Miura CB-301 Irons Review – Are They Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

“According to Miura, the CB-301 irons are for players of all skill levels. While that may be true, we found that a specific kind of player would benefit mightily from gaming these irons.”

Miura CB-301 Irons Overview

“These days, it’s not shocking to read about fully forged game improvement irons.”

It seems like every major golf club company is hopping on the premium GI iron bandwagon.

But maybe bandwagon is too harsh of a term. In truth, there is merit to these kinds of clubs. For example, the Miura CB-301 irons have a soft feel that players of all skill levels can truly appreciate.

They are just slightly bigger than your typical fully forged irons.

The Miura CB-301’s are cavity back irons. They are also slightly bigger than most forged Miura irons that we have tested in the past.

The sole width throughout the set is progressive. It starts out pretty chunky in the long irons then slims down once you get to the scoring irons.

The Miura CB-301 irons also have a moderate topline and pronounced offset in the long irons. At address, they look surprisingly clean.

At the end of the day, the cavity undercut isn’t super deep so you still get a sleek look at address. The only odd thing about how these irons look is the face-on profile.

They have a very high toe area that dips dramatically towards the heel. It’s actually a good thing because you get more hitting zone out near the toe – it just looks a bit odd at certain angles.

“Miura also claims that the Miura CB-301 irons are the longest they have ever produced.

While we were getting considerable distance out of these irons, they didn’t have the soft, consistent feel across the face that we were expecting.”

Are Miura CB-301 Irons Forgiving?

“The Miura CB-301 irons are more forgiving than your typical fully forged irons.”

To be honest though, that’s not saying too much. That’s because the pool for fully forged game improvement irons isn’t huge.

But let’s talk about on-course performance. We noticed that slight mis-hits flew similarly to perfect swings.

Almost no ball speed was lost and the flight was a slight draw that more often than not, bent back on-line.

Shots missed further out near the toe also went nearly unpunished – the divergence wasn’t very stark and ball speeds dropped off by about 5 MPH.

But don’t mis-hit near the heel or top the ball with these irons. Not only will you get wider divergence and significantly slower ball speed; but you’ll also feel it in your wrists.

On the one hand, this is good for feedback. The Miura CB-301 irons leave no room for questioning where you made contact on the face when you mis-hit.

And in the end, feel doesn’t have much to do with forgiveness. Just be aware that moderate to severe mis-hits will result in shorter shots and more erratic flight.

Are Miura CB-301 Irons Good for Beginners & High Handicappers?

“High handicappers? Yes. Beginners? Not so much.”

Mainly because these irons aren’t exactly cheap. Secondly, because there are more forgiving irons out there that are better suited for beginners.

The Miura CB-301 irons have fairly strong lofts so it’s easy to gain distance through lower trajectory and muted spin.

The lofts are tempered by a moderate cavity undercut that places more mass low in the head.

At the end of the day, mid handicappers would love these irons. As long as you have the skill to manipulate trajectory and shape your shot, you will get along very well with the Miura CB-301 irons.

Should you Buy the CB-301’s or the CB-302’s?

“The Miura CB-302’s are also forged cavity back irons.”

If you like a hefty sole, the Miura CB-302’s would be a good fit for you. The Miura CB-302’s also have slightly smoother turf interaction so they might actually be better for 20+ handicappers.

That’s because the CB-302’s bear a more rounded out sole than the Miura CB-301 irons. The soles in general are also a little beefier on the Miura CB-302 irons.

They will surely look better at address to the everyday high handicap golfer.