Cleveland 588 Irons

Senior staff writer Paul O'Hagan takes a look at the Cleveland 588 Irons

Cleveland 588 MT

After the launch of the stunning 588 Forged CB irons early in 2012, Cleveland added three new 588 irons to the 2013 line-up. All three sets have been designed to offer players of varying abilities the best possible feel. Each set provides a different flight and level of forgiveness, but all with the soft feel of the forged face.

The 588 TT (Tour Trajectory) set appeals to better players, but still offers a level of forgiveness - a small undercut cavity is designed to improve ball speed and accuracy on shots that miss the centre of the face. A plaque made from polymer and aluminium is positioned in the cavity to dampen vibrations and deliver a more consistent feel. A progressive blade length also makes the long irons easier to hit.   The second model is the 588 MT (Mid Trajectory), which features a hollow construction combined with internal weighting to improve forgiveness and lower the centre of gravity. The easy-to-hit long irons are blended with more traditional short irons. Again, a multi-material insert dampens vibrations for a more consistent feel.

Finally, the 588 Altitude is a hybrid set aimed at players looking for extreme forgiveness. The entire set is designed to be easy to hit high and long, thanks to large hollow heads and internal weighting. Each club features a bendable hosel so that lie angles can be easily adjusted. All three irons can be integrated to produce a combination set, and were available from February in 5-PW, RRP £449 (steel) and £499 (graphite).

Paul joined Golf Monthly in 2006 in a junior role and has since worked as senior staff writer and now as technical editor. He writes equipment and instruction content and tests the vast majority of golf clubs that are introduced every year.