Titleist T-Series T100, T200 and T300 irons review
If you've been bothered by the fact that the current lineup of Titleist irons doesn't go in numerical order from most forgiving to least forgiving, you'll appreciate the new naming convention that Titleist just announced.
When they released the AP3 several years ago, it fit between the long running (and very popular) AP1 and AP2 irons, but there really wasn't a place for it so AP3 was born.
But that's not the reason for the name change.
After 5 generations of AP irons over a span of 10 years, Titleist put so many new design elements into the T-Series irons that they felt a name change was warranted. Prior to the official launch, our test team got to learn how the T-Series of irons were designed. We also got a chance to test them out at the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, California.
It's a place so beautiful and well maintained that it always take a minute to feel comfortable taking a divot, but after a couple of thin shots and the assurance from the fitters that it was ok, we had a blast hitting hundreds of iron shots with the launch monitor watching each one.
So here's a sneak peak of Titleist's T-Series irons, featuring Max Impact technology.
T100 IRONS
Competitive amateurs will likely be most interested in the T100 series. It’s a set of irons comparable to Titleist’s AP2 model but with a slightly smaller blade, a thinner topline and a little less offset. All three features are the result of Tour testing and feedback. The PGA Tour remains to be Titleist's proving ground and T-100s started showing up in the bags of Titleist ambassadors as early as the U.S. Open in June, with Jordan Spieth switching from AP2s to T-100s at the Open Championship in Northern Ireland where he recorded a T20 finish.
But just because T-100 irons are targeted towards the low handicap player, make sure to test them if you're in the market. Remember, pros like a little forgiveness on their off center hits as well, and Titleist carried over many of the features that made AP2 so popular including the strategic use of tungsten weighting and AMT shafts from True Temper. AMT (or Ascending Mass Technology) reduces the weight of the shafts from wedge (heaviest) to long irons, providing the ability to launch the long irons higher, while flighting the wedges, especially into the wind or when trying to reduce spin to go after a tucked flag.
We put the T100 and latest model of the Titleist CB irons against each other on the launch monitor. The CB irons are even better than ever, and remarkably forgiving. But the T100s just as sleek at address (and a little more techie) while providing similar peak trajectories and spin rates with about 7-10 yards more distance. It's hard to argue with that.
T200 and T300 IRONS
Moving through the series, the T200 and T300 are larger irons with even more of an emphasis on the use of tungsten weighting. With a lower center of gravity, both T200 and T300 provide an increased launch angle, giving Titleist design engineers the ability to decrease lofts through the set. The net effect is irons that look and feel great without the "clunkiness" of some game improvement irons.
Tour players and better amateurs will likely consider putting multiple models into their bag, and Titleist and their network of fitters are prepared to fine tune any combination you can come up with. So-called "combo" sets have been in play for years now, and after testing all three models of T-Series irons I'm confident that moving from, for example, a set of T100s in 5-Wedge up to a T200 3-4 irons is going to be fairly routine. Add a hybrid or two from the new TS-Series, and you might find yourself thinking about adding a few more tournaments to your schedule.
Check out the video below for more information on the T-series.