Golf Iron Education: Observing the Iron Set Market Through the Lens of Titleist

By: Michael Geiger, 2nd Swing Product Expert

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 different lines of Titleist irons to demonstrate the variety that’s out there today.

The first iron category Kraft looked at was a muscleback, the 620 MB. He explains, “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.” Kraft noted that while musclebacks are visually appealing, double-digit handicappers should avoid playing them.

The 620 CBs from Titleist, even though they possess the term “cavity back” in their name, possess a number of similarities to the 620 MBs. Kraft says, “This golf club expects you to hit the ball in the center of the face… 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” category of irons.

Up next was the T100, a club that falls into the “split-cavity” category. According to Kraft, “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. 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. This iron set falls into the “player-distance” category.

The Titleist iron set that Kraft puts most golfers into is the T300, a set that sits in the “game-improvement” category As the master fitter explains, “Everything on this golf club is designed to help you get the ball up in the air and hit it straighter... 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.

Golfers today have so many options when it comes to finding an iron set that is tailored to their game. Doing a little bit of research during the search process is helpful, as there is a wealth of information available in a variety of places. But experts like 2nd Swing master fitter Kevin Kraft make things drastically easier for those in the market for a new set of irons.