Anyone confusing clone technology with old technology need look no further than the new C9 titanium irons for clarification. These are top game improvement irons with three special features.
The first is the titanium face insert. Just as with drivers, titanium’s strength and lightness compared with steel means less weight is used in the clubface. The extra weight saved can be shoved over to the edges of the clubhead. This perimeter weighting — supported by the basic cavity-back design — means the effective hitting surface is larger and the club is more stable. Which should mean more accurate shots, more often.
The second feature is a so-called power pad behind this titanium face, offering more strength support and a nice dampening effect on vibration.
The third feature is a tungsten weight insert in the lower toe end of the clubface. This acts to counteract the weight bias of the hosel area. Meaning, again, a more centrally balanced club which is more likely to excuse your mishits.
The whole is set off by the fetching green medallion in the rear of the club, a feature of all its sister clubs like the C9 driver.
All this modern design comes at a price, though. The C9 set is a little more expensive than your usual clone iron set, with the very basic configuration costing just over $200, while top-of-the-range shaft and grip upgrades (largely unnecessary, mind) can push the price up to $400.
With premium graphite shafts like the UST 360, you can expect to pay around $300 for a 3-iron thru PW set. That’s still an awful lot less than the brand equivalents, but about 10% to 20% up on typical clone prices. See here for more info from the online stockist.
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