The 1 iron...

[LongballGer]

I have hit one , and it did not work for me -- however your impressive handicap indicates that you are a better ballstriker than myself . I would say that Ebay is full of 1-irons for sale at bargain prices , especially since even the PGA Tour players are no longer using them very much .

Mizuno MP 67 4i-pw (proj x 7.0)

Mizuno Fli Hi 21* iron Scotty Cam putter Cleveland Launcher 9* x stiff 54* and 58* vokey wedge Orlimar 1 iron Mizuno clk 19* hybrid

[golfire6]

If you do not like the hybrids ( as you stated earlier ) drop them and add a 2 and 3 iron ( preferably to match your Mizunos ) . I don't see any fairway woods in your setup at all , but you mention hitting a 3 wood ... I assume you have one in the bag ? Then again , that would put you over the 14-club limit , so perhaps I shouldn't make that assumption ... -- K.

[misty_mountainhop]

I thought about this teeing off with a putter, but i would never do that with my regular putter since i´m to scared to damage him. Anybody done this - will it damage your putter?

Don't do it with any putter you value. It'll bend the face/head/hosel over a short period; the metal is nowhere near hard enough in most putters. Saw one guy ruin a Ping Zing (I think) in MnBr in about half a dozen tee shots. As for 1-irons; awesome clubs but you need a repeatable, decent swing to get the best out of them. I used to be able to hit a Ping Karsten III 1-iron really well and stupidly sold it. Got a replacement a while back and it's not as easy any more . Love my S59 2-iron though....

[jorruss]

I'm looking for a club that I can easily hit a low stinger with so I figured a 1 iron would be best.

Back in college I was a crazy long hitter. I used to carry a 1 iron that I could hit about 275-280. It wasn't a real 1 iron however. I had an 18 degree 3 iron. It was a manufacturing error I was told. The iron was made to be a 1 iron, but with the number 3 stamping on the sole. My coach, being aware of the ego actor in college golf, told me to hit that "3" iron off every tee and make sure my opponent saw it was a 3 iron. That single club caused many a player swing for the fences trying to keep up.

Seriously though, the best reason to keep the old 1 and 2 irons in the bag instead of the hybrids that are so popular now is the ability to hit the ball low. Tiger hasn't made the switch for exactly this reason. He can't hit his patented "Stinger" with a hybrid. They are designed to hit the ball high.

[cdriver]

I just recently took my 1-iron out of the bag. I bought a 3H and changed from a 52/56/60 wedge set to a 54/58 wedge set so I could add a Strong 3W as well. I like the 1-iron, particularly off the tee on short par 4's, but it really was a specialty club. It was too short to go for par 5's in two, too long for most par 4 approaches and I just never needed it for par 3's.

I finally decided that the Strong 3W would give me enough length to challenge some of the par 5's in two, would replace the 1-iron off the tee on short par 4's, and that let me add the hybrid to bridge the gap between my 3iron and the 3W. The jury is still out on whether this set up is better, but I did have my best round in months last Sunday after making the change.

[jorruss]

I just recently took my 1-iron out of the bag. I bought a 3H and changed from a 52/56/60 wedge set to a 54/58 wedge set so I could add a Strong 3W as well. I like the 1-iron, particularly off the tee on short par 4's, but it really was a specialty club. It was too short to go for par 5's in two, too long for most par 4 approaches and I just never needed it for par 3's.

Do you attribute the good score to your new 3W/3HY setup, or because you simplified your wedge game? The other issue I have with hybrids is I tend to hit them too far. I know, sounds crazy, nobody ever says that, but it's true. I hit my 4HY about 225, and my 3HY about 240. That may sound great to some, but I only hit my 5 iron about 205-210, so when I find myself in the 215-220 range, I have a problem. I am going to strengthen the loft on my 5 iron and 6 irons to compensate and bridge that distance gap.