Titleist AP1 irons review
Review Date: 25th September 2009
Titleist AP1 irons
Price: £560.00
A review of the new Titleist AP1 irons
Design and Tech Benefits
Retains the dual cavity seen in last year's Titleist AP1s, but combined with new technology. Perimeter weighting enhances forgiveness while a thin face and soft elastomer in the cavity improve the feel.
The new Titleist AP1 irons should suit golfers who are fans of Titleist, but want added forgiveness, want a set that offers feel, forgiveness and workability and would like a strong flight and solid feel.
AP1 Irons 4-PW £560 (S), £658 (G).
Golf Monthly Verdict
The greatest improvement on the equivalent model from last year. The flight is stronger, offering good distance and a forgiving strike. Even though Titleist aim these at 10 to 15-handicappers, we think their appeal will stretch to any aspiring and proficient 21-handicapper.
Reviewer: Golf Monthly
User reviews
Add your reviewDecember 01 15:18
Tiger
From posts appearing on the forum it seems as though getting your hands on these irons is more than a tad tricky. Luckily for me I pre-ordered my set back in September as I was unable to get the right set up from the 2008 irons that were left in stock.
I'm new to golf and some may wonder why I have purchased these irons after four months playing. Well, I had a custom fitting with the old AP1s and they went a country mile, the new ones go even further. There are however a few caveats to this review:
1. I am new to the game and my swing is evolving
2. I have yet to take these out onto a full 18 hole course yet (that's happening later this month)
3. Mine are custom fitted
4. I have a limited frame of reference being new to the game
That said, these are beautiful set of irons. I prefer the revised look that Titleist have given this model and they seem to be more forgiving than the previous model (although this maybe that my swing has improved in that time. Distances are all relative but I can stripe the 6 iron with these between 180 - 190 yards and they have a lovely penetrating flight. I've not managed to use the long irons outside the range yet but have got good distance and control on the range.
I'd definitely recommend a custom fitting as I didn't get on at all with the stock shafts (flight was far too high for me). In my set up I've got jumbo grips, an extra inch on my project X 5.5 shafts and a 4 degree upright lie. I now feel much more comfortable at address and as my swing refines over the next two months I am looking forward to adding tighter dispersion and a bit more distance.
Finally aesthetics - they look lovely for a cavity back iron and the smaller heads on the shorter irons makes them a much more attractive proposition than some of the game improvement shovels on the market.
The only con is that the faces do mark very easily. I keep mine in iron headcovers to protect them in transit and during play but the faces are already starting to take a bit of a battering. Doesn't affect playability yet but m,ay upset some who want their irons to look beautiful for as long as possible.
I hope you find this useful.
T