Bogeyfree69

Did a quick set of 20' putts.  Really like the feel of the putter.  I believe that the 510-520g total weight is a sweet spot for me.  Putter felt really good with no backweight and the 76g grip.   Path was much tighter and face angle was really good.  Speed might be a touch too high but seems to be consistent.   My thought is that there might be a little more flex in the shaft that gives it a little extra ball speed.    


 
Time to get the putter setup for tomorrow.   Think I am going with the grip that was on the previous putter (57g) and the 30g backweight.   This will add about 10g to the total weight making it 520g.   Next test will be actual course time!

First round with the newly modified putter.   Greens were Bermuda, large in size, with lots of undulations, and were probably running 10-11.   I'm not doing any stat tracking so I won't be able to provide objective data.   General impression is that the putter is working well;  even one of my playing partners commented on how well I was putting.   My general feeling is that the stroke lab is significantly different than the stability type shafts in that it has a little kick.    While I didn't get all my putts; nor would I expect to, past the hole I felt like there was a little more ball speed than I normally have.   
In total 32 putts on the day;  lots of longish first putts:
 30 feet up over a ridge.  hit about 10 feet past the hole.  made the comeback putt.  12 feet.  putt burnt the edge, rolled about 2 feet past  20 feet.  putt to about 6 inches short  20 feet.  putt to 2 feet left.    22 feet.  putt to 3 feet short.  made second.  10 feet.  4 feet past.  made comeback  used putter from off the green to 1 foot.  used putter from off the green to 2  feet.  used putter from off the green to 1 foot.  40 feet up steep hill to 8 feet.  made putt.   60 feet that rolled off the green.  used putter from off the green; hit pin and bounced 1 foot past.  15 feet to 2 feet right  20 foot putt to 3 feet short.  18 feet to 2 feet past  70 feet to 6 feet shot.  15 feet to 3 feet right  4 feet  35 feet to 2 feet right.   While I can't say that the putter with the stroke lab is better than steel the outing was positive.   Not going to make a generate a massive savings in stroke but hoping long term I am making a few more of the 6-1'5' putts.  

My current gamer is a Taylormade TM-180 putter.   This putter was my gamer for may years and then I went through some putter swaps and it is now back in the bag and has been performing well.   I have always wondered what the impact of a shaft change might be.  Shaft changes could be weight, flex, material, etc.  Many shaft manufacturers have come out with upgraded shafts and I wonder how they might influence my stroke.   While browsing online I found a used stroke lab shaft that was very affordable so I bought it and have installed it in the above mentioned Taylormade putter.    While many of the new graphite shafts are designed to be super stiff and "stable" the stroke labs was designed to move weight from the shaft into the head and grip.    

 
To test the shafts,  I am using my ExPutt simulator and hitting a bunch of random distance putts and then hitting fifty 20 foot putts to look at dispersion and face control.  
Putter specs:
Steel Shaft:   33" length, 517g total weight,  355g head, 162g shaft and grip (105g shaft 57g grip).   I didn't remove the grip I had another of the same grip and weighed it. Stroke Lab:  34" length, 539g total weight, 355g head, 185g shaft and grip.   I plan on cutting the putter down to 33" but going to test the putter unmodified since I don't want to remove the grip yet.  I was a little surprised by the weight of the stroke lab shaft.   While it does have counterweighting,  I expected it to be lighter than the steel shaft.  Since I plan on shortening the putter,  I will remove the grip and counterweight to get the shaft weight.   The putter head is probably a little on the light side;  it seems that most stroke lab putters have 365g heads but the Odyssey OG putters are 350g so I am within a range that Odyssey uses.  
 
The below image shows the summary of random distances on a 9 stimp green.   Overall not bad; but dispersion seems big in the 30-50 foot range, the directional bias is a little left, and speed control in the 0-10 foot range is a little on the high side.

 
The below images shows the results of fifty 20' putts.  Speed control wasn't bad;  the bottom image shows that the dispersion pattern was about 6 feet deep from front too back.  Putter path was about 1 degree right and face angle was slightly closed.  With an average face angle of 0.2 I am well within the range of making 20 foot putts.  
 


 
Overall performance with the steel shaft wasn't too bad and in my opinion will be tough to beat.    I have switched out the shaft and the epoxy is currently drying.   I plan on testing the stroke lab shaft on the ExPutt tomorrow and then getting it out to the course on Sunday.   
 
 
 

I couldn’t agree more.   I think he didn’t care and was being a jacka** on purpose.

You either let something bother you and distract you when competing and have it affect your game or you ignore and go about your business and better yet beat the other person.
As a spectator you watch and say nothing, as a parent you say nothing while whatever game is going on. Then if you feel like the other coach should be approached on how to handle their players, you say something but with that could come getting an earful back, being ignored or a number of any situations. The majority of the time it’s going to be the person speaking is wasting their breath.
at the end of the day control what you can control and ignore what you cant

Sounds like Seve Ballesteros. 

I couldn’t agree more.   I think he didn’t care and was being a jacka** on purpose.

This kid was a senior and you could tell he’s been playing for a while.  But I agree with you on etiquette needs to be taught.   I kinda felt it wasn’t my place to say something since I just was visiting but kinda regret not.   Appreciate the input.

I helped with the local HS team for a few years and there were a handful of kids that did not know anything about golf etiquette.  We went over the basic etiquette and rules stuff with them repeatedly. They were new to the game and not playing as the #2 player though. 
I would have mentioned to their coach that his player has a good gàme but needed a lesson in etiquette.  But i am not one to keep my mouth shut.
I believe standing behind a player to get the line is a rules violation.  I would have mentioned that to the coach too.
Having been around HS golf it would not surprise me if the other coach and the player didnt know the rules.  The last year i helped, the coach was drafted into the position and had only played a few rounds himself.  

Not against the rules.    It is only against the rules for the players caddie (Rule 10.2b (4))  or players partner (foursome (Rule 22.6) and fourball (Rule 23.8))

Yes, and you could substitute society for "game" in your thread title.  I'm also inclined to believe his actions are learned behaviour.

Been away doing a little travel and not much golf recently but as part of my travels stopped in to see some golf trip buddies in Knoxville, TN for a few days and went with one of my buddies to see his grandson’s high school golf match.   His grandson is a freshman and is playing as number 2 on his team.  During the match one of the opposing players would mark his ball with a tee.   I’m aware a tee can be used and the USGA definition of a ball-marker is “an artificial object such as a tee, coin, or other object made to be a ball-marker, or another small piece of equipment.    During my observation of the match the other players tee was on numerous occasions in general line when the other players would be chipping or putting.   Even if he was asked to move it would still would be bothersome.   On one occasion after the player chipped marked his ball with the tee another player didn’t hit a very good chip the ball stopped directly beside the tee,   The kid was asked to move his “tee” which he did and then stood directly behind the kid putting so to get the line of the putt.   On the last hole my buddies grandson hit a drive about 30 yards behind the same kid who used a tee to mark his ball.   The kid who used a tee stood in the middle of the fairway with his range finder as my buddies grandson who was ready to hit waited patiently since the kid was directly in front of him.   He waited for about a minute or so as the kid stood there.  Finally my friends grandson yelled up to him and after the kid turned around and saw him he shot the pin again and made him wait.  
I’ve never seen worse etiquette during a match in my life.  It took everting I had to not say anything to the kids coach.
It still annoys me.   Am I wrong?  I appreciate all opinions.      

Sounds like the other kid is just an a**hole.  Well, either he knows what he's doing (gamesmanship) and is an a**hole, or he genuinely has no clue what he's doing is wrong in which case he's still being an a**hole but hasn't been taught better.

I went to my first ever putter fitting today at Club Champion and wanted to share my experience. Things started by me telling the fitter what my main goal of the the fitting being finding a putter I can aim correctly and a little about my history. He then took my current putter and measured the loft/lie/length. We then setup the SAM Lab sensor, calibrated it and hit 7 putts. The results were not anything surprising to me. I had good overall consistency. I was aiming 1.7 degrees closed, take the club back on an arc and come back through from the inside with the face open. The SAM Lab software did suggest I need 1 degree less loft and that I use a face balance to 30 degree toe hang. So stroke wise my current putter was not far off. I think since I had mentioned aiming being my main concern and we had discussed the Edel fitting system and aiming we started there. With the fact I had mentioned I like the fang style putters and according to Edel is pretty neutral for aim we got the EAS 4.0 with a no offset shaft and 1 top and 2 bottom lines. The putter was a little too upright so we went flatter. When hitting putts I was making them but on the left side of the hole. We tried a single line on top and I started missing on the right side of the hole. He also made some wight adjustments during this after watching my stroke that improved the feel. At this point we also tried a few Lab and Evnroll options all of which I was regularly hitting the left edge of the hole with. Also tried a Bettenardi putter which I was aim good but I was not a fan of the head heavy feel as felt it would lag behind when taking the head back and in transition to the through stroke unless I gripped it tighter than I prefer to. We then went back to the the Edel with 2 top line, which I immediately was not a fan of as my eye still wants to look at a line and had to pick one of which neither is behind the ball. I was also missing on the right side with this setup as well. We then tried a single bottom line and I immediately started hitting the center of the hole. After a few rounds of that we put the SAM Lab sensor on, calibrated it and hit 7 more putts of which I kept hitting the center of the hole. 


As you can see from the pictures I went from aiming 1.7 degrees closed to .7 degrees open. Not only was the aim better but now my face at impact matches exactly the face at setup. Also the loft and lie were now on point. The through stroke was also a little more down the line instead of inside out as I feel I could let the putter naturally release now. I think because of this is why my rotational consistency improved as well. After hitting a few more rounds of putts and continuing to hit the center of the hole we did another round with SAM Lab and the results were virtually identical. Since I was hitting the center of the hole I thinking that the .7 degrees open might just be the calibration and not actually be open but I am not stressed as what matters is I am consistently hitting the center of the hole. Since they didn't have another putter fit right after my I stayed hitting putts for a while and from a few different spots on the putting green and continued to hit the center of the hole over and over. My fitter and a iron fit right after me and was the only one in that day so he still had to right everything up for the order as apparently with all the option it is a bunch for the Edel putter orders so I will get all the exact specs later. But I know that is was 34inches with a 68 degree lie with the standard round grip. It had a 25G weight in the head and he added shaft weights above and below the hands. 


To sum everything up it was a good experience and got what I was looking for. For the first time I feel like I can aim my putter where I want and I am very excited to the get the putter. Now for the hard part of waiting weeks for it to come in 🙁😂

Congratulations to the selected!  Looking forward to the results!

You again 🤦
The orders go to Titleist first thing Monday.  There was one little detail to work out before hand. 
 
That was, we were voting on whether it’d be funny to “accidentally” have  Ben’s order come with shafts 2 inches short and 35g   Answer to come soon enough 🤔
 

Adding intros to my reading list today.
I wish we had a read later or bookmark feature so I could just go to that and read all thing things I'm behind on!

It really goes to show what Titleist is looking for and how well they have thought through this testing opportunity.
They don't simply want to ship out whatever stock set to our testers. They want the real deal and want to make sure testers get a Titleist experience along with being setup appropriately for their reviews. 
Could lead to some surprises, I hesitate to say disappointment, but maybe just unexpected results (similar to what happened with my t series fit). 
I recall (the pm chat has almost been as bad as the cobra one haha) 2 of the testers should have fits today (Thursday).

Agreed. Should lead to all of us getting a set that is perfectly tuned to our games. To say that I’m excited is mildly understating it. 😬
Did you have to do anything for the loft gap between the 7 & 8? Or did it work out without changing the lofts?
How do you like them?

2 of the 4 of us have the option to include the T200 utility or U-505.
It will depend on how they would fit into the set makeup, as determined by the fitter and us. Stay tuned, as I believe all of the fittings are scheduled to be completed within the next week. At that point, we should know the composition of each of our sets.

Pinehurst has been adventurous for sure. My Dad and I played No 4 first, then No 1. The 2nd day we did the Cradle and then No 2. On No 2 we got caught in a pretty bad lightning/rain storm. It was a definite test of the grips as all my gloves were wet from being on the outside of my bag and I played the last 16 holes with no glove and wet grips. Surprisingly on drives and longer iron/hybrid shots, my hands did not slip. The grips for being soaked at one point ended up drying relatively quickly and by around hole 12 I would say the grips were fully dry. 
 
Here’s a few pics of the grips on course No 2 and 4 as well as a quick video of a 305 yard drive on 18 on Course 1 and a video of how wet it was out on course No 2
. 



IMG_8656.mov  
IMG_8646.mov    
 

Made a little progress this evening before dinner. This corner will be where the screen and enclosure will go:

In past years, I started threads about getting my SkyTrak and then about getting my Mevo+. Now I'm making it a trilogy of threads: Kirke and I are embarked on a serious upgrade of our practice space, courtesy of Chris Koske and the fine folks at SkyTrak.
Earlier this year, Chris reached out to me and asked if I'd be interested in upgrading our garage setup. A bit of backstory: Chris used to work for Edel, and he was my main contact when I did my MGS Forum review of the Edel EAS 4.0 putter, which is still my main putter. He's since moved on to a position at SkyTrak. Turns out, SkyTrak purchased a company that sells home sim packages, and Chris offered to send us a setup for testing and review.
The shipment (five packages!) arrived last week. Just for reference, here's the page for SkyTrak's Studio options: https://shop.skytrakgolf.com/simulator-studios.html. (Important full disclosure: while I received our setup for review, I am not a SkyTrak affiliate and receive nothing for anyone's purchases.) We received the SkyTrak+ Studio 12'.

For those keeping score at home, that package not only includes the cage, screen, mat, and ball tray (which is initially what I thought Chris was offering), but also the very recently-released SkyTrak+ and the Optoma GT1080 HDR projector and mount. I still find myself with the need to periodically scrape my jaw off the floor.
What that means, first, is that we're in the process of a garage conversion. 
Here's what we've been working with:
20230425_170835_1.mp4
We're hitting into a Rukket net, which has been reinforced a few times with more netting after we'd worn holes in the original. Behind the net, there's an old mattress (just in case), over which we've draped a piece of target vinyl from an even older net. Overhead, we have draped some heavy curtains to catch high wedges. We have been hitting off the FiberBuilt Flight Deck (that oval hitting surface), with a piece of stance turf glued to a board so that we're level with the Flight Deck. The boards running back from the Flight Deck (toward the camera) help give a level surface back to the Mevo+.
It's janky, but it works. We hit along the back of our garage, width-wise. Google Maps suggests our garage is about 25' wide; that easily allows us to have the recommended 8' between the Mevo+ and the hitting area, with 12+' of ball flight. There's a shelf on the back of the garage (the right side of the above video): there, we have an old TV and another monitor. Typically, we've been using an old iPad to run either the FlightScope software (including the Skills app) and also Awesome Golf, which is a great (and relatively) inexpensive sim software which is perfect if you're playing with kids.
As I say, it works. It's a very functional setup, and it's been great for getting practice. My enthusiasm for the Mevo+ is undiminished: I'm actually astonished that, with the upgrade packages, they took an already very competent LM and added a ton of useful data. Getting the lighting correct for using the Face Impact can be finicky, for sure, but if you can nail the setup, the Mevo+ is an incredible bang for the buck in the home LM space. Kirke and I plan to continue to use the Mevo+ alongside the SkyTrak+, trying to leverage the strengths of both (and likely writing a full comparison review at some point).
Given the sketchy setup we had, I really didn't want to just unbox the Studio and slap it into place. My goal is to do this right, and build a really nice place for Kirke and I (and others in our family, if they wish) to practice and play. So right now, I'm filming the process in segments, documenting the transformation of our garage into a Simulator Studio. This is a channel I've started to post videos with Kirke and me, hopefully documenting up to the point in which he beats me from the full-length tees at our course for the first time. I've designated the channel on YouTube as "for kids": such channels can't be monetized, which is the point—I don't want to make money off videos of Kirke. It's just something for us to have fun with.
That said, here are the first two videos, taking you on a tour of our garage before we start the teardown (with cameos from my youngest daughter), and then after a couple hours of cleanup:
I'll keep posting these, and also posting here with text-based descriptions of our process. We need to get this up and running before the snow starts falling here, which is always sooner than you might expect.

Introduction
Hello All,
Like the screen name suggests, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die…

Wait…That’s a different thread altogether…
Let’s try this again. Like the screen name suggests, my name is, in fact, Ben Joest. I am 44 years old and a happily married father of 3. My progeny: Emma is 10, going on moody teenager. Katie just turned 9 and is my golfing ride or die. Lastly, is our son Noah, he is 4 and if he had been the first, he would be the only. Just energy and enthusiasm for days, and frankly it is exhausting. SWMBO, has mostly come to grips with my addiction to the little white ball, and carries with her the belief that this vice of mine beats similar afflictions involving booze, broads, or bets. The kids are active in youth sports and keep us running most of the year, so finding the time to play can be challenging at times. The family has decided that, when one is given such a magnificent opportunity to test out the latest offering from a preeminent equipment company such as Titleist, certain concessions are made on Dad’s behalf, isn't that right family?

Go Team Joesty!

My history with Titleist can be traced back to the early 2000’s. My first club of theirs was a second hand 975J Driver that I picked up in 2003. I have been playing golf in one form or fashion since I was a kid, growing up in the late 80’s, but prior to 2003, my clubs were mostly hand-me-down sets I inherited from my Uncle Mike, whenever he decided he was ready for an upgrade. Mostly MacGregors and Wilsons, and nothing so memorable that I can recall exact models, all these years later.
That all changed in 2003. I started playing with a buddy from work, that gamed a Titleist 983K Driver and he hit it a mile. After one round, we were enjoying a frosty beverage and he asked a simple question, that looking back, completely changed my trajectory as a golfer. To that point, I was content to play whatever and hack it around the loop, occasionally collecting a par or a birdie, but mostly carding bogeys and doubles. He nonchalantly asked something to the effect of “Do you want to get better?”
This question is so beguiling, as it instantly removes the scales from one’s eyes and forces an unwitting soul to reconcile the state of their game. After a brief pause, I responded, “Yes. Yes, I do.” And down the rabbit hole and into the wonderous kingdom of golf equipment I went. Looking back, it didn’t take long for me to develop the full-blown addiction and cobble together a decent set of used clubs. I grabbed a set of Taylor Made Super Steel Burner irons 3-PW from a buddy’s sister, who was selling her ex-husband’s clubs dirt cheap. I found the 975J Driver and 983 3 & 5 Woods at 2nd Swing, when they still had brick & mortar stores in the Cincinnati area. I topped it all off with a rusted oil can scotty Cameron putter that I found at an estate sale for $25 and a Callaway 56° wedge that I paid less than that for, under the auspices that I should probably have a sand wedge now that I am a serious golfer. I still have most of these clubs, but 975 driver is lost to History.

Since that seed was planted 20+ years ago, I have had lots of other clubs, including a 905 driver I still have the head of, a 910D2 driver, and a set of 712 AP1 irons, that have come and gone. I recently added a set of T100s 4-PW to my stable, and they will be what I set my baseline numbers with for this test.

As some of you may know, I have developed into a muscle back blade enthusiast. See the Who Doesn’t Want to Play a Muscle Back Iron? Thread for more details but the TL; DR:
Is my game good enough to play muscle back blades?

Is my game consistent enough to play muscle back blades?

A little bit of background on the current state of my game. Throughout most of my adult life, my handicap hovered between 8-12. Which is a decent number and it meant that my scores lived in the 80’s, with an occasional low 80’s round and once I shot 78. As last season was ending, after some internal deliberations, I made a commitment to myself to improve. I purchased a net, a perfect practice putting mat, and at Christmas I received a Rapsodo MLM from my family. I spent the winter utilizing these tools to hone the rough edges of my game and joined a simulator league at the local practice facility. There is also a thread for the details of that. The additional hours spent have paid off, and I have worked my handicap down to a very respectable 4.3.

With that in mind, I signed up to test the T150 irons. I am fascinated by Titleist’s attention to the nuances of one’s game when they fit a golfer into a set of irons. I will be sharing the fitting details in a separate post. The goal in all of this is to determine, if a well fitted set of irons can help me improve on what, according to the shot scope data, is already a strength of my game.

My plan for testing these irons is, by design, going to be a bit free flowing as I don’t want to get trapped into a specific methodology and dismiss new ideas, so this is where this test becomes interactive with you, the constant reader. I will be putting calls out to the membership to glean what exactly folks want to see. However, without a loose outline, we are reduced to this:

So with that in mind:
·        Using the MLM, I will use the current irons to set baseline numbers for club speed, ball speed, carry distance, total distance, and apex.

·        Also, dispersion will be looked at from the perspective of the average carry and lateral dispersion. A comparison will be made to determine if the T series improves these numbers and maintains a good gapping between clubs, as these 2 items are a key selling point for getting fitted into these irons.
·        Multiple range sessions with the T series, to accumulate an average for each club for comparison to the current set.
·        A baseline regarding strokes gained numbers through Shot Scope data ( See graph above)
·        At least one round per week, along with observations and results
·        Upon completion of the testing rounds, a comparison of how the strokes gained metric has improved or worsened over the course of testing.
·        Irons only rounds. To this, there have been some preliminary discussions about challenging the other Irons testers from this season to a “friendly” irons only battle royale. Details to follow.
The current goal is shooting par or better this season, with breaking 70 clearly in my sights. Join me on this journey, as it is going to be a wild ride.
 
Here is the link to my fitting post:
Here is the link to my Unboxing/Initial Thoughts Post:
Final Review
First Impressions
These irons are flawless. From an aesthetic standpoint, the T100 through T350 lines are a study in classic, elegant design. Titleist took pains to craft a range of irons that, from aesthetic and performance perspectives can be blended seamlessly. By doing so, they have given their fitting specialists the wherewithal to confidently blend T100’s with T150’s, T150’s with T200’s, etc. As described in my fitting post, I tested a blend of the T150 and T200 lines. PW-8i in the T150, 7i-5i in the T200, and because it was offered and encouraged by Titleist, I was also fit into the T200 Utility 4 iron to round out my 7-club set.

Enough can’t be said about the Titleist fitting experience. The attention to detail is awe-inspiring. It starts with having the fitting on a natural turf driving range with a trackman unit set up to capture all the performance data in real time. Another aspect that separates this fitting from a big box retailer or smaller custom fitter, is the ability to hit every iron in each product line rather than just the 7 iron or a limited combination of each line.  It progresses with the use of brand-new range balls to get things dialed in, followed by your choice of ProV1 or ProV1x to capture 3 shots, so that the fitter can make an accurate assessment of the choices he has determined are best for your game. The product of this fitting is an email with the golfer’s recommended build and specs. Also, because I can’t say enough nice things about my fitter, Jim I am including his contact info here, in the event any spies want to reach out to him:
Under normal circumstances, the order is placed, and you receive a new set of irons 3-4 weeks later. Because our Titleist rep is a rock star, we all got our sets about a week and a half after the order was submitted. The shipping label on the boxes indicated that Titleist sent them standard overnight delivery.

Again, a subtle detail that shows that Titleist knows they have a premium product, and with that comes high expectations, that they take the necessary steps to exceed. I was and continue to be impressed with every aspect of their customer service.


(20 out of 20)
Aesthetics
These irons are a masterclass in elegance and design team has taken a minimalist approach to ornamentation. They are almost too pretty to hit. Although the T150 and T200 lines are built with forgiveness and performance in mind, from address it is easy to confuse the two. They have done a marvelous job avoiding one of the pitfalls of forgiving irons, in that the top line is clean and appears minimal. The T200 especially, doesn’t have the chunky topline that other hollow body player’s distance irons tend to have. Here are images of similar type irons:
 
Taylor Made P790                                Ping i230

Callaway Paradym                             Titleist T200

When at address, it can be tough to differentiate between the T150 and the T200.

Which is which?

It is only from the side that the difference becomes apparent.
The make up of the irons themselves, shows the thought and engineering that went into creating these beauties.

(10 out of 10)
The Numbers
Since receiving the irons on 8/28 I have had 12 range sessions. During those visits, the focus has been on the following:
·        Gaining familiarity with the irons.
I have hit over a thousand balls with these irons between range sessions and the rounds played. I have a pretty good feel for these irons, and I know what they are capable of. During that time, I have reached the following conclusions.
·        The loft gap of 5.5° between the T150 8 iron and the T200 7 iron
The averages shown below show my concerns over this being too big of a loft gap proved unfounded. However, as this is the blend point for this set, nowhere is it more apparent that what is gained (distance & forgiveness) in the T200 line, is done so at the expense of feel. The T150 irons are among the best feeling irons I have hit. Where as the T150 8 iron feels fantastic, the T200 7 iron feels muted by comparison. The chart below shows the performance of the 7 iron is there, but the feel isn’t the same. So much so, that I will be ordering a T150 7 iron to swap out with the T200. The 5 & 6 are clubs that I traditionally struggle with, so the loss of feel isn’t as jarring, in the interest of consistent performance.
·        The loft gap of 1° between the T200 5 iron and the T200 Utility 4 iron
This is another area where the averages show that over the course of testing, my fitter Jim was correct in his recommendation. There were times during my range session when the difference didn’t feel as pronounced as the averages suggest. So I may be going back to my 21° Callaway 4 utility, as it goes a little bit further on average, but also gives me peace of mind, that the loft gap is 3° rather than 1°.
·        Dispersion patterns for all 7 irons.
Dispersion for these irons from session to session and overall has been impressive. I can’t recall any balls that I hit that didn’t go where I was aiming. I tend to overcook the ball to the left when I overswing, but with these irons my misses were still in the area and direction I was aiming. Their reliability is like a security blanket on the course or a nice, warm hug from mom.
·        Carry yardage gaps between the 7 clubs.
On average, the gaps were good. It is worth noting that over the course of testing each club more or less maintained the 5 mph ball speed gap that Titleist looks for during the fitting process.
The Rapsodo MLM does a delightful job aggregating all of the data from the range sessions into easy to share graphics (Note: Distances shown in the graphics are carry distances)
Pitching Wedge (44°)                              9 Iron (40°)        

8 Iron (36°)                                           7 Iron (30.5°)     

6 Iron (27°)                                           5 Iron (24°)

4 Utility Iron (23°)

In conclusion, I am very pleased overall with the irons. My personal feelings regarding the 7 iron and 4 utility have taken a couple points away from the score, but do not detract from my appreciation of these Titleist irons.
(7 out of 10)
 
On-Course
Over the testing period I was able to get 6 rounds in. The first 2 came on Labor Day, when I decided 18 at Shaker Run Golf Club wasn’t enough and played a second 18 at Majestic Springs. That urge paid off in a major way, as I shot a Personal Best -2 69 on the Par 71 track.
Shaker Run Golf Club 9-4-23


My favorite hole from this round was the Par 4 14th. An average drive left me about 135 yards out from the pin. A well struck PW put me to 20 feet. A lag put got me close and a 1 foot tap-in sealed the par.
As this was the first round with the new sticks, there was a period of adjustment needed and the 6 bogeys on this round highlight that.
Majestic Springs 9-4-23

Unfortunately, there is no shot scope data to share for this round. As it was the second of the day, the X5 didn’t have enough battery to make it through both. My favorite hole for this round was the Par 4 18th. I played a 5 wood off the tee that left me 132 yards to the pin. A 9 iron landed softly on the front of the green, leaving me a 45 foot put to a back pin. It broke left to right about 4 and ½ feet and rolled in center cup. That marvelous putt was for 69 and marked the first (and only thus far) time I have broken 70. What a special round of golf.
Hickory Woods 9-10-23


My favorite hole from this round is the Par 3 13th. The layout of the 13th is unique in that the green is about 40 feet below the tee box. So the hole measures 143 but plays closer to 123. I hit the PW to 6 feet and calmly stroked in the birdie putt.
Homestead Golf Course 9-13-23


While the birdies on 3 and 11 were nice, my favorite hole from this round was the Par 5 12th. It started with a drive that was straight but woefully short. That left me with a decision: I could lay up to the edge of the fairway for a decent look in or pull the 3 wood, then hit and hope. For once, self-control got the better of me and I grabbed my 48° gap wedge and proceeded to forward the ball by 100 yards, leaving me with a comfortable 7 iron into the green. The 7 iron I hit was high and majestic and one-hopped into the greenside bunker. From there, I grabbed my 58° lob wedge and went pin hunting. The ball finished 4 inches from the hole, for a tap-in par that felt so earned and rewarding.
Majestic Springs Golf Course 9-24-23


The Par 3 17th was my favorite hole for this round. I hit a high draw with the 8 iron that landed pin high and finished 18 feet from the pin. I rolled the birdie putt on a good line that burned the left edge of the cup and left a 9 inch comebacker for par.
Majestic Springs Golf Course 9 -28-23


The makeup of the bag for the irons only round.

My favorite hole of this round was the Par 4 16th. A great drive by the hybrid off the tee left 90 yards to the pin. A ¾ PW finished 3 feet from the pin, that I converted into the rounds first birdie.
 
Strokes Gained
In my introduction, I included the graphic on the left as a benchmark of where my game stood at the onset of testing. As this test concludes, the graphic on the right is where things stand currently. While the credit for this improvement cannot solely be attributed to the Titleist irons, adding them to the bag sure as heck didn’t hurt.

(18 out of 20)
The Good, The Bad, The In-Between
The Good: Performance, specifically how easy they are to hit and hit well. Consistency comes next. As evidenced throughout this testing period, my dispersion has been well within an acceptable range for my game. Although I could go on, I will stop with Confidence. These irons inspire confidence in my ball-striking and overall game. At any given distance, there is no hit and hope. If I am 155 yards out, I grab the 8 iron and execute. If I need to get one out in the center of the fairway off the tee, I grab the 4-utility iron and swing away. If I am staring at a 127-yard shot to a front pin location that is guarded by a false front and trouble, I hit the PW, knowing the ball is going to go where I need it to. These irons are confidence personified, period.
The Bad: And now for the nits to be picked. Overall, I have little to nothing bad to say about these irons. My initial disappointment during this process is the lack of the shaft I wanted to try at the fitting, the fitter didn’t have the steelfiber shafts, so that has left me curious as to how that set-up would have differed.

The In-Between: The mysterious nature of the Strokes Gained metric being used by Shot Scope.

 
(18 out of 20)
Play it or Trade It?

PLAY IT!!!! As this set is currently constructed, I have seen scores that rightly justify their continued residence in my bag for the foreseeable future. To say that they will remain in their current configuration, would be tantamount to denying my tinker nature. My natural curiosity may see a change to Steelfiber shafts, and I will be swapping out the T200 7 iron for the T150 7 iron, but by and large there are no plans to swap these irons out with anything else.
(19 out of 20)
Conclusion
These irons are as good as you can imagine them to be, their only limitations are that of the individual swinging them. They are built to perform with the singular purpose of allowing any given golfer to play their best. The ease with which these clubs blend across the product range is truly magnificent. If you are in the market for new irons and don’t schedule an appointment with a certified Titleist fitter, then you are doing yourself a grave injustice. Even if you have no intentions of buying them, the $100 for a fitting with a Titleist club fitter is a value for the experience alone. Want a small taste of what Tour pros feel like? Go get yourself a Titleist fitting!

Final Score (92 out of 100)

Congratulations to the selected!  Looking forward to the results!