The best irons for scratch players
Before you start to deal with this topic you should make it clear that there is no such thing as "the best" and that there can never be. Golf clubs are also very individual. Not for nothing even tour players play a wide range of different models. From the most classic blades to cavity backs or players irons. So if the variety is so great even with tour players, how great is it only with the good amateurs in the scratch area around handicap 0?
No question, the overlaps are there. A scratch player is usually able to hit the ball constantly, has similar swing characteristics to pros and wants to play the ball with a fade or draw to the flag. What distinguishes him from a pro, however, is that he doesn't hit balls on the range for 4 hours a day. The problems usually start with the fact that the scratch player doesn't hit the balls as well as a pro. This is shown in the so-called Smash factor which indicates the ratio of ball and club head speed. With a 6 iron of a pro, this value is about 1.38, while a good amateur is perhaps between 1.32 and 1.35. The smash factor is the ratio of ball and club head speed.
That means one thing: The scratch player does not hit the ball so consistently and needs a club that compensates the slightly badly hit shots.
There are also fluctuations in the swing itself. A scratch golfer will not always come reliably e.g. 2.2° from the inside with a 0.4° open face. The face is sometimes 1° closed, sometimes 2° open, etc. This means strong differences in sidespin which the club has to cope with.
What this type of player usually has in mind is a cavity back iron. This type of club is a very good compromise between forgiveness and playability. The latter means that you can still "work" well with the ball, e.g. it assumes the lateral spin when you need a fade into the green. Players irons for example do not offer this playability and take much less spin. This spin is not only missing for draws and fades but also when it comes to controlling the ball on the green or producing a constant ball flight with the same lengths.
A factor that should not be underestimated in this class is the offset. A large offset tends to favour closed faces and thus counteracts a slice. For weaker players this is advantageous, but for very good players it can be a problem. Very good players usually swing from the inside rather than from the outside. Furthermore, they play their irons with a strongly negative Angle of Attack of -4° on a 6 or 7 iron. Both factors favour a sidespin to the left, i.e. a draw, depending on the "Swing Plane". So if you can't use something in such a case it's even more drawing tendency by offset. Unfortunately today even club heads that are suitable for very good players are often built with offset. This has to be taken into account when choosing a club.
Due to this the following "best irons" for scratch players 2019 result:
CB-1008 from Miura
If you were to ask Miura what kind of clubs they would like to build, the answer would be: Blades or classic cavity backs. The latter is the CB-1008 and therefore our first recommendation. The positive thing about this head is also the low offset which is especially good for players with a draw tendency. Unfortunately, more and more irons are being built with a lot of offset, which favours a closed face at impact. If you have a tendency to do this anyway or if you come from the inside, you will have problems with these clubs. Not so with the CB-1008. Conversely of course you have to say that players with a tendency to slice the ball would like more offset. But to be honest: Which scratch player fights against a slice?
Honma TW747 V
The TW747 V is a very high quality club with an extremely attractive price-performance ratio. It is the defused version of Justin Rose's Tour World Blade, the Rose Proto. The V can hardly be called a blade because the center of gravity is very low. Rather it is a mixture of Cavity Back and Blade. Also with the V the offset is low. The only drawback with this otherwise very good club: The standard shaft selection is very limited and other shafts can only be ordered with a delivery time of 8-10 weeks and a partial surcharge. Alternatively, we can of course fit you with another shaft of your choice, which will be done within 2 weeks.
Miura MC-501
In our opinion one of the most beautiful iron heads ever built. It is a "Modern Blade". Classic blades are dying out, Miura knows that. That's why the MC-501 is such a successful club. Because it combines cavity back and blade like no other iron. The MC-501 looks even sharper and more dangerous than it actually is. The playing surface is comfortable and mistakes are forgiven. The only shortcoming is the large offset.
Miura CB-301
The CB-301 for 2019 is a new edition of a classic. The only drawback for scratch players is the offset and the very small lofts. The pitching wedge has only 44° which for most means an additional wedge at about 48°. Nevertheless a very successful club that also shines optically.
