One of the growing trends in golf equipment over the last few years has been the popularity of utility irons as an alternative to hybrids or long irons.
Manufacturers have seen that there is an appetite for these clubs and they have put plenty of effort into making them better looking and easier to hit, with every major brand in the game now offering a utility iron as part of their range.
Titleist have accompanied the release of their T-Series iron range for 2023 with two new utilities - the U505 and T200 - with higher launch and ball speed in two tour-proven shapes.
"Both new U505 and new T200 build on the success of their predecessors and feature key refinements in feel and playability. With this line, we have created two high-launching, forgiving and fast utility iron options that feel incredible. We have continued to drive performance while also putting a priority on exceptional feel through the strike. Combine that with an ultra-clean look, and you arrive at the new U505 and T200 models."
Josh Talge, Vice President, Titleist Golf Club Marketing
Titleist U505 Utility Iron
The U505 is said to be a versatile, high-launching utility iron aimed at players looking to see more launch and speed at the top end of their bag, and Titleist have worked to improve both the look and feel compared to the previous U505.
The U505 now features a shorter blade length to improve the look behind the ball, eliminating distraction and inspiring more confidence at address.
Titleist's engineers have refined their existing Max Impact Technology, and added more dampening in the muscle plate, to create the kind of feel that better players prefer from a well-struck shot.
The U505 is designed to maintain ball speed and stability even on off-centre strikes thanks to a new stable, re-designed chassis and a lower CG position. A new 'single taper face' is said to improve performance on strikes towards the heel, to tighten dispersion and sharpen distance control.
Enlisting the help of tour pros for feedback on previous models and input from the grind experts at Vokey has led to the introduction of a Variable Bounce Sole along with a softened trailing edge to allow a faster move through the turf. This is said to bring 'scoring iron refinement' to the longest clubs in the bag.
The U505 Utility is available in 1, 2, 3 and 4 irons and is priced at £249 per club, or £349 if fitted with a Premium Graphite shaft.
Titleist T200 Utility Iron
The T200 is designed for golfers looking to increase both launch and ball speed in their longest irons, but without sacrificing the compact profile. It features the same technologies as the new T200 irons, and is engineered to be a high-launching and forgiving option at the top end of the bag.
The T200 is the PGA Tour's most played utility iron, with a tour-inspired shape and versatile performance allowing it to be blended with other models into a mixed set.
Each update to this year's T200 has helped to produce a more solid feel at impact across the face. A re-engineered chassis creates a stiffer internal structure, allowing the Max Impact Technology to fit tighter to the dual taper forged face.
Dense D18 tungsten and a 2000° aerospace brazing process gives Titleist's engineers the ability to maximise performance in each club - from fast, high launching irons like these, to accurate and forgiving short irons.
Despite the updates to the technology in the T200, the shaping has remained largely the same. There's a clean look at address to promote confidence, while the blade length and amount of offset are identical to the new T100 and T150 irons to create easier transitions when blending sets.
The variable bounce sole design, which was first introduced in the T100 to give players better feel through the turf, has now been added to the T200 iron. Like with the U505, Titleist gained input from tour pros and Vokey grind experts to find a trailing edge design which works faster and smoother through the turf.
The new T200 Utility is available in 2, 3 and 4 iron (17, 20 and 23 degrees) and is priced at £249 per club, or £349 for a Premium Graphite shaft.
The new Titleist U505 and T200 utility irons are available for fittings from today, and will be available in golf shops worldwide from 25th August.
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