Breaking Down Different Iron Categories

By Michael Geiger -- 2nd Swing Staff Writer

Of the 14 clubs allowed in a golfer’s bag, roughly half come from a single iron set. Purchasing the right irons is a decision that has an enormous impact on the quality of your approach play. Because the stakes are so high for this one transaction, golfers need to educate themselves as much as they possibly can about the different iron types available to them.

Fortunately, 2nd Swing master fitter Kevin Kraft recently sat down and discussed the different iron categories on the market to help make the decision about purchasing an iron set easier for golfers. Kraft took a look at six new iron models that have been released by Titleist in the past year to demonstrate the variety that’s available today and the different playability characteristics of each.

The first iron category Kraft looked at was a muscle-back blade, the 620 MB. The 620 MBs are some of the most aesthetically pleasing irons in golf. However, he notes that only skilled ball-strikers should use them. 

“This is a golf club designed for the best players in the world. It has a very thin sole and a very thin topline. It also has a small, compact head, and all of that brings with it a lot of challenge but also a lot of workability.”

The 620 CBs from Titleist are very similar to the 620 MBs in that they have a compact shape with a thin topline and thin sole. However, the 620 CBs do boast a little more forgiveness thanks to a shallow cavity-back design, hence the ‘CB’ in the name of the model.

“This golf club expects you to hit the ball in the center of the face,” Kraft said. “There is a tiny bit more forgiveness than the MBs, but not a lot.” These clubs, like the 620 MBs, fall squarely into the players iron category.

Kraft then looked at the T100 model, a club that still falls into the players iron category but with a split-cavity design to add just a little more forgiveness and easier launch. With that said, the compact is still designed for skilled ball-strikers.

“This club has a little more forgiveness than the MB, a little wider sole, and a little more cavity. The blade length is a bit longer and the topline is a little bit thicker,” Kraft said. “However, I still wouldn’t put an 18-handicapper in this golf club unless they really wanted the look of a blade.”

The fourth set of irons Kraft analyzed was the T200, a slightly longer, more forgiving version of the T100. The T200 boasts an even thicker topline and sole than the T100. Titleist’s engineers also added in more perimeter weighting around the heads of the T200, which helps golfers hit the golf ball much straighter. The T200s fall into the players-distance category, which has become increasingly popular in the golf industry over the last couple of years.

Kraft says the new Titleist set he first the most golfers into is the T300, which is a game-improvement design with a larger shape and low center of gravity. It’s designed to launch the ball higher into the air and provide better performance on mis-hits. 

“Everything on this golf club is designed to help you get the ball up in the air and hit it straighter, Kraft said. “This club offers the forgiveness that most players need.” 

Titleist, as Kraft notes, has been slow to produce clubs in the super game-improvement category, but that has changed with the introduction of the T400. This iron set features the largest soles, thickest toplines, and most forgiveness of any iron that the company produces. The T400s are especially useful for golfers with moderate swing speeds to maintain high ball speeds and high launch.

Golfers today have so many options when it comes to finding an iron set that is tailored to their swings. It’s important to have some background on the iron category that is best for your game so that you can hit more greens and lower your scores.

Of course, for a more in-depth look at what you need, we recommended a custom fitting with a 2nd Swing master fitter, whether that be in the store or over the phone. Visit fitting.2ndswing.info to schedule yours.