AP2 for 13 HC

I’m a 13 HC and can get down to 10 if I put the work in. I was at a titleist fitting and was hitting the AP2 and ap3. AP2 felt great where 3 felt so so. Questioning just going for the 2s and making lofts stronger. On GC 4 I was straight 85% of time but distance was not there. This is obviously dry ball data w/o turf interaction

If you hitting straight club up and not worry about distance who cares if for example 6 iron is 150 as long as you are putting

AP2s are great, but at your cap. maybe try i210s. Bit more forgiving and still workable. Cheaper too. ;)

Confidence trumps club forgiveness between these two clubs. If you feel better with the Ap2s then use them.

IMO anyone under a 15 can play ap2s and improve through feedback from the club. Depending on your launch conditions consider ap3 in your long irons and blend the set.

I have a high ball flight

IMO anyone under a 15 can play ap2s and improve through feedback from the club. Depending on your launch conditions consider ap3 in your long irons and blend the set.

Yup, this ! :nyam:

I have a high ball flight

In that case you could play ap2 all the way if you don’t need the extra distance or forgiveness in the long irons of the ap3

Agree with others to go with the AP2s if that's what you like the most. Confidence in your equipment is huge. Also, don't worry about trying to squeeze out a few more yards ... just use the club you need to comfortably cover the distance.

Did you hit the AP3s any better (not farther but better flight, consistency,etc)? If so, I would favor the 3s but I am not big on feel.

Also agree on possibly mixing the set. I am about your level (9 index) and would consider the AP2 4 iron unhittable and the 5 iron highly questionable (ok on the fairway/flat like but very hard to hit otherwise).

I am a feel player. The AP3 went a little farther but did not blow me away. I use hybrids but the 5 AP2 does not scare me. The 4 perhaps.

As others have said, go with the club you have the most comfort with. I would hit the clubs stock in the real world before making adjustments based on inside numbers.

I play TMB 2-5, AP2 6-9 and vokey wedges. I've played down from a 10 to 6.5 with this set up. I blame the improvement on my lessons not my clubs though.

AP2 are great. They're more forgiving than a blade but are more demanding than say Ping i200/210 as stated above (used to have them). If you were hitting them well no reason you can't play them. Depends on how short short is though.. I've got a bit of speed so am okay with the slight distance loss but if you're hitting them really short then maybe consider something else. For me, my high 160s carry with a 7 iron turned into 155-160 with AP2. If you're hitting a 7 130 in the air though then I might worry as you'll struggle with gapping in the long irons and the last thing you want is to feel like you can't hit the green from outside 175 because you have to hit a 4.

Damn man. I’ve played off 15 for a long time and probably worse and played Cobra MB/ CBS. Very small and very unforgiving. AP2 offer a substantial amount of help in comparison.

If you’re having high ball flight, maybe check your shaft to club combo. Lofts are relatively weak / standard if memory serves me correct. Ya try that. Change your shaft. If you’re not digging it, try different heads or bend the AP2

Get them with stronger lofts. Most likely you are adding loft to the club at impact, like Jason day.

If I do pick these up a few lessons are coming with them but I will order direct through titleist and have them bent there Was looking at either black or white AMT shaft. I tried all the other ones like KBS nippon. Etc. but like most people i grew up on true temper and when I hit them it feels like old times

No brainer. Yes.

Consider a 3/4/5 in TMB for the long irons, but the mid and short iron ap2s are easy to hit. And I wouldn’t strengthen the lofts unless you really need the distance.

I've had my ap2s for about 2 years, was a 15 cap, now down to 7. Even at a 15, it's not like the irons were the problem. They're a fantastic set, that you can really grow with.

I've had my ap2s for about 2 years, was a 15 cap, now down to 7. Even at a 15, it's not like the irons were the problem. They're a fantastic set, that you can really grow with.

Nice going, Dread! Your secrets? Better short-game & putting ?

No brainer. Yes.

 

Consider a 3/4/5 in TMB for the long irons, but the mid and short iron ap2s are easy to hit. And I wouldn’t strengthen the lofts unless you really need the distance.

Or Consider AP1 in 4-iron and 5-iron. There is nothing wrong with a little help in the longer irons to get the ball up and help with distance.

No brainer. Yes.

 

Consider a 3/4/5 in TMB for the long irons, but the mid and short iron ap2s are easy to hit. And I wouldn’t strengthen the lofts unless you really need the distance.

 

Or Consider AP1 in 4-iron and 5-iron. There is nothing wrong with a little help in the longer irons to get the ball up and help with distance.

Or AP3. Any of these.

I said TMB just to keep the offset and look of the blade length close, but gvogel’s idea of AP1 would work great too.

AP3's are only long because they are stupidly strong lofted. I would first find out why you are a high ball hitter before stressing over the distance loss and lofts. More than likely you are not striking the ball accurately. I am about a 12 cap also, and hit on a trackman for the first time this year. I hit the ball high and irons short for my speed. Sure thought I needed a stiffer tip shaft and strong lofts, but what I really need is to learn to quit flipping. Buy the clubs you are comfortable with and work on your swing.

Just think about all the blades that horrible golfers learned the game on and also how the average score has not changed and you'll realize that swing trumps equipment every time.

Everyone gets to their hdcp in different ways. Some are ok with driver and irons but can putt and/or have a solid short game. Others are good at driving or irons and ok at putting or short game.

Play what you like and what makes you want to go out to the course. If you are hitting players irons somewhat consistent at a minimum near/on the center then play them if you like. Don’t get tied up in how far an iron goes but rather if it consistently goes that distance and gives you a predictable miss.

Everyone gets to their hdcp in different ways. Some are ok with driver and irons but can putt and/or have a solid short game. Others are good at driving or irons and ok at putting or short game.

 

Play what you like and what makes you want to go out to the course. If you are hitting players irons somewhat consistent at a minimum near/on the center then play them if you like. Don't get tied up in how far an iron goes but rather if it consistently goes that distance and gives you a predictable miss.

Everyone gets to their hdcp in different ways. Some are ok with driver and irons but can putt and/or have a solid short game. Others are good at driving or irons and ok at putting or short game.

 

Play what you like and what makes you want to go out to the course. If you are hitting players irons somewhat consistent at a minimum near/on the center then play them if you like. Don't get tied up in how far an iron goes but rather if it consistently goes that distance and gives you a predictable miss.

This is always the answer. Handicaps are made differently. The question is how well are you at hitting irons? My iron play is my strong point, driving and chipping is where I can't break 80. My ap2 4 iron is the club ive hit some of my most memorable shots. I am very comfortable hitting it.

I hit my irons decently but have flaws like anyone else. That’s why if these are purchased then some lessons come with them to tighten stuff up. Been playing 20+ years and very much a feel player. If I get into trouble it’s off the tee

I was a 16 when I purchased my AP2s, now down to a 12. I was coming out of 712 AP1s, and hit the AP3 and AP2. The AP2 with Project X 6.0 gave me the best numbers overall. I don't care about distance, I just club up if I need more distance, but I do like to work the ball depending on the flag positions. The AP2s allow me to do that consistently, with their lower offset and feel. Being able to work the ball left or right makes golf fun for me. I also love the looks of the 718 AP2s over the AP3s, and that was an added bonus.

I played the original AP2 when I was at about an 18 or 19 and didn't struggle at all with them...chipping and putting, different story.

... AP2 felt great where 3 felt so so. Questioning just going for the 2s and making lofts stronger. On GC 4 I was straight 85% of time but distance was not there. ...

Has anyone given any thought to proper shaft. (Shaft is that metal or graphite tube that connects the head to the grip).

If I do pick these up a few lessons are coming with them but I will order direct through titleist and have them bent there Was looking at either black or white AMT shaft. I tried all the other ones like KBS nippon. Etc. but like most people i grew up on true temper and when I hit them it feels like old times

Yes, we have!

Scooter, a couple of things you mention. Concerns about high ball flight and distance from AP2. And you grew up on True Temper.

On high ball flight, make sure it is as high as you think it is. Many people exaggerate how high they actually hit the ball. A perceptual problem: practice ranges often have slightly elevated tee areas to help with rain drainage. Ball rising up against lower horizon line appears higher than it actually is.

If you do have too high ball flight and concerns about distance, have someone check out your swing and stance. Possibly ball position or an occasional flip swing is a problem.

As for distance from the irons, how much distance are we talking about? If you hit your 7i a solid 150-yard carry with some stop, that with wedges will give you plenty of scoring options inside 150 yards. Get 10- to 12-yard gaps up and down your iron set so you can hit the green with some stop.

Note: It's not uncommon for a fitter to softstep a 4i or 5i to assist a bit with launch.

For boooomber yardage, rely on you driver and fairway wood(s), in your case likely bridged by a hybrid.

Finally, there's the issue of age. Golf Digest reports that at age 53 (they gave no justification for that age) golfers should get fitted to ensure they have the right shaft flex for their clubs. Data from clubfitters suggests that 53 is the age at which many males should switch back from stiff to regular.

I mention this from my own experience. My last season with S-flex, I was losing distance and getting higher ball flight (I was helping the ball upward and developed a bit of flip in my swing).

And it's not just the past-50 crowd that changes. On various golf blogs, thirty-somethings admit they are dropping the X-flex for S-flex or even heavy R-flex shafts.

So... check your stance and swing.... / get launch data on how high your ball actually flies with irons / compare different shaft weights and flexes to see what works best for you.

Let us know what happens. And... break 80!

This is a great topic. I bought used set of AP2's and am coming from a set of TM R9's. I like the feel of the forged irons, but I too worry if they are too "tour" or "player" for me. I'm a 12 handicap and don't play NEARLY as much as I once did as I have a 17 month old now. Starting to wonder if I should sell them and use the R9's until I have the time to devote to playing more and getting a set that I think will actually get me playing better. Thoughts?

I've had my ap2s for about 2 years, was a 15 cap, now down to 7. Even at a 15, it's not like the irons were the problem. They're a fantastic set, that you can really grow with.

 

Nice going, Dread! Your secrets? Better short-game & putting ?

Ballstriking, that along with small putting improvements and better course management