Do you still carry a 5-iron?

[M-in2Golf]

I'm 43 now, I swapped the 5i for a 5hyb, just finding it easier to get the distance.

5i and 6i were getting too close. But now the gapping issue is my 5hyb is so long, considering a 6 hyb to close the gap.

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[sandwedge59]

Well, on my normal days i do not carry a 5 iron because i am now 67 years old and with each passing year i lose a 1/4 to 1/2 of a club distance and since i have forged irons and a loft / lie machine i adjust my lofts when i think change is needed so my 6 iron is now 26 degree's and i have a hybrid that is 23 degree's so i consider that my 5 iron and it would be the same with a 4 iron which i have replaced it with a 20 degree hybrid , if i was still a strong ball striker maybe i would have a 5 iron and so on but physical limitations have caused me to reconsider club choices.

 

I will say this, i still enjoy the challenge of the 4 and 5 iron so on some days where i am the first person out between 6 and 6:30 am by myself I will carry a 4 and 5 iron again for the challenge of hitting them knowing that realistically i can't reach the green with a 4 or 5 iron most of the time , i get lucky at times and reach greens with them but not enough to justify carrying low numbered irons , do i wish i could still hit them , sure however i am realistic and have figured out when to choose my battles if you were to call it that. 

[a802313]

Yes!  Mizuno Pro 245 5 to gap. I use a 3 hybrid and 2 hybrid to cover the gap after the 5 iron. Based on the stronger lofts the 19.5 degree 3 hybrid covers the gap pretty well. 

[itsteetime]

I carry 4-LW in my bag.  The 4 may be replaced with 7W depending on course conditions. 

As for the 5 iron, I tried several hybrids for both the 4 and 5 iron.  Let's just say that the results were unfavorable for me to purchase a hybrid of any number for a long, long time.  At age 74, I doubt that I will be trying or purchasing a 5 hybrid.

[tferrelljr3]

I do, but it has disappeared on me over the past few months. It used to be a weapon, but now I rarely use it. 

[Marty2Shanks]

Yes…because I play traditional lofted irons…5 iron = 27 degrees.  If only we could get rid of numbers/letters and simply go with lofts.

[Skrizan]

On 5/8/2024 at 8:09 AM, TJ Hall said:

I love my 5 iron…it is quite versatile for me.  The course I play has a number of shots that require a left to right shape and I don’t have that, but have learned with the 5 iron tonight a driven ball turning over that will run.  It is my go to shot now in many situations!

After getting 3 and 4 Hybrids years ago I ditched the 4 iron.  I still have 5 iron but toyed with getting 5 hybrid.  Seeing the comments here I was thinking it was a no-brainer.  Until I saw this one...  I have a hard time hitting my Hybrids anything but dead straight.  But I can put a fade on my 5 and 6 iron when needed.  I can still hit the 5 pretty decent when I am swinging well.  Stuck the center of the green into a stiff wind last night with it!

[Stiggy]

Replaced my 4/5i with hybrids, they’re easier to hit, I get a little more distance and they’re more forgiving. 

[wcgalley]

I recent changed up what I carry in my bag and have pulled the 5 Iron and 6 Iron out! I was finding less and less opportunities to pull either out, and when I did I wasn’t getting the best results. I currently have a 4 and 7 hybrid, both of which depending on the length of the swing give me more variable and consistent distances, along with better ball flights. Anything inside of 170 yards, I start to use my 7 Iron - 9 Iron and wedges. All in all, for me, taking out the 5 and 6 iron has dramatically reduced my frustration on the course and improved my game. Oddly though, I do carry an old Nike VRS 4 Iron that I shortened by an inch. Its my bread and butter for those tight low long shots from the “other” fairway (we’ve all been there).

 

 

 

Edited May 10 by wcgalley

[Shapotomous]

4 minutes ago, sandwedge59 said:

Well, on my normal days i do not carry a 5 iron because i am now 67 years old and with each passing year i lose a 1/4 to 1/2 of a club distance and since i have forged irons and a loft / lie machine i adjust my lofts when i think change is needed so my 6 iron is now 26 degree's and i have a hybrid that is 23 degree's so i consider that my 5 iron and it would be the same with a 4 iron which i have replaced it with a 20 degree hybrid , if i was still a strong ball striker maybe i would have a 5 iron and so on but physical limitations have caused me to reconsider club choices.

 

I will say this, i still enjoy the challenge of the 4 and 5 iron so on some days where i am the first person out between 6 and 6:30 am by myself I will carry a 4 and 5 iron again for the challenge of hitting them knowing that realistically i can't reach the green with a 4 or 5 iron most of the time , i get lucky at times and reach greens with them but not enough to justify carrying low numbered irons , do i wish i could still hit them , sure however i am realistic and have figured out when to choose my battles if you were to call it that. 

Ditto to this including the age group, loss of yardage and loft / lie machine adjustments! 

I do enjoy hitting a nice high faded 4 or 5 iron into a green so i will take them out for fun rather than the 23 & 27 degree hybrids occasionally.

[Golf Dawg]

For my 60th BD, five yrs ago, I was fitted for Mizuno HM919s. My certified fitter, who was my instructor when I lived in IL, suggested I substitute the 5I for a Mizuno Fli Hi 5 with the same shaft.
 

After a few months, I had him order me a 5I, because I was not hitting the Fli Hi that well. In my youth, my driver, 5I and putter were gold. Perhaps that had something to do with it, but the 5I is still a confidence club for me.

[greinec3]

I carry almost all irons in my bag, I have a lot of club head speed so I find irons are much easier to control than hybrids. I already have a right to left shot shape and with most hybrids being draw biased, imo it makes the left miss hard to control. 
 

For context my driver club head is 120 on average. GHIN HC- 1.9, Carry numbers below w/ p790 2i and Mizuno 921 tour irons.

Driver: 295

3 Wood: 260

2i: 240

4i: 220

5i 205

6i: 195

7i: 185

8i 175

9i 160

PW: 145

GW: 130

SW: 115

LW: 105

I think speed and shot shape have a lot to do with whether people should carry a 5i in general. I put my numbers up to show that for players who do not need any more distance and are decent ball strikers tend to like irons more for the control over hybrids. I’d love to hear a differing opinion for someone with similar numbers, these are just my experience thus far.

 

[Tahuston]

I used to carry irons from 3 on up.  Replaced my iron a few years ago with Taylormade M2s and they came with a 4 & 5 hybrid.  Love both clubs but was never uncomfortable using the actual irons.  The hybrids have probably increased my accuracy and I have gained some distance as well, but then again it could be that my clubs are just better than my old ones.

[Plee920]

Turning 50 in July. Still have 3 iron (210 yd carry), 4 iron (195 yd carry) and 5 iron (185 yd carry). For whatever reason, I’ve never hit hybrids or fairway woods consistently and can hit the long irons well so will continue with the long irons until I can’t hit them anymore. 

[Gbufer]

16 hours ago, THE GOLF GUY said:

This is my set up , I swap out the 9 wood for the 5 iron in the colder months 

These are really solid distances and gaps! 

[Milar1305]

I am 56 years old and still carry a 5 and a 4 iron.  My bag consists of titleist 718 AP3's 4 thru gap wedge.  Titleist TSi3 Driver (x-stiff) and Titleist 3 wood (stiff).  I had a Titleist 19 degree hybrid, but no longer carry it because I always hooked it.  

[Wakit300]

I do still play a 5 iron, replaced the 4 years ago with a utility, but am thinking about changing from a Srixon ZX7 to the ZX5.  I like hitting the 5 and feel like I have better dispersion than the utility but could use a bit of help.

[ChitownM2]

I still carry and 5 iron and use it with some frequency.  I use it for punch shots when I need to keep it low or on par 5s and my ball is in the rough and I don't trust my chances to hit a 4 hybrid or fairway wood.  Otherwise the gapping on it is pretty decently between my 4 hybrid and 6 iron so I'll pull it out anytime I'm the appropriate distance away.

Edited May 10 by ChitownM2

[Scooter 328]

I just turned 65. Last year I completely overhauled my bag with a fitter. However I did keep my 5 iron. I don't hit it very well IMO. I have a 4 hybrid that I hit really well 90% of the time. I am seriously considering switching out the 5 iron for a hybrid too. Maybe 7 wood? The only reason I keep the 5 iron is on the course I play, I use it at least 1-2 times per round to hit very low stingers to get out of trouble. Reading this for others experiences. 

[MarcB11]

I am turning 65 soon and I carry a 5 iron (185yds). My course has a lot of trees and use it often for low punch shots left or right as well as shots into the wind. I carry a 4H(195yds) but find it difficult hit as low as my 5 iron.

[toncol]

61 y.o. and still carry a 5I, - Mizuno Pro 221 27* loft - along with a 4I 24* loft - in the summer that I pull out and replace with a hybrid in crappy conditions.  I'm a decent long Iron player, typically hitting the 5I 195-200 in summer conditions and reasonably straight.  I think of long irons as "somewhere on the green" clubs, and my expectations for them are reasonable.  I play most of my golf at my home club which tends to play firm and fast and is always breezy.  I can hit the 5I high, or low depending on what I need for the shot.  We have a couple of long holes with two-tiered greens that I can run it up onto, something harder to do with a hybrid.  I have experimented with with a couple of higher lofted hybrids, but my gaps were way off,  I tended to hit them too far left and they ballooned in the wind.  I've no doubt that as time goes by and I lose clubhead speed I'll be more open to hybrids, but I'm not there yet.

[ckeller52]

On most holes, even par 5's I tee off with my 5 iron. It goes 175 to 210 depending and I hit a tight draw with it. It's usually in the fairway. 

[JRCorb]

Seems to be a common theme,  the older we get, the harder it is to hit the long irons.  Two years ago, I bought PXG 0311P irons 4- GW.  I'm 63 and still like my 5 iron for 175-180 yds (total distance) but was recently questioning whether I should swap out the 4 iron.  On the not-so-good iron days, my 4 and 5 irons are the same distance due to better trajectory with my 5 iron.  We have a lot of trees on our course, and I like the 4 iron for low punch shots that can get me 160 yds. I have debated going to 7 wood but fear losing this (get out of jail) punch shot.  For some reason, I pull/hook hybrids so I recently replaced 3 hybrid with 5 wood for that 200 yd range. I am screwed for long shots (175+) with sand in front as I can't get enough trajectory to carry the bunker and stop on green.  I don't run into that at our club course, but have on other courses, so that is pretty much why I still have the 4 iron.  I do use 4 iron for the 190 yd shots (with lots of roll out), especially on our par 3 as I can tee it up.

[Dave Hamilton]

I do not carry a 5 iron...lowest is a 6 iron and I am thinking of replacing that with a 7 wood.

[Hook DeLoft]

I dropped my 5 iron a few years ago.  I currently use a 5 hybrid or a Callaway 11 wood in its place.  The only time I wish I had a 5 iron is when I need to punch it out of the trees.  With today’s stronger lofts, you need more club head speed than I possess to hit a 5 iron well.  Certainly there are golfers who are exceptions.  I play with a guy who is 76 who hits his 25 degree 5 iron with a nice high trajectory and, based on our distances, his club head speed is probably 10 mph lower than mine.  Low speed players with the ability to do that are very rare.  One other thing, the original question might be better asking what is the lowest loft you carry in an iron, no matter if it is labeled 4,5 or 6 iron. 

Edited May 10 by Hook DeLoft

[brodonnell17]

Good morning. I still carry and use both my 5i and my 4i. I wasn’t hitting them too well, but put a lot of focus lately and now I’m smacking them nicely. I have a 3 hybrid as well and really depends on the lie and how I feel if I use it over my 4i and vice versa. I don’t currently have any fairway woods in the bag, but perhaps in the future? We shall see. 

[Henri-Martin HORN]

Yes, I do as well as a 4 iron.  I use Miura CB57 and the loft of my 5 iron is 27°, which is very weak compare to many of the current 5 irons.  I am 65 years old and my handicap is 4 (used to be a scratch player).

[Greathills]

I still carry a 5 iron. But I am considering having the lofts of all my irons increased to get back to where they really should be. 

[tbirds16]

I replaced it a couple of years with a 5 hybrid. I've really tried using it again and it's been in and out of my bag several times. I've pulled it out completely. I cannot reliably hit it and the hybrid is so much better.

[Rob Lake]

I am 64 and carry a  3 hybrid, 4 thru PW for irons plus wedges.  Many times the four iron allows me to punch out more effectively than a hybrid.