Are you new to the game of golf?
If you are entering into this amazing game, we know how overwhelming it can be. There is so much to figure out as far as equipment is concerned that many golfers never get past the equipment stage, and they simply give up on the process.
Golf irons for beginners will help ensure that the entry into the game is more fun, easier, and something that you are much more likely to stick with long term. Beginner golfers have great golf iron choices; it’s just a matter of finding the right one for your game.
That’s where we come in!
We have put together reviews on the best golf irons for beginners. Each of these clubs has been thoroughly tested and will specifically meet the requirements necessary to help beginner golfers succeed in the game.
The best golf irons for beginners are the Big Bertha B21’s, but there are a few other surprises from Callaway further down on our list. If you are a beginner golfer, this all-inclusive guide will explain exactly what you need from an iron and which is best for your game.
Table of Contents
No time? Here’s The Rundown
| Image | Features | Our Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall  | Big Bertha B21
| 9.7 | Global GolfAmazon |
Best For Ball Speed  | TaylorMade SIM 2 Max OS
| 9.5 | Global GolfAmazon |
Best Premium  | TaylorMade P790 Ti
| 9.3 | Global GolfAmazon |
Best For Feel  | Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal
| 9.2 | Global GolfAmazon |
Best For Consistency  | Cobra King SpeedZone
| 9.1 | Global GolfAmazon |
Best One Length  | Cobra King F9 Speedback
| 9.1 | Global GolfAmazon |
Best Looking  | Titleist T300
| 9.1 | Global GolfAmazon |
Best For Long Term Use  | Ping G425
| 9 | Global Golf |
Best Hybrid Set  | Cobra T Rail 2
| 8.9 | Global GolfAmazon |
Best On A Budget  | Wilson D9
| 8.9 | Global GolfAmazon |
Best Value  | Cobra FMax 20
| 8.7 | Global Golf |
Best For Seniors  | Tour Edge E521 IronWood
| 8.7 | Global GolfAmazon |
1) Best Irons For Beginners: Big Bertha B21 Iron Set
The best irons for beginners are the Big Bertha B21 irons. These beginner irons are designed to be the most forgiving irons that Callaway has brought to market.
When Callaway set out to update the Big Bertha B21, they had only beginners and high handicappers in mind.
If you remember the Callaway Big Bertha irons from years ago, you know that they were some of the best irons the game has seen for the beginner.
Big Bertha B21 irons were developed with brand new A.I and Flash Face Cup technology have modernized the iron set completely.
If you are a golfer with a slightly slower swing speed (which many new players are), the Big Bertha B21 will have all the technology necessary to help speed things up.
In addition, you are going to get higher ball speeds and better spin even with this slower swing speed.
Another great feature of the B21 is the ability to launch the golf ball. So many beginners struggle to find an iron set that helps them get the ball up in the air.
With the B21, this is not going to be a concern. You will have no issues learning to launch this ball high and get it to land softly on the greens.
If you are new to the game of golf, there is no question this is a smart choice. Even when your game starts to improve and you get more into the game, the graphite shafts and impressive club heads will allow for even better long-term performance.
Related: Best Irons From Callaway
2) Best For Ball Speed: TaylorMade SIM 2 Max OS
Even though you are new to the game, you are going to quickly learn that the TaylorMade brand is known for ball speed and distance.
With the TaylorMade SIM 2 Max, you will notice several technologies that can help to ensure players get maximum distance off the tee.
These particular golf irons are the oversized version, so they are slightly draw bias and can help players that tend to slice the golf ball.
For the most part, beginners are going to be prone to a slice in their game, and that is why it’s important to look for this technology in game improvement irons.
The new TaylorMade SIM 2 Max OS also features Echo Damping technology combing with Speed Pocket technology.
These two things not only help to increase speed but they also provide forgiveness for golfers as well.
Related: Best Irons From TaylorMade
3) Best Value: Cobra FMax 20 Iron Set Golf Clubs
Cobra has always had a strong reputation when it comes to beginner golf clubs. They know exactly what beginners are looking for and how to put this technology into a golf club.
The new Cobra FMax 20 irons are built specifically for players that are looking for forgiving irons. Almost every beginner in the game will benefit from forgiveness in their clubs.
The Cobra F Max20 has more than just a lightweight shaft; the grip and clubhead are lighter as well.
Beginner players that don’t have as much strength are going to enjoy the technology that the FMax 20 has to offer.
The strategic weighting of the Cobra FMax 20 irons makes them one of the best beginner golf irons that we have seen.
In addition, Cobra is very fair about the pricing that they give their iron sets. When it comes to forgiving golf clubs, the Cobra F Max is one of the best choices that you will find.
4) Best For Consistency: Cobra King SpeedZone Iron Set Golf Clubs
Don’t be surprised by the fact that Cobra will have a few golf iron selections on the list of best beginners golf clubs.
The Cobra King SpeedZone Iron is a great choice for those looking for consistency in their game.
You may not know this yet if you are a pure beginner, but it is tough to be consistent in golf. Regardless of your handicap level, you will be subject to some off center hits, and there really is no avoiding it.
However, with a club like the SpeedZone in your hands, you will have a much better chance of being consistent and productive with your golf irons.
The Carbon topline on the King SpeedZone is a new technology that was not included in the F9 Speedback iron head.
The SpeedZone is made of 40% lighter steel, and it allowed the center of gravity to be more perfectly positioned in the clubhead.
We love the Pwrshell Technology that Cobra used to help increase ball speeds. Even if you miss the club’s center faces a bit, you will still get some very impressive ball speeds with the Speedzone iron set.
This is a face insert put into the club, and it is forged to further increase the ball speed.
Last but certainly not least, these Cobra irons have Cobra Connect technology. With Cobra connect, you can track the distance and accuracy of all of your shots on the Arccos Caddie app.
For a beginner, this can really help to show how your game is progressing and whether or not the golf iron set is helping you improve.
5) Best For Feel: Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal Iron Set Golf Clubs
As you learn the game more and develop your skills, you will see that all golf brands are known for different strengths and weaknesses.
The Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal Iron set is, without a doubt, the best feeling beginner golf set on the market.
Not only are these Mizuno golf clubs forgiving and long hitting, but they have a pure feel throughout the entire set. Part of this is because of the faster Chromoly 4140M technology.
The Mizuno JPX also has a pearl brush finish that helps to reduce glare and make this club as good looking as it feels.
The Seamless cup face technology is very similar to the cup face technology you see in Callaway irons.
You will find that the face will actually flex a bit at impact and almost work as a trampoline when the ball comes off of the face. Certainly, this helps increase distance and performance.
The stability frame combined with the harmonic impact technology eliminates almost any vibration at impact, especially on the shorter irons.
Related: Best Mizuno Irons In 2023s
6) Best For Long Term Use: Ping G425 Iron Set Golf Clubs
When you buy a set of beginner golf irons, you should also be considering the long term future of those irons and what makes the most sense.
When you invest in these clubs, you will spend quite a bit of money, and it makes sense to get something that will last for many years.
One of the best sets for this purpose is the PingG425 irons.
The Ping G425 irons are a brand new release from Ping, and although they are a premium golf club, they will last you for years to come.
Part of the appeal of the Ping G425 irons is the new reengineered face. It has the speed that you can only get with a metalwood but the workability of an iron.
One of the other improvements from the Ping G410 to the Ping G425 is getting the ball up in the air. You can launch the Ping G425 very easily regardless of if you are in the rough or the short grass.
You will notice that for a high handicapper and a beginner, it is effortless to get the concept of hitting a pure iron shot down when you have a club like the G425 in your hands.
7) Best One Length: Cobra King F9 Speedback One Length Golf Irons
The one length iron sets have not been around all that long. With a typical set of golf irons, each club is a slightly different length than another.
You will start at the pitching wedge, which is the shortest, and the clubs get progressively longer as you get towards the long irons.
With the one length concept that Cobra developed, the golf irons are all the same length as the 7 iron.
With everything being the same length, it makes it much easier to set up to the golf ball. Each time the setup will essentially be the same.
For beginners who have so much to learn about the game, this is a tremendous benefit.
The Cobra F9 Speedback is not the newest release from Cobra, and that is partly what makes these clubs a great value as well.
The F9 One Length features the Pwrshell Face (no, not a typo) to help with ball speed, and the sweet spot is quite large.
Overall it’s hard to be disappointed by a golf club that makes the game easier for you, simply by the way it is designed.
8) Best Looking Beginner Irons: Titleist T300 Irons
Even though you are new to the game, there will be golf clubs that have a look that appeals to you and golf clubs that don’t.
When you stand at the address position, it is important to be able to look down and see something that gives you confidence in your abilities as a player.
The best looking irons for beginners are the Titleist T300 golf irons. Titleist is not the first company that typically comes to mind for the best golf irons for beginners, but that has changed with the addition of the T300 golf irons.
Beginners and high handicappers now have the ability to put a Titleist in their golf bag.
The size of the face on the T300 is large but not so large that you will feel as though you’re playing with a large club head.
Beginners and high handicappers will benefit greatly from the Max Impact Technology that increases the speed across the entire clubface.
Even though Titleist is most well known for their blade and forged style golf clubs, these cavity back irons earn them quite a bit of recognition in the game improvement irons category.
As always, Titleist golf clubs come with options for a variety of steel shafts or graphite shafts. This is a set you will use as a beginner and keep as you become a mid handicapper.
9) Best Hybrid Iron Set For Beginners: Cobra T Rail 2 Combo Iron Set
Another type of golf iron that beginners can play with is something called a hybrid golf iron. Hybrids are mixes between irons and fairway woods.
They are known for having very easy distance and launch and easy ability to hit shots out of the rough.
The Cobra T Rail 2 Combo Iron set is a brand new hybrid iron that really sets up as the best irons for beginners.
The hollow construction on the hybrids allows players to get incredible distances without all that much effort.
Another great feature of the T Rail 2 Combo is the fact that the Baffler Hollow Split Rail technology has made its way into these golf clubs.
The Cobra Baffler Hybrids were some of the best hybrids to be released on the market; with these clubs, golfers could cut through the rough like never before.
These rails have been redesigned to deliver more flex for a higher launch and higher ball speed. Essentially the T Rail 2 will be some of the most forgiving irons that you will ever swing.
Cobra did a great job of making iron like short irons, so beginners don’t lose out on feel and developing precision in the short game.
Overall this is not a cheap set of golf clubs, but beginner golfers will find that it has everything necessary to succeed in the game of golf. If you pair this with some Cobra woods, you won’t be considered a beginner golfer for very long!
10) Best Premium Golf Irons For Beginners: TaylorMade P790 Ti
Many beginners are afraid to invest a great deal of money in a set of irons. This is understandable, considering the game may not be the best match for your abilities.
However, if you think you are all in and are ready to take your golf game to the next level, the TaylorMade P790Ti is the way to go.
Before you get too invested in this golf set, it may be worth looking into the pricing of this set. This is a major investment but one that will pay off for many players.
The P790 irons have been on the market for several years, and impressive hollow golf iron technology makes it one of the most popular among mid to high handicappers.
In addition, the P790 Ti irons have a titanium face. Titanium is an iron club face that will promote incredible launch and distance.
In addition to the long-distance, you can also expect that with the Speedfoam technology you will also get a great feel.
When you hit a great shot with the P790 Ti, you are most definitely going to be rewarded for it.
The ball will fly towards the target, and you will be left with a feeling that you will learn to repeat over and over again.
Related: Best Irons From TaylorMade
11) Best For Senior Beginners: Tour Edge E521 IronWood Golf Irons
Many seniors have hit a point in their life that they are ready to retire. This new found time is often filled with golf, and it is a great decision.
The Tour Edge E521 makes the perfect choice for a set of senior irons for beginners.
This E521 is an iron wood, so it is a bit of a mix between one of your longer clubs and your irons. The benefit of the Tour Edge 521 iron wood technology is that it offers a very high ball flight and ball speed.
The face of the club forgives as well, making it a really smart choice for beginners and high handicappers of any age.
Typically speaking, senior golfers tend to struggle with ball speed and swing speed. As people get older, they tend to lose a bit of their strength and speed.
The Tour Edge E521 has specific technology that helps golfers to gain back their abilities when it comes to speed.
Although the Tour Edge E521 is a bit different looking and has the offset technology that may make them look a bit funny, most senior beginners are going to enjoy what they can do with the E521 irons.
Related: Best Irons For Seniors In 2023
12) Best For Beginner On A Budget: Wilson D9 Iron Set
Last but certainly not least, our list of the best irons for beginners is the Wilson D9 iron set.
The Wilson D9 is more of a value brand golf iron, but it brings a great deal of technology to the market.
Where TaylorMade has its speed pocket technology, the Wilson D9 has Power Holes.
This technology is similar, and it produces the same type of result, fast ball speeds, a low center of gravity, and high launch.
Another great feature of the D9 is that it has a bit lower spin and the ability to stop the ball on the green when you want.
Although most beginner golfers will focus more on hitting the ball straight than on getting the ball to stop on the green, this D9 can offer these benefits long term.
Wilson was able to get the center of gravity lower in this iron than they have ever been able to in the past.
For players that want help getting the ball up in the air (basically all beginners!), the D9 will do the trick.
How To Choose The Best Golf Irons For Beginners
We know that we gave you a lot of great choices for the best golf irons for beginners. We fully understand that this information can be overwhelming.
However, as great as all of these options were, they are not going to be a match for every player.
You must do some work to figure out the best possible set for your needs. This takes a bit of time and some understanding as well.
As a beginner golfer, if it takes you a few weeks to decide on a set of golf irons, this is completely understandable.
Here are some of the criteria that we used to pick our category winners and the things you should be looking for when setting out to purchase your beginner irons.
Understanding Golf Shaft Selections For Beginners
The golf shaft is going to be just as important as the golf club head itself. In order to properly understand golf shafts, there are a few other things that you must consider.
The first is the material, and the second is the flex.
The more into golf you get, the more options there will be for golf shafts of all different types and configurations.
For a beginner golfer, the only real considerations on the first set of irons are the material and the flex. First, you must choose between graphite or steel golf shafts.
Graphite vs. Steel
Graphite shafts are more expensive, made from lighter weight material, and generally focus on getting people more distance.
Steel golf shafts are lower in price, made from a bit more stable and higher weight material, and are designed to increase accuracy in golf shots.
Both graphite and steel irons can be a good shaft choice for a beginner. The key is understanding the difference between the two and knowing which is best for your game.
If you are an athlete who has played other sports and are simply looking for a golf iron set to start your career in the game, chances are the steel shaft will be the best choice.
If you have never done anything athletic in your life and you are worried about your overall strength, the graphite shaft is better.
A lot of beginner golf shafts are offered in the graphite shaft simply because it has a forgiving feel when you make contact.
With a graphite shaft, the club will not give you those harsh vibrations when you miss a shot. Instead, you will feel as though your shots all feel good, even if they weren’t!
It is the more popular choice to go with graphite shafts on a beginner set of golf irons; later on, you can always switch to steel when you need your set for mid handicappers.
Club Length
The club length is significant for all golfers. However, if you are shorter than 5’6″ or taller than 6’0″, then the length of the iron set becomes even more important.
Every golf manufacturer makes their clubs to fit a certain range of standard height golfers.
If you go outside of this range, the club will be too short or too long for you. When a golf club is not the right length, you will have a hard time hitting the ball straight and getting the distance you desire.
The best way to ensure that you are getting a golf iron that is built for your needs is to go for a custom golf fitting.
The length of the club will be figured out to ensure that it is exact for your height. There are fitting scales online that you can also use as a resource; Ping has a particularly good one that is very trusted in the industry.
Club Fitting
Club fitting is becoming more and more popular. This is where you will hit golf shots using a launch monitor and get to see the results of the different clubs you are trying.
A certified fitting technician will give you the exact information you need to purchase your iron set.
There is quite a bit of debate about whether or not a club fitting is a good idea for beginner golfers.
Truthfully there may not be enough data about your golf game in order for you to justify the cost of a fitting. In addition, the building of a custom club set may or may not be worth it.
As a beginner, your golf swing is going to change quite often. Your muscles are still building up to memory, and the mechanics can change daily.
When you become more established, your golf swing changes much less frequently.
If you want our honest opinion about club fitting for beginners, we don’t really believe it is necessary.
Beginner golfers that are within the average height range can get away with purchasing a stock set.
As your golf game progresses and you feel as though you want to stick with the sport of golf, club fitting makes a smart choice.
In the beginning, simply trust the stock set options from the company.
Beginner Set or Individual Iron Set
As you have probably noticed, many of the clubs that are marketed towards beginner golfers are sold as complete sets.
These come with a big, woods, driver, putter, irons, and more. The beginner golf sets are a cheap way to get involved in the game and have the ability to get out on the golf course right away.
When you purchase golf clubs for the first time, you have to make the choice to go with the beginner set or just the iron set.
This will likely come down to a personal decision; however, the iron set for beginners is likely going to be slightly higher quality than the irons that are part of a complete beginner set.
When you play with a complete beginner set, you will have everything that is made with slightly lower quality to be more affordable.
The iron sets on our list are all of very high quality and will last for years to come. Some of these irons are not just the best irons for beginners but for high handicappers as well.
Many of the iron sets cost more than a complete beginner golf set, but this is absolutely one of those situations where you will get what you pay for.
Adding Wedges
If you are purchasing golf irons, it should also make you think about wedges.
There are four wedges that most golf bags will carry, the pitching wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge, and lob wedge.
For the most part, your iron set will come with at least the pitching wedge.
Many sets are now also sold with gap wedges. If you are going to add a sand wedge and a lob wedge to your iron set, you must add something that works with the lofts of your current wedges.
Does your current gap wedge on your iron set have 50 or 52 degrees of loft?
If it has 52, you may be able to get a 58-degree sand wedge.
If the gap wedge has closer to 48 or 50 degrees of loft, consider a 54 or 56-degree sand wedge. The better job you can do of spacing out the loft gaps in your clubs, the more success you will have in between type yardages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of the best golf irons for your game. Between our top picks and the information in the buyer’s guide, the list should be narrowed down to just a few of the options.
Before you make your final decision, here are a few questions that are often asked about golf irons and their ability to perform for beginners.
What Is The Easiest Iron To Hit?
The easiest golf iron to hit is typically the nine iron. Many beginners will learn the game with the nine iron and simply start adding other clubs in when they feel more comfortable.
A nine iron has just the right amount of loft to make it an easy club to launch into the air.
IF you are thinking of buying just a few golf irons to start yourself in the game, try a 9 and a 7 iron to start.
You can always feel in the gaps later on when you have a better idea of what works and what doesn’t work.
How Many Irons Does A Beginner Need?
A beginner should consider getting a golf iron set with the 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW; AW set makeup. Most of the time, it won’t make sense for a beginner golfer to have anything more than a five iron in the bag.
It also makes sense for beginner golfers to get the matching gap wedge that goes with their set of clubs.
This is a valuable and reliable club that players can use when they are working on getting better with the short game.
Should Beginners Use Long Irons or Hybrids?
Beginner golfers should use hybrids as opposed to long irons. All beginners should consider having one to two hybrids in their bags.
The hybrid can help to hit shots out of the rough and to hit long approach shots into greens. With the current hybrid technology on the market, it makes sense for beginners to get rid of the long irons.
For so many years, beginner golfers struggled with three and four irons thinking that they would be able to help their game.
Only in the last several years has it been figured out that the longer the ball stays up in the air, the better the results you get from it. This has led people to put the irons away and take out the hybrids.
Should Beginner And High Handicappers Use The Same Irons?
When you hear about clubs for high handicappers and beginners, they are typically in the same product category.
Those who are new to the game will start out as high handicappers, which is why these are often paired together.
The category of iron that is typically best for beginners and high handicappers is the super game improvement iron.
Almost all of the options on our list fall in the super game improvement category, with a few sneaking into the game improvement category.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you feel a bit better about the golf club choices you have as a new player. There is no question that the game of golf gets easier when you are using the proper equipment.
Callaway golf has proven this over and over through the years, and the Big Bertha B21 is no exception.
The Callaway Big Bertha B21 irons stole the top spot as the best overall golf irons for beginners.
With these clubs, even the slowest swinging players are able to get the distance and performance that they are looking for in the game.
Chances are, if you add a Callaway Big Bertha B21 iron to your golf bag, you are going to be a lifelong Callaway supporter.
The technology, the ease of use, and the impressive feel are not going to get much better than this.
