I'm like you. I've always been around a 10. Can go either way with blades or more forgiving irons.

I'm not on tour. I CAN work the ball, but score better if I just hit the ball straight. The AP1's are longer and more forgiving. If you are impartial, why play AP2? They are a club shorter and don't go as far if you miss the center of the club face.

Since I got fit for my AP1s last year my game has got much more consistent. I'm down to a 6 for the first time in my life and I still see no reason to start hitting blades.

I'm still playing my 714s, but what I would suggest is going the Titleist Trial route. You can find a course in your area that offers it and either hit the clubs on the range or play a round with them. Granted, they are not clubs that have been fitted for you, but it's an easy way to try before you buy to see which you might want to buy. Then you can get fit for that model.

I recently went from the 714 AP2s to the 716 AP1s. The reverse of what you are considering. Love the feel of the new AP1s and the distance. Am finally getting use to the difference and it is improving my scoring ability, once I figured it out. After all I am a slow learner. Less effort with better results and I can work the AP1s.

Consider a mixed set if you aren't sure about AP2s. I started playing AP2-712s in 2011 when they first came out, PW-5i. At the time I was about a 12-13 handicap. I realized the AP2 5i gave me too much inconsistency after awhile playing with them, but I really hit the shorter AP2s well and loved the smaller blade look and thinner top line. Over time I became extremely confident with the AP2s from PW to 7i, but for a bit more forgiveness, I decided to see if the AP1 6i and 5i might help my game. It did. I bought a 714 AP1 5 and 6 iron off Ebay a couple years ago and used them with no problem, even though I wasn't fit for them. Then last year when I ordered my new irons, I went and got fit. I ended up with new AP2-716s in PW through 7 iron, AP1-716 6 iron and 5 iron, all with the same XP90 shaft and bent 1 degree up. I strengthened the 7 iron by 1 degree to help with the big gap between the The AP1 6i and the AP2 7i. When I hit my AP2 7i on the sweet spot, with a good swing, I don't really feel like I am losing any yardage over an AP1 7i. In my opinion the AP2s are no shorter than the AP1s. Just a little less forgiving. If you hit an AP2 out on the toe with a 7i, you might lose 25 yards. Whereas, that same mishit with an AP1 7i might only lose you 10-15. And very slight misses of the sweetspot with an AP1 show hardly any distance loss. Maybe a couple yards. The AP2s are definitely more workable, and to me, very nice to look at when at address. I feel good with any of my AP2s standing over the ball. My index is now about 9. And since I got the new AP2s last October, it has dropped about a point. I am definitely hitting my new AP2s and AP1s better than my old ones.

Stick with the AP1's , just my 2 cents. Love mine and wouldn't consider any other clubs.

Like you I'm also a 10 HCP and played the 714 AP1s. Went to Manchester Lane earlier this summer to get fitted for some new irons and hybrid, it was time. During the 3 hours of fitting it was decided i should stick with the AP1s. I did try the 716 AP2s and the C16s as well. The Trackman numbers were unreal for the C16s but out of my price range. The AP2s were not very friendly so stuck with the AP1s. The shaft the fitter recommended made the BIGGEST difference IMO...

I would HIGHLY recommend seeing a certified Titleist fitter and go from there.

Best of luck!

I have AP2s and love them. If I was an AP1 guy I wouldn't switch to AP2. The AP1s are stronger in loft which means you'r going to have to learn new distances with AP2s, close to what you hit now but it will be different. AP1 PW = AP2 9i etc. Your misses will not be as generous with the AP2s. Remember, the arrows help but it's the indian that shoots it. Sounds like your arrows are working well when you shoot them. Why change, just because your index is getting lower? Game on, go with what works and improve on that.

I agree with those in the post that if you were able to improve with the AP1 stick with it. I also think that it is important to understand where you want to dial your game in as well as what your typical miss is. I used to play a different brand (that may have been the issue right there ) that was supposed to be more forgiving. However, my miss was typically in distance consistency not related to striking the ball on the sweet spot. I made the change to AP2's and immediately found many more greens in regulation and now have confidence finding the green on shots 170 and in. I went from a 16 to a 10 in the 2 months. It's all about knowing your game and understanding where and how you typically miss and finding gear and coaching to accommodate and help improve those weak areas. Either way, you can't go wrong with Titleist product. It's so solid I have been in the process of fully updating the bag :)