2015 Players Cavity Back Irons Guide

Golf Discount’s 2015 Players Cavity Back Irons Guide

By Bob Gomavitz

Gom’s Pick:

The J15 DF is made from premium forged carbon steel and features Dual Pocket Technology, which allows discretionary weight to be moved to the perimeter, increasing forgiveness and creating a higher MOI. It also produces excellent feel through dampening vibrations at impact.

Bridgestone J15 DF Irons

• Dual Pocket Turbo Rubber Insert
• Sure Contact Sole
• Forged 1025 Carbon Steel
• Dynamic Gold Pro Shaft

Read The Review

Callaway Apex Forged Irons

• 455 Carpenter Steel Face Insert
• Tungsten Inserts In Long Irons
• 1020 Forged Carbon Steel Body
• Steel & Graphite Shaft Options

Read The Review

Gom’s Pick:

The 2-piece construction offered up a solid feel, with a slight “clicking” noise at impact. Shots were long and very consistent with a nice, penetrating flight! The XR Pro will find their way into a large amount of bags no matter the player’s skill levels.

Callaway XR Pro Irons

• Cup 360 Technology
• 2-piece construction
• Lower CG, More MOI
• KBS Tour V90 Shaft

Read The Review

Gom’s Pick:

I hear so much about Mizuno irons, yet I have never owned a set. I found the feel to be even better, and the launch and ball flight fit my eye as well. This head still looked like a blade to me, and the offset looked minimal on this somewhat compact head. So far, my favorite iron offering from Mizuno.

Mizuno MP-H5 Irons

• 1-6 Irons: Full Hollow Design
• 7-PW: Half Hollow Design
• Solid Muscle Design (8-PW)
• FST KBS C-Taper Lite Shaft

Read The Review

Nike Vapor Pro Combo Irons

• RZN-Filled Cavity On Long Irons
• Muscle Cavity On Short Irons
• Progressive Sole Widths
• Dynamic Gold Pro Shaft

Read The Review

Gom’s Pick:

I love the design features of the i25 and how the weight is distributed heavily along the sole and toe areas. A feature that I personally enjoy is the leading edge grind, as well as a beveled trailing edge, which helps with turf interaction.

Ping i25 Irons

• 17-4 Stainless Steel
• Tungsten Toe Weight
• Progressive Set Design
• CFS Steel Shaft

Read The Review

Ping i Series Irons

• 431 Stainless Steel Head
• Progressive Set Design
• Concealed Custom Tuning Port
• High Moment of Inertia

Read The Review

Gom’s Pick:

The RSi 2 version of the RSi lineup is definitely a sibling of the RSi TP with some nice modifications.I struck these very well and loved the slightly higher ball flight and feel. I even went back to these when I struggled some with a different OEM, just to see if it was my swing or the head, and by george it was not my swing!

TaylorMade RSi 2 Irons

• 3-8 Irons: Face Slot Technology
• ThruSlot Technology
• Inverted Cone Technology
• KBS Tour 105 Shaft

Read The Review

Titleist AP2 Irons

• Tungsten Co-Forging Process
• Dual Cavity Design
• Constant Blade Length
• Dynamic Gold Shaft

Read The Review

Tour Edge CU Exotics Irons

• Heel And Toe Weighting
• Reduced Progressive Offset
• Tour-Beveled Sole
• Project X Shaft

Read The Review

Wilson Staff FG Tour V4 Irons

• 18-Gram Tungsten Sole Weight
• Optimized Sole Camber
• Forged 8620 Carbon Steel Alloy
• Dynamic Gold Pro Shaft

Read The Review

Bridgestone J15 DF Irons Review

Club Tested: 6-Iron; Shaft: Dynamic Gold Pro S300; Loft: 28°

The Takeaway

The J15 CB is more the players cavity back head than the J15 DF version is, but I did not have the J15 CB to test at this time. The J15 DF is made from premium forged carbon steel and features Dual Pocket Technology, which allows discretionary weight to be moved to the perimeter, increasing forgiveness and creating a higher MOI. It also produces excellent feel through dampening vibrations at impact. The slightly larger head gives players enhanced confidence at address.

Final Take – Gom’s Pick

Another very nice offering from Bridgestone, the J15 DF has a rounded toe and somewhat thin top line for a head that is larger than the normal blade. The satin finish gives this head a clean and sharp look. With the DGS300 shaft in place the launch was again on the high side. Excellent carry and outstanding feel from this head made it a joy to test. I am very impressed by the Bridgestone products, and have enjoyed testing them so far, and look forward to testing others down the line.

Callaway Apex Forged Irons Review

Club Tested: 6-Iron; Shaft: KBS Tour V; Loft: 27°

The Takeaway

The Callaway Apex irons feature a forged carbon steel body, tungsten sole inserts, and high performance wide grooves. The head also features a Deep Undercut Cavity or Channel that runs from heel to toe to help the face flex deliver higher ball speeds. It is also a two piece construction, which is different than traditional, one piece forged irons.

Final Take

While many OEM’s CB players irons take on the look of their players heads, the Apex looks different to my eye. I noticed a greater offset, a very curved sole from narrow at the toe and heel to wider in the mid section. To me, this makes the head look more like a players game improvement iron when looking down at it. The toe area is very rounded and the satin head also has a grinded leading edge. Callaway calls the Apex their forged distance irons, and I definitely saw some nice distance with these heads, even with the lower launching KBS Tour V series shaft. Personally, I enjoyed the Apex Pro version better than this one.

Callaway XR Pro Irons Review

Club Tested: 7-Iron; Shaft: KBS Tour V90; Loft: 31°

The Takeaway

The XR Pro is Callaway’s first Cavity Back Iron with 360 Cup Face Technology, which increases ball speed across the entire face. They also included an Internal Standing Wave, which offers a lower CG, increased MOI and gives the face cup freedom to provide better ball speeds along with a 2-piece construction.

Final Take – Gom’s Pick

The XR Pro with its narrow sole, thin top line, high toe and satin finish was appealing to my eye. The 7 Iron that I was testing played more like a 6 iron and was a pleasure to swing. The 2-piece construction offered up a solid feel, with a slight “clicking” noise at impact. Shots were long and very consistent with a nice, penetrating flight! The XR Pro will find their way into a large amount of bags no matter the player’s skill levels. Another thing I love about the XR Pros is that there are so many shaft upgrades at no additional charge.

Mizuno MP-H5 Irons Review

Club Tested: 6-Iron; Shaft: KBS Tour; Loft: 30°

The Takeaway

The MP-H5 features an interesting cavity area that is half hollow on the mid and short irons (7-PW), and a fully hollow cavity on long irons (1-6). The Half Hollow heads feature a grain flow forged 1025E face, neck and body, and offers you a players cavity size and shape. The fully hollow heads feature a thin and high COR 1770 maraging steel face and a low sweet spot with a deep CG for a controllable high launch and excellent forgiveness.

Final Take – Gom’s Pick

The MP-H5 were a very interesting iron for me. I hear so much about Mizuno irons, yet I have never owned a set. This set was more to my liking than the other two Mizuno heads I reviewed earlier. I found the feel to be even better, and the launch and ball flight fit my eye as well. This head still looked like a blade to me, with a very rounded toe meeting a sharp edge leading into a nice sized top line. The offset looked minimal on this somewhat compact head. So far, my favorite iron offering from Mizuno.

Nike Vapor Pro Combo Irons Review

Club Tested: 7-Iron; Shaft: Dynamic Gold Pro S300; Loft: 34°

The Takeaway

The Nike Vapor Pro Combo is exactly what it says it is. It combines the look and feel of a blade, but offers a more mid-sized head. With a thicker top line in the 2-7 irons, there is a small cavity hidden in the Modern Muscle that is filled with RZN, the same material that Nike uses in their golf balls. The longer irons have a machined face on a forged chassis, and the 8-PW are forged heads with a smaller muscle cavity.

Final Take

The 7 Irons was more on the blade side of of this combo set, with a very thin sole and cavity. The toe area was quite rounded and blended into a thin top line. The offset on the 7 Irons was minimal and for the most part the head sure looks like a blade. The feel was crisp and had excellent feedback to my hands on both mishits and solid shots. The ball flight was on the high side with average distance. If you are looking for a true combo set, this is one to look at.

Ping i25 Irons Review

Club Tested: 7-Iron; Shaft: KBS Tour (1/4″ shorter than other 7-irons); Loft: 33°

The Takeaway

While this model has been out for awhile, I felt it was important to include it with the 2015 clubs. The Ping i25 irons are constructed from 17-4 stainless steel, and have a progressive set design, stabilizing bars, a tungsten toe weight, and an optimized CTP position. For a higher trajectory and extreme forgiveness, the progressive head design provides larger heads and sole designs on the longer irons. For enhanced accuracy and scoring, the mid and short irons are more compact with narrower soles and less offset. The stabilizing bars increase ball speed in the long irons and add height, while the wider bars in the short irons provides a controlled, lower ball flight.

Final Take – Gom’s Pick

I love the design features of the i25 and how the weight is distributed heavily along the sole and toe areas. The all-satin head has a slightly thicker top line, a somewhat less rounded toe, a bottom groove line with white paint fill (rare it seems with these types of irons), and a fairly wide sole for a 7 iron. A feature that I personally enjoy is the leading edge grind, as well as a beveled trailing edge, which helps with turf interaction. The i25 was long and straight, and of course a bit harsh, feel-wise. This head can really be played by most anyone because of the excellent weight distribution and features, something I cannot say about some others in this segment. A very forgiving players CB head for sure.

Ping i Series Irons Review

Club Tested: 7-Iron; Shaft: Nippon Modus Pro 105; Loft: 32°

The Takeaway

Where do I start? First off, the main difference with the new i series over the i25s is the use of 431 Stainless Steel compared to the 17-4 Stainless Steel previously used for the i25s. What this offers is a softer feel, more workability, greater strength-to-weight ratio, less overall weight and better trajectory control. Adding in a Progressive Set Design (this means a larger head size and more offset in the long irons and smaller head size and less in the short irons), forgiving long irons (low back center of gravity), optimized lofts and lengths to a super clean looking head that offers a high MOI (Moment of Inertia) and you have an iron set that will appeal to a larger group of players. Other features include a Tungsten weight in the toe area of the 3-7 irons, which Ping has made less noticeable by blending the weight plug into the head finish, making it hard to see without actually looking for it. The CTP (Custom Tuning Port) is in a more concealed position below the cavity for a cleaner look and an increase in perimeter weighting. The CTP is now more aligned with the impact area, resulting in a better sound and feel. The sole is designed with the proper amount of bounce for clean turf interaction and optimized playability in all types of conditions. Lastly, to match up with each player’s own personal style Ping is offering 4 different aftermarket shafts to enhance flight and spin.

Who’s It For?

The new i series covers a large range of players. Though, these irons will mainly be sought by players who are improving rapidly and want a clean players-looking head offering a large amount of forgiveness and playability. Better players will also be interested because of the softer feel and more forgiving head that the 431 Stainless Steel offers compared to their muscleback heads. So, because of the features mentioned above, the majority of the players who will love these irons will be players with an 8 to 18 handicap.

Final Take

Having owned a set of i20’s in the past I was very excited to test this head, and even more excited to test it with the Nippon Modus Pro 105 shaft. Looks-wise, the i Series offers a simple, clean clubhead. The top line is on the medium to medium-thin side. The sole is medium-thin, slightly scalloped from head to toe with some back edge relief. The bottom groove line with white paint fill offers a simple alignment aid. Feel-wise, these heads were a touch softer than the 17-4 Stainless Steel heads that I personally play, which in turn offers up a touch more feedback to the hands at impact. I found the interaction with the turf was excellent and with minimal digging. The ball flight using the Nippon shaft was excellent, though just a touch on the high side. However, I was hitting into a slight head wind and the ball stayed true with no ballooning. Distance-wise, the i Series was on par with my current irons, though what raised my eyebrow with this shaft was the super tight dispersion. I was blown away by just how straight this combo was, and definitely a combo that I could order, no problem. With 4 aftermarket shafts available, along with the standard Ping CFS Distance shaft, finding the right combo just became easier. Suffice it to say, Ping strikes again!

TaylorMade RSi 2 Irons Review

Club Tested: 7-Iron; Shaft: KBS Tour; Loft: 31°

The Takeaway

The RSi 2 version of the RSi lineup is definitely a sibling of the RSi TP with some nice modifications. It adds progressive multi-material technology that have a tungsten weight low in the toe of the long irons producing higher launch and greater ball speeds. The mid irons are constructed of high-strength, thin-faced steel for consistency at high speeds. The short irons are forged carbon steel with milled grooves for that soft feel, and the wedge is a fully forged 1025 carbon steel. Add in their Speed Pocket Technology and Face Slot design and you have an iron that will provide better mishit distance and control, and you have quite the combo.

Final Take – Gom’s Pick

I have played other CB players heads from Taylormade, so it was interesting to test their latest greatest. Just like the RSi TPs, I was impressed to say the least. These were a tad harsher than the RSi TPs, but not by much. The ball flight was very similar, as was distance, which was about half club longer than other irons I tested. Looks-wise, I was more comfortable with these in my hands because I know that I can mishit these some and still see results. I struck these very well and loved the slightly higher ball flight and feel. I even went back to these when I struggled some with a different OEM, just to see if it was my swing or the head, and by george it was not my swing! Again, the RSi 2s are impressive to say the least.

Titleist 714 AP2 Irons Review

Club Tested: 6-Iron; Shaft: Dynamic Gold S300; Loft: 30°

The Takeaway

The Titleist 714 AP2 irons have a progressive weighting to them, like many other players CB heads. The AP2’s progressive weighting comes from face thickness and sole weighting, which changes the CG from long to short irons. This shift in CG provides higher launching long irons, and flatter launching short irons. Increased playability also comes from tungsten weights in two separate parts of the head’s cavity, increasing MOI and giving players better distance control.

Final Take

The 714 AP2’s have more of a players head look to it than the other CB players heads. The thinner sole, rounded toe area that squares off, and the less offset look really makes these heads look sweet! These heads are used by current Masters Champion Jordan Speith, but have the forgiveness to be played by those with a mid-low cap or better. This was the only head that I tried with a DGS300 shaft, so personally, I did not see the best results from these heads. The ball flight was low as expected, but feel was outstanding. The looks were top notch, definitely Titleist classy. There are some rumors going around the net that due to higher spin the overall distance is down for some with these heads. Down the line I am going to revisit these irons with a Launch Monitor to truly see for myself.

Tour Edge CU Exotics Irons Review

Club Tested: 6-Iron; Shaft: Project X; Loft: 29°

The Takeaway

The CU Exotic Iron features an Undercut Cavity that moves the weight away from the face, effectively lowering the CG for a higher ball flight and more stability at impact. Then there is the Heel and Toe Pad Sole Weighting that provides more weight lower in the heel and toe, delivering maximum power on off-center contact and enhanced feel for better control. The sets also offers a Reduced Progression Offset, and the CU head provides forgiveness and workability.

Final Take

Nothing too busy going on here other than a simple, clean mid-sized head that provided me with a nice feel. I attempted to work the ball with this head since Tour Edge mentions that is something players should be able to do, and I was able to do so, but only a small amount. The forgiveness was present, as claimed, and my distance was about normal for a 6 iron with 32-degrees of loft. Though, the ball flight has on the low side though for me.

Wilson Staff FG Tour V4 Irons Review

Club Tested: 7-Iron; Shaft: Dynamic Gold Pro S300; Loft: 35°

The Takeaway

The Staff FG V4 offers a very small muscle cavity back and is more about providing you with great feel from a compact head. The tungsten sole weight lowers the CG to increase the launch angle. A thinner top line allows the weight to be positioned lower and within the impact area for ideal launch, spin and MOI. The FG V4 also features an optimized sole camber for improved turf interaction and control from all lies.

Final Take

Cosmetically, this head was very old school to me, featuring a bright chrome finish, compact head, rounded toe, and thin top line. The head provided great feel, and the strikes were crisp and solid. The ball flight consistently produced a mid-high pattern.