Titleist T100S irons provide a distance option for better players

Titleist’s T100S irons serve as proof that the company is quickly catching on to the players distance iron category. After eschewing the category initially, the company found success with its 718 AP3 iron then neatly followed it up with the recently released T200. Feedback, however, was that while the added distance was welcomed by many, a segment of players wanted that distance boost in a slightly more player-ish package such as the T100.

“That would have been fairly easy to do just by strengthening the lofts on the T100,” said Marni Ines, Titleist’s director of iron development. “But that wouldn’t have stayed true to what we want in an iron which is shape, feel, turf interaction and control along with more ball speed.”

As such, the forged dual-cavity design T100S is a reimagining of the T100. Yes, the lofts are stronger by 2 degrees, but each iron in the set was redesigned with thinner faces. As with the T100, a hefty amount of tungsten (an average of 66 grams) if co-forged into the heel and toe areas of the long and mid irons to boost forgiveness and foster a higher launch. Attention also was paid to the sole of the club with an enhanced camber for improved turf interaction. As you would expect in a players shape, the topline is on the thin side and offset is minimal. The set features progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths with the goal of delivering the optimal center-of-gravity positioning for each iron.

“We wanted to keep the exact look of T100 while making some slight tweaks to the CG and the sole,” said Ines. So it looks like a T100 but plays like a T200 distance-wise.”

Added Josh Talge, the company’s VP of golf club marketing. “You have to remember that a lot of younger golfers have grown up playing stronger lofted clubs. They’re used to a 7-iron that is 32 degrees and want to keep playing that. We’re very involved in that Next Gen space with juniors and collegiate players and we wanted to have an iron that appealed to those players. It will get some PGA Tour use, but on the Korn Ferry Tour and at the collegiate level it will be two times or three times that.”

While much of Titleist’s iron business results in custom specs, the stock shaft—True Temper’s Project X LZ—is geared to the target player as it is a mid launch, low spin shaft. A number of custom shafts also are available at no additional charge.

The Titleist T100S irons will be available for fittings starting March 12 and will be at retail March 27. The T100S will retail for $175 per club in steel ($1,400 for a set of eight).