Titleist have introduced their new T200 irons and U505 utility iron, providing golfers with a great combination of distance, shot making versatility and forgiveness off the tee and turf. Let’s take a look.
A good utility iron can give you that perfect blend of distance and versatility. Though more tricky to hit than a hybrid for many golfers, they do allow you to shape the ball and control your ball flight while also offering a fair degree of forgiveness.
U505utility iron
The U505 provides the forgiveness and versatility that a wider range of golfers are looking for. Building on the foundation of Titleist’s previous U510 and U500 generation of utility clubs, the new U505 is a wide-soled, high-launching iron.
With a thin forged L-Face combined with the use of Max Impact Technology (Max Impact 2.0), Titleist say the U505 is their highest COR utility iron yet. COR is the coefficient of restitution which basically describes energy transferred between two objects, in this case the club face and the ball. And the higher this is the better.
There’s also a re-shaped hollow body and an enhanced polymer core for improved feel and sound, while D18 tungsten weights concentrate weight more efficiently for better CG placement, moving it lower and towards the heel.
In terms of looks, the U505 has a short blade and a shallow face like a traditional iron, but with a wide sole to maintain all of the forgiveness. “This is the highest performing and most playable utility iron yet,” said Josh Talge, Vice President, Titleist Golf Club Marketing.
Average price: €270.
T200irons
The T200 is designed for better golfers looking for more speed, launch and versatility, but most of all, distance. Several Titleist players chose to use a T200 iron at The Open at Royal St Georges this year, including Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas who used a T200 2-iron.
Every part of the multi-material hollow body construction contributes to long and consistent distance. There’s a re-shaped hollow body and an enhanced polymer core for improved feel and sound, while D18 tungsten weights concentrate weight more efficiently for better CG placement, moving it lower and towards the heel.
Improved Max Impact Technology improves both off-centre strikes and efficiency at impact across a forged, high COR Face Insert. There’s also an engineered muscle plate which contributes to precision sound tuning and saves weight which is optimized in a streamlined 17-4 chassis.
In terms of looks, a shorter blade length, less offset (same as Titleist’s T100 irons), a narrower topline and thinner sole, provides a Tour-inspired look and feel, which will appeal to better golfers, while delivering the speed and distance they will be looking for.
