New arrivals from Titleist

[Donald MacKenzie]

I arrived home yesterday to the lovely sight of two Titleist boxes at my house. Inside were a set (3-PW) of 775.CB irons and a Circa 62 #3 putter. I'll post an unboxing picture of the putter later, but for now, here are my very initial impressions:

775.CB irons: The photos on the Titleist website don't do justice to how cool the cavities of these irons look. The 3-4-5 irons have the red aluminum stabilizer bar, and the deep red color is much more attractive up close than on a computer screen. A nice change from everything being either blue or yellow these days. The shorter irons all have a very thin line of red paint fill across the center of the cavity that also looks nice. But I really like the circular mill marks in the cavities. In the online photos, this part of the club looks a bit chintzy, but in person it looks very high-tech and powerful.

I really like the square look of the clubheads, with the high, square toe. I also like the sole, which is wider at the toe and narrower at the heel. Reminds me of my old DCI Gold irons. The long irons do appear to have a ton of offset, but I think the high heel of the design makes it look more pronounced than it is. But a player looking at the 660s or 695s is not going to be interested in the 775.CBs. That's not a bad thing. I'm looking forward to hitting these, as they could be the most compelling game-improvement irons from Titleist since the aforementioned DCI Gold irons.

Circa 62 #3: It's a beautiful Scotty Cameron putter. Look, you already have an opinion on Cameron putters, so you know how you're going to feel about this putter. If you're anti-Scotty, you're going to say it's a TP Mills knockoff. And yes, it is cut from that cloth. But it is a great-looking putter that has a nice, crisp feeling (with HX Tour golf balls on my practice putting turf). And in the massive MOI mallet world that we live in, I feel very comfortable with a compact blade like this. The headcover is a cool muted yellow leather (with the "pivot tool" in a similar gunblued finish to the putter). The leather grip has the stitching on the bottom, which serves as a cool reminder for your hands. But I've gotten used to the tacky feel of Winn putter grips, and the leather is a bit slick (that'll change after a few rounds, I'm sure). A yellow cloth with oil on it is included, along with a sheet of care instructions.

Questions? Ask me and I'll try to answer them as I test these new toys out before I write reviews. And I'll try to post some pics later today.

[shortgame85]

I'm really looking forward to your review of the 775cb irons. I agree they are very attractive, and it will be interesting, I'm sure, to read your impression of their performance.

[shortgame85]

BTW, what shafts and flex came with the irons?

[cupperskillz]

I can't wait to here your thoughts after hitting the 775's. fwiw...the ones i've ordered are a 1/2" long and 2* up with Nippon Stiff...

[Donald MacKenzie]

I ordered standard loft/lie/length with True Temper Dynamic Gold R300 shafts. I hear good things about the NS Pro shafts, though.

[iacas]

I ordered standard loft/lie/length with True Temper Dynamic Gold R300 shafts. I hear good things about the NS Pro shafts, though.

Are they the NS Pro 970? I guess not, the NS Pro 100? I couldn't hit the 970 in the 735 when I tried them out - I was all over the place. It's too heavy a shaft.

Interesting that you can't get, not even custom, a DG S300 in the 775s... very interesting. P.S. The Nickent irons I just got have the NS shaft in 'em too. I'll have to look up the weights. When I tested the NS Pro 970 versus the stock DG S300 in the 735.CMs, the 970 was a good bit lighter.

[kklick]

Well glad to hear the 775's look better in person. I haven't had a chance to see them yet but the pics were not making me crazy about them. I'd love to get something new this spring but I just can not make up my mind.

I'll probably stick with titleist but can't decide between the 735's the 695 cb's or the the 775's.

I've been playing the titleist 990b's. They are the players version of the 990's. Less offset and bounce. The actually have alot less offset than some of the newer blades. Just need to get out and hit each one and see which one feels the best I guess.

[iacas]

Well glad to hear the 775's look better in person. I haven't had a chance to see them yet but the pics were not making me crazy about them. I'd love to get something new this spring but I just can not make up my mind.

The 775s, the 735s, and the 695s are right on down the slope. If you think you can reach single digit handicaps, the 775s are probably not for you. If you're good with short irons and want control, go with the 735s over the 695CB. In other words, with less skill on the left and more on the right, it's like:

[pre]775.CB 695CB 735CM 695MB[/pre] The spacing isn't accidental. The 695MB are for very good players, but those players may not lose much or anything by using the 735s either. If you're considering the 735, the 775 shouldn't be in consideration (and vice versa). IMHO. Also, plan for where you want to be, not where you are right now.

[Donald MacKenzie]

I really like the way the short irons look in the 775.CB set. Very much like a slightly larger version of the 690/695.CB in terms of head shape, and they don't look like they have too much offset. The 775.CBs could end up being a very good iron for me--a decent ball-striker who doesn't have enough time to practice like I should. So I'll get extra forgiveness out of the aggressive offset and multimaterial construction of the 775 long irons, and still have short irons that I can feel precise with. That's the theory, anyway. Looking forward to putting it to the test this weekend.

As for the Circa 62, I find myself drawn to it. Every time I've been in the proximity of my golf bag the last few days, I've had to stop and roll a few putts on the carpet and admire Scotty's work. Like the irons, can't wait to see how the putter works out on the course. I'll post some pics later if I get the chance (had some technical difficulties this weekend).

[shortgame85]

Have you had a chance to play with the 775s? If so, what's your impression so far? Thanks.

[Donald MacKenzie]

I only played 6 holes with the irons at the TaylorMade golf ball launch, so I don't have a good feel for the 775.CBs yet. I'll be playing a few times next week, and that will give me a better idea.

From those 6 holes, I hit one shot I was very happy with. There was a 175-yard par-3 playing dead into a pretty fresh breeze. I choked down on the 5-iron and played a 3/4 punch under the wind. It worked out exactly as I wanted. Since the 3-4-5 irons have so much offset and a very low CG, I was afraid that kind of shot would be hard to pull off, but it worked great.

My other quick impression is that the clubs feel good at impact even though they are forged stainless steel, not forged carbon steel. There were complaints about the feel of the 704 and 822 forged stainless irons last year, but I like the feel of the 775.CBs (though not as soft as my 690.CBs, of course!).

More feedback after next week. (And I really like the Circa 62, too.)

[Donald MacKenzie]

I'm just back from a four-round golf trip, where I used the 775.CB irons and the Circa 62 #3 putter for every round. My quick impressions:

Irons: Solid. A good setup for someone who is a decent ball-striker from the mid-irons down to wedges, but needs some extra help with the long irons. The 3-4-5 irons with the channel-back design and extra offset are very easy to hit and quite forgiving. The short irons are much more traditional-looking at address, and they are as versatile as I need them to be. I didn't have any trouble keeping the ball low under the wind with them. Color me impressed.

Putter: Love the look and the feel. But the putter doesn't love me so far. I made a 10-footer for birdie in my last round of the trip, and that was the only putt I made over 6 feet. I'm going to say it was the indian and not the arrow, but I'm going to give the Circa 62 a break and try it again in a few weeks. The putter did draw a lot of attention from people wanting to look at it and try it.

[shortgame85]

Donald, do you plan to write a review of the 775s for the website?

[iacas]

Donald, do you plan to write a review of the 775s for the website?

He will be, yes. Currently scheduled for 06/09.

[shortgame85]

Thanks, Erik. I look forward to reading it.

[NCGolfer]

I've talked with Don in the past few days, but just to put my own thoughts down here...I spent some time with the Circa 62 #3 at the local golf shop the other day and nearly fell in love. I've owned two previous gun metal blue Scotty Cameron Putters (Newport 2 and Coronado) in the past and love the feel and look of them. The Circa 62 had an even better feel...probably the best initial of any putter I've putted with.

I like my two-ball, but a may have to find a way to get the Circa 62 in my bag.

[Donald MacKenzie]

I'm working on a formal review of the Circa 62 No. 3 that will be in the site in a couple weeks. But a couple other thoughts as I keep working with it...

1. The putters only come in 35" models. I much prefer 34", but I wouldn't want to cut the shaft down and mess with the weight/balance of the putter. So I've been choking down an inch or so and that's working out fine. But I'd love a 34" version with a heavier head weight.

2. This is the putter equivalent of a forged blade. No high MOI, no elaborate weight schemes. Hit it on the sweet spot, get great feel and results. Miss it on the toe or heel, lose distance and get a clanky feel. If you're one of those people who thinks a less-forgiving club can help you hone your stroke (at the expense of short-term results), this is a putter for you.

3. The gun-blue finish takes a little more care than I'd prefer, but it looks great. This is the best-looking putter I've ever used, and it makes me smile every time I take it out of the bag. I know Scotty's custom shop can put a Pro Platinum finish on it that wouldn't require any care on my part, but that would completely change the look of the putter. (I think Geoff Ogilvy or one of the other young studs is using a Pro Plat version of the No. 3.)

[NCGolfer]

1. The putters only come in 35" models. I much prefer 34", but I wouldn't want to cut the shaft down and mess with the weight/balance of the putter. So I've been choking down an inch or so and that's working out fine. But I'd love a 34" version with a heavier head weight.

I couldn't agree with you more Don...and they do. Unfortunately it is a 'Tour' weighted version and rather expensive. I've seen a couple

on eBay going for $600. I think I'd just choke up a bit like you said.