Player’s Iron Test is always my favorite to find an iron that can compete without having to pay top dollar. It’s one of those times where if you’re good enough to play this iron, you can take advantage of its value price. Here it is Ballistic CB comes into play in 2026. Finished second overall and I’ll show you what you get and what you give, with the Ballistic CB.
Review Score: 9 | Accuracy: 9.6 | Distance Score: 7.7 | Forgiveness: 9 | Price: $799.99
What is Ballistic Golf?
Ballistic Golf is a small direct-to-consumer brand out of Iowa. Founder Kyle Carpenter built it because he wanted to play an iron he loved. He wanted clean lines, a fake feel, no gimmicks. No massive R&D budget, no touring staff, no retail branding. Just a passionate golfer who wanted to build something worthy of the top player.
The brand has quietly built a following with players often describing the feel as comparable to irons costing two or three times as much. of CB is their hollow-back offering designed specifically for the skilled player who wants a little more forgiveness than a blade without sacrificing the feedback and workability that makes a player’s iron worth playing in the first place.
This is the brand’s first appearance in the Most Wanted test.
How did it perform?
The Ballistic CB finished second overall in the 2026 Player’s Most Wanted iron test, and the data tells a clear story of what kind of iron this is.
Where it shines: Accuracy and consistency
This is where the ball is separated. She ranked second in accuracy across the field. Accuracy is one category that matters more than almost anything else when evaluating a player’s iron. The whole point of putting a player’s iron in the bag is to find the pins.
of Ballistic CB posted a close average of 19.2 feet, third best in the test. It ended just after PING i240 (18.0) and Title T150 (19.9). His field goal percentage was 74.79 percent, well above the field average of 71.9.
With a high forgiveness score, Ballistic CB turned out to be very consistent. Playable Shot Percentage is our measure of how often a shot ends up in a playable position. Ballistic BK reached 98.90 percent, the highest mark in the entire test.
Where it gives up ground: Distance
of Ballistic CB it’s a true gamer’s iron and the release data shows it. He scored the lowest carry in the test at 159.85 yards. It’s about 8.4 yards behind the Callaway Apex Ai 150, which led the field.
In terms of terrain, the CB is the short iron of the group. The trade you are making is real. The question is whether you care.
How did it compare?
If you’re working to narrow down which 2026 player’s iron is best for your game, here’s how Ballistic CB stacked against the two irons closest to it in the final ranking.
| Metrics | Title T150 (#1) | Ballistic CB (#2) | LA Golf CB-26 (#3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE | ~$1499 | $799.99 | THAT |
| General ranking | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Proximity (ft) | 19.9 | 19.2 | 20.8 |
| right% | 71.93% | 74.79% | 70.40% |
| playable% | 98.42% | 98.90% | 97.81% |
| carry (yds) | 165.45 | 159.85 | 159.62 |
| Total (yds) | 169.54 | 165.69 | 166.66 |
| The Smash Factor | 1.309 | 1.285 | 1.288 |
Final thoughts
of Ballistic CB it’s a data-backed argument that you don’t need to spend $1,500 to compete in the player iron category. The performance gap in accuracy is essentially non-existent and, in Strokes Gained, Ballistic has an advantage.
If you’re a skilled ball hitter who prioritizes consistency over raw distance, the CB Ballistic deserves serious consideration.
See all our data on the Best Players Irons of 2026 →
