When modern hybrids hit the market, professionals and amateurs added more headcovers to their bag to gain more forgiveness and more height in place of longer irons. Whilst many benefit from hybrids, a large number of professionals and better players preferred the look of an iron, but wanted that improved ball flight and distance. Thus, Titleist have created the 712U Forged Utility iron.
The 712U iron was developed with help from Titleist's Tour players such as Adam Scott, Tim Clark and Geoff Ogilivy. Ogilivy said "I don't like the look of hybrids, but the 712U looks great at address."
Titleist's Steve Pelisek said "With the 712U being so well received out on Tour, we decided to make the club available through out custom order for those players that need or prefer this type of long game yardage and trajectory solution."
With a traditional blade iron look, the 712U features a slightly enlarged head made using a hollow construction with a forged steel body and a high speed face insert. This combination produces a deeper centre of gravity and higher MOI than a traditional long iron.
The sole of the iron has been widened and has more camber to make the club more versatile, and helps with a large variety of attack angles, i.e. when trying to hit the ball low or high.
Rather than featuring a graphite shaft as stock like a hybrid, the Titleist 712U features a tapered-tip steel shaft that provides additional trajectory control. Graphite shafts are available however.
The 712U is available in either a 2, 3 or 4-iron through a custom order only, and will begin with a RRP of £180.