There’s a specific kind of golf problem the VGI01 is built to solve, and it isn’t the one the marketing copy leads with.
The real problem is this: you’ve spent years being told you can’t hit a blade. So you bought a chunky game-improvement iron with a top line thick enough to land a wedge on, and now you’re standing over every approach shot looking down at something that makes you feel like you’re swinging a gardening tool.
Vice Golf’s pitch with the VGI01 Black is that you can have the look back thin top line, minimal offset, forged one-piece silhouette without giving up the ball speed and off-center help you actually need. That’s a genuinely appealing promise. Whether they delivered on it is a more interesting question, and the answer depends almost entirely on one thing: whether you get fit for them.
Here’s the full breakdown.
What the VGI01 Black Actually Is
Let’s start by clearing up the naming, because Vice has made this needlessly confusing and it trips people up at checkout.
There are three VGI01 looks:
| Model | Finish | Paintfill | Price (from) |
|---|---|---|---|
| VGI01 Black | Silver/chrome | Black | $770.57 |
| VGI01 Lime | Silver/chrome | Lime | $770.57 |
| VGI01 All Black | Black | Black | $890.57 |
The iron in this review the plain VGI01 Black is the silver head with black detailing. It is not the stealth-black version. That one is the “All Black,” and it costs about $120 more. If you’ve seen photos of a murdered-out Vice iron on Instagram and assumed that was the “Black” model, you’ll want to double-check before you order.
Spec sheet
Straight from Vice’s product page:
| Club | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loft | 21° | 24° | 27° | 31° | 36° | 41° | 46° |
| Lie | 61.5° | 62° | 62.5° | 63° | 63.5° | 64° | 64.5° |
A couple of things jump out of that table.
The long irons are strong 21° in a 4-iron is players-distance territory, not traditional players-iron territory. But the pitching wedge sits at a relatively traditional 46°, which is weaker than the 42–44° pitching wedges you’ll find on most modern game-improvement sets. So you’re getting a hot long end and a short end that behaves closer to a classic set. Worth knowing when you’re mapping your gaps.
Also worth knowing: the set stops at pitching wedge. There’s no gap wedge in the lineup, so most players will be looking at a 46° PW feeding into whatever 50°/52° wedge they already carry. Plan that gap before you buy, not after.
What’s under the hood
Per Vice and confirmed in independent testing:
- Triple-forged clubhead with a milled finish the “3x forged” claim is about feel, consistency, and face durability
- Two-piece hollow body construction the same category of design as the TaylorMade P790, which is the actual mechanical reason a “blade” can be forgiving
- Low offset and a thin top line with an increased face length the face-length stretch is where the extra sweet spot comes from
- Low center of gravity for a higher, more stable ball flight
- Mini grind and increased bounce on the sole, which Vice says improves turf interaction and reduces fat shots
- Hand-built in Germany, with full customization: loft, lie, length, shaft, grip, paintfill, and ferrule
- Built and shipped in 3–5 business days
- 60-day trial with a full refund if they don’t work out
Vice also lists a 10% kickback on the product page, and the model currently carries a 4.8 rating on their site.
What Independent Testing Actually Found
This is the part that matters, because Vice’s marketing and the reality of these irons diverge in one specific, predictable place.
The good news is real. Plugged In Golf’s full review found the VGI01 looks genuinely premium at address thin top line, minimal offset, moderate blade length and praised the consistency given that footprint. Their testing measured ball speeds and smash factors competitive with the most popular irons in the players-distance category. That’s not a small claim for a set at this price.
GolfMagic tested the All Black version at Silvermere G.C. in Surrey and reported a 6-iron carrying 180–185 yards on solid strikes, with tight left-to-right dispersion and notably, that dispersion held up even on off-center hits.
The bad news is also real, and it’s consistent across reviewers.
Plugged In Golf’s testing found a low ball flight with below-average spin, producing landing angles that peaked at 40 degrees — which they flagged as significantly below what’s recommended for holding a green. Their conclusion was blunt: the low spin “necessitates that golfers be well fit before putting these in the bag.”
GolfMagic found the same forgiveness ceiling from the other direction. While mishits stayed straight, thin and toe strikes lost 20 to 30 yards a big number. Their verdict: these are not for beginners or high handicappers, and mid-handicappers should only consider them “if you’re working to sharpen your ball-striking.”
MyGolfSpy’s testing landed in the same place: eye-catching distance for a player’s iron, but accuracy and forgiveness “leave performance on the table.” Their buy recommendation was equally direct get a professional fitting. Notably, one of their testers bought a set halfway through the test, which tells you something about how these perform on a good strike.
The pattern: every independent tester who put a launch monitor on these came back with the same headline. Great looks, serious ball speed, and a ball flight that punishes you if the fit is wrong.
The Fitting Problem (Read This Before You Click Buy)
If you take one thing from this post, take this.
The VGI01 is a direct-to-consumer iron, and the entire value proposition of DTC golf is skipping the fitter’s bay to save money. But the VGI01 is the rare DTC product where skipping the fitting actively undermines the thing you’re paying for.
Here’s why. The hollow body gives you speed. The increased face length gives you a wider sweet spot. Neither of those fixes a spin and launch profile that’s already on the low side. If you’re a low-spin player and plenty of decent golfers are, without knowing it these irons can produce a flight that looks great in the air and doesn’t stop on the green. Plugged In Golf’s tester was explicit that his numbers came in below his normal window across the board.
Vice irons are available at Club Champion for exactly this reason, and both Plugged In Golf and MyGolfSpy recommend going that route.
The upside of Vice’s custom program softens this considerably: since every set is hand-built to spec anyway, you’re not paying a premium to get the right shaft, lie angle, and length. You’re just choosing to specify them correctly instead of guessing.
Who the VGI01 Black Is For
Buy these if:
- You’re a low or mid handicap who strikes it consistently and wants blade aesthetics without blade consequences
- You’re a low-spin player looking for distance MyGolfSpy specifically flagged these as a distance standout in the players-iron category
- You want a forged, fully customizable, hand-built-in-Germany set without paying mainstream OEM prices
- You’re willing to get fit (or already know your specs cold)
- You like the idea of the 60-day trial as a safety net
Skip these if:
- You’re a beginner or high handicapper GolfMagic was unambiguous on this
- Your miss is thin or off the toe and you can’t afford to lose 20–30 yards on those strikes
- You’re a high-spin player fighting a ballooning ball flight (the low-spin design will help here, but only if the shaft matches)
- You need maximum forgiveness above all else the VGI02, Vice’s game-improvement model, starts at $570.71 and is the better tool for that job
- You won’t get fit and won’t take the time to learn your yardage gaps
The Value Math
This is where the VGI01 makes its strongest case.
GolfMagic compared the VGI01 All Black’s looks and strike feel directly to more expensive players’ cavity irons from mainstream brands, putting the Vice set at roughly $1000+ for the competition while acknowledging the mainstream options (they cited the Mizuno Pro 223 and TaylorMade P770) offer more forgiveness.
At $770.57 for the silver VGI01 Black, you’re paying well under what a comparable hollow-body players iron costs from a major OEM, and you’re getting:
- Triple forging
- Full spec customization
- German assembly
- 3–5 day build time
- A 60-day trial
That’s a compelling package. The catch is simply that you’re buying performance with a narrower window you get the speed and the looks, and you take on the responsibility of getting the fit right. Buy the wrong spec and you’ve bought a very handsome set of irons that flies 40 degrees into greens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the VGI01 Black the same as the VGI01 All Black? No. The VGI01 Black has a silver/chrome finish with black paintfill. The VGI01 All Black has a black finish with black paintfill and costs about $120 more. The VGI01 Lime is the silver finish with lime paintfill.
Are Vice VGI01 irons forged? Yes Vice describes the clubhead as triple forged, with a milled finish, hand-built in Germany.
Are Vice VGI01 irons good for high handicappers? Based on independent testing, no. GolfMagic placed them firmly in the players’ iron category and said they’re not for beginners or high handicappers. Vice’s own VGI02 is the game-improvement alternative.
Do I need to get fit for Vice VGI01 irons? Every independent review we looked at says yes. Plugged In Golf called a fitting “a must” and MyGolfSpy “strongly recommended” one, citing low spin and a low ball flight in testing.
What’s the loft of the Vice VGI01 pitching wedge? 46 degrees. The 4-iron is 21 degrees, with 3-degree gaps through the long irons and 5-degree gaps from the 7-iron down.
How long does a Vice Golf iron order take? Vice states they build and ship your clubs within 3–5 business days.
The Verdict
The Vice Golf VGI01 Black is a genuinely good iron with a genuinely narrow fit window — and Vice’s marketing is a little too generous about how wide that window is.
The “pro looking iron everyone can hit” tagline oversells it. Independent testing consistently shows a low-spin, low-launch profile that demands the right shaft, and mishits that can cost you 20–30 yards. This is not an iron that carries a sloppy swing.
But if you strike it reasonably well, want the classic look back in your bag, and are willing to spend an hour with a fitter to get the spec right, the VGI01 delivers blade aesthetics and players-distance ball speed for hundreds less than the majors charge. That’s a legitimate win and the 60-day trial means you can find out without much risk.
Bottom line: great looks, real speed, honest feedback, and a fitting requirement you should not ignore. Get fit, then enjoy them.
Sources
- Vice Golf — VGI01 Black product page
- Plugged In Golf — Vice Golf VGI01 Irons Review
- GolfMagic — Vice Golf VGI01 All Black Irons Review
- MyGolfSpy — Vice VGI01 Review
Prices and specifications are as listed by Vice Golf at the time of writing and may change.