Equipment
Predicting the hottest irons of 2016
Testing a new driver is often fairly straightforward; if it’s longer and straighter, it goes in the bag. Irons are a little different. Being a successful iron player depends on hitting them certain yardages and with certain trajectories consistently, which makes changing irons a longer-term, more subjective process.
When new iron models come out, most Tour players aren’t fast to switch from the trustworthy set they’re currently using… at least right away. Even if the new irons are longer and straighter, there’s a comfort factor and a transitionary period that can’t be ignored.
With that in mind, you’ll understand why the hottest irons each year on the PGA Tour are often unpredictable. There are, however, a handful of new irons that quickly made their way into the bags of top touring pros before the start of 2016. That’s generally a good indication of an iron’s future success on Tour, and good intel for GolfWRXers to consider if they’re in the market for new irons.
Enjoy this list below, a prediction of hottest sets of irons in 2016 based on Tour presence, our early testing, and a few other factors.
King Forged MB irons
Rickie Fowler wasted little time putting Cobra’s King Forged MB irons in his bag this fall, despite winning The Players Championship with the Fly-Z Pro irons in the spring.
The new irons, which are part of a line that includes King Forged CB and King Forged TEC, offer a new look with a “diamonized” black finish that’s more durable than black PVD. The finish is a change from Fowler’s typical chrome-finished irons — but when blades look this good, wouldn’t you make the switch as quickly as possible, too?
From a tech perspective, the Forged MB irons use tungsten plugs in their toes, which raises moment of inertia (MOI) to makes the irons more forgiving on mishits.
Rickie Fowler’s custom set of Cobra King Forged MB irons.
While not necessarily applicable for the buyers at home, it appears that Fowler (See his WITB here) carried over the specially made tungsten plugs from his old irons to raise the swing weight of the clubs. See those subtle, grey circles where weight was inserted on the sole and muscleback of the iron?
Titleist 716 T-MB
Any equipment release from Titleist is noteworthy in the golf world because of the company’s widespread following, but the T-MBs may be the most significant Titleist iron release in years.
We learned in our testing that the T-MB’s are pound-for-pound the longest, highest-launching Titleist irons ever. As for their looks, the two-toned, hollow-cavity, blade-style looks irons are also something new for Titleist. Adding to their allure is that they can only be purchased as a full set through the company’s MOTO program ($1599 per set). Golfers can, however, find the tungsten-laden long irons (2-5) at retailers for $199 per club.
Peter Malnati (Sanderson Farms) won with a full set in his bag, while Jason Bohn, Ben Crane and Tim Clark are gaming full sets as well. Adam Scott and Jimmy Walker, among others, are currently using individual T-MB long irons to round out their sets.
Ping i
Like Titleist, any iron release from Ping garners attention because of its expansive following, but this iron in particular will be well-received by Ping loyalists.
The Ping “i” irons remain leaders in forgiveness in the players iron category like their predecessors, the i25 irons, but they’re made from a softer material — 431 stainless steel — to feel better, as well. Those changes, as well as their improved, progressive design, resulted in a 5-star rating from editor Zak Kozuchowski in our review.
Lee Westwood, Hunter Mahan and Alex Prugh can be spotted playing the Ping i irons around the world.
Related
TaylorMade Psi/Psi Tour
TaylorMade’s PSi and PSi Tour irons are the company’s second-rendition of irons with face slots. With the new release, the TaylorMade focused primarily on improving their looks and feel, compared to their predecessors. Here’s what our front page review had to say about the PSi irons:
Exceptionally long and forgiving players irons. They have thinner top lines, less offset and shorter blade lengths than TaylorMade’s RSi 2 irons, and feel noticeably softer at impact.
The softer feel of the PSi’s can be attributed to the “Distance Feel System” (DFS), which uses a material called “hybrar” that’s wedged between the face and cavity of each iron to reduce unwanted vibrations at impact.
To maintain maximum performance, the long irons (3-7) are made from 431 stainless steel and have tungsten weights in their toes to boost MOI. The short irons (8-PW), which are more compact in size than previous models, are forged from 1025 carbon steel to offer better consistency and feel.
The PSi Tour irons, which will hit retailers on Dec. 20, have been in Tour pros bags since the fall. Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia, among a slew of others, are gaming the PSi Tour irons.
Srixon Z745
If we’re talking PGA Tour wins, there’s no iron hotter than Srixon’s Z745. The irons were in the bags of Smylie Kaufman (Shriners Open), Russell Knox (WGC-HSBC) and Graeme McDowell (RSM Classic) during their victories in late 2015.
Made from 1020 carbon steel, the Z745’s use a “Tour V.T.” sole, which increases leading edge bounce and decreases trail-edge bounce to improve turf interaction — especially on sightly fat hits. The irons also have laser double milling on the face to stabilize spin and distance control, and a tungsten weight in their toes improves forgiveness.
If you’re into blades, Srixon has released its new Z945 irons, which integrate the same technologies as the Z745 irons into a smaller package. See what our Forum Members have to say about them.
Callaway Apex and Apex Pro
Callaway’s X Forged irons from 2013 its Apex/Apex Pro irons (2014) are popular around GolfWRX Headquarters. They’ve been in and out of three of our editors’ bags since their release dates. With the release of the 2016 Apex/Apex Pro irons, however, that’s likely to change.
Callaway’s new Apex and Apex Pro models are no joke according to our early testing. You can read more about the tech here, and a full review is coming soon to our Front Page.
On Tour, Matt Every and Jason Kokrak made the switch to the new Apex Pro irons this fall, and we expect several more of Callaway’s PGA Tour Staff members to put the new irons in the bag this January after off-season testing.
PXG 0311T
PXG irons are quickly becoming a household name, at least among gear heads and tour players. For PXG, it began with Ryan Moore, but now players like James Hahn (irons), Zach Johnson (lob wedge) and Davis Love III (wood, irons and wedges, and is testing the driver) are gaming the sticks.
PXG originally released the 0311 irons, which have a fairly significant amount of offset and a game improvement-like profile. The company’s newest irons — the 0311T — have a smaller chassis with less offset, and they have found growing popularity on the PGA Tour.
PXG irons are expensive, and since they’re only sold through a select network of fitters they can only be tested by appointment. But judging by the interest level of tour players, the 0311T irons are something special.
Mizuno MP-5 and MP-25s
Old school meets new school, and technology meets art with Mizuno’s new MP-25 and MP-5 irons. The company expertly blended the classic head shapes, soles and toplines that golfers have grown accustom to from Mizuno, but added in a slew of technology to make them sound, feel and perform better than ever.
Tour players have been quick to game them, and even traditionalist Luke Donald already put a set of MP-25s in the bag. The irons also received a 5-star rating from GolfWRX… impressive.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
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Pingback: GolfWRX Predicts the Hottest Irons of 2016 | Honourable Society of Golf Fanatics
Roosterredneck
Dec 26, 2015 at 6:22 pm
I really like the C200s from WilsonStaff .Not Forged but they can compete any.
Blackwell
Dec 23, 2015 at 9:53 pm
This just proves golf is a rich mans game!
Johny Thunder
Jun 2, 2016 at 4:46 am
Prices of golf clubs haven’t increased as much as houses, cars and food. Staying alive has become a rich man’s game. Also, if a less wealthy person wants to play, Titleist 975D drivers can be had for under $50 on eBay. Older 460cc models in the same range or slightly higher.
KK
Dec 23, 2015 at 6:33 pm
AP2 and Ping I are blue chip as usual but T-MB looks to be a game changer.
Crabbie
Dec 23, 2015 at 12:27 pm
Metal moved around to different parts of the club are good for all, but practice is still needed to improve anyone’s game. Put an old blade in a good players hands and they can still play well. The key I have found is to be correctly fitted (no matter what brand you like) and that’s when they work the best for you…. which is the really HOT item of the year. Great club fitters.
Steve
Dec 22, 2015 at 6:09 pm
One of the best parts of having a hobby like playing Golf is the fact we can spend money on new products every year or two…How many old $300 or more drivers have you sitting under sun bleached head covers in your garage? And those sets of irons you just new would improve your game in 2010 in an old cart bag under a box of your wife’s old Tupperware. My favorite all the sleeves of new golf balls mixed in with my garden equipment now 5 or 6 years old that just had to much spin or were hard as a rock for me to shoot 89….either hit and spoon back to far or hit and ran a mile past the pin….GOTTA LOVE NEW EQUIPMENT because for sure that is all we need to shoot PAR>
Regis
Dec 23, 2015 at 12:50 pm
Well said and 100% true if we are being honest. On another site, regular contributors often supplement their comments with a What’s in the Bag summary at the bottom of each post. So if your searching for feedback on last year’s Cobra driver you come upon a very emphatic post by Joe who says this club is a true beast. Matched with my BB triple X Flex Blue shaft (trimmed 1/2 inch) I can safely say this cannon is never leaving my bag. But just under the post in the WITB portion (which has been updated in the interim) you see he is now playing a Taylormade R13 with a Misubishi Kamakze white dove shaft.
Jack
Dec 23, 2015 at 11:13 pm
It’s easier to buy new clubs than score in the single digits. Though even if the money spent on clubs is spent on playing at the courses, we’d all improve a lot more too.
Weeprogolfer
Dec 22, 2015 at 4:35 pm
We need to send in a set of the new Chikara irons for testing
Bijan
Dec 22, 2015 at 10:23 am
Recently hit he pxg set, incredible feel, distance was too far though. My standard 6 is around the 190 mark, they were flying at 200, gapping would be a struggle with those things.
Paul Clarke
Dec 31, 2015 at 7:18 am
Bijan, why should gapping be an issue? As I understand it these clubs are only available through a small number of high end outlets. To that end they should have the time and skill set to fit the irons to your particular needs whether that be strengthening or weakening the lofts on various irons. Distance will be determined by swing speed, shaft length and loft angle. If your swing speed is constant but shaft length is longer and loft angle has been jacked you are probably hitting a club or club and a half longer than what you are used to. Just a point for consideration.
George
Dec 21, 2015 at 4:41 pm
You are missing the 3 new Exotics irons those tungsten irons are better than the tungsten titleist irons!! The tungsten sole is almost double the weight on the titleist. I agree that the Z745 irons are going to be hot from Srixy!!
DrawDaddy
Dec 21, 2015 at 10:27 am
I have the new Apex Pro’s and I have never hit a better iron in my life. Except maybe the MP-5’s. Mp-5 and Apex Pro are easily the best looking out of the bunch with the Cobra’s close behind. Apex and Mp-5 both feel really good.
LaBraeGolfer
Dec 21, 2015 at 9:14 am
Callaway Apex line for sure, as well as the Mizzy’s, but I feel more people outside of golfwrx will be playing the Apex line. The irons I should play Apex or I line, the irons I want to play j15 MB.
Teaj
Dec 21, 2015 at 8:49 am
I shoot in the low 70’s….. any hotter I don’t like to golf
and by the way the Ping i’s are not just for scratch nor would I say the Z745’s are ether. Do you need to know how to strike a ball for the 745’s sure but there is some forgiveness there, and boy are they perdy.
.?????
Dec 20, 2015 at 9:46 pm
Can’t take this serious without j15cb…. Kuchar and snedeker play them if PGA presence matters
mhendon
Dec 22, 2015 at 6:14 pm
Demoed them today, well at least the 5 iron. It had good feel, very good distance and accuracy. Over all good looks with a slightly longer blade length than I like but they are definitely on my short list.
Dan
Dec 20, 2015 at 5:29 pm
I have to agree these are nice clubs, but no set of clubs retailing for $1500 is going to be “hot”… 🙂
golfraven
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:59 pm
I predict a riot!
Ok if I had to choose by looks it would be the MP25s for sure. Cheers
Deejaymn
Dec 20, 2015 at 12:01 pm
So these clubs are good for the 1% scratch golfers, how about four the rest of us.
Bobby Stevens
Dec 20, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Everyone on GolfWrx is a scratch golfer. We just shoot in the 80’s.
cb
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:36 pm
couldn’t have said it better myself bobby
DatSliceDoe
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:20 pm
Ain’t this the truth!
jgpl001
Jan 12, 2016 at 3:56 pm
Exactly, this is a scratch only site, let’s keep it that way..
Can’t wait though for one of our loyal scratch members to tell us the new Ping G iron should be here, and how they play it, etc…….ha ha ha
Chris
Dec 21, 2015 at 11:29 am
Apex, PSi, MP-25, maybe even throw the T-MB in there. Those are all clubs with some forgiveness to them. No need to be a scratch to play those. MP-25 has the least among those 4 as far as forgiveness, but that doesn’t mean it’s a straight blade with no room for error.
SBoss
Dec 22, 2015 at 10:50 pm
Throw in the Nike Vapor Pro Combos….great irons for better players. You get all the performance you’re looking for and some forgiveness in the smaller cavity. They’re a grand slam iron.
ken
Dec 23, 2015 at 2:13 pm
I’m a scratch golfer…..And I take offense to those who call us the 1%….Because I think there is a much higher percentage of amateur scratch golfers…..
You know, Hit the shot and stand there scratching your head wondering how the heck that one came up short/in the woods…LOL
mhendon
Dec 24, 2015 at 8:00 pm
Hardy har har you should do stand up. On second thought don’t quit your day job!
Johny Thunder
Jun 2, 2016 at 4:47 am
Try the veal. Or the ham.