berkeleybob Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 I don't really get what it is. Why would I use it? Is it a modified 3-iron? Quote WITB 2024 DRIVER AEROJET 10.5° | FAIRWAY ROGUE ST MAX 3/15° HYBRID G410 21° | UTILITY 699 V2 U 5/23° IRONS 699 V2 6-PW WEDGES CBX 2 50°, 54°, 58° PUTTER KING GRANDSPORT 35 BALL MODEL | PRO WHITE/BLUE ICE BAG 3.5 LS | PUSHCART RV1S 2024 Fit For Golf Training App Review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnosil Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 30 minutes ago, berkeleybob said: I don't really get what it is. Why would I use it? Is it a modified 3-iron? lower and straighter than a hybrid or wood. There are a variety of lofts that make up the utility iron spectrum. This may give you some more details: RollingGreens and berkeleybob 2 Quote Driver: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven Fairway: Paradym AI Smoke Max HL 16.5* w/MCA TENSEI AV Series Blue Hybrids: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 915H 24* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype Irons: TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite Wedge: 54/12D, 60/8M w/Accra iWedge 90 Graphite Putter: Render w/VA Composites Baddazz Backup Putters: Sacks Parente MC 3 Stripe, Milled Collection RSX 2 Member: MGS Hitsquad since 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Hedrick Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 I use mine to 'get out of the weeds'. When I find myself in the trees and need a low trajectory shot to get back in the fairway, I use my 2 iron. berkeleybob, GaDawg and KC Golf 1 2 Quote Bag C130, 14 way Cart Bag Driver TSR1 Fairway. Halo XL Hy-Wood 4+ Fairway GBB Epic 5 Hybrid Epic Flash 3H Irons Launcher HB, 4 through PW Wedges CBX2 - 54 degree, CBX Zipcore 52 degree Putter Seemore Si1 Putter Ball Titleist pro v1x Other Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisag Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 6 hours ago, berkeleybob said: I don't really get what it is. Why would I use it? Is it a modified 3-iron? ... Pretty much. Or a modified more forgiving 2 iron. I am more accurate with long irons than I am with a hybrid or fairway wood. So I have 2 DI's I use depending on conditions. A 19* DHy that is excellent from the fairway as well as the tee and produces a nice high trajectory. I also have a 18* UDi #2 iron that produces a lower trajectory and isn't quite as friendly from the fairway but can be used successfully in windy conditions advancing a 2nd shot on a par 5, but mostly very accurate off the tee where I use it quite a bit. Vegan_Golfer_PNW, vandyland and berkeleybob 3 Quote Driver: Qi10 10.5* ... AutoFlex Dream 7 SF405 Fairway: Qi10 5 wood ... Kai'Li Blue 70r Hybrids: G430 Hybrid 22*... Alta Hy70r Irons: P770 5-pw ... Steelfiber i80r TP UDi 4 ... Steelfiber i80r Wedges: MG3 46*/50*/54* MG4 58* ... Steelfiber i95r Putter: Custom 5.1 (no alignment) 33" Ball: '24 TP5x/Maxfli Tour X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossfan Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 I use mine off the tee on shorter and tighter par 4s. It’s great for keeping the ball low if you’re in the trees. I’ve even used mine on longer chips. They are versatile clubs. I use mine for a lot more shots than I thought I would berkeleybob and Micah T 2 Quote D- Tour Edge EXS 220 4W- Sub 70 949X Hybrid- Sub 70 949X Utility- Sub 70 699 U 21 degree Irons- Sub 70 749 5-PW Wedges- Sub 70 286 50+54, Tour Edge 1 out 58 degree Putter- Cleveland Huntington Beach soft # 11 Ball- Titleist Tour Soft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Middler Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 21 hours ago, chisag said: I am more accurate with long irons than I am with a hybrid or fairway wood. Same here. I played golf (woods and irons only) for about 40 years before hybrids even came on the scene and I’m still more comfortable with a long iron than a hybrid of the same loft. Didn’t buy my first hybrid until 2017. I carry and use a 19* 3H, I’ve never really liked it, but I force myself to use it - it’s the only choice in my bag between a 15* 3W and a 21* 4i. berkeleybob and chisag 2 Quote Titleist TSR2 11° HZRDUS Red CB 50 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize Titleist TSR2 16.5º HZRDUS Red 60 CB 6.0 & TSR2 21º HZRDUS Black 4G 70 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize Mizuno JPX923 HMP 4-GW, T22 54.12WS, T22 58.04DC w Lamkin ST+2 Hybrid Midsize LAB DF3 w Accra Maxfli Tour & ProV1 Ping Pioneer - MGI Zip Navigator AT Payntr X 001 F (mesh), Payntr X 005 F, Ecco Biom C4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wely324 Posted July 10, 2022 Share Posted July 10, 2022 Lower trajectory and tend to be straighter compared to a hybrid or wood. A great club in the bag for when it’s windy, or a course where you don’t need driver and feel more comfortable with something that looks like an iron. berkeleybob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_APH Posted July 10, 2022 Share Posted July 10, 2022 For me mine is more course dependent. There are a handful of courses here that are must at all cost find fairway courses or give the benefit of more roll which i find my ping 2 crossover very handy for. It's not one i use everywhere, but one that I do enjoy having as well as having the ability to hit well generally. chisag, berkeleybob and sirchunksalot 3 Quote as of Oct 5, 2024 (Past WITB) Driver: GT2 with Graphite Design AD CQ - check out the Driver Shootout! Wood: GT2 with Graphite Design AD CQ shaft (still love my Cobra F7's) Irons: T Series - T200 5 Iron T150 6-9 Iron Wedge: Toura Golf - A Spec 53,57 or SM10 45,49,53,57 degree wedges Putter: LINK! Full putter shootout incoming Balls: Vice Pro Plus Drip (Blue/Orange) Golf Bag: Ghost Anyday 5.0 Golf bag - Maverick colorway with MGS Logo Other: Vortex Anarch Rangefinder, searching for electric cart, Red Rooster The Root Glove and more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berkeleybob Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 Thanks all. Next time at the store, I’ll look for one to try out. In the past, I’ve struggled hitting any iron lower than a 5, so I’ve just relied on my hybrid. But I’m willing to give it a go. Quote WITB 2024 DRIVER AEROJET 10.5° | FAIRWAY ROGUE ST MAX 3/15° HYBRID G410 21° | UTILITY 699 V2 U 5/23° IRONS 699 V2 6-PW WEDGES CBX 2 50°, 54°, 58° PUTTER KING GRANDSPORT 35 BALL MODEL | PRO WHITE/BLUE ICE BAG 3.5 LS | PUSHCART RV1S 2024 Fit For Golf Training App Review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisag Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 7 hours ago, berkeleybob said: Thanks all. Next time at the store, I’ll look for one to try out. In the past, I’ve struggled hitting any iron lower than a 5, so I’ve just relied on my hybrid. But I’m willing to give it a go. ... Just keep in mind there are reasons to play a DI as well as reasons not to play one. DI's generally produce a lower trajectory than a comparable hybrid/fairway wood. Hybrids/fairway woods generally carry farther, especially for slower swing speeds. You have enough club head speed to maximize carry and roll. Unless you are a very elite player, most usually hit better shots with a hybrid/fw OR better shots with a long iron than a hybrid/fw . ... Finally a DI can be a solution without a problem. Most of us love to experiment and find new ways to play our best so we leave no equipment stone uncovered but I think many more will find a hybrid/fw more useful than a DI. Blueberry_Squishie, Vegan_Golfer_PNW and WiTerp50 3 Quote Driver: Qi10 10.5* ... AutoFlex Dream 7 SF405 Fairway: Qi10 5 wood ... Kai'Li Blue 70r Hybrids: G430 Hybrid 22*... Alta Hy70r Irons: P770 5-pw ... Steelfiber i80r TP UDi 4 ... Steelfiber i80r Wedges: MG3 46*/50*/54* MG4 58* ... Steelfiber i95r Putter: Custom 5.1 (no alignment) 33" Ball: '24 TP5x/Maxfli Tour X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandyland Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 8 hours ago, berkeleybob said: Thanks all. Next time at the store, I’ll look for one to try out. In the past, I’ve struggled hitting any iron lower than a 5, so I’ve just relied on my hybrid. But I’m willing to give it a go. I try to fit myself into a driving iron/utility iron almost every season. I don't play in high winds often, or really at all, and our climate typically has fairly neutral conditions most of the year (never super baked out around these parts). So a utility iron would be mostly a tee club and I find, for me, they are less forgiving than hybrids. A hybrid has the added benefit of more launch and spin so, for me, it has a better chance of holding a green. All that said, I see players that wield a driving iron and use it well and I am very envious. There is something very cool about being able to hit a laser 2 iron on a tight par 4. For my game, I have tested and found the last few years that I am better off with a 4 hyb and a 5hyb instead of a 4i and 5i. Bad swings seem to survive much better with a hybrid than an iron. Handy, WiTerp50 and chisag 3 Quote STZ 230 9.5* / Pro Fli-Hi 21* MALTBY TS1-IM 5-GW Equalizer II 54* / Carnoustie 60* L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1 HackMotion Official Review -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckZ Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 I use to carry a true driving iron when I played Ping Eye 2 irons. We called them one irons. Not everyone could play them. I really loved that club and off the tee it was a monster down the middle and long. Just another iron that was difficult to hit, but when hit pure, you know you had found the motherload. Think most people have gone to hybrids because they are easier to control than a one, two or three iron. If I need to get out of the trees in my senior years and playing from the senior tees, I just hit a hooded five iron. Quote Driver - TSi3 10.75* - Fujikura Speeder 661 TR Fairway - TSi2 14.25* - Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 6.1 Fairway - TSR1 17.0* - Fujikura Vista Pro 65S Hybrid - TSR1 19.0* - Fujikura Atmos Red Tour 75 Hybrid - TSR1 23.0* - Fujikura Atmos Red Tour 75 Irons - T350 (2023) - 5-48W - True Temper AMT Red 95g-107g Wedges - Vokey SM9 - 52.08F, 56.10S, 58.08M ** GolfPride MCC +4 Midsize Grips (all woods/irons/wedges) Putter - 2023 Scotty Cameron Super Select Squareback 2 35" ** Superstroke 1.0 Pistol Grip Golf Ball - TITLEIST - Prov1 (2023) Golf Bags - TITLEIST - Cart 14 (black), Mid Size Tour (black/white) Golf Glove - FootJoy (StaSof), Shoes, Apparel and Outerwear Rangefinder - Bushnell Pro XE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tm2404 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 A benefit I haven’t heard discussed yet and the reason I carry one is some days I struggle to find my driver swing but my iron swing is in a great spot. Having my u500 allows me mentally to feel confident I can’t still find the middle of the fairway if need be. Micah T 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donn lost in San Diego Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 My course has some nasty woods out of bounds. I give up 20 or 30 yards distance to stay in play and low trajectory. and on a particular long par 3. Quote #1 PXG 0211 10.5 deg, Evnflo Riptide CB 40 gram A flex. 3W: Callaway Steelhead Xr, Tensei Blue CK 55 gram A flex. 5W : Titleist TSi 1, Aldila Ascent 40 regular flex. Driving Iron: Mizuno MP 18 MMC Fli-Hi 3i 18 degree, Recoil 95 reg flex. 4 iron: GFF Mizuno Fly-Hi, 24 degree forged hollow body, Aerotech Steelfiber . 5 Hybrid: Mizuno (2017) JPX Fli-Hi wave tech, Recoil ESX 460 reg flex. Irons: 6 - PW: Ping I 500, on Recoil Smacwrap ES 760, reg flex. Wedges: 2 x Mizuno S5 52/09. 1@ 50 deg, 1@ 54 deg; New (July 2024) Mizu ES 21, 58 x 08, jet black. Chipper: Don Martin "Up n In" brass/bronze. Putter: Odyssey Stroke Lab "R" Ball, face balanced, with 2 piece Stroke Lab multi material shaft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah T Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 I can’t do anything but hook a hybrid off the planet. My U-505 2 iron is great on tight par 4’s, doglegs, and in windy conditions. Some days the driver isn’t cooperating, and the 2-iron is a more accurate club for me than my 3 wood. Being relatively new to golf I can’t comment on how hard it was to hit a traditional 2 iron, but my driving iron is as forgiving as my 5 iron, imo. chisag and PeterHenric 2 Quote Driver - Cobra LtDxLS 3 Wood - Ping g410 LST 2iron - Titleist U505 Irons - Ping i59 Wedges - Vokey Sm9 Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Survivor740 Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 On 7/6/2022 at 7:20 PM, Paul Hedrick said: I use mine to 'get out of the weeds'. When I find myself in the trees and need a low trajectory shot to get back in the fairway, I use my 2 iron. I have an old Ping G 7-wood and love it. It feels that 50% of my shots come out from under trees . I’ve got a Srixon ZX 3-iron coming the mail. Soon, my prayers will be answered . Vegan_Golfer_PNW 1 Quote “They call it golf because all the other four letter words were taken.” ‒ Raymond Flyod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartrick11 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 I have tried a number of different setups at that position, starting with the adjustable Cobra and then a Gapr...along with several hybrids. I will have stretches where I am on fire with my DI, and then stretches where I stink. Not all that different from the rest of my bag to be honest...the life of a weekend golfer. The difference is there are so many options at this part of the bag that it invites more tinkering, and really endless tinkering if you are already prone to try out new shiny objects... My latest was an i500 3 iron with an MMT 125tx shaft - bought it to try out the MMT knowing it wasn't really the right fit, but I figured with how popular the MMT is at the moment that I would be able to sell it without taking much of a hit (it ended up costing me $40 for about 10 months of use). That thing was a monster when I was on - as someone who fights a left miss this was truly anti-left and with San Diego conditions I could carry 230 and easily roll it out past 250 which made it a major weapon at my tight home course with a lot of white stakes on the left side; but the i500 head was a bit too penalizing IMO, and the shaft was too heavy/stout for my swing speed, so it was only a sometime-major weapon, with thin misses losing a ton of distance and peeling right. After seeing how forgiving my P790 4 iron is compared to it, I sold the i500 and picked up a P790 UDI head that I am getting a KBS PGI 100 shaft on that seems to pair well with my beloved $ taper iron shafts. Picking it up later today at the KBS shop in Carlsbad; if this one isn't the goldilocks driving iron for me I will officially give up on the idea of a DI. I think Quote Driver: TSi 3 10* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X Fairway/Hybrid: TSi 2 15* & 18* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X, AD IZ 95X Irons: P790 4i, P770 5-7i, P7MC 8-P, $ Taper 120 Wedges: SM7 52F/54 S, 58 M w/ Modus 125 Putter: California Hollywood 34" Circle H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMart519 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 On 7/6/2022 at 2:50 PM, berkeleybob said: I don't really get what it is. Why would I use it? Is it a modified 3-iron? Many are hollow head and more forgiving than set matched irons. The flat face should make it more accurate than a hybrid. Throw a long graphite shaft on it and the ball go far… Vegan_Golfer_PNW 1 Quote G425 MAX Driver & 5W Baffler Rail-H 3H-4H 699 Pro Utility V2 - 4i APEX CF19 6-AW INDI Wedges 52, 56, 60 EAS 2.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfNut14 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 I use my driving iron off the tee only currently on 400 yard or less par 4 that may also have a narrow landing area. The trajectory of my driving iron is like a stinger and gets plenty of roll. I'm still working on hitting it off the fairway or under trees to get out of trouble. I do like using it now that I have one. Quote Golfnut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KC Golf Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 I use my 2 driving iron on long and windy courses with narrow fairway. I find the lower trajectory and post carry rolling distances are great with a driving iron. I also find it great off the tee when you want to hit it low into a narrow landing zone. I find a hybrid is better if you are looking at landing it on and stopping it on a long par 3 Quote TSR 3 9.0 Autoflex 405x - Official Tester 2024 TSi 3 15.0 GD Tour AD - DI 6S Stiff Utility 2 Iron 18.0 - Nippon NS Pro 650GH Stiff / TS3 21 Hybrid Tensei AV Blue 65 HY Stiff 4 - 9 101T Irons - KBS Tour Lite Stiff - Official Tester 2023 Vokey SM9 46 F - 10 BV105 Stiff Vokey SM9 52 F - 12 Nippon NS Pro 950 Stiff Vokey Forged (Japan) 56 M - 10 DG S200 MG3 60 - 12 - Nippon NS Modus3 Tour 105 Stiff Champions Choice Newport 2+ Button Back - 35” / Pistolini Plus Z-Star Diamond Players 4 bag Official Tester - 2021 & Current Club Sensor User Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterHenric Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 My bag used to be D, 3W, 3H, 4H, 5-9i. My hybrids were used fairly often but were never very accurate. Only used in fairways but never off the tee. I have since switched to D, 3W, 2DHY, 4-9i. I haven’t used the driving iron much anywhere but off the tee. When I do use it off the tee, it flies low, long, and straight! It’s a much better club for short/narrow par 4s than my Driver or 3W. It has earned a permanent place in my bag. Quote Driver: Callaway Paradym @ 10.5º (Fujikura Ventus Red Velocore TR Stiff) 4 Wood: Titleist TSr 2 @ 14.5º Driving Iron: Ping iCrossover 17º (Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 80 Stiff) Irons: Taylormade Stealth 4-P (Fujikura Ventus Blue Graphite 7 Stiff) Wedges: Cleveland RTX 6 Zipcore 48º, 52º, 56º (TT Dynamic Gold Tour Issue) Putter: Odyssey AI One Jailbird Mini Ball: Titleist ProV1X, MaxFli Tour X 2023, MaxFli Tour 2023, Titleist AVX Tested: Tommy Armour Impact No. 3 (LINK) Tested: Titleist Prototype Balls (LINK) Tested: Stitch Golf SL2 Golf Bag (LINK) Unofficially Tested: Odyssey One Black (LINK) Shot Tracking App: Golf Pad GPS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollingGreens Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 I will actually go out and say that I am thinking about putting a graphite shafted driving or utility iron in my bag as my 4 iron replacement. But in general their are those that can hit hybrids and those that cannot. Some just like the more appealing iron look vs a hybrid Quote Stealth 2 Plus 9deg Kai' li Red Stealth 2 13deg Aldilla Rogue Silver Stealth 2 15deg Aldilla Rogue Silver JPX 921 Hot Metal 4-PW Nippon Modus 120s SM8 54 and 58deg Dynamic Gold Wedge Flex Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Titleist ProV1 Hoofer Stand Bag Stewart Q Follow Electric Caddie 300 PRO Rangefinder Official Nippon Regio B+ Driver Shaft Review Official Stewart Q Follow Review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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