Driving Iron Query

[TRS30]

So certain lefty clubs are hard to find this side of the pond. Was looking for a driving iron to use off the tee and jumped on a Taylormade Speedblade 3 iron off the ‘bay. While is good when hit well it’s not very forgiving.

 

Have option to get a Srixon U85 and was wondering how this would compare forgiveness wise? Would a GAPR Lo be even more forgiving?

 

What else would be worth looking at?

Edited October 12, 2020 by TRS30

[TRS30]

Anyone any thoughts??

[LeftyTPH]

I had a speedblade too and I hated it. Flew far off the screws but was dead on misses. I haven’t hit the gapr or srixon.
 

One club I love is the old Adams dhy. They were basically driving irons and the gaprs seems to borrow their tech.

 

The Callaway apex driving irons are really easy to hit and fly well on misses too. 

[chippa13]

My iron set is Rocketbladez (precursor to Speedblade) and I liked the GAPR 3 mid that I got last year so much that I just got a 4 mid.

[Jwin323]

The Srixon will absolutely be more forgiving and will launch higher.

[JoeFrigo]

u85 will be much more forgiving than a Gapr Lo. Personally I hated the Gapr Lo....felt and sounded terrible IMO. u85 is a great all around club but will launch slightly higher than most "driving irons."

 

I dont know if they come in LH but I have a SIM UDI 2i and SIM DHY 3i. Love them both. Honestly I dont see a flight difference between the 2 although the DHY should launch higher

[Pepperturbo]

Check out Titleist U510.  It's design purpose is to provide more forgiveness for average Joe than U500.  Keep in mind, Driving irons, by design and purpose, are NOT easy for many people to hit.  They require considerable practice.

 

[MtlJeff]

The Ping Crossovers are very easy to hit, however i agree with Pepperturbo that hybrids are likely easier to hit in many cases, and with the right shaft shouldn't launch too high, and still perform ok in the windiness over there on the "wrong" 🙂 side of the pond

 

I have a Apex Hybrid with a heavy low launch shaft and i find it much easier to hit than my G400 crossover. Though both i would still say are forgiving. And the Apex is still a good club in the wind for tee use

[Fairway14]

16* to 21* "driving irons are suitable only for high swing speed players. For everyone else the shots will fly on a low trajectory with no more carry yardage than a 4-iron.

[Tim Sherwood]

I love the U85 so much I have it in 4,5 & 6 iron (z765 7-PW) It's very forgiving but it does fly high. 

[codman]

I can only speak for the Srixon. I think they're brilliant driving irons. I bought a U45 23* with the stock Nippon NS 980 steel shaft. Loved it but it flew quite low, so got it reshafted with the Miyasaki shaft that was stock in the U65. Like a different club with a better higher flight for me.

[TRS30]

Thanks for all the replies. 

 

Just a couple of things to add. I use to play a lot was down to a 6 handicap when I stopped playing. Back playing now after about 5 years however due to family and work commitments I can't practice and play as much as I use to. I had a Mizuno Hi Fli that I used when I played as my course has a few tight par 4s. 

 

I got fit a couple of weeks ago and put into x flex iron shafts (88mph ave with 7 iron). Hit a few drivers as well and averaged 112mph. 

 

The Speedblade has a TP Aldila NV 105 x flex shaft which is really nice and I like the ball flight just the head is quite compact and not very forgiving. 

 

As I can't practice as much now, I'm looking for a more forgiving head. 

 

I have tried a lot of different hybrids in the past and everyone was a hooker! 

Edited October 13, 2020 by TRS30

[gregrusso41]

17 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

The Ping Crossovers are very easy to hit, however i agree with Pepperturbo that hybrids are likely easier to hit in many cases, and with the right shaft shouldn't launch too high, and still perform ok in the windiness over there on the "wrong" 🙂 side of the pond

 

I have a Apex Hybrid with a heavy low launch shaft and i find it much easier to hit than my G400 crossover. Though both i would still say are forgiving. And the Apex is still a good club in the wind for tee use

I have a Ping Crossover 4 with a Project X black 6.5 85g shaft... this thing launches! I very seriously considered the Crossover 2 for a driving iron but I hit my Ping G410 hybrid so well I'd be really hard-pressed to replace it. I'd give the Crossover a 10/10 recommend for long iron shots. 

[MtlJeff]

16 minutes ago, gregrusso41 said:

I have a Ping Crossover 4 with a Project X black 6.5 85g shaft... this thing launches! I very seriously considered the Crossover 2 for a driving iron but I hit my Ping G410 hybrid so well I'd be really hard-pressed to replace it. I'd give the Crossover a 10/10 recommend for long iron shots. 

 

I actually find the launch quite satisfactory as well, but the directional forgiveness i find a lot better with a hybrid than a crossover. Especially out of the rough. I find the crossovers can grab a bit more, like an iron. 

 

But if the OP wants to use just off the tee i guess that's not a big deal. 

[gregrusso41]

2 minutes ago, MtlJeff said:

 

I actually find the launch quite satisfactory as well, but the directional forgiveness i find a lot better with a hybrid than a crossover. Especially out of the rough. I find the crossovers can grab a bit more, like an iron. 

 

But if the OP wants to use just off the tee i guess that's not a big deal. 

I do tend to agree with you - it doesn't have enough low weight to get all of the distance you want out of the rough. Off the tee or fairway it's tremendous. 

 

As an additional note @TRS30, I did try the Gapr Lo as a long iron/driving iron. In terms of forgiveness... it scores low in my book. BUT - when you blast one on the sweet spot it sounded and flew as well as any club I've ever hit. I just wasn't connecting as much as I'd like. Just my $.02.

[TRS30]

A Callaway x Forge UT 18 has also popped onto the radar. 

 

How would that compare to the U85??

[Pepperturbo]

2 hours ago, TRS30 said:

A Callaway x Forge UT 18 has also popped onto the radar. 

 

How would that compare to the U85??

Can't compare, but having played original X-Forged 2-PW with PX 6.0 from 2006-2015, I am confident Callaway's UT 18 would probably be my choice, because I trust Callaway makes some forgiving clubs.

[LeftyTPH]

4 hours ago, TRS30 said:

A Callaway x Forge UT 18 has also popped onto the radar. 

 

How would that compare to the U85??

Haven’t hit the 18, but I had the 24 and it was a beast. I loved it. I had a Steelfiber shaft in it and it flew high and far and was forgiving. Just got new irons through and went with something else due to gapping. 

[TRS30]

Leaning towards the Cally x forged UT and reshaft it with the Aldila NV 105.

If anyone else has any thoughts on x forged v U85 please shout. Going to sleep on it!
 

 

[Fujikura Golf]

Forgiveness can be obtained from the shaft as well. our new VENTUS HB is worth a look https://fujikuragolf.com/hybrids/ventus-hybrid

[RudeJim]

On 10/12/2020 at 6:06 AM, LeftyTPH said:

I had a speedblade too and I hated it. Flew far off the screws but was dead on misses. I haven’t hit the gapr or srixon.
 

One club I love is the old Adams dhy. They were basically driving irons and the gaprs seems to borrow their tech.

 

The Callaway apex driving irons are really easy to hit and fly well on misses too. 

In TXG’s latest video they tested the SIM dhy and said it’s basically a remake of the old Adams. 

[gibbiesmalls]

21 minutes ago, RudeJim said:

In TXG’s latest video they tested the SIM dhy and said it’s basically a remake of the old Adams. 

 

With a HUGE increase in ball speed.

 

I'm a huge DHY fan, and this new variation is just as good with much faster ball speeds.  It's a monster ball speed wise. 

[jackdanger]

Haven't tested the new DHY but did take a look at it, identical looking to the Adams one I game and love. Worth looking into.

[steventoo]

On 10/13/2020 at 12:40 PM, Fairway14 said:

16* to 21* "driving irons are suitable only for high swing speed players. For everyone else the shots will fly on a low trajectory with no more carry yardage than a 4-iron.

 

Totally agreed. If my back is playing up and I have no flexibility, I might as well not bother with my U510 1 iron. But when my back is behaving and I can generate a bit of speed... it's a wonderful club to have in the bag.

Edited October 14, 2020 by steventoo

[Jwin323]

7 hours ago, Fujikura Golf said:

Forgiveness can be obtained from the shaft as well. our new VENTUS HB is worth a look https://fujikuragolf.com/hybrids/ventus-hybrid

I have this shaft in a Callaway Epic Forged 4 iron  (18*) which is basically a driving iron for me. Very forgiving and easy to elevate off the deck when I need to. You may want to consider a GI Iron like this as well.

[TRS30]

11 hours ago, steventoo said:

 

Totally agreed. If my back is playing up and I have no flexibility, I might as well not bother with my U510 1 iron. But when my back is behaving and I can generate a bit of speed... it's a wonderful club to have in the bag.

wish i could find a U510 1 iron in lefty 😞

[TheSphynx]

On 10/13/2020 at 5:46 PM, Fujikura Golf said:

Forgiveness can be obtained from the shaft as well. our new VENTUS HB is worth a look https://fujikuragolf.com/hybrids/ventus-hybrid

Speaking of that shaft... I sent you guys a DM about the ventus @Fujikura Golf