TaylorMade AeroBurner iron review

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Hype, meet distance. Ball, meet flagstick. 

If you are in the market for a power-packed game-improvement iron that is easy to hit and as forgiving as they come, look no further than the new TaylorMade AeroBurner iron this season.

It might not be the sexiest iron to ever fly out of TaylorMade Towers with its chunky topline, touch of offset and large blade length, but it certainly rivals the Callaway Big Bertha iron as the longest iron we have tested. 

Then again, not all six-iron lofts are built to 25.5 degrees (or 26 degrees as the case was with the Big Bertha). To put this into perspective, a typical loft for a six iron is about 30 degrees, such as the PING i25. 

And while European Tour pro Johan Carlsson may have showed off in front of us by "carrying" the AeroBurner four iron some 270 yards during our testing session, we did notice the loft of this club was 19 degrees, which is even more jacked than one of our hybrids.

Representing unthinkable yardage for a four iron, Johan did admit to us after our testing session the AeroBurner iron is "too long" for use on Tour. 

However, not all of us are European Tour professionals and if you struggle with your distances and crave bragging rights over your chums as to which club you have just hit into that daunting par three over the pond, you will likely want to take a closer look at these. 

While the radical increase of loft plays its part in the added distance, the key point to note is the AeroBurner iron is packed with an "up-to-the-limit COR face design" (COR - Coefficient of Restitution - is the measurement of energy transfer between the club and ball) that is as high as a driver.

If you decide to splash £599 on the AeroBurner irons, it will likely take you some time to adjust to your new yardages, but at the same time, it will free up some wedges in the short game - an area where most shots are played for the amateur golfer. 

In terms of appearance, it is a little surprising not to see any of the new forgiving "face slots" as found on the new TaylorMade RSi irons, but given the large face of the AeroBurner, you would have to be hitting the ball a long way off centre to benefit anyway.

WATCH: Game Improvement Irons Test 2015

In many ways, we found the AeroBurner  to be just as forgiving as the RSi 1 - winner of our 2015 game-improvement iron test - much to do with the "Speed Pocket" in the sole that aids higher launch and added ball speed on shots struck low on the face, on top of a high MOI head design.

The iron did little for us in terms of workability, however, so if that is key for you then you will likely want to look elsewhere.

When it comes to feel, the sound at impact is much nicer than the loud "gun shot" from the Big Bertha iron that we tested last year.

We also achieved decent levels of feedback for such a large cavity-back iron, and even off-centre hits felt like they were firing out of the middle.

Verdict

If you strive to hit the ball further with your irons, but also place a premium on getting yourself closer to the pin, you will definitely want to take a closer look at the AeroBurner irons. 

These irons will likely appeal to the game-improvement golfer with longer blade lengths, greater offset and thicker toplines at address, while the dark matte finish reduces unwanted glare.

Without doubt rivaling the Big Bertha iron as the longest iron we have ever tested - gaining at least a club and a half with each iron through the set - £599 looks fantastic value for money for the game-improvement player this year.