In 2015, PXG founder Bob Parsons tasked his top engineers with the unenviable challenge of creating an iron that looked like a blade but played like a cavity-back. With a difference of only three yards of average carry distance spanning the Category 3, Category 3.5 and Category 4 irons, you simply cannot choose your next iron purchase based on performance data alone. Titleist has shown once again that a lot of technology can be packed into a midsized package. If you lay the impact sound of the SIM Max over TaylorMade’s forged tour-level P760 iron, the pair are almost indistinguishable. The T200 irons have a slightly squarer toe and a flatter topline from toe to heel. And don’t expect too much hosel offset, either. But the SIM Max OS story isn’t just about power; it’s about ultimate forgiveness, too. Our favourite irons with a forgiveness rating of 2.5. I found the T100 irons have a sleek design and set up wonderfully at address. The Honma T//World 747 P ranked third for protecting ball speed and carry in our test, which in a 16-strong field of bigger, wider irons, is seriously impressive. On average, our eight Category 3 models had 1.4° less 7-iron loft (30.1°) than Category 2.5 models, which means they can target ball speed and distance. The T300 is the current replacement for the AP1 irons. I think a lot of players can play more compact irons and through practice and acclimatization would find they’ll become better ball strikers quicker when their clubs demand more precise swings. That’s a full 5° of difference compared to our Category 3.5 game-improvement models. I just purchased the T200's from a reputable dealer on Ebay. They look more like a traditional hybrid, whereas the Launch Pad has the appearance of an iron with the addition of a body on the back. So for some it will be touch and go while for others, particularly those who replace long irons with hybrids, it will be workable. These slightly weaker lofts (compared to the standard Mavrik irons) mean the Max is ideal for moderate swing speeds, particularly those who tend to struggle to flight shots high enough to maximise carry. The Titleist T300 irons are amongst some of the overall best looking irons in the game improvement category. I think players with slower, more inconsistent swings will notice that their off-center strikes produce greater ball speeds and carry distances compared to their current gamers, and that is where Max Impact technology will make its biggest mark. On paper, this category might look a fraction faster (1.2mph) and longer (two yards) than Category 3.5 game-improver models but don’t be swayed on data alone. How do Forgiveness Category 3.5 models compare in data? However, the increased loft doesn’t necessarily mean shots will launch and fly high. Callaway Apex 19 is a beautiful iron, and for us at least we’d have its nose just out in front of the Mavrik (even though they give up five yards of carry) for anybody who feels a benefit from forged models. They both fall into the ‘player-distance’ category, meaning they have a … The average 7-iron loft in this category was 2° stronger than in the Category 1 models, which inevitably means extra ball speed and distance. If, though, you want fast-faced irons to add speed and distance to your game, we’re fans of the HMB’s profile, sound and feel. I completed my testing with the T300 7 iron paired up against the AP1 7 iron, this time using the stock AMT Red shaft. The core was developed in conjunction with the Titleist Golf Ball R&D team and is included not just to boost ball speeds across the entire face, but to give the super thin face better feel and sound, too. 1 Like; 13 Replies; Richard A St Neots, Cambs. Too often game improvement irons end up looking like you’re swinging a club as big as a Cadillac and with as many bells and whistles on it as a space shuttle dashboard. Even golfers who have a good idea of which iron suits them probably don’t realise what they put on the line in terms of ball speed, carry and forgiveness by choosing a set above their station. T300 … RELATED: Best Drivers for Beginners and High Handicappers. The goal for this technology is to create more consistent, faster ball speeds across the entire face. It was over a decade ago when Titleist last debuted a brand-new lineup of irons. This gives the manufacturers’ engineers the ability to manipulate the centre-of-gravity location in the clubhead to help shots launch higher from a stronger loft as well as deliver more forgiveness over Category 1 and Category 2 models. The midsize T300 irons are a game improvement iron set. Bad enough new set woes, I couldn't imagine playing T300 and switching to T400. Category 4 models have either a deep cavity-back or a hollow head and they’re very often the lightest in a brand’s iron range. How do Forgiveness Category 1 irons compare in data? Our favourite irons with a forgiveness rating of 2. The numbers speak for themselves. The Titleist T300 irons are the game improvement offering of the T Series, and they are about three things: high launch, long distance and dependable forgiveness. H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No. It also makes it easier to keep the club face square through impact which will keep your shots straighter through gnarly roughs. We were hugely impressed with the T//World 747 P last year, and that hasn’t changed in 2020. BUY IT NOW: Get the Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo irons from Scottsdale Golf. The TaylorMade SIM Max OS is a very good iron for lots of club golfers. If you need any confirmation hybrid irons are more forgiving than traditional cavity back irons, the Launcher gave the smallest drop-off in ball speed (3.4mph) and carry (5.6%) on mishits, with the Wilson Launch Pad coming in a very close second. BUY IT NOW: Get the TaylorMade P790 (2019) irons from Scottsdale Golf. In fact, the 10% of tour pros who use blades typically do so because the forgiveness levels are so low. They’ve always left him smiling since they’re so friendly to use. These players often struggle to launch strong loft irons high enough to optimise carry and backspin. We’re big fans of hollow irons at TG – they bring something new and different to the iron party, filling a gap between players’ and game-improvement irons that was really difficult to bridge a few years ago. The Ping G410 has a shorter blade length and 10% less hosel offset, which positions the G iron, looks-wise at least, closer to a players’ iron than ever before. The driver is the club the majority of beginner... Best Hybrid Golf Clubs 2020: We reveal the best... Avoid embarrassment and costly mistakes as a... PXG say they develop new products without time or... Bauer Media Group consists of: Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number: 01176085, Bauer Radio Ltd, Company Number: Who should use Category 4 models (Super Game Improver Irons)? The forging process that stamps the irons into shape under high pressure compresses and aligns the grain of the metal more closely, which is said to improve feel and feedback. Does your game ultimately need maximum forgiveness at all costs? In this case, the technology story largely mirrors that of the T200, but it’s worth noting that unlike T200’s hollow body design, T300 features a cavityback implementation of Max Impact technology in the 4-7 irons (Max Impact has no real benefit in the higher lofted clubs, so as it does in the T200, … Callaway Apex irons had a reputation for being really, really good even before the ’19 models arrived, so it’s no surprise this was among our favourite irons of last year. We can only see the G710 building on that success. All My guess for a 12 hcp is that you will likely gravitate to a T300 or T200. When you factor in their very reasonable cost, this is just remarkable. The Titleist T200 iron was previously the AP3 and is now numerically in the middle of the Titleist iron family where it belongs.. They also control drop-offs on mishits nicely, too. Regardless, to get the best out of Category 1 irons you’ll need a handicap of low single figures or better. Titleist’s reputation has always been predicated on superior performance and feel over outlandish distance and ball speeds. The only major evolution to the lineup came in 2017 with the addition of the distance-oriented 718 AP3 irons. These types of irons are very good options for impressive ball-strikers who don’t necessarily want to compromise on looks, but still want some forgiveness built into what is essentially a blade shape clubhead. Will part of what makes the series so good be making its way into the new T200 and T300 … As I said above, too often manufacturers get carried away creating game improvement irons. Brands invest huge sums developing new technology in this area. Hybrid Irons aren’t just for players with slower swings. The extra offset pushes the CG back to aid launch. It means they can shape shots at will while barely needing to alter their swing. He explained to me that my ball striking as a low, single digit handicap player is more consistent and on-center than most, and therefore, it was reasonable to see little to no difference in ball speeds. 2. Also immediately apparent is the new, more modern design of the new Titleist irons, a noticeable departure from prior Titleist products which maintained a more traditional appearance. There’s plenty of offset (which helps get shots airborne) and a very wide top line, yet the iron looks pretty compact. But Ping’s hierarchy in the US insisted the G410 be sleeker and slimmer than any of the nine previous Ping G irons. BUY IT NOW: Get the Callaway Mavrik Max irons from Scottsdale Golf. Get that right and the irons within this category can seriously raise your enjoyment of the game. We like Cleveland’s story of how golf is a frustrating game, where mishits end up in lakes, deep rough or bunkers. He felt it gave him a better chance of holding greens from further out and incorporated the 4 iron into his bag before capturing the 2019 BMW Championship. These irons are designed for players who demand the ability to manipulate the ball even from the toughest of lies and produce exacting distances shot after shot. That means it should be fast and long. So there’s a discussion to be had around whether strong loft irons are suited to the highest handicappers with the slowest swings. The toplines are reasonably thin and shaft weights tend to be a little lighter than those found in blades. In order to utilize Max Impact technology to its fullest effect, the T200 irons integrate high-density tungsten into the heel and toe. This area of the market produces the most sales simply because there’s more mid - high handicappers. This set features a higher MOI than the previous game improvement iron from Titleist, which will make it even easier to elevate the ball, even on mishits. They offer something most cast irons struggle to match. 1394141 Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA H Bauer Like its predecessor, the T200 irons have a forged face that promotes better feel and stronger standard lofts wrapped up in a confidence inspiring head that will suit the eye of better players. 3. I just got back to golf after a 5 year lay off due to wrist injury (I was a 5 handicap then and playing nike Forged Pro Combo Tours). Callaway reveal super-forgiving Big Bertha B21 range, Best Drivers for Beginners and High Handicappers, Get the Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo irons from Scottsdale Golf, Get the Ping G710 irons from Scottsdale Golf, Get the Callaway Mavrik Max irons from Scottsdale Golf, Get the TaylorMade SIM Max OS irons from Scottsdale Golf, Get the Ping G410 irons from Scottsdale Golf, Get the TaylorMade SIM Max irons from Scottsdale Golf, Get the TaylorMade P790 (2019) irons from Scottsdale Golf, Get the Cobra King Forged Tec irons from Scottsdale Golf, Get the Mizuno MP-20 HMB irons from Scottsdale Golf, READ NEXT: Blade vs Cavity back irons with Sir Nick Faldo. Your eye will instantly be drawn to the Max Impact port on the back of the clubhead and the completely redesigned shape. In our eyes the SIM Max doesn’t have a ridiculously wide top edge or tall face height (to improve face flex), or masses of offset, so they’re a really good-looking game-improvement model. The forged face produced a pleasant sound at impact and the feel was fairly crisp. Nope, you are on your … TESTED: Should you consider Hybrid Irons? Whereas game-improver models often suit 20-handicap golfers and below, super game-improver models fill the gap above this really nicely. Cleveland say that thanks to a hollow hybrid-like body, their Launcher HB Turbo has a centre of gravity 17% lower and 46% deeper than a typical cavity-back iron! The only way to know for sure is to go to your favorite fitter or find a Titleist Thursday. The Epic Forged’s super strong lofts and minimal offset made them our longest irons of 2020 by nine yards, but also drove launch, spin and descent angle down, which for many club golfers isn’t an ideal combination. It’s our opinion that you shouldn’t really consider using them until you get close to scratch. T100 T200 T300 Follow Thread. The Max Impact port on the back almost looks like the saucer of the Starship Enterprise. Would an extra seven or eight yards of mid-iron carry distance be beneficial to your game over anything else? If your game or swing speed have gone south, hybrid irons are a brilliant option. It became the brand’s biggest-selling forged iron ever. I called Titleist and they verified the serial number, shafts and number of clubs but cannot verify … This is the year when brands are talking more than ever about dialling clubs into the particular sound and feel frequencies that golfers love. From the precision balance of T100 to the consistent distance of T200 and engineered forgiveness of T300… It’s not just all about power, either. Category 3.5 models bring together traits often best-suited to 18-20 handicappers and below. In the ever-expanding category of players distance irons, the T200 irons set the standard. 3 Months ago I bought the titleist 718 AP1 thinking I would get used to the big size but I havent, so Im coming back to smaller irons, thus leaving me with T-200 vs … FIRST LOOK: Titleist T200 and T300 irons debut at Travelers Championship. Only you can answer that. I liked the compact blade and the thin topline. The results for a regular club golfer with a Players Iron would be very different. There is not a Max Impact core on the T100 irons, but they do feature a co-forged cavity construction with dual-density tungsten weighting in the heel and toe. The feel is responsive and smooth, everything you’re looking for in a players iron. It’s because they bridge the gap that was really difficult to cover when golf didn’t have fast-face tech, strong lofts or hollow body constructions. The T200 looks to have some AP3 DNA with an undercut cavity that blends seamlessly into the sole profile. We’re fans of teaming up this style of head with KBS’s lightest iron shaft, which helps maximise launch and shot height, and does a great job of counteracting the Launch Pad’s reasonably strong lofts. Again, that is extremely impressive technology. Most major brands have five, six or even seven irons in their 2020 line-ups, which shows the importance of having solutions for all golfers, irrespective of ability or personal preference. TaylorMade went to great lengths to make their SIM Max sound and feel like a forged iron, Callaway use different artificially intelligent faces for every iron in the set to optimise performance, while Ping use toe weights to increase MOI in smaller, more attractive head shapes. The Max Impact port is wild. Better yet, it won’t highlight you as a hacker before you’ve even hit a shot! In many instances, the clubhead size in this category will be a little larger to inspire more confidence at address. The AP2 irons were forged and designed for better ball strikers, while the high launch, cast AP1 irons were engineered with forgiveness and improving players in mind. Going to give T100, T100*S and T200 a try as well as a new Driver and Hyrbid(s). Even with lightweight shafts, our two models produced the smallest carry distance loss of any category (5.8%). More recently, Justin Thomas notably remarked that he liked the extra height he got with the T100 4 iron. How do Forgiveness Category 3 irons compare in data? BUY IT NOW: Get the Ping G710 irons from Scottsdale Golf. Category 3 models usually offer a decent-looking clubhead, which is often forged, along with added speed and distance for golfers who don’t quite have the ball striking prowess to use one of the two Player Iron categories. RELATED: Callaway reveal super-forgiving Big Bertha B21 range. One iron skewed our data in this category – the super strong-lofted Epic Forged. The serial number on the 6 looks way off to me. Titleist achieved their goal by pairing a thin face with a polymer core that sits behind the face. In the age of technology stuffed super irons, it is refreshing to see a company use some restraint and premium materials when designing their game improvement irons. This is the category of iron preferred by our test pro Neil Wain, who played off plus-4 as an amateur. BUY IT NOW: Get the TaylorMade SIM Max irons from Scottsdale Golf, EXPLAINED: Forgiveness Category 3 - Game Improver Plus, Honma T//WORLD 747 P / Callaway Apex 19 / Wilson D7 Forged / Srixon Z585 / Mizuno JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro / Callaway Epic Forged / Mizuno JPX 919 Forged. You've come to the right place. It goes without saying that you need to be a decent ball-striker to get the best out of Player irons. Crucially, even though backspin was reduced by more than 600 RPM, shots launched, peaked and descended onto a green at similar rates to the Category 2 models while adding an extra five yards of average carry distance to a 7-iron. How do Forgiveness Category 2 irons compare in data? At first look, the T300 irons seemed like something out of a science fiction movie. Our TG test pro thought the head looked a little smaller at address, which is thanks to the dark Stealth finish hiding how big the head really is. Head sizes are generally very compact, while soles and top lines are typically very slender, which means they should appeal only to the very best ball-strikers. To get the right answers, you’ll need to be honest about your game. Once again, I tested the T200 7 iron against its AP counterpart, using a Project X 6.5 shaft. WITB: Justin Thomas, The CJ Cup at Nine Bridges, WITB: Kevin Na, Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Expert Review: Titleist TS2 & TS3 Hybrids, WITB: Sebastian Muñoz, Sanderson Farms Championship, Expert Review: TaylorMade 2019 P790 Irons, Expert Review: Titleist 620 MB & CB Irons, VIDEO GOLF INSTRUCTION: Dave Pelz on Hitting Wedge Shots in the Wind, VIDEO GOLF INSTRUCTION: Dave Pelz on Eliminating Fat Chips Forever, VIDEO GOLF INSTRUCTION: Dave Pelz on Controlling the Distance of Wedge Shots, Golf Bag Guide: How To Choose The Right Golf Bag. Callaway have gone after strong lofts harder and faster than anyone in the last couple of years, but TaylorMade are hitting back with the SIM Max OS in 2020, saying the lofts aren’t just strong for speed and distance either. We’ve tested the Launcher HB Turbo a few times now, and each session has ended with our pro smiling from ear to ear. The majority are forged (with the exception of Ping’s models) as the decent players who use them often believe forging delivers a premium feel/sound. So as 2020’s irons hit pro shop shelves, we felt the time was right to show how whole iron ranges compare against each other. TESTED: Which Mizuno MP-20 iron suits my game? In this review I detail the key technologies incorporated in the Titleist T100, T200 and T300 irons, dive into some launch monitor data, and submit a few observations that will hopefully clarify the similarities and differences between the T-Series and 718 AP series irons. T300 offers Titleist's most forgiving player’s experience possible with a modern shape that rewards with faster ball speeds and preferred feel. Very often, Category 3 and Category 3.5 irons end up in the hands of improving golfers, but they subtly target different players, hence why Callaway make both an Apex 19 (forged and in Category 3) and a Mavrik (cast and in Category 3.5). 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