How far do you hit your driving iron, REALLY?

[crucible]

54 minutes ago, Pat DiAlto said:

I’m one of the lucky few who has always been long. I hit my old Nike 2iron hybrid 250-270 I’m 67 & an assistant professional in Pennsylvania. I love irons and use to carry 1-9 Mizuno blades. However when the hybrids came out I had to learn about them and how to hit them. I believe they are the best thing to happen to high handicappers who had trouble with long irons & fairway woods. Once they learn how to use them not only as a driving iron but throughout the course they are very handy club to have in your bag. 

Nice 1st post welcome. I agree about the hybrids.  I use a hybrid many a time to escape from the trees and occasionally from the fringe.

[Pepperturbo]

Currently, a Titleist 718 T-MB 17' 2 iron with Tensei AV White AM2 90g stout stiff, as much as 230yds, ave around 210-212 yds, and a new Titleist T200 17' 2 iron with Tensei AV Blue AM2 70g stiff, it's around 215+, but haven't used it enough.

 

[jeff1727]

Average carry of 227yds with my Titleist T200 4 iron with Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ-85s.  Absolutely love this club.  Probably my favorite club to hit. 

Edited February 8, 2023 by jeff1727

[Ri_Redneck]

I have an 18° Mizuno MP18 Fli-Hi which I sometimes substitute in place of my 18° FW. They carry about the same distance, but I can hit the Fli-Hi with a MUCH lower trajectory which gives more roll-out. Both are good for about 225 on your typical fairway.

 

BT

[VladDrag]

I have a T200 2i (17*), and I can't hit it consistently enough to put it in my bag full time. When I do middle it, it's a low bullet machine.  80 ft off the ground, 260 carry, rolls out to ~280 in summer conditions. I have a CK Pro White 10X in it right now, and would like to try it with a higher launch shaft to see if there is any difference.

[PigPyle]

225-235. 20* Nike vapor fly pro w/ Fujikura pro 95i

[gbang15]

I obliterate the ball with my p790 2 udi. 275 range off the tee normal conditions/elevations. Only problem was i couldn't trust my 3wood anymore. and my tempo got thrown off going 2iron->driver going from tee box to box. 

 

so now i carry the 3. gives me high launch off the deck going into par 5's. 

[Oh Hi Carl]

I used to think I hit my driving iron 220 and then I used an indoor simulator and learned that I can't carry it more than 170 yards and if I'm playing on asphalt fairways it may roll out to 220.  Then I bought a bunch of hybrids.  

[Glock917]

Srixon zx 4i w/ modus 120x and off the tee carry around 225y off the turf about 220y. 

have a newer stealth udi 2i with diamana thump 100x and I’m thinking about 235y carry but not really hitting for carry yardage more so just mid low bullets that roll for days. 

 

[Andygolderson]

I played a 2 iron from my Cobra mb set and sometimes used it off the tee, however, i found my 5w is easier to hit and therefore, a bit more reliable. 

2i will vary from around 200-220 and the 5w is generally a good 220-230 number. It only really depends on the trajectory and the 2i is nicer to bump out from trees or trouble.

[FuzzyKnuckles]

What’s y’all’s yardage gapping above and below your driving iron? I go 270 3W and 205 4iron, with a Srixon U65 3iron going 220

 

Thinking about upgrading driving irons soon and can’t decide if I want to go longer with a 2 iron, or stay at 3. I also need to find one with lower trajectory. Also what is your strategy here in this part of your bag, how do you determine how far you want your driving iron to be?

Edited February 9, 2023 by FuzzyKnuckles

[LoopySwing13]

10 hours ago, FuzzyKnuckles said:

What’s y’all’s yardage gapping above and below your driving iron? I go 270 3W and 205 4iron, with a Srixon U65 3iron going 220

 

Thinking about upgrading driving irons soon and can’t decide if I want to go longer with a 2 iron, or stay at 3. I also need to find one with lower trajectory. Also what is your strategy here in this part of your bag, how do you determine how far you want your driving iron to be?

Well your swing determines how far you can hit it 😉. I probably don’t have the ideal numbers for a 2 iron, but I love it for tight holes or to hit a low runner. It’s carry is about 220 and my 5 wood is about 230 carry, but both are used for different purposes. I also play 4 iron as my next club down from 2 iron which is about 210 carry. 
 

In general, I went with a 95 gram graphite for a little more speed in the 2 iron as opposed to 125gr steel (PX 6.5 in my irons). Some folks on here love the continuation of steel on their 2 iron.. I didn’t mind it but my carry was 5-10 less with steel and higher spin numbers. So I kept the graphite. 

[BagofToast]

10 hours ago, FuzzyKnuckles said:

What’s y’all’s yardage gapping above and below your driving iron? I go 270 3W and 205 4iron, with a Srixon U65 3iron going 220

 

Thinking about upgrading driving irons soon and can’t decide if I want to go longer with a 2 iron, or stay at 3. I also need to find one with lower trajectory. Also what is your strategy here in this part of your bag, how do you determine how far you want your driving iron to be?

I put a 3di in because I wanted to keep 5w and have a driving iron. I go 15° 3w 265, 18° 5w 245-50, 20° di 230, set 4i 215. 
 

Wanted driving iron to be anywhere between the 5w and 4i, not minding if it creeped into 5w distance. 

[3_Jack_Par]

I use a 17 degree driving iron sometimes (I also have a 5 wood that I switch out, depending on whether I think I'll need a club in that range more off the tee or off the ground). If I roast it, the driving iron can go 250 or a little longer off a tee (though I've hit it 290 downwind on firm Texas fairways when visiting my parents in the winter -- it's a great club in conditions where you can get lots of roll). It maxes out at about 240 off the ground in normal conditions. However, it can be hard to elevate enough to hold greens when hitting it off the ground, which is why I like to have the 5 wood as an option.

Edited February 9, 2023 by 3_Jack_Par

[FuzzyKnuckles]

Great point about needing something elevated enough to hold greens. I appreciate y’all’s responses! Time to go buy one now

[bnperrone]

What I've learned after bagging a utility iron for a while now is that if I roast it I can get north of 225 carry (at sea level). However, even slight mishits can lose more than 30 yards of carry, and that's why it is being replaced with a Ping G430 hybrid. I've wanted to make a driving iron work and I've hit some really awesome shots that stick out in my mind, but the distance variation is night and day. I can hit an intentional punch shot with the hybrid that still carries 210, and even a super ugly full swing mishit covers that distance as well. Those same efforts with the utility iron both produce terrible results. I'm a 6 and a pretty good ballstriker, but I think I'd have to be more like scratch to really take advantage of the driving iron, and even then I probably still wouldn't be able to elevate it like the normal hybrid flight. I think Ping's really onto something with this new series, and the hybrid flight still appears strong enough to do what I want in my windy coastal SC environment. 

 

Now, If I was happy with 13 clubs and had a totally free slot, I'd be fine with a super low bullet one-trick-pony driving iron. Just something to consider.  

[Patnachts]

I have a Mizuno Fli-Hi 3 iron (19 deg) that I can hit anywhere from 225-250 off the tee depending on the conditions and if I tee it up high or not. I used to have a P790 2 iron that would hit absolute cannon balls down the fairways, easily going over 250 and on the right days roll out well past 270. However, it was almost completely unplayable from the fairways and I felt like started to encroach on my 3 wood, hence my shift to the 3 iron. Could not be happier with the move. Mizuno has a real winner with the Fli-Hi line.

For context my driver SS is about 110-115 or so. 

[Patnachts]

31 minutes ago, bnperrone said:

What I've learned after bagging a utility iron for a while now is that if I roast it I can get north of 225 carry (at sea level). However, even slight mishits can lose more than 30 yards of carry, and that's why it is being replaced with a Ping G430 hybrid. I've wanted to make a driving iron work and I've hit some really awesome shots that stick out in my mind, but the distance variation is night and day. I can hit an intentional punch shot with the hybrid that still carries 210, and even a super ugly full swing mishit covers that distance as well. Those same efforts with the utility iron both produce terrible results. I'm a 6 and a pretty good ballstriker, but I think I'd have to be more like scratch to really take advantage of the driving iron, and even then I probably still wouldn't be able to elevate it like the normal hybrid flight. I think Ping's really onto something with this new series, and the hybrid flight still appears strong enough to do what I want in my windy coastal SC environment. 

 

Now, If I was happy with 13 clubs and had a totally free slot, I'd be fine with a super low bullet one-trick-pony driving iron. Just something to consider.  

I think this highlights the difference between a good hybrid and a driving iron. Plus, with how easy hybrids are to strike off the turf, for the majority of players a 2/3 hybrid is going to yield a lot more benefit than a 2/3 iron. Nevertheless, I stick with my 3 iron because I cannot for the life of me keep my hybrid from overdrawing.

[bnperrone]

3 hours ago, Patnachts said:

I think this highlights the difference between a good hybrid and a driving iron. Plus, with how easy hybrids are to strike off the turf, for the majority of players a 2/3 hybrid is going to yield a lot more benefit than a 2/3 iron. Nevertheless, I stick with my 3 iron because I cannot for the life of me keep my hybrid from overdrawing.

I think the key is moving some head weigh to the toe and getting the lie angle right. I mean, there’s nothing else about the physics that would inherently promote a draw. For me personally that has been huge, as well as making sure the ball doesn’t creep way forward in my setup. 

[phizzy30]

Carry wise, my 3i utility flies about 220-240 depending on what I need it to do.  The one unpredictable variable is roll out which is predicated by course conditions. 

[Pepperturbo]

On 2/8/2023 at 10:24 AM, jeff1727 said:

Average carry of 227yds with my Titleist T200 4 iron with Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ-85s.  Absolutely love this club.  Probably my favorite club to hit. 

I WISH I was younger... that's awesome! 👏

I get 195-200 carry out of T200 4 iron, with Tensei AV Blue 70s. 

[jeff1727]

10 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

I WISH I was younger... that's awesome! 👏

I get 195-200 carry out of T200 4 iron, with Tensei AV Blue 70s. 

I’m 43.  I have completely revamped my swing the last couple of years and have picked up 1-2 clubs in distance.  My 7 iron used to be my 155 yard club , now it’s my 177 yard club.  Wish I would have taken lessons a lot sooner.

 From what I read in the forums, you seem to move the ball pretty well yourself.  Reading all your posts on your journey using graphite shafts in irons pushed me to test them out. Steelfibers i100cw’s were a great fit for me and my elbows and shoulders have never been happier.  

Edited February 10, 2023 by jeff1727

[Pepperturbo]

1 minute ago, jeff1727 said:

I’m 43.  I have completely revamped my swing the last couple of years and have picked up 1-2 clubs in distance.  My 7 iron used to be my 155 yard club , now it’s my 177 yard club.  Wish I would have taken lessons a lot sooner.

 From what I read in the forums, you seem to move the ball pretty well yourself. 

What ever you did, keep doing it. 

 

I've always played older lofts with power, but started losing my high 90s iron SS in my late 50s.  Thanks to the athleticism and working out, I still have some punch, though.  When you reach the 70s, punch varies daily.... LOL    

[steventoo]

I have a Titleist T200 utility with Tensei AV Raw White 100X. Arccos reckons it's my 260m club, but I don't have too many shots with it out on course yet.

Edited February 10, 2023 by steventoo

[jeff1727]

46 minutes ago, steventoo said:

I have a Titleist T200 utility with Tensei AV Raw 100X. Arccos reckons it's my 260m club, but I don't have too many shots with it out on course yet.

260m (285ish yards), you must bring some serious speed.  Well done sir. 

[steventoo]

1 hour ago, jeff1727 said:

260m (285ish yards), you must bring some serious speed.  Well done sir. 

 

Thank you - I'm getting quicker as I get older! I wouldn't take too much from the few shots I have in Arccos. There are 4 shots - 265, 260, and 249m are counted, and a 223m which is not - I was trying to sling one in from the right but it clipped a tree and dropped straight down.

 

I bought it as a 250m club, and so far, I think that's about right. It might get out there a bit further every so often, but 250 should be the ballpark. I'm very happy with the head/shaft combination over my old U510 1 iron - I never liked that thing very much.

Edited February 10, 2023 by steventoo

[ChristopherMcDonald]

4 driving iron here, when I’m hitting it well it should go about 200 or so.

[Rbsiedsc]

18 hours ago, Patnachts said:

I think this highlights the difference between a good hybrid and a driving iron. Plus, with how easy hybrids are to strike off the turf, for the majority of players a 2/3 hybrid is going to yield a lot more benefit than a 2/3 iron. Nevertheless, I stick with my 3 iron because I cannot for the life of me keep my hybrid from overdrawing.

This is why I moved from driving iron to hybrid and now to UW. No over draw at all with it

[ChipNRun]

On 9/15/2020 at 8:36 AM, Duffner's Waggle said:

Been thinkin about putting a low loft hybrid in the bag and using 4i as my longest iron, and hitting that from the tee. It would probably go about 215 or so when flushed. 205-210 more often. 
 

So how far do you hit your driving iron? Or do you just play the longest iron in your set as a “driving iron?”

 

My prior set of irons was the Tour Edge CB Pro Tungstens. Set came with 22* 4i, OK off tee but iffy off fairway. So, I reshafted it from KBS Tour 90 (~95 grams) to SteelFiber 780 HLS hybrid shaft (75 grams). The 4i became versatile driving iron... I could do this with it:

• Hit low draw off tee to keep ball out of wind, it would run out to about 195 yards.
• Hit a high lob (a tad on upswing) to get it to settle down in a tight landing area.
• Hit an approach shot into the wind if green open in front.

In my new MAX irons, 5i carries almost as far as old 4i; plus, I've learned to hit a stinger with my 4H. DI/4i no longer necessary.

[6hcphacker]

I have a Mizuno MP-20 2 iron. Hit it 230 ish, all in, when swing it well. For reference my driver SS is 105 when warmed up. It goes a bit low and get some run.