8 Best Driving Irons (2023 Iron Guide)

If you want to find more fairways, make straight shots, and produce lower scores in your game, a good set of irons is non-negotiable. There is no one-for-all driving iron for all golfers. You must know the best driving irons on the market.

Some of the best driving irons include the Wilson Staff model driving iron, cobra king utility iron, and Macgregor V-foil speed driving iron. These driving irons have user specificity, peculiar strengths, and weaknesses.

Here is a list of the top ten best irons golf drivers. Read on to know the most suitable for you and improve your game off the tee.

Best Overall: Wilson Staff Driving Iron

The Wilson Staff Model Utility Men’s Golf Iron (available on Amazon.com) is one of the most beautiful driving iron you will see.

It has a combination of a sleek, meaty, and classical appearance that makes it unique and very appealing. It even looks better with its chrome finish which gives it a nice shelf appeal every golfer would love.

The Wilson Staff driving iron brings a lot to your game. Be assured of experiencing an increased distance and more forgiveness when you use the driving iron. The positioning of 7g of weight low in its club head gives it an improved launch, which consequently increases distance and forgiveness.

The Wilson staff is also very reliable.

Wilson’s staff is not just all about forgiveness and distance. It also has a strong C300 maraging steel face, adding more speed and flair to balls. You can also trust the driving iron to deliver a reliable, penetrating, straight ball flight. Another good thing about the Wilson staff driving iron is that it gives an accurate option off tees on tight par furs.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: Strong face, high launching, increased distance, and reliability. It also comes in varying loft degrees and stiffness depending on your needs and preferences.
• Cons: Wilson staff doesn’t have much weakness compared to other driving irons. However, it is relatively expensive. It’s not as forgiving as many drivers on this list; it has limited forgiveness.

Who Should Use It?

Wilson staff driving iron is primarily for pro players. While beginners could potentially use it, it’s much better suited for professionals or seasoned players since it’s not as forgiving. It’s a reliable option for those who love to golf frequently.

Most Versatile: The Cobra King Utility Irons

The Cobra Golf King One Length Utility Iron (available on Amazon.com) is one of the best driving irons around. It has PowerShell face technology and a thin face that increases its impact, speed, and forgiveness.

Cobra has easily adjustable height loft settings to help you hit more accurate and straighter balls and launch for proper distance gapping.

If you care about the feel and sound of driving irons, then this is the driving iron for you. It has a great feel and a moderate sound that is not distracting. Cobra king utility is also very versatile; it’s efficient in various situations and conditions.

The Cobra King is easy to hit out of various conditions, including on a par five. So if you are looking for a driving iron that works well on the green and a par five, Cobra Utility might be the driving iron for you.

The Cobra Utility Iron has a muscle back iron and hollow shape, producing more controlled ball flight and stability, power, and penetrating ball flights.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: Increased impact, speed, and forgiveness. It comes in either graphite or steel and you can choose between regular and stiff flex, depending on your needs.  
• Cons: It is best for high-swing speed, so it’s best used by those with a little more golfing experience.

Who Should Use It?

Although many types and levels of golfers can use the Cobra King Utility, it is specifically designed for players who need more control on tight tee shots and longer approach shots. If you need an iron for more difficult shots, this is the one for you. 

Most Forgiveness: MacGregor V-Foil Speed Driving Iron

The MacGregor Golf MacTec X Driving Iron (available on Amazon.com) doesn’t come close to the category of good-looking driving irons. However, it can compete with many drivers in workability control and forgiveness, making it an excellent choice for beginners. It is casual all-black with a touch of silver below the grip.

The MacGregor driving iron is an excellent choice for golfers seeking forgiving players irons. Its hollowed body and expanded perimeter weighting provides plenty of forgiveness for shots that miss the sweet spot.

Additionally, this driving iron is known for its impressive distance capabilities on the course.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: High forgiveness, workability control, good looking. You can choose between regular and stiff flex depending on your needs. 
• Cons: You can avoid this driving iron if you are concerned with your drivers’ looks. It doesn’t have a great appearance. It’s forgiving enough for a beginner but those with more experience might prefer a different model. 

Who Should Use It?

This driving iron is best suited for single-figure players searching for more forgiveness in an iron-style golf club. This is because it has more margin for error. It’s therefore best for beginners and less seasoned players or those who don’t golf very often.

Best Adjustability: TaylorMade GAPR MID Golf Club

TaylorMade GAPR MID Golf Club (available on Amazon.com) is one of the three offerings (LO, MID, HIGH) in the GAPR line. Since its launch, TaylorMade driving iron has become popular among pros for scoring and taking long shots efficiently. TaylorMade has an incredible adjustability feature that allows golfers to adjust up to about 1.5 degrees from the standard.

The driving iron comes in degrees 21 and 24 with a KBS Hybrid shaft. But with its adjustability feature, you can adjust the lofts ranging from 16.5 to 25.5 degrees to have better shots and a better game.

The GAPR MID is one of the most forgiving driving irons on the market. This is a result of its enhanced sole, which has an iron-like top line and face that distinguishes it from a conventional hybrid. This unique sole gives the driving iron the combined feature of a traditional long iron and the ball speed and forgiveness of a hybrid.

With GAPR MID driving iron, you can add more spin to your ball by using the loft adjustment options. Adjusting your loft can also add more momentum to launch, give you a better angle, and increase your distance.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: High forgiveness, good adjustability, upgraded features. It comes in various options for flex, hand orientation, and configuration depending on what you’re looking for. 
• Cons: It isn’t easy to control so it might not be suited for true beginners, but most beginners should still be able to handle it just fine.

Who Should Use It?

Non-tour players best use TaylorMade GAPR MID Golf Club because of its forgiveness, consistent ball speed, and high launch. It’s a great driving iron for those just starting out or those who want a high adjustability for different situations.

Most Aesthetic: Srixon ZX Driving Iron

The Srixon Golf ZX Utility Iron (available on Amazon.com) is up there on the list of the most good-looking driving irons. Many golfers agree that it is the most beautiful hybrid/utility iron. The 1020 carbon steel frame iron has a catchy multi-material design. It also has a convenient SUP10 steel face. Srixon is thinner and sleeker than its predecessor, ZX5.

However, the Srixon ZX is not all about aesthetics. It has other great qualities that can help you have a better game. Srixon ZX is known for its high performance and on-course consistency.

If you would love to handle a driving iron with a good feel, I recommend Srixon ZX because it has an amazing combination of solid and pop feel that will keep you on the turf and hitting the balls off the tee.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: Good appearance, high performance, on-course consistency, great sound and feel. You can choose different options for flex and loft depending on your needs.
• Cons: Srixon Zx iron is not a low-budget option for those just starting out. 

Who Should Use It?

Srixon is a good fit for people who find the long par three very challenging and golfers who struggle with hybrids. Sixon would straighten your shots and help you hit your targets. An excellent driving iron for beginners, it will help you perfect your shots. 

Best for High Swing: TaylorMade SIM DHY Driving Iron

TaylorMade SIM Max DHY (available on Amazon.com) is one of the several offerings in TaylorMades’ SIM line. The DHY driving iron features and looks make it the perfect bridge between a hybrid and a standard iron.

TaylorMade SIM DHY has a modest offset with a thick top line. It also has a hollow body and, consequently, a low center of gravity. The low CG is so important on the course; it aids easy launches onto a high/medium trajectory. As a result, you won’t have many long shots run through the greens (High trajectories produce substantial stopping power).

Pros and Cons

• Pros: High launch, high stopping power, good appearance. You can choose the driving iron with your preferred loft, with the most popular being 12 and 22 degrees respectively.
• Cons: It doesn’t have an attractive top design.

Who Should Use It?

Most TaylorMade SIM irons are for tee shots and high-swing golfers. However, TaylorMade SIm DHY is a versatile and easy-to-play driving iron. Its versatility makes it more efficient for slower-swing players, although it is primarily for mid-to-high handicap players. Golfers at this level need an easy launch and consistent ball speed, and that’s what it offers.

Best Design: The Callaway X Forged UT Utility Iron

The Callaway Golf 2018 Men’s X Forged Utility Individual Iron (available on Amazon.com) has the best design. I’m sure many golfers would agree with me. The iron is forged from a high-quality 1025 mild carbon steel that gives it a soft feel. It has a hollowed body with perfect lines and finishes.

Callaway, known for consistently adding technological upgrades to their drivers, didn’t fail in adding some technological upgrades to the X-forged UT irons. The driving iron has flash face cup technology designed to enable each loft to improve the clubs’ performance significantly.

Callaway X forged UT iron is designed with a tungsten weighting technology that locates the COG and consequently leads to great control and higher launch. It is also a good choice if you love irons with a great feel because of its hollow head and forged body.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: Great design and appearance, AI-enabled flash face cup technology, tungsten weighting, great sound, and feel. The iron has exceptional precision for those long shots.
• Cons: It has limited forgiveness on off-center shots.

Who Should Use It?

Callaway X forged UT is the driving iron for the job if you ever need to get a par 5 in two or a nice fairway off the tee. The driving iron is best suited for pros who need improvement or more versatility in their long game. This is because it offers more accuracy, control, and gapping.

Lightest: TaylorMade P790 UDI Driving Iron

TaylorMade P790 UDI Driving Iron (available on Amazon.com) is another great driving iron that excites golfers. A traditional long iron adds more forgiveness and a longer distance to games. The first thing you will notice when you hold the driving iron is its weight.

TaylorMade P790 UDI has convenient Speedfoam Air technology that gives it a better feel and sound than more flexible and faster driving irons with a thinner clubface.

The Speedfoam Air technology reduces about thirty percent of its weight and saves up to a weight of 3.5 grams. The saved weight then makes it lighter for a faster and better launch. The driving iron also has the popular thru-slot speed pocket feature to increase the club’s flexibility. This leads to more distance, speed, and a better shallow hit.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: High forgiveness, longer distance, Speedfoam air technology, great feel. It also comes with a lengthy warranty for the ultimate protection. 
• Cons: It is a little expensive, so it might be a better option for those serious about golfing. It’s also only right-hand oriented.

Who Should Use It?

If you need a driving iron that will not reduce your accuracy dispersion for finding the heel or toe through your ball-striking, TaylorMade P790 UDI is for you. It is also suitable for golfers who prefer irons over fairway woods because it has large irons. The sweet spot is also large enough to take your shits and reduce off-hits.

Conclusion: Best Golf Driving Irons in 2023

A good driving iron helps you make straighter shots and improves your overall game.

The Cobra King Utility Irons, MacGregor V-Foil Speed Driving Iron, TaylorMade Golf Club and Srixon ZX are among the top driving irons. 

However, the Wilson Staff Driving Iron is the best overall. It combines speed, sleekness and more forgiveness to offer a more rounded product. The only downside is that it’s relatively expensive.