Review: Titleist 755 Forged Stainless Irons - “What is in a number?”
Michael White
Many performance-related products are sold simply with a model number as their identifier. High-performance sports cars, airplanes, and even computer parts often are known simply as a model number. But once that product is experienced, that number and the associated performance suddenly become one. Titleist golf clubs have long been named simply with a model number, and have left their performance to speak for itself. With their new mid-sized forged stainless irons, the 755’s, we must experience them to get a sense of what they are about, as the model number does not tell us much. This may be just how Titleist has planned it- let the clubs speak for themselves.
Upon first inspection, the 755’s probably stand out from former Titleist irons. The red vibration “chip” in the back of the head is quite noticeable, as I had seen it in the bags of a number of PGA professionals. While this is somewhat about marketability and getting noticed when on the rack at the pro shop, that little forged aluminum chip does more than look good it turns out. I’ll describe this in more detail later.
The 755’s are the successor to the 704 model in the Titleist lineup. It had been a while since a high-performance midsized iron had been offered, and this set is a very impressive next step. Everything about this set seems to flow nicely from long to short irons. The blade length of each head goes from longer in the long irons for more forgiveness, to shorter in the scoring clubs. Also, the hosels are shorter in the 3 through 7 irons to effectively lower their center of gravity, and longer hosels are utilized in the 8 through pitching wedge to raise the COG and heighten the shot shaping ability of the scoring clubs. The 755’s satin finish is both beautiful and functional, as they do not cast glare from bright sun. The toplines of the 755’s, while not “Blade” thin, are restrained while still providing a good amount of confidence over the shot. You know the 755’s are there to help on not-so-pretty swings, but they are never obtrusive in their look.
In keeping with the Titleist “Player’s” tradition, the offset amounts in the 755’s are minimal, with slightly more in the long irons to aid in squaring the faces. In testing, I found the long irons quite forgiving, with an easy-up personality that is likely enhanced by the shorter hosel lengths. The shorter irons, especially the 8 through pitching wedge, could be knocked down to control trajectory, although the overall ball flight was still higher than more blade-like clubs. Generally though, there is help where you need it, and the ability to score with the shorter irons. Working the ball was very similar in that the long irons mostly want to go straight, with some workability, and the shorter irons, with their reduced offset, are more apt to shape shots when wanted. The soles of the 755’s will likely suite a broad range of players. They have a blunted leading edge to avoid digging, and the progressive bounce angles work well to interact with the turf without “skipping.” Even on frozen Midwest soil late in the season, the 755’s never missed a beat. The overall performance from the rough was quite good, with a substantial feel that extracted the ball easily. Only the 3 and 4 iron blade lengths seemed to get hung up a little, but that is probably not a high percentage shot anyway.
Now let’s talk about that flashy little red aluminum “feel chip.” I must say it does more than make these irons look good. Titleist thinned out the faces of the 755’s and used that discretionary weight in the cavity to lower the center of gravity and heighten the moment of inertia, or resistance to twisting. A welcome by-product of this face thinning seems to be a little more “lively” feel to the forged stainless material. They also seem to provide a little more auditory feedback, as the sound at impact is a little brighter, with more of a “click” sound to it. One common observation by people that have used other forged stainless iron models is that they can feel a bit “thuddy” at impact. The vibration dampening properties of the chip also seem to work well, as even on off-center contact in cold weather, I did not experience much in the way of “stingers” in the hands. This improved sound and feel with the 755’s is a welcome one, and may well change people’s perception that forged stainless lacks “feel.”
In my testing with the 755’s, I found ample forgiveness with off-center hits. There is enough material low and in the heel and toe of the heads to keep shots on line with minimal loss of distance. Trajectories were overall high, but never ballooning. I opted for my usual True Temper Dynamic Golds in this set, and they provided a familiar level of performance. The stock shafts are a True Temper “Flighted” variety called Tri-spec. The Tri-specs may be a very good shaft for people to consider who seek a higher trajectory in their long irons. Given the 755’s already incorporated the dual hosel length design and have plenty of weigh low in the heads, I was happy with my choice in the Dynamic Golds, and it gave the 755’s very consistent trajectories and distances for my swing. As always, get custom fit, as this will help fine-tune the clubs to your swing.
The Titleist 755’s not only were a very agreeable set of irons overall, but they managed to change my mind about the forged stainless material from which they are constructed. The thinner faces, along with the incorporated forged aluminum chip, provided a lively sound and feel that was more crisp in sound and feel than even the 704 and 735.CM Titleists made of the same material. The midsize heads are forgiving enough for many people to enjoy, while still compact enough to even be used by the world’s top professionals. It’s a set that seems “point and shoot” easy, yet allows you be creative with the scoring clubs. They are similar to the 704 irons they replaced, but offer a slight advantage in their forgiveness and most definitely in their feel. For players that want to shape some shots, but overall want a forgiving iron with a “player’s” look, the 755’s would be a great choice. Like high-performance sports cars, red seems to be a fitting color, and the little bit of “flash” in the cavities tells us there’s a little more under the hood than may be visible. The Titleist 755’s are an iron set whose performance speaks for itself.
Michael White
Independent Equipment Consultant/Forums Moderator
Golf-Gear-Review.com
