Driving Irons

[njrose51]

I'm wondering whether anyone has had experience of using driving irons? (3 iron degree upwards)

Forgiveness
Easy to hit/hard to hit
Do you have to have a centre hit
Distance
Confidence building over Driver

Just trying to build of picture of what people think before I try one out/research different brands etc.

thanks,

Nick

 

[Alex1975]

Forgiveness Very
Easy to hit/hard to hit - Easy like Sunday morning
Do you have to have a centre hit - No more than anything else
Distance - Long!
Confidence building over Driver Yep!


If every shot was a 2 iron...

 

[USER1999]

I love my bladed 3 iron. Its a beast. Its not a driving iron though, its not clunky enough.

 

[LCW]

I'm wondering whether anyone has had experience of using driving irons? (3 iron degree upwards)

Forgiveness
Easy to hit/hard to hit
Do you have to have a centre hit
Distance
Confidence building over Driver

Just trying to build of picture of what people think before I try one out/research different brands etc.

thanks,

Nick

Just my 2p so take it as that.

I have a Mizuno 2 iron 18 degree. I like hitting my driver so I own this club more to playing at a tough windy links course not due to the fact I cant/dont like hitting my driver.

Forgiveness - Its ever so slightly forgiving but the difference between a heel/toe strike to the middle is massive imo on my club much more so than a wood. You hear it instantly and the flight is so different. Id hazard a guess I lose more distince from miss hitting my 2 iron than I would miss hitting my fairway/driver.

Easy to hit/hard to hit - I dont struggle with long irons (I dont carry a hybrid/rescue) so for me its not too hard to hit. It complements my iron set well and the shorter shaft makes it easier to yield than a 3 wood/driver.

Do you have to have a centre hit - I would say so yes to get the desired flight I want.

Distance - Goes an absolute country mile when struck out the middle.

Confidence building over Driver - After my earlier point hard one to answer. You can certainly hit the hosel of a 2 iron , no gear affect to help with miss hits over a wood. Like anything as you mentioned you probably need to go and test a few. Look at mizuno MP-H5, T-MB, Srixon U series and I think Cobra have launched an adjustable one (which may or may not have a graphite shaft in it i dont recall). I believe the Titleist t-mb has heel and toe weights to help with off center strikes but they cost just shy of £200. Id rather spend that money on lessons to groove a better swing and wallop the driver

Strangely enough a few Sunday's ago a PP was talking about this very topic (tried my 2 iron). After seeing him try to hit it I suggested a 5 wood at about 19/20 degrees, shorter shaft more loft and roll and bulg on the face and its giving him great confidence off the tee. Maybe this is a shout if your looking at a tee replacement going by your questions vs a Driver.

 

[NWJocko]

Depends, how good are you at hitting irons?

I'm much better at hitting irons than anything else so the 2 iron I've got (TMB) is perfect. I can't stop myself trying to lash at driver and 3 wood most of the time and I'm not great with low lofted hybrids so they work for me as a safe shot off the tee. If you are a decent ball striker with irons I agree with Alex, the new long irons are very easy to hit and very forgiving relative to old school 2 irons.

I intend to (try to at least) sort out driver and 3 wood but if I don't I'll be hitting 2 iron a lot off the tee next season!

Distance wise my 2 iron probably isn't much behind a 3 wood, but not sure it would be the same on a soggy course this time of year though.

 

[Garush34]

I have the adams DHY, great club, goes a mile when hit well. Easy to hit and looks good at address too. Cross between an iron and a hybrid as it is chunkier, but still not too chunky. For me it goes a bit higher than I expected but that is more me than the club as I have a bit of a flip at impact, if I could sort that out I'm sure it would go even further.

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Tried lots over the years but they never last that long in the bag tbh. Had a Wilson 1 iron and a Hogan Edge 2 iron which lasted the longest but they would always be replaced by a 4/5 wood until hybrids came out. I've stuck with those for 10 years but recently have looked at alternatives based on a need for better accuracy under pressure.

I currently like the Ping Crossovers which are certainly no oil paintings and sound peculiar but inspire confidence in me and deliver the ball consistently on the short stuff at a good distance. It's pretty much all I care about and it will be interesting to see if they stay...

 

[Junior]

Tried lots over the years but they never last that long in the bag tbh. Had a Wilson 1 iron and a Hogan Edge 2 iron which lasted the longest but they would always be replaced by a 4/5 wood until hybrids came out. I've stuck with those for 10 years but recently have looked at alternatives based on a need for better accuracy under pressure.

This for me too. For some reason, I struggle with the 2i/3i type 'lower' lofted hybrids. Have settled on a Titleist TMB 3i & 4i . They are as forgiving as any hybrid I've hit, but that bit more consistent for me. I can keep them a bit lower too which I like.

 

[Ian_Bristol]

I'm wondering whether anyone has had experience of using driving irons? (3 iron degree upwards)

Forgiveness
Easy to hit/hard to hit
Do you have to have a centre hit
Distance
Confidence building over Driver

Just trying to build of picture of what people think before I try one out/research different brands etc.

thanks,

Nick

I have a Ping G 3 Crossover and to be honest it is just like hitting a 5 iron but with the added bonus of it going a long way,I have never been good at hitting the driver so find this is the next best thing, most of the time I end up about the same distance as my pp's off the tee but if I catch it dead center I out drive most of them.

 

[Foxholer]

I have a Ping G 3 Crossover and to be honest it is just like hitting a 5 iron but with the added bonus of it going a long way,I have never been good at hitting the driver so find this is the next best thing, most of the time I end up about the same distance as my pp's off the tee but if I catch it dead center I out drive most of them.

But don't they sound as horrible as they look!

But who cares when they go that well!

I've dabbled with lots over the years, but standard hybrids do all I need.

 

[Ian_Bristol]

But don't they sound as horrible as they look!

But who cares when they go that well!

I've dabbled with lots over the years, but standard hybrids do all I need.

Yes it don't sound the same as my Ping G 4 iron but as you say I don't care when I see the ball flying off the tee.

 

[patricks148]

when my driving was at its worst i was using a 2 iron, but not one of the modern driving irons. Its an MP37 bladed 2 iron with an S400 shafts. Hardly gets 30 feet off the ground and only carries 190 200 max... but runs another 20-30 at least. great for when its windy and on hard ground.

masking the problem though, need to sort the problem out with the driver.

 

[Roops]

I have a Ping G 3 Crossover and to be honest it is just like hitting a 5 iron but with the added bonus of it going a long way,I have never been good at hitting the driver so find this is the next best thing, most of the time I end up about the same distance as my pp's off the tee but if I catch it dead center I out drive most of them.

That's what I wanted to hear . Defo considering one of these in place of my hybrid which I just don't feel comfortable with. I can shape my 4 iron and feel really comfortable with long irons, so I reckon a crossover in place of a hybrid is the thing for me.

 

[garyinderry]

I have a decent club head speed with the driver but can never seem to launch long irons and even more so these driving irons.

Ireland is that wet and soft its pointless really for me unless I am playing a links.

I might dip back into the driving iron market again next summer and see how it goes. Drop the 3 or 5 wood.

 

[Foxholer]

That's what I wanted to hear . Defo considering one of these in place of my hybrid which I just don't feel comfortable with. I can shape my 4 iron and feel really comfortable with long irons, so I reckon a crossover in place of a hybrid is the thing for me.

Well, the guy I play with who has one is another 'can't get on with hybrids' guy! It's probably the club he uses most too - or at least it seems (looks/sounds!) that way!

 

[Alex1975]

I have a decent club head speed with the driver but can never seem to launch long irons and even more so these driving irons.

Ireland is that wet and soft its pointless really for me unless I am playing a links.

I might dip back into the driving iron market again next summer and see how it goes. Drop the 3 or 5 wood.

Not sure about other models but my Srixon maybe flys too high on occasion. For sure no problem getting it in the air. (100 mph driver speed so maybe 95 with the 2 iron)


Edit, just found some data: Launching at 15.5*, peak height 30 yards.

 

[garyinderry]

Not sure about other models but my Srixon maybe flys too high on occasion. For sure no problem getting it in the air. (100 mph driver speed so maybe 95 with the 2 iron)


Edit, just found some data: Launching at 15.5*, peak height 30 yards.

I want one with a fancy shaft and maybe a bit of instruction on what I'm doing wrong.

 

[Alex1975]

I want one with a fancy shaft and maybe a bit of instruction on what I'm doing wrong.

I had the stock graphite ripped out of mine and the same as my irons put in cos i wanted something really heavy. As to how to use it.... fast, jerky motion, pulling hard from the top and putting as much physically into it as humanly possible and then shouting "get up, get down, stay your line, go go GO".... Simple!

 

[garyinderry]

I had the stock graphite ripped out of mine and the same as my irons put in cos i wanted something really heavy. As to how to use it.... fast, jerky motion, pulling hard from the top and putting as much physically into it as humanly possible and then shouting "get up, get down, stay your line, go go GO".... Simple!

Damn I already use that motion albeit with a slow backswing.

 

[shewy]

I'm not that good with a fw off the deck and not a massive hybrid fan tbh although I carry one. I tried out a few driving irons with different results, the Srixon is scary but pretty, to much club for me, ditto the Titleist. The Adams Pro DHY is the money, gutted I sold mine, Ping Crossover I just couldn't get on with, Cobra utility is a beast for me, was hitting it in front of an LET pro as well and just flushing it, so I bought it. Great off the tee and easy off the deck, like anything though it's lie dependant.
I'm around 18 hcp at the minute and can hit it just fine.