Test-Hit Review: EPON AF-302 Irons — EPON’s Excellent Forged Cavity-Back
Today I test-hit this golf club.
The club I tested was the EPON AF-302 7-iron.
The shaft was Dynamic Gold.
The loft is 34°. The club length is 36.5 inches. The shaft flex is S200. The shaft weight is 121 g. Torque is 1.2. The kick point is butt/mid. The swing weight is D2. The total club weight is 443 g.
This is EPON’s new iron.
Overall it’s a calm, “basic,” EPON-like cavity-back.
The sole is on the wider side.
It is not an ultra–wide-sole design like some recent models. But it is wider than I expected, which suggests a lower center of gravity.
The hosel does not look particularly long.
Rather than a long hosel, I would call it mid-length. It does not strike me as a high-CG iron.
The cavity depth feels just right.
You get the benefits of a cavity-back, yet the strike area is thick enough to promise great feel. You could say it combines the best of cavity-backs and muscle-backs.
This iron is clearly the successor to the AF-301, which I tested recently and liked a lot, and while there are visual similarities, my overall impression is that the AF-302 looks a touch more forgiving.
I love the AF-301, so my expectations for this iron grew even more.
A few practice swings confirmed it felt just as I hoped.
Because it is EPON I naturally get fired up. Yet the swing itself lets me stay relaxed. The beautiful head pairs wonderfully with a shaft I am used to. I could swing comfortably and keep my usual timing with ease.
Set behind the ball, it frames the shot exactly as expected and is very easy to aim.
It is not razor-edged. There is a subtle roundness and it does not scream ultra-sharp. It shows the beauty of a Japanese-made iron. You could call it a semi-goose design. I could see just a hint of offset, but it never made the club hard to set up to. It looks like it will help the ball turn over, but it does not look hook-prone. With wedges we often talk about round versus teardrop shapes. By that logic, this iron’s head reads more round to me. Either way, it is a very attractive, confidence-inspiring look at address.
Testing began.
The first thing I noticed was how easily it launches.
It flew higher than I expected. I started with the AF-301’s image in mind, but this felt noticeably different. The AF-301 was easy to launch already.
Yet the AF-302 might be even easier. It looks fairly player-ish, but in reality it is a surprisingly easy iron. Compared to the previous model, I suspect the CG has been pushed lower to increase launch. Many brands today emphasize ease of use.
This new EPON iron follows that trend. It keeps the handsome overall look while improving playability. If the AF-301 felt a touch demanding to you, this one may feel easier.
Feel at impact is, as expected, very soft and satisfying.
That is unchanged from the previous model and showcases the excellence of soft-carbon-steel forging.
I also felt plenty of “meat” at impact, without the thinness some cavity-backs can have. Perhaps that is because the strike area is thickened.
It delivers feel on par with a muscle-back. I have met many high-quality irons over the years, so superb feel no longer surprises me.
This is what I consider standard. You can sense the ball staying on the face. The friction between face and ball is addictive. It really bites and spins. I could hit balls like this all day.
In terms of stability, you can feel the easy forgiveness of a cavity-back, which is great.
Launch felt higher than with the AF-301, and stability also seems to have shifted toward more forgiveness.
My memory of the AF-301 is still strong, which may heighten that impression. Overall, it is an easy-to-hit, great-feeling cavity-back.
It is not a hit-anywhere iron, and it still asks for a decent strike rate. But there is no need to be overly fussy. The added ease really relaxes you. It was simple to keep dispersion tight left-to-right and maintain a consistent window.
I would not call the sweet area huge, but it is large enough to help you group shots nicely. When the sweet spot gets too wide, feedback can dull and your senses feel muted. With this iron, feedback flows right into your hands.
On distance, I would call it average.
If you are used to strong-lofted irons, you might even feel it is short. But for a 7-iron, this distance window feels appropriate. Some golfers try strong-loft irons only to find golf gets harder and more complicated. Those players may want to shift to irons like this.
If irons are, in your mind, for precise yardage control rather than pure distance, then a traditional-loft iron like this is likely the best fit.
If you want to chase distance with your irons, this may not be your match. If you value accuracy and welcome a simpler, more straightforward game, this iron is excellent. It flies a touch farther than my gamers, but still within a range I could adapt to immediately.
Workability is also very good.
Going in, I pegged the AF-302 as an iron that would excel more in stability and easy launch. Yet it is highly manageable and I could shape shots both ways. With the driver I prefer to keep my natural shot shape.
With irons, being able to hit both draws and fades can be ideal, and this club makes that fairly easy. It is an iron that invites you to curve the ball left or right.
Because I want irons to stop quickly and limit rollout, I tend to favor a gentle fade. Today it came very naturally. You could call it a versatile iron. Both draw- and fade-biased players will find it easy to handle.
The feel is outstanding and the club is easy to hit, so I can recommend it to a wide range of golfers.
If you are shopping for a great iron now, this model will meet your needs at a high level.
If you want to refine your swing with irons and level up, it fits that goal, too. It is also ideal if you want your first soft-forged experience or your first EPON. The sensation is addictive.
It is not overly demanding. With this level of feel, you can keep stepping up while sharpening your senses.
Because it is an EPON iron, some may assume it is too premium or intimidating, but many golfers will be surprised at how approachable it feels.
If ultra-easy irons feel odd to you, or muscle-backs are starting to feel a bit too demanding and you would like a cavity-back with excellent feel, this iron will suit you very well.
It is a brand you will not typically find in big-box stores, so chances to encounter it can be limited.
I myself only got to handle EPON for the first time this year, yet it already has a large and devoted fan base. It has a different kind of appeal from the big OEMs.
The more you play it, the more character it reveals, and it never gets old. When price or excessive ease are the only priorities, clubs can grow boring quickly.
A forged iron like this feels like a good friend that supports your golf for years. In the end, that is what helps you improve.
I liked this iron so much that I would love to test it again whenever I get the chance. It was another day that tempted me to buy.
