Ram Axial Forged Irons Review: Sweet Spot for Better Players
I tested Ram's Axial Forged Irons and found they offer just enough forgiveness for better players
Can a golf club, particularly an iron, be too forgiving? The short answer to that is, of course not. Who wouldn’t want irons that you can hit all over the face and still get good results?
Actually, lots of players. Anyone who values feedback from the club so they can make adjustments, stay more focused, and work the ball. When I’m playing fairly well (shooting 80ish or better with some regularity), I love the feeling of immediately sensing the quality of the strike. It inspires me to do it over and over again.
That feeling was reinforced big time when I had the chance to test the new Ram Golf Axial Forged Irons. No, these aren’t 1960s MacGregor or Hogan blades or the old Rams made famous by Tom Watson. They are definitely more forgiving than that. But with these, you know when you hit it solid – immediately.
The back and sole of the Ram Axial Forged 7-iron
FIND AT RAM GOLF
Price: $499 ($389 heads only)
Set Make-Up: 5-GW
Lofts (4/7/PW): 21/31/44 degrees
Shaft Options: UST Recoil, Dynamic Gold, KBS Tour, Nippon N.S. Pro: Senior/Ladies, Regular, Stiff, Extra Stiff
Profile: Players’ Forged Cavity Back Blade. Ideal for low-handicap players who value feel and workability.
Pros:
- Beautiful forged iron with players look and feel
- Lots of customization options, including shaft type, flex, length, lie, and grips
- Despite look and feel, distances are impressive
- Great irons for players who like feedback on shots
Cons:
- Only available online for now
- Not best for players who require generous forgiveness
- Right-handed only
In case you missed it, Ram Golf is back with new technology. They have a cavity/muscle back/blade look and feel, and are simply beautiful.
Like Ben Hogan and MacGregor, the Ram brand is back thanks to a company called Golf Brands Inc., whose U.S. headquarters are in Henderson, Nev., in the Las Vegas area.
Even though one company has brought each of these iconic brands back, I’ve been told they are all being developed independently. Having reviewed the Hogan PTX Tours recently, I can attest that these new Rams are nothing like the Hogans, and they are very different from the more forgiving Ram FX77 irons that are seeing a lot of success right now. The Axial Forged irons are definitely aimed at a different demographic.
What & How We Tested the Ram Axial Forged Irons
I don’t often hit a 4-iron anymore (I prefer a hybrid at that loft), so I opted for a set of seven clubs, 5 through gap wedge, in the Ram Axial Forged irons with UST Recoil ES 760/F3 graphite shafts.
I played seven rounds with these irons in the bag and also had several low-single-digit players and one club pro hit them and offer feedback as well.
I really like that the gap wedge is offered; it just seems more seamless to me for those shots that are in between my sand wedge and pitching wedge.
I ordered these clubs with a standard setup, but quickly realized they might be a little too upright for me, so I actually bent them down two degrees. You can order them 1 degree up or down from standard, but we found these forged hosels fairly easy to adjust. A wide choice of shaft lengths is also available ranging from +2 or -2 inches in 0.5-inch increments. You can also get three grip sizes – small, standard, and oversized. I chose oversized, although I know a lot of players like mid-sized, which isn’t currently offered.
The irons feature a compact 1020C steel forged head with a beautiful CNC Milled back. Again, they do have some forgiving characteristics, as the head design has a low center of gravity and they feature a multi-surface sole for better turf interaction. When testing these, I definitely got some good results from slightly heavy shots, but again, I could feel the strike immediately, which is great.
Throughout testing, I paid close attention to how these irons perform a several categories, including look and feel, distance, forgiveness, and value.
Look & Feel
The first thing you notice is how they look at address, which is pretty blade-like with a thinner top line and not much offset throughout the set.
The head is classically beautiful with the Ram logo on the back (reminiscent of Dodge Ram trucks, perhaps), large stamps of the club numbers and a classic blade-like sole with a good bit of weight low and behind the sweet spot, which really accentuates a good strike.
Forgiveness & Playability
After my lackluster first round with these Axial Forged irons in the bag, I wasn’t sure how I felt about them. I had quite a few mis-hits, and those mis-hits felt harsh. My regular gamers are PXG 0311 Gen 4 Players Irons, which tend to feel pretty good no matter where you hit them (and they are very forgiving). However, as I got into my second, third, and fourth rounds with the Rams, my opinion changed quickly.
The more I hit them, the more dialed-in my ball-striking became. That’s where I think feedback can be so important.
By the time I got to my fourth round, I felt like I was putting the sweet spot on the ball more than 90 percent of the time. I really loved having a gap wedge in the set. My best round was a 77 on a former tour course, and I felt like it was my solid iron play that got me there.
Distance
Here’s the real surprise: these irons go.
I put them on a launch monitor, and they were every bit as long as anything else I’ve ever hit. 5-irons carried 192 yards for me, which is pretty decent for a senior player with moderate swing speed. They also launched high, which was surprising considering the lofts are pretty standard for modern clubs.
I mentioned earlier that I had several other skilled players hit these irons, and the reaction was universally positive, especially for the price of $500 for a set. I’ve hit irons that cost more than twice that price that were nowhere near as good.
Ram Axial Forged Irons Value
That takes us to value. There’s no doubt these Ram irons are contenders even without taking the price into consideration, but that tempting price cannot be ignored.
This seven-club, 5-GW, set is only $499 and is just $389 for the heads only. You can also choose a 6-club set, 5-PW, or add a 4-iron, with or without the gap wedge. The complete set comes with a host of shaft options, including several KBS Tour models at no upcharge, and a few more premium shaft offerings for a little extra.
If you already have shafts that fit your game, or you want to build your set piece-by-piece (a fun project for those curious about club-building), the heads only option becomes really tempting. A six-club set (5-PW) of heads is just $349 – remember, these are premium, forged players irons – with seven and eight-head sets checking in at $389 and $429, respectively.
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The Verdict
The Ram Axial Forged Irons certainly aren’t for everyone, but you don’t have to be a scratch player to appreciate them. I would say you probably do need to be approaching single digit or better for these irons to make sense for you.
There’s no doubt they’re designed for players who can deliver the clubhead consistently on the back of the ball. If you’re a scooper who takes a divot behind the ball, these are not for you. You're going to need a little shaft lean.
Still, they do offer a decent amount of forgiveness and impressive distance. It’s a combination any good player can appreciate.