Am I crazy wanting to play a 16* 1-Iron?

[forrester_fire]

On 11/23/2022 at 1:51 PM, cargo8 said:

Just went to Dunn hoping to try the Mizuno FliHi 2 (16.5*) and the Titleist U-505 1-iron (16*) – only got to try the U505, but holy hell is that thing easy to hit.

 

For context at the top of my bag, I have a Callaway x-forged UT 21*, P790 UDI 18* and Tour Exotics CBX 3-wood 15*.

But what I realized is while I can cover 200-210 and 220 with the irons, 3-wood only gets me about 235-240 which is very comparable to what I was getting out of the U505 on the sim.

In either case this slot in the bag only gets used a few times per round (short par 4 tee shot or attacking a par 5), but I imagine I'd use the iron off the tee more often than I do 3-wood now too.

 

If I could get 250+ out of the 3 wood it would be a different story, but with these numbers am I crazy to think of dropping the 3-wood and throw a 16* iron in the bag?

 

I guess it begs the question:  are you only getting 235-240 from your 3w in the sim as well?  If you're comparing on-course yardage from your 3w to sim yardage with the 16* iron, I think you're going to be disappointed...especially the first time you hit that 1i into a green on a par 5 and watch it run 10 yards past the green.

Edited November 26, 2022 by forrester_fire

[naval2006]

I guess a 1 driving iron is a good choice for someone who finds the sweet spot often with the club face square and they want a lower trajectory than say a 5 wood.  Couple of buddies near scratch I play with carry a 2 driving iron that they use for some specific tee shots or on windy days. These guys use it as a specialty club as they mentioned above. 
 

Driving irons are the type of weapons you realize in a handful of rounds if you’re going to need it or,well, you go back to a good old trusty hybrid or wood. 

[ShortGolfer]

The big advantage to a 1 driving iron is that is has a purpose.  Specific shots you want to hit.  This can be useful as it simplifies club selection.

The 3W, on the other hand, is often the least used clubs in the bag as it doesn't have a good reason for being in the bag.

If driver isn't working  it is likely that switching to the 3W off the tee isn't going to fix that.  If driver isn't working, are you really going to try a 3W off the deck?

Edited November 26, 2022 by ShortGolfer

[fa2blk]

I play a Mizuno MP H5 1 iron 16 degree and love it. My country club is a 70 yr old flat tight fairway tree lined course. A lot of par 4s in that 390 to 430 yd range from blue tees (6700) yds that most of my friends and I play. Typically hit 1 iron 4-6 times per round, 250-270 yds off tee, and then on tight par 5s can hit 200 yd bullets 10 ft off ground and chase the ball to target. If I play black tees at 7100 yds I don't hit as much. My goal for tee shot is whether or not I can get within 150 yds for my 2nd shot, so 490 yd pars I'm hitting driver all day. Fort a tight course, a 1 iron is great! On windy days it is great. For punching low screamers under trees it is great.

 

When I play newer wide open courses with more lakes, 200 yd+ carries, then I switch out the 1 iron and put my hybrid back in the bag. 

 

1 iron is a GREAT club for tight courses and windy conditions. Rarely do I hit way right or left and dispersion much tighter than 3 wood or hybrid. Do think it is best though for low handicap players with high swing speeds.

[bodhi555]

On 11/25/2022 at 5:00 PM, MelloYello said:

 

Not at all. 

 

You've got to be bold enough to tell the truth. The guy has the same handicap index as me and basically hits his clubs the same distance. 

 

In this regime, a fairway metal is a much more practical weapon (particularly if it's paired with a reliable driver). 

 

He said it himself, half the duties of this type of club have to do with attacking Par-5s. How is a 1-iron the best bet on a Par-5?! You think that's good advice?

 

Have you ever actually hit a 1-iron like he's talking about? They're not very practical. They're hyper-specialized clubs built for tee shots, primarily for the type of player generating 180+ ball speeds off the driver and who'll literally never need something as strong as a 16^o club into a Par-5. 

 

The fact the results from the fairway metal aren't good enough to beat out a 1-iron says everything. The fairway metal should be a much more valuable weapon, capable of being deployed on a number of different holes and in different scenarios. It can be hit from a wider array of lies, too. 

 

To put it bluntly, the OP is the type of player (much like me) whose scoring should be (noticeably) better with a good fairway metal versus a specialty driving club with only 16^o of loft. Work towards the goal of better scoring. It'll pay off in the end much more so than a driving club (that isn't a driver!). 

 

If he was spanking the 1-iron 275+ because he was just that dang powerful, then I'd say it'd be justified it but the kind of shots you're getting from a 1-iron at 240-yds aren't all that impressive and are certainly not practical beyond a few tee shots on flat fairways.

 

Simple fact >> the fairway metal (used properly) should be gaining way more shots than the 1-iron. And if you work on driver enough to be good at it (which you definitely should be!) then you don't need a 1-iron. 

 

.

 

Considering I spent a good 10 years with both 1 and 2 irons in the bag - bladed models as well - I do have a bit of an idea of the type of club he's looking at, and I would firmly disagree they were useless for playing into long Par 4s and 5s. I found the 1 iron incredibly effective on holes when the wind was blowing and you needed to chase something into the green, and the 2 was better if you needed some stopping power. 

 

I could hit a fairway wood absolutely fine, just found them a little one dimensional. Great if you wanted to hit it high, less good if it was windy or in hard dry conditions. They're great for target golf in good conditions - less useful on the Links. 

[AdmiralPicard]

I think you’re fine. Heck, I’ve got one at 15°. I say go for it.

[MelloYello]

2 hours ago, bodhi555 said:

 

Considering I spent a good 10 years with both 1 and 2 irons in the bag - bladed models as well - I do have a bit of an idea of the type of club he's looking at, and I would firmly disagree they were useless for playing into long Par 4s and 5s. I found the 1 iron incredibly effective on holes when the wind was blowing and you needed to chase something into the green, and the 2 was better if you needed some stopping power. 

 

I could hit a fairway wood absolutely fine, just found them a little one dimensional. Great if you wanted to hit it high, less good if it was windy or in hard dry conditions. They're great for target golf in good conditions - less useful on the Links. 

 

You're proving my point.

 

First of all, if the 1i and 2i you claim to have used were the best options for you, they'd still be in your bag. So point basically proven right there. 

 

Moreover, you're basing your whole defense on the idea that "if" a bunch of variables all come together, it might become defensible to say the 1i is as good as some alternative. Sure, that's totally true but you don't carry clubs because 1 time out of 50 they make sense. 

 

If the ground is hard...

If the wind is whipping...

If you're on a par-5...

If you're in the fairway....

If you're going for it...

If the front of the green is open...

If the ground is flat enough to allow for roll...

If you prefer to roll it in versus carrying it onto the green..

 

 

Talk about mental gymnastics!

 

Just hit a punch 3w and roll that in if you're bound and determined to keep it low. Hell, you could just use driver off the deck in those circumstances, too!

 

And enough with the idea that it's hard to hit a low, running shot. That's literally the easiest shot in golf. It's not hard to hit a low runner with a 1i. Hell, the 1i does all the work for you. That's the whole point. But you can learn to do that with literally any club. The 1i just forces you into that as the sole option. But of course nobody's hitting a 1-iron over a lake because it's a percentage play. Whereas with a 4w or 5w that'd be no sweat. 

 

Honestly, this is all a joke to even discuss. Nobody is properly fit to a 1-iron outside of guys who carry driver 300+ or guys who haven't learned to work with fairway metals. 

 

/rant

 

.

Edited November 26, 2022 by MelloYello

[MelloYello]

7 hours ago, ShortGolfer said:

The big advantage to a 1 driving iron is that is has a purpose.  Specific shots you want to hit.  This can be useful as it simplifies club selection.

The 3W, on the other hand, is often the least used clubs in the bag as it doesn't have a good reason for being in the bag.

If driver isn't working  it is likely that switching to the 3W off the tee isn't going to fix that.  If driver isn't working, are you really going to try a 3W off the deck?

 

There is a purpose to a 3w/4w. It goes shorter than driver. That's the purpose. Either it's al alternative to driver on shorter holes or it's a means of attacking par-5s.  

 

When I want 260 carry off the tee, I hit driver. When I want 230 carry off the tee, I hit my 4w. Simple. 

 

One is not the fix for the other. You're right about that. But nobody ever said that. That was dumb "conventional wisdom" accepted as true back in the day. "Oh, my driver's not working so I'll switch to 3w/4w." I feel like we all learned that was wrong a long time ago. To whatever extent it's true, it's simply because the 3w/4w isn't going as far...which again, was the whole point of the club in the first place, LOL.

[MelloYello]

3 hours ago, fa2blk said:

I play a Mizuno MP H5 1 iron 16 degree and love it. My country club is a 70 yr old flat tight fairway tree lined course. A lot of par 4s in that 390 to 430 yd range from blue tees (6700) yds that most of my friends and I play. Typically hit 1 iron 4-6 times per round, 250-270 yds off tee, and then on tight par 5s can hit 200 yd bullets 10 ft off ground and chase the ball to target. If I play black tees at 7100 yds I don't hit as much. My goal for tee shot is whether or not I can get within 150 yds for my 2nd shot, so 490 yd pars I'm hitting driver all day. Fort a tight course, a 1 iron is great! On windy days it is great. For punching low screamers under trees it is great.

 

When I play newer wide open courses with more lakes, 200 yd+ carries, then I switch out the 1 iron and put my hybrid back in the bag. 

 

1 iron is a GREAT club for tight courses and windy conditions. Rarely do I hit way right or left and dispersion much tighter than 3 wood or hybrid. Do think it is best though for low handicap players with high swing speeds.

 

See, this was my point. @fa2blk says he's hitting his 250-270. That's a powerful player!

 

It's it's really chasing out that far, it's dang near as far as my driver which is probably topping out at 280. 

 

If you're that long, different rules apply and different clubs can make sense (if the conditions/courses dictate). But at the point where 1i is only going 230 (and carrying something like 210)...well, to be frank, those just aren't awesome golf shots. That's where hybrid or fairway tech should be doing a lot more for you. 

[golferdude54]

I used the Flightscope Optimizer software and compared the PGA Tour average 3-iron taken from TrackMan to a theoretical 1-iron.

 

The PGA Tour average 3-iron has a 10.4* launch angle with 4630 spin rate at 142 MPH ball speed and the peak height is 27 yards which is lower than the rest of the irons. Let's assume a 16* 1-iron should be launched at 8* launch angle with 4200 spin with the peak height being 25 yards, you'd need to achieve 158 MPH ball speed to get it to peak at 25 yards high.

 

It would also have to carry 241 yards at sea level and 158 MPH is the same ball speed as the PGA Tour average 3-wood. But you know, the average WRXer can do that with ease.

 

Fantasies aside, unless you play against a 50 MPH headwind daily, there's no need to play a 1-iron unless you're doing the "Practice with 1-iron = become a golf god ball-striker" routine.

[chipa]

On 11/23/2022 at 2:51 PM, cargo8 said:

Just went to Dunn hoping to try the Mizuno FliHi 2 (16.5*) and the Titleist U-505 1-iron (16*) – only got to try the U505, but holy hell is that thing easy to hit.

 

For context at the top of my bag, I have a Callaway x-forged UT 21*, P790 UDI 18* and Tour Exotics CBX 3-wood 15*.

But what I realized is while I can cover 200-210 and 220 with the irons, 3-wood only gets me about 235-240 which is very comparable to what I was getting out of the U505 on the sim.

In either case this slot in the bag only gets used a few times per round (short par 4 tee shot or attacking a par 5), but I imagine I'd use the iron off the tee more often than I do 3-wood now too.

 

If I could get 250+ out of the 3 wood it would be a different story, but with these numbers am I crazy to think of dropping the 3-wood and throw a 16* iron in the bag?

 

I have been trying to fill a similar gap and was looking at an 18 deg. 2 iron but decided on an 18 deg. hybrid with an adjustable face that I will turn open 1 deg.

 

My 3 wood is a Callaway 3deep. Everything they have said about this club being long is true and then some as its almost as long as the drivers I've used. I also hit it straighter than any other wood I have ever used as well. It sits about 1 deg. open and has a deep face which is great for teeign off. 

[fa2blk]

1 iron is great to hit a low screamer that runs out 30+ yds and great option off tee when you want 250+ yds, reducing OB risk and hopefully getting in range for 2nd shot to come in with 8 iron or less.

1 iron is an awesome club for short to mid length Par 4s as alternative to driver. While common practice is to hit a 3 wood off tee on those holes, many of the guys I’ve played with are not much more accurate with their 3 wood than driver. Most good players who can hit a 1 iron well I imagine would agree that they are more accurate than 3 woods. 1 iron is much less forgiving with much more loss of distance on miss hits, but I think dispersions on mis hits much tighter than with 3 woods. If I miss fairway with my 1 iron it’s not by much.

 

2 or 3 irons better for tee shots that need to land soft like when needing to lay up about 200-225 yds before a hazard or dog leg that you don’t want to chance cutting corner with driver.

 

Young big hitters that can hit a 3 iron 250 don’t need a 1 iron. My 3 iron is a 225-235 yd club off tee and that just isn’t good enough for me on 409-425 yd par 4. The 1 iron gets me there.

[bodhi555]

16 hours ago, MelloYello said:

 

You're proving my point.

 

First of all, if the 1i and 2i you claim to have used were the best options for you, they'd still be in your bag. So point basically proven right there. 

 

Moreover, you're basing your whole defense on the idea that "if" a bunch of variables all come together, it might become defensible to say the 1i is as good as some alternative. Sure, that's totally true but you don't carry clubs because 1 time out of 50 they make sense. 

 

If the ground is hard...

If the wind is whipping...

If you're on a par-5...

If you're in the fairway....

If you're going for it...

If the front of the green is open...

If the ground is flat enough to allow for roll...

If you prefer to roll it in versus carrying it onto the green..

 

 

Talk about mental gymnastics!

 

Just hit a punch 3w and roll that in if you're bound and determined to keep it low. Hell, you could just use driver off the deck in those circumstances, too!

 

And enough with the idea that it's hard to hit a low, running shot. That's literally the easiest shot in golf. It's not hard to hit a low runner with a 1i. Hell, the 1i does all the work for you. That's the whole point. But you can learn to do that with literally any club. The 1i just forces you into that as the sole option. But of course nobody's hitting a 1-iron over a lake because it's a percentage play. Whereas with a 4w or 5w that'd be no sweat. 

 

Honestly, this is all a joke to even discuss. Nobody is properly fit to a 1-iron outside of guys who carry driver 300+ or guys who haven't learned to work with fairway metals. 

 

/rant

 

.

 

Apologies if I've slighted your beloved fairway woods, however for the type of course I typically play - where there are no lakes in front of the green, but typically a lot of wind and lots of run up into greens - y'know those seaside courses we are famous for in the UK - a long iron is a better choice than a fairway wood. 

 

Also main reason I no longer carry a 1 and 2 iron is that I've gone for more forgiving models rather than my OG Nike blades, so now they've got 2 and 3 written on the bottom. The 2 has been dropped at this moment for a hybrid for winter play, but it will be back in spring - as it's a better choice for my game than a hybrid. 

 

[chipa]

33 minutes ago, bodhi555 said:

 

Apologies if I've slighted your beloved fairway woods, however for the type of course I typically play - where there are no lakes in front of the green, but typically a lot of wind and lots of run up into greens - y'know those seaside courses we are famous for in the UK - a long iron is a better choice than a fairway wood. 

 

Also main reason I no longer carry a 1 and 2 iron is that I've gone for more forgiving models rather than my OG Nike blades, so now they've got 2 and 3 written on the bottom. The 2 has been dropped at this moment for a hybrid for winter play, but it will be back in spring - as it's a better choice for my game than a hybrid. 

 

 

I don't play a seaside course but we have a perenial wind here from the east and recently I realized the problem with high launching fairway woods into a breeze - I hit my 20 deg. 7 wood the same distance as my 25 deg. 4 iron into the wind.

 

I decided to look at clubs available in 18 deg. loft to keep the ball down but since I can't seem to line a bulky driving iron I had to find a normal 2 iron, but alas I realize I shoot in the low 80's at best so have opted for a hybrid.

 

We have a short Pete Dye course with elevated greens where it's impossible for most players to get home in two on the par 5's because of the breeze 90% of the time so I don't feel like having a high lofted fairway wood will be a disdvantage.

 

 

[MelloYello]

11 hours ago, bodhi555 said:

 

Also main reason I no longer carry a 1 and 2 iron is that I've gone for more forgiving models rather than my OG Nike blades, so now they've got 2 and 3 written on the bottom.

 

 

By your own admission you don't even use the kind of club being discussed. 

 

[fa2blk]

1 iron IMO is best used as a tee shot club.

 

Hybrid is far better at going for a par 5 in 2 from 250 yds. 

 

Low handicap strong hitters usually are coming into par 5s often with irons. If you can do that then decision about 1 iron vs hybrid comes down more to what you prefer on a lay up tee shot. 
 

A driving iron is a great shot on tight courses and windy conditions. But I think the few that play them have high end swing speed that get the most out a 1 iron and know what courses to use them on and others that hybrid a better choice. I will switch back and forth depending on links vs tree course

 

 

 

[ChristopherMcDonald]

For me I just can’t imagine needing to bag a 1-iron, so many other options for that yardage for me. Granted I’d only hit the 1-iron at best 30 yards lol

[Roejye]

It seems like a poor choice to me, but if you want to and have the money, go ahead. Also if it gives you more confidence over the shot, then do it. Another thing to think about would be a driving hybrid, I picked one up that's 16° and it's main purpose is for off the tee into the wind. 

[elwhippy]

Keep it in the bag. It will intimidate the hell out of your playing partners. 

[JungleJimbo]

12 minutes ago, elwhippy said:

Keep it in the bag. It will intimidate the hell out of your playing partners. 

 

On 11/24/2022 at 2:51 AM, cargo8 said:

Just went to Dunn hoping to try the Mizuno FliHi 2 (16.5*) and the Titleist U-505 1-iron (16*) – only got to try the U505, but holy hell is that thing easy to hit.

 

For context at the top of my bag, I have a Callaway x-forged UT 21*, P790 UDI 18* and Tour Exotics CBX 3-wood 15*.

But what I realized is while I can cover 200-210 and 220 with the irons, 3-wood only gets me about 235-240 which is very comparable to what I was getting out of the U505 on the sim.

In either case this slot in the bag only gets used a few times per round (short par 4 tee shot or attacking a par 5), but I imagine I'd use the iron off the tee more often than I do 3-wood now too.

 

If I could get 250+ out of the 3 wood it would be a different story, but with these numbers am I crazy to think of dropping the 3-wood and throw a 16* iron in the bag?

I can imagine the "knife comparing" a'la Crocodile Dundee

 

OP @cargo8 fyi there's a similar "should i play a 1 iron" thread here, that you might also be interested to explore.

 

https://www.golfwrx.com/607422/what-golfwrxers-are-saying-about-playing-a-1-iron-over-a-driver/

 

 

 

[manima1]

 

Honestly feel like needing to go to this is a “crutch” for improper delivery.  If you are delivery the club with proper forward shaft lean, then these clubs will be pretty much one-trick ponies if utilizing unless you have a crazy amount of speed (i.e. long drive category).

 

I know this because I used to be that player.  I’d use my 2i off the tee and just hit moon balls with it that carried 250+.  But I was flipping at the ball delivering a ton of extra loft.  This makes for an inconsistent swing. 

 

Once I learned to deliver the club with forward shaft lean creating less dynamic loft, the 2i became less effective unless I wanted to hit stingers off the tee.  I now carry a 7w in that spot.