Titleist 718 AP1 Vs. Titleist T400 Irons Comparison Overview

Titleist T400 Vs. Titleist 718 AP1 Irons Comparison Overview

The Titleist T400 irons have been called the most forgiving irons that the company makes – by the company themselves. However, there are other players on the scene of game-improvement irons from Titleist.

One that has been making some noise as of late is the Titleist 718 AP1 iron set. While both of these irons will enamor you with the classic Titleist good looks, don’t get smitten so quickly. Let us take you through the important differences and performance aspects of these irons first.

Titleist T400 Irons Overview

The Titleist T400 irons share some of the same features as the Titleist 718 AP1 and were built for forgiveness and distance.

One of the similarities between the Titleist 718 AP1 and T400 irons is a hollow body design. This does a lot to help with distance and forgiveness because the hollow design essentially expands the area of the face that actually flexes.

So you get pretty good help with distance with the T400 irons even if you have a moderate swing speed. However, the T400’s weren’t producing the same kind of launch that we got from the Titleist 718 AP1 irons.

While the T400’s didn’t launch low by any means, they certainly weren’t as good at sticking greens as the Titleist 718 AP1’s.

Titleist 718 AP1 Irons Overview

The Titleist 718 AP1 iron set has one of the strongest-lofted 7 irons that the company makes at 30 degrees.

This was a very versatile club for us to use as we were able to land faster greens from farther out. This means that on average, we were pulling out fewer clubs to score with the Titleist 718 AP1 irons. These were a huge asset and they were even more forgiving than the T400’s.

Using the 7 iron as an example again, we found that shots from the toe maintained a surprisingly stable flight path and flew shockingly straight. Very little distance was lost on mis-hits and the high launch provided us with a wealth of opportunities to attack the pin.

The Titleist 718 AP1’s also have a more pleasing look at address for players in the 18+ handicap range. If you are in this range, you can’t go wrong with the Titleist 718 AP1 irons. We were very impressed by them and even though the T400’s will certainly help with distance, the AP1’s are the better overall irons.

Titleist 718 AP1 Irons

Category: Game/Improvement

Titleist T400 Irons

Category: Super Game Improvement Irons/ Distance

Titleist 718 AP1 First Impressions

We were expecting a lot from these irons before we ever hit the course with them simply because they were Titleist irons and we know Titleist to make awesome clubs no matter the category.

We can honestly say that we were impressed with these irons at the end of the day. What struck us the most was the fact that our high handicap testers were able to land more greens.

The Titleist 718 AP1 irons do an amazing job of launching high and landing soft. They produce an ideal descent angle no matter what your skill level is. In short, the Titleist 718 AP1 will help you perform above your handicap.

Our high handicap testers noted better short game control as opposed to the irons they typically use. We honestly weren’t expecting such accuracy around the pin from these game-improvement irons but of course, we were happy to have it.

Titleist T400 First Impressions

The first thing to notice about the T400’s is how chunky the heads of the clubs are.

At address you can tell that they are going to be long and forgiving, they almost look like a hybrid they are so chunky.

Added to that, they have strong lofts that ensure distance as well as forgiving are high on the list of benefits offered by the clubs.

The clubs are progressively sized so as you get to the shorter irons, they are less chunky and more workable.

The split sole system ensures a quality turf interaction and high launching shots while the ball seems to spring off the ultra thin, forged steel face which is also L shaped to ensure higher shots off the lower part of the face.

The clubs are offset so if you do tend to slice the ball they will also be a good fit.

100g’s of Tungsten weighting expands the perimeter of the sweet spot and as you approach the ball it is obvious that they clubs are long and consistent.

Overall first impressions, this is an excellent set for anyone who struggles to hit their irons consistently or any beginners looking for more distance from their irons.

Titleist 718 AP1 Selling Points

Hollow body design in the long irons
Undercut design in the short irons
Pre-worn leading edge
Custom tungsten weighting in each iron
Fairly thin top line for irons in this category

Titleist T400 Irons Selling Points

Large Chunky Irons – Long And Forgiving
Split Sole For Excellent Turf Interaction
Progressive Club Head, Sole And Hosel Sizes
Offset To Eliminate Slices
Strong Loft But High Launching
Ultra Thin, Forged Steel Face

Who are the Titleist 718 AP1 Irons for?

We don’t want to say that these irons are best for high handicappers and beginners because that would be less accurate than saying they are best for high handicappers who are serious about their game.

If you are casual about the game, play a few times a year or aren’t particularly concerned about breaking 100, don’t get these clubs. There are plenty of cheaper irons that would suit you better.

If however you are committed to getting better, the Titleist 718 AP1 irons will work great for you. They provide great distance and surprising short-game control.

The AP1 Family

If you are looking for even more forgiveness then the Titleist 716 AP1 irons would be a good choice. They too feature an undercut cavity but have more perimeter weighting than the Titleist 718 AP1 irons.

This will help preserve ball speed when you hit near the perimeter of the face as opposed to the sweet spot. The 716 AP1 irons also have a more noticeable cavity in the back at point of address.

You can actually see the sole jut out a bit more with the 716 irons which may be a welcome sight to beginners and high handicappers. However, in terms of distance the 716’s come up short of the Titleist 718 AP1 irons.

The lack of a hollow body design in the long irons make the 716’s consistently shorter than the Titleist 718 AP1’s.