Praised for their overall forgiveness and the classic club head design by Golf Digest’s “Hot List” for 2012, the Cleveland Golf 588 Forged CB Irons are said to be incredibly soft, yet deliver solid responsive feel. With much of the credit going to Cleveland’s Precision Forging process, which guarantees the highest level of manufacturing consistency from high-grade 1025 carbon steel. Just a few weeks ago we were given the opportunity by our good friends over at Cleveland Golf to fully test and review the 588 Forged CB (Cavity Back) Irons ourselves. We hit the range, simulator and finished things out with a couple rounds on the course for good measure.
Key Features:
- More precise and consistent surface roughness than alternative methods.
- Forged 1025 carbon steel construction.
- Progressive cavity back.
- Optimal surface roughness to maximize spin.
- Tour inspired more forgiving profile.
- Precise milling technology preserves edges and maintains perfect groove consistency.
- Tour Zip Grooves and laser and laser milled technology.
- Maximizes allowable groove dimensions while conforming to 2011 USGA groove requirements.
– The Review –
Design:
(9 out of 10) Cleveland built these irons from the ground up on the chassis of the 588 wedge with skilled golfers and tour professionals in mind. The forging process insures maximum quality as well as sharp grooves that stay sharp longer. Visually we have to admit these irons are rather boring, but the cavity back, zip grooves and classic blade profile more than make up for its aesthetic shortcomings.
Feel:
(8.5 out of 10) As advertised the 588 CB’s produce an amazingly soft feel. At impact, when struck properly the golf ball absolutely screams off the club face, yet hardly registers more than a crisp “thwak” at impact. We found the 588 CB irons to be incredibly well balanced and comfortable in the hands. After shagging a few dozen golf balls at the range we quickly dialed it in and were striking the ball consistent distances with impressive accuracy. Standing over these irons feels natural at address and invokes a subtle confidence that comes in handy when you’re trying to reach the green in two from 190 out!
Distance:
(8.5 out of 10) These irons hit high and long! We wouldn’t quite call them bombers, but they do carry impressive distances with slightly increased club head speed and what is in our opinion, an optimal trajectory. For perspective, on average the 588 CB irons were +7 yards longer than Nike’s VR Pro Combo Irons and the Adams Idea a12 OS Hybrid Irons which we happened to have on-hand at the time of testing. 7 yards might not seem like a lot to the average golfer, but it’s actually pretty impressive in this game of inches we play.
Accuracy:
(8 out of 10) Over the week we spent testing the 588 CB Forged Irons we found them to be highly accurate and surprisingly forgiving on off-center shots and miss hits. The cavity back and enlarged blade length give these irons a larger sweet spot and create an overall more forgiving set of irons when compared to traditional forged blades. That being said, if you’re looking for a set of game improving irons to help knock 6 or 7 strokes off your card these aren’t for you. To play these irons you should be extremely accurate already and carry a handicap in the neighborhood of +7 or better. Luckily we have a couple +4 and +6 golfers on our crew who can vouch for the 588 CB irons accuracy first hand!
Control:
(9 out of 10) The work-ability these irons offer is truly impressive. Shaping shots from right to left and vice versa proved to be one of the highlights of our testing sessions. If you’re a golfer who is comfortable shaping shots and working the ball from tee to green with the wind or up against it you’ll love the 588 CB irons. Additionally the tour zip grooves proved to impart useful spin in both the 9 iron and pitching wedge on approach shots.
Value:
(8 out of 10) We’d be lying if said these irons were affordable, so we won’t… but for the $1,000 it takes to become the proud owner of a set of 588 CB irons from Cleveland Golf you do get an exceptionally quality made set of irons that in our opinion will last for many seasons.
The Bottom Line:
If you’re a skilled golfer who is looking to upgrade to a blade style set of irons without loosing the forgiveness of a cavity back we highly recommend you consider the Cleveland Golf 588 CB Forged Irons for your next investment. They’re extremely well made, feel incredible at impact and deliver a high and long trajectory that is optimal for shooting low scores consistently. Loving these irons, but aren’t quite sure you should pull the trigger? Test them out for yourself when Cleveland Golf comes to a town near you for one of their demo days or simply head over to your local pro shop or sporting goods store and get them in your hands. After hitting a few bullets you’ll understand exactly what were talking about!Buy Now: $999.99 (3 – PW), or go to: ClevelandGolf.com
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