Titleist ups the ante with their 718 irons, making improvements to the traditional offerings and introducing a brand new model. The company increases their focus on distance across the whole clubface while preserving their signature feel and sound. Titleist breaks down the six 718 iron models into “Tour” and “Distance” clubs. We cover each category, letting you know why you can expect more out of the new 718 irons.

Titleist 718 Tour Irons

718 MB

We start with the one-piece, muscle back 718 MB irons. A new, straighter line muscle on the back helps refine the weighting. The muscle back puts the center of gravity in the best shot-making position for elite players. The 718 MB is forged from a single billet of 1025 carbon steel, giving it a classic blade look with a buttery feel.

718 CB

The Titleist 718 CB irons are for players who love the 718 MB iron’s performance but want a little more forgiveness and distance. The 718 CB gets its performance from new face insert technology. The 1025 carbon steel body is paired with a 17-4 face insert. Using this material takes 71 grams of tungsten and redistributes it to the heel and toe, optimizing forgiveness and stability.

Unique to the 8 iron through pitching wedge is a classic one-piece forging. This process preserves shot-making capability, control, and feel.

The last new notable piece of the 718 CB is the distinct leading edges. The leading edges are pre-worn to varying degrees throughout the set, preventing digging into the turf. The 718 CB irons are geared towards elite players, similar to the 718 MBs.

718 AP2

The AP2 iron is most popular iron among Titleist’s PGA Tour staff players. The 718 AP2 takes inspiration from previous models and improves on them. The long and middle irons gain distance and the short iron gain control with the use of several metals and methods.

The 3-7 718 AP2 irons have a high-strength SUP 10 steel body forged to a variable thickness face insert. The face insert starts at 2.1 millimeters thick, progressing to as thin as 1.8 millimeters in the upper cavity. The variable thickness of the face allows for better speed across the face. It also saves weight in the upper cavity, where better players rarely strike the golf ball. The 8 iron-wedge feature the traditional forged 1025 carbon steel face and body for outstanding feel and control.

Tungsten weights in the heel and tow are used throughout the long and middle irons, providing stability. The leading edges are also pre-worn for better turf interaction.

Titleist 718 Distance Irons

718 AP1

The AP1 is Titleist’s true game improvement iron and features the largest, most forgiving club head. The 718 AP1 4 and 5 irons feature a hollow construction, a nod to the high-end C16 concept irons. This construction allows for outstanding ball speeds across the face in a truly forgiving, easy-to-hit long iron. Using a hollow construction in the 718 AP1 irons preserves the Titleist feel and sound. Thin-face cavity back long irons aren’t able to do that.

The rest of the 718 AP1 irons have a 360-degree undercut cavity, a wider sole, and a thin face design. All of the irons utilize high-density tungsten weight in the toe. This weight gives the 718 AP1 the most forgiveness in the 718 series.

718 T-MB

The T-MB was originally developed as a hollow construction, fast-faced driving iron you could get in full sets. Previously available as a custom order, the 718 T-MB irons are now a stock set.  Here are the details for these 718 irons.

The 718 T-MB irons feature the high strength SUP 10 steel body surrounded by an L-shaped 17-4 steel face. The L-shape face flexes at impact for more ball speed. The 718 T-MB irons use the most high-density tungsten (an average of 91.5 grams!) in the heel and toe, of the 718 irons.

Titleist notes the hollow construction isn’t just about forgiveness. It gives better feel in a hot face iron. If you’ve ever hit a hot face cavity iron, it has a very distinct sound and feel. This isn’t a compromise Titleist was willing to make and the hollow construction and tungsten weights in the 718 T-MB work to preserve those aspects.

718 AP3

The most intriguing club in the 718 irons series is the new 718 AP3 iron. Fitting between the AP1 and Ap2, these clubs bring a high-speed distance club to the market with a shape and look that appeals to better players.

The 718 AP3 irons have 3 separate constructions within the same set. The 3-7 irons have a hollow, yet blade-like construction. Notable on the long irons is the high-strength 455 steel L-shaped face insert wraps around the sole. This insert provides better face flexing than a traditional face insert. The face is supported by a cast, 17-4 stainless steel body. An average of 84 grams of high-density tungsten is placed in the heel and toe, accounting for 1/3 of the head weight. The weight boosts MOI for distance, height, and forgiveness.

The 8 and 9 irons feature a 17-4 stainless steel face insert with the 17-4 cast body. The wedges have a solid cast 17-4 steel body and face. This construction gives the wedges their control and precision for approach shots.The long irons feature a longer blade length that progressively

The blade lengths of the 718 AP3 irons start long and get progressively shorter as the clubs get shorter. This design gives you the forgiveness in the long irons and control in the short irons.

Summary

After reading about each of the iron models, you know what to expect of the 718 irons. Titleist’s traditional excellence in design continues with added distance and forgiveness. By putting one of these 718 irons in your bag, you expect more from your game.

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Rudi Fann

Rudi Fann has been a Class “A” member of the PGA of America since 2008. He began his career in 1998 as the Assistant Golf Professional at Wake Forest Golf Club in Wake Forest, NC. In 2002, Rudi accepted a similar position at Rio Mar Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. He spent a year there before moving to Nipomo, CA where he worked at Blacklake Golf Resort. Over the next 10 years, he worked his way from Assistant Golf Professional to Head Golf Professional and finally Director of Golf Operations. In his time at Blacklake, Rudi devoted much of his time to running tournaments and other activities in order to create a social atmosphere at the club. After Blacklake, Rudi spent one year as Head Golf Professional at Paso Robles Golf Club before deciding to return home to North Carolina. Since returning to North Carolina, Rudi has worked with the First Tee of the Triangle helping to instill life skills and core values through the game of golf to local youth.

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