Thinking of changing bats what would you do.

[SXRORY]

Hi guys
I'm currently using ap2 712's and thinking with my game at the moment could i maybe do with some more help?
I could basically straight swap my irons for titleist ap1's of the same vintage.
I was a half decent junior now with work kid etc I get out twice a month. Playing to around a 10 handicap. Sometimes I'm going out and shooting low, 5 overs etc but I ve also got 12-15 over in there too. As we all do.
I lack consistencey. Its great or crap, never in between.
Sometimes I'm hitting my irons lovely but others not so.....
So do I persevere as when it's good it's real good and don't blame the tools...or admit defeat and get a more friendly iron in the hands.
Thanks

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I can't see the irons making a massive difference.

Which irons would you enjoy using more? If you want to change, go for it, but I doubt it'll make a tangible difference to your scores.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

There is no defeat to be admitted. If something helps your game then get it. If a more forgiving club helps you hit it better, straighter and lowers your scores then why worry. Don't let ego get in the way.

 

[Tiger man]

Don't think changing irons will dramatically improve your consistency, unless you are terribly fitted for them. Everybody has good and bad days and if you say a terrible day is 12-15 over off a 10 handicap you are not doing bad!

 

[Carpfather1]

As I was told use the most forgiving irons you can bare to look at . If a more forgiving club is going to help your scores go for it no shame in that . The games hard enough as it is

 

[Foxholer]

AP2s are not particularly unforgiving!

Your 'bad' rounds don't seem to be particularly bad either, so save the money for 'more important' things that involve the more important areas of your life!

 

[Tashyboy]

AP2s are not particularly unforgiving!

Your 'bad' rounds don't seem to be particularly bad either, so save the money for 'more important' things that involve the more important areas of your life!

That would be a putter or driver then. 👍😁

That aside, I have the AP2s 714s, had the 712s which I got for £150 brand new, chopped them in 18 months later for some 714s and got £150 off ? Golf bidder through golf support. But reading your blog sounds like me writing it. When I am on with my irons am on. When I am not oh dear. Thing is I am not a big hitter. Eg got measured on a ? Flight golf simulator and was hitting a seven iron 118 yd, plus after a few tweets another ten yd. not long at all.
But the year before when I went to the range I had a play with a G25 and it was going ten to 15 yd further. With better ball flight and dispersion. That night my back was in rag order because the club just encouraged you to smash it. I did not get these from golf support as they are not a Ping stockists. In August I am off to Ping Gainsboro to get measured for some Pings.

 

[Lontano]

I am off 11 and use AP2 712's with Dynamic Gold S300. I think the weakness in my game is my approach shots with my irons. Sometimes I play fab with them but there is plenty of opportunity for better more consistent hits.

This evening I went to a Titleist fitting to try out the AP2 716's to see how they have improved and whether there was more mileage in an upgrade.

After a while the Titleist rep suggested I should also try the AP1 with XP90 R300 shaft. The difference in consistency, trajectory, distance and all round better ball speed, spin, other statistics etc etc was amazing. The consistency of my shots, ability to hit target etc was frankly surprising. They were just so much more suited to me. I can only see my handicap improving if I hit the ball like I did this evening.

Will probably put on order in in the morning. It did prove to me that the AP2's are not as forgiving as I thought they were. I would recommend a trial.

http://www.titleist.co.uk/trial-day-schedule

 

[SXRORY]

Thanks for the replies
food for thought. Think a couple of rounds with some ropey striking/bad irons, has got my mind racing and you go for the first thing ....yup...a "gear swap"
Hitting the range on the off weeks for an hour or so, would probably help more than an iron switch.
Think I should carry on, play the summer and make the decision at the end.
cheers

 

[Blue in Munich]

I am off 11 and use AP2 712's with Dynamic Gold S300. I think the weakness in my game is my approach shots with my irons. Sometimes I play fab with them but there is plenty of opportunity for better more consistent hits.

This evening I went to a Titleist fitting to try out the AP2 716's to see how they have improved and whether there was more mileage in an upgrade.

After a while the Titleist rep suggested I should also try the AP1 with XP90 R300 shaft. The difference in consistency, trajectory, distance and all round better ball speed, spin, other statistics etc etc was amazing. The consistency of my shots, ability to hit target etc was frankly surprising. They were just so much more suited to me. I can only see my handicap improving if I hit the ball like I did this evening.

Will probably put on order in in the morning. It did prove to me that the AP2's are not as forgiving as I thought they were. I would recommend a trial.

http://www.titleist.co.uk/trial-day-schedule

I wouldn't be surprised if the difference wasn't AP1 v AP2 but XP90 R300 v Dynamic Gold S300. The Dynamic Gold takes a lot of loading and is a heavy old beast, if you are only playing twice a month I'd suspect the shaft before the head as the issue with the club.

 

[SXRORY]

I am off 11 and use AP2 712's with Dynamic Gold S300. I think the weakness in my game is my approach shots with my irons. Sometimes I play fab with them but there is plenty of opportunity for better more consistent hits.

This evening I went to a Titleist fitting to try out the AP2 716's to see how they have improved and whether there was more mileage in an upgrade.

After a while the Titleist rep suggested I should also try the AP1 with XP90 R300 shaft. The difference in consistency, trajectory, distance and all round better ball speed, spin, other statistics etc etc was amazing. The consistency of my shots, ability to hit target etc was frankly surprising. They were just so much more suited to me. I can only see my handicap improving if I hit the ball like I did this evening.

Will probably put on order in in the morning. It did prove to me that the AP2's are not as forgiving as I thought they were. I would recommend a trial.

http://www.titleist.co.uk/trial-day-schedule

Sets mind to "wonder mode" again. Posted my reply before i saw this lol.

 

[Lontano]

I wouldn't be surprised if the difference wasn't AP1 v AP2 but XP90 R300 v Dynamic Gold S300. The Dynamic Gold takes a lot of loading and is a heavy old beast, if you are only playing twice a month I'd suspect the shaft before the head as the issue with the club.

I think we went back to trying the XP90 R300 with the AP2 head and still the AP1 was a much better result. Going to mull this one over!

 

[TonyN]

Im in a similar boat to OP. Potentially need some new gear. Not that I cant hit my current irons or need anything more forgiving, I just wonder if the set up still suits me.

I was fitted for everything about 8 years ago and my swing has changed for the better, my misses with my irons are ordinarily left and I wonder if the shaft flex is too weak or something else entirely isn't right.

I'm looking at MP5's and MP25's, but before I touch either, I'm off to see the pro. Booked in for tomorrow morning for an MOT, see what he says.

Maybe a lesson or 2 would sort you out and save you some money

 

[Tashyboy]

I wouldn't be surprised if the difference wasn't AP1 v AP2 but XP90 R300 v Dynamic Gold S300. The Dynamic Gold takes a lot of loading and is a heavy old beast, if you are only playing twice a month I'd suspect the shaft before the head as the issue with the club.

Blue, how do you mean the Dynamic Gold takes a lot of loading and is heavy. That's the clubs/shafts I have and when I was fitted I was told they were ideal for me and " oh we have some in" what's the difference between both shafts you have mentioned. Cheers me man.

 

[RobertB]

Can't fault the new Apex CF16. Not cheap but I found them 1/2-1 club longer than 716ap2. They are daftly long and massively forgiving on mis hits particularly in getting ball out close to the expected yardage.

 

[JohnF]

Blue, how do you mean the Dynamic Gold takes a lot of loading and is heavy. That's the clubs/shafts I have and when I was fitted I was told they were ideal for me and " oh we have some in" what's the difference between both shafts you have mentioned. Cheers me man.

I think the DG S300 weight is 115g, I was the same with the 712 range couldn't get on with ap2 in s300 so bought the ap1 irons with r300 which didn't suit. So ended up going to titleist at Kings Acre to get fitted. 4 swings with the ap1 and Graeme gave me a club fitted with an xp95 s300,

End up with my ap2's in xp95 s300

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Two options. Cheap one is to get a lesson and the other is to go out and try as many forgiving clubs as you can and see if it makes a difference. From what was said in the OP it sounds like it isn't the clubs and just the vagaries of being a handicap golfer

 

[Blue in Munich]

Blue, how do you mean the Dynamic Gold takes a lot of loading and is heavy. That's the clubs/shafts I have and when I was fitted I was told they were ideal for me and " oh we have some in" what's the difference between both shafts you have mentioned. Cheers me man.

http://www.truetemper.com/products/xp-95/

http://www.truetemper.com/products/dynamic-gold/

I think the DG S300 weight is 115g, I was the same with the 712 range couldn't get on with ap2 in s300 so bought the ap1 irons with r300 which didn't suit. So ended up going to titleist at Kings Acre to get fitted. 4 swings with the ap1 and Graeme gave me a club fitted with an xp95 s300,

End up with my ap2's in xp95 s300

DG S300 is 130 grammes with a high flex point & produces a low trajectory. XP90 R300 is 90 grammes with a low flex point & produces a high trajectory. I would describe the DG as being for good ball strikers who need a strong shaft to control flight & trajectory, the XP as being for less skilled players who need a bit of help creating clubbed speed. Tashyboy, without knowing anything about how you swing a club or your game I couldn't possibly say that the DG S300 will or won't suit you, I'd suggest you look at the two descriptions and see which one suits you better.

A couple more thoughts for you; the DG has been around for a good 40 years to my knowledge, club head & ball technology have moved on considerably in that period. Whilst the DG is a fine product and serves a purpose, it is from another era so I wonder how relevant it is in this day & age with the changes in club head and ball design. Seeing how True Temper now have about 4 or 5 variations on it, my guess is that it is not as suited to as many golfers as once it was. I've played the Dynamic Gold pretty much since I started playing. One of my playing partners recently bought a set with a similar clubhead to mine but with the XP shaft in them. As it was a social round, I hit the clubs with the XP shaft in them. When I change my irons, I will be extremely surprised if the have Dynamic Gold shafts in them.

 

[Tashyboy]

Cheers blue, reading that endorses why I want to pop along to gainsboro and have a 90 minute fitting with them. The next clubs I get I want to last a long time. The bit you write about the low trajectory is spot on. I have often wondered why I get a low flight with my irons ( in general).
Cheers mah man.

 

[Snelly]

Go to Ping, get fitted.

I did and the i25 irons are the best I have ever used. I won't change them for at least ten years.