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Robot testing confirms these 5 irons greatly improve heel misses
The latest installment of GOLF’s robot testing insights looks at 2024 irons designed to improve heel misses.
The post Robot testing confirms these 5 irons greatly improve heel misses appeared first on Golf.
The latest installment of GOLF’s robot testing insights looks at 2024 irons designed to improve heel misses.
The post Robot testing confirms these 5 irons greatly improve heel misses appeared first on Golf.
Go ahead and pick up the 7-iron in your bag and take a look at the wear pattern on the face. Unless your name is Tiger Woods or Moe Norman, there’s a good chance you’ll find some marks out on the heel or toe. Of the two locations, a heel strike is less common and comes from an inside path generally attached to better players.
We’re not saying a heel strike is the calling card of all better players but as you’ll notice from the list below, the Golf Laboratories swing robot highlighted several iron models geared for elite ball-strikers who miss it in the heel, including the impressive Mizuno Pro 241.
Of course, not every model on this list is a blade. For the game-improvement crowd, Ping’s G730 and XXIO’s 13 saw minimal distance loss on heel strikes when compared to geometric center impact. So, too, did the Blueprint S, a cavity-back model geared for the better player who still needs perimeter weighting for those mishits.
And if you’re wondering whether it’s better to miss it out of the heel or toe with your irons, the clear answer is the heel, according to the robot data. Across the 40-plus models tested, heel strikes averaged just 6.5 yards of distance loss versus 12.3 yards for toe misses. Now you know why better players tend to live in the heel when they don’t pure it.
(Methodology: All testing was conducted with a 7-iron at 80 mph — using the same shaft and attack angle — with six shots recorded from the geometric center and toe. The carry numbers below compare center and heel distances to achieve a carry delta.)
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Mizuno Pro 241 | 1.1 yards (carry delta between geometric center and heel strikes)
Mizuno Pro 241 Custom Irons
$200
KEY FEATURES OF THE MIZUNO PRO 241:
Grain Flow Forged HD in Hiroshima, Japan
Soft Copper Underlay for enhanced feel
Center mass for enhanced feedback
Aggressively tapered blade for an ideal trajectory
Thinner, tour preferred topline
More compact short irons
Increased bounce angle for improved turf interaction
Full Satin Brush finish
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Wilson Staff Model Blade | 2.1 yards
Wilson Staff Model Blade 2024 Custom Irons
$171.43
THE PURSUIT OF PURE
The finest clubs in our bag have proven their worth on tour and every course they play. Wilson Staff Model Blades offer absolute control to the advanced golfer, allowing them to shape each shot precisely as they see fit.
PRECISE TOE WEIGHTING
Eliminating the low left shot, the precise toe weighting keeps the club face open while maximizing forgiveness and ultimate control shot after shot.
FLUID FEEL HOSEL
Designed to eliminate unused weight, the Staff Model Blade hosel is an adaptation of our classic Wilson Dyna-Powered irons. It redistributes weight toward the toe, elevating its overall performance.
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Ping G730 | 3.3 yards
PING G730 Custom Irons
$170
Flexing Face
By employing hyper 17-4 stainless steel through heat treating, we thinned the face and optimized its overall structure to increase flexing and help lower the CG, delivering higher-launching shots with ball-speed gains and approximately five more yards of distance.
Powerful Sound
The cavity-back design is supplemented with the proven PurFlex cavity badge that enhances feel and produces a more powerful sound.
Extreme Forgiveness
The bigger head, more offset and wider sole in the investment-cast design increase the MOI in both axes, elevating forgiveness for improved stability and accuracy in this premium game-improvement design.
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XXIO 13 | 4.2 yards
XXIO 13 Irons
$1539.99
4-PIECE CONSTRUCTION
XXIO 13 Irons feature a low Center of Gravity thanks to their 4-piece construction, which uses titanium faces and tungsten-nickel sole weights. That weighting, combined with our unique Rebound Frame structure which alternates stiff and flexible zones for added ball speed, gives you a satisfyingly high launch with incredible distance.
REBOUND FRAME
Rebound Frame uses alternating layers of stiff and flexible zones to enhance overall COR, creating an effect that acts like a spring within a spring. It adds ball speed and distance to every shot. On the Irons, a thinner face flexes more extensively while perimeter grooves etched deep into the interior of the Iron body add even more flex, especially for shots struck low on the face.
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Ping Blueprint S | 4.5 yards
PING Blueprint S Custom Irons
$212.5
COMPACT SHAPE
The compact shape fits the discerning eye with a thin top line and minimal offset. The 8620 carbon steel head boasts a clean cavity design, distinguished by an eye-catching forged textured pattern and hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish.
PRECISION POCKET FORGING
This patented forging technique allows PING to forge a pocket into the cavity of the 3, 4 and 5 irons. The pocket saves 10 grams of weight, which is re-allocated to increase the MOI and optimize the center of gravity position for more distance and trajectory control.
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Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf.
The post Robot testing confirms these 5 irons greatly improve heel misses appeared first on Golf.