CG7 Black Pearl

Since being introduced in 2007, Cleveland's CG irons have been incredibly successful for this long-established golf company. The latest incarnation is the CG7 Black Pearl iron , a Tour version of which is also available.

Looks

What black beauties! If you're someone who can't even consider anything but a gun-metal finish on a wedge, this is the set of irons for you. The matte black finish is absolutely gorgeous and they really do look the business.

The new CG7 BP irons sit about halfway up the Cleveland range, somewhere between the Tour blade and the Launcher irons. Single-figure players will love the dimensions and versatility while the double-digit golfer will appreciate the added help.

Admittedly they are on the sleek side - and the dark finish does make them look a little smaller in the head - but these are no blades and have as much technology round the back as there is front of shop.

Despite the smaller perception, I find it helps me focus better and the head design and the uncluttered rear cavity combine to give a really classical look that also has a modern twist. It's a very appealing package.

Feel/performance

The 2010 CG7 irons are a very different beast, to their 2009 predecessors, packed with performance-enhancing technology. The most noticeable is perhaps the attention that has been paid to the grooves. Fresh from the success of their Zip Grooves, Cleveland engineers took the somewhat radical decision to transfer the same technology from wedges to irons.

As we all know, grooves mean grip, grip means spin and when it comes to irons, spin means lift and flight. Clearly, the thinking is that milled Zip Grooves that are 35% bigger than the grooves from previous models and will help players to hit crisper, more towering tee-shots. Certainly I found it to be the case with these.

And there's more! Not content with adding Zip Grooves to the irons, Cleveland has also added technology from the latest CG15 wedges. Having researched the optimum way of adding face abrasiveness, it was found that rather than sand-blasting, laser-milled micro-grooves between the standard grooves was even more effective. I have no spin data to reportbut I can tell you that striking these irons is a very enjoyable experience.

With crisp contact I feel I can work the ball more effectively thanks the Gelback Technology that dominates. It's a lightweight, injection-moulded insert that covers the entire perimeter of the cavity and the base of the head. This visco-elastic covering will greatly benefit those players at the upper end of the scale, dampening vibrations on off-centre hits and making these irons feel playable for more golfers.

Cleveland has also made the rear cavity progressively larger as you work your way through the set. Again, it's attention to detail and a desire to make each club work perfectly.

During my brief test I was hugely impressed by these irons. Powerful and easy to hit straight and even with miss-hits there's none of the usual bone-jangling vibration. Players in the 10-14 handicap category needn't be scared of them, either. There's plenty of help (including a smidgeon of heel-toe weight that's hidden away) and although they do look like a so-called 'better-player' club, they are certainly not the preserve of the low-handicapper.