Can a midhandicapper benefit from a driving iron?

[Laxman]

I am in the same handicap range as yourself. I dumped my 3W and hybrids, couldnt hit them to save my life. I have been using Ping G410 crossover 2i( bent to 16) and the 3i (bent to 19) I love the 2i off the tee. Also able to hit both from the deck or light rough. They dont work great from heavier rough but then neither did the woods or hybrids for me.

[Moonlightgrm]

Spend your money on instruction before considering spending your money on equipment.

[clp34vmp]

I was carrying multiple hybrids in my bag for a long time, but I was starting to feel like I was just a little too wild with them. I somehow have the ability to hit a vicious hook with a hybrid that I'm incapable of hitting with any other club in the bag. I decided to swap out my 23* hybrid and replaced it with a 23* Srixon u65 driving iron. I had never even hit a driving/utility iron previous to buying it used online. It came with a Steelfiber i95 shaft, and I think it has been a good decision overall. I definitely gave up a small amount of distance compared to the old Ping hybrid it replaced, but I feel like I have more control with it and so end up hitting it a little more confidently than its predecessor.

[1plaingolfer]

I am a 16 HC with a driver swing speed of about 98-100 MPH. Driving distance is anywhere from 230-250 depending on the strike. I used to carry a 3 and 4 hybrid (Cobra F8 19* and 22*). I found the 19* went too high off the tee and sometimes off the fairway. Easy to hit but height was an issue. So I bought a slightly used 19* Tour Edge CBX ironwood with the Recoil stiff shaft. I use the club off the tee and for long fairway shots. I get about 215 off the tee and 200+ off the fairway. Ball flight is fairly low and the balls runs well when it hits the ground. It has taken a permanent place in my bag for these reasons. I still keep the 22* hybrid for shots out of the rough. This gives me a good combo for a variety of shots. So to answer your question yes, you can hit a driving iron. I'd recommend looking at the Tour Edge.

[jomatty]

People love to give this advise as if you need to be a scratch golfer to enjoy discussing and buying clubs. I read it in every thread anyone who shoots above scratch posts. It is really strange. Everyone knows that money spent on lessons, and time spent practicing is the best way to improve. Every single person. It doesn’t mean we can’t have fun discussing or trying new equipment. I shot a 79 yesterday. So obviously lessons and practice are what I need most. But it isn’t like I’m shooting 120 and asking if a low spin driver will shave a few strokes (and even if I was so what). It’s a hobby and equipment is part of that hobby...No need to be demeaning and give the same stock answer to every post about equipment. If your gonna do that then you might as well make discussing equipment against forum rules, as even scratch golfers would be better off spending their money on the best instruction and practice versus buying new gear...

[mtiger10]

Currently experimenting with a $40 Callaway SGI iron (20.5 degree) as a driving/utility iron. I only carry one 16* fairway wood so I'm able to keep the hybrid and utility iron in the bag for now. The longer shaft in the hybrid may mitigate the slightly higher loft (adjustable 20-23 degree) so the clubs may be too similar in distance?

[MelloYello]

Driving irons are great!

Most Ams need an accurate fairway finder and if you can hit a 2i or 3i well enough, it's probably going to be more accurate and reliable than a 5w, which has a much longer shaft, or a hybrid, which often encourage big right/left misses.

I think long irons are all about a repeatable swing and good contact. If you are mid-handicapper that can manage it, a long iron can be a great weapon off the tee. My biggest piece of advice would be to find something with a friendly shaft. It doesn't have to necessarily be a flexible graphite shaft. Finding a medium- or light-weight steel shaft (e.g. Dynamic Gold AMT) can be a wonderful option.

[jomatty]

I am kind of right in between a stiff and a regular shaft and was already thinking if I go that route to go with a regular shaft or a stiff shaft that isn’t too stiff... I’m playing a shorter narrow course tomorrow. If I can’t keep the 19° hybrid in the fairway I may take a chance on something like a crossover. Everyone seems to like the crossovers more than the gapr style. They both look like they might do the job of a driving iron style club with a little more forgiveness.

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

Best advice.

Long irons are really difficult to hit well. If the OP can’t hit either a 5W or hybrid well, it’s going to be nearly impossible for him to hit a driving iron that well.There’s not a lot of mystery to flex. If it’s too flexible your spin numbers generally go up because the club head is facing up at impact and you have difficulty hitting the center of the face. If too stiff, you can’t launch high enough without flipping.

230 total distance with occasional 250 yard drives would likely mean you have a 93mph swing speed. There are many choices of shafts to improve your game with roughly that swing speed.

I’d focus on lessons and getting properly fit.

[jomatty]

Like everyone else, I certainly can benefit from lessons. There is nothing that says I can’t take lessons and enjoy myself playing around with and discussing new equipment though. FWIW I hit a hybrid really well (for me). 210ish with the 19 degree and not what I would consider inaccurate but just want to explore more accurate options. I dnt currently play long irons (just got back into the game after 20 year layoff) but long irons were a strength back in the day. Driving iron may in fact not be the right option though...

[I'_rather_be_golfing]

I decided to go with utility/driving iron over hybrid cause well I struggled to consistently hit hybrids. My driver swing speed is 100 mph tops. So no you don’t need high swing speed as some has stated to be able to use utility/driving irons. I have 2 Titleist U510 irons. And they are just to easy to hit. I would honestly say even easier to hit consistently then hybrids.

[talktoafade]

Hybrids are easier to hit high, harder to control (in terms of dispersion, esp. for distance), maybe better overall for scoring. My Golf Spy has done at least a couple of tests on this. Study: 4-iron vs. 4-hybrid (Powered by Arccos) | MyGolfSpyThe more interesting thing about this thread, to me at least: How can so many posters hit the ball so far and still shoot such high scores? Very few amateur men (who don't live in Denver or Vail) fly the ball 200+ yards on average with their driver. Very, very few consistently hit their drivers 230+ yards total (again, who don't live at altitude or somewhere where they play on hardpan fairways in 90+ degree heat). At my club, there are multiple single-digit handicappers who only rarely, if ever, fly the ball 200+ yards off the tee. Any of the guys who can consistently (and I mean ACTUALLY consistently) fly the ball well over 200 yards with ANY club in their bag (much less a 4 iron, hybrid or fairway wood and not driver off tee) are single digit handicappers (or, in rare cases, dudes who are/were good athletes and just like to hit the ball hard and drink as much beer as possible and don't care about their score). There's one solid 8-9 handicapper who's 70+ years old who hits a low cut on every shot and scores lights out. I don't think I've ever seen him drive it 200+ yards, even in August or September when the ground is hard (we're in the Pacific NW).

Seems like if many of you/us are hitting the ball as consistently far as you/we say you/we are and if your/our short games are not absolutely atrocious then you/we should be scoring lower. Any mid-handicapper who can genuinely hit it anywhere close to 230+ consistently off the tee and struggles to break 90...well...something's wrong with that picture! Hybrid vs. driving iron is going to make ZERO difference!

For context on my comments: my GHIN is currently 9.1, I'm a 55 yo lifelong athlete, avid golfer for 35 years, very fit 5'11" 155-160#, and the real truth is I rarely fly the ball 200+ yards off the tee.

 

 

 

[jomatty]

Interesting perspective. At 230 off the tee I consider myself short and didn’t think of length as an advantage...My short game definitely needs work, but I wouldn’t consider it atrocious...I keep it in the low to mid 80’s. I play with a guy who hits it 275ish and routinely is over 90. With that distance comes some wildness and lost balls and ob’s add up really quick...

[JungleJimbo]

@jomatty : This YouTuber @golfsidekick regularly advocates using a driving iron... (in his case, a Srixon 2-iron)
Link : https://youtu.be/wTC4AoEwFEc?t=85
https://youtu.be/wTC4AoEwFEc?t=85
[img]https://s3.amazonaws.com/golfwrxforums/uploads/0HQG9CBTID2G/87cce905-0c03-4c2f-861e-c5e115810dff.png[/img]

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

Hybrids are much easier to hit especially for those of us with unexceptional swing speeds.

19 degree to 220 yards and reasonable accuracy sounds about as good as anybody can do.

I can hit my 4i pretty reliably, but my hybrid flight is much higher with more spin. Not that I’d have much chance sticking greens from 220+ yards, but landing softly is a really nice option. I landed one green from 230+ with a 3W, and it was pretty memorable. My partners were all yelling into the wind when the ball landed and rolled at their feet. It was so unexpected, everyone laughed together at the turn.

It’s laughably rare for us amateurs to expect to hit greens from that far away.

230 off the tee is far from a short hitter. 205 is average according USGA.

275 is about what I average these days, but I shoot high 70s to mid 80s with my less than average short game. Sounds like your friend might need tee up with a hybrid keep it in play on your course?

Most people who seriously consider using driving irons swing over 120. It’s really rare these days because most can take lessons to straighten out their drivers.

[SNIPERBBB]

You'll never really know till you try one out on the course for a while. Main concerns are going to be how well you can hit it and is it really needed for the courses you play.

If you can't hit it straight and long enough, obviously that's no good as that is the purpose.

 

At your length, unless you're playing tight courses that have a premium on the fairway and very penal for missing it, there's not a lot courses that require you to layup except for the forward tees. But if you do play courses that require such layups or fairway finders then it's something to look at.

[trilerian]

I say if you have the money for the club and want to try it, go for it. We can all say whether or not it works for us, but only you would be able to tell if it works for you. I will say that hitting a 3h 210, you should be swinging the club fast enough to hit a driving iron. I will also say that hitting a 3h 210 and your driver only 230, there is something going on there.

[jomatty]

I agree with this 100%. My iron distance and hybrid distance is decent compared to my driver distance which seems short. That adds some credence to the “get lessons” suggestions, which is certainly part of my plan. Confidence may be a major factor. When I stand over a 155 yard 7 iron I feel like I’m gonna hit a great shot (obviously it often doesn’t pan out that way). When I stand over a driver I feel like I hope doesn’t go in the woods ?

[Myherobobhope]

I’ve add a sub70 utility iron to my bag... it’s wonderful... more forgiving than a traditional four iron, but flies lower than a hybrid. I go driver, strong three wood, 19 degree hybrid then 22 degree utility... utility is great for wind shots, punches and generic low iron things, and hybrid is more for 2nd shots into par fives... though I’ll hit it off the tee if it isn’t windy.

 

it was a relatively cheap experiment that went well for me... I didn’t like the feel of other driving irons (either too thunky or felt hollow).

its a nice club to have, but I could easily put it aside and be fine.

[GeorgeHWB]

I have found (through my experience and people I know) that golf instruction is as predictable as a roulette wheel. Some instructors are harmful. Some are harmless. And some actually know what they're doing.

[chippa13]

I'm a huge fan of my GAPR 3 mid turned down to 17*. Strangely, since starting with it last summer I've been able to break out the driver again with some success. I'm also playing my driver at about 44" while choking up about 4 inches with it.

[llewol007]

Stick with hybrids

[BB28403]

This thread is absolute gold. I am in the same boat as a lot in here. I wonder why some people struggle with higher clubs than 19 degree hybrid, it seems like an ongoing theme throughout this thread. Prob just a combination of the weaknesses need ALOT more work. And perhaps swings are kind of steep?

I don’t want to say I struggle , just that “I need to work on that more” haha

[BB28403]

@chisag what driving iron are you using atm? I’m going to aspire to your handicap man! Haha

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

Steep and over the top are very strong contributors to not being able to hit woods and hybrids.