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New Level was barely a year old when the 902 Forged came out in 2018, and that context matters. Founder Eric Burch spent years fitting tour players and building clubs before starting his own brand, and the 902 was his answer to a simple question: why should a soft forged players cavity cost what the big names charge? The result is a direct-to-consumer iron that punched well above its price point when it launched.
The 902 Forged is a players cavity in the honest sense of the term. It has a compact head, a thinner topline than a game improvement iron, and just enough cavity to keep mishits from stinging. You get the soft feel of a one-piece forging without the punishment of a true blade. It won't rescue a shot off the toe the way a wide-sole shovel will, but it was never meant to.
Because New Level sells through fitters and its own site rather than big-box retail, the 902 flew under the radar. The golfers who found it tended to be equipment nerds who wanted forged feel and a custom build without a premium-brand markup. For that crowd, this iron delivered.
In short
The New Level 902 Forged (2018) is a players cavity that adds forgiveness without much extra size.
Refresh due soon
Brands in this category update about every 2 years, and the 902 Forged is 8 years old with no successor yet, so a new model could land any time. Grab it at clearance pricing now, or wait a few weeks to see what replaces it.
Based on release timing and this line's typical refresh cycle, not a live price quote.
Stock steel shaft. Lofts are approximate and subject to manufacturing tolerances.
Each head is forged from soft carbon steel, which is where the 902 gets its dense, quiet feel at impact. The cavity is shallow and the mass sits low and behind the hitting area, so the club rewards a centered strike with real feedback while taking some of the edge off thin and slightly off-center contact. Offset is modest. Better players can work the ball both ways without fighting the club. At address it looks like a players iron should: clean back, minimal branding, a topline that inspires confidence without looking dainty. The satin finish holds up well and cuts glare. Nothing about the design is flashy, and that restraint is the point.
It depends on your ball striking, not just your score. A 12 handicap who hits it near the center most of the time will be fine. If your misses are scattered across the face, a wider-sole iron like New Level's own game improvement models will treat you better. The 902 helps on small misses, not big ones.
The heads are forged from soft carbon steel, which is the same basic recipe used by the well-known Japanese forging houses. That's where the soft, solid feel comes from. There are no plastic inserts or multi-material tricks in this head.
Feel and shaping are in the same conversation, which surprised a lot of people in 2018. The main differences are availability and price. Mizuno is easier to test at retail, while New Level sells through fitters and direct, usually at a lower built price. If you can hit both, do it. If not, the 902 gives up very little.
Yes. Soft carbon steel bends easily, so a fitter can adjust loft and lie a couple degrees in either direction without stressing the head. That also means you should check your specs every season or two, since soft forgings can move with heavy use.
Legit. New Level is an American company started by a longtime tour clubfitter, and its heads are forged by established factories rather than copied from other designs. The brand skips retail shelves to keep prices down, which is why you may not have seen it in stores.
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