Titleist DCI Black Irons Review – Are They Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

“The Titleist DCI Black irons are over 20 years old but they still hold value as game improvement irons.”

Titleist isn’t a company that is as prevalent on the game improvement scene as companies like Taylormade and Ping. So it’s easy to forget that they have made (and are still making) some solid GI clubs.

Today we will be taking a look at the Titleist DCI Black irons. These irons were made with high handicappers in mind. But a lot has changed since 1996 when these irons debuted. Are they really worth the investment in 2023? Let’s talk about it.

Titleist DCI Black Irons Overview

“The Titleist DCI Black irons feature deep cavity backs and low CG.”

Right away, I really liked the looks of these irons. The cavity back design is incredibly clean. There are no busy badges in the back of the club head and it looks like the cavity was seamlessly integrated into the club head.

There are no bells and whistles here – just a forgiving-looking club head. The length from heel to toe is moderate. There is enough length to make these irons look forgiving but not enough to make them look garish.

They are made from 431 stainless steel and feature perimeter weighting. And to give you an idea of how they launch, the 9-iron checks in at a towering 44°.

Are the Titleist DCI Black Irons Forgiving?

“To go along with the moderate blade length, the Titleist DCI Black irons also have a moderately deep face depth.”

You don’t get a ridiculously high toe section on the face but there is enough space there to provide good forgiveness. But it’s the left-to-right forgiveness that makes these irons stand out. The perimeter weighting does a marvelous job of keeping the face from twisting on to or heel-side misses.

On lateral mis-hits our testing party was seeing surprisingly straight flight. Also, ball speed didn’t drop significantly on shots made closer to the toe or heel. Thin shots did lose ball speed however.

Overall though, these irons felt very easy to swing and the sweet spot felt unmissable. It was also incredibly easy to get high launch out of them.

Are the Titleist DCI Black Irons Good for Beginners & High Handicappers?

“The Titleist DCI Black irons are great for beginners and high handicappers who naturally launch the ball low.”

If you are struggling to get the ball in the air, the Titleist DCI Black will make an instant impact. I have a naturally mid-launch swing and the Titleist DCI Black irons sent my balls towering into the air without me having to change my swing.

There is also a good amount of offset throughout the set so squaring up the long irons felt very easy for me and most of our testers. The best thing that the Titleist DCI Black irons will do for beginners and high handicappers is give them more confidence in their long irons. They will make your full swings more accurate and keep you on the fairway – even if they don’t produce remarkable distance.

That all being said, you do have to be careful about launching the ball too high. During our testing, we found that if we weren’t being careful, the ball would balloon too high. In fact, the naturally high launch of these irons is part of what keeps them from playing very long. That’s why these irons would be ideal for high handicappers who are naturally low-launch players.

Should You Buy the Titleist DCI Black or the Titleist 962 Irons?

“The Titleist DCI 962 irons also offer effortless launch and good forgiveness.”

The main difference between the Titleist DCI Black and Titleist DCI 962 irons though is that the 962’s play longer for pretty much every swing type. The faces of the 962’s felt hotter and the ball was getting up and out faster than with the Titleist DCI Black irons.

If your main concern is distance, then the Titleist DCI 962 irons would probably be a better choice. But if you are prioritizing forgiveness, the Titleist DCI Black irons will suit you better.