The Best Iron Shafts in 2023

#1 – Project X LZ Steel 5.5 – Best Steel Shaft

Weight: 110, 115, 120, 125 grams

Flexes: Regular, regular+, stiff, extra stiff

Selling Points:

• Reinforced tip and butt
• Loading Zone technology
• Tapered .355 tip

The LZ in Project X LZ Steel 5.5 stands for “Loading Zone” and it refers to the unique design of this shaft. Essentially, the Project X LZ Steel 5.5 will transfer 7% more energy over traditional steel shafts on your downswing.

We don’t know about all of that but if you are looking for a steel shaft that will add yards and height to your iron shots, then this is the one. Our testers were registering increases in both distance and apex height with this shaft when tested on a 5-iron.

And if you have been wary about steel shafts because of the feel, the Project X LZ Steel 5.5 is a great choice because it actually flexes a bit more than your usual steel shaft.

Pros:

• Comfortable feel
• Increases distance
• Increases apex height

Cons:

• Feels a bit heavy
• On the pricey side

Overall Rating: 99/100

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#2 – Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue AM2 Iron Graphite Shaft

– Best Graphite Shaft

Weight: 70-88 grams

Flexes: Regular, stiff

Torque: 3.3, 3.2, 2.9, 2.8, 2.7, 2.6, 3.4, 3.5

Kick Point: Mi

Selling Points:

• Aluminum vapor weave
• Ascending mass configuration
• Versatile shaft

Next on our list is the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue AM2 Iron Graphite Shaft which is a mid-weight graphite shaft that almost all of our testers loved. The great thing about this shaft is that it works with almost any swing speed.

It’s heavier than most graphite shafts but most of our testers remarked that it felt more substantial on the downswing as opposed to saying that it was too heavy. Overall though, we would say that this shaft is ideal for players with a smooth swing tempo.

The only testers who didn’t like this shaft were ones with fairly aggressive downswings. They remarked that it lacked consistency.

Pros:

• Great for many types of players
• Many different weight options
• Good feel overall

Cons:

• Not great for aggressive swings
• May be inconsistent

Overall Rating: 98/100

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#3 – Project X LS – Best for Fast Swing Speeds

Weight: 120, 125, 130 grams

Flexes: Stiff, Extra stiff, Extra stiff+

Selling Points:

• Low spin
• Stiff design
• Brushed chrome finish

Switching gears from our last shaft, number three on our list is only for fast swing speed players with an aggressive swing. So much so that you can only get the Project X LS in stiff, extra stiff or extremely stiff. The Project X LS is a beefy, powerful shaft that will add distance to your irons.

Of course, you will have to know how to wield it in order to get any kind of performance out of them. They provide excellent consistency and accuracy though.

Pros:

• Great for low handicappers
• Low, piercing shot trajectory
• Very stable feel

Cons:

• Heavy
• Not for beginners

Overall Rating: 97/100

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#4 – Fujikura Vista Pro – Best for Low Swing Speed and Seniors

Weight: 48-67 grams

Flexes: regular, stiff

Torque: 5.1, 5.4, 5.6, 4.8, 4.6, 4.4, 4.2

Kick Point: Low to Med/High

Selling Points:

• Carbon fiber design
• Phantium finish
• Multi-material bias core

The Fujikura Vista Pro has a unique composition in that the mid-tip section flexes more then the shaft gets stiffer the closer it gets to the butt. This creates an interesting dynamic that our slower swing speed players seemed to love.

They noted that it was much easier to turn the club head over using this shaft when compared to other graphite shafts. The is also nice and light so it actually helps increase club head speed in most cases.

Pros:

• Excellent accuracy
• Forgiving
• Good feedback

Cons:

• A bit pricey
• High spin

Overall Rating: 96/100

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#5 – True Temper Elevate – Best for High Launch

Weight: 112, 117, 122 grams

Flex: Regular, stiff, extra stiff

Selling Points:

• .355 taper tip
• Vibration Suppression System
• Low spin

As you can probably guess, this was the highest-launching shaft we tested. The mid to high trajectory was nearly universal for all of our testers. This was a great shaft to have with our shorter irons because spin is drastically reduced as well.

The True Temper Elevate shafts will help you bit onto fast greens thanks to the optimal spin and launch conditions it produces.

Pros:

• Great short game performance
• Excellent launch
• Smooth feel

Cons:

• Limited feedback
• Not great for distance

Overall Rating: 94/100

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#6 – True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT X100 – Best for Low Launch

Weight: 94-107 grams

Flexes: Regular, stiff

Selling Points:

• Ascending Mass technology
• .355 taper tip
• Low launch

For those of you who like to keep launch angles low for the utmost in accuracy, this Ture Temper shaft would be ideal. This shaft promotes great consistency and is also excellent for players with a fast swing tempo and quick backswing.

The ascending mass of the shafts makes them very well-balanced and comfortable on the downswing. They produce low-arcing shots that hold their line very well. With the long irons, these shafts are a great fit. However, our testers remarked that this shaft wasn’t great on chip shots.

Many of them found the True temper Dynamic Gold hard to control in terms of short iron distance. However, they also remarked that the long-game performance more or less made up for the lack of greenside control.

Pros:

• Great for long irons
• Great energy transfer
• Not too heavy

Cons:

• Lacking short-game control
• Not great for beginners

Overall Rating: 92/100

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#7 – Project X Rifle – Best for Mid Handicap

Weight: 110, 115, 120, 125 grams

Flexes: Regular, regular+, stiff, extra stiff

Selling Points:

• .370 parallel tip
• Long taper rate
• Stepless Design Technology

We almost named this one as the best shaft for low launch but ultimately, we felt that it was better for mid handicappers. The weight is a good middle ground for players who are understanding how to use their irons and getting more comfortable swinging the longer irons.

They don’t feel as heavy as the weighting grades suggest which is a nice touch. And like the last entry on our list, they produce a low, penetrating ball flight. Another unique thing about these shafts is that each tip has it’s own specific length throughout the set.

If you are looking for one shaft to use for your entire iron set, this may be a good call. The progressive tip lengths allow for optimized flex throughout multiple irons. Our testers remarked that the Project X Rifle shafts were also easy to turn over which increased their accuracy.

Pros:

• Good flex for steel shafts
• Good spin control
• Low launch angles

Cons:

• The scuff easily
• A bit inconsistent

Overall Rating: 90/100

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#8 – KBS C-Taper Lite – Best for Average Players

Weight: 105, 110, 115

Flexes: Regular, stiff extra stiff

Selling Points:

• .355 taper tip
• Constant taper design
• Brushed satin finish

The reason we chose this shaft as the best for average players is because in general, we like steel shafts. They are more accurate and more consistent. So if you are an average player wary of the heft and weight of steel shafts, this would be a great choice.

These shafts are slightly lighter than most steel shafts but that doesn’t mean they lack anything in terms of accuracy and consistency. They produce a nice mid to high trajectory depending on your swing. We found that this shaft was best for players with swing speeds between 77 and 93 MPH.

The KBS C-Taper Lite is even better if you have a smooth swing style as the kick point is very accommodating. We also found that control was enhanced with these shafts. Even in our longer irons, we were able to dial in spin pretty much as acutely as we wanted.

Pros:

• Good control
• Good accuracy
• Not too heavy

Cons:

• A bit expensive
• Not great for aggressive swings

Overall Rating: 90/100

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#9 – True Temper Dynamic Steel – Best Iron Shaft on the PGA Tour

Weight: 127, 130 grams

Flexes: Regular, stiff, extra stiff

Kick Point: High

Selling Points:

• Tour weighted
• .355 taper tip
• 37-41” lengths

The True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts are excellent if you are seeking a combination of distance and short-game control. However, you should know that pretty much only our low handicappers were getting good use out of these shafts.

If you are a low handicapper, you will love the low, penetrating ball flight the produce. The Dynamic Gold shaft also has a high kick point so you get good launch angles if you have a faster swing speed.

Pros:

• Great all-around performance
• Good flex
• Great ball speed

Cons:

• Not for beginners
• Poor feedback

Overall Rating: 89/100

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#10 – True Temper XP 95

Weight: 95 grams

Flexes: Regular, stiff

Selling Points:

• High launch
• Lightweight steel
• Forgiving

While the True Temper XP also comes in a 93 gram version, we really liked the 95 gram version. It was light enough for our high handicap testers to see an increase in swing speed and substantial enough for our lower handicap testers to call “consistent.”

Plus, this shaft is explosive. Most of our testers were also noting increases in yardage from their 4, 5 and 6 irons. As far as steel shafts go, these are some of the lightest you will come across so if you are planning to make the transition form graphite to steel shafts for your irons, this would provide a not-so-jarring shift.

Pros:

• Very workable
• Distance increases
• Tight dispersion

Cons:

• A bit unpredictable
• Spin was an issue

Overall Rating: 88/100

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Final Thoughts

It really pays to be choosy with your iron shafts and our list will help you choose the right one for your particular needs. However, if we could recommend just one to our viewers, we would suggest the Project X LZ Steel 5.5.

We would pick this one because pretty much anyone will be able to use it for effective gains in distance and launch which is what most average players really need. Still, it’s up to you so check all these iron shafts out soon!