The Titleist T200 iron was previously the AP3 and is now numerically in the middle of the Titleist iron family where it belongs.
The AP3 was the iron that Titleist had been waiting for as their AP2s headed to the tour and the AP1s got longer, so they needed something in the middle for single figure players.
It was a hit and their best selling iron and Titleist think the T200 will do the same, if not better, and I would have to agree.
As the T100 irons got slimmer, then so have the T200s with a thinner top line and less offset.
It’s still a decent mid-sized head, but this change probably extends the T200 reach down the handicap level a little bit to lower single figure players too.
Compared to AP3, the T200 looks more like a traditional cavity back iron, as the weight favours the toe area.
There is less of the circular muscle around the centre section, which has a cleaner look that should have greater appeal.
Unlike the AP3, the T200 body is cast and the face is forged and it now features an L shaped face that wraps around the sole of the club.
This improves the ball speed on shots hit low on the face and should also reduce the spin, as we will see later on GC2.
These types of faces are relatively new to better player irons and the T200 irons have done a good job of blending distance tech into a compact head.
In the centre of the cavity is a polymer that has been developed in conjunction with the Titleist ball department in order to improve the feel.
The combination of the face and the head style improves the acoustics and this is particularly noticeable in the longer irons, which sound a lot more solid than the AP3.
The shorter irons may sound a little more muted than the equivalent in the T100 or 620 Forged CB, as you might expect, but they are still pretty good for a cavity back iron.
The short irons are plain cavity backs, but in the 7-iron upwards, the technology comes in. Titleist has added an average of 90 grams of dual density tungsten into the heel and toe of the heads.
This is nearly 50% more than the 66g average found in AP3 and shows how much weight has been saved in the rest of the head to accommodate the extra tungsten.
Having all this weight on each side of the head stabilises it through impact and should result in better results from off centre hits.
In testing on GC2 I was getting similar numbers for ball speed and launch, but the T200 was spinning about 600 rpm lower so that gained me another yard.
However in this category irons are not really about distance, but more about accuracy and consistency. In this respect the numbers from T200 were a lot closer together than AP3, so I think the revised chassis design is working here.
The set goes from 4 to PW and the lofts are the same as T100 down to the PW, where the T200 is 1° stronger. It therefore will be possible to blend them with the other sets and the 4 and 5 iron could be a nice addition to a T100 set.
The set wedge and additional Gap wedge now have the lofts stamped on them, which I think is a great idea and one that I hope will catch on throughout the set with all manufacturers.
Titleist T200 Irons Verdict
I was not surprised to hear that the AP3 has done so well last year and I will not be surprised if T200 surpasses it in the future.
The T200 is an excellent iron and there is nothing technically or performance wise to fault.
If it’s going to challenge the leaders in the single figure handicap market then it is hearts and minds that are going to have to be won over and the little things will count.
The forged face improves the feel, but some all-forged cavity irons might feel better to some and this is more noticeable in the shorter irons as the head style changes at 8-iron.
The T200 irons are good value for money even if they are not particularly cheap, but then neither are the main competitors, so they are going to have to rely on shelf appeal. This is where the T200 should have an edge as they are a bit more classy looking than AP3.
With the pedigree of the Titleist name behind them, the T200 is another step in the right direction for the brand in this sector.