What Irons Do PGA Players Use? (2023 Update)
There are dozens of different golf club brands and hundreds of different models of clubs within each brand. There are some highly affordable models, while other sets will cost you a fortune. But, of course, the professionals use the best models, so what irons do PGA Players use?
There are 14 brands and 90 models of irons used by PGA professionals. The professionals use the newest and most beneficial technology in their irons to assist them in playing the best they possibly can. Each professional uses irons that they prefer by the brands that sponsor them.
Maybe you are trying to improve your game and are looking for the best irons to use, or you have a lot of money and want the best clubs no matter how they affect your game. Looking into what irons the professionals use is the best way to determine which irons trump other brands and which ones will help you.
So, if you want to know what irons PGA players use, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s begin!
Most Common Iron Brands On The PGA Tour
It is evident that when researching which irons currently are the best to use, the most popular irons on the PGA Tour are the best proof you can get. If most of the best players in the world are using a particular brand and a specific model, that model and brand are the best set on the market right now.
The most common iron brand on the PGA Tour, by far, is Titleist, with 33 players having a Titleist in their bag. Callaway is 2nd with 24 players. The 3rd most popular brand of iron is PING (19 players), with TaylorMade (18 players) coming a close 4th, followed by Srixon (12 players).
Below are the brands of irons that the top professionals on the PGA Tour use, in order from the most commonly used brand to the least.
| Iron Brand | Number of PGA Tour Players |
|---|---|
| Titleist | 33 |
| Callaway | 24 |
| PING | 19 |
| TaylorMade | 18 |
| Srixon | 12 |
| Mizuno | 7 |
| PXG | 5 |
| Cobra | 2 |
| Wilson | 3 |
| Miura | 3 |
| Nike | 3 |
| Grindworks | 1 |
| Bridgestone | 1 |
| Honma | 1 |
Most Common Iron Models On The PGA Tour
The most common model of irons used on the PGA Tour is the Titleist T100 irons, with 12 players using them as their main set.
The second most popular model of irons used on tour is the Titleist’s 620MB irons, with 10 players using them as their main set. The joint third most common model of irons is PING i210 irons and Callaway’s Apex TCB irons, both having 8 players with them in their bag.
However, many professionals do not use the same models consistently throughout their set. Instead, they have various models that they have found to suit their game best.
Check out this table of the 10 most popular iron models played on tour:
| Iron Model Name | # PGA Tour Players |
|---|---|
| Titleist T100 | 12 |
| Titleist 620 MB | 10 |
| PING i210 | 8 |
| Callaway Apex TCB | 8 |
| Srixon ZX7 | 7 |
| TaylorMade P7TW | 6 |
| PING Blueprint | 6 |
| Titleist 620 CB | 6 |
| Titleist U-500 | 6 |
| PING iBlade | 6 |
Related: 7 Most Popular Irons on The PGA Tour
Do PGA Professionals Use Blades Or Cavity-Backs?
It is a prevalent myth within the amateur-golfing community that the best players in the world only use bladed irons. Many people seem to believe that it is a step up to go from cavity-back irons to blades and that it announces to the world that this person is a top-level golfer.
This belief is not true.
As technology in golf advanced, irons that looked like ‘blades’ were slowly phased out as the majority-produced style of golf iron.
Irons with cavity backs are designed to be more ‘forgiving.’ This, in short, means that no matter which part of the iron’s face the ball comes in contact with, the flight of the ball and distance will not be affected.
On the other hand, blades require the ball to come into contact with the middle of the clubface to be a good shot.
It turns out that 64 of the top 100 PGA Professionals use only cavity-back irons. However, if you count the pros that use both blades and cavity-back irons within their set, the number increases to 80 out of the top 100.
Although, the technology of clubs today means that even the most ‘blade-looking’ irons are closer to cavity-back irons in the shots they produce than what they appear.
Have you ever wondered how hard it is to hit a blade? Check out this article, How Hard Is It To Hit a Blade?
What Brands Of Irons Have The Most Variety Of Models?
Although the most common model of irons on the PGA Tour (within the top 100 professionals) is the Titleist T100 irons, with 12 players using them, 33 professionals use Titleist irons. This statistic means that some players prefer different models than the models the majority use, but they still use the same brand.
Titleist and TaylorMade are tied for the two brands with the widest variety of iron models being used by the top 100 professionals on the PGA Tour. Titleist and TaylorMade both have 11 different models of irons in use on the PGA Tour, with the brands having 25 and 14 players using their irons, respectively.
Ping has the 3rd most significant number of iron models on the PGA Tour, with seven different iron models being used by 20 different players. Srixon follows closely in 4th with six various iron models used by 12 players on the PGA Tour.
On the other hand, Callaway only has four different iron models on the PGA Tour, but 15 players using them. Mizuno and PXG both have more models of irons than Callaway, yet they have fewer players in total using their clubs than Callaway has for their own.
Do PGA Professionals Use Mixed Sets Of Irons?
Yes. It is very uncommon in modern golf to find a professional on tour using the same model of irons throughout their entire set. Professionals spend hours practicing and finding what model fits their game in terms of performance and comfort, so it makes sense that they use different models of irons.
However, you will not see professionals using different models and different brands within their sets.
This is not because they find their set and brand to be the best but because brands sponsor players. The brands supply them with the models they want, so you will not see different brands within a professional’s set.
Sidenote: Do you want to know the top golf grips used by the pros? Check out this article to find out, 3 Most Popular Grips on The PGA Tour.
Final Thoughts
When answering the question, “what irons do PGA players use?” it’s important to know that there is not one fixed model and brand of irons that professionals use.
Instead, the variety of brands and models is wide. Statistically, the Titleist T100 irons are the most common model of irons, and Titleist is the most common brand. However, all professionals take time to see what irons work best for them personally, which is what amateurs should do too.
