Reviewed by Dayton Diamond
- 20 handicapper
- 100 MPH driver swing speed
- Dayton upgraded from TaylorMade Rac OS irons with regular flex soft tip graphite shafts
Review in short
The AP1 series of irons from Titleist are cavity back clubs aimed at mid to high handicap golfers who want both powerful distance and ultra-forgiveness. This latest version of their best-selling game-improvement is packed with new technologies.
Why I play these irons
Quite simply I was trying out a few different irons and these just felt the best. I'm a 20 handicapper, and I base a lot of how I play on feel, so having a set of irons that inspire confidence in your ball striking was a high priority for me.
Looks and feel
Compared to my old TaylorMade racOS irons with soft tipped graphite shafts, (I got them from a dead man…that is….he was old) the feedback is so much better. Mishits make themselves known but aren’t devastating. These clubs feel great when you flush a hit.
Don't get mw wrong, I would love to play forged blades, but my skill level and budget can’t justify them. These irons really agree with my swing, and my misses aren’t terribly jarring. They aren’t as forgiving as my old irons, but they have better distance control and don’t leak as much to the left. I’m left handed and I think the soft tipped graphite shafts of the old clubs caused the ball to slice.
Performance
My biggest gripe with my old clubs was that I could hit my pitching wedge perfectly and it would fly anywhere between 130 and 150 yards which is very frustrating. I was finding that a lot of approaches missed long or short but had a great line.
The Titleist AP1s have a much tighter (but not perfect) distance consistency than the old clubs. My pitching wedge now consistently travels 140 yards with these clubs which is number that I can rely on.
My shots hold the green, and finish closer to the flag and I'm getting excellent playability. Hollow bodies in the long irons (4 – 5), undercut cavity backs in the rest of the set (6 – GW) and loads of tungsten weighting mean major forgiveness on off-center hits.
I think I've gained about 10 yards with every club, but I have to say that this is only relevant because it's 10 consistent yards! I can moderate distance well with these clubs, like hitting a “light 8 iron” or a “spicy 6”. I like that.
Pros
Cons
Tech specs
Iron | Loft | Lie | Length |
---|---|---|---|
4 | 21° | 61° | 38.5" |
5 | 24° | 62° | 38" |
6 | 27° | 62.5° | 37.5" |
7 | 30° | 63° | 37" |
8 | 34° | 63.5° | 36.5" |
9 | 38° | 64° | 36" |
PW | 43° | 64° | 35.75" |
GW | 48° | 64° | 35.5" |
SW | 53° | 64° | 35.5" |
Shaft options
- True Temper AMT Red
- MCA Tensei Red
Price per iron
$140 per club (steel) RRP