Driving irons.

[User101]

I recall back in the day when a 1 iron was a driving iron. I used to use the callaway 1 iron with good effect, then they all seemed to go out of fashion, now it seems they are back and a big stink being made about Tiger using one.

So what's the deal with the modern driving iron ? What's different to back in the day ? Who has one and how well does it go ?

 

[clubchamp98]

I used to have a 1 iron years back .
I hit it very well better than my woods.
I am looking for one now a Titleist TMB 2 iron is in my sights.
But just seen the new TaylorMade GAPR they look nice but bet a bit pricey.
DJ using one in the open.

 

[User101]

.
I am looking for one now a Titleist TMB 2 iron is in my sights.

You need to pay attention at the for sale section on this very forum

 

[Carpfather1]

I don’t think it’s just because tiger is using one ,I think Taylormade are pretty proud of the new style gapr range they’ve developed ,it’s been in development for the last two years and clearly the open being played in wind and on the links is the ideal place to showcase it .im a hybrid man but when I move my membership back to a links club next year I’ll be investing in one of these new driving irons with the forgiveness but low penetrating flight to use it off the tee when the winds up .ive had 2 irons in the bag before but struggled to hit them well so these new driving irons may just be the answer.

 

[Imurg]

They're basically shrunken hybrids which are shrunken fairway woods. Kind of...
Hollow, filled with "Speed Foam":rofl: and low lofted.
Perfect for Links but probably not much use where I play...

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I get the same effect when I thin my 5 iron


Wasn’t it Lee Trevino who said that even God can’t hit a 1 iron.

 

[HankMarvin]

I get the same effect when I thin my 5 iron


Wasn’t it Lee Trevino who said that even God can’t hit a 1 iron.

It sure was

 

[patricks148]

Cabby dear boy you would be better off with a steam iron:rofl:

 

[Dando]

Use different to carry a Mizuno bladed 1 iron but fell out of love with it and sold it.

picked up a taylormade udi 2 iron earlier this year and it’s awesome off the tee and fairway.

 

[Crow]

As Imurg says, today's driving irons are far removed from the 1 irons back in the day.

20 or 30 years ago pretty much all irons were a single, solid piece of metal, be that forged or cast.
Today manufacturers are producing irons using multiple metals to distribute weight around the head to aid the player and most of the driving irons are hollow construction, again to give optimum weight distribution but also so they can max out the face recoil.

Among my various old sets (solid, single piece!) I have a few 2 irons but only one 1 iron (not part of a set, Petron TPX 200 as below) and that is the devil's own to get a decent strike with, even from a tee.

 

[shortgame]

I use a Ping Crossover, sort of a modern kind of driving iron


It's ugly as hell but goes like the clappers

 

[brendy]

Callaway X12 1 iron for me, had it 2 years now, steel shaft is like new and it goes very very well, to the point it negates the point of a driver or wood round links courses.

 

[Andy]

Callaway X12 1 iron for me, had it 2 years now, steel shaft is like new and it goes very very well, to the point it negates the point of a driver or wood round links courses.

I've got an X12 Pro series 2 iron which is getting regripped. Class from many moons ago.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Used to use a Ram 1 iron, a table knife had more loft and was easier to use. Now I use the Ping Crossover, which goes very nice and I carry in place of a hybrid.

 

[merv79]

I have had my 2 iron for around 15 years and although its not a thing of beauty it goes consistently.

I have just sold one of the TM P790 UDI 2 irons with the hzrdus shaft, I found it harder to hit than my old 2 iron!

 

[Fish]

Here's mine.

I use it to practice my ball striking, I'd never dream of putting it in my bag, but when I hit a few balls with it and then revert back to say my 4i, my ball striking is much more crisper, it's a training aid for me at best.

 

[Orikoru]

With loft creep over the last couple of decades, a 1 iron is probably the same loft as a putter nowadays!

 

[need_my_wedge]

Am in the market for a Callaway UT (probably 4 iron equivalent), although I may take a look at the TM GAPR clubs, just not keen on the black finish as they scratch up too easily. Would rather a plain steel grey finish.

 

[jim8flog]

Modern driving irons are nothing like a 1 iron from back in the day (I envision this as pre 2000 or even earlier).

There were driving irons back then and they were pretty similar in looks to todays irons.

Back in the day the majority of the pros used a Ping Eye 2 1 iron because they were probably about the most effective and forgiving clubs available.

I carried a Slazenger Seve blade 1 iron mainly because I could not hit a fairway wood with the same consistency. Off a tee I could get about 220- 230 but it was really only used a driver alternative off the tee and not for fairway shots.

 

[patricks148]

compared the two 1irons i have today.

The Mizuno flihi 1 iron, i could not hit for toffee, neither off tee or the deck. its a big hulking thing too. my PP also had a go and none of them could hit it that well either and they were 1 and 2 handicaps.

Mizuno TP9 butter knife 1 iron , was way easier off tee and deck esp the deck, didn't go that high but ran like bugger