Titleist 718 AP2 Vs. Titleist 718 AP1 Irons Comparison Overview

We always find it fun to compare the performance of irons that are in different categories. That’s because more often than not, we find that there are key similarities between iron sets that are seemingly night and day.

To that end, we went out and tested the Titleist 718 AP1 irons against the Titleist 718 AP2 irons. Keep in mind that the Titleist 718 AP2 irons are “tour validated” irons meant for advanced players while the Titleist 718 AP1’s are game-improvement irons. Are there any shocking similarities between them? Let’s find out!

Titleist 718 AP2 Irons Overview

The Titleist 718 AP2 irons give you pretty much everything you would expect from a set of player’s performance irons.

Namely, strong lofts and the excellent feel that better players prefer. The shaping is also right in line with what we’ve come to expect from Titleist player’s performance irons: short blade lengths, thin top lines and compact heads.

The Titleist 718 AP2 irons are also forged for amazing feel and incredible consistency. Our testers also found these irons to be surprisingly forgiving thanks to the perimeter tungsten weighting. The Titleist 718 AP2’s were also great for landing fast greens with the longer irons.

Titleist 718 AP1 Irons Overview

In terms of similarities, we would say that the Titleist 718 AP1’s have a surprising loft profile.

For game-improvement irons, these are strong-lofted clubs. While our testers did note relatively low spin rates, they were still able to stick greens thanks to great apex height and steep angles of descent. The 7 iron will give you just over 45 degrees descent on average which is right where you want to be.

While the longer AP2 irons were certainly better for sticking greens than those of the AP1 set, the 4-iron of the Titleist 718 AP1 set was on-line with a descent angle at around 43 degrees on average – very respectable for a 4-iron in a set like this.

The Titleist 718 AP1’s are also very forgiving and provide a stable ball flight. Even if you tend to hit near the toe, the tungsten weighting will help keep things on-line.

In this case at least, there were no shocking surprises. The Titleist 718 AP1’s perform how you would expect: long and forgiving. The AP2’s are better for low handicappers seeking more workability. As far as game-improvement clubs go though, we were very impressed with the approach performance of the AP1’s.

Titleist 718 AP1 Irons

Category: Game/Improvement

Titleist AP2 718 Irons

Category: Tour Irons

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 AP2 718 Irons First Impressions

The Titleist AP2 718 irons look great at point of address with a clean muscle back design.

We tested the long irons first so we noticed right off the bat how low and central the CG was. This provided us with easy and instantaneous launch.

We also noticed that the brushed soles smoothed out turf interaction.

However, we forgot that we were playing a tour-grade iron almost immediately. The explosive faces make these feel almost like distance irons.

It’s only when you compare the head size to other irons that you realize just how small the AP2’s are.

The Titleist AP2 718 irons have a nice forged feel thanks to carbon steel, co-molded construction.

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 AP2 718 Selling Points

  • 1025 carbon steel body
  • Infused tungsten weights
  • Low, central CG
  • Good launch throughout the set
  • Great turf interaction
  • Good short game accuracy

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.

Distance: 94/100

Accuracy: 97/100

Forgiveness: 94/100

Feel & Control: 94/100

Overall Score: 96/100

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Who are the Titleist AP2 718 Irons for?

It should be noted that the Titleist AP2 718 irons would be best suited to  experienced players in the 0-5 handicap range.

And it’s not only about the smaller heads. The shorter irons are a bit stunted in feel but that is only because of the beefier sole from the 8 iron on.

This shouldn’t be a problem for players who can make consistent contact with the ball but it could throw off less experienced players.

That being said, the Titleist AP2 718 would also be a great option for anyone looking for a forged iron that plays very surprisingly long and fast.

The Titleist AP Irons

As we mentioned earlier, the AP2’s are the smallest in the AP family. The AP1’s will be the most comfortable for mid to low handicap players but lack the short game accuracy of its counterparts.

Distance: 95/100

Accuracy: 93/100

Forgiveness: 91/100

Feel & Control: 92/100

Overall Score: 93/100

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