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A deep dive into the development of Titleist T100 irons

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Since their introduction, Titleist T100 irons have been one of the most successful irons ever launched by the equipment manufacturer. Not only have they seen massive success on the PGA Tour by being at or near the top of the iron count since they were released, but they, along with the whole T-Series, have also made major waves with recreational players too.

As a complete gear junkie, and someone who has always had a fascination with the engineering and design process, I reached out to Titleist to get the inside scoop on the development of the popular iron and spoke with the team behind the T100.

titleist t100 irons

Ryan Barath: How long is your standard development cycle for irons, and was there any part of the process that was unique for the T100’s?

Titleist: At Titleist, we have a two-year product lifecycle, meaning we introduce new irons every two years. However, the creation timeline of new irons stretches well past those two years as we start working on early engineering three to five years before launch. In those early years, we focus on two areas

  • The first is the feedback we get from the best players in the world, our PGA Tour staff, what are they looking for to optimize their game.
  • The second is about researching the emerging types of engineering or material advances that our team can utilize in future performance enhancements. For T100 specifically, we started this process early as our stated goal was to create the best modern tour iron, ultimately replacing AP2 as the most played iron across global tours.

With T100 the goal was to give the club a tour-preferred look at address while retaining the solid feel and best in class overall performance. The response to T100 has been overwhelming as not only did we see AP2 players shift to T100, but so did many CB players helping T100 quickly become the new #1 iron across global tours.

RB: With the evolution of the players’ line beyond the MB and CB irons, what is the hardest part of making already great better? 

T: There are a couple of challenging things when improving tour irons. The first is that tour pros know exactly what they want an iron to look like in the address position. Generally, they want short, compact blade length, minimal offset, and a narrow top line.

Feel is also incredibly important and that comes from materials, engineering, and the sole for turf interaction. T100 stands out in all of these areas and delivers on both the look and feel players are looking for in an iron. The dual cavity design, combined with our tungsten toe and heel weighting, helps separate T100’s performance making it the true modern tour iron. This is an iron that has a blade-like look, feel, and versatility that tour players want, but also provides an extra degree of forgiveness and precision that players can take advantage of at the highest levels of the game.

RB: With tour player feedback being a crucial part of the process, how are players like Jordan Spieth involved in the discussion? Is it a wants vs needs discussion?

T: Tour player feedback is a key component in continuing to make our irons perform better as they give us input on size, shape, and performance attributes they are looking for such as launch and spin.

Jordan Spieth is one of the players we really enjoy working with as he gives very detailed feedback, especially on turf interaction. We worked extensively with Jordan and others to design a sole for T100 that would provide the turf interaction they are looking for. In fact, we have been working with Jordan on refinements to that sole for our next iteration of T100.

From a wants vs. needs standpoint, we try to give players all of their “wants” because that pushes our team to innovate and ultimately yields the best product.

Jordan’s “wants” in a new iron are for it to deliver consistent performance on every shot. He wants to be able to work the ball in both directions as well as control his launch window and spin. Jordan is also looking for a little bit of forgiveness as while he is one of the best ball strikers in the world, he still appreciates getting closer to his number when he doesn’t make perfect contact. This is where T100 really shines as even a player of Jordan’s caliber realizes the value of increased precision when his carry distance and spin are more consistent.

RB: As a follow-up, can it be difficult to have a player be critical of an iron they are currently playing when on the search for better?

T: In partnership with our PGA Tour team led by JJ Van Wezenbeeck, we believe we have our players in the best product for their game. But the constant quest for better is in large part what drives both our Tour players and our R&D team so we are always pushing them on what are they looking for in future products as we want to get better just as much as they do.

We love it when during the testing process when a player says, “I love this, can I keep it?” and it is a little disappointing to have to tell them “soon!” but it is worth it knowing that we have found something they really enjoy. And we know if the best players in the world have vetted an iron that the rest of us will love it too.

Another important thing to know is there are plenty of prototypes that we test that don’t work for the players and that feedback is just as valuable as it helps us refine or in some cases completely eliminate ideas. At the end of the day, we are fortunate to have such a large and diverse tour staff to rely on for insights, testing, and ultimately validation during our product creation process.

RB: The T100 and the T100s irons have demonstrated tremendous success all over the golf world from the PGA Tour down to everyday golfers. What are you most proud of with this iron?

T: It is incredibly rewarding to see the best players in the world have success with irons that we design, but it’s just as fun seeing the in bags of regular golfers when we are out playing. The T100 is a great iron as it is the perfect combination of performance, looks, and feel. We feel just as comfortable putting that iron in the hands of any single or even low double-digit handicap index golfer as we do Jordan Spieth.

That’s what I’m most proud of with this iron, that we’ve combined the look and feel of a tour iron, with modern technology that makes it playable for so many golfers.

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Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Tom54

    Apr 16, 2021 at 9:50 am

    I have a set of T100-S model and not only are they a beautiful club and are very solid I was really surprised that they have plenty of forgiveness too.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

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Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

 

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

 

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

 

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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Whats in the Bag

Alejandro Tosti WITB 2024 (April)

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  • Alejandro Tosti what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.

Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees @10.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 80 TX

Hybrid: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue (22 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 6.5 100

Irons: Srixon ZX7 Mk II (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Cleveland RTX6 ZipCore Tour Rack (50-10 MID, 54-10 MID, 58-10 MID, 60-06 LOW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100, S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron

Grips: Golf Pride MCC Plus4

Check out more in-hand photos of Alejandro Tosti’s WITB in the forums.

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Whats in the Bag

Drew Brees WITB 2024 (April)

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Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)

Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper (13.5 degrees)

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (19 degrees)

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (4-8, PW), TaylorMade P760 (9)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09, 56-10, 60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Prototype

Check out more in-hand photos of Drew Brees’ clubs here.

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