Whatever happened driving/utility irons.

[palindromicbob]

I play with a few older golfer who use these clubs to great effect but noticed that they aren't really around anymore. The move has been more towards hybrids but everything I've read says that they offer a better alternative to long irons than a hybrid but doesn't really jusitfy why in any great detail. Can anyone explain the pro's/con's of them? I have been tempted into buying one just to try them after having borrowed one with decent results off the tee.

 

[RGDave]

I've got a 1 iron in the shed you can try. Nothing odd in that, except it's a Tommy Armour titanium, the largest iron ever made.

http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Tommy-Armour-Ti-100-Single-Iron-Golf-Club-/45077108

It is mahooosive....


shame the Aldila shaft is like something out of the ark....


Good post, I'm keen to hear views on this.

 

[Foxholer]

Remember The Controller - with Bulge and Roll?

Tried one for the first time in about 12 years a few weeks ago. My 17* Hybrid does the same job and is much more forgiving!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Whatever happened to them...........modern day golfers were not skillful enough to use them so they came up with wee girly 5 woods.
I used to have a de-lofted Maxfli Aussie Blade 2 iron, great club on fast links courses.

 

[RGDave]

Isn't the Mizuno fli-hi basically an update on the concept?

http://golf.mizunoeurope.com/fli-hi/mp_fli-hi-2009/

I've seen some older models of this used to great effect at mine.

 

[Imurg]

Isn't the Mizuno fli-hi basically an update on the concept?

http://golf.mizunoeurope.com/fli-hi/mp_fli-hi-2009/

I've seen some older models of this used to great effect at mine.

I've got a 4 iron version of this and it stays in my bag until it wears out.
If I could find a 2 and 3 iron in the right spec I'd be tempted

 

[RGDave]

I've got a 4 iron version of this and it stays in my bag until it wears out.
If I could find a 2 and 3 iron in the right spec I'd be tempted

My 4 iron is a Big Bertha 2002. Whilst not designed as anything other that part of the set, I love it.

Hardly shorter than my 3 hybrid, but oh so reliable.

 

[ADB]

Remember The Controller - with Bulge and Roll?

Tried one for the first time in about 12 years a few weeks ago. My 17* Hybrid does the same job and is much more forgiving!

Got one in the shed - great club when hit well!

 

[palindromicbob]

Interestingly I found this so appears they aren't quite dead.

http://www.golf.com/equipment/callaway-x-prototype-tour-utility-irons

I have one of these coming 18* hopefully tomorrow if not then Monday. Only £35 and actually costs me nothing as a friend bought it for me as a thankyou for helping them out with some things.

http://www.mdgolf.ie/iron-seve-utility.html

 

[Sion]

Hi all, my first post!! Does anyone know when the callaway x utility iron is due out?? Fancy having a go.

 

[CMAC]

Ping eye 2 one iron used to be in most players bags at one point.

 

[Piece]

For a few years I used a MacGregor GoLong VFoil driving iron at 16 degs. It was great but the steel shaft snapped and replaced by a ProLaunch Grafalloy shaft. Although still good it was never the same for me; however it was long and low! I still have it upstairs gathering dust (was for sale but no interest). A mate also used a driving iron until that snapped to several years ago.

At the moment, I'm using a Mizuno Fli-Hi 2 iron as the tee club and its immense. It's light years better than the MacGregor driving iron above. Far less offset, more like a normal iron, very powerful and definitely forgiving. Surprisingly usable off the fairway and rough; replaces the Nike hybrid. If you're a type of golfer that likes irons rather than hybrids, this Fli-Hi club is a no brainer.

Any day now, the new Mizuno H4 2 iron will arrive. Hopefully this will be better still than Fli-Hi mentioned above. The only downside is that I can't have two 2irons in the bag! Would love it if Mizuno made 1 iron version

 

[Piece]

Hi all, my first post!! Does anyone know when the callaway x utility iron is due out?? Fancy having a go.

Dec 2012 in US. Don't know about Uk.

 

[LanDog]

Until very recently I had the Titleist 503H Driving Iron, it was a very good club, excellent off the tee, nowhere near forgiving though!

 

[CliveW]

Titleish have just announced the prototype 712U Utility Irons. http://www.titleist.co.uk/teamtitle...ok-prototype-titleist-712u-utility-irons.aspx

 

[garyinderry]

long irons take a good swing to get the best out of them. i have only seen long irons used well by good players.

 

[bluewolf]

I've got a 4 iron version of this and it stays in my bag until it wears out.
If I could find a 2 and 3 iron in the right spec I'd be tempted

I've got the 2 iron in the bag. It replaced the 19* hybrid. Immense club, very forgiving and very long. It won't be coming out of the bag for a long time

 

[Foxholer]

Hi all, my first post!! Does anyone know when the callaway x utility iron is due out?? Fancy having a go.

From the Callaway Staffer I know....,Not before 13 Jan (or was that Jan '13) n Europe.

Samples are hen's teeth apparently. Whether that's fact or 'marketing' is up for debate.

 

[duncan mackie]

Ping eye 2 one iron used to be in most players bags at one point.

still have mine - but it's place in the bag has been taken.

I took it out recently to 'remember the good old days' but it was a huge disappointment.

what's really killed it's market is the modern 3 wood, with it's huge array of options - probably more than the hybrid to be honest. the hybrid is closer in underlying functionality and feel but the 1 iron's forte was (for me) the 240 yards tight drive more than the low fairway shot (I would use my blade MB 2 iron (still got that as well) for such shots), and it's here the 18 hybrid can excel in the right hands.

 

[MadAdey]

I think people have just found a better alternative by having a rescue club in the bag. For a lot of players they are not strong enough to hit their longer irons well out of rough so a rescue is a really good alternative for this and off the tee on long par 3's. After all the average golfer may only need a driving iron a couple of times a round but probably finds himself in the rough several times.

I have got a 2i in the bag now as I want a club to use on shorter par 4's that I can hit under the wind into the middle of the fairway rather than the rescue that does go very high and gets affected by the wind.

What people carry has changed a lot in the 20 or so years I have been playing. When I was younger it was the in thing to have a 1i in the bag. I knew a few players that carried Driver, 1i to LW and a putter. Who carries a set up like that now, or would consider one?