have driving irons become new status quo?

[chippa13]

If I'm hitting anything consistently 230 and straight, it isn't for gapping, its for every par 4/5 tee box.

[BlkNGld]

I'm not sure they're status quo in the same way hybrids have become, or high lofted wedges before that.

 

But I've seen how for the right player, in the right conditions they can be a weapon. If someone can hit one well, then it's a matter of figuring out if that club will be used enough in a round to warrant putting it in the bag, and taking something else out?

[BrockPSU]

My Home course has became very fast lately, The driving iron will be coming out on a lot of holes. There is no reason to hit driver when you can fly it 230 then get 30 yards of roll and still have a wedge in your hand. The hybrid to me is harder to control.

[bodhi555]

Growing up on the East Coast of Scotland I've long been a fan of the "Driving Iron" and have normally had at least a 2 iron in the bag, if not the 1 iron as well. In fact I've often though about dropping the 3 wood and going Driver -> 1 iron.

 

Must admit I'm not a huge fan of dedicated DIs though, find them too difficult to pick up cleanly off the deck, so get more use out of a proper long iron. Wouldn't be without it though.

[sixtysevensixtyseven]

I've had one in my bag since the Mizuno Fli Hi was introduced. They went out of style and all of the sudden Rory and DJ are hitting them 290 and everybody has to have one.

 

They are trending right now but I'll never not have one in my bag.

[g_spy20]

I picked up a DI, 3 iron/hybrid replacement, about a year ago and couldn't be happier. My irons are probably the best club group I have in my bag. It's easy for me to struggle with my driver and my 3W off the tee, so the DI has allowed my to confidently get off the tee and get iron in my hands. My DI gets used on several short or tight par 4's and 5's.

 

T-MB 3i.

[sixtysevensixtyseven]

I picked up a DI, 3 iron/hybrid replacement, about a year ago and couldn't be happier. My irons are probably the best club group I have in my bag. It's easy for me to struggle with my driver and my 3W off the tee, so the DI has allowed my to confidently get off the tee and get iron in my hands. My DI gets used on several short or tight par 4's and 5's.

 

T-MB 3i.

 

I'm with you. If there is a hint of trouble and I know I can hit my DI and 9 iron or less into the green I go that route.

[MadGolfer76]

People boo-hoo'ed for years about hooking hybrids, and then pick up graphite shafted driving irons with upright lies and offset, getting charged almost the same amount of money for a new hybrid.

 

"Oh, I don't hook these..." :russian_roulette:

 

What are you talking about? You're just flat out wrong. P790 UDI 2 iron has less offset than the 5 iron of the regular 790 set. The lie on the 2 iron is 1/2* flatter than the 3 iron.

 

So they're less offset and flatter. Maybe that explains why good players aren't hooking them.

 

I suppose you would have to ask a good player for that answer. I haven't hit it, so I couldn't tell you.

 

(You probably won't understand what I did there... :derisive: )

[Moomitch]

I put a srixon u65 2 iron in my bag a few weeks ago and love it. I am a high speed player, but my dad swings around 100 and he enjoyed hitting it.

 

It is now my go to club off the tee on most par 4s under 400, and is just super adaptable. I am able to hit stingers into the wind, or lift it up off the turf on an approach.

 

I had been using a hybrid in that spot in my bag, and had a 3 wood cranked down to 13* as my secondary club off the tee. Now the srixon has taken both of those roles, and I havent experienced a shot yet that I would be able to hit with the hybrid that I cant hit with the iron.

[C_rad]

I have reaf the whole thread and i want to share my side of the story.

I was playing 12 clubs in the bag. I had some tight holes at my home course where i didnt feel confident with rhe hybrid. It has been my favorite club in the last 4 years, but this summer, something wasnt working.

So i bought the u45 20. Must be honest, i am not the longest hitter. The 20* off the tee carry 200 for me. But i never use it into the green. I just dont elevate it enough.

 

What i did is that i put a 4 wood at 16.5, a 7 wood at 21* for high shot, and the driving iron at 20*.

 

Yes the driving iron is one dimension for me, but i had the spot and didnt see any advantage of playing a 50/54/58 versus a 52/58.

 

Maybe next year i will try a 50/54/60 but that is an other story....

[ousuxndallas]

I bought a TMB 3 driving iron a few months ago, and it's a game changer. Unless a hole requires driver, I use the driving iron as I can hit it with roll to 250. Often I got it further than guys' drivers in my group. Couple that with the accuracy, and it's a killer.

 

Absolute game changer.

[PixlPutterman]

Just got this in, should be a heck of a tee club

 

 

[hardcaliber]

Driving iron is really useful as a punch out type club for me. Easy to hit a low stinger and shape it either way to get around tree trouble and have some chance of getting up to the green.

 

I also find it very useful as a safe layup club on days when my swing is off and I'm fighting shanks, massive pulls, or other types of disaster shots that can really ruin a round. I can make a 9 to 3 type swing and get up to like 180 out of it if i'm just trying to move it up the fairway a bit.

 

I guess I'm personally more into the utility aspect of it rather than the driving aspect of it.

 

Hybrid has its place too, really good to hit it long and high but its harder to control and its not a very versatile club.

[MelloYello]

I'd be curious to hear how many guys believe they hit their driving irons longer than their corresponding iron.

 

 

I own a 21⁰ Fli Hi and wouldn't be surprised to find that I hit it slightly higher and maybe a little further than my 21⁰ MB, but I'm not sure it's worth having a mismatched club for just a few extra yards so long as I'm hitting both pretty solid.

[kiw1982]

I'd be curious to hear how many guys believe they hit their driving irons longer than their corresponding iron.

 

 

I own a 21⁰ Fli Hi and wouldn't be surprised to find that I hit it slightly higher and maybe a little further than my 21⁰ MB, but I'm not sure it's worth having a mismatched club for just a few extra yards so long as I'm hitting both pretty solid.

 

There are some reasons for 'mismatched club'.

 

1. As you mentioned, it is easier to hit and long. It is not a big factor for some with higher skill set, but most of golfers will be benefited.

 

2. Nowadays, they sell iron sets starting with 4 or even 5,6. So, if you should pay more for longer iron, why wouldn't you use DI.

And, for 2 irons, you normally cannot get it from your matching iron set.

 

3. For some it is better with heavier still shaft from their iron set of long irons, but for many average golfers need lighter shafts(including graphite) for better launch.

 

4. It looks just cool. (Somehow this factor is hard to ignore. When I hit my 2 UDI longer than the others driver, feels amazing)

 

 

My main reason would be # 4 admittedly.

[MelloYello]

2. Nowadays, they sell iron sets starting with 4 or even 5,6. So, if you should pay more for longer iron, why wouldn't you use DI.

And, for 2 irons, you normally cannot get it from your matching iron set.

 

Well, lofts have mostly stayed the same. So that's not really applicable. If someone's carrying a 22⁰ 4-iron then adding a 21⁰ driving iron labeled "3-iron" isn't adding anything.

 

4. It looks just cool. (Somehow this factor is hard to ignore. When I hit my 2 UDI longer than the others driver, feels amazing)

My main reason would be # 4 admittedly.

 

Yeah, I get that 100%. I was murdering my 3-iron off the tee this weekend. It's a good feeling.

 

But like I said, I don't really notice a difference if we're talking pure results. You're either flushing that 3-iron and getting good distance or you're not. There's not much "forgiveness" in a driving iron. Will it increase the launch angle of a 2-iron? Yeah, maybe a little bit and that might add a few yards of carry. Will the thinner face do the same? Yes, maybe.

 

But assuming you're removing a club that matches your existing set, is it worth switching to a totally different club in order to gain just a few yards? That's the question.

 

 

 

For s&g's I took my 18⁰ Fli Hi to the range this weekend given that I had been striping my long irons. I thought, 'if ever there's a time to make a fair comparison, it's now while I'm swinging well.'

 

What I found was that when I struck my 21⁰ and 24⁰ MBs pure they went virtually dead straight. In general, it didn't really matter what MB I pulled, I knew how it was going to launch and I could swing more or less exactly the same way with each one. When I hit the 18⁰ Fli Hi (with a slightly lighter steel shaft), it flew more offline because it didn't match the rest of my set. My swing and release were "tuned" to my MBs. Naturally, I was slightly off with the Fli Hi.

 

That's totally my own fault, but the point is, there is value in having a simpler set in which everything matches (at least for the amateur). It makes things far simpler and that's usually better for amateur players. After all, the primary reason most amateur like the driving irons is the fact they don't have to have a different swing for that club. They don't have to worry about it being a fairway metal or a hybrid. The game becomes simpler.

 

Fewer kinds of swings = more predictable results.

 

 

My prediction is that all these guys who rave about their driving irons are going to be falling in love with their sets' 2- and 3-irons again in a few short years. My guess is that they'll "rediscover" those clubs and report how happy they are to realize they're actually good enough to hit "real" long irons. That's what happened to me. I started off with a driving iron and ultimately went back after finding that distance is more or less the same and it's actually advantageous to have all your clubs match.

 

Just my theory.

[jerebear21]

saw some usage of it while I was playing in ohio last week. If you got fairways running down you can get 20-30 yards more. Played at canterbury on friday and hole 15 I used a 5w. The gent I was playing with used a driving iron. It rolled legit 20 yards longer and gave him a PW and I had an 8i.

 

I can see where it fits in the grand scheme of things. You can have room for both a hybrid/fairway and a driving iron.

[FlyingLaw1]

I absolutely love my U45 18* with a VTS Silver shaft in it. It flies high enough I don't have any problem hitting it into a green.

 

I also have a MP-14 1 iron I'm starting to experiment with... Thinking it may be a windy day club.

[LoopySwing13]

I'd be curious to hear how many guys believe they hit their driving irons longer than their corresponding iron.

 

 

I own a 21⁰ Fli Hi and wouldn't be surprised to find that I hit it slightly higher and maybe a little further than my 21⁰ MB, but I'm not sure it's worth having a mismatched club for just a few extra yards so long as I'm hitting both pretty solid.

 

I have done several of the side by side comparison and a "3-DI" type club goes about 8-10 yards farther carry them my same 3 iron. But the 3 iron is a more traditional size and steel (for my experiment). They both are fine but serve slightly different purposes.

 

I ended up getting a 2-DI club and kept the traditional 3, but my 2-DI club also replace my 5 wood, so it worked well.

[boggyman]

Just got this in, should be a heck of a tee club

 

 

Guy I know still uses that club from his high school days. Broke it out one day and says here’s my hybrid, my son was amazed!

[brendan6q66]

I've had a 712u in the bag since last season. For me, I feel like I have far better dispersion than with a similarly lofted hybrid. It has become my go-to club for the 2nd shot on par 5s. With that said, the ball flight has always been lower than I like and I feel like I am fighting the steel shaft to get the ball elevated. So what to do? Picked up a P790 UDI with a Hzrdus. Hoping it fixes that little concern when it arrives.

[sixtysevensixtyseven]

I'd be curious to hear how many guys believe they hit their driving irons longer than their corresponding iron.

 

 

I own a 21⁰ Fli Hi and wouldn't be surprised to find that I hit it slightly higher and maybe a little further than my 21⁰ MB, but I'm not sure it's worth having a mismatched club for just a few extra yards so long as I'm hitting both pretty solid.

 

I have done several of the side by side comparison and a "3-DI" type club goes about 8-10 yards farther carry them my same 3 iron. But the 3 iron is a more traditional size and steel (for my experiment). They both are fine but serve slightly different purposes.

 

I ended up getting a 2-DI club and kept the traditional 3, but my 2-DI club also replace my 5 wood, so it worked well.

 

I've got an X Forged UT 18 degree and an X Forged 3 iron in my bag. With a stock swing the gap is probably 12 yards but the difference is I can go after the 18 degree and if I turn it over and get it to run out it goes a mile.

 

My 3 iron carries about 230. I hit my 18 this morning into a par 5 from 245 and it was comfortable and then a fee holes later I hit it about 275 off of a tight par 4 tee.

 

I would guess that if I had both of those clubs in 21 degrees I would hit the UT a couple yards further.

[lefty1978]

I've been hitting my 17° controller driving iron for 18 years. Still with no name stock steel shaft.

[Simp]

There will be a flood of driving irons for sale soon when people realize that their hybrids are easier to hit and are more forgiving. I can't wait.

[Joelsim]

When companies are charging $250 for a single iron...I start to call BS. That's a fad they're making money on.

 

Just how much performance difference are people observing between their driving iron and their standard forged CB 3-iron? I know how much difference I noticed--not that much. But it gives people something to spend they're money on.

 

Personally, I'm kind of over them. For as little as I hit my longest irons I'd rather keep them matching the rest of my set.

 

And yeah, you'd better build some forgiveness into that club-head if you're switching up shaft weight, shaft flex, swing weight, and other critical variables.

 

They don’t make a 3 Iron in the clubs I have!

 

Anyway I prefer a hybrid off the tee as it’s more forgiving on off-centre hits.

[a_gorilla]

This thread and the Open hype has me considering putting my TMB 3i back in the bag. I just love my fairway woods too much to kick them out. I'm thinking I could take out my 4i and crank down the 5 wood so I'd have the following lofts. Would just get tricky if I had to play a long par 3, which I don't play too many of.

 

10.5

13.5

17.5 (5w)

21 (3i)

25 (5i)

28

32

36

41

46

50

54

58

[chisag]

There will be a flood of driving irons for sale soon when people realize that their hybrids are easier to hit and are more forgiving. I can't wait.

 

... While this may be true for the majority of the people that play golf, many of todays DI's are equally as forgiving when it comes to slight mishits. Yes, you need the technique and club head speed to make a DI work for you, but a lot of better players are more accurate with a DI vs a wood like hybrid and most importantly have more confidence in an iron. Years ago you had no choice as low lofted irons were thin, narrow soled and very unforgiving or wide soled high launching SGI's that were equally ill fit for the better player. But graphite shafts, hollow/foam filled heads in lower lofts have created a new iron the many better players are using very effectively. But I get your point and of course there will be those that should not be using a DI and classified sales will be aplenty.

[Joelsim]

There will be a flood of driving irons for sale soon when people realize that their hybrids are easier to hit and are more forgiving. I can't wait.

 

... While this may be true for the majority of the people that play golf, many of todays DI's are equally as forgiving when it comes to slight mishits. Yes, you need the technique and club head speed to make a DI work for you, but a lot of better players are more accurate with a DI vs a wood like hybrid and most importantly have more confidence in an iron. Years ago you had no choice as low lofted irons were thin, narrow soled and very unforgiving or wide soled high launching SGI's that were equally ill fit for the better player. But graphite shafts, hollow/foam filled heads in lower lofts have created a new iron the many better players are using very effectively. But I get your point and of course there will be those that should not be using a DI and classified sales will be aplenty.

 

That’s the thing, you need the clubhead speed to make it work, and looking at most people playing at my course, that’s a small percentage of players.

[manima1]

There will be a flood of driving irons for sale soon when people realize that their hybrids are easier to hit and are more forgiving. I can't wait.

 

Hit plenty of hybrids, much easier for me to hit... off the course to the left lol.

 

Honestly, my U45 is just as easy to elevate as my 6 iron and flies about at the same window off the tee with a normal swing (just 40-50 yards further). The whole narrative that these are hard clubs to hit is false.

[Joelsim]

There will be a flood of driving irons for sale soon when people realize that their hybrids are easier to hit and are more forgiving. I can't wait.

 

Hit plenty of hybrids, much easier for me to hit... off the course to the left lol.

 

Honestly, my U45 is just as easy to elevate as my 6 iron and flies about at the same window off the tee with a normal swing (just 40-50 yards further). The whole narrative that these are hard clubs to hit is false.

 

I’d suggest you need to have a repeatable swing and you need to be able to actually do that too, so if you only play once every couple of weeks off an 18+ handicap then it’s going to cost you.