Without seeing your swing speed/tempo/trajectory/dispersion etc. it is very hard to answer this question. However, if your normal average expected carry distance with a 7 iron is around 140-155 yards you are likely better off with a regular. But there are many factors listed above that can determine what is best, also not all "regulars" or "stiffs" are created equally. You can have a very lightweight high launching stiff flex or a heavier low flight regular.

My two cents; stick with the new clubs. The AP3 is much more forgiving than the DCI, and you've got all that new technology built in to the head. Now about those old rifle 6.0 shafts. I had a set of those on a set of Taylor Made RAC blades that I played in the late 90's/early 2000's. I loved them! but I was in my late 40's then and playing to a 2 handicap. When I bought my current irons (png S-55) i ordered them with a 6.0 shaft. That was a mistake.I was almost 60, and those shafts were a little too much for me. I had png ZZ65 stiff shafts put in. Although they're stiff, the 6.0 were too stiff.

Although muscle memory is a hard thing to get away from,I think as time passes your swing will probably slow down naturally, and you'll be better acclimated to your new clubs.

Best of luck.

In very simple terms, without all of the variables of swing quality/ball flight/shot consistency/etc., your shafts flex is partially driven by your swing speed and tempo. Fast, quick swings usually need a stiffer shaft. While slow, smooth swings usually need a softer flex shaft. Of course there are always exceptions to this.

If you swing quickly you may want to look at a stiff shaft that is lighter. You could also lower the swingweight of your irons. I lot of players I know (and have fit/taught) have moved to much lighter shafts and get the firmness as they got older. This may help with your early fatigue.

Steve

I just ordered my second set of irons with AMT R300's. My first set was Titleist AP1 and the new set I ordered is the T-300's. My thoughts on stiff vs. Regular is this. The weight of the shafts are almost the same as is the torque. If you take a 7 iron (Regular Shaft and Stiff shaft) for example and place them side by side you will see that the last step down in the shaft is closer to the club head in a stiff shaft and the step downs in a regular shaft is up the club more or towards the grip end.

I Feel the shaft flex a bit differently with my regular flex and at 63 years of age still hit my 7 iron 155 yards +/_ on any given day.

I hope my story helps you and enjoy the game be safe!!

Stick with the AP3's. Can't beat the new tech built into the head.You'll get used to the softer shafts.Speaking of which, I had a set of Rifle 6.0 shafts in an older set of TM irons. I loved them but I was 46 then. I'm 64 now, and still play stiff shafts, but the Rifle was too stiff.

Good Luck.

Yes, I switched to a softer shaft 2 years ago. I'm 63 and my current index is 7.8. I just got fitted for T100S with NS Pro 880 AMC in Regular flex. The shaft really matches up well with my swing. I think the shaft is way more important than the club head (although I do love the T100S club heads). I really believe in getting the softest shaft you can control. I never want to feel like I have to work to swing a club. My swing speed with driver is 92, which I think matters to a point. During my fitting, I hit a lot of regular shafts and they all felt different and had different results. Shafts in the same flex from different manufacturers all have different weights and bend profiles. Hopefully you don't have to adapt too much and it's just a matter of getting used to the new clubs. Good luck and enjoy chasing that little white ball.

Shaft flex gets too much attention. You should be focusing on the shaft design and how it works with your swing. Then worry about the flex. There are several videos of blind tests of mid to low handicappers with the exact same club/shaft in different flexes, and they couldn't tell which flex they were hitting. I have been to a few thorough iron fittings, and at 58 years old was fitted with 714 AP1's and KBS Tour 90 in stiff and it worked great for me. At 63, I decided I wanted to get the 718 AP1 or AP3 irons before they were discontinued so went through a complete fitting with about 10 different shafts, and sure enough ended up with the same shaft as my previous fitting. My fitter is what I consider one of the best, and he suggested I try the regular flex and think about a smoother swing at my age. He covered the R and S on the shaft with tape, and as long as I didn't try to overswing I ended up with pretty much the same numbers and no loss of distance.

I play AP3s with regular shaft, and I could not be happier.