Puzzled by 716 AP1 Experience

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By Edwin K

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  • 3 Replies
  1. Edwin K

    Edwin K

    Today at my local Golfsmith I picked up a Titleist 716 AP1 5 iron and a cally XR-1 5 iron - both graphite shafts - to hit some balls while I was having my putter re-gripped. I was absolutely killing the Titleist, the ball exploding off the club and traveling dead straight. My experience with the cally, whose head is similar to the Titleist, was not even close. I asked one of the associates why the big difference in results. He looked at the clubs and said the Titleist has an A flex senior shaft; "it must be really kicking for you". Since I forgot my reading glasses, I never tried to read the flex on the clubs (the cally was a regular flex).

    This shocked me. Granted I'm 64, but I typically hit my 7 iron 150 yards and my drives about 235, so I never dreampt a senior flex would be right for me. Was this an anamoly? Could it make any sense at all?

  2. Robert C

    Robert C
    Maryland

    It definitely could make sense. I know I had a similar experience a few years back going from Stiff to Regular. And I'm at the point now wondering if maybe I should at least test the A flex shafts against m R.

    I have very similar distances to what you listed, maybe 10 yards less on the driver, but close.

    It's very possible that that extra flex is really working for you. If you are in the market for new irons, I'd definitely see if you could get fit and have the fitter test both for you.
  3. Robert J

    Robert J

    Interestingly I had the same experience when hitting a friends new png G irons with a "soft regular" shaft. I am 72 with a 5 handicap and have played stiff shafts all my life. As soon as I hit his clubs they went dead straight and as far as my clubs with no feeling of being too whippy. I had the feeling I did not have to hit the ball hard which probably gave me better tempo. My swing speed is still easily in the regular shaft range so it was a shock to have the shaft feel so good. I have ordered a png I 5iron (sorry Titleist) just to test the shaft out in play. It would be very interesting to see the high speed camera frames of the shaft bend as that would probably hold some answers.
  4. DV

    DV

    EK

    Your expereince with the AP1 5 very well may have been attributed to the "A" shaft flex. But before you mive on, you must be aware that the 716AP1s are Titleist's longest clubs. They put a lot of tungsten weight in the toe&heel of their 4 thru 7 irons. To keep the ball from ballooning they also strenghtened the lofts so that a 5 iron is actually equivalent to most other clubs 4 iron. What I would do if I were you would be to compare a 716 AP1 5 iron with an "A" flex with the 716 AP1 5 iron "S" flex shaft to see if the "A" flex was giving you more distance than the "S" flex shaft or was it due to the fact the 716 AP1 has a stronger loft than what you're use to. This is the only way you would know for sure if the shaft flex was actually given you more distance or was it due to the strengthened lofts.

    DV

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