Driving Irons - Who's Gaming Them?

[txgolfjunkie]

I currently bag a 21* Mizuno Fli-Hi (older version) but didn't know if anyone on these boards gamed one of the more recent driving irons such as the Ping Rapture DI, Callaway Prototype, TM UDI, etc. I'm wanting to purchase one but being left hand, I wanted input before pulling the trigger (lefties don't demo, they buy and hope it works out). Anyone got feedback on the latest driving iron craze other than the driving iron test done by this site about a year ago?

[markb]

I never even considered a driving iron before this year. Then I bought my Speedblades and I found the 4 iron so easy to hit and long that I special ordered a 3 iron. I don't hit it well off the deck, but I use it more and more from the tee box. Yesterday I used it once and hit a low draw to about 260.  Since the SB 3 iron has 17° of loft and the UDI comes in 16°, 18°, and 20°, maybe I am already hitting one.

 

Now if we accept the premise that my 17° SB 3 iron is a driving iron, I will state emphatically that I am keeping it in the bag. I look at a course ahead of time and I calculate which of my 15 regular clubs to drop based on course requirements. Most of the time I drop the 60° wedge. Sometimes I'll pull the 5 wood. (which has 21° of loft.) Only rarely do I pull the 3.  On my home course I tee off with it 5-6 times a round

[Hula Rock]

Never gave it some thought.  My 5 wood is the goto club on narrow Par4's, usually can get 230 off the tee with it.....

[Jmikecpa]

I have the first generation DHY 24* with a Aerotech Steelfiber in it and a second generation 21* with the Aldila Tour Blue in it......love both of them.

[DanUsh]

I dont have one of the new models but i can bag a rocketbladez 3 iron from my previous set which i bet plays pretty similar to the taylormade udi 3 iron.

[txgolfjunkie]

I never thought about using a TM 3 iron from one of their iron sets. I knew they cheated the loft on their irons due to the increased launch angle with the speed pocket...but a 17* 3 iron!?!? HAHAHA that is awesome. I will have to track one down and give it a shot. I'm sure a speedblade or rocketballz 3 iron is a lot more cheaper and easier to find than a TM UDI or Ping Rapture DI. 

 

Jmikecpa - what is the ball flight on those Adams DHys?

 

Hula - if i could control my ball flight, i would try a 5 wood but i hit everything so high that it wouldn't do me any good in these Texas breezes. 

[markb]

I just checked the specs of both the Rocketbladez and Speedblades 3's.   RB is 18 degrees and 39.5 (Equal to the 2 UDI)  SB is 17 degrees and 39.5, equal to the 1.5 iron.   SB's flight higher than RB's.   I have the latter and I can testify STRONGLY to how easy it is to hit.  Stock 85 gram shafts launch highest of the shaft options.   RB and SB 3 irons are NOT easy to find on ebay because they didn't make many, but can be had for $75 to $85.   Do NOT touch the Rocketbladez Tours.   Very different club, not forgiving or easy to hit and much shorter than the regular RB or SB.   They're giving them away on Ebay now cause no one liked them.   Lowest regular RB or SB 3 is priced about $50-60 right now.

 

In profile the UDI looks a little more hybridy and this may make it the easiest to hit of all of them.   I will try it and tell you (eventually), but based on my existing experience I'd say DO NOT FEAR these clubs based on their strong lofts.   TMag and Adams know how to get these things up and easy to hit.   The slot thingy really helps more the longer the club gets.

 

Either 3 would be pretty sweet with those Texas winds and hard fairways.   I can draw or fade mine with a slight grip change.  I'm not a big hitter and 250 straight is very much in my normal wheelhouse with these clubs.   I play SB's now, but played RB's before.   Same difference, IMO.   SB's go a little higher.

[whiskey golf]

I played one about a year ago, it was cool but I'm not that great of a ballstriker so they don't benefit me.

[markb]

Sadly, I don't see either a lefty SB or RB 3 iron for sale on Ebay now, though.   They're probably rare.

[Mr_Theoo]

I tried to use a SGI iron as a driving iron last season but I found I ended up having a lot more hooked shots due to the offset in the iron. I'm planning on getting a UDI to match my irons once they are available.

[Salmon]

I only just realised how big the difference is with Taylormade irons. I mean you always here on here that they have stronger lofts or they have jacked the lofts on their irons, but just having a quick look at the specs between the current offerings from Taylormade compared to say the Titleist 714 CBs and there is a little over an entire clubs difference in the lofts!

[RoverRick]

I gamed them up until earlier this year and they are still the clubs I use as part of my Mizuno set. But since on the course we are playing here in Memphis I would be using them for approach shots. And just felt more confident in spinning a hybrid.

[markb]

I only just realised how big the difference is with Taylormade irons. I mean you always here on here that they have stronger lofts or they have jacked the lofts on their irons, but just having a quick look at the specs between the current offerings from Taylormade compared to say the Titleist 714 CBs and there is a little over an entire clubs difference in the lofts!

Sure, but the 714 CB is a near forged blade, not a game improvement iron.  Let's compare apples to apples. The TMag UDI has 2 iron loft of 18° and 3 iron of 20° . Titleist's 712U driving iron has lofts of 18° for the 2 and 21° for the 3.

[jpcgolf]

I feel okay with the lofts on these irons because people can still hit them high.  They would probably go too high with "standard" lofts.

[revkev]

I'm not likely to be gaming a driving iron soon but they way I'm hitting my hybrids who knows. I f....ckng am not liking my hybrids right now and they used to be the surest thing in my bag next to driver and putter. Right now I'm 1/3 with those guys. I'm tempted to keep my driver in a different room just so the other two don't gang up on it.

 

Back on topic and the stronger lofts. It seems to me that all the GI clubs are jumping on the band wagon and strengthening their lofts. I currently have a set of Wilson C 100's bagged with a set of Rocket Blades as back up. The lofts are almost the same. I launch the Wilson's so high that it's ridiculous,. I actually launch the 5 iron higher than my 5 hybrid. Although I found I can launch the five hybrid nicely by holding it with two hands, aiming for a mangrove and throwing it like an Olympic hammer thrower. Sorry, I digressed again. Bottom line I really launch those Wilson's high.

 

For our Texas friends I have aerotech steel fibers in the Rocket Blades. I know they are expensive but if you want the GI but a little more penetrating flight these babies are awesome. I have the 95's. They also come in 85s and 110's depending upon your preference.

 

Florida is not conducive to a driving iron so I'm not likely to try one but if I lived in Texas or back on the clay soil of Indiana I'd by seriously looking at it. Here I need the trajectory of the five wood.

[Jmikecpa]

Jmikecpa - what is the ball flight on those Adams DHys?

 

That is the beauty of these clubs in that the flight is generally whatever you want it to be.  I can hit them high or knock them down depending on what I am trying to do.  Played Saturday and on successive holes I hit the 24* high and soft into a 220 yard par 3 then on the next hole I hit a low burner into the wind and scooted it up onto the front third of the green on a par 5.  

[markb]

I second the Revkev's talk about the Aerotech's.  I tried them on a set of Ap1's and thought they were fantastic.   A good choice for a driving iron.  Very very expensive.

 

Also, although I'm a user and proponent of a driving iron and am not a good golfer, I readily admit that I NEVER use this 17 degree Speedblade to attack pins from the rough or fairway.  It simply goes too low and won't hold a green.  For those 230 yard approach shots I use my HIGH LAUNCH 21 degree 5 wood that goes up and drops.   I use the 3 iron purely as a driving iron.  I don't use a high launching hybrid or 5 wood because they balloon and stray.

 

To be clear, whether we talking about a driving iron or 5 wood, we are in the realm of clubs you MAY use just 3-5 times a round -- or maybe not at all.   Depending on the course, I may carry both or only one.    My first priority in choosing clubs is the greenside bunkers that I'm more likely to find.  If they are deep and fluffy, I have to bag the 60 degree wedge and either the 5 wood or 3 iron comes out.  If it's not windy and there are no tee shots requiring a straight, must-hit-the-fairway shot going 230 to 250, I keep the 5 wood.   If it's really windy, I'll keep the 3 iron.  

 

Either way, I'm going to only use this club a few times per round.   The pros use them more because they default back to a safe fairway finder more than we do.   And they play links more than we do.  

 

I've only started using mine more this year because with the SB's, I can actually make good contact with the 3 and it goes 230 to 250 on the line I start it with!   I could never do this with my old set.

[Kor.A.Door]

I was watching the morning drive this morning and they (Steve Flesch) was talking specifically about these clubs, what they talked about was how the reason that the pros are using them this week is to be able to fly the ball low and let the ball stay under the wind and roll out on the tight links fairways, it was also mentioned the everyday golfers should really stay away from them because we don't have enough swing speed to get the ball in the air. I think that if we as the everyday golfer think that we can bag these types of clubs, we really need to think why we think we can handle them. It's funny though, I'll bet that less than 3 percent of us on this forum consistently bag a 3 iron, yet here we are talking about bagging 2 irons. Which is probably the most difficult club you could hit.

 

I am not talking about hybrid irons, I am talking about classic iron heads.

[Salmon]

Sure, but the 714 CB is a near forged blade, not a game improvement iron.  Let's compare apples to apples. The TMag UDI has 2 iron loft of 18° and 3 iron of 20° . Titleist's 712U driving iron has lofts of 18° for the 2 and 21° for the 3.

 

Sorry the CB's were probably a bad example but I had a look at the AP1's and AP2's as well and while the AP1's have there lofts 1 degree stronger the taylors still have atleast a full club over them, I just didn't realise the lofts were getting that strong on some sets

[Salmon]

I was watching the morning drive this morning and they (Steve Flesch) was talking specifically about these clubs, what they talked about was how the reason that the pros are using them this week is to be able to fly the ball low and let the ball stay under the wind and roll out on the tight links fairways, it was also mentioned the everyday golfers should really stay away from them because we don't have enough swing speed to get the ball in the air. I think that if we as the everyday golfer think that we can bag these types of clubs, we really need to think why we think we can handle them. It's funny though, I'll bet that less than 3 percent of us on this forum consistently bag a 3 iron, yet here we are talking about bagging 2 irons. Which is probably the most difficult club you could hit.

 

I am not talking about hybrid irons, I am talking about classic iron heads.

 

I personally have never taken my 3 iron out of my bag since I graduated to a full set when I was still young. Even had a 2 iron in my previous set and was able to hit that well, and am looking at finding another or something similar when I upgrade my current set. I will have to agree with them though in that it does rely heavily on having enough swing speed to be able to take advantage of them.

[apprenti23]

I've used the callaway x tour 21 utility for at least the last five years maybe even longer. I just recently put the SLDR irons in the bag and the 3 iron from that set just may or may not kick the x tour utility out for the first time in forever!

 

I never use it as a "driving iron" unless the hole literally forces me to hit it off the tee. I find it a much easier option than the standard three iron from my past sets.

[markb]

Yeah, the bottom line is that these modern GI 3 irons are not like the older ones.  Yes, they have stronger lofts that spec like old 2 irons, but still go higher and are easier to hit. I used mine off of 5 tees today and GPs'ed them all. I foozled one about 100 yards, hit the others 243, 251, 236, and one incredible shot that rolled under the wind 272. Longest I've ever hit a 3.  I never used to bag my Ping 3! It still had stickers on it when I sold that set.

 

 That said, I would not use the club in windless wet Florida either. I'd hit something with carry as long as it went straight.

[txgolfjunkie]

I've used the callaway x tour 21 utility for at least the last five years maybe even longer. I just recently put the SLDR irons in the bag and the 3 iron from that set just may or may not kick the x tour utility out for the first time in forever!

 

I never use it as a "driving iron" unless the hole literally forces me to hit it off the tee. I find it a much easier option than the standard three iron from my past sets.

I was just about to ask if anyone had hit the new SLDR irons. I work across the street from a massive GolfSmith and they had a few lefty SLDR sets for sale as well as the RB and SB. Visually, I like how the SLDR looks at setup compared to the RB or SB. And to hear it might kick out your Callaway utility...must mean its a great iron. 

 

I'm not looking for something like a Titleist driving iron but something along the lines of a strong 3 iron from a more forgiving set. Of course, easier said than done being left handed. 

 

And yes, this would be a club that the course setup would dictate when to bag it and when to leave it at home. 

 

All this input is great, keep it up. 

[revkev]

Yeah, the bottom line is that these modern GI 3 irons are not like the older ones. Yes, they have stronger lofts that spec like old 2 irons, but still go higher and are easier to hit. I used mine off of 5 tees today and GPs'ed them all. I foozled one about 100 yards, hit the others 243, 251, 236, and one incredible shot that rolled under the wind 272. Longest I've ever hit a 3. I never used to bag my Ping 3! It still had stickers on it when I sold that set.

 

That said, I would not use the club in windless wet Florida either. I'd hit something with carry as long as it went straight.

When you find the windless part of Florida please let me know so that I can start playing there.

 

Actually Central Florida is fairly calm but I live on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It's not Texas or Kansas windy but it's windy enough and because of the large bodies of water the wind will change directions in the afternoon when the Sea Breeze kicks in. There are days when I can pick my preferred wind direction because it's blowing different ways on courses that are ten miles apart.

 

We got nailed by the wind change on Tuesday as the wind flipped directions after out fifth hole. We got exactly 3 down wind holes the entire day. Frankly I'm sick of a couple of groups playing at noon when the published league time is 2:30 to 5:30. I'm tired of complaining about it. They have such a huge advantage over the rest of the league that it's not even funny.

 

You see very few driving irons here, even among the strong you players, because of the wet conditions

[txgolfjunkie]

You see very few driving irons here, even among the strong you players, because of the wet conditions

 

Previous 2 years here in Houston have been moderate to severe drought. I played lots of roll out on every shot. This year is the complete opposite. There has been maybe 15 dry days this summer. Nothing but afternoon showers. I'm not complaining, but my bag setup (and cleanliness of my shoes) has changed drastically from last few seasons to this season. Maybe I should just invest in a strong 3/driving iron for the dry seasons and a 5 wood/2i hybrid for the wet seasons. 

[markb]

Oh the irony! And I played a links course by the lake today in wind but I never once touched the 3 iron. There was no need, the fairways were so wide you could  just bang it.

[Ace of Clubs Golf Co.]

The "Controller" Driving Iron was way ahead of its time. Who remembers that infomercial?

[Undershooter]

I never saw the "controller" driving iron but I just looked it up. Was interesting looking. Does anyone who has tried a lot of these driving irons know which one was the lowest ball flight?

[markb]

I never saw the "controller" driving iron but I just looked it up. Was interesting looking. Does anyone who has tried a lot of these driving irons know which one was the lowest ball flight?

 

Looking for the lowest ball flight in a driving iron is a little like looking for the flattest pancake. I can point you to any number that have a ball flight of Zero when put in my hands.

[Undershooter]

Haha I suppose I should explain why I asked that. I'm trying to decide whether I should replace my 2 iron(old mizuno mp30) with one. I hit the ball extremely high anyway and if my 2i is in the bag then I want to keep shots under the wind, which I have trouble doing. Even my 2i goes high if I want it to. Low is the hard shot for me