August 21, 2013 At 03:03 PM By John H
John HChillicothe, OH
I was woundering if titleist offerd any clubs for the higher handicapper . such as driver 3wood irons and wedges.
andrew FBelton, TX
hey john,
Titleist does offer clubs for the 20+ handicappers, they are the ap1 irons they feature a thicker top line and a wider sole.
Don OMadison, WI
The adjustable clubs (D/F/H) can have their loft increased from labeled to +0.75 which will change the face from 0.5 open to 0.5 closed, which is a reasonable "draw" club in comparison. Not quite as much offset as some of the other vendors for their GI metals. Increasing lie also tends to improve the dreaded slice. Because Titleist offers 8.5/9.5/10.5/12 degree drivers, and fairways of 13.5/15/17/19/21 (3P/3/4/5/7 woods) and hybrids of 17/19/21/24/27 (1/2/3/4/5 irons), these options can be better than the offerings of "draw" drivers but are only in 9.5 and 10.5 lofts. ...Especially left-handed, typically there are only 9.5/10.5 drivers, and 3/5 woods, and 2/3 hybrids.
The AP1's are great game improvement irons, but don't qualify in the same category as the wide-bottom clubs labeled super game improvement. Starting with the Bassara shafts Titleist can fit any swing speed. The AP irons can include P and W (gap) wedges, and a Vokey sand wedge can have a corresponding shaft fitted.
My own experience starting at age 59 was that if I couldn't hit the AP1/game improvement irons, super game improvement only decreased the level of the hole I was digging on a fat hit. The ball won't go further. Golf balls designed to reduce side spin (slice/hooks) and super game improvement irons can only do so much before lessons/practice are necessary to get to a next level. With the exception of the G series from png, it is hard to get a super game improvement fitted - generally only offered off the rack. The G series tries to not be called sgi, but they do have the soul/sole of one. IMHO... LOL.
I'm confident that getting fitted with Titleist has only helped, not hurt my scores. Curing swinging over the top did more than any club change, however.
Lou GSan Diego, CA
August 21, 2013 At 03:03 PM
The AP1 irons and a non-traditional (anything other than 1-3-5 woods, 3-PW, SW, LW) setup.
Quite personally, the bag setup more suited to a high handicapper would be 12* driver, 17 and 21 fairways, 24 and 27 hybrids, AP1 6-PW and Vokey wedges.
One reason I mention a 17 fairway is because a 15 fairway is not easy to hit off the ground. I also mention using a 21 fairway vs the same loft hybrid or iron is because it is much easier to launch.
You want to use 24 and 27 hybrids in place of the 4 and 5 irons because they are much easier to hit.
I play to about a 12 handicap (my average golf score on a par 72 is 85 and about 3 strokes over par on 9 hole exec courses; best score on either layout is 1 stroke over par for 9) and my set makeup is 13* draw driver, 910F 19* fairway, SQ 5-7 hybrids, AP1 8-PW, SM4 wedges (54-11 and 60-10 bent 1* strong and 64-07). I probably couldn't break 100 with a traditional golf setup.
It also depends on the reason for one's high handicap. My two cents is that someone should have a reasonable grasp of fundamentals before spending over $2000 on clubs and $500 on a 360* fitting. Used clubs can also be fitted for a reasonably low price.
19holeReading, MA
Titleist makes a very broad range of Irons, Drivers, Hybrids and Fairway clibs. There are irons (AP1) that are player improvement clubs that would suit a higher handicap player. The drivers are available in various lofts and shafts as are the fairwways and hybrids.
Spend some time with your local PGA Professional who is also a Titleist certified fitter and you will get the right setup for your game!
Best of Luck....
The AP1s are very workable irons. The thing about Png, TM, OS and the other super duper game improvement irons is they are not bendable. An AP1 can be bent +/- 2* in lie angle and loft. TM and OS irons are generally off the shelf. Png are fittable.
Concur with others. You need to go to a fitter to see what works and the best set makeup.
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