Best Irons for Diggers

[JohnKHawk]

Is there an iron that would work better for someone who takes large divots with their irons?

 

I'm inquiring for a friend of mine as I am a very shallow divot taker myself. Any info or recommendations are appreciated.

[Foxee]

MP-54 is great for me.

[Bomber_11]

Generally speaking most of the wide soled GI irons on the market should help with that issue. Just like a blade cuts through the ground like butter, an M2 for example will fight as hard as possible not to dig.

[justincredible04]

I'm a digger and play mostly Player type irons. I had a set of MX-25s which are GI and they were one of the few irons that didn't look super big and I stopped me from digging super hard.

[4rheel]

I thought a more rounded leading edge will help with diggers. Something like the Ping i200 irons.

[dmeeksDC]

I am somewhat of a digger even though I am working on shallowing out in my transition. But old habits are hard to break and I get a little steep sometimes. So I like irons with a softened or bevelled leading edge and some bounce, which often saves shots for me. I also don't like a lot of visible offset, even though I know I need a little. A lot of clubs out there that meet that criteria. I am going with the Ping i200, but there are plenty of other options. As Foxee says above, the Mizuno MP54 is another solid choice as I think it is rated as the most forgiving iron in the MP lineup, but probably not as forgiving as the latest JPX irons. Just depends on how it works for your buddy. He should avoid low bounce clubs, but that doesn't mean he has to play clubs with soles like shovels. I like a medium topline and a sole that cuts through the turf even if I stick it in the ground too much at impact. The sole is the most important factor for a digger, IMO.

[JohnKHawk]

Thanks for the replies so far. He actually likes taking the big pro style pelt & usually does a good job of hitting ball first but is in a bit of slump right now & looking to change things up. He does like the big chunky irons but their not working for him at this point. What about the Srixon 565's with the tour VT soul? They seem to have lots of bounce too.

[ooshaugh1]

I'm a big time digger. Take a 9 inch divor with more irons and wedges. The titleist 716cbs have been amazing for me. They had a bevelled leading edge which just glides through the turf.

[Scratchtastic]

Callaway and Ping generally have the highest effective bounces of standard OEM offerings on irons.

[Gh0st]

I have had great success with the Callaway Apex Irons, generous bounce, great feel and feedback. Worth a demo

[Nessism]

The best clubs on the market for diggers are Ping's. They have a lot of bounce and some sole camber, and most models have a beveled leading edge too.

 

Mizuno's are low bounce. The MP line has a sharp leading edge. The JPX family of Mizuno's have a beveled leading edge though so those are less diggy.

 

Callaway's typically have a fair bit of bounce too. Tmag has less. Best check the specs of the irons you are looking at, and also look at the leading edge for a radius of some sort if you are concern about digging.

[Patrick_O]

The best clubs on the market for diggers are Ping's. They have a lot of bounce and some sole camber, and most models have a beveled leading edge too.

 

Mizuno's are low bounce. The MP line has a sharp leading edge. The JPX family of Mizuno's have a beveled leading edge though so those are less diggy.

 

Callaway's typically have a fair bit of bounce too. Tmag has less. Best check the specs of the irons you are looking at, and also look at the leading edge for a radius of some sort if you are concern about digging.

 

Cobra also has a fair amount. They don't advertise this but I emailed them and they responded with the results for the F6. Came out between Ping G and Callaway Steelhead XR. Interestingly the Mizuno JPX EZ 4 and 5 irons have negative bounce.

[Jagpilotohio]

Another vote for callaway. I have some apex cf16's. Lots of bounce. Nice clubs.

I'm a digger so I always consider the bounce. Love mizunos, but hate that most are a diggers nightmare. Thin and sharp soles. Yikes!

[BYK]

I have had great success with the Callaway Apex Irons, generous bounce, great feel and feedback. Worth a demo

 

Yep, this

[dmeeksDC]

The best clubs on the market for diggers are Ping's. They have a lot of bounce and some sole camber, and most models have a beveled leading edge too.

 

Mizuno's are low bounce. The MP line has a sharp leading edge. The JPX family of Mizuno's have a beveled leading edge though so those are less diggy.

 

Callaway's typically have a fair bit of bounce too. Tmag has less. Best check the specs of the irons you are looking at, and also look at the leading edge for a radius of some sort if you are concern about digging.

 

Agreed. This matches my experience, even though I previously played MP59s. But I think those worked because the shafts are a little shorter than others, the lies a touch flatter, and the compact head. And irons are one of my strengths. Weirdly, I will hit compact heads in the center of the clubface more consistently than I will a longer heel-to-toe head. Still, I borrowed an i200 and took it on the course -- buying based on a launch monitor session doesn't work for me -- and there was no doubt it performed better. You get away with more. Have some i200s on order right now. I feel like they will knock off a couple of shots per round, mainly because I am determined and delusional, two important attributes in a golfer.?

[jrwingate6]

Any of the Ping GI irons have large soles and a ton of bounce. Some of the Ping irons have such large soles, they look absurd.

[Sef]

Wilson F5, V4, or V6. Rounded sole really does not dig.

[dunn]

I am a digger but prefer sharper leading edges and less bounce......have experimented plenty but for some reason these work better.......contact with ground is after ball is gone.......if you tend to hit fat shots I can see more bounce.....but I want the club to cut and leave small footprint....big soles tend to catch turf before impact for me........our grass is kind of saggy and firm.......so prolly depends

[Niederjr]

My miss with an iron 99% of the time is fat. When I played 3-4 days a week I handled ap2 decently but since the career took over I struggled mightily digging. Last year I bought a set of xtd forged, mainly for the c taper shafts at the price they go for. I was incredibly surprised how easy they were to play. The soles look to have a bounce that resembles the "v" grinds in the rtx 3 wedges. For the price and the stock c taper shafts I can't recommend these clubs enough. Really sad what TM did to Adams.

[homergolf]

At a Mizuno demo days last year the first thing the Mizzy rep asked was what is my usual divot. I'm not a digger so he eliminated JPX EZ. He mentioned that is a club best suited to golfers who take deep divots.

[Golf64]

OP, wide soled with bounce is your best bet. Ping Gs maybe?

[JohnKHawk]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Will definitely pass along to my buddy. Ping G's seem to be a good option to try at this point. Maybe the Mizuno JPX EZ's

[BCULAW]

The best clubs on the market for diggers are Ping's. They have a lot of bounce and some sole camber, and most models have a beveled leading edge too.

 

Mizuno's are low bounce. The MP line has a sharp leading edge. The JPX family of Mizuno's have a beveled leading edge though so those are less diggy.

 

Callaway's typically have a fair bit of bounce too. Tmag has less. Best check the specs of the irons you are looking at, and also look at the leading edge for a radius of some sort if you are concern about digging.

 

This.

 

As a former (now reformed) digger, I would tell you that your best options would be something along the lines of the Ping G series irons - wide sole, a lot of bounce.

 

If you want something along the lines of a player's clubs, then look for something with a pre-worn sole. This is evidence by a crescent-shaped grind along the leading edge. Or, a v- sole like you see on the newer Srixon models.

 

Magic combination for a digger, IMO, is the wide sole with a pre-worn grind!!! Ha Ha! You can actually find something like this on some of the JPX models from Mizuno.

 

Try all of the options and see what you like best.

[Sir edward of putternut]

Just be careful...I take pretty nice size pancake divot and those clubs with bounce mess my game up. Try hogan's or srixons v sole style clubs though, they do make a difference

[cgasucks]

Get one with the widest sole you can get. The Ping G series will do the trick for ya. High bounce with a wide sole.

[SurfDuffer]

Blades and learn not to dig.

[JohnKHawk]

Just be careful...I take pretty nice size pancake divot and those clubs with bounce mess my game up. Try hogan's or srixons v sole style clubs though, they do make a difference

Yes - I thought the Srixon 545/565 might also be a good set for my buddy to try. I like the looks of that sole personally. Maybe the Z355's as well.

[ruffellprefley]

another vote for the srixon and the v sole. the 565 have 12-18 degrees of bounce through the set

[Petunia Sprinkle]

I'm a digger (I often hear yelling in Chinese coming from my divots) and I've actually found wider soles harder to deal with than my old blades.

[dmeeksDC]

I'm a digger (I often hear yelling in Chinese coming from my divots) and I've actually found wider soles harder to deal with than my old blades.

 

In that case, the Mizuno JPX 900 series or the new Wilson FG Tour V6 would be better choices. Mizuno is low bounce and the Wilsons start low in long irons and progress to mid, but both have softened leading edges and it makes a difference. I am a fan of the soles on the Wilsons. Very playable for a range of golfers. But a more compact head is also on the Wilsons, more so than the 900s, except for the Tours (900 comes in three head choices.) The V6 is nicer looking than the V4, IMO. Cleaner, stylish. A lot more shaft options with the Mizuno line, one of my favorite things about the company. If Wilson stepped up their backend game and set up a for-real demo program, and revamped their web site and made it what it should be, they'd probably sell a lot of clubs. The Staff line is top-notch.