Martin Hopley
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It's easy for me to say this now, but following the launch of the 716 AP1 and 716 AP2 irons I did come away thinking that Titleist could do with an iron between the two.

When I go to these launches I go through a fitting process and with the 716 irons I was prescribed with AP2 from 5 to PW and an AP1 4-iron which was not only more forgiving, but easier to hit and went further, so why wouldn't you?

However the 4-iron in AP1 looks significantly bigger at address with much more offset, whereas in AP2 it looks a little small.

Enter the Titleist 718 AP3 iron which despite the numbering sits in size between AP1 and AP2, or maybe it is their love child where 1 + 2 = 3?

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

The gap has been created by AP2 staying the same head size since it was introduced in 2008 and AP1 getting bigger as technology advances.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

The AP3 is really for those who found the AP2 or the similar sized T-MB a little too compact to be consistent with and joins an ever growing sector of the market I would call 'players improvement' irons. Titleist has grouped it with the 718 T-MB and 718 AP1 as one of their 'Distance' irons because of its forgiveness and unsupported face design.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

At address it still has the same classic Titleist lines, but in a mid-sized head that gives you more confidence at address.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

The head uses a hollow blade construction with a cavity behind the Titleist badge is and an undercut design that changes as you go through the set.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

With the 3 to 7 irons the cast 17-4 stainless steel body has high density tungsten weights hidden in the heel and toe to help with stability. These total 78 grams and equal a third of the total weight of the head.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

The face insert is High Strength Steel in a L-face shape so that the leading edge wraps around the sole of the club to take the join behind the face and improve ball speed from lower strikes.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

The 8 and 9 irons use the same chassis, but the face insert is also 17-4 stainless steel and in the two set wedges it is a solid 17-4 steel body and face.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

Throughout the set the design has a pre-worn leading edge for better turf interaction and a bottom heavy sole that sees the lower half of the head have a 'J' look to it from the toe side.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

This is what gives the AP3 it's forgiveness and launch and the face construction gives it the speed. The lofts in the 3 to 9 iron are 1° weaker than AP1 so you will need care if blending the sets.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

You can also blend the AP3 into AP2 sets, but again the AP3 are 2° stronger in 3-6 irons and 3° in 7 to PW so it is possible, but you may end up with two clubs of the same number from different sets that have different lofts.

In those short and mid irons the sound and feel is excellent and if you are used to the feel of the forged AP2 then I don't think you will notice much difference, apart from the fact that they are more forgiving.

It really is very easy to slip into the 718 AP3 if you have used AP2 or TM-B in the past, as it looks the same, but is bigger, without being oversized.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

In the longer irons from 5 upwards then the larger size of the cavity does make it sound a little hollower, but this is the only compromise and better players should not be put off by the top lines which start to look thin given the longer heads.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

Going through the same fitting process again, the AP3 was outperforming AP2 for consistency of distance and that will be the benefit of that larger head.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

The stock shaft is the True Temper AMT Tour Black that is an ascending mass shaft that is lighter in the long irons and gets heavier as you move to the short irons, but there are also many other options available through Titleist custom fitting.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

Many low single figure players like myself you would have gone for AP2 in the past because that was the only real option for players' forgiveness. The AP2 is the number one iron on Tour and the word 'Tour' is the key here because really the AP2 is forgiving in their world.

For good amateurs, I would suggest that AP3 is where you start now because you can get the same feel and looks with more forgiveness. If Adam Scott is using AP3s in his set, then you know you should be looking at these too.

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons

As I mentioned the longer irons were looking a touch thin for their size, so in the fitting we compared them to the 718 AP1 5 and 4 iron and the consistency and extra distance from the larger heads made them the better choice for a blended set for me.

Whether you go this far or not, the Titleist 718 AP3s is where most single figure golfers should start their journey. The mid-sized head combines feel and forgiveness in a classic shape with good looks and the AP3 could surprise Titleist and become one of their leading models.

Golfalot Rating: 5 stars
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Titleist 718 AP3 Iron

Titleist 718 AP3 Irons - Product Details

UK Launch29 September 2017
UK Launch RRP£1050
USA Launch29 September 2017
USA Launch RRP$1137.50
European Launch29 September 2017
European Launch RRP€1260
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
ManufactureCast
MaterialSteel
Shaft NameTrue Temper AMT Black
Shaft TypesSteel
Shaft FlexRegular, Stiff
DesignCavity Back
Set Makeup4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW
Additional Clubs3, GW
Manufacturer's WebsiteTitleist Website

User Reviews

Dave H
May 2019

The AP3s are great. They are easy to launch...they spin and the feel is great. I read reviews that they were "clicky"... I didn't find that at all. I love that they look like a blade from the top down but give you the confidence to take a good go at the ball. I like them better than the TMB line which I didn't like the feel of. I am surprised there isn't more buzz about these.

Viking
June 2018

Just purchased a set of AP3 irons 4-pw. These new irons replaced my Mizuno JPX850 irons wich have been great for me but time to move on to something that would give me a bit more assistance.
After testing a few options the AP3 was the choice. It is defintly a little longer than the Mizuno and to be honest felt similar to hit. I also liked the sound and they way it looks at address. As a single figure handicapper I am hoping to see a bit more length in my game and maybe a bit more consistency with these irons which will hopefully mean dropping maybe a shot or 2 over time.

Martin Di Lorenzo
April 2018

Last two weeks I read everything I could about these irons. I returned to golf after 10 years, and my Ping i3 O-size felt outdated and very difficult to me, and I wanted to return to Titleist (my wife stole my DCIs, and she is not willing to return them). From what I read, I was in doubt that this great looking irons were for me, since was not clear to me what you guys mean with "mid handicapper". I used to play 18, I guess I am at 28 today, but recovering. From all the articles, reviews and video I got, it was clear to me that I was not represented by the hitters: all of the testers seems to play below 10. So, I decided to try myself AP1 with R300 shaft, AP3 R300 and AP3 S300. AP1 was incredible forgiving, but the dispersión was considerable and fly was higher than expected. AP3 in regular shaft was a surprisse. The same forgiveness, really. Much less dispersion, a little lower flight and a great return information on miss hits. I mean, I was not only well aware if I struck it bad, but also where in the face I hit it. AP3 with S300 was my final choice. Probably 3 to 5 yards shorter, but very accurate, same forgiveness and I was able to work the ball most of the times. So, if you, like me, are in doubt if AP3´s are a good choice to players up to 25-28, fear no more. Try them and see for yourself, Titleist did and incredible job on this one.

James
February 2018

I recently purchased the new 718 AP2 iron set. The selection process wasn’t easy, but staying true to what I want to feel with my clubs, the decision was pretty simple. I’ve played forged irons for most of my 35+ years. Although AP3 was about 5-8 yards longer, but I really didn’t care for the “spring board” or “trampoline” feel. What was really important to me was the pure silky feel only forged irons could deliver. The AP3 felt good off the face, but there is absolutely no way you could say that “you can get the same feel” from the 718 AP3 as you would would from the AP2, the feel between the two models are quite different. Couple of things to note that might help players make a more informed decision; - AP3 with low spin runs out more. It was approximately 12 feet average. - if you have a high ball flight, it might help a tad, but the your ball will release and run out more than the AP2’s. I ultimately chose the AP2 primarily due to buttery feel. Distance is important to a degree, but if I have to compromise and guess how much the ball will run out especially during summer when the greens are firmer and drier, I know that I would want the ball to drop, spin, and stop as soon as possible. In my opinion, as a 1 handicap, the AP2 offer the control I want in a set of irons. AP3 is a compelling iron set, but it’s still a cast iron set with the springy feel off the face. If you want to sacrifice feel over distance whether you want it or not, AP3 is certainly a club for you. I would absolutely recommend getting fitted if you are trying to decide between the AP2s and AP3s.

cazo
January 2018

You suggest the AP3 for amateurs because of the same feel and looks and more forgiveness, however AP3 is not forged so how can you have the same feel as the AP2? Thank you.

GOLFALOT: An iron does not necessarily have to be forged to feel good and to me, the AP3 felt as good as AP2, which is also a cavity back iron. Try them both and see which you prefer.

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