Looking to upgrade my irons and the Callaway AI Smoke Irons caught my eye, but I’ve seen mixed reviews online. I’d appreciate honest opinions from actual users—how do these perform on the course, especially in terms of forgiveness and distance? Hoping to make the right decision before buying.
Yeah, so I grabbed the AI Smoke irons about a month ago because my old set (Rogue Pros) felt like swinging old pipes compared to all this talk about “AI-designed faces” or whatever. Gotta say, I had expecations but was still a little iffy cause people online either rave about them or act like they’re the Yugo of golf equipment.
First, feel—these are not buttery forged, but honestly, they have a really solid thwack, not clicky cheapness or that dead chunky thing some game improvement irons have. Out the sweet spot, they feel sweet, but if you miss? The feedback is there but not punishing, so you’ll know, but your hands won’t buzz for the next two holes. Huge upgrade there.
Distance? Oh yeah, these are long. The lofts are definitely on the strong side (the 7i is basically what my old 6i used to be), but the launch angle kept my hight about the same, so it didn’t turn my iron shots into low bullets. I gained about 8-12 yards per club (not joking), but real talk, some of that’s the new-club syndrome.
Forgiveness is where they’re killer. Thin shots still get somewhere instead of chunk-and-duff city. Off the toe and heel, you lose a little distance but not much direction, so it’s kept me on more greens than I deserve. The ball does jump off the face, maybe a little hot sometimes, but I’ll take that over chunking it short.
Looks are subjective, but they’re not crazy thick—kinda in between a blade and a complete shovel. They actually look nice behind the ball, and the black/grey finish is way better than photos show, though after 10 rounds it’s starting to mark up a bit (that’s my only complaint so far).
Only real gripe (besides the black finish wearing) is they’re not magic wands. You’ll still hit bad shots if you make a bad swing, but at least it won’t be as ugly. Short game is a bit sports-car like—you wanna try to work a shot, you might fight the techy face unless you’re a single digit handicap.
All in, if you’re looking for solid performance, modern tech, and some help on off-days, AI Smoke’s worth a look if you can snag a demo. Not gonna turn a 20 handicap to a 5 overnight, but honestly, I think I’ll stick with these until something truly revolutionary drops.
Not gonna lie, my take’s a bit different from @chasseurdetoiles’s experience, but maybe that’s ‘cause I’m coming at it as a mid-to-high handicap trying to find SOMETHING new that gets the ball down the fairway with less drama. I picked up the AI Smoke irons after demoing them and thinking, “Hey, techy stuff = less slices, right?” Well, sorta.
Feel-wise, yes, they’re way better than the bargain-bin GI clubs I had, but not quite buttery smooth if you’re after the old school forged sensation. I actually found the feedback a little muted—even my missed hits felt only a tiny bit harsh. That’s actually my gripe: I kinda want more punishment so I learn not to do it again! These make everything feel “okay,” which is super for the ego, but maybe not for rapid game improvement if you’re self-diagnosing shots off feel.
Distance, for sure, these go further. But here’s my beef: it’s more loft jacking than “magic AI.” My pitching wedge was flying as far as my old 9-iron, which made gaps in my bottom end tricky (I had to add another wedge). Launch was still decent, but if you’re a digger, shots can balloon a bit—windy day and suddenly your 8-iron goes nowhere and lands on the next tee box.
Forgiveness is solid, and I won’t deny it probably saved my butt a handful of times (thanks, heel strikes!). But what bugged me after a couple weeks was the “hot” feeling off the face—some shots went NUCLEAR, skipping my normal 140yd 8-iron to a 155 rocket. And sure, it’s fun once, but it messes with distance control on approaches.
Look-wise, way subjective, but I didn’t vibe with the thick topline. I know they’re not shovels, but they’re def not “players clubs” looking down. The finish is slick though, I agree, but if you value pretty clubs, accept that you’ll see bag chatter quickly (black face looks “seasoned” after a few rounds—depends if that bothers you).
So, bottom line—I’d call ‘em “confidence clubs” if you want SAFE, mostly straight, and a little ego boost on distance. If you want max feedback, better scoring through learning from mishits, and workability, I’d look at something else. Not regret buying, just think they’re a bit over-hyped if you really like to tinker with your shots or expect AI to “fix” your wonky mechanics.
TL;DR: Forgiving? Yup. Distance? Sure, but know the lofts. Feel? Eh, muted. Control? Wild sometimes. Durable? Kinda. AI? More marketing than miracle. Try before you buy!
Pros & Cons Quickfire!
Callaway AI Smoke Irons
Pros:
- Insanely forgiving – if you have days when everything seems a little off, these irons have your back.
- Strong, hot distance—definitely get a club or half-club more out of each iron, BUT, some of that is pretty aggressive loft jacking.
- Solid, pleasant “thwack” at impact; doesn’t feel or sound like tupperware.
- Sleek, dark finish looks killer in person (at least until it wears down).
- Off-center hits don’t punish as much as with a players set—keeps things playable.
Cons:
- Distance consistency is a toss-up—sometimes shots absolutely nuke, so dialing in wedges and scoring clubs is a must.
- Thick-ish topline and chunkier looks; if you lean “players club” visually, you might not love looking down at address.
- Black finish shows wear super quickly—expect bag chatter and “well-loved” clubs after a few months.
- Muted feedback—if you love to tinker and self-diagnose, lack of harshness could mask flaws you actually need to fix.
- Not super workable—draws and fades are doable but the tech wants to straighten things out, so you may battle the club if you’re advanced.
Long story short, if you’re after max confidence and forgiveness (echoing the mid-high cap sentiment from one user), Callaway AI Smoke Irons are a strong contender. Distance gains are real, but if you prize precise shot-making or want that classic forged feedback, you might vibe more with competitors like the Ping G430 (for raw forgiveness) or Mizuno JPX Hot Metal (for a blend of feel and help).
My honest two cents? These irons are pretty much the definition of “modern game improvement”—they make mediocre contact playable, and that alone will shave shots off your rounds if you’re not chasing low single digits. But if you dream in draws and trajectory windows or want to feel stingers in your soul, they’re not going to scratch that itch.
Give them a try at a demo if you can. Trust your hands on it—no amount of AI buzz changes your personal feel!