Avoda Golf shot to prominence during the 2024 Masters when Bryson DeChambeau opted to put its 3D printed, one-length, curved face set into play on the eve of the tournament. Not only did he put them into play, but he also started the tournament off with a 7 under par 65! Since then, the fledgling company has been on a rollercoaster ride, designing and producing products for the retail market. In this review, we take a look at the Origin single length iron to see if it can compete with some of the best irons in the game.
Starting with the technology, the iron heads are precision-crafted from premium carbon steel forgings and feature a small muscle cavity to help strategically place weight and CG where it is required. The precision of the manufacturing process is key here - probably more so than in most scenarios - because the heads of a one-length set need to come out at exactly the same weight as one another. They feature a flat, 4mm topline, and a ‘barely there’ offset of 0.5mm that may appeal to the better player more than the high handicap market.
On to the looks, and I am a huge fan of the minimalist simplicity on display here. The use of branding is subtle, and the matte satin chrome finish gives a very premium feel to the set. In terms of the playing profile, on the whole, I very much like them, although I much prefer the longer irons at address to the shorter irons. To my eye, the heel transition is just a fraction higher in the 8, 9, and PW than I normally like to see, although it is far from offensive. In the interests of balance, however, it must be said that the longer irons are nothing short of stunning, with the lack of offset on show producing a stunning - albeit slightly intimidating - visual.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from testing, as this was very much my first foray into the world of single-length irons, but I must say I liked what I saw on the whole, and in particular found the longer irons fantastic for my swing dynamics. As someone with a lot of speed and a fairly high dynamic loft, I found the strong base lofts and shorter shaft length (my set was built to 37.5” throughout) superb for bringing my ball flight down and producing strong, penetrating shots that I normally struggle with. Furthermore, the additional length of the shorter irons wasn’t as challenging as I thought it might be to get used to, and the fabulously soft feel made my sessions with the Origin irons thoroughly enjoyable.
In terms of my data findings, the middle of the set (6, 7, and 8 irons) were pretty comparable in performance to my current gamer set of TaylorMade P7CB irons, but at the top and bottom of the set, there was a tangible difference.
As I said, in the 4 and 5 irons, my ball flight was considerably lower than normal, whereas in the shorter irons, the opposite was true, and I am certain this was due to shaft length. With the 4 and 5 iron playing a touch shorter than I am used to, I wasn’t generating quite as much club head speed as normal. It wasn’t a big drop off (2mph or so), but it was present, and all other things being equal, less speed generally produces less spin, less launch, and as such, less height, which is exactly what I saw. The opposite is then true in the shorter irons. A longer length shaft than I am used to produced a little more swing speed for me, and my ball flight was noticeably higher.
I tested the Origin irons mainly at Saunton Golf Club, which is a seaside links course, and the fairly narrow soles slipped through the tight, firm turf brilliantly and was a real standout feature for me. Coupled with the soft impact feel of the forged heads, this made the Origins some of the better feeling irons I have tested this year.
If you are in the market for something different and the single-length concept intrigues you, this is most certainly the place to start. In addition to the single-length offering, Avoda also provides ‘combo length’ sets, whereby the LW up to 8 iron all remain the same length, but from 7-iron up they progress longer at 0.75” increments for those looking for a little more launch from the top end of their bag.
If this is the first effort, I can’t wait to see what is to come from Avoda Golf.
The Origin irons are available in both a chrome and a black finish, and prices for the same length set begin from £1229/$1379 for 4-PW or £1749/$1955 for 4-LW.
