New vs. Old – Titleist AP2 714 vs. 712
“Precision Engineered for Advanced Performance” is Titleist’s tagline for the new 714 AP2 irons. Their goal is to improve the AP2 iron in three distinct areas: flight, forgiveness, and feel.
The flight has been improved by launching the long irons higher for more distance through maximized carry and enhanced stopping control. The short irons launch lower for more speed and distance through stronger lofts while maintaining stopping control. To increase the forgiveness, Titleist worked to balance a small club head design with an increase in the Moment of Inertia (MOI). When this blend is achieved it results in more speed and distance on miss-hit golf shots. Solid feel results when the center of gravity (CG) is moved closer to the point of impact, creating smooth entry and exit from the turf. Fine tuning the vibration of the golf club to specific frequencies produces a satisfying sound at impact. Let’s take a deeper look into the 714 AP2 iron.
Titleist’s engineers were able to trim extra weight from the irons by designing a dual-cavity. In the long irons, the upper cavity was trimmed to 2.1 millimeters, which allowed more weight to be moved to the perimeter of the irons. The long irons feature slightly wider soles which move more weight to the bottom of the club, producing a lower center of gravity (CG). A lower CG contributes toward higher launching long irons that carry farther.
In the short irons, engineers did the opposite by adding weight to the upper portion of the club heads. Additionally, the short irons have thinner soles which move the CG higher in the club head. A higher CG produces a lower, more penetrating trajectory that most golfers prefer from their higher-lofted irons.
To further enhance the irons’ ball flight, Titleist strengthened the lofts of the six iron through gap wedge one degree. The stronger lofts will encourage a lower ball flight that will increase the distance those clubs travel as well.
Titleist’s new 714 AP2 irons are as forgiving as the original 712 AP1 irons. That’s right! The compact, forged irons used by Jason Dufner to win the 2013 PGA Championship have as much forgiveness as the largest cast iron Titleist has ever produced. How is this possible?
Tungsten is a key component because of its density. It’s almost twice as heavy as steel and there’s an average of 43 grams of tungsten in each club head. The tungsten inserts account for approximately 20 percent of the club head’s weight. Tungsten is used to impact an iron’s performance in ways that steel can’t. The tungsten is positioned low and toward the edges of the head, which lowers the center of gravity (CG) and increases moment of inertia (MOI). The increased MOI produces more ball speed and less club head twisting on miss-hits. This means that on less-than-perfect shots with the 714 AP2′s, the golf ball will end up a little closer to the intended target with a straighter ball flight than previous generations. These improvements are an important consideration for better golfers, most of whom prefer smaller-sized iron heads.
Just like previous AP2 generations, the 714 irons are forged from 1025 carbon steel, which gives them a soft and solid feel. When the 712 generation is compared to the new 714’s, the 714 generation has a sole that features more camber, as well as a pre-worn leading edge. These enhancements were made throughout then entire iron set for better turf interaction, particularly in firm conditions.
Here’s what you need to know:
Our field testing proved all of the above-mentioned features to be true. The 714 AP2 is a good-looking blade with tremendous forgiveness. The current iron market is trending this way, with most manufacturers trying to develop a classic look to their forged blade with crazy forgiveness. Looking down at the club from above, you have no idea this is not a muscle back. The 714 iron generation looks small and thin.
The long irons produced a penetrating ball flight with a soft landing. The short irons created a piercing trajectory with no lack of distance, helped by the decrease in loft on the six iron through pitching wedge. The ability to control the spin with the new 714 irons is fantastic. One would think with all that tungsten, there might be a heavy overall feel, especially at impact, but there is no noticeable heaviness and the turf interaction is smooth as silk.
The Dynamic Gold golf shaft compliments this club as it has in the past. For the better player looking for more head weight, give the KBS Tour, KBS Tour-V or Project X shafts a try.
Titleist hit the nail on the head when they said the 714 series is their most accurate iron to date. No truer statement can be made based upon our testing.
Now that your iron game is straightened out, take a look at how you can grind your way to better golf with the Titleist Vokey SM5 Wedges.
Alan Unruh
Alan Unruh is a Class “A” member of the PGA of America, and holds PGA Certifications in General Management, Golf Operations and Player Development. With these certifications, he is among the 1% of PGA members that hold multiple PGA Certifications. He has a profound passion for the game of golf along with extensive experience and knowledge regarding planning and strategy for golf operations, rules of golf, tournament operations and golf swing fundamentals. Alan has also played a crucial role helping manage multiple high profile tournaments throughout his career including the USGA Women’s U.S. Open, PGA and LPGA Tour events, and multiple NCAA and AJGA events.