Your favorite driving / utility irons?

[stimpmeterp]

Searched and didn’t find a thread on top driving iron choices amongst WRXers. Curious to know what people are playing and why. Wish I was savvy enough to do a poll!

 

For me, it’s the Srixon ZU65 model. The 45 and 85 are great but the 65 has been the best to me. I bag a 23* and also an 18*. The sole is thick and has a blunted leading edge that won’t dig so it always gives me confidence from the fairway. The face is long from heel to toe which is also great for a shallow swing path. I use steel shafts in both of mine but have tested these heads in graphite and they are as consistent as it gets. The forged feel and blade-like appearance are perhaps as good as its gets in my opinion. It won’t balloon and mishits are not punished. I’m shocked and surprised to be honest with you that I can miss the center as often as I do and still achieve distance with minimal dispersion. The reason I stopped using traditional “hybrids” is that they all went left. I also became somewhat of a head case figuring out if I was putting a fairway metal or iron swing on the ball. I made the decision to go to utility iron and won’t look back.

 

I also tried the Callys, Titleist MB, Fourteen and TM (truthfully haven’t tested a newer TM than the RSI TP) but keep sticking with Srixon. They figured it out for me and so that’s what I play. I’m a 9-10 hcp, played in college and don’t consider myself a strong long iron player.

 

Anyhow what are you guys gaming and why?

[Mahamilto]

The u510 1-iron is absurd off the tee, and playable off the deck too.

 

Arrow straight, and I'm hitting it 255-270 off the tee (~115 driver ss) with around 240-255 off the deck. No more difficult to hit off the deck than a fairway, though I will admit I'm a much better iron player than FWY player to begin with.

 

I have loved the T-MBs for a long time. The 3i in my bag is by far my most consistent club, but the u510 is a bit more forgiving on misses (even with less loft). I assume the u500 is studly too.

[YoungJedi]

I have nothing but good things to say about PXG. To be honest I’m not a fan of any of their other equipment. Average at best. But their driving irons are tier 1!

[apg7]

TMB-18 3i bent to a 2i loft goes comically far for how easy it is to hit. Put in a brand new UDI tonight though to get a little more penetrating ball flight.

[Lefty96]

Srixon U85 2 iron is everything I need and more. I can’t say enough good things about this club.

[chippa13]

I'm a big fan of the GAPR mid 3.

[Chuck905]

I can understand all the praises for the Srixon but best feeling and control will go to any MB, especially off the tee.

 

The Srixon is fatty and ugly offset, to the point is fugly but it works.

 

The one advantage I do miss with the Srixon is that I can putt from off the green, and now I will use a 3 wood but it’s not the same.

[Valtiel]

The U65 is definitely a winner big time. The only reason I have a UDI 1-iron is because they don't make a U65 16*, otherwise I would have that.

[coops]

I've been using an Epon AF-901 blobby '2' (19 degree loft) iron for about 8 years now.

Same shaft as my irons (now Nunchuk XI).

 

Almost as forgiving as a hybrid but with the bonus of being able to bend the lie angle to what you need, and it looks more like an iron at address which I prefer.

 

This thing:-


 

[Crazy_Bikerdude]

P790 UDI 2 iron for me.

Goes long and straight. Wish I would have picked this up a long time ago. Easy to hit, out drives my 3W.

[cflo2382]

New Level 4995 HB. I play the 18* and love it. It's a bomber. Feels incredible. Easy to hit off the tee and deck. Not as clunky looking as most DI/utilities. Second choice for me would be the PXG 0311X. That thing was great too but couldn't stand the large sole.

 

[ckay]

I have an M2 LIFT that I’m absolutely murdering right now.

[lyons107]

Ive been playing the 2014 Taylormade TP UDI 18* for the last few seasons. Real easy off the tee and great ball flight. Can be found cheap as well.

[boggyman]

I’m still partial to my W/S V4 18* utility.

[manima1]

Another vote for the Srixon U series. I have the 18 (2i) and it's incredible. So consistent off the tee and is easy to elevate off the deck.

 

The _only_ downside of this club is the wide sole will get caught up easily in not-so-great lies out of the rough. If it weren't for that I'd be playing the 23-degree as well and in lieu of my 4i. The 745 4i however is very forgiving for a one-piece muscle cavity iron and the narrower sole makes it much easier to play out of tricky rough lies.

 

Ernie Els plays the U-series all the way down to his 5-iron.

[lazyjc4]

> @chippa13 said:

> I'm a big fan of the GAPR mid 3.

 

+1

[manxytag]

MP H5 1 is a rocket for me, best club in my bag

[shredNECTAR]

It’s been a love hate relationship at the start but once dialed in I love my mizuno mp18 fli hi 2 iron. Although it is 16.5 degrees of loft, I’m still able to launch it pretty high from both off the tee and the fairway. It’s my fairway finder on the shorter par 4s and able to run it up to the green on short-mid length par 5s with my second shot. It’s also cheaper then most driving irons at $150, pretty sure you could even get it now for $125. I tried the srixon, and although most people love it, the footprint was just too large for my eye. I thought about the new ping crossover but saw someone have the clubhead rocket off of it into a lake. It’s also a little too expensive asking $240 for the club. The mizuno looks good behind the ball and can’t argue with the the results.

[jokerusn]

Not as forgiving as the 790 UDI but the ball feels like it explodes off the face and goes like a bullet. Great for those windy days but too demanding so it doesn't see the bag like the 790 does.

 

 

 

[Valtiel]

> @jokerusn said:

> Not as forgiving as the 790 UDI but the ball feels like it explodes off the face and goes like a bullet. Great for those windy days but too demanding so it doesn't see the bag like the 790 does.

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Ah good call! Same thing with the 2016 M2 Tour irons, I have a 3-iron built up that is pretty killer. I need to bend it to proper 3-iron loft because it is basically a 2-iron @18.5*.

[95124hacker]

> @coops said:

> I've been using an Epon AF-901 blobby '2' (19 degree loft) iron for about 8 years now.

> Same shaft as my irons (now Nunchuk XI).

>

> Almost as forgiving as a hybrid but with the bonus of being able to bend the lie angle to what you need, and it looks more like an iron at address which I prefer.

>

I bag the 22* version as a long iron replacement. Love the spring face.

 

 

[Red4282]

Gapr lo ?

[jaffabell]

Cobra utility black with a project X LZ 6.5, looks amazing and easy to hit... Not too much offset etc. The black head on steel shaft looks awesome too. Great combo!

[JJK947]

Srixon U45/65/85 for mid launch/spin, easy to hit, looks a little chunky. HMB seems like it will be similar but better looking.

 

P790 long iron or P790 UDI. Less forgiving than true driving/utility irons in the low lofts but performance is top of the category if you want lowerer spin and ability to vary trajectory. Original UDI is great too, just a little thicker and I like the P790 a hair better in every category.

[Still thinkin]

I vote Callaway apex UT. I have the 18 and 21 bent 2.5 weak. Also have a U85 21 but for some reason I ordered it with the graphite recoil that does not work for me. I have KBS tour-V 130 in the cally's and they are money. After reading all the replies I think much like driver's the shaft is key in this category.

[ChipNRun]

My Exotics CB Pro Tungsten irons have a .370 hosel. The model comes with a 22° 4i which was OK off the tee but iffy from the fairway. I got it refitted it with a SteelFiber HLS 780 hybrid shaft (75 grams R-flex), and it works great. Very good off the tee - I can even flight it up or down a little with tee height and ball position. I can now hit it off the fairway, and it is especially good into the wind.

 

The pro I work with plays Srixon 585 irons, but as a driving iron uses:

a Nike Covert 3-iron head fitted with an offbrand 80-gram R-flex graphite shaft, tipped 1.5" and butt-trimmed at 1-iron length. (Besides giving lessons, he has a thriving club repair and fitting enterprise.)

 

Some Tour Edge fans have tried the CBX 119 iron-woods: Model offers 2i-5i with hollow-body construction and rounded _hybrid_ sole camber. Stock shafts include Hzrdus and Kuro Kage graphite and KBS steel.

 

 

[texcellence86]

Titleist C16 4 iron set to 24* with a DG S400 105. Normal carry is 220 - 230ish. Can hit it High and low, had the H5 before and couldn't hit it low at all.

[noaces06]

Mizzy MP-H5 3 iron with a Project X Catalyst 100 6.5... absolutely in LOVE with this monster.

[Orlok]

Titleist T-MB 718 17° (L)

[iceman1118]

The TM P790 UDI is a monster. Easily flies 250 off the tee for me and I get about 240 or so off the turf.

 

Quick note, I have X flex in my woods and irons but have S flex in the 2 iron, found it launched better off the turf than the X. X and S flew pretty much exactly the same off the tee for me.