There are numerous brands and companies that promise to make the game of golf much easier by using their latest golf irons. It would be great if the results always lived up to the hype, but we know that is rarely the case. When it comes to irons for a 20 handicap or higher, we really need to look at forgiveness and off-center hit distance as our two most important factors.
We have reviewed some of the best irons in the game and the team at PG Golf Links has come up with several that will help you improve your game just a little faster. We waded through the vast and complex options available for irons and rounded up the five best Golf irons for a 20 handicap. Lets find your next set!
Best irons for 20 handicap
TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Golf Irons
The TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Golf irons are the best overall golf irons on the market. The SIM 2 Max features a brand new cap back design that allows for more distance and increases forgiveness and feel. The SIM 2 Max has a very low center of gravity that can increase launch and make it easier for golfers to get the ball flight they need.
The Thru Slot Speed Pocket also makes the SIM 2 Max one of the fastest ball speed golf irons on the market. If you want to hit the ball a long way, TaylorMade always has solutions for golfers. The face flexibility, combination of materials, and overall great performance help the SIM 2 Max give golfers a few more yards on average.
As great as the distance is, feel is just as important. TaylorMade did everything they could to get golfers the forged like feel they want in a game improvement golf club.
What We Like
- Low center of gravity
- Maximum face flexibility
- Echo Damping system
- Very fast ball speeds
What We Don’t Like
- The top-down thickness is a bit wider than some golfers like
Cobra Radspeed
The Cobra Radspeed irons have a combination of distance, forgiveness, and feel technology that stands out to many 20 HDCP golfers. The interesting thing about the Radspeed golf irons is that they feature a 3D printed Medallion in the back of the club head that has helped to save weight and improve feel.
The 3D printing is the first introduction in the golf market, and we suspect this will become a generally accepted technology at some time. The forged face on the Radspeed also helps to improve the overall feel and increase ball speed.
So many 20 HDCP golfers find that the Cobra irons are the ones that help take them into the mid handicap range. Cobra knows how to make a club that feels great but still makes the game enjoyable.
What We Like
- Forged face
- 3D Printing for the first time in a Cobra iron
- 10g weight in the toe for stability and distance
What We Don’t Like
- Unique iron sharing is difficult to get used to
Callaway Mavrik Irons
The Callaway Mavrik irons were designed with the 20 handicappers in mind. For the first time in the history of the company, Callaway designed a golf iron that uses artificial intelligence to help a player score. The Callaway Mavrik irons come with incredible ball speed, and they have a face that flexes quite a bit at impact.
One of the things that Callaway really worked on with this new Mavrik design was the speed and feel from the club face. The center of gravity is perfectly positioned in the center of every club head to ensure that a golfer can get the proper distance and launch.
In addition, there is very little trouble getting the Callaway Mavrik irons to launch high. Many 20 handicappers struggle to play with a game improvement iron because of its clunky feel, but the Mavrik has a more streamlined look.
What We Like
- Flash face cup
- Urethane microspheres for feel
- Sophisticated center of gravity placement
What We Don’t Like
- The feel is not as good as the Apex irons
Cleveland Launcher UHX
The Cleveland Launcher UHX is a standard hollow back cavity back iron that is offered at a fair and reasonable price for a 20 handicap golfer. In addition, the club has a great combination of distance and feel technology. Overall the turf interaction that you get with the Launcher UHX makes it feel quite a bit like a forged golf iron.
For many years the Tour Zip Grooves featured in the Cleveland golf irons have helped them to have much better control than other options on the market. If you are serious about hitting consistent golf shots that land close to the pin, the Tour Zip Grooves can help.
If you are a golfer that values forgiveness in a set the Cleveland is going to give you the performance that you need.
What We Like
- Tour Zip Grooves
- New V-Shaped Sole For better turf interaction
- High strength steel face
What We Don’t Like
- Ball speed is not as high as other brands
TaylorMade M6 Iron
TaylorMade golf creations are among the top gadgets in any golfer’s bag, and the M6 Iron is a proud product of TaylorMade designed for 20 handicap golfers. It might help you significantly improve your game by lessening your handicap with every practice.
The M6 Iron is masterminded with Speed Bridge configuration which gives the most adaptable thru-slot Speed Pocket, that produces the Best Ball velocity. Moreover, a high sound frequency might not be an issue with this iron for the Speed Bridge has low collision sound. Another distinct trait of the M6 Iron is its super-thin face prepared with patented Inverted Cone Technology. This face can help players in achieving incredible ball velocity, which ultimately improves the handicap. TaylorMade engineered M6 to have increased flexibility, good shaft flex, and incredible workability. The center of gravity lessens with the support of a fluted hosel, which might assist in improving your launch angle and ball momentum.
The M6 captions broader soles, additional offset, and better lofts. Thru-put slots are very rare in irons and allow the variable clubface thickness by connecting it to the body through the top line. This works to move down the level of deflection and placing the weight forward in the sole to reduce it further. This renders the slot smaller while still maintaining significant effects. This Cavity-back iron retains extra stiffness in the head, which can be ideal for providing better speed. It might transfer the ball speed over the entire area of the clubface. The M6’s face vibrations filter through the HYBRAR compression damper to stave off any unwanted tremors. The refined HYBRAR compression can also enhance stability and enable solid shots.
The M6 can offer terrific forgiveness, which ultimately is the need of every 20-handicap golfer. The stock shaft options for the M6 are Fujikura Atmos Orange and KBS Max 85. Both shafts offer a firm grip to improve your hold. The iron might be very forgiving even if you hit off-center.
What We Liked
- It generates a very satisfying sound
- A low center of gravity can propel the ball better
- The M6 might be ideal for improving strokes resulting in a better handicap
- It has a simple but effective design
What We Didn’t Like
- It is very pricey
- The M6 can be too long for some golfers
- Some users may also find it too lightweight
Callaway Rogue Iron
The Rogue is the new addition to Callaway’s comprehensive iron collection and the company claims this iron is for high handicap players of 20. The lofting and overall size of the Rogue iron indicate its construction offers distance and forgiveness.
It retains a large profile with a ton of core behind the ball without appearing too chunky, while the dual white score lines at its face’s bottom support alignment. The Rogue can produce more ball speed and can cover a large distance owing to the weight set low and back in its formation. This might assist significantly with dynamic lifting and propelling the ball up in the air effortlessly.
The feel and sound of this iron are also good, and it can deliver powerful shots. While it may not be very loud, it still generates a considerable sound upon impact. For distance, Rogue makers utilized Face Cup and VFT technologies. Face Cup pertains to a shallow and adjustable rim around the edge of the clubface. The Rogue has a graphite shaft, which can be very pleasing to look at and give good flex.
Callaway asserts that VFT can enhance ball speed no matter if they are on or off-center hits and it might help with all-around forgiveness, too. The iron captions tungsten weighting for extraordinary forgiveness on the Rogue. Bearing double the density of steel, the tungsten carries a substantial amount of weight into a tiny and intricately constructed space. This design can improve launch angles and lend better control to golfers.
The purpose of tungsten is to enable the iron in placing the center of gravity accurately. This can work wonders in improving your stroke game with refined shots. The company also claims that no other iron in the handicap improvement category is better forgiving than the Rogue.
What We Liked
- Face Cup technology can give better flex and releases upon impact and boost ball speed
- The iron weird urethane microsphere to reduce any vibrations
- The Rogue is extremely forgiving which can be ideal for 20 handicap
- Enables good ball trajectory control
What We Didn’t Like
- Its grip needs improvement
- Players might need time to get used to their stronger loft
- It can still be too clicky on impact for some
Willson Staff D7 Forged Iron for 20 Handicap
Wilson Staff is another classic golf brand that focuses on giving players the best. The company is committed to producing the best equipment and the Forged D7 Iron is a classic example of that. Wilson’s D7 Forged Iron offers the latest in club design technology.
It is constructed with forged 8620 carbon steel, and the D7’s Power Hole and Power Chamber technologies incorporate into the iron to deliver comfortable weighting and long-distance. It may feel very well balanced in the hand and can lend a good grip and flex for a solid shot. Its performance mainly comes from the power holes of the iron. There are three rows of such holes paired with a thin face. This can give the ball an improved travel distance and trajectory.
When you expand the loft, it eliminates the power hole functions, taking many holes out of the game and lending you better distance control. Furthermore, the RE-AKT technology utilized in this iron concentrates on giving a higher range with better forgiveness. D7 Forged Iron aimed for a cavity construction, focusing a mass of steadied steel behind the clubface and segregated it by a tiny pocket of space, a detail that gives spring off the clubface.
The cavity layout plops the majority of the D7’s weight on the bottom of the iron, supporting the player in retaining acceleration and centrifugal force at impact. The D7 Iron does not qualify as big, but the company labels it as a compact head that carries a lot of Forged steel at the end of the shaft. This can be a great design to give the player a satisfying amount of forgiveness. With a long-form from heel-to-toe and a big top line, it can reassure the player in anticipating a good shot. Its strengthened loft might warrant a better grip resulting in better distance and ball speed.
The D7 can be an impressive, user-friendly 20-handicap iron that might save golfers considerable cash as compared to the premium brands with apparently little to offer in performance.
What We Liked
- Soft feel while launching the ball
- It generates a nice and crisp sound on the impact that is not too clicky
- The D7 offers great clubface adjustability
- Stable shots
What We Didn’t Like
- It enables spin that may reduce stopping power
- Some may not prefer the chunky design showing the back of the sole behind the topline
Cleveland Launcher CBX Iron
Bringing everything Cleveland learned about the need for good irons for 20 handicaps, the company has produced an iron with a progressive design and effective technology. Cleveland states that the Launcher CBX iron will not only perform as well as any others on the market but will be a lot more forgiving.
The company incorporated dual technologies to allow golfers an incredibly forgiving iron. Players with 20 handicap know well how crucial high forgiveness is in refining their shots and lowering their handicap. The satin finish of this iron may appear very professional without feeling too glary and the face groove tech might improve its performance. Cleveland prefers V-Soles in their irons and CBX is no exception. The brand believes that a shallower angle in the iron implies that you could get smoother and faster shots. The V-Sole might go through the turf faster and even if you hit a little bit off, you could still maintain that speed and distance control of accurate shots.
The CBX iron has the signature tour zip grooves and laser milling so players could anticipate improved game quality even on tough golf courses. You might get an even trajectory control and distance to the greens. Irons generally have the majority of the head weight in the hosel that pushes the center of gravity towards the heel, but Cleveland developed a hollow section at the bottom of the hosel called microcavity. This lessens the weight of the hosel to result in a better grip and flex.
Utilizing cup face technology, the CBX stars a thinner face to deliver tremendous consistency and impacts no matter where you hit the shots on the clubface. This iron also features feel balancing which can be a brilliant trait in giving golfers ample control in hitting straight shots. This implies that you might not only get a better feel but also even better feedback with every shot with enhanced ball speed. The iron is low profile offering a simple yet effective launch to offer maximum control, which might be a treat for a 20-handicap golfer.
What We Liked
- The is lighter than most and suits the iron very well
- Great value for money
- Its effective low profile design might be ideal for long-distance shots
- Enhanced cup face technology for better performance
What We Didn’t Like
- It can give the ball excessive bounce, which can be difficult to control
- This iron can sound too loud on impact, which can be a little distracting
Mizuno JPX 919 Hot Metal Iron
Mizuno has made a name for themselves in the golf industry by being a two-times choice of champions. The JPX 919 Hot Metal iron is a testament to their quality. This product made its mark with its unique design and consistent performance for 20 handicapped players.
The 919 Hot Metal iron features a high endurance 4140M Chromoly. This material develops a massive strength face but can still bend at the hosel for fitting purposes. When you couple that with a seamless cup face design, Mizuno just might be the excellent pick. This iron can enable increased ball speeds better than any Mizuno iron ever. The iron aims to not only give the best distance to 20 handicap players, but it strives to give golfers a better hold on greens and a straight angle for launch. It captions a stability frame into the iron to ensure better stability with straight shots.
The 919 characterizes a somewhat simple and elegant design, without any distracting or vibrant badging. Mizuno utilized a new finish on the 919 to soften the lines of the clubs in extreme sunlight. As you stand over this club, it might give you a strong sense of confidence in hitting a solid shot. The iron can frame the ball satisfactorily, letting you realize that it might lend you ample forgiveness in any mishits. Its pearl finish adds more to its appearance lending it a more professional look.
A tagline goes, “Nothing Feels like a Mizuno”, and after hitting this iron, you just might agree to that. When you put a decent swing on it and find the center of the face, it might feel as smooth as it can be, giving you a cleaner launch angle. On any off-center strikes, it might amaze you to discover a precise balance between giving feedback to know where you hit the ball, but not enough to feel harsh. Moreover, the 919 might give you a better grip and feel generally. Therefore, if you wish to work on your handicap, the 919 might be a good option.
What We Liked
- The Chromoly is flexible but strong enough to allow for a thin face
- The iron enables better launch and flight apex
- Its shaft is light which can be a good option for 20 handicap
- The 919 has better offset
What We Didn’t Like
- Golfers with slow swing might struggle with the launch
- Getting a good distance can get difficult in a windy situation
Conclusion
The best overall golf irons for 20 HDCP golfers is the TaylorMade SIM 2 Max. These golf irons are an excellent fit for players looking for both distance and forgiveness in their golf irons. The SIM 2 Max is a newer release with a forged-like feel even though it is a cavity back golf iron. With the SIM 2 Max, players can also get an increased launch that they can sometimes start to struggle with when it comes to a game improvement type iron. Overall the SIM 2 Max allows golfers to take advantage of some of the most advanced technology on the market for their game.
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frequently asked questions
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about a 20 HDCP golfer and the equipment that they should be using in their game.
What are the best irons for a 24 handicapper?
A 24 HDCP golfer will benefit greatly from using the TaylorMade SIM 2, Max. These golf irons do a great job of giving players in the 15 to 25 handicap range the performance they need. The SIM 2 Max improved upon the feel from last year’s model to help players move their handicap down with improved shots and performance.
What is the average score of a 20 handicap?
The average score of a 20 handicap golfer is likely right around a 93. Depending on the slope and the rating of the course that you are playing, the golfer’s handicaps can change. Some players may be a 20 handicap at a difficult course and shooting 95 consistently. Other golfers at an easy course may have to shoot 89 or 90 to be a 20 handicap.
What Irons Should A 20 HDCP Carry?
The 20 HDCP golfer should have a 5-PW, AW. However, some players still find the need to use a four iron; for the most part, the four hybrids are a better decision. Typically speaking, a high handicapper needs a more forgiving golf club, and the four iron and three iron are not the most forgiving golf clubs on the market.
What is Handicap in Golf?
A handicap is a number that subtracts from your score when you end your round. It originated to level the playing golf course among golfers of varying abilities by ‘handicapping’ the better player. It works as an allowance of shots per round owing to a player’s ability. The general rule of handicap states that the lower the handicap the better the player.
Having a handicap of 20 or above categorizes as a high handicap and lands you in the average golf player list. The ultimate goal of every player is to achieve a single-digit handicap score between 1 to 9. However, no matter your handicap score, if you are sporting the right iron, it will help you lower your handicap and refine your game.
What is An Iron?
Iron is a kind of club that hurls the golf ball towards the hole. Irons commonly have smaller shafts and slighter clubheads. Iron features a solid material head of iron or steel. The head’s main trait is having a big, flat, angular face, usually featuring grooves.
What to Look For in Irons for 20 Handicap
Before you decide to buy the best iron for 20 handicap, here are some factors for your consideration.
Shaft
The shaft is crucial when it comes to feel and impact. Many golfers associate it with these two factors and these can play a significant role in your performance. They impact ball speed and launch flight. For 20 handicappers, graphite shafts can work best. Also, adequately lightweight shafts can be a good choice.
Flex
Many players think that flex is an insignificant characteristic of the shaft and may not factor in much. Believe me; nothing could be farther than the truth. For a 20 handicap, you need appropriate flexing. Go with a shaft that is not excessively stiff as it could cost you ball distance and a failed flight. But if the shaft flexes too much, it can balloon your ball leading to loss of stability.
Forgiveness
An extremely important aspect is forgiveness. Players with 20 handicaps need to use all their iron offers so they can better their game. However, working on lowering the handicap is no easy task so you need ample forgiveness. 20 handicappers can struggle to find their spot, thus, they need an iron that offers high forgiveness and can handle your mishits without jeopardizing the distance.
How to Work on Lowering Handicap with a 20 Handicap Iron
Improving your handicap number is not a quick task; it will require certain practices on your part to get the required results. If you are determined to get the best out of your 20 handicap iron, here are some tips to help you lower your handicap
Sharpening Short Game
The majority of golf strokes occur within hundred yards of the hole. If you fail to dedicate time to work on your short game, you may as well hand over the strokes to your foe. This is particularly true since the short game relies heavily on feeling and impact. You gain more feel by testing different shots and approaches in the short game practice region. Therefore, take some time to fix your short game strokes and it can significantly help in lowering your handicap. It might not be a quick solution but in time, it can prove to be a great practice.
Experiment with Different Courses
You may have your favorite course where you know every nook and cranny like the back of your hand. However, it will not help much in refining your game and hence no handicap improvement. It will highly benefit you to widen your course selection and experiment with a variety of golf courses. Professionals gain an advantage by golfing around, experiencing all possible playing situations. You can imitate their experience by looking for new golf courses with distinct vegetation, height changes, and grass diversity.
Have Grit
Golf can become an emotional game, and losing focus can be very easy if you find yourself lagging during a round. You must focus on playing with grit and sheer determination. You can develop your capacity to be effective under unfavorable conditions by golfing in harsh weather and rain. Do not be afraid to go the extra mile if you wish to improve your game quality.
