SugarPenguin
Challenge Tour Pro
So I recently took the plunge and got custom fit for the New Titleist 716 AP2 irons. I have had my eye on the 714s for quite a while but decided to wait for the new instalment. I didn’t set out to get the new AP2’s either as I almost opted for the new Mizuno MP25. I was playing some 2011 Nike Pro Combo CBs but I was hitting them far far too high and I just felt like I needed a change. This was my first time being custom fit and its definitely something I would recommend doing.
Appearance
First off the Titleists are stupidly pretty. They aren’t big and brash but have that classic style that just emits quality, with a timeless polished satin finish. The reverse side of the clubs have had quite a bit of a modern makeover which I prefer to that of the more old look on the 714’s, so you actually look like you are receiving a new Titleist product with the 716 range. Its black and subtle so it keeps with the professional classic theme.
Behind the ball the irons have a thin-medium top line and a medium sized face and blade length. They look extremely comfortable behind the ball and are not intimidating in the slightest. There’s a little bit of offset too which I am not entirely against but it seems to diminish as you go to the shorter irons which is useful.
Theres only one minor issue with the appearance, for some reason the words tungsten are stamped across the long irons. It does nothing for the look of the club and I can only assume its there for marketing reasons. Still its nothing to put me off or take anything away from how the clubs are presented as a whole.
Performance
As you are all probably aware Titleist talk quite a lot about the tungsten weighting to help MOI and a lower CG. The “technology†differs from brand to brand, however, the message is usually the same for this market of irons - longer and straighter shots with workability and forgiveness when you need it. As you can probably tell I am a bit of a sceptic and think it’s just a ploy to buy clubs… however it does actually work! I was getting about 4 yards extra carry with my mid irons which was ok (this did increase to 11 with an upgraded shaft), however the dispersion with the AP2’s was just insane. The distance control was very pleasing but the actual dispersion (left – right shots) which is my huge weakness was incredible. I couldn’t believe it. Huge congratulations to Titleist on this:clap:. These clubs fully justify Advanced Performance and are a huge credit to how the clubs are marketed in relation to the technology used. The straightest irons I have hit which ultimately led me to getting the AP2’s over the MP25’s.
Believe it or not the MP25’s went quite a bit farther but I couldn’t hit them quite as straight. My game needs consistency and precision, not distance.
On poor strikes and miss-hits - the AP2’s still provided decent distance and height on thin shots, but hitting it out of the heel or toe you lose substantial distance. However this is to be expected in all fairness. For me, the MOI is the main sell point in terms of the technology as I am quite “wristy†through the ball.
Feel
My old Nikes were butter soft out the middle so I was expecting the AP2 and the M25 to be the same. Surprisingly none of them felt as soft as my old Nikes which at first I found disappointing. Fair enough Titleist are not claiming they are trying to make the softest forged clubs but I was expecting a softer feel. The M25’s in particular (nothing feels like a mizuno) were the biggest surprise. If I was blind testing between the M25 and a cast iron club I would struggle to tell the difference.
The Titleists still offer great feedback from strikes though, accompanied by quite a duller sound to the 714’s. Slightly more powerful and solid in that respect but exceptionally pleasing. Hitting it out the toe you do here a distinctive Thwack that also lets your playing partners know you have had a bad swing, which prompts all the usual comments regarding paying ‘x’ amount of pounds for something you cannot use….
Through the ball, the clubs feel very solid and they really glide through the turf crisply and cleanly. The AP2’s have clearly been constructed with quality being the key factor in their production.
Shafts and customization
Stock shafts were pretty good for the AP2’s which I believe were a new version of Dynamic gold S300 (AMT). I did get on pretty well with these and tried several of all the main shafts but my results were the best with the Project X 6.0. I need to hit the ball much lower and recently to do this I have been slowing my swing speed down slightly. The fact the shafts are fairly heavy definitely helped me through impact on my swing on keeping the clubface on the correct plane. Distance wise they were the second longest behind the C-taper but My dispersion was nowhere near as tight nor was the stopping power so the Project X won over. As previously mentioned I got around 7 yards extra carry with the Project X.
I also went for the multicompound golfpride grips as I think they are fantastic. If you havent had a go with these grips then you are missing out. They just make so much sense after you have had a go with them.
The AP2 lofts are very traditional unlike the callaways and taylormades of this world and because I hit a high ball I got them 1 degree strong. I also got them half an inch shorter and the lie is standard.
These little changes do make a huge difference to my shots both from a statistical standpoint but also knowing my equipment is tailored to my requirements adds so much confidence. If you have never been custom fit before then I really do recommend it. My first 18 holes produced a joint personal best of 6 over and I hit 60% GIR, compared to my usual average of 20%.
Conclusion
I really cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed being custom fit. I was knackered by the end of it but seeing all the stats is really quite something. The main overwhelming feeling is knowing that with a good set of bats I can finally improve instead of worrying my equipment is not up to par or set up right for me. I know you shouldn’t blame your gear but if its in the back of your mind then it will affect your game going forward. My advice… spend the extra money and time getting custom fit and take on board what the fitter is saying and what you are wanting your golf clubs to do for you. I came away from the experience thinking – “ I cannot believe I didn’t do this much sooner.â€
The Titleists AP2 are a superb club and if you are wanting a classic iron with some hidden modern features then its definitely one to consider. Its looks and performs as good as any of the irons on the market today. If you are a good ball striker then you really need to give these a go. :thup:
Appearance
First off the Titleists are stupidly pretty. They aren’t big and brash but have that classic style that just emits quality, with a timeless polished satin finish. The reverse side of the clubs have had quite a bit of a modern makeover which I prefer to that of the more old look on the 714’s, so you actually look like you are receiving a new Titleist product with the 716 range. Its black and subtle so it keeps with the professional classic theme.
Behind the ball the irons have a thin-medium top line and a medium sized face and blade length. They look extremely comfortable behind the ball and are not intimidating in the slightest. There’s a little bit of offset too which I am not entirely against but it seems to diminish as you go to the shorter irons which is useful.
Theres only one minor issue with the appearance, for some reason the words tungsten are stamped across the long irons. It does nothing for the look of the club and I can only assume its there for marketing reasons. Still its nothing to put me off or take anything away from how the clubs are presented as a whole.
Performance
As you are all probably aware Titleist talk quite a lot about the tungsten weighting to help MOI and a lower CG. The “technology†differs from brand to brand, however, the message is usually the same for this market of irons - longer and straighter shots with workability and forgiveness when you need it. As you can probably tell I am a bit of a sceptic and think it’s just a ploy to buy clubs… however it does actually work! I was getting about 4 yards extra carry with my mid irons which was ok (this did increase to 11 with an upgraded shaft), however the dispersion with the AP2’s was just insane. The distance control was very pleasing but the actual dispersion (left – right shots) which is my huge weakness was incredible. I couldn’t believe it. Huge congratulations to Titleist on this:clap:. These clubs fully justify Advanced Performance and are a huge credit to how the clubs are marketed in relation to the technology used. The straightest irons I have hit which ultimately led me to getting the AP2’s over the MP25’s.
Believe it or not the MP25’s went quite a bit farther but I couldn’t hit them quite as straight. My game needs consistency and precision, not distance.
On poor strikes and miss-hits - the AP2’s still provided decent distance and height on thin shots, but hitting it out of the heel or toe you lose substantial distance. However this is to be expected in all fairness. For me, the MOI is the main sell point in terms of the technology as I am quite “wristy†through the ball.
Feel
My old Nikes were butter soft out the middle so I was expecting the AP2 and the M25 to be the same. Surprisingly none of them felt as soft as my old Nikes which at first I found disappointing. Fair enough Titleist are not claiming they are trying to make the softest forged clubs but I was expecting a softer feel. The M25’s in particular (nothing feels like a mizuno) were the biggest surprise. If I was blind testing between the M25 and a cast iron club I would struggle to tell the difference.
The Titleists still offer great feedback from strikes though, accompanied by quite a duller sound to the 714’s. Slightly more powerful and solid in that respect but exceptionally pleasing. Hitting it out the toe you do here a distinctive Thwack that also lets your playing partners know you have had a bad swing, which prompts all the usual comments regarding paying ‘x’ amount of pounds for something you cannot use….
Through the ball, the clubs feel very solid and they really glide through the turf crisply and cleanly. The AP2’s have clearly been constructed with quality being the key factor in their production.
Shafts and customization
Stock shafts were pretty good for the AP2’s which I believe were a new version of Dynamic gold S300 (AMT). I did get on pretty well with these and tried several of all the main shafts but my results were the best with the Project X 6.0. I need to hit the ball much lower and recently to do this I have been slowing my swing speed down slightly. The fact the shafts are fairly heavy definitely helped me through impact on my swing on keeping the clubface on the correct plane. Distance wise they were the second longest behind the C-taper but My dispersion was nowhere near as tight nor was the stopping power so the Project X won over. As previously mentioned I got around 7 yards extra carry with the Project X.
I also went for the multicompound golfpride grips as I think they are fantastic. If you havent had a go with these grips then you are missing out. They just make so much sense after you have had a go with them.
The AP2 lofts are very traditional unlike the callaways and taylormades of this world and because I hit a high ball I got them 1 degree strong. I also got them half an inch shorter and the lie is standard.
These little changes do make a huge difference to my shots both from a statistical standpoint but also knowing my equipment is tailored to my requirements adds so much confidence. If you have never been custom fit before then I really do recommend it. My first 18 holes produced a joint personal best of 6 over and I hit 60% GIR, compared to my usual average of 20%.
Conclusion
I really cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed being custom fit. I was knackered by the end of it but seeing all the stats is really quite something. The main overwhelming feeling is knowing that with a good set of bats I can finally improve instead of worrying my equipment is not up to par or set up right for me. I know you shouldn’t blame your gear but if its in the back of your mind then it will affect your game going forward. My advice… spend the extra money and time getting custom fit and take on board what the fitter is saying and what you are wanting your golf clubs to do for you. I came away from the experience thinking – “ I cannot believe I didn’t do this much sooner.â€
The Titleists AP2 are a superb club and if you are wanting a classic iron with some hidden modern features then its definitely one to consider. Its looks and performs as good as any of the irons on the market today. If you are a good ball striker then you really need to give these a go. :thup:
