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My favorite irons of all time: Titleist 962B

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They were, and still are, my favorite irons of all time. I played the best golf of my life with them, and every “best iron shot” I ever hit was with these irons.

It was a multi-faceted love affair: look, feel, turf interaction, ball flight, curb appeal, David Duval played them, and on and on.

It was the only set that I had two of, for a gear junkie like me, that is huge. And BTW, this set has the best looking 7-iron ever.

Once again, I went to my Titleist R&D resource, Larry Bobka, to find out the backstory of what I think is the greatest cast players iron ever made.

JW:  What was the goal of developing this iron? Was it to please a certain player and find a “tour” 962 iron?

LB: Well it was fairly simple actually. We had just signed David to be the face of the DCI line if irons and had to make him an iron that he would put into play. Marching orders came in and we went off and made it. So essentially it is the David Duval iron.

JW: The was a previous DCI B black that was produced, but there really wasn’t a market for it. Why do you think the 962B did so well?
LB: There are two main reasons for the success of the 962B 1) Was David Duval 2) was the design of the satisfied a broad range of good players. Whether you were a blade, cavity back, cast, or forged player, this iron seemed to satisfy all of them. It was very special that way.
JW: What design features stood out to you?
LB: It’s a “forged iron” in a 431 stainless casting. So essentially we took the design and playability characteristics of a forged players iron and were able to incorporate that into a cast club. The sole, top line, etc all look and perform like a true forging. I’ve seen anything quite like it.
JW: What is it about the sole of that iron that was so unique?
LB: Based on his swing characteristics and ball flight preferences..he needed a sole with a very little heel. David liked to play closed to open hitting a drop fade, he wanted/needed minimal heel to turn the ball left at impact.
JW: What former Titleist irons influenced the 962B?
LB: Really none. We needed to make the best “players” cast iron! Typically they are forged, we had to start from a new place to get this done.
JW: How many different iterations did it take on before the final?
LB: Peter Gilbert was head of Iron Design at Titleist back then. We sat down, laid out the specs, and did it on the first iteration.
JW: Was a forged set ever made?
LB: Never but that would be an awesome setup.
JW: Would that design still hold water today?
LB: Absolutely. Great iron designs have been cast or forged. I’m sure some modern tweaks could be made but as a stand-alone club, it could still perform quite well today.
JW: What other Titleist staffers besides DD used it?
LB: To be honest, not a ton of our staff used it with the exception of Faxon and Curtis Strange on occasion. It was very much a DD iron that wasn’t really intended to satisfy a huge bucket of players…but regardless everyone loved it.
If I had the dough and could have Don White or Mike Taylor grind me up a set of irons, I’d replicate the 962B…all day, no question. Titleist has always made great irons, but this one was a unicorn.
Specs:
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13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. Rich Douglas

    May 9, 2020 at 5:21 pm

    If your favorite irons are some old set, play them. If you don’t have them, find them. But my question is, if they were so great, why aren’t you still playing them?

    While I’ve made a couple of mistakes along the way, for the most part by best irons are the ones in the bag. The rest is just waxing nostalgic and convenient forgetfulness.

  2. Benny

    May 9, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    Great article and while I always thought DCI’s were the ugliest kid on the block. Fun read JW!

    • George Stevenson

      May 10, 2020 at 1:01 pm

      Probably the ugliest iron ever made!

  3. BRADLEY

    May 9, 2020 at 8:03 am

    I am playing my favorit iron of all time right now the DCI 990 3-pw. I have kicked around getting a set of the 762 or even the 762b. Now after reading this I might have to buy a set.

  4. Sam

    May 9, 2020 at 5:39 am

    Do you guys even edit these articles before you post them?

  5. stanley

    May 8, 2020 at 11:00 pm

    we need titleist to make a forged version of this iron.. o man!!!!

    • Shallowface

      May 9, 2020 at 11:19 am

      Why? The cast version is as soft as forged and more durable. If the molds still exist, I would think they could produce these immediately, as long as people would accept the old school lofts (a big if I’ll grant you).

  6. Stump

    May 8, 2020 at 10:01 pm

    Does anyone know if the 962B came in lefty? I had a set of lefty 962 2-SW and gave them away. I really wish I had them back. I’ve been trying to find another set without much luck.
    My buddy gave me a 962 1 iron for my birthday so I’ve got the start of a new set!

    • Chris G

      May 8, 2020 at 11:44 pm

      Nope sorry bud, the 962 (and 990 which came later) were only available in the regular version. Little thicker top line, and a little more cavity. We got them Righties back two years later when Phil gave us the 731PM. Yes!!

  7. Peter

    May 8, 2020 at 9:43 pm

    I had the normal 962 irons but I remember looking at the B version each time I went in the pro shop and wanting those instead. I would probably give up my mizuno blades for a new set of these.

  8. EJ

    May 8, 2020 at 8:49 pm

    Not the B, but just picked up a set of unstamped 962, 2-pw, x100 for the princely sum of $103… I’ll get a set of “B” eventually and blend them in. Went into those from a set of Titleist 660 and I’ve played all the usual, mp14, mp29, 681, 690, etc. These are up there with the best of them…

  9. brian

    May 8, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I mean, some find the Ping Eye aesthetically pleasing, too…

    Personally, I find that 962 7 iron to be ugly as sin.

    • Duder

      May 8, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      My favorite irons of all time are the Mizuno MP 37 hands down! Wish I was young again, lol.

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Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.

From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.

Specs/ Additional Details

-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)

-Original Anser Design

-PING PP58 Grip

-Putter is built to standard specs.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Inside Collin Morikawa’s recent golf ball, driver, 3-wood, and “Proto” iron changes

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As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.

The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.

On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.

Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.

At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.

“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.

Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.

“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.

“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.” 

In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.

On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.

According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.

“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.” 

See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here. 

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Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage

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Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.

It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.

When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”

“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”

 

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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.

Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:

“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.

“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.

“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.

“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.

“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”

So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.

His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.

See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here

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