Long iron from "forgiving set" as a Driving iron

[jjinsa]

I have ping s56 irons - love them.  The 3 and 2 iron I have, are a bit scary looking - the 2 iron particularly terrifying.   

I have always been an iron person, over woods or hybrids.  I hit them better...

Would a 3 iron from a set like, Srixon ZX5 (or 545, 565 etc), or a wilson d9 forged, or something along those lines, be hotter and more forgiving than my S56 3 iron?  And would it be somewhere in-between my s56 3 iron and a true driving iron/utility iron?   I don't like "hybrid" style driving irons, I like traditional feeling and sounding irons.   I also want to be able to flight it down as much as I can.

 

This is all assuming lofts are the same (so maybe a 4 iron in some would be like the s56 3 iron, which is quite weak lofted in today's terms)

 

[Mike_C]

Also consider ZX4 mkii 4 iron, basically  has 3 iron loft. Stupid easy to hit and long.

[Ger21]

I play a Honma TW-X 3 iron as a "driving iron. Easiest to hit 3 iron I've ever tried.

[jjinsa]

And do you think they perform similarly to a "made for purpose" driving iron?

[hook_or_slice]

6 hours ago, jjinsa said:

I have ping s56 irons - love them.  The 3 and 2 iron I have, are a bit scary looking - the 2 iron particularly terrifying.   

I have always been an iron person, over woods or hybrids.  I hit them better...

Would a 3 iron from a set like, Srixon ZX5 (or 545, 565 etc), or a wilson d9 forged, or something along those lines, be hotter and more forgiving than my S56 3 iron?  And would it be somewhere in-between my s56 3 iron and a true driving iron/utility iron?   I don't like "hybrid" style driving irons, I like traditional feeling and sounding irons.   I also want to be able to flight it down as much as I can.

 

This is all assuming lofts are the same (so maybe a 4 iron in some would be like the s56 3 iron, which is quite weak lofted in today's terms)

 

Going back decades ago countless golfers used a Ping Eye 1 iron as a driving iron while playing blades.

[Pepperturbo]

On 6/13/2024 at 3:45 AM, jjinsa said:

I have ping s56 irons - love them.  The 3 and 2 iron I have, are a bit scary looking - the 2 iron particularly terrifying.   

I have always been an iron person, over woods or hybrids.  I hit them better...

Would a 3 iron from a set like, Srixon ZX5 (or 545, 565 etc), or a wilson d9 forged, or something along those lines, be hotter and more forgiving than my S56 3 iron?  And would it be somewhere in-between my s56 3 iron and a true driving iron/utility iron?   I don't like "hybrid" style driving irons, I like traditional feeling and sounding irons.   I also want to be able to flight it down as much as I can.

 

This is all assuming lofts are the same (so maybe a 4 iron in some would be like the s56 3 iron, which is quite weak lofted in today's terms)

 

In case you're unaware, the Ping S56 3i is the same loft as my new T100 3i, 21'.   S56 2i is 18.5' and 4i is 1' stronger than my 4i.

 

ZX5 3i is 20', 1' stronger than my 3i.  Not enough to make it hotter, but that may depend on the shaft.

Edited Friday at 08:37 PM by Pepperturbo

[ShortGolfer]

I use an LL flex 22*  Mavrik Max ladies 4 iron as s driving iron off the tee or fairway.

If there are no hazards in the way I've driven off the tee and then used the long roll of the 4iron for short Par 4 GIRs! Then two putted for Par 4.  No birdies.

 

I cut it down an inch and the Swing Weight works for me with no lead tape.

Edited Friday at 09:13 PM by ShortGolfer

[bnperrone]

I have the D9 forged for my 5 and 6 iron. Based on playing those I could see the longest one as a driving iron if you want forgiveness and a bit of versatility. If you need a club that will exclusively produce low runners then you’d want something else 

[mattk22]

The driving irons will hit the ball higher. 

[ANimz]

On 6/13/2024 at 6:45 AM, jjinsa said:

I have ping s56 irons - love them.  The 3 and 2 iron I have, are a bit scary looking - the 2 iron particularly terrifying.   

I have always been an iron person, over woods or hybrids.  I hit them better...

Would a 3 iron from a set like, Srixon ZX5 (or 545, 565 etc), or a wilson d9 forged, or something along those lines, be hotter and more forgiving than my S56 3 iron?  And would it be somewhere in-between my s56 3 iron and a true driving iron/utility iron?   I don't like "hybrid" style driving irons, I like traditional feeling and sounding irons.   I also want to be able to flight it down as much as I can.

 

This is all assuming lofts are the same (so maybe a 4 iron in some would be like the s56 3 iron, which is quite weak lofted in today's terms)

 

Zalatoris uses a T300, or at least did in the past.  ZX4 as mentioned or driving iron would work too, as already mentioned.  

[joostin]

Yep, been using GI irons as driving irons.  Low loft and thin faces like you'd get with driving or utility irons, and you can find them for less $.  Just watch for the offset, or lack of, if that's important for you.  Currently using a Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal Pro 4 iron (strong 4i at 19°) that's everything I wanted off the tee and still good off the deck.  Had a Srixon Z545 3i, a Cobra F9, others, and just used player CB long irons before, but the current HMP is probably my best. 

[Ghostwedge]

17 hours ago, ShortGolfer said:

I use an LL flex 22*  Mavrik Max ladies 4 iron as s driving iron off the tee or fairway.

If there are no hazards in the way I've driven off the tee and then used the long roll of the 4iron for short Par 4 GIRs! Then two putted for Par 4.  No birdies.

 

I cut it down an inch and the Swing Weight works for me with no lead tape.

Let's get the putting thing figured out....

You should accidentally roll one in during a round minimum.

 

[mxskier]

in reality - what is the practical difference between the "driving iron" and the equivalent "players distance long iron" besides offset? They often seem similarly constructed (thin face, hollow, some with foam, etc..) Is it which shafts they're designed to take? 

 

What, for example, would the expected difference really be between the Apex Pro and Apex UT 3 irons? Or the PUDI and P790 3 iron? 

[SwingBlade]

When ordering my ZX5/ZX7 combo set, I decided purely on a lark to completely depart from my norm and also ordered a ZX4 4 iron with a KBS Tour Lite 100 S shaft.  
 

It was simply an experiment and I was guessing that I'd probably sell it within a few rounds.  
 

Completely, and I do mean COMPLETELY, to my surprise, it is a wonderfully forgiving head & shaft combination.  
 

Nearly every ZX4 4 iron shot has effortlessly launched high, very straight, and long, usually with a slight draw.  
 

But then, the entire ZX combo set was a departure from my Mizuno or Miura norms as is the LAB Z03 putter from my beloved Scotty blade.   Golf tech has truly advanced far more than I thought possible.  
 

Staying open to change, even big change, might be the lesson in this golf era.  

[1puttTUT]

3 hours ago, joostin said:

Yep, been using GI irons as driving irons.  Low loft and thin faces like you'd get with driving or utility irons, and you can find them for less $.  Just watch for the offset, or lack of, if that's important for you.  Currently using a Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal Pro 4 iron (strong 4i at 19°) that's everything I wanted off the tee and still good off the deck.  Had a Srixon Z545 3i, a Cobra F9, others, and just used player CB long irons before, but the current HMP is probably my best. 

 

I ordered a Hot metal 4 iron at 2° weak to try to bridge the gap between my set 5 iron and my 5 wood. The nice thing is these are so much cheaper than utility irons. Mine was $137 and free customization.

 

Something that goes 220-230 would be ideal.

[ShortGolfer]

8 hours ago, Ghostwedge said:

Let's get the putting thing figured out....

You should accidentally roll one in during a round minimum.

 

I know I can putt but have too many other things to do right now.

I went to the New England Rose show and came away with four trophies.  I put eight roses on the trophy table, as two were collections of three.

1/3 of the roses I entered were on the trophy table. 😀

The Cyprian Keyes 9 hole course was only 2 miles away, so I played golf during judging of the roses.

Rolled a nice ten foot putt.  Got the line and speed exactly right. 😀

 

A group shot of the roses I brought to the Show.

Edited Saturday at 11:40 PM by ShortGolfer

[blazman11]

I am doing this right now.  

 

Blueprint T 5-PW plus additional PW bent to 49.

 

i530 4 and 5 irons as my 3 and 4 irons.  So I have two 5 irons in the bag and two PW's.  It's quite easy to determine which 5 iron is actually my 4 iron.  For the PW, I change the paintfill on the gap wedge to red.  

[Ger21]

20 hours ago, mxskier said:

in reality - what is the practical difference between the "driving iron" and the equivalent "players distance long iron" besides offset? They often seem similarly constructed (thin face, hollow, some with foam, etc..) Is it which shafts they're designed to take? 

I've never hit  an actual "driving iron". I think the biggest difference is just that they are a little chunkier, but that depends on the iron you are using. In some cases, the driving iron can be quite a bit more forgiving.

The TW-X I play is almost exactly the same as the TW-U. But the TW-X irons were based on the TW-U design.

[Foxx]

The Taylormade 1.0 or 2.0 Burner 3 iron is a great driving iron replacement.

Good luck finding one though.

[Bridges]

Apex DCB 4 iron makes a ridiculously good driving iron. 

[Brentwood]

After having owned the ZX utility and mk ii ZX utility, I much prefer my ZX5 3i. It seems to launch lower, sounds/feels much better than the hollow construction driving irons, and is just as forgiving. I bent mine 2 degrees strong (18*) and kept the steel shaft. I cant comment/compare regarding your ping irons but the zx5 3i is definitely worth trying out if you can. 

[ChunkMeDaddy]

Echoing the MKii ZX4 points mentioned here before, im sure that would be point and shoot. I also have moved away from the traditional driving irons to opt for a mizuno MP 20 HMB with a graphite shaft. The new 245/225 might be worth a look, maintains sound and feel of a normal iron while not losing much if any in forgiveness. 

 

For me most of the forgiveness/unforgiving side of the utility irons came from the setup. Depending on blade length/size, the ones that I hit more off center were mainly due to poor set up thinking I had the ball centered up in the sweet spot when it really wasn't. Thats where the traditional looking ones helped.

[ANimz]

On 6/15/2024 at 11:45 AM, mxskier said:

in reality - what is the practical difference between the "driving iron" and the equivalent "players distance long iron" besides offset? They often seem similarly constructed (thin face, hollow, some with foam, etc..) Is it which shafts they're designed to take? 

 

What, for example, would the expected difference really be between the Apex Pro and Apex UT 3 irons? Or the PUDI and P790 3 iron? 

I game the u510 from Titleist.  I had a u505 3 iron too, but sold it.  the 510 is a longer blade and has more junk in the trunk vs a players distance iron, and is more forgiving.  The 3 iron was more similar to the players distance iron, but still a little thicker.  I can't speak for any other brands.  

[red143]

I use the Cleveland uhx 3 iron (18 degrees) with the graphite tour ad driving iron shaft in it. I have never used a 'proper' driving iron, but I cannot imagine there would be any discernable distance or accuracy benefits over the Cleveland.

[Valtiel]

On 6/13/2024 at 6:52 AM, jjinsa said:

And do you think they perform similarly to a "made for purpose" driving iron?

 

On 6/15/2024 at 5:42 AM, joostin said:

Yep, been using GI irons as driving irons.  Low loft and thin faces like you'd get with driving or utility irons, and you can find them for less $.  Just watch for the offset, or lack of, if that's important for you.

I've done a ton of experimentation here too, and generally I look at the differences like this (with a few exceptions of course):

SGI long irons:
- More offset and often "clunkier"
- Deeper CG
- Fewer customizability options due to usually being cast (bending is a pain) and body design (non-hollow irons have no hotmelt option)
- Stronger lofted

Dedication driving irons:
- More "slim" options
- More CG options (deep vs forward)
- More customizability (forged bodies, hotmelt ports, adjustable hosels)
- Wider loft variety

Now there are dedicated driving irons that have all the qualities listed under the SGI category, but the inverse is very rare. Players distance iron designs like the P790/ZX4/ZX5/T200 often have elements of both while SGI long irons generally need to blend with their respective sets, so they tend to fall into a similar chunky, high offset, thick topline sorts of designs.

A lot of it is personal preference as performance will be similar between them. I'll always lean towards designs that can be hotmelted for sound/fee/swingweight reasons.