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Today I’ll be reviewing the Callaway MAVRIK Standard iron, a gold medal winner on the 2020 Golf Digest Hot List.
As a natural successor to the Rogue iron, the MAVRIK is affordable and built for distance. It’s the first Callaway iron to utilize artificial intelligence to produce unprecedented ball speeds, or so that’s what the claim is.
The MAVRIK iron is also characterized by pure feel and optimal launch throughout the set.
How does the MAVRIK iron perform at the end of the day? Just how long is it really? Is it worth putting a set in the bag?
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed decision.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The MAVRIK Standard irons have been received fantastically well by consumers, and critics generally view them positively as well. Much of this is due to the fact that the MAVRIK delivers amazing distance and feel without having a four-figure price tag.
They currently have average scores of 5/5 on Global Golf, 4.7/5 on CGPO, and 5/5 (100% recommended, really impressive) on the Callaway website.
What People Like
- extremely long with good forgiveness
- amazing buttery feel
- many love the look
- straight, stable ball flight
- very affordable
What People Don’t Like
- strong lofts mean certain golfers may struggle with getting the ball up in the air
- the chrome finish scuffs quite easily
- the club head is pretty thick
What are the features?
The MAVRIK iron has similar features to the Rogue from a couple seasons ago.
One key difference is that instead of Callaway’s traditional 360 Face Cup with VFT, the MAVRIK uses artificial intelligence in what they call a Flash Face Cup, based off the technology first seen in the Epic Flash drivers.
This Flash Face Cup consists of a complex face architecture that is unique for every iron in the set. This is claimed to boost ball speeds to unprecedented levels and result in more spin consistency as well.
The other main features of the MAVRIK iron are:
Tungsten-Infused Weighting
Callaway precisely locates the center of gravity (CG) by using custom tungsten-infused weights. Tungsten is twice as heavy as steel and allows for a lot of mass to be concentrated in a small area.
The end result is optimal launch conditions, trajectories, spin rates, and land angles throughout the set.
Urethane Microspheres
Urethane microspheres are a proprietary creation of Callaway that provide the benefits of urethane (absorbing unwanted vibrations and improving sound & feel) while still retaining the very high COR of the Flash Face Cup.
These have been featured in some of Callaway’s previous irons and have been proven to improve feel considerably.
Stock Info
There are many set configurations to choose from, from the 4-iron all the way to the sand wedge and everything in between. The stock set is 4-PW, and of course, individual irons are available.
The stock steel shaft is the True Temper Elevate 95, while the stock graphite shaft is the Project X Catalyst (55/65/75). The stock grip is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360.
There are over 100 different grips to choose from and many custom shafts. You can also customize your lie angles and lofts.
If you’re interested, information on shafts, grips and other customizations can be found on Callaway Golf Pre-Owned.
Below are the specs of the MAVRIK Standard irons. Click or zoom to enlarge.
How do the MAVRIK irons perform?
Distance
Callaway says that the MAVRIK irons produce “incredibly fast ball speeds”. After testing it throughout the set, I can say that this definitely looks to be the case.
The MAVRIK irons are definitely one of the longest irons I’ve ever played up until this point. Now, that’s not saying much when you simply have stronger lofts and lower trajectories, but what’s awesome about the MAVRIK is that you still enjoy the benefits of a high ball flight.
Notice that the lofts are on the strong side and consider this example: a 6-iron might go as far as you would expect a 5-iron to go, but the peak height and spin rate would be normal for a 6-iron.
That’s what you get with the MAVRIK: amazing distance with the trajectory and stopping power that you need to get close to pins. There’s little to no tradeoff, which is an impressive thing to pull off.
Trajectory
Despite the strong lofts, the MAVRIK irons tended to produce a solid middle-of-the-road ball flight during my testing. I’m able to get a great launch angle from the mid and long irons that allows for some stopping power around the greens.
The short irons are just great to hit; you can certainly be precise with them and go flag hunting or hit your spots depending on the situation.
All in all, the trajectory is what you would want from a solid set of irons, only in this case there’s a ton of distance to go with it.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is very much overshadowed by distance in the advertising of the MAVRIK, so it’s not something that most golfers would think about.
It turns out that the forgiveness is very good. It’s tied to consistency and is a natural consequence of a face that produces better ball speeds at every location.
On all but the worst mis-hits, you’ll only see ball speed drops of a couple of mph or so. Furthermore, the directional dispersion is fairly tight.
Sure, I’ve seen better forgiveness in certain iron models, but golfers looking for good forgiveness in their irons certainly won’t be disappointed with the MAVRIK.
Workability
The workability of the MAVRIK irons is decent — I would say it’s on par with the Rogue.
I was certainly able to flight my ball to an extent, but if you want workability, you should probably look at the MAVRIK Pro.
What about look, sound & feel?
The Look
The MAVRIK Standard is a game-improvement iron, which means that you should expect some offset and thickness in the top line.
In this case, it definitely has more than the Pro, but just a touch less than the MAX. The MAVRIK has quite a large footprint, and the top line is pretty sharp.
I think the badge design is pretty good, but I suspect that many would find it unappealing. The cavity is very noticeable, and some might think the overall geometrics and aesthetics take a step back.
Overall, I think the look is just fine, with the size and shape being in line with what you would expect from a GI iron. In fact, I find that most MAVRIK users care far more about the performance than how the iron looks at address.
The Sound & Feel
Superb, I would say better than the Rogue. Many people describe the feel as “like butter”, and I did get a similar feeling during my testing.
It seems like the urethane microspheres make a clear difference. They dampen otherwise jarring vibrations but yet keep the strike from feeling dull.
At the same time, there are elements of solidness and hotness, particularly on sweet spot strikes. This is reflected in the sound as well.
Mis-hits sound very similar but produce more vibration and don’t feel as hot. You might not be able to tell where you make contact based on sound alone, but you should feel it in your hands.
Where should you buy these irons online?
The MAVRIK irons are now more than a few seasons old, and you can no longer order them custom directly from the official Callaway website.
The best you can do now is look for them on Callaway Golf Pre-Owned and eBay. CGPO has a 90-day buy-back policy, 12-month warranty, and condition guarantee.
They’re much less expensive than many of Callaway’s premium iron offerings that cost four figures, but if you want to find good savings, definitely look on eBay.
Alternatively look at what’s available on Global Golf.
Conclusion
Classification: Game-Improvement
Best suited for: Mid to high handicappers looking for a great game-improvement iron at an affordable price.
The MAVRIK irons are distance machines. The ball speeds are crazy good, it’s easy to get the ball up in the air, and the feel is immensely satisfying.
For the most part, you get the added distance without compromising with a lower ball flight. I’ve very rarely seen this pulled off with any iron manufacturer.
On top of that, the irons are very affordable, just as the Rogues were. So if you want a modern game-improvement iron with a ton of distance, great forgiveness and superb feel without having to spend $1000+, definitely give these a try.
Thanks for reading this review. Have you tried the MAVRIK irons? Are you still unsure about something? Feel free to leave a comment below.
Can’t deliver to fitters as promised. Suggest trying another brand.
Can you expand on this a little bit Jim? What’s the problem?
Have had the Mavericks for 3 months now, my problem was with standard lofts my ball flight was WAY to high. With the stronger lofts I still get a lot of height, but now I’m getting much less ballooning and great consistent distance. I’ve even hit a couple of 160 yd plus 7 iron shots that checked and rolled out only a foot or so. So I’m completely satisfied.
Great. Finding a sweet spot with your lofts given your swing speed (I presume yours is quite high) can really take your game to another level.
I’ve been gaming the Mavriks now for about 4 months and absolutely love them. I get a ton of dynamic loft, so the standards have been perfect for me. I now get a nice peak hight as well as good distance. I wasn’t crazy about the look at first, but now wouldn’t part with them for anything. Thank you for your concise and accurate review on these solid, solid clubs. I think most people are turned off by the lofts, but should still hit then and see what they really are about.
Great to hear. I think Callaway really nailed the weight distribution of this model. In my experience, the MAVRIK appeals to a lot of players because it balances the positive traits you want in an iron with little to no compromise.
Ik ben 74 en heb een H 28, ik zou de Mavrik graphite willen kopen, wat moet ik kiezen 65 of 55 gr
en welke serie 6-PW ?
It’s very difficult to say which shaft you should get without knowing your swing. Given your age, I would imagine your swing speed is on the slower side, and in that case, you might benefit from a lighter shaft with more flex, but it’s impossible to know without trying the shaft yourself. As for the set, I would say that 6-PW is a good configuration because from 2-5 you can use hybrids and woods that are easier to hit.
Liked your article. Currently golfing the x18’s. Will give the mavs a try but can’t imagine anything better than the 18’s. And i think every iron callaway has ever made is beyond anything anyone else has ever made. One of the best still are the 1996 big bertha irons. What a great company!
Nice, Mike. A quality set of irons can serve you well for decades. For sure, if you can, give the newer Callaway models a try and see how they compare.
No way. They are terrible. There is no forgiveness… none. I can play with 98 irons and there’s much more forgiveness. I went to top golf and played their irons and couldn’t miss a target. Took the mavericks and ong. Terrible. My best iron i used before the mavericks that I was talked into buying by the way… was a 7 iron. I can’t hit that iron straight even at 160 yards. You guys will say whatever you need to… to sell a set. Terrible. Carl’s gofland talked me into buying thise. Worse thing I ever did for my golf game. I have no confidence at all when I set up to hit. Who are you kidding.
Hi Michael. The MAVRIK irons generally have good forgiveness, but at the end of the day, results will depend on the individual. I don’t know why they would talk you into buying a set of MAVRIK irons without a fitting first. If you didn’t get a fitting and bought an off-the-rack set, there should at least be a guarantee where you can return the irons if you’re not happy with the performance. These days, unless you’re buying used irons at a discount, there’s little reason to be stuck with new irons that you’re not happy with.
it is the indian and not the arrow….