixon565MembersChoice

eldog-in-the-hizouse: The Srixon (Z565) fractionally looks and feels the best.

mxskier: The Srixon (Z565 irons) also look great, but I like the slightly softer/less square toe of the CF 16 compared to the Srixons. And I thought it felt a touch softer, but really no huge difference between the two.

hurricanes7: Try the Srixon Z565 if you have hit the others on the list to compare. They are that good.

MPG: I really like the look and playability of this head with the Project X LZ shaft. I think they are slightly more forgiving then the JPX-900s, but I get better distance control with the Mizunos. I can definitely control trajectory with any of the heads that I tested. I could definitely use these day in and out with no problem. I don’t really care for the approach wedge in this set for some reason. To me, that is not a showstopper because of the other wedges that could replace that spot in the bag.

gmiller598: I went for the Z565, as that is what I play. I’m on the high end of the handicap spectrum and I feel like I can hit these and grow into them as I improve my ball striking.

gallas2: Best looks, feel and dispersion. They may have a little junk in the trunk, but they ain’t gonna let you down when you need a 5 iron into a back pin.

Members Choice 2017

The Best Drivers
The Best Players Irons
The Best Super Game-Improvement Irons

Equipment

Srixon ZXi combo or TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo? – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

1 day ago

May 12, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

In our forums, our members have been pitting a Srixon ZXi combo against a TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo. WRXer ‘edutch22’ is on the hunt for a new set of irons and kicks off the thread saying:

“Looking at picking up a new set of irons and think I’ve narrowed it down to Srixon ZXi combo or Taylormade P7CB/770 combo. I am currently a 5 cap and allbeit I feel irons are my weakness. My miss is a little to the toe side. I am decently steep at 4-5 down. Always thought I am high spin but recently on trackman my 7 was spinning at 5800 roughly.

My question or looking for thoughts on which one would benefit me more from a forgiveness standpoint? Or is there another iron is should be looking at entirely? I only get to play about once or twice a week, if I am not playing a 2-3 day event. Thanks in advance.”

And our members have been sharing their thoughts and suggestions in response.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

manima1: “You just can’t go wrong with Srixon ZXi7.”
MattM97: “You have to hit them to know, the V-Sole on the Srixon can be make or break for many.”
dmeeksDC: “P7CB is more forgiving for me than ZXi7 because my main miss is low middle and the P7CB still flies and spins great on that miss. These are both really nice irons but I like the P7CB more than the Zxi7 and the P770 (or P790) more than the Zxi5. The Srixons are larger so if that gives you confidence that is the way to go. I don’t feel like I get any benefit from the V-sole and the P7CBs live up to their high Maltby forgiveness rating so the TaylorMades have been great for me.”

Entire Thread: “Srixon ZXi combo or TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”

Equipment

Mizuno Pro M13 vs Callaway X Forged: My actual fitting numbers – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

In our forums, our members have been reacting to a fitting session involving Mizuno’s Pro M13 and Callaway’s X Forged irons. WRXer ‘careergolfer’ recently went through a full fitting session and shared his numbers and commentary, saying:

“After playing Callaway Apex Pros for the pats 5 years, just went through a full iron fitting and thought the data was interesting enough to share. I’ve seen a lot of posts talking about fittings but not many with actual numbers, so here’s mine.

All 7-iron, same ball, same session. Final two were the ones I was choosing between:

Club	Ball Speed	Launch	Spin	Side Angle	Carry	Total
Current irons	121.1 mph	18.3°	6,691 rpm	0.7L	170	178
Callaway X Forged	125.8 mph	15.9°	6,144 rpm	2.2L	180	185
Mizuno M-13	125.8 mph	17.9°	6,638 rpm	2.2L	177	182

The consistency numbers are what actually made the decision:

Club	Ball Speed SD	Spin SD	Total Yards SD
Current irons	3.3	294	5
Callaway X Forged	2.0	211	3
Mizuno M-13	1.1	150	2

Callaway won on distance by 3 yards but got there with a much lower ball flight (15.9° launch, 6,144 spin). The Mizuno matched my existing flight profile with nearly 3x tighter ball speed consistency.

Fitter also noted I’ve been setting up with a closed face at address to compensate for a heel-heavy dynamic lie. Ordered the M-13s 1° flat to bring impact back to neutral: the theory being if I can set up square, I can actually commit to the release. I’m not sure if this was the right call TBH but took the fitter’s guidance. I’ll see what happens.

Went with the Mizuno. Clubs aren’t in hand yet. Happy to share follow-up data once I’ve played them!”

And our members have been sharing their thoughts in response.

Here are a couple of posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

PowerCobra98: “M13 certainly performed well. Enjoy the new irons once you get them!”
dmeeksDC: “Two completely different irons. The X Forged is a tour-type iron and would match up with the S3 in the Mizuno lineup. Not going to see a lot of M-13 on pro tours. It’s a crossover iron, three different types of construction in the same set. The M-13 would be more like the AI 150 as the M-13 7 iron is a half-hollow club versus X Forged, which is a straight up forged iron. M-13 middle irons have very thin faces, not holding up well for some buyers if you read through the M-13 thread. Hopefully Mizuno has corrected it. Given the differences in construction, that is surprising ball speed with the X Forged. To me the numbers are quite an endorsement of the X Forged considering it has no ‘tech.'”

Entire Thread: “Mizuno Pro M13 vs Callaway X Forged: My actual fitting numbers – GolfWRXers discuss”

Equipment

Has there been a better driver since this Ping release? – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

In our forums, our members have been discussing drivers. WRXer ‘Ty-Webb’ is still playing Ping’s G400 LS driver and reaches out to fellow members saying:

“Playing the G400 LS still and wondering if newer is any better? For someone who thinks golf equipment is 90% marketing, change my mind.”

And our members have been weighing in with their top picks in response.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

meliaant: “As someone who graduated from the OG SIM to the Qi10, I can you two things: 1) on-center hits are essentially identical. 2) off-center hits are wildly, absurdly better with newer drivers.”
Golfingfanatic: “I went from the G400 to the GT2 – probably a wash distance wise from the sweet spot, but much better at handling spin off-center.. would definitely try some new stuff if you can.”
bluedot: “Given the number of heads and shafts that are available, plus the fact that you’re talking about a 9 yr old club, plus the available fitting technology, the answer is almost certainly yes. Add to that the fact that the Ping LS models are sort of ‘specialized’ drivers, as are the Ping SFT’s; heck, you might need MORE spin! How much better is really the question, and that depends on how well suited the G400 LS is to your swing, and how you will go about finding an alternative.”

Entire Thread: “Has there been a better driver since this Ping release? – GolfWRXers discuss”