John Letters Trilogy T2 irons

John Letters Trilogy T2 iron.

John Letters Trilogy T2 irons

Price: £399 (3-SW)

When Prince Andrew took up golf it was probably appropriate that one of the longest-established current clubmakers, Glasgow-based John Letters, should step in and provide a set of clubs.

And now that the Duke of York has successfully climbed toward the top of the hill in golfing terms, as a keen seven-handicapper, he’s no doubt grateful to the Scottish firm for setting him on the right road.

Indeed his sister, the Princess Royal, performed the official opening of the company's factory in Hillington in January 2001.

John Letters’ latest introduction in its Trilogy range are the T2 irons which I have used in social and competitive golf over the past few weeks as well as on the practice range.

First impressions were of a neat, compact clubhead, dwarfed by some of the oversize irons currently available which, while instilling confidence, can prove unwieldy and cumbersome.

My instincts are that the T2s are aimed at the fast-improving golfer, looking towards a blade as he or she approaches single figures, but whose budget does not stretch to the major brands which feature heavily in our magazines and television adverts.

I have been used to the more rigid Fat Shafts of my regular Wilson clubs and the Dynamic Golf R300 shafts of the T2 looked like a twig in comparison to a broom handle.

However, there was little difference in the length and flight the clubs generated but the T2’s 3- and 4-irons were easier to hit and promoted a higher flight for those longer par-3s where you need the ball to land softly.

The mid-irons felt solid and were consistent in distance, though I had a tendency to pull shots to the left having been so used to hitting low left to right punch shots with my regular 5-, 6- and 7-irons. With a little more practice I could adapt to the clubs rather than they having to adapt to me.

Trilogy T2’s lofted irons were a joy in the feel they promoted, especially chipping around the green. Over the years I have discovered a smaller, compact head makes the ball easier to control than some of the oversize short irons, common in top brands with offset heads.

There was less chunking when chipping and more the feeling of a finesse shot from the clubhead.