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.
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
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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.