Titleist AP1 718 irons vs Taylormade M5 irons

Anyone have any experience with these.

Im looking for a fairly forgiving but not too chunky iron (11 handicap). Im not keen on excessive offset or a really thick top line but like the sound of these 2 irons. Has anyone hit these 2 or had a lot of experience with them?

Thanks

Just for reference, im moving from TM speedblades, feel like these were good when i was higher handicap but im not looking for something a bit more compact.

The loft spread difference between those two sets is large. A full one club difference. I'd get the M5's.

718 AP1 (5-gap): 24 - 48 degrees

M5 (5-gap): 22.5 - 50 degrees

As an aside, you might want to check out the JPX 919 Hot Metal. They sound great, are forgiving, and not overly large.

I'd go 718 AP1, hard to find a better looking club from address in this category. Especially the 8 iron through the scoring clubs. They also feel great for this type of club. Just a great progressive design for the player that struggles some with longer irons but can handle the scoring end of a set.

I've never liked the feel of TM game improvement irons, very harsh in my experience.

Been playing 718 AP1s for two years now. I love them. One thing I've come to really like from Titleist is that their clubs are so consistent. They hit the same trajectories, go the same distances, and get plenty of spin. Their dispersion is great and I never have a problem holding greens and have never had one of those oddball fliers. I'm playing to a +10 right now and have started shaping shots more. I have no problems moving the ball. I'm sure at this point I could move into something more playerish, but I don't see the need to give up the forgiveness. I know looks are subjective, but I don't think they're clunky at all. They also give good feedback on mishits and the swoosh of a pured shot is fantastic. I also like the fact that I can hit the 4 iron solid. Saves me from having to invest in another hybrid. Last year, I even traded in my 54 Vokey for the 53 set wedge. Very easy to hit full and partial shots with and spins great. If I'm not backing the ball up, it definitely just hops and stops.

No experience with M5. They beat out the Ping G410 on feel and looks. The Hot Metals were close, but I personally liked the AP1s better.

Excellent point on the spin. All the reviews I've watched found the same thing, very playable spin numbers for the AP1s, especially given the stronger lofts. This is likely responsible for the distance consistency that seems to be a theme with long term reviews of 718 AP1s vs other lower spinning competitors in this category.

I think the AP1 is more comparable to the M6. The M5 to me is a cast alternative to the P790, which is more comparable to the AP2 imo.

Either way, I’ve hit AP1, M5, and M6, and liked the AP1 best.

Are either of these smaller than the Speedblade? The Speedblades are great irons, I don't know if you'll find that much difference.

Dave

I played the AP3 for about a month. 43* PW is redonkulous. I forgot how strong lofted these clubs were and would airmail greens every once in a while. They're very forgiving, LONG due to strong lofts, and look great. The feel absolutely stinks in the mid/long irons. Overall I didn't like them. The AP2's are so much better. Juiced irons are not for me.

Probably a -10 handicap. +10 would put you in the same category as a Tour Pro. ???

Do tour pros even get to that good of a handicap?

I am Tiger Woods lol. Good catch, my mistake. I'm only a +10 on PS4

I was under the impression that the speedblades were more like the m6 irons?

Am I wrong about this?

I think if you’re looking for less offset then hot metal pro would be something to consider as well.

I'm not sure honestly. I don't recall the Speedblades being that large. My wife has a set, but I don't have much else to compare it against.

Dave

M5 all the way out of these two. Very well-designed club. Compact look with a well-proportioned shape, moderate to low offset, very powerful. I like the look from address a lot. Kind of got overlooked but I ended up preferring it over the P790. AP1 didn’t do it for me, but I’ve never liked the feel of even the AP2 so could just be my taste.