Good Iron Sets for Mid-Handicapper

I am 16 years old and am currently playing off of 11.9. My irons right now are Callaway x18 and im looking in the market for another set.

The irons that really caught my eye where the Titelist AP1 710 irons.

Whould those irons be good for a Mid-Handicapper like myself?

If not, please give me some iron sets that would be able to fit my handicap and help me improve my game fast.

Thanks Guys

look into the callaway x22 tour irons...i got these last summer when i was about a 15 handicap, down to a 9 now...small cavity similar to the ap1's but lower cg and so much smoother...my buddy has ap1's and has been trying to get rid of them ever since he hit my x22's

Hey I'm in the same boat that you are. I would recommend the AP2. If you have an 11 handicap your ready for entry level players iron. They offer forgiveness but the ability to work the ball. The Ap1 is a great club also, it is the most forgiving titleist offers. I would recommend the AP2 but both are great clubs and will be fine.

Don't pick an iron set based on your handicap.  You should pick them based on what you want to get out of golf and of your irons.  If you're a reasonable ball striker, you're quite capable of playing blades or other so-called better-players' irons.

On the other hand, if you're not a great ball striker, or have a fade you want your irons to correct, or not confident, or just plain want the extra forgiveness, there are plenty of good cavity back sets out there.

In fact, you can mix them if you're in between.  The AP1 and AP2s, for example, are designed to be mixed.  Maybe you want 7-iron and down to be players' irons, but want the forgiveness in the rest (without resorting to hybrids).  Then you might consider getting AP1s for 4-6, AP2 7-W.

Brian Gay won a tournament not too long ago with a mixed set that included blades for 9,P and Super Game Improvement irons for 3,4.  I think he won two tournaments with this configuration, by a combined total of 15 strokes.  His were Mizuno irons, not Titleist irons, but the idea remains.

only problem is, i dont know any 16 year old that can afford ap2's...yes great clubs, might be a little out of this guy's price range tho

Why not?  One's parents might be helping with the purchase.  I know a few teenagers who are into golf whose parents are very into their kid's sports career that they'll spend for new clubs as appropriate.

In the better balanced department, I also know teenagers who saved up to buy their own car, so I don't think it's unreasonable that one might be able to buy AP2s.  When I was 16 in the latter part of last century, I made $20/hour, 10-15 hours a week.  If I had been into golf (instead of whatever it was I wasted money on, like painting supplies and table top gaming;  although I also put aside money for entertainment in college), I'd have been able to get new clubs when I wanted them.  I know I made a few big-ticket (for me) purchases at the time, in the several hundreds of dollars range.

The only way to know, and to be happy about your decision, is to go hit some clubs.  Internet is a good place to start, or for additional information, but you've got to have the club in your hand and know what it feels like when you hit the ball.  I usually play blades, but I wanted a GI iron last year for days when my wrist and thumb injuries are acting up.  Wasn't even considering Mizuno MX-200s until I was at a golf shop demoing clubs for the 3rd or 4th time and tried them out-they were an easy choice for me over my other options after hitting a couple buckets.  A good golf shop will have a simulator or be located next to a range and will let you take at least one iron from a set (taped up) to hit, they may also have specific demo clubs available (usually 6 irons).  FWIW, both the previously mentioned AP1s and X-22 Tours are great sets, and my personal preference for the MX-200s leads me to recommend the JPX 800 or JPX 800 Pro irons.  But you got to hit 'em.

those would be some pretty generous parents, considering ap2's go for 1k

Mixed sets are great if you want to keep them for awhile. Personally I don't care for combo sets. I picked up a combo set (Tommy Armour 845 CM - great forged irons) with as 3-6 cavities and 7-P as muscleback blades. I didn't realize it was a combo set and to be honest I doubt they'll see daylight on the course. I'd rather have all cavities or all blades, but that's just me.

The sets that the others have mentioned are all good suggestions.  Id personally go for AP2s over AP1s if it were me.  Youre right in the range that the AP1s are designed for now, but you likely will soon become more of an AP2 player as you continue to improve.

Another great set would be any of the more forgiving clubs in the Mizuno MP line.  Im a 12 handicap and am currently playing a set of MP-32s and I dont find them at all difficult to hit.  Granted, my ballstriking, especially with irons is pretty respectable but my swing is far from perfect.  I struggle a lot more with my 3-wood and my hybrid than I do with the MP-32s.

If you are on a somewhat tight budget, Id suggest going on Ebay.  You can often get a really nice, fairly new set of irons for a fraction of what they would have cost new.  Just make sure you buy from a reputable seller who has at least a 98% rating and has over 1,000 points of feedback.  Ive dealt with 3balls a lot and havent had any issues with them.

If you have a private country club near you give them a call. I work at one and they have demo clubs on sale all the time. He might even let you hit a few to try them out. Those pros will do anything to move older inventory.

nike slingshots are what I picked. I'm sorta in a grim situation tho, because my swingspeed is consecutively above 103 mph, so if i go regular shafts, i slice the ball and if i go stiff i'm not able to create enough club head speed to properly flex the shaft. any suggestions?

Soft stepping is what you're looking for.  In any flex, the 9-iron is softer than the PW, and stiffer than the 8-iron.

I'm likewise between flexes, and I got slightly lighter (115g KBS Tour vs 127g TTDG) shafts in stiff, and had them soft stepped -- the 4-iron shaft is cut to 5-iron length and put in the 5-iron.  This makes it "regular and two thirds" if done with stiff flex.

You could also hard step regular flex to get "regular and a third" if you prefer to be closer to that.

Seems to me a few years ago a Tour player - I think it was Geoff Ogilvy - had his X100s hard stepped.

hitting them in the golf store driving range mats is useless............you need to hit them in a real game situation, i traded a set of ping i10's and gave up my mizuno's mp57's........in the store the i10 were great.......no so much out on the course, if your a digger like me you will want a players club regardless of your handicap.......the GI and super GI clubs have huge soles and dont cut through the turf as good and predictable.......if your a sweeper i imagine the opposite is true...........i am going back to a forged iron, i just cant hit a cast club anymore.......if you play cast clubs do not hit a forged iron.......if you catch one pure you will never be able to hit cast again........their is nothing in this world the feels like a pure strike on a soft forged iron

I gotta get me one of those random cliche generators.

Gonna disagree with just about everything here.  If forged feels softer it's because of the metal used, and the design of the club, but I've hit forged irons that don't feel great-my Titleist Tour Model Blades aren't particularly soft-feeling.  Same thing with player's iron vs GI-a proper swing can hit either.  I've been hitting blades exclusively for about 3 months, and hitting them well.  I took my Mizuno MX-200s to the course today, and shot 3 under for 9 holes (personal best btw).  Had nothing to do with the clubs, and everything to do with my swing.  I've got a bunch of forged sets, but the PING i10s are a great set.

I find this to be true and that's why I hesitate to recommend any club over another.  You have to try them before buying, and even then a good "mat" club may not be as good a grass club for you, especially if your a digger. But first make them fit you with a lie board! A minor chage in lie makes a huge difference with some swings. Notice I said swing and not club.

(I'm using AP1's, bent 2 deg. but recommend a young low hadicapper learn to hit a blade and work shots.)

Yes those AP1's will be a great investment !!

I am 50 years older than you and have used them for 5 years

Installed  true temper GS 95 reg shaft...Changed my game