A look at the best golf irons for seniors, models that offer greater forgiveness and maximise clubhead and ball speed.
Best Golf Irons For Seniors
One of the great things about the sport of golf is that you can continue to play, and be competitive, into older age. It’s a game of skill as well as strength and, as long as you look after your body, there’s no reason you can’t keep playing to a good standard well into retirement.
As we grow older, we lose a little strength and speed, but equipment can help to limit the effects of this.
Most manufacturers produce the best golf irons that have been specifically designed for players with slower swing speeds and golfers who are looking for a little more forgiveness from their equipment.
- Best Distance Irons – Gain maximum distance with your irons
- Best Game Improvement Irons – Knock shots of your scores
Many manufacturers will offer a specific senior flex of shaft that could help you get more speed and power.
You may have had a chance to look at our ultimate guide to the best irons on the market, or you might have looked at our advice on the most forgiving irons out there.
Here below we’re focusing on the best golf irons for seniors 2020 has to offer.
Best Golf Irons For Seniors
Titleist T400 irons
+ Max distance in Titleist iron range
+ Most forgiving iron in Titleist range
– Not most workable iron in Titleist range
The Titleist T400 iron has been designed to be the most forgiving and longest iron in Titleist’s popular T series.
It has the strongest lofts in the Titleist range, but the launch is not compromised with a strong, high ball flight produced.
The split sole design delivers smooth turf interaction, while super-thin face and hollow head are fortified by high-density tungsten weighting making this a powerful and supremely forgiving iron.
The set is progressive with blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths decreasing towards the shorter irons.
Overall, we think the T400 is a great game improvement iron that could really help senior golfers get the most from their games.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops from $1,299.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf from £859
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Irons
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Iron
+ Looks inviting to hit
+ Strong, high draw bias trajectory
– Not most workable iron in the Callaway range
The Callaway Big Bertha B21 irons are the first Big Bertha irons to be designed using Artificial Intelligence.
The irons feature a generous offset, wide soles and a thick topline to inspire confidence.
Flash face technology delivers high ball speeds and a strong ball flight and tungsten toe weighting moves the centre of gravity to the middle of the score-lines for extra forgiveness.
Callaway’s urethane microspheres provide a soft feel. These are over one million tiny air pockets that absorb unwanted vibration without slowing the face.
Overall, after testing, we thought the Big Bertha B21 iron to be ideal for senior golfers who struggle with launch and strike. There is a good deal of technology to help you get the ball up with more speed while the feel off the face is also pleasing on the senses.
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Irons Review
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops from $1,159.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf from £685
TaylorMade SIM Max Irons
+ Good distance and forgiveness
+ Nice soft sound
– Not most workable iron from TaylorMade
The TaylorMade SIM Max is the smaller of the brand’s two game-improvement irons for 2020.
There’s a generous sole width and hitting area with noticeable offset and a thick topline inspiring confidence over the ball for the inconsistent striker.
The irons feature a Speed Bridge design which connects the back bar to the topline for support and to prevent unwanted vibrations.
A Thru-Slot Speed Pocket that stretches from heel to toe and completely disconnects the leading edge from the sole of the iron, which in essence creates a free-floating face. This allows the face to hinge upon the topline for enhanced flexibility, more ball speed and greater forgiveness.
TaylorMade’s variable thickness face design, called Inverted Cone Technology (ICT), is now uniquely positioned to both increase the sweet spot and minimise the effects of mishits.
In testing, we particularly liked the sound and feel of the SIM Max irons, softer and more subtle than many competitors. These are definitely among the best golf irons for seniors.
TaylorMade SIM Max Irons Review
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops from $899.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf from £749
Cobra King Speedzone Irons
+ Strong flight with low spin
+ Increased distance
– Not everyone will like look of carbon fibre topline
Cobra’s King Speedzone irons have been designed to deliver extra distance thanks to the first ever carbon fibre topline.
Two strips of carbon fibre replace steel both on the topline and underneath the topline in the 4-7 irons, creating a new I-beam type of construction allowing for saved weight and structural soundness.
Additionally, Cobra introduced progressive grooves that go from V-shaped grooves in the 4-6-irons to U-shaped grooves in the 7-PW. This is said to create consistent spin and flight.
We were impressed with the distance and ball flight produced by these irons in testing and feel the King SZ represents a shift further towards the super game improvement category, with the included technologies creating an option to suit senior golfers looking for a compact distance iron.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops from $799.99
UK Buy Now at Golf Support from £699
Honma T World XP-1 Irons
+ Fast and easy to strike
+ Good flight
– Premium product means premium price
The high-performance design of the XP-1 irons produce impressive distance and accuracy, thanks to a thin, fast club face throughout the set. Hollow long irons feature a tungsten sole weight, while short irons have a deep cavity. A high MOI is achieved with a low, deep CG for higher launches and longer carries.
In testing we found it produced impressive ball speed and a strong flight. The wide sole helps the club glide through the turf.
Many senior golfers suited to this type of performance will likely notice a better overall feel and even more speed and launch from Honma’s own Vizard graphite shaft options, but need to consider the extra cost.
Honma T World XP-1 Irons Review
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf from £969
Wilson Staff Launch Pad Irons
+ Extra assistance from wide sole
+ Good accuracy
– Unorthodox looks take some getting used to
The clubhead of the Launch Pad irons incorporates a wide, progressive sole throughout the set that prevents the sole from digging into the turf before impact. The short irons (7-SW) feature more traditional sole widths, while the longer irons (4-6) feature wider, more forgiving soles, for more consistent ball-striking and greater distance.
In testing we were impressed with the Wilson Staff Launch Pad irons. They’re not going to hit the ball for you and they’re certainly not going to save a really poor swing, but the margin for error on the strike is definitely larger on a club like this and if you’re a senior struggling for consistency, it’s certainly an option worth trying.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops from $699.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf from £519
Cleveland Launcher UHX Irons
+ Good power and strong launch
+ Nice feel in shorter irons
– Not the most workable in longer irons
Cleveland’s Launcher UHX Irons incorporate hollow long irons (4-7-irons) for more distance and forgiveness, with lower and deeper weighting compared to traditional cavity back irons.
Meanwhile, the 8-iron through to pitching wedge feature a cavity back construction, which focuses on precision and control rather than maximising distance.
The Cleveland Launcher UHX irons will suit a senior player who struggles to find consistency with the longer irons but still craves a degree of control and precision in the shorter clubs.
US Buy Now at Worldwide golf Shops from $684.99
UK Buy Now at Golf Support from £479
Ping G410 Irons
+ Great distance and consistency
+ Forgiving
– Large toe screw visually distracting
The idea behind the G410 irons was to create a visually more appealing iron without detracting from the forgiveness and power you would expect from a G-Series iron.
It’s a fairly compact iron and the thinner top edge and shorter blade length definitely enhance the look at address.
Its construction is via co-moulding, including aluminium and santoprene to dampen vibrations. The feel off the face is solid yet controlled.
The face flexing technology delivers a fast and powerful launch, while the combination of a cascading sole, top-rail undercut and updated COR-Eye technology help produce a flexible face for maximised ball speed.
Overall, we think this is a great option for the senior golfer looking to play an iron that is more user-friendly but still offering good levels of control. Worth considering are the G410 Crossover options – see below.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops from $789.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf from £649
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