Iron fitting

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By Peter L

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  • 12 Replies
  1. Peter L

    Peter L
    Steubenville, OH

    Dear Titleist concierge, I was fitted for a set of 718 AP2’s back in late October 2017. The fitter at Golf Galaxy put me in the project x lz 5.5 shaft. I have used a stiff shaft in every club I have hit for the last 15 years. The fitter told me the 5.5’s were an in between flex and were closer to a stiff shaft than a regular flex. Because of the weather in my area, I haven’t had a chance to play the irons until this weekend. When I used my irons, I struck the ball well but I have lost 10-12 yards on every club! I am completely freaking out because I spent a lot of money for a set of irons that I know does not suit my swing. I have only played 2 rounds with them and was wondering if there was something that could be done , so I could swap out or exchange the shafts for the stiff flex because I love the clubs so much and I don’t want to waste such a great set of irons! Please help!

  2. Doug E

    Doug E
    Urbana, MD

    What irons were you playing before? If they're a game improvement style, AP2s are much weaker lofted than your typical GI iron. A 7 iron is 34* in an AP2. A 7i in some GI irons can be 30*. That's a 10 yard difference due to loft, not flex. I'm no expert on shafts, but it is doubtful that you will see a 10 yard difference in iron distance between regular and stiff. I have switched back and forth between the two different flexes in various clubs I carry. The only difference I notice is a less optimal ball flight with the stiff if I don't hit it as well as I should. Distance is very similar to a regular flex, otherwise. FWIW, I play AP2s and AP3s. My AP2 7i (34*) is 5-10 yards shorter than my AP3 7i (31*). Same shaft flex and brand in both.
  3. Edward K

    Edward K
    Wesley Chapel, FL

    Military
    As Doug said, check the lofts, and length. And keep in mind, we all have several versions of our swing. I have an A and a B swing. Yesterday A showed up and was a full club longer than B, the guy that usually shows up. Then a few times a year A+ shows up and really stirs the pot the wrong way......LOL
  4. Peter L

    Peter L
    Steubenville, OH

    Almost identical lofts for the different irons
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  5. Andrew E

    Andrew E

    I agree with Doug here, it really depends on the difference in loft. AP2s are not meant to be 'distance' irons, so when switching from a game improvement club to a players' iron, a 6i is going to be closer to your old 7i (obviously, this depends on a model to model comparison). When I went through the fitting process for my AP3s, my fitter agreed that the shaft is really going to affect ball flight more than anything -- whether left/right for too soft a flex, as well as launch angles and such. Nevertheless, he did not in any way feel the shaft would make a significant impact for me (a mid-handicapper). In your situation, I would simply club up! If you like the feel, the ball flight, etc.. the stamp on the club should make no difference.
  6. jonathan s

    jonathan s
    Indianapolis, IN

    Shaft flex won't create a 10-12 yard loss in distance. I agree with the earlier reply, the clubs you played originally were somehow different (either loft and/or spin characteristic) than the AP2 irons you have now. Additionally, I'm always skeptical about claims of distance as most only have an estimate for the yardage that they hit their clubs (carry & total). I would encourage you to take a long, mid, and short iron from each set and hit them on a launch monitor. Compare the distance keeping the loft in mind but also look a spin, launch/descent angle because these are the characteristics that will allow you to hold a green.

    Trust me, you have a solid set of irons.
  7. Andrew E

    Andrew E

    I agree with Doug here, it really depends on the difference in loft. AP2s are not meant to be 'distance' irons, so when switching from a game improvement club to a players' iron, a 6i is going to be closer to your old 7i (obviously, this depends on a model to model comparison). When I went through the fitting process for my AP3s, my fitter agreed that the shaft is really going to affect ball flight more than anything -- whether left/right for too soft a flex, as well as launch angles and such. Nevertheless, he did not in any way feel the shaft would make a significant impact for me (a mid-handicapper). In your situation, I would simply club up! If you like the feel, the ball flight, etc.. the stamp on the club should make no difference.
  8. Adam E

    Adam E

    Well put Doug. That was my first thought.
  9. 19hole

    19hole
    Reading, MA

    I would expect the opposite to happen. Getting a stiffer shaft than your swing needs usually is the cause of lost distance. With a softer shaft, I expect the biggest issue to be lack of control over the ball with a huge amount of shot dispersion.
  10. Dale V

    Dale V
    Surprise AZ

    Peter, probably too late for Golf Galaxy to do much except give you a discount on a trade. I always recommend folks get fitted by Titleist in an outdoor environment like a Titleist Thursday where you get good TrackMan numbers and a visual feedback. Accept the lessons learned and move into a better fit that will make you much happier in the long run.
  11. Jeff K

    Jeff K

    Hi Peter, I'm happy to disagree with those above who say you won't lose 10 yards in distance due to flex. When I got fitted for my new clubs last year I went to a Titleist centre and had a 2 hour fitting. This was mainly on irons since I had previously been fitted for a driver and 3 wood.

    I tried abou 8 or 9 different shafts with the AP2 7 iron head. The range on the distance was from about 145 m to 162 m, so about 17 m (around 19 yards). I've excluded the really bad shots that went almost nowhere. I found that some shafts just didn't give me any length even though I felt like I hit the ball well. Ended up with Nippon 880's fitted to C16's.
  12. Peter L

    Peter L
    Steubenville, OH

    Thanks Jeff! I have since sent my clubs back to Titleist to switch out my shafts back to the stiff flex I usually play. The woman from customer service gave me great advice and I set up a swap out due to a mis-fitting. I’m now eagerly awaiting the return of my clubs! Hit ‘me straight!
  13. Jason S

    Jason S
    Wausau, WI

    Give them a chance a little longer. I know I lose a club of distance each spring not playing through the winter. Work your way back into your regular playing swing.

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