Martin Hopley
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The Titleist 716 CB iron has come in for the same tungsten treatment as the 716 AP1 and AP2 irons, which is unusual in what is essentially a hybrid blade iron.

Titleist 716 CB Irons

What the tungsten does is to lower the sweet spot in the longer irons and increase the stability to make them a little more resistant to twisting at impact, thereby increasing their MOI and hence their forgiveness.

In the 716 CB set it is just the 3 to 7 irons that feature a tungsten weight on the toe of the club, which is co-forged into the head as part of the manufacturing process.

The shorter irons from 8 to PW are deemed not worthy due to their increased loft resulting in the impact point being a little higher on the face, so that there is no need to drop the sweet spot by using the tungsten.

Titleist 716 CB Irons

The result is a low handicapper's forged iron that is very playable and Titleist say that the MOI of the 716 CB is almost the same as the previous Titleist AP2 714 irons which has a larger head.

Having used the AP2 714 irons regularly I can vouch for this, however the new AP2 716 irons with their tungsten injection have also moved up the MOI scale, so it will just depend on how much forgiveness you need as to which model you prefer.

Titleist CB MB Iron Lofts

The advantage the CB iron has over the AP2 is the feel, which is much sharper from the forged heads and with the extra tungsten it all feels more solid too. This goes right through the set and even in the short irons without the tungsten the balance is very good and the feel excellent.

Titleist 716 CB Irons

The 716 CB heads are not much smaller than the AP2 and for low single players who are good ball strikers either would be a great choice.

At address the head frames the ball very well with a re-assuring top line that does not look too thin.

Titleist 716 CB Irons

The muscle back is a little more pronounced on the 716 CB compared to the 714 CB to get that sweet spot lower and this creates a lovely balance of sound, feel and forgiveness for a head of this size.

Titleist 716 CB Irons

As usual with Titleist there is a wide range of shafts to go with the 716 CB irons, but there is a new stock shaft called the Dynamic Gold AMT or Ascending Mass Technology shaft from True Temper and Titleist are the first to bring it to market.

True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT Shaft

Basically the weight of the shaft is lighter in the long irons and increases by 3g in each club so that it ends up about the traditional weight for a Dynamic Gold in the short irons. This makes the longer irons easier to swing faster and launch higher, whilst giving more control in the shorter irons.

If you are used to standard weight Dynamic Golds then I think you will like the lighter long iron shafts as it makes the 4 and 5 irons a joy to hit.

Titleist 716 CB Irons

I probably have to declare now that I use Dynamic Gold SL Superlight shafts and the weight of these are similar to the lighter long iron shafts. However when I went to the standard weight in the wedge I found it too heavy and did not like it for all the reasons I went to the SL in the first place.

It is just an option and makes sense as your wood shafts get heavier as they get shorter so try it out. It does create a different feel through the set, but there is nothing wrong with different weights or swing weights if it feels good to you and delivers consistent results.

Titleist 716 CB Irons

The 716 AP1 and AP2 irons really move forgiveness and speed up a level, but for me the Titleist 716 CB irons have probably gained the most from the tungsten infusion. I can't think of many forged irons that have used this material to such good effect and if you are a category one player who likes a blade style iron, then this is definitely one to consider.

Golfalot Rating: 5 stars
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Titleist 716 CB Irons - Product Details

UK Launch23 October 2015
UK Launch RRP£819
USA Launch23 October 2015
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
ManufactureForged
MaterialSteel
Swing WeightD2
Shaft NameTrue Temper Dynamic Gold AMT
Shaft TypesSteel
Shaft FlexRegular, Stiff, X Stiff
DesignCavity Back
Set Makeup4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW
Additional Clubs2, 3
Manufacturer's WebsiteTitleist Website

User Reviews

Michael Constantine
June 2018

I’ve had these in the bag 3 times over in since May this current season which is only less than 2 months in. I keep thinking something a little more forgiving is for me but the bottom line is these are just as forgiving as all the other game improvement irons I’ve tried to put in the bag, they feel better and have better dispersion and spin rates. Oh and they are just as long as the others with their inflated lofts. So far they have kicked the JPX 900 Forged out of my bag twice and the X Forged 2013. They have also made a a blade seeker convert. I used to put a backup set of blades in the rotation for when I was out playing alone and wanted to test my game. These are just as sleek as a true blade, just as workable, and feel just as good. Win, win, win.

Richard Valls
November 2017

Wow! The greatest clubs I have ever hit. I am almost 58 years old and play to a 3 handicap. The feel and distance control are unmatched! I don’t have to swing “hard” for that extra distance. Swing smooth and distance is there. I won this year's City Championship (match play) over four rounds of intense top flight competition. I won because of the irons consistency always around or on the green from the approach shot. It was my 4th City Championship, last time I won it was 30 years ago! The clubs didn’t know how old I was! I beat 4 top notch college long hitters. One word is all - satisfaction! Thank you Titleist🏌🏿

May 2017

The two previous reviews are spot on. I went from an older "game improvement" iron and hit these just as well if not better; and the feedback is awesome. Nothing feels better than flushing this in the 3 and 4 irons. You barely feel the ball and the flight is enhanced with the DG S300 shafts.

March 2017

I totally agree with the above review these irons are amazingly soft when struck correctly, dare i say Mizuno soft. I am an 11 handicap and have played the AP2's forever, these are not much harder to hit but they reward you with a much better feel and the distance control is insane.

April 2016

Finished my first few rounds with these irons and I am feeling more than impressed, hence the review. Super soft and super feedback. I am a 10 handicap and believed they would be out of my league, but the forgiveness is just enough to assist a half decent strike but give feedback on a poor strike. I previously played game improvement irons and realised they masked faults with my swing that hurt my game, especially as the faults were evident in my driver and woods that are not so forgiving. Since the switch I have improved my striking and it has paid dividends throughout my entire set. Don't get me wrong I still have the miss hits which result in a loss of distance but they more than make up for this in accuracy, look at address, feedback, consistent distance control and did I mention the softness. The only con would be the loss of distance compared to my previous RSi 1, but for me personally I expected this due to the CB's having a true loft that befits the iron number. It's about time a manufacturer concentrated on quality and not just strengthening lofts to get the longest irons on the market. Well done Titleist and all I can recommend is do not be deterred - regardless of handicap just give them a go, they are a must try top quality product.

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