Club Test 2011: Titleist AP2 Irons

From Golf Magazine (April 2011)

Category: Tour Irons
We tested: 3-PW with True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shaft

Key Technologies: The multi-material head has a medallion in the cavity (made of soft elastomer and aluminum plate) that enhances sound and softens feel versus the original AP2. A 55-gram slug along the length of the sole adds a bit of forgiveness.

OUR TESTERS SAY: One of the top-rated clubs. Testers experience a delightful balance of look, feel and workability in an understated package.

PROS
PLAYABILITY: A real ballstriker's iron -- overriding theme is to dial it up and hit the shot you imagine.

ACCURACY/FORGIVENESS: Testers are excited to be in control on slight off-center hits -- they miss the target by no more than a few yards.

DISTANCE CONTROL: Dead-on distances across the board for the majority of testers.

FEEL: Superb feel for those thirsting for soft yet crisp contact; lovely sensation around the greens as well.

LOOK: Neat, clean head with subtle but useful technology wrapped in a tidy package.

CONS
Some testers struggle with knockdown shots; short irons are a challenge to dial in for a few testers.

From Golf Magazine (ClubTest, March 2010)

Category: Better-Player Irons
We tested: 3-PW with True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shaft

Company line: "The AP2 is a multi-material, dual-cavity design aimed at serious golfers who want greatly enhanced feel with Tour-like performance. Extensive analysis of sound and vibration enable us to take the quality of impact feel to a new level. A 55-gram tungsten-nickel sole weight further enhances feel and forgiveness."

Our Testers say:
PROS: Among the top performers in the group; scores very high for forgiveness and accuracy; long irons are easy to hit and provide a surprisingly high trajectory; pleasing shape and look are a big plus; average to above-average distance throughout the set; a number of panelists said they’d like to buy it.

CONS: Some testers find it difficult to determine for certain that this version is significantly better than the previous AP2; acceptable impact feel, just not as rewarding as traditional forgings.

$999, steel

More Irons on Golf.com

Better-player irons
Game-improvement irons
Max game-improvement irons