The long-awaited release of the Titleist 718 irons to the market is getting close after the new clubs made their debut on the PGA TOUR and European Tour.
It has been two years since the Titleist 716 irons hit golf stores in late 2015. Fans of the brand will be excited to learn that they will be able to get their hands on the all-new Titleist 718 prototype in the coming months. The irons are now in the bags of brand ambassadors for “product seeding and player validation” before they are released to the masses.
Titleist’s Fitting Technicians, Tour Reps and Golf Club team members from the Research and Development (R&D) team have been fitting players on the PGA TOUR since the Quicken Loans National last month. In addition, the HNA Open de France two weeks ago saw the 718s make their debut in the hands of players on the European Tour.
After testing by Titleist’s staff golfers and tour stars—which is “an integral and critical part” of the launch process according to the brand—the much-anticipated worldwide release will follow.
So what can we expect from the Titleist 718 irons?
Time will tell is the simple answer, but a significant step up on the already impressive 716s is guaranteed from the latest prototype.
From the images released by Titleist, there will be three models of the 718—the AP1, AP2 and AP3 versions. Then comes the T-MB, cavity back (CB) and muscle back (MB) adaptations, which are aimed at lower handicapped players and serious ball strikers. The AP3 is the new model added to this range. It will be interesting to see where it fits against the other models.
The testing phase will help hone the clubs and models, capture a variety of ball flight data and numbers as well as gather feedback from some of the world’s biggest names.
Justin Thomas, Ben An, Bill Haas, Jimmy Walker and Robert Streb were among the Titleist golfers to test the 718 prototype at the Quicken Loans National at TPC Potomac. Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Kevin Na and Jason Dufner should also have a significant input too, given they currently play either the 716 MB or AP2 irons.
Meanwhile, on the European Tour, Ian Poulter, Bernd Wiesberger, Thongchai Jaidee and Andrew Johnston—the man they call “Beef”—were among those to get their hands of the 718s at the HNA Open de France.
Poulter was very excited, tweeting a picture with the words: “Is it wrong to go to bed with your new equipment? #Titleist718 AP2’s and AP3’s love my @Titleist. I guess we are in the city of love #Paris.”
The 718s look set to rival TaylorMade’s MP2 irons at the very top end of the market. The release later this year promises to be an incredibly popular one.
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