Macgregor VIP Irons Review – Are They Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

Macgregor VIP Irons Review – Are They Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

“The Macgregor VIP irons are very affordable but how well do they perform?”

As far as bargain golf brands go, Macgregor is one of my favorites. They certainly aren’t as popular as they used to be but I know firsthand that they are still making high quality clubs for a fraction of the price of the major golf club OEM products.

The Macgregor VIP irons are generally good irons. But for this review, I wanted to see how well they perform specifically for high handicappers.

Macgregor VIP Irons Overview

“Right off the bat, the Macgregor VIP irons look really nice – like offerings from Titleist or Taylormade.”

They have a premium look in the bag and behind the ball, they sort of straddle the line between player’s performance and game improvement. That’s because the top line is moderately thick while the sole is a bit on the thin side; but certainly not too thin.

There is enough face area on these irons to inspire confidence at address; but better players will also get the sense that they can work the ball. One of my favorite things about these irons is that they are made from carbon steel. Carbon steel is usually reserved for forged irons.

And while the Macgregor VIP irons aren’t forged, they still have a soft, premium feel at impact. You can get the Macgregor VIP irons with stock steel or graphite shafts. For this round of testing, I went with the Macgregor VIP OEM steel shafts. However, if you are a beginner, I would recommend the graphite shafts.

The entire set includes irons 4-9 and a pitching wedge. There is a bit of offset visible throughout the set and the center of gravity is pushed as low as possible in these relatively compact game improvement irons. The loft is moderate with the 9-iron checking in at 39°.

Are the Macgregor VIP Irons Forgiving?

“The greatest asset in terms of forgiveness these irons afford is the enhanced sweet spot.”

As I said in the overview, the Macgregor VIP irons have a relatively compact head shape for game improvement irons – save for the face. At address, you can see just how much sweet spot you have and it’s quite a lot. The long irons have moderate offset so it feels easy to turn the club over on your downswing.

The flight does change a bit when you hit near the toe or the heel. In general, you’re going to get more side-spin and therefore more divergence to the left or right of the target. But after a handful of good swings, I was able to lock onto the sweet spot and eliminate most mis-hits. The face profile is also pretty deep so I didn’t have any problems with hitting thin or heavy shots.

I liked the stability of the steel shafts. They reigned in my swing speed a bit so I could focus on accuracy. I also like the deep grooves in the short irons which will make it easier for inexperienced players to get the spin they need around the pin.

The Macgregor VIP irons are moderately forgiving. Though not the most forgiving irons on the market, they are more versatile than most GI irons and will serve you after you break 100.

Are the Macgregor VIP Irons Good for Beginners & High Handicappers?

“While the Macgregor VIP irons aren’t the first clubs I would recommend to beginners, they are still great for high handicappers.”

Almost everything about these irons is moderate: moderate size, moderate top line, moderate launch and so on. So for beginners, there may not be enough forgiveness. But for weekend players with a season or two under their belts, this is a great set.

It provides enough forgiveness while giving you room to grow and something to aspire to.

Should you Buy the Macgregor VIPs or the Macgregor Golf Wizard Hybrid Irons

The Wizard hybrid irons are the opposite of the Macgregor VIP irons: there is nothing moderate about them. They feature oversized heads, wide rounded soles and a hollow body design to increase distance. The Macgregor Wizard irons are the better buy if you are a beginner or if you’re really struggling to get good distance from your long irons. They play easily long and are ridiculously easy to hit.