Forged golf irons are a very popular topic of talk in the golf world. Regardless of your playing skills or handicap level, chances are you are quite aware of the benefit that a great forged iron can give you.
Although cavity backs are some of the best game improvement irons around, there is a difference when you swing with a forged iron set.
However, there are many forged golf irons on the market, and some are better than others. If you think that 2023 is your year for a set of new forged irons, then you are in the right place.
Forged irons are a bit pricey, and to ensure you pick the best one for your golf game, you will want to check out this guide.
To save you a bit of time, we will tell you that the Callaway Apex 21 irons are the best forged irons of 2023.
Forged irons are not the perfect fit for all golfers. Take a look at some of the other best choices on the market to help find the fit for your game.
No Time? Here’s our Top Picks
- Perfect forged iron for the golfer on a budget
- Perimeter weighting to help for better forgiveness and performance
- Something even high handicap golfers could play with
- Improved turf interaction from previous iron sets
- Artificial intelligence helped to create the best players distance irons on the market
- Some of the best forged feel we have seen in Callaway
- Compact head shape
- Reduced offset
- Great for a fast swing speed player
- More pure feel than other forged irons
What Are Forged Irons?
Golfers love to throw the term forged around; however, not all players even understand the terminology.
The forged golf irons are forged out of one piece of metal. These are not irons that are put together by combining a bunch of different materials.
Of course, since the forged irons are made out of one piece of steel or metal, there is less room for vibration when the club and ball make contact.
This is essentially what leads to a better feel and more impressive forged iron performance.
However, there is something important that you understand about forged irons; they are not as forgiving as a cavity back iron.
Typically speaking, the center of gravity cannot be manipulated quite as much to protect against off-center strikes.
It’s important to pay attention to all of the technology incorporated into forged iron sets.
Best Overall: Callaway Apex 21 Forged
The best overall forged irons on the market are the Callaway Apex 21 forged. These golf irons were created using artificial intelligence. They intend to help golfers get faster ball speeds and more consistency.
This is the first Callaway Apex forged that incorporated artificial intelligence, and the difference is noticeable.
Callaway golf is continually pushing the limits of technology and finding options that really appeal to the mid-handicap golfers. Those that need a game improvement iron but can’t stand the rattle of a cavity back will love everything about the Apex 21.
The Tungsten Energy Core is another new addition to an Apex iron set. The 64 grams of tungsten allowed for that perfect position of the center of gravity, something we don’t always see in a forged golf club.
The improved center of gravity means that you’ll be able to achieve higher, piercing ball flights, even in bad weather conditions. Higher ball flights are great when approaching greens, so your ball will stop quickly after impact.
The urethane microspheres that we have seen across many different Callaway golf irons have once again been incorporated in the new Apex.
Combining those inside the head with the 1025 mild carbon steel has really helped make this one of the best forged iron set choices on the market.
Lower handicap golfers will want to consider the Callaway Apex even though it is not a pure blade. In the mid to long irons, the feel and performance are so good that you won’t recognize that this is not a pure players iron.
Key Features
- Improved turf interaction from previous iron sets
- Impressive game improvement iron
- Artificial intelligence helped to create the best players distance irons on the market
- Some of the best forged feel we have seen in a Callaway Apex golf iron
Best Value: Wilson D7 Forged
Forged irons tend to be very expensive. Most of the time, a complete iron set is going to be well over 1000 dollars.
For the performance and the feel that the forged irons offer, this is really understandable. The Wilson D7 forged irons are a great choice for the average golfers that want a forged iron for the price of a cavity back.
The Power Hole construction of the D7 forged has made these a great choice for the golfers that need a bit of extra distance from their shots.
Most golfers miss the green short, so having a couple of more yards with the same irons might make the difference of having to hole a put or having to hole a chip.
A urethane-filled power chamber in the center of the club helps deliver that forged feel that we have come to expect.
One of the best things about the D7 irons is that high handicap golfers can get the distance and performance that they need from the set.
This is the ultimate iron for switching from a cavity back to a real muscle back.
You will learn how to hit the center of the face while still improving distance and performance along the way.
Key Features
- Perfect forged iron for the golfer on a budget
- Perimeter weighting to help for better forgiveness and performance
- Something even high handicap golfers could play with
- 8620 Carbon Steel body provides a very workable clubface for ball strikers
Best Premium: Titleist 620 MB
Titleist irons tend to get a lot of attention in the forged categories. Forged performance usually goes hand in hand with a player’s iron, and Titleist seems to specialize in this category.
Of all the forged iron models on the market, this could be one of the best looking there is.
Of course, if you will put a Titleist iron into play, you have to have the game to swing it. These forged irons like the Titleist 620 MB tend to be for the better ball strikers.
If you want short irons that can throw darts at the pin, this is the club for you.
The advanced muscle back design is tour-proven, and the reduced offset gives the 620 MB a true Tour level look.
I can’t stress the importance of loving the looks of you club when you look down at it. This gives you an instant boost in confidence. Considering that golf is a mental game, confidence at address is one key element of choosing your next set of irons.
When it comes to ball speed, you will get plenty with these quality irons. However, to hit straighter shots, you will need to hit the ball near the center of the face.
This is a set of irons that you will keep for a very long time and some of the best golf clubs that Titleist has ever put out. Just make sure you are capable of consistent ball striking before you invest.
Key Features
- Compact head shape
- Reduced offset
- Great for a fast swing speed player
- More pure feel than other forged irons
Mizuno JPX 921 Forged Iron Set
When you think about the best forged irons on the market, chances are Mizuno will come to mind.
Mizuno is known for the premium feel they put in their forged golf irons. Although many golfers believe that the Mizuno irons are just players’ irons, there are plenty of options that work for mid handicappers.
The JPX 921 forged irons are built for the mid to low handicapper that wants distance, workability, and plenty of feel.
The great thing about this forged club is that it also offers a bit of forgiveness. Although not quite game improvement irons, you will be happy with the workability that you get from this club.
The new stability frame is our favorite feature of the Mizuno JPX 921. Additional perimeter weight was put into the forged golf club head to ensure that the club is very stable when you make impact.
This further increases the clubs performance on off-center strikes. We all like to assume we find nothing but the center on every swing. But the forgiveness of the JPX 921 has saved more than one ball from finding the bottom of the lake.
This stability is what brings the better feel to your golf game.
Key Features
- Grain flow forged for better feel
- Compact players feel and look
- Chromoly 4120 for a faster ball speed
- Pearl brush finish
Cobra King Forged Tec
The Cobra King Forged Tec irons are a modern and impressive set of forged irons featuring the Cobra Connect Technology.
You will get the muscle back shape combined with a forged face for the best of both worlds with this Cobra iron set.
One of the things you will notice right away with the Cobra King Forged Tec is that these are clean-looking golf irons.
They look like a slightly thicker muscle back club.
Typically speaking, the better looking the iron is, the more capable it seems of pulling off difficult golf shots.
We don’t want to say you’ll pull of some Tiger Magic when you game your Cobra irons, but you certainly start to believe you can – for the better or worse of it.
We are very impressed with the ball speed and launch you can get with the Forged Tec in your hands. Even though the face is somewhat compact, the hollow construction allows for plenty of speed, even on the longer irons.
Cobra makes golf clubs for a wide range of handicaps, and this forged iron set will be the best fit for the mid handicapper.
Key Features
- Distance forged irons to get golfers a little closer to the hole
- Enough forgiveness to make the long irons easier to hit
- Maximum ball speed and high launch of the golf ball
- Foam infused core and tungsten weighting make these some of the very best forged irons for feel
- It priced a little better than Apex irons
Srizon Z Forged Irons
Srixon may have a hard time competing with some of the bigger companies in certain golf categories. However, the Srixon Z Forged irons are some of the best around when it comes to forged iron.
When you look at these golf clubs, you can tell that they are well made and help produce quality golf shots.
The shape of the Z Forged is a classic muscle back look that will be quite versatile. This means that the club head is designed to get the golf ball well on its way to the pin if you are in the rough or the fairway.
We are impressed with the weight of the golf club, especially in the short irons. This increases the feel during the swing and you’ll always know where the clubface is in relation to the ball.
You will feel as though the new Tour V.T. Sole can help you get some very good ball-striking in and the ability to really hit any shot you would like.
Iron shots are where a golfer can get creative with their game. The Z Forged iron set responds so well that you can essentially tell it what you need it to do.
Also, Srixon makes amazing driving irons. Check them out!
Key Features
- Great ball speed
- IMpressive looking golf club
- New Tour V.T. Sole to help players control the shot distances and turf interaction
- Muscle back blade shape
Tour Edge EXS Pro Forged Iron Set
Each year, a few new releases to the golf market stand out as something unique and different. At first, we saw player’s irons turned into distance irons. The hollow construction but most of these were coming from Callaway, TaylorMade, and Cobra.
In 2023 there is a brand new option on the market from Tour Edge. Tour Edge tends to fly under the radar a bit when it comes to their golf equipment.
They offer clubs at a great value, but most of the time, people aren’t running to the shelves to grab a Tour Edge.
However, with the new EXS Pro Forged, this could change.
The EXS Pro Forged Iron is made with Japanese S25C Carbon Steel. This is done to help create both feel and forgiveness in the golf iron. In addition, there is an insert in the club that helps to improve the ball speed that you can get.
An increase in ball speed means you’ll get more efficient with this club and won’t have to work hard to shoot impressive distances!
Overall this is a compact iron head that has gone through a triple forging technique, which is only done in high-end Japanese forged irons.
If you want some of this impressive feel highly regarded by the Japanese club makers, the EXS Pro Forged is the way to go.
Key Features
- Triple forging process
- Has enough feel to be considered players irons
- Also has enough forgiveness to work for the mid handicappers
- CNC milled grooves and high MOI
Buyers Guide
Now that you have a better idea of the best forged irons on the market, it’s time to start narrowing down which golf iron is going to be the best for your game.
As you can see when you look at a forged iron, there are many different types out there.
Some are more of a mix between a cast and a forged, and others are full muscle back blade forged irons. Regardless of the type of golf iron you end up with, there is no questioning that the forged golf irons have a specific and impressive feel.
Shaft Material
The shaft is one of the most important considerations you must make when choosing your new golf iron.
A forged iron can come in both steel and graphite shafts; the one you end up with will help determine the type of performance you can get from the club.
Steel shafts are more about the control you can get, where a graphite shaft is more about distance. Players with slower swing speeds tend to enjoy the launch and distance they can get with a graphite shaft.
A forged iron set with a steel shaft is built more for the lower handicapper, with high swing speeds that like to control the flight of their golf shots.
Shaft Flex
The flex of your golf shaft is another important consideration. Most golfers choose between regular or stiff flex; however, some may be qualified to swing with the extra stiff.
Generally speaking, you will want your iron set to fall within the range of speed that is most comfortable for you.
Some golfers will push it a bit with their driver and put a stiff or extra stiff in the driver. However, with most of your golf shots in the day being taken with your forged irons, it is important to choose a shaft flex that feels comfortable and easy to manage.
Pricing
Forged irons are expensive.
Honestly, a good portion of the golfers that choose not to play forged irons will simply do it because they are just too expensive.
Of course, we know that the feel of the golf irons will increase the pricing, but there is another major reason that the forged golf irons are so pricey.
The forging process takes longer, and it is more involved than the cavity back iron creation process. If you don’t believe us, you can watch videos of forged irons and see the steps that go into it that make the process quite complicated.
With the pricing of forged irons not likely to drop anytime soon, golfers are left with a tough decision.
Is a forged golf iron worth the money?
If you ask us, we will tell you that you will get your money’s worth from a forged golf iron. These clubs last a long time, and the feel will never be better.
Try to consider not just the initial price but the value that you get from a golf iron.
Set Makeup
The set makeup must be the right matchup for your game. All golfers need to decide on the proper amount of long irons and short irons to properly put a set of clubs together. The set makeup of your forged irons is a very critical factor to work out before making a purchase.
The first thing to keep in mind is that forged irons are not as forgiving as cavity back irons. This means that if you are just barely able to get your four iron into the air with your cavity backs, don’t expect it to be easier with the forged golf clubs.
Truthfully, most golfers should consider forged irons in the five iron and below. Anything above the five iron is going to take a good amount of club head speed.
If you are a player using a stiff or extra stiff shaft, the long irons being forged will not matter.
In addition, with forged irons having such a great feel, many players decide to include the gap wedge as part of the iron set as opposed to purchasing separate wedges.
This can be a smart idea and will help golfers that are trying to improve their accuracy on approach shots.
As long as you have some higher lofted wedges in the bag, having an approach wedge that matches your forged irons is a good idea.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you have been able to narrow down the best irons for your golf game. Golfers tend to ask many questions about forged irons because they are a big investment to make. Here are some of the questions that will help make your forged iron purchase a bit easier to sort out.
Who Makes The Best Forged Irons?
Many golf companies make their version of a forged golf iron. In fact, most iron manufacturers have at least one forged iron in their lineup. Some golf manufacturers tend to have a better selection than others.
The Mizuno, Titleist, Srixon, and Miura brands are the most well-known for forged golf irons. These companies have some unique procedures, processes, and finishes that they apply to their forged irons.
The end result is really an iron that feels better than other irons on the market. Most of the time, the forged irons produced by these companies are for those with a slightly higher swing speed. Once you start playing with a forged iron, you will likely have a hard time going back to a cavity back.
Why Are Japanese Forged Irons So Highly Respected?
One of the latest trends in the golf world is the Japanese forged irons. The Miura, XXIO, and Mizuno brands are among these Japanese brands that produce clubs with impeccable feel. What is it about the Japanese forged clubs that make them so appealing?
If you look a bit deeper into the materials used, the processes, and the way these companies operate, you may find the answers that you need.
A Japanese forged iron is created with a much lower tolerance for imperfections and errors. For the forged iron to leave the facility, it must be inspected and tested to make sure that it is perfect.
These restrictions and attention to detail are not really the same for other types of golf irons.
Although the Japanese forged irons tend to be some of the more expensive ones on the market, think about this the next time you are purchasing forged golf irons.
Are Forged Irons Good For High Handicappers?
A forged golf iron will not be the top pick for a golfer with a high handicap. However, this is not to say that high handicappers should avoid a forged golf iron.
Forged irons produce some of the best feel on the market, and because of that, a high handicapper may hit a few shots and decide they like the forged golf irons better. This is completely understandable and something that we certainly agree with.
The problem is that the forgiveness on the forged iron is generally not enough for the high handicapper.
The high handicapper golf swing can be a bit unpredictable, which causes some inconsistencies when making contact with the face of the iron. If you are willing to handle the golf ball going to the left or the right a bit more than you would like, forged irons can work.
For higher handicappers that really want to try the forged clubs, we recommend the King Cobra Forged Tec. These seem to make things a bit easier on the higher handicapper.
How Do I Know If I’m Ready For Forged Irons?
Most of the time, a forged iron is recommended for a mid handicapper. If a mid handicapper can strike the ball consistently and hit shots that gather mainly in the center of the green, they are likely ready for a forged iron.
It’s hard to put an exact number on this readiness for a forged iron. For instance, if you can break 80, you can certainly play with forged irons. However, some golfers shoot 82 or 84 that should also be playing a forged club.
It’s not right to limit the forged irons to those with a single-digit handicap. In fact, we would estimate that many 9-14 handicaps are playing with forged irons.
The forged golf iron is not nearly as difficult to hit as it once was. Over time the technology has improved. Golf manufacturers have learned how to increase the distance performance in an iron without losing the feel.
In addition, the center of gravity discoveries has shown us that with a center of gravity positioned properly, forged irons can be more forgiving than we ever thought possible.
Head to the range and try out a few forged irons. Hit some with your current clubs and some with the new clubs, and see what kind of differences you notice. Check your dispersion and see if you are keeping shots close to the centerline. If you are, it’s time for the forged clubs.
Are Forged Irons Better?
Most golfers will tell you that forged irons are better than cavity back irons. We don’t like to say that one group of irons is better than another. The more time you spend around the game of golf, the more you learn about finding the equipment that works for your game.
Finding a set of irons, or putter, or driver that works for you, is more important than playing the best club on the market.
Forged irons are better for many players, but they are not a better overall choice for all players. Your game has to be prepared to play with a forged club, and if it is not, you will struggle.
Try not to get hung up on the idea of a golf iron being the best on the market. Chances are you will find something that looks and feels good to you, which is the club to choose.
Best Forged Irons Recap
Hopefully, you now feel as though you can make a proper forged golf iron choice in 2023. There are so many great options out there; we know it can be difficult to decide. However, the Callaway Apex 21 stands out as the best overall option for most players.
With the Callaway Apex 21 forged, you get distance, forgiveness, and incredible performance. This level of technology is so advanced that you won’t have to worry about replacing these golf irons for quite some time.
In addition, the feel of the Callaway Apex is truly that of a player’s blade-type iron. These features, plus the option for incredible shaft choices and customization, make the Apex your go-to choice for a forged iron in 2023.
