FairwayDodger
Money List Winner
Nothing like an hour hitting balls on trackman to bring a bit of reality into the perception of your golf!
I went to the Titleist fitting centre at Craigielaw today for an irons custom fitting. It was an enjoyable and interesting session but must admit to mixed feelings about the results!
After a brief chat about my game and what I hoped to gain from new irons we started by seeing how my current irons perform. I was relieved that I managed to bring a decent swing with me and was quickly hitting it relatively well but disappointed to see that my 7i carry isn’t quite what I thought. Total yardage is more like the distance I had in mind, a common reality check for many, I expect.
The next eye-opener was that I carried my 4i less than 20 yards further than the 7i, again the run out getting to the distance I expected but clearly highlighting a gapping problem through the longer irons. We discussed that rather than chasing extra distance I would benefit from better gapping at the top of the bag combined with higher trajectory, steeper descent and, therefore, less run out before moving on to hitting some of the Titleist 718 irons.
I hit AP1, AP2 and AP3 7 irons all with graphite shafts comparable to those in my own clubs. In common with most, I imagine, I really like the look of the AP2s and don’t fancy the AP1s much but it was immediately apparent that the AP2 wasn’t going to give me much over my current clubs; its stats were very similar.
Both AP1 and AP3 gave me greater carry distance and less run out. Short of phenomenal performance, I had already ruled the AP1s out simply for their chunkier look. The AP3s really do look good at address and definitely answer the “I like the look of the AP2 but want AP1 distance†problem.
Although I’ve had graphite for the last few years, I’m interested in switching back to steel shafts so we tried the AP3 with a AMT Red R300 shaft and it only took one swing to show that was a good move. I got more swing speed and started carrying it about ten yards past my current 7i but with a higher apex and less run out. Very encouraging at this stage!
The disappointment set in a bit when I tried the AP3 5i. We wanted 20 yards carry past the 7i but it came short – only about 15 yards – and the lower trajectory meant too much run out. The next step was to try the AP1 5 iron with the same shaft. I don’t mind the chunkier look in the longer iron as much so it was worth a go and, indeed, I did carry it 20 yards past the AP3 7i.
While an improvement on the AP3, this still has the problem of a shallower descent and longer run out. I was happy, but the fitter was not. He wanted me to hit that yardage but with a higher ball flight and recommended using a hybrid instead of 5i and made one up for me to try. I promptly hit it 10 yards further so he knocked up another with more loft and I did hit some lovely high flighted shots carrying right on the desired number.
Ultimately, the recommendation I came away with is AP3 PW to 6i, 23* Hybrid and 24* Hybrid (with a slightly shorter shaft) to give good 10 yard gaps right up to where my 5 wood comes in.
My problem is that I can’t quite wrap my head around not having a 5i so I do have the option of going with the AP1 5i instead of the hybrid. That suits my vanity a bit better but probably isn’t making the most of the possibilities. Certainly the fitter was unequivocal in his view the hybrid was the way to go.
Great fun and very interesting hitting shots on trackman with different clubs, different shafts. I could do that all day so my hour passed in the blink of an eye! I’m left with plenty of food for thought. There are definite improvements to be made, especially at the top end. I wasn’t 100% sure about changing my irons but now I’m fairly certain that I will. But can I really bring myself to finish the irons at a 6? Head thinks I should swallow my pride but heart says I can make that 5i work!
I went to the Titleist fitting centre at Craigielaw today for an irons custom fitting. It was an enjoyable and interesting session but must admit to mixed feelings about the results!
After a brief chat about my game and what I hoped to gain from new irons we started by seeing how my current irons perform. I was relieved that I managed to bring a decent swing with me and was quickly hitting it relatively well but disappointed to see that my 7i carry isn’t quite what I thought. Total yardage is more like the distance I had in mind, a common reality check for many, I expect.
The next eye-opener was that I carried my 4i less than 20 yards further than the 7i, again the run out getting to the distance I expected but clearly highlighting a gapping problem through the longer irons. We discussed that rather than chasing extra distance I would benefit from better gapping at the top of the bag combined with higher trajectory, steeper descent and, therefore, less run out before moving on to hitting some of the Titleist 718 irons.
I hit AP1, AP2 and AP3 7 irons all with graphite shafts comparable to those in my own clubs. In common with most, I imagine, I really like the look of the AP2s and don’t fancy the AP1s much but it was immediately apparent that the AP2 wasn’t going to give me much over my current clubs; its stats were very similar.
Both AP1 and AP3 gave me greater carry distance and less run out. Short of phenomenal performance, I had already ruled the AP1s out simply for their chunkier look. The AP3s really do look good at address and definitely answer the “I like the look of the AP2 but want AP1 distance†problem.
Although I’ve had graphite for the last few years, I’m interested in switching back to steel shafts so we tried the AP3 with a AMT Red R300 shaft and it only took one swing to show that was a good move. I got more swing speed and started carrying it about ten yards past my current 7i but with a higher apex and less run out. Very encouraging at this stage!
The disappointment set in a bit when I tried the AP3 5i. We wanted 20 yards carry past the 7i but it came short – only about 15 yards – and the lower trajectory meant too much run out. The next step was to try the AP1 5 iron with the same shaft. I don’t mind the chunkier look in the longer iron as much so it was worth a go and, indeed, I did carry it 20 yards past the AP3 7i.
While an improvement on the AP3, this still has the problem of a shallower descent and longer run out. I was happy, but the fitter was not. He wanted me to hit that yardage but with a higher ball flight and recommended using a hybrid instead of 5i and made one up for me to try. I promptly hit it 10 yards further so he knocked up another with more loft and I did hit some lovely high flighted shots carrying right on the desired number.
Ultimately, the recommendation I came away with is AP3 PW to 6i, 23* Hybrid and 24* Hybrid (with a slightly shorter shaft) to give good 10 yard gaps right up to where my 5 wood comes in.
My problem is that I can’t quite wrap my head around not having a 5i so I do have the option of going with the AP1 5i instead of the hybrid. That suits my vanity a bit better but probably isn’t making the most of the possibilities. Certainly the fitter was unequivocal in his view the hybrid was the way to go.
Great fun and very interesting hitting shots on trackman with different clubs, different shafts. I could do that all day so my hour passed in the blink of an eye! I’m left with plenty of food for thought. There are definite improvements to be made, especially at the top end. I wasn’t 100% sure about changing my irons but now I’m fairly certain that I will. But can I really bring myself to finish the irons at a 6? Head thinks I should swallow my pride but heart says I can make that 5i work!
