Looking for the best irons to improve your game as a high-handicap golfer? In this video, Rick Shiels reviews some of the most exciting options on the market: the Qi Irons, AI Smoke Irons, Ping G430 Irons, Takomo 101T, Vice Golf VGI01, and Cobra Darkspeed Irons. From cutting-edge technology to game-changing forgiveness, Rick puts these clubs to the test to find out which ones can help you hit straighter, longer, and more consistent shots. Don’t miss this ultimate guide to finding your perfect set of irons!
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Hi I’m Rick Shiels, welcome to my channel RickShielsPGAGolf. This YouTube channel is designed to help you play better golf, also to help you enjoy your golf more!
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41 Comments
Surely the distance category could have factored in the loft .ie +/- 3yards for each ° or included ball speed off the face aswell to try and give a clearer result?.
Thought Tour Edge E723 might have had a look in
I think that a high handicapper like me , is least worried about the looks ( as long as they are not extremely ugly) . Usability and distance and loft is more important. I love your input normally, but I think that you should have had a high handicapper testing alongside you Rick .
Would be curious to see some of the other brands included, and possibly some of the more obscure japanese offerings… as a 23.5 handicapper i lucked my way into a set of Epon af703, and by far are the best feeling and most accurate and forgiving irons i have played… but no one ever talks about Epon, despite them being made in one of the largest forges in Japan, Endo…
Anyone who actually knows about golf (lol): How do you think the P790s would rank in this line up?
I would love to see some more reviews on complete beginner sets.
Where are the Mizuno jpx hot metal pros?
Mizuno 925 h/l for me and thats what i was fitted with. Did try others bit not so good for me.
I didn't try Takomo.
This was posted days ago.
I have the takomo 101s and the ping g430s. The 101s definitely sound and feel better but the pings are way easier to hit. You can launch them super high and far and get enough spin to make them stop. I found the 101s to have a more low penetrating ball flight that would run like crazy. The ping long irons are way easier to hit
You need to include ease of fittability in the criteria next year. Than the DTC would drop.
I don't think you have ever reviewed Srixon Irons!!!!
Joint winners? What?
Love my PXG XPs. Awesome clubs
have you done the kirkland giveaway yet that you promised
I don’t disagree with Vice or Takomo being excellent buys for high handicap players. A lack of a fitting isn’t going to be a massive game changer for most users in this bracket.
However, I still disagree with the criteria. Forgiveness should weigh the most and I think Rick measures it completely wrong. Left and right misses are primarily the user’s fault, not the club (a slight exception for massive offset maybe). Forgiveness should be measured front to back based on strike location. If I center strike it and it goes 180 vs a 1/2 inch toe that goes 165, that is what I want to know. Also, giving points for distance when one club is a full club difference in loft compared to another seems pointless without knowing the descent angle and backspin generation. If the 27 degree club is producing a greater descent angle with comparable backspin to the 32 degree club, then fair dues. Otherwise it’s a 6 iron vs a 7. My P770 7-iron goes about 15 yds shorter than the G430 I have. I still game the 770, because I think it’s better. Not to mention, I much prefer the gapping of the 770s.
Regardless, if you’re in the high handicap range, Vice and Takomo should do you just fine. If you’re paying more, it’s probably a non-performance reason, but not really anything wrong with that either if you have the means. Like what you play.
Only reason he didn’t include the Maltby TS1 IM or the Maltby TS3 is because he didn’t even do a video of them🤣
I just bought Tmade P790s last season over the takomos but just barely because of price and because I could finance the P790s so it wasn't a direct hit to the wallet, as well as the fact that I had a 90 day return guarantee buying off of golf avenue. Do I regret not getting the Takomos? After watching this video and then your video on mid handicapped clubs where the P790 was reviewed, definitely. I was led more to believe on the internet that the P790s were only marketed as PD but actually had a lot of technology in them that made them good for game improvement, and that the Takomo 101s were the opposite, and after coming off of a (for a new golfer) good and very quick learning first season I thought why not challenge myself with something instead of relying so much on the club. Instead, I've ended up with largely dispersed shots, I only just at the end of the season started getting consistent contact with them, and now cant figure out why the ball goes directly 60 yards right from where I aim.
Looking back I definitely wish I had just atleast given the Takomos a try, that price was definitely nicer than 90% of irons on the market, but not having a return guarantee along with not being able to test the irons anywhere near me scared me away. I made a hasty decision on another cheaper set and ultimately paid the price (no pun intended).
I got fitted with the Callaway AI Smokes… hope they perform well in this vid.
The QI irons are the worst looking irons of any irons you can buy brand new hands down.
yet missed the other 2 major and better clubs for high HCP…..
The 3 brands are takomo, cobra & srixon(zx4)
Cleveland Zipcore XL are superb, especially given the price
Didn't realize the 101's were for high handicap players. Thought they was more of a mid to high single digit.
I don't think looks so be in the list.. looks are 100% personal preference. all rest of the tests are great..
Why do you not include Srixon in your tests
How about Srixon and Wilson?
I love my cobra darkspeeds!! Fuming
so a little confusing, you mention Takomo 101 but sometimes feature the 101T… and also distance; according to Takomo the 101 7i has 30 loft and the 101T has 32 – whereas you list it at 28?
I managed to find a nice set of Honmos Tw757 for 700 aud which is really cheap for quality irons. Im using old r9 Taylormade Irons and im about a 20-25 handicap.
Would have liked to see Caley in there and what happened to Mizuno who make some of the best irons on the market!
No mizuno, no halo irons, no t-rail irons, etc…most of these would not be on my list at all. Kirkland would be a good one to see as well.
distance is the only thing i look for
cleveland zipcore xl you missed
So the shorter irons were more accurate…..who would have thunk lol
Why do you keep excluding Srixon? Is it a conflict over sponsorships or something? I'm always bummed to see that you never include Srixon in these comparison videos
Rick, a perfect and necessary comparison would be all of the Direct to Consumer clubs. Takoma, Caley, MacGregor, Hogan, Ram etc. They all have "players distance" irons which should make it all even. This was a really interesting comparison and the big brands should take note. Thanks for all that you do. Happy New Year
ok! very easy, got to get me Takomos! second hand though
I picked up the Taylor Made Sims 2 Max this year, replacing a set that was over 20 years old. So far is has been a game changer for me. But really thinking i will out grow them for the 2026 season.
As with other ranking videos – Take away looks, and here are the rankings:
Takomo 101T: 19
Vice 102: 18
Ping G430 & Cobra DS: 13
Callaway Ai Smoke: 12
TaylorMade Qi: 10
If Price is also not a constraint:
Vice 102: 14
Takomo 101T: 13
Ping G430 & Callaway Ai Smoke: 10
TaylorMade Qi: 9
Cobra DS: 8
Rick's GAME Would Vastly Improve with One of these Sets in the Bag. He Get's Stuck On Look's They areSo Repetitive the Video's.
No PXG Black Ops irons? 😮