My advise would be to do a Titleist Thursday and try multiple models. If you are already used to the AP2, the T400 will be a significantly different club with more offset and thicker sole. You might find the T200 a better solution. Only you will know for sure so get out there and hit all of them. Have fun and good luck.

I too am a decent senior player and competitor, though not scratch. (Lower single digits.) I play or practice just about everyday (but, haven't been allowed to since my state government shut everything down a month ago). I played most versions of the AP2, beginning back in 2010. At the end of last year, after a Titleist fitting where I hit both the T200 and T100, the fitter suggested that I could go with either since I hit them equally well. Obviously, my distance numbers were a bit better with the 200s due to the stronger lofts. I had good numbers with both, so it was more about how they felt to me. However, he did suggest I might want to consider the T200, for the same reason you have suggested---forgiveness---since I ain't getting any younger.

I actually thought about a T100/T200 combo set, but for reasons I won't go into deeply here, I opted against it. Let's just say I had tried an AP2/AP3 combo set previously and was never happy with the gapping, no matter how I bent lofts. As a result I often played two 7 irons. I did not want to have to do that again. So in the end I went with the T200s. At address, they look as small as the AP2s I previously played. They are definitely not the least bit clunky.

Frankly, as much as I like the 200s now, I wish I had known about the 100•S "Players Distance" (stronger lofted) version that was to be launched a few months later. Though the T200s work well for me today and are quite forgiving in the longer irons, I still miss the feel, look and control of the AP2/T100 forged irons, so am now considering adding PW-7i in the T100•S model. A T100•S/T200 combo set should work together nicely from a gapping perspective. Being a strong player yourself, I think, at the very least, you might want to consider this idea too.

One thing I will bet money on, you are NOT a T400 guy!

Doug, I'm in mid 60's and although I don't play competitively anymore, I still play to a 6. iPlayed blades most of my life, and currently play png S-55 irons.

I was in DIck's sporting goods before everything shut down, and the first club I picked up was the T200. Although I liked the look of the top line, the blade looked really long. I picked up the T100, and indeed, the T200 blade was longer.

When you were testing both models, did theT200 blade seem long at address?

Yes, the T200 blade length is slightly longer, though not extremely noticeable until you put it side by side with the T100. It's one reason I am considering the T100•S for my short irons. I like the slightly more compact look and believe I can be more precise with them. But, honestly, the T200 has been good for me otherwise.

Same thing happened to me when I bought my T200’s. I wanted to combo the set but gapping wasn’t perfect with the t100 at the time. Soon as I can get back to a shop and schedule a fitting I’m thinking of adding the 100s 7-pw as well.

Hello Doug, I currently own 2012 AP1 irons with S flex graphite shafts. I am 68 and shoot mid to high 80’s. I want to upgrade and was looking for suggestions. Thank you, Sandy Jamesen

First off, Sandy, I will say you should be custom fit for whatever clubs you want to replace, just like everyone else will tell you here. I was fit myself, but frankly, IMO, fitting is only part of the process.

That being said, the Titleist irons (and shafts) I might suggest, would be greatly dependent on your swing, not your scores. Having no idea what your swing looks like, I can only recommend you do some homework first.

Personally, I am a seat-of-the-pants type player, so I don't put too much stock in launch monitors for irons. For me, they can cloud the issue more than my simple mind can handle. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in the data I can glean using one. I do take all the numbers into consideration. They certainly can be helpful. It's just that I don't want to pick an iron simply based on numbers created while hitting from a controlled environment. That's not where I play golf. So, feel and consistency are what matter most to me. I like the numbers to confirm what I feel.

In my own case, even back when I was a mid-capper, I could not wrap my head around clunky, game-improvement style irons. I knew the AP1 was probably a safer club for me, but I had so much more confidence standing over an AP2. So that's what I chose. Using the forged, players-style AP2 day in and day out, gave me so much better feedback, and as a result, I became a much improved ball striker. (Coupled with some swing tweaks along the way, for sure.)

Maybe for you, having played the game improvement-style AP1 for so long, a players-style club like the T100 might be uncomfortable. Maybe not. There's a good way to find out. Demos are available through many Titleist dealer pro shops. I would try the T100•S, T200 and T300. If you find they all feel good to you and are comfortable with all three (or even only one or two of them), then go get fit to find which you hit most consistently and to optimize them with the best shafts, lofts, lies, lengths and grips for you and your swing.