Titleist 990 irons...what are they like?

[Metalhead]

Are these cast or forged? and what do they play like(i.e. some current model)...forgiving, offset, leading edges, bounce..playiblity?

thanks

[CHRISS1928]

they are cast. They are pretty small and almost play like a blade. There is a 990 and a 990 Blade model. I tried the normal 990. Not alot of offset at all, id say minimal. Dont remember much about the bounce/leading edges but i remember them being sweet when struck well, not so much on mis hits.

[JHR]

Yes they are cast, and as close to a blade iron as you can get.

 

Not very forgiving, but incredible feel for a cast club, 990's were my irons prior to going to blades, i learned to be a better ball striker with them and it made the transition easier.

 

Great irons, you would not be unhappy with them, heck Zach Johnson just traded his in this season.

[norvalwelch]

They're a great iron; very utilitarian. I would say that their appearance belies their playability - not a lot of bells and whistles, it leaves the shotmaking up to the person hitting them. A cast club, they do not wear as quickly as some blades, and exhibit only minimal dings and scratches from bag chatter. I've had mine since fall 2000 and they're still in great shape, grooves and all, even after a lot of practice and about 180 rounds a year. One drawback is that although they play very much like a forged iron, requiring consistent ballstriking, they are not as workable as a true blade. I'm presently trying the 695mbs and I have found them to be just as easy to hit as the 990s and slightly more workable. Another complaint, more specific to my own tastes, is that I find the shorter irons, particularly the pitching wedge, to be a little bit larger in the head, and to have a little more offset, than I would like. This may be a consequence of the topline; I'm not sure.

 

All in all, the 990's are a fantastic iron. Their relability and the feeling they deliver at impact have kept them in my bag for a long time. That said, I almost feel guilty changing.

[curryj]

I have a set of both 990's(1-PW) and 990b's(3-PW), not much difference between the two the 990b is more of a blade model the head is slightly smaller and there is more weight in the cavity, the 990b also has sharper leading edge. I didn' see much difference in forgivness a playability between the two, that's probably because i'm not good enough to notice LOL! Also the reason I switched this year to the x-tours.

Check out http://titleist.com/historical_clubs/ for the details

[xxio]

Feel of cast, forgiveness of a blade.

[vincenti]

As long as I can remember Cast Iron, Blade Feel, Heavy and very unforgiving.

 

It's already obsolete. My recommendation don't buy it, buy at least 690.CB generation. It's forged, soft and forgiving.