A word of advise, don't get too caught up in whether one player is using a 6, 7, or 8 to get to the same point. The whole purpose of having different irons is to pick the one that you hit a certain distance. Many people get so caught up in wanting to hit it further that they change irons so the number on the bottom is a lesser number, even if the actual true loft is the same. Before you know it, you give up the clubs that are more accurate or give you better feel, just to say you hit it further. Please go into your fitting with a goal in mind to match the irons that give you the greatest accuracy, the trajectory you desire, and look/feel the best to you. Anyway, this old man's opinion. Good luck!

Couldn’t agree more Dale.

Sage advice. Thanks Dale!

Well said Dale!

That sounds dodgy what you write. I have 6i swing speed of 84, max 86 on good day and I hit my 6i 165y on good shots. Carry, not total. I have AP1 which have perhaps stronger lofts, but with 90mph swing speed you should carry ANY 6 iron 170+ yards. From first look you are clearly hurting your game playing blades and some perhaps heavy ultra stiff shafts. Or the 90mph is not correct measurement. I carry my 8iron over 140y...

Nothing dodgy with what he said, everyone swings different. His ball flight could be different and he also mentions "I play an older model set of Titleist blades (stiff)". Maybe he launches the ball, maybe his club/grip/shaft combo works but not taking advantage of newer technology and or maybe he has more spin. My swing speed is between both of you. I was fit for 716 AP2s and am truly happy with them because the lofts aren't stronger than what I'm use to and I know my distances. I wish I could get a set of clubs with just the degrees on it. Numbers on the clubs are arbitrary now a days...the degrees are what matter. See below apples to apples (different number clubs, same loft. My clubs vs yours):

My 5 iron carries 170 vs your AP1 6 iron carries 165.
My 6 iron carries 160 vs your AP1 7 iron.
My 7 iron carries 150 vs your AP1 8 iron carries 140+.
My 8 Iron carries 140 vs your AP1 9 iron.

You may be on to something Darron. Maybe instead of numbers or degrees, they just name them like tropical storms. Make every set different so i know how far i hit my Fred and Sally and you know how far you hit your Bob and Mary but we can't compare them to each other. Not that it would every happen but it's an entertaining thought.

Agree Dale!

I play with a guy who always asks what I hit (in casual rounds) off the tee on par 3s. I play AP2 players irons, he plays TM game improvement style irons. I hit my 9i the about the same distance he hits his PW. My 9i is 42 degrees. His PW is about the same. However, I play AP3s in my 4, 5 and 6 irons, which are stronger lofted than AP2s. When he hits his 5 iron off the tee, I am usually hitting my 6 iron.

What one person hits their 6-8 irons vs. what another hits theirs is apples and oranges. Different people, ages, strengths, body types, physical limitations, swings and lofts. Don't get hung up on those numbers. What only matters is what distance YOU hit your irons.

I am over 60. I sometimes play with a 28 year old guy who is around the same handicap as me (5-6). There is one particular par 3 where I am typically hitting MY 5 iron, while he might hit his 8i. That doesn't make him better than me. At the end of the round, more times than not, I'm usually collecting cash from him. We have different games and different physical abilities, but we both get to the same place in a similar amount of strokes most of the time.

As far as distances go, the only thing you need to worry about is that there are no distance gaps between your irons. Hit them well, practice your short game and you can compete with anyone.

All that being said, I would expect you will gain distance after your fitting. If you are playing old blades, I would definitely try the CBs, AP2s and AP3s. My guess is they will all offer you more distance, with the AP3 offering you the most, relative to the number on the bottom of the head. The AP3 looks like the AP2 and even the CB at address. Not at all clunky. The forgiveness alone will be eye-opening compared to what you are playing now.

I truly believe my weaker lofts are limiting my distance. My accuracy is fine. My main intent is to find stronger lofted irons that can hold the green. As I stated my 6i is 33 degrees. The AP1 6i is 27 degrees or 6 degrees stronger. On the golf monitor at Golf Mart in Escondido, CA, at the same swing speed, I carry the AP1 to 180-185 with roll out to 200-206. Twenty yard roll out, in my opinion, is unacceptable. I do pinch the ball and my divot is always in front of the ball. I guess my main reason for the survey is to find a set of irons as accurate as my current set but having the 5i or 6i with enough distance to replace my 1i-4i and add more wedges. As it is, my gaps are about 10-12 yards between irons. With my swing, my wedges have roughly 5 yard gaps. I don't know, maybe I'm asking for too much.

Don't take my earlier answer as a firm, no never upgrade. I just meant to be careful and weigh all the factors before jumping to get a couple more yards. I have played 4 sets of irons over the last 20 years and not because I wore the old ones out so change is sometime what is needed. Good luck pulling together a new set and if you ever want to show them off you can find me down the road at Eagle Crest Golf Club.

Thanks Dale. I'm usually up the road at Legends in Temecula. My fitting is locked on at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar on 25 July at 3:30. I'll keep an open mind. As always, Golf Your Way!

You will probably be fitted by Travis. He has done my last two there. He does a great job. Enjoy!

Great comment Dale. I switched to the AP3's because they were stronger lofts. I don't care what everyone else's distance is. I just love the clubs the way they feel and help with a little added distance.

Well said Dale. It's not how FAR you hit em, it's how CLOSE you hit em that matters!

As I watch this year's U.S. Open, I continue to see the Pros landing their approach shots short of the greens, usually in bunkers, or in the rough with a poor lie. However, distance doesn't matter. I continue to read advertisements from Titleist and other manufacturers who claim more distance with their new product lines. However, distance doesn't matter. I read the posts in these forums where we golfers claim to have attained a few more yards with a new product. But I'm reminded that distance doesn't matter. I would be hard pressed to find a passionate, honest golfer who does not desire more distance. Please continue to post and perhaps I'll find other swing speeds that are close to mine so I can understand how loft variances and newer model products compare to what I currently use.

Thanks

p.s. Yes, Travis O is my assigned fitter.

Alright, I'll play along. For comparison purposes, I typically CARRY my 34* AP2-716 7 Iron about 140+ yards and CARRY my AP3-718 31* 7 iron 150-155 yards. I am over 60 years old. My handicap is about 6 right now. My driver SS is typically 92-96 mph. I play stiff shafts in my driver, 3W and 19* hybrid. I play regular flex in my AP2s and AP3s. S200 in Vokeys.

There, I've bared my (golf) soul.

I love Dale and Doug's responses; upgrade, yes, but don't put too much weight on the number on the sole of the club. Blades and players clubs tend to have more loft than "game improvement irons". I carry my eight iron 150 yards,and have never had my swing speed measured so i can't give you a number there.I'm over 60 and am pretty happy with my ball striking most days.I think the key is upgrade your equipment, but play and swing within yourself,know your limitations and pay less attention to what other players are hitting.

As in Doug'd case, I too play with people who hit it by me.I could care less what my playing partner hits into a green. What I do care about is who has the honors on the next tee!

Good luck and play well William.

There are so many factors which affect roll-out that you really need to be (IMO) specific with your fitter as to what your goals are. As an example, we have a PAR-3 which from the Blues plays 200-210 yards. This is also a reasonable target for the gap between my 4 iron (185+/- carry) to my 3 Wood (225+/- carry). There were many options to achieve this distance but through a very specific fitting session we matched a Hybrid head to a shaft which gave me the carry / descent angle (i.e. stopping power) I was looking for to hold the green at about 205 +/-.

My point is you seem to be interested in both distance (reasonable goal) but also holding the green so I would suggest that not only is the iron type important but the shaft vs your swing vs descent angle (i.e. flight characteristics) etc. will be quite important as well. Even the golf ball you play affects these factors.

Bottom line, be as specific as possible up front with your fitter, ideally get fit using the golf ball you play and I am sure you will find what you are looking for.

My two cents (and they are Canadian cents so only worth about 1.6 cents US!)

I think what everyone is trying to say is there are so many option out there that it’s best to go in open minded and let the “professionals “ guide you to what is best. Swing speed is a small piece of the whole picture. Spin rate, launch angle, angle of attack will all change the distance of your 7 iron vs my 7 iron. The beauty of getting fitted is you are able to try different head and shaft combos until you find what works for YOU. Technology and information is awesome only if you use it to better yourself. Good luck and if your clubs say Titleist then you are off to a good start

Update: I had my fitting. The 718 AP series was not offered or available at that time. However, I was tested for a fitting into the T100, 200, and 300. I was told I would most likely not even be able to order the AP series any longer. I was hoping to be fitted into the 718 AP2. For my swing, the fitter recommended a blend of the T100 for the 6-PW and the T200 for the 4 and 5 irons. The fitter told me that my shots with the T100 7 iron could have been covered by a beach towel. He showed me the results on a note pad or IPad (whichever) to prove to me the accuracy with the T100. Of note, I did produce incredible distance (for me) with the T200 7 iron at 190 (high-end overall distance) with a swing speed between 88 and 92. I was told by the fitter this was too much distance and that I didn't want to hit my PW at 150. Of course, the fitter's intent was to select the irons based on acceptable gapping. Anyway, both the T100 and T200 felt really smooth and elicited my response of "that felt really good" immediately after hitting each ball. I didn't care for the feeling of the T300. For me, the bottom line is, newer technology and materials definitely will increase my overall distance and accuracy. My older model clubs were no match for what is available today. Thanks to those who helped me understand and accept that it just wasn't me getting older, it was my outdated set of irons that were hindering my distance.