iCrossover or 4 iron or both

[Jay0101]

I have been trying to find a club that fits the gap between my 5 iron ( 180 yards carry) and Driver (220-240 yard carry on a good day)

 

I have Titleist TSR2 3 wood and 5 wood (18*) but I can’t hit them. 
 

as some of you advised, I tried out some driving irons and the ping iCrossover 3 amount others and I loved it. Got it to 215 yards when I bent my back but then the fitter asked me to try the Callaway AI smoke 4 iron and it was amazing too with similar distances. Now, I am confused so wanted to tap into the collective wisdom 

 iCrossover 3 Or AI Smoke 4 iron 

or iCrossover 2 AND a 4 iron 

or another 3 iron and 4 iron

I play srixon ZX5 MKII irons (5-Pw) but they didn’t have the Srixon 4 iron for me to try. Has anyone tried ? 

 

Sorry for the long winded post

swing speed ~101 mph 

handicap: it’s a great day when I can break 90

[GolfSpy_APH]

Crossover only would be my recommendation and/or maybe a 7 wood. 

While not the same our swing speeds are similar and I carry a 7 wood that goes about 200. My 5 iron is maybe a touch longer so I don't need the crossover. While I do have both the 4 and 2 they don't get enough height typically to do anything other than be an alternative tee club or advancement club. The 7 wood on the other hand I can hit into greens. 

Hybrid is another option that work for many and usually offer more height and softer landings. 

Best thing to ask yourself is what are these clubs for, hitting into greens and landing soft or just advancing the ball down the fairway or being a "safe" tee club. This will help you dial in what you need and what type of club will work best for you. 

[Gravenor]

11 hours ago, Jay0101 said:

I have been trying to find a club that fits the gap between my 5 iron ( 180 yards carry) and Driver (220-240 yard carry on a good day)

 

I have Titleist TSR2 3 wood and 5 wood (18*) but I can’t hit them. 
 

as some of you advised, I tried out some driving irons and the ping iCrossover 3 amount others and I loved it. Got it to 215 yards when I bent my back but then the fitter asked me to try the Callaway AI smoke 4 iron and it was amazing too with similar distances. Now, I am confused so wanted to tap into the collective wisdom 

 iCrossover 3 Or AI Smoke 4 iron 

or iCrossover 2 AND a 4 iron 

or another 3 iron and 4 iron

I play srixon ZX5 MKII irons (5-Pw) but they didn’t have the Srixon 4 iron for me to try. Has anyone tried ? 

 

Sorry for the long winded post

swing speed ~101 mph 

handicap: it’s a great day when I can break 90

Have you considered a hybrid? I hate them but I know a lot of people live and die by them.

If not, a driving iron? That being said your swing speed needs to be consistently high enough to strike the ball well and launch it.

As @GolfSpy_APH said a 7 wood is a good shout. Way easier to launch thank you think and will probably bridge the gap quite nicely. Maybe test something like a Ping or a Callaway because the face is so shallow and people usually find them confidence-inspiring.

[cnosil]

IMO, There are a lot of factors involved in club selection such as usage intent, distance, dispersion, and descent angle.    For example,  if I want it for a tee shot I may focus on longest total distance and dispersion,  to fill a gap you need to find the right distance,   for approach shots I start to look at spin and descent angle, etc.  

None of the clubs you mentioned are bad but only you can answer which ones work better.   If I were going to put a driving iron in my bag it would be the Crossover.    During  most wanted testing for MGS I felt like I hit is the best but most of them went roughly the same distance so distance isn't the only factor to investigate.

Edited August 17 by cnosil

[RetiredBoomer]

8 minutes ago, cnosil said:

IMO, There are a lot of factors involved in club selection such as usage intent, distance, dispersion, and descent angle.    For example,  if I want it for a tee shot I may focus on longest total distance and dispersion,  to fill a gap you need to find the right distance,   for approach shots I start to look at spin and descent angle, etc.  

Non of the clubs you mentioned are bad but only you can answer which ones work better.   If I were going to put a driving iron in my bag it would be the Crossover.    During  most wanted testing for MGS I felt like I hit is the best but most of them went roughly the same distance so distance isn't the only factor to investigate.

I've been an advocate for the bespoke driving iron since the advent of the Mizuno Fli Hi II which found many fairways for me, even though I couldn't hit it off the deck with other than an absolutely perfect lie, preferably a little uphill.  

Now however, GI category irons are so strong-lofted that few play them longer than a 5-iron.

What I have discovered, however, is that if those GI models offer a 4-iron, that can make a great driving iron.

It's going to be strong lofted, maybe 20°, just as forgiving as a bespoke driving iron, and maybe, at a half-incher shorter, even more controllable.   The T350 4-iron, for example, could make a more accurate driving iron for some than the U505 20° model, I believe.

Worth checking out if you like a safety club on tight driving holes.

[cnosil]

14 minutes ago, RetiredBoomer said:

Worth checking out if you like a safety club on tight driving holes.

That was part of the point I was making with my post,  you have to look at intent of use.  For me personally the answer to your statement is a hybrid;  it provides much more versatility than a driving iron.   

Regarding your thought of long irons from a GI set,  I don't hit the long irons consistently enough to put them in the bag.  

[RetiredBoomer]

26 minutes ago, cnosil said:

That was part of the point I was making with my post,  you have to look at intent of use.  For me personally the answer to your statement is a hybrid;  it provides much more versatility than a driving iron.   

Regarding your thought of long irons from a GI set,  I don't hit the long irons consistently enough to put them in the bag.  

I agree completely.

The hybrid can be both a driving iron and a long fairway club, making it much more versatile.

I happen to not like hybrids
so it takes me TWO clubs to fill that same role,
a driving iron and a higher-loft fairway wood of approximately the same loft.
That's inefficient.

A hybrid would be the far better choice if I could hit one without turning it over.
Sometimes, one wants to go left-to-right, however, and I find that impossible with a hybrid.
Plenty of other players can do it, however., and it's an advantage.

 

 

[RetiredBoomer]

13 hours ago, Jay0101 said:

I have been trying to find a club that fits the gap between my 5 iron ( 180 yards carry) and Driver (220-240 yard carry on a good day)

 

I have Titleist TSR2 3 wood and 5 wood (18*) but I can’t hit them. 
 

as some of you advised, I tried out some driving irons and the ping iCrossover 3 amount others and I loved it. Got it to 215 yards when I bent my back but then the fitter asked me to try the Callaway AI smoke 4 iron and it was amazing too with similar distances. Now, I am confused so wanted to tap into the collective wisdom 

 iCrossover 3 Or AI Smoke 4 iron 

or iCrossover 2 AND a 4 iron 

or another 3 iron and 4 iron

I play srixon ZX5 MKII irons (5-Pw) but they didn’t have the Srixon 4 iron for me to try. Has anyone tried ? 

 

Sorry for the long winded post

swing speed ~101 mph 

handicap: it’s a great day when I can break 90

The 5-wood WOULD be the obvious choice if you weren't struggling to hit what many consider one of the easiest of clubs to hit.

Many people who struggle with fairway woods are subconsciously trying to lift them and thus hitting them slightly on the upswing like a driver.

When I was new to the game, I was told that my job was to simply drive the ball forward, almost as if I were trying to hit a two hundred yard putt.

My swing had NO impact on getting the ball in the air--just driving it forward.

Going straight forward or very slightly down,
the club compresses the ball to slightly egg-shaped along the loft of the face.
The ball then jumps in the air by itself in the process of making itself round again.

Thinking this,
and also not lifting your heel on the backswing
ends up in successful fairway wood shots
and then you actually enjoy hitting them.

It's worth a try, anyway.