Well bud, first off the AP1 is a great golf club! Its been seen in Many pga tour winners and Major Championship winners bags over the years. Especially the long irons have been mixed in combo sets for the tour players here and there. Honestly I wouldn't get too worried about it. Ap1 or Ap3 kinda give off the same vibe anyway and they are both good clubs!

If you're gonna invest in golf clubs, you should invest in the ones that you feel the most comfortable with! For some people thats game improvement, and others thats a set of blades! I know a ton of players out there in this world who should be using "game improvement" but sacrifice some performance for what they'd rather look at and use a more "players' iron as they say. Its your money and your game! You need to be happy when you set them down behind a ball to hit a shot! Buy whatever clubs you want, just make sure they have the script!

Play what you can hit well. When I got fit last year for new irons, they recommended regular flex shafts, talk about a kick in the golf balls.

Well, the AP1 is the most forgiving Titleist iron, but is certainly not a super game improvement iron. Some of the former Adams irons and most of the G-series from png have serious sole interaction designs to minimize fat shots. Tom Watson is known for wearing a spot the size of a dime on his irons. Most of us on this site fall somewhere in-between. So does the AP1. If you can save 2-3 strokes a round with the AP1 over a players' iron, what's not to love?

I just had a Titleist Thursday fitting, and one thing I took away was "the ball never lies"......


Madhatter

KJ, to quote you, kick your ego to the curb. I left out the stupid part because it's not stupid. It's just a revelation that many of us have had. If there's a better looking, better feeling iron in that class, let me know.

The AP1 is a great golf club and forgiving. Actually, I had the same experience about a year ago and ended up purchasing a combo set of AP1 and AP3. I could not be happier with my decision.

I’m with Frank P here. I play the AP2’s and I’m an 8hc. I fell in love with the forged feel and they offered a good amount of forgiveness for me, but sometimes I wish I went with the AP3’s

Your ego will learn to love your new clubs when you show it lower scores on your scorecards...

Just be sure to complete the fitting process.

I was in the same boat. 10-11 handicap looking to upgrade my old DCI blacks. The AP1 7 iron, to me, was a miracle club. I was hitting that thing 192 yards at the fitting. Problem was, I was only hitting the AP1 5 iron 197. To me, I couldn't get past the slightly bigger, game improvement look.

I ended up with the AP3s with much better yardage spacing and to me at least, a more traditional look. Still getting use to the extra yardage. It's about 2 clubs compared to my 20+ year old DCIs.

Golf is played in your head as much as it is on the course. If you are torn between the two, go with what you like. The confidence it gives you will help in the long run.

Fitted last year for 1st time when I upgraded. AP3 irons w/ white shafts. 2 degree bend. Hitting the ball further and straighter than ever. Took about 27 holes or so to figure out the distance difference. I will say this. You can feel it a lot more when you’re hitting a good or bad shot. If you want the AP3 irons, get them. If you learn how to play better by using them it becomes beneficial. What the club looks/feels like at point of address is important to me. If I don’t like the way it looks, I won’t buy it, I will learn how to hit the club I want. Psychologically it screws w me if the iron looks too "chunky" for a lack of better term. I prefer the look and feel of a club that leans more towards a blade. I’m hitting my irons so well as of late, I actually shelved my 818 and added my 3 iron to the bag.

I’m close to 40, I feel like I’m hitting hitting the distances I did when I was in my 20’s with these new irons, but much more consistent, lol.

My father plays the AP1 irons and loves them, BTW.

Forget the ego, AP1's are an excellent club and a Certified Titleist fitter will never take you down the wrong road.

I have never liked it when they label a iron as a game improvement iron. It makes it sound like you need help and can’t play a “players” iron. It’s all rubbish if you ask me. They design different styles on irons for different players. We are all like different looks and feels of clubs and grips and shafts and one isn’t a lower class if it’s what you game the best. It’s just the right fit for you. Play your Ap1s and watch your handicap go down. Hit they straight and have fun.

Think yourself lucky Trevor P, at my Titleist Thursday fitting last week I've been told and shown that a Senior Flex shaft is best for me...….if it works.....


Madhatter

You're probably over-thinking this... The shaft is obviously as expected but the label on the head is different...
It's still Titleist!!
Have you considered a combo set, mixing AP1 or AP3 for the longer irons & AP2 for the short irons??
Works for my set, though I've gone AP3 & AP2.
JT

I played forged miz’s before my 1st set of AP1’s recognizing I need more help and forgiveness. To me AP1 doesn’t look like game improvement irons from TM, png, and Cobra. Still much more classic look.

After owning the original 2008’s and 714’s I got fitted last summer for the 718’s, at 64 y/o and an 8 hdcp. My fitter (about 30y/o) recommended stiff graphite shafts. I told him I had always thought graphite irons were for old guys. He asked me how old I was!

Needless to say I parked my vanity and ego and it was the best decision I could have made.

As others have noted, bag the irons you want to play.

As far as AP1s, I recently switched from 714 AP2s to 718 AP1s. I’m currently playing to a 12 hdcp and overhauling my swing.

I’m glad I made the switch.

I still play forged because I love the instant feedback. I know I sacrifice distance but feel is more important to me. Choose the club that says "hit me " and you can't go wrong.

I still play forged because I love the instant feedback. I know I sacrifice distance but feel is more important to me. Choose the club that says "hit me " and you can't go wrong.

If you want AP3s get fit for AP3s. If you aren't sure what you want go test all of them. You may like one thing more than the other but what you end up with may not be what you think. If you don't truly believe in what you get you won't get the most out of it. Total confidence in the clubs you use is a big factor! When I got fit for my 716 AP2s I knew I wanted AP2s. I tried the 716 AP1 and smashed it but I didn't like how large the face looked, the top line and how strong they were. I got more distance obviously because they were stronger but I was more comfortable with the AP2s. In the end I did get what I was more comfortable with and had more confidence with. I also wanted graphite shafts for more feedback during my swing and at impact and got fit for that! Player irons or game improvement irons...don't worry about the label, worry about what you're comfortable with and what you will have total confidence in.

Compare the numbers between the clubs. That should help you make a decision. At some point in our golfing lives we will probably hitting regular or senior shafts.