Cleveland VAS 792 Irons Review – Are They Forgiving for High Handicappers?

Cleveland VAS 792 Irons Review – Are They Forgiving for High Handicappers?

“The Cleveland VAS 792 irons are unlike any irons I have ever tested.”

These may be the most controversial irons in golf. The Cleveland VAS 792 irons have a design that has never been copied. The hosel placement is extremely  unconventional and some golfers have called these irons unplayable. So how is it that Corey Pavin won the 1995 US Open with these irons?

These days, you’d be hard-pressed to find a golfer who plays these irons or swears by their performance. They are simply too old and take a lot of getting used to. But you can’t argue with success. There are modern, “normal” game improvement  irons that have never been in the bag of any pro who won the US Open. So I finally got my hands on the Cleveland VAS 792 to decide once and for all if they are any good.

Are the Cleveland VAS 792 Irons Still Good?

“The most shocking thing about these irons is the hosel design.”

The hosel actually connects into the face instead of the top line of the club. This gives new meaning to the phrase “hosel rocket.” Perhaps these irons are what inspired the coining of that phrase to begin with. It looks really bizarre and creates a natural barrier in the heel of the club.

The Cleveland VAS 792 irons are cavity backs. The cavity itself isn’t deep but it stretches across the entire expanse of the backside of the club. The undercut isn’t very thick but the soles have a moderate thickness. The length from heel to toe is quite long so at address, these irons actually look pretty forgiving – if you can look beyond the hosel that is sticking out of the face.

To be honest, the Cleveland VAS 792 kind of looks like a putter because there is a little piece of heel that actually sticks out behind the hosel. All-in-all though, I could see why these clubs were popular back in the day. Quite simply, they are forgiving. When they first came out they were marketed as “unshankable” irons. And while I was certainly able to hit a few shanks with these irons, they were still forgiving. In fact, I had to work fairly hard to produce a pull or a shank.

So are the Cleveland VAS 792 irons still good? If you’re on a budget and you need a set of forgiving irons, yes, they are still good.

Are the Cleveland VAS 792 Irons Forgiving for High Handicappers?

“High handicappers are probably the only players these irons are good for.”

The Cleveland VAS 792 irons have a pretty large profile overall so there is virtually no workability in them. However, this also means that they play straight  most of the time. The only real problem I had with these irons (apart from how they look) is that I was losing significant club head speed compared to my gamer irons.

The turf interaction just isn’t very smooth which I can imagine would be a problem for high handicappers – I mean, it was a problem for me and I’m definitely not a high handicapper. So I lost some overall distance as well. But for beginners and high handicappers, this shouldn’t be a significant issue. After all, as a high handicapper, you are still probably trying to get your swing speed up.

But the Cleveland VAS 792 irons have an expansive sweet spot which some would argue is the most important aspect for high handicappers. They produce a mid/high launch  which would probably be adequate if you are already a high-launch player. If not, you may have some trouble getting over trees and bunkers.

Are the Cleveland VAS 792 irons the most forgiving irons? No. Are they forgiving and affordable enough to take a chance on? Absolutely.