G15's kicked out and A1's did it

[takafam]

New irons

I just got my AP1's yesterday and this experience is what I expected with my G15's. From the moment I got the G15's I was in love with them because I'm a PING lover but they didn't love me back and no matter how many dates I took them on they just wouldn't love me. I tried for months to make them work. Talk about embrassment with my wife, father in law and all my golf buddies, especially the ones that have G15's and are in love with them, all the friendly comments about maybe just needing a lesson or what I could be doing because it isn't PING. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT A KNOCK ON THE G15'S, they just didn't work for me and I'm not crazy. So to heck with all you zero to 20 handicaps that play them, good for you.

I was really nervous about the AP1's expecting all my buddies to be right about me needing lessons and it having nothing to do with the irons. All I will tell you is so far my experience with the AP1's is so much better, right now I'm too gun shy to claim these as the mesia but I will update after a few more rounds. The future looks bright!

Reasons why I chose AP1's over i15's - First off I a big believer in the Maltby Playability Factor and believe it to be a good starting point. The G15 = 844 MPF, AP1 = 838, i15 = 689 and S58 = 778 and when I hit the i15 and compared to my s58 I really couldn't tell much difference from my s58's and it didn't seem like I gained anything. The G15 was dramatically longer and forgiving on mishits to the toe or thin. The AP1 was the same experience and is proving true so far. The other club I was really considering was the Burner 09 they were pretty sweet too but I couldn't tell much difference from the AP1 which seemed to have tighter groups. MPF on the Burner is 330 and the reason I use it as a starting point only, if I hadn't heard from so many guys say they were awesome I never would have considered them, but they are NICE.

I will post again after a few more rounds.

[caseyc1]

ya the G15 are just way to much of a shovel for me, i couldnt stand to look at them

[o_man]

I'll be interested in your followup. BTW, what do like about the AP-1 vs. the G15's.

[magsgolfho]

i too am lookingat the ap1 as my next set. what shafts did you get? they look and feel pretty solid

[takafam]

I liked the AP1 due to less offset and a smaller sole. So far the turf interaction is better for me, the G15 seem to make me want to sweep the ball and not hit down on it. It feels like they bounce off the ground and it hurts my shoulder/elbow, my divots look better they don't take near as much earth.

I got the dynamic gold s300, I was a little concerned they would flight the ball too low but that totally isn't the case. It is also a lot easier to flight the ball lower with the AP1 which might totally be the shaft but even the Burner 09 was considerably easier to hit punch shots with good distance compared to my G15's.

[filler83]

Interesting post.

I am thinking of doing the opposite. I had G5s, wanted something with less offset but still forgiving. Currently have the AP1s and really like them. I love the Nippon shaft in them.

But I am a Ping guy and feel like I should be playing Ping irons, so have been looking at selling the AP1s and getting a set of G15s with Nippons.

This post is making me reconsider.

[drjwpdc]

I just switched from i15's (AWT stiff) to AP1 710's (Nippon NS Pro 105T stiff) and couldn't be happier. I was losing about 10 yards on each iron and just couldn't get used to the feel of the i15's. Even on solidly struck shots, I never really liked the feel of them. Also, the trajectory of the 8-UW was way too high. I like Ping and really tried to like the i15's, but in the end it just wasn't working for me. Maybe with a different shaft??? Also the i15 swingweight is D0 (i believe) coming from the 09 Burners (D3.5???)......maybe i couldn't get used to the change.

On to the AP1 710's.......the first 2 things that I noticed were: 1) way better feel and surprisingly........2) alot more forgiving. I gained back the 10 yards that I lost with the i15's. I tried the AP1's with the DG HL shaft and the stock Nippon 105T. I really liked both but my spin rate was better with the Nippons. Pretty impressive for a "stock" shaft.

The third thing that I noticed and was concerned with was playing "shovels"............high offset "shovels". This just is not the case with the AP1 710's. Granted, it doesn't look like a Miura muscle back, but it definitely doesn't look like a G15/Big Bertha either. An easy, yet small visual transition from the i15.

My biggest decision was whether to do a mixed set with AP1's and AP2's, but I just went with the AP1's for now.

Being a club ho like everyone else here.............I don't ever remember being more pleased with a change. I usually just convince myself that I need something new and then try to convince myself that I like it. Not this time evil/expensive habit...........not this time.

[preacher]

My son now games my old AP1's and the G15's are securely in my bag. It took me about 6 weeks to get used to them, not a better club on the market that works for a very large audience of golfers from PGA tour pro's to +20 hncp. Enjoy your AP1's, great set of irons.

--jason

[FIJI]

[quote name='preacher' timestamp='1286075009' post='2725413']
My son now games my old AP1's and the G15's are securely in my bag. It took me about 6 weeks to get used to them, not a better club on the market that works for a very large audience of golfers from PGA tour pro's to +20 hncp. Enjoy your AP1's, great set of irons.

--jason
[/quote]

so do you mean that you like the ap1's or the g15's better? your post is a bit unclear. just curious. I've had the ap1's and now have the g15's (and i5's). I sold the ap1's when I got some j36's, and I hated the project x shafts in the j36's. When I see the ap1's in his bag I often regret selling them to him because of how forgiving they are compared to the way they look... By that that I mean I really don't remember them being much less forgiving for ME than the g15's but they aren't nearly as bulky. Not taking anything away from the g15's, but they definitely look like shovels. This normally doesn't bother me, except when I'm playing from a really tight lie and with the g15's I lack the confidence to get under the ball from such lies. From looks alone I know it would be easier to hit a ball from a tight lie than with the g15, but I think part of the reason is that I'm more of a sweeper of the ball.

[Bucken77]

[quote name='FIJI' timestamp='1286075982' post='2725435']
[quote name='preacher' timestamp='1286075009' post='2725413']
My son now games my old AP1's and the G15's are securely in my bag. It took me about 6 weeks to get used to them, not a better club on the market that works for a very large audience of golfers from PGA tour pro's to +20 hncp. Enjoy your AP1's, great set of irons.

--jason
[/quote]

so do you mean that you like the ap1's or the g15's better? your post is a bit unclear. just curious. I've had the ap1's and now have the g15's (and i5's). I sold the ap1's when I got some j36's, and I hated the project x shafts in the j36's. When I see the ap1's in his bag I often regret selling them to him because of how forgiving they are compared to the way they look... By that that I mean I really don't remember them being much less forgiving for ME than the g15's but they aren't nearly as bulky. Not taking anything away from the g15's, but they definitely look like shovels. This normally doesn't bother me, except when I'm playing from a really tight lie and with the g15's I lack the confidence to get under the ball from such lies. From looks alone I know it would be easier to hit a ball from a tight lie than with the g15, but I think part of the reason is that I'm more of a sweeper of the ball.
[/quote]

I don't see how his post is unclear. He is gaming the G15's. If he thought the AP1's were better he would have them in his bag. Not meant to be a harsh post just that I thought his post was very clear.

[aussiehack]

I had the same experience as preacher. I had 6 weeks to 2 mths of bad golf when I got my G15 irons. I was just about to order some i5's when they suddenly came good. I dont notice the wide sole, or the offset now, I am playing some of the best golf of my life, hitting over 10 greens and round and chipping and pitching beautifully with them, which is the biggest suprise to me. I really dont see these irons leaving my bag for a very long time. Each to their own but sometimes you need to perservere with stuff before discarding them from your bag.

[MtlJeff]

i love my G15's but i am hitting them way too high with AWT's after weakening my grip substancially. I'm either going to reshaft them or get AP1's which come stock with X100's. hmmmmm

[MichMan123]

i love my G15's but i am hitting them way too high with AWT's after weakening my grip substancially. I'm either going to reshaft them or get AP1's which come stock with X100's. hmmmmm

 

 

 

I knew it was only a matter of time!!!!! All summer though is impressive. I hit the G15s a few times and just couldn't love them. I have no problem playing GI Irons but I couldn't like these. AP1s with s300 would be a pretty nice combo.

[MtlJeff]

i love my G15's but i am hitting them way too high with AWT's after weakening my grip substancially. I'm either going to reshaft them or get AP1's which come stock with X100's. hmmmmm

 

 

 

I knew it was only a matter of time!!!!! All summer though is impressive. I hit the G15s a few times and just couldn't love them. I have no problem playing GI Irons but I couldn't like these. AP1s with s300 would be a pretty nice combo.

 

i know LOL, my cred will take a hit here if i switch. But the AP1's are SGI's too so i get to save face there a bit. Anyway, not a done deal yet though. We'll see what the wallet has to say haha

[takafam]

I really want to brag these up but will wait for a few more rounds. So far AP1's are great iron and the S300 shafts were the right choice. Just the fact that I don't have to try to hit them, I just step up to the ball and look where I want the ball to go. They don't hurt my shoulder! I can hit punch shots, 1/2 and 3/4 shots and can feel the club head in my swing something I couldn't with the G15 until I made the swingweight D4. Mostly though my dispersion seems to be so much better and when I hit the ball like I want it goes at the flag something the G15 didn't do for me. I believe the difference is less offset, a smaller sole and the S300 vs AWT.

More to come. MtlJeff you so had me convinced it was me and more time in the bag as aussiehack stated would fix the problem, however I was playing some of my best golf and my gut feeling was right I just didn't want to believe it. I didn't need to perservere or change my swing for the AP1's they just fit.

Readers beware this experience is mine and mine alone, I'm not claiming the AP1's are better or the G15's are bad. The G15's just didn't fit for me nor did they ever help my game which is why I got them. Hopefully the AP1's are as good as they seem.

[atcq110]

I played ap1's for about 8 months, and after 4-6 months they looked like they were about 6 years old. Nice iron but very poor finish and durability.

[jeffrey r]

[quote name='atcq110' timestamp='1286141040' post='2726413']
I played ap1's for about 8 months, and after 4-6 months they looked like they were about 6 years old. Nice iron but very poor finish and durability.
[/quote]

This has been a bum rap against the AP1s and AP2s since their release. It would be a factor in my overall decision of a set of irons. The flip side is that my Ping G5s are so durable and resistant to wear, and a heck of a set of irons to boot.

[takafam]

WOW!! I'm so glad I swallowed my pride and traded my G15's for the AP1's. The turf interaction is so much better for me, I'm able to go after the ball or what I consider hitting down on the ball instead of trying to slide the club along the ground. My G15's would take big chunks of ground which might be due to the lower swing weight and lighter shaft not sure just know the AP1's are better for me. My divots look better and don't know why either, they are square (lllll) instead of angled ([url="file://\ll"]\\ll[/url]) and so far they don't dig like the G15's did which is really strange to say because they shouldn't do that.

The AP1's have effortless distance as did the G15's but the directional control is much better just meaning that when I look at the target and envision where my shot will go the ball goes there when I put a fairly good swing on it.

The shafts S300 in AP1 made me a little nervous the ball flight would be too low, it isn't and it is so much easier to flight the ball lower something I struggled with on the AWT S G15. My last 2 rounds have been in some pretty good wind and all I can say is the AP1 with the S300 is performing very well and a dramatic improvement.