1 Iron over the Driver?

[steel09]

Anyone ever toyed with the idea of putting a 1 iron in the bag and playing it over the big stick? Is it sexy.... no haha but I would be curious how a round would change playing a long iron over the driver. I know it can get me into more trouble off the tee if it isn't a good day. I just picked up some good looking Miura MB-101 long irons and am curious if anyone else had played without the driver in the bag.

[manima1]

If I did, it certainly wouldn't be with that butter knife you are holding.

[jmkenn0]

I'd have a shaft and grip put on that and mounted to a wall, its just to nice looking to actually use!You really have to be an incredible ball striker and really bad at driver to make that feasible. And I have all sorts of issues with driver, but trying to hit my UDI 2-iron off the tee each time would put me at a huge disadvantage from a distance perspective, and they are so unforgiving that if you mishit it even a little bit you are even further back.But if you are playing a short, tight course, maybe its worth giving up the distance to get the accuracy?

[DFS PFD]

If you want to give up all forgiveness the driver offers, and distance, then sure. 1 or 2 iron over 3 wood is realistic, over driver, not as much.

[Man_O_War]

what do you gain? nice head for the museum

[Pepperturbo]

I played a 15* 1 iron for many years until 17* 2 iron came into vogue. It never replaces driver though.

Every now and again I put my 16* Mizuno MB 1 iron in the bag to remind myself of the importance of a good swing. One "1" iron requires a much better swing than my T-MB 2 iron. One "1" iron can replace a stock 16.5* 4wd distance wise, except my 4wd is not stock at 15*, plus 1 iron trajectory is much lower. Sometimes because of banshee like run out, I can get my 17* 2 iron out further than 4wd, especially hitting into breeze.

What's gained? IMO depends on a persons game. I am an iron player that likes all sorts of shots and control. Driver and 4wd are good for big Par 4's and 5's but when facing target golf or wind 17* 2i and 3i are used a great deal more than driver or 4wd. I've played many rounds never touching driver or 4wd and can still get into the barn with a mid-70's score.

[steel09]

It may end up as a wall piece once its built. I play a 17 degree 2 hybrid and it’s a monster off the tee. Usually get about 260 carry and 285 on a dry day and it’s a fairway machine. Now, it’s much easier to hit than a bladed 1 iron but I know there are old School long iron junkies that like to be as pure and true to older equipment as they can. No way this thing would ever keep up with a modern driver but i do find long irons to be pretty accurate for me

[Buzzkill]

Years ago when I hit my 1 iron 260 yards, I'd often play with no woods just for the fun of it!

[bluedot]

I doubt that there is a single player on the PGA Tour carrying a 1 iron, and I'd also bet that less than 20% carry a 2 iron. And they're REALLY good...

If you need to hit a 1 iron instead of a driver, you have the wrong driver. Period.

[Nessism]

I didn't carry a driver for a number of years and only rarely missed it. Instead I used an old Spaulding persimon 3 wood that I loved and a Palmer Peerless 1 iron that for some reason I just killed. I could hit that 1 iron 230 pretty consistently off the tee, and even used it off the fairway sometimes. "The good old days" for sure!

 

 

 

[Mudguard]

Depends on your course. My old course only had four holes where I could hit driver, a couple of times I used that Mizuno Hitagami one iron? Didn't score differently but a couple of holes played pretty long. Unless you're terrible with driver or the course you play is too tight, I'd always carry driver. I don't work all week to hit just irons on a Saturday!

[Stinger83]

Sure. I know guys who hunt dove with a single shot .410 too. I'll still take the 12 gauge.

[Chuck905]

Isn’t this comparing apples to oranges ?

A 1 iron is the hardest club to hit, even today’s driver are easy to hit.

Even more, today’s UDI are longer than any blade 1 iron.

I agree with others as mentioned, a 1 iron would be 3 wood replacement, not driver.

[scooterhd2]

That club you are holding is an incredibly beautiful paper weight. No better way to appreciate its craftsmanship and elegance than by looking at it on your desk.

[Ivyguy]

So... I'm gonna have nightmares ton8ght... great job guys.

[hurley999s]

No chance...

...how much do you want for it?? ??

[coops]

That really is a nice paperweight.

 

One main benefit of a blade 1 iron, is that if (when) you mishit it...it goes nowhere. (As opposed to snap hooked miles out of bounds).

 

I did use one for a while for pleasure, but now use a 'blobby' hollow headed 2 (19deg) iron instead which is nearly as forgiving as a hybrid but suits my eye better.

 

The old Mizuno Pro-II 1 iron did come in useful on occasion...https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/1218896/my-1-iron-still-useful-after-all-these-years/p1

[MattyO1984]

That 1 iron looks beautiful but I think that you would be mad to consider using that over a modern driver.

[Valtiel]

MAYBE if we were talking about something like a Titleist U510, but a fillet knife with a "1" stamped on the bottom? Definitely not. If you had replace it, you'd be even far better off with some low lofted super hybrid or a hot 3-wood.

[LeftyMatt24]

Have you tried the u510?

[extrastiff]

kyle Berkshire says in competition, he will hit iron off the tee pretty exclusively.

the again, his iron goes further than most drivers ever will, soooo..

[Valtiel]

I have, its a beast. I don't care for the stock shaft and I think the club overall feels a bit harsh, but both of those are easily fixable.

[Jack lives here]

When I was 16 I had the 1 iron in the bag and nuked it.

I'm now 60, and the longest real iron is a 6 iron.

The 1 iron is a good club for kids.

 

[jvincent]

@steel09
[img]https://s3.amazonaws.com/golfwrxforums/uploads/297/6A1VT3OY6777.png[/img]

[Jack lives here]

When I was 16 I had the 1 iron in the bag and nuked it.

I'm now 60, and the longest real iron is a 6 iron.

The 1 iron is a good club for kids.

 

[Breiman]

I bagged a 1 iron from 1982 till 2000 when I was a stronger player (now 60). I used is as a tee club on short par4's and sometimes as a second shot into the greens of a short par 5. It also nice on a windy day. Eventually as my swing speed slowed, I found a hybrid a nice replacement, but it did not have the accuracy of the 1 iron. If you can hit, keep it in you bag for as long as you can.

[NRJyzr]

I like one irons at least as much as the next guy, but I don't know that I'd ever use one as a literal driver replacement. If I were having issues with driver, I might drop down to using the 1 iron to keep things in play, but I don't know that I'd call it a "driver replacement."

I've been using a 1 iron this year so far, and been hitting it well as my alternative tee club. Ironically, when I made a comment on the course about how it was going, the golf gods did smite me, and I hit three straight hosel rockets with it to finish the round. Ugh.

[Valtiel]

I'd also add that it is really only the Cameron Champ's of the world that could turn this in to an asset. Using a low lofted long iron as a driver replacement requires you putting that iron out there 270y minimum for it to be viable, and if you have that kind of speed but CAN'T hit a driver, then you probably aren't going to fair any better with even a super forgiving driving iron, let along a blade.

But for shits and giggles with your friends? Absolutely. ?

[MV8980]

I carried and played a Ping Eye2 1-iron when I played in college from 87-92 and carried it for a short time after that as well. I gave my set of Eye-2's to a best friend in the early 90s and he still has the whole set. We played together 3 years ago and after hitting my driver on a par-4, I hit the 1-iron from my old set once again. I smoked a power draw down the middle and said to him, "If that went further than my driver, I'm taking this thing back." Fortunately for both of us, the 1-iron didn't beat my driver...but hitting that club again really felt great!

I would not put a 1-iron back in my bag--my 19* hybrid is much easier to hit, control, and use in a variety of situations. But hitting my old Eye-2 1-iron was nostalgic and a really wonderful feeling!

[Sparty4202]

Haven’t you heard per Lee Trevino....not even GOD can hit a 1 iron!! .... ?