The best long iron shot you've ever seen on TV

[bwdial]

For me, it's Phil's shot on 13 at this year's Masters.
Jack's 1 iron is pretty awesome, but it was off of a tee.
Tiger and Rory hit a couple of amazing shots as well, but they were from the middle of the fairway.
I had the same reaction as BigTank, albeit in my den. I turned to my wife and said, "well... Phil's about to throw this tournament away".
And then he swung.
I get goosebumps just thinking about the sheer awesomeness of that shot. For those of you who have never played a shot off of pine straw, go smear some Crisco on your kitchen floor and then try to swing a golf club. It's such an unpredictable surface, and you can never feel completely in control.
When you don't have to explain to your wife (who has never played golf) how awesome a shot was, and she just says "wow... that was awesome", that is an awesome shot.

[DavidFehertysBike]

YE Yang's 3 Hybrid at the 09 PGA. That is the best shot ive ever seen, overall. He stepped right on tigers throat with that shot.

[sean_miller]

I'd never even mention a hybrid or fairway wood in this topic. He|| even I can do that.

All the great long iron players have hit a long iron tight in a pressure situation (Watson, Wadkins, Miller, Nicklaus, Woods, Love III, Norman, Faldo, Price and on and on and on) and I love watching them all. From a purely beautiful stroke I'd say the one by Rory is right up there, but from a drama standpoint I gotta go with Watson's 3-iron at Turnberry (during the duel in the sun) or Nicklaus in '72 at Pebble, and I hate to say it, but Phil's shot out of the pine straw actually brought everyone out of their seats at our house - I was completely convinced that was destined for the creek.

[Bigtank]

Not that I saw it, but Hogan's 1 iron in the 1950 US Open at Marion (famous Photo) has to be right up there at the top.

[Chris223]

Shaun Micheel, 3 iron for double eagle at Pebble this year. I mean c'mon... it was on a hole where he had to hit it OVER a cliff and his only point of reference for aiming the club is a marshall standing on top of the cliff! lol.

[JWL1957]

Alot of you are too young to appreciate how good Nicklaus was with 1 iron. Jack could hit it 240-260 in the dead ball era with the trajectory of a pitching wedge.

[ks8829]

Tiger sand shots in the Canadian Open over water on the 18th green and he also had a long bunker shot with a 3 iron that Ernie Els latered commented that he did not have that shot.

[sean_miller]

Tiger sand shots in the Canadian Open over water on the 18th green and he also had a long bunker shot with a 3 iron that Ernie Els latered commented that he did not have that shot.

The following shots all have 2 things in common:

a.) Woods 6-iron on the 72nd at the Canadian Open, b.) Mickelson's 6-iron at 13 in the final round of The Masters, c.) YE Yang's 3-hybrid at the PGA, d.) Corey Pavin's 4-wood at the 72nd at the Shinnecock all have 2 things in common. 1.) They were all struck by the winning player. 2.) None of them were struck with long irons.

[max power]

Tiger sand shots in the Canadian Open over water on the 18th green and he also had a long bunker shot with a 3 iron that Ernie Els latered commented that he did not have that shot.

Yeah-that's one of the best, probably the very best I've seen Tiger hit.

[bwdial]

The following shots all have 2 things in common:

I thought Phil's was a four. I stand corrected. It was crap. :p

[Stretch]

2.) None of them were struck with long irons.

Personally, I would consider 218 yards over water to be such a long ••••ing iron shot that I would be compelled to use a four wood!

[jamo]

Alot of you are too young to appreciate how good Nicklaus was with 1 iron. Jack could hit it 240-260 in the dead ball era with the trajectory of a pitching wedge.

You really don't think today's pros could hit a 1 iron? Today's amateurs- no chance, but give today's pros a 1 iron and a couple minutes to work it out, no problem.

[iacas]

Alot of you are too young to appreciate how good Nicklaus was with 1 iron. Jack could hit it 240-260 in the dead ball era with the trajectory of a pitching wedge.

No he couldn't. The height of a pitching wedge, sure, but not the trajectory.

Then again, simple Trackman stats show us virtually all clubs reach the same height on the PGA Tour, from driver to wedge.

[JWL1957]

You really don't think today's pros could hit a 1 iron? Today's amateurs- no chance, but give today's pros a 1 iron and a couple minutes to work it out, no problem.

Todays players were not there ........... were they? Jack was pumping 1 irons past most players drivers. Go check it out for yourself. Jack would be hitting the ball 350-375 today with modern equipment.

[JWL1957]

No he couldn't. The height of a pitching wedge, sure, but not the trajectory.

It was meant more as "tongue in cheek".

[max power]

Todays players were not there ........... were they? Jack was pumping 1 irons past most players drivers. Go check it out for yourself. Jack would be hitting the ball 350-375 today with modern equipment.

Based on Jack's swingspeed (which was fast), he'd be hitting it about as far as Phil (which is really far). Probably with much better control though.

[Easy]

Tiger Woods 7 iron at Pebble and Tiger out of the bunker with a 3 iron at the PGA I think. Those shots were ninja.

[Bigtank]

a 1iron is obsolete, that is like making the arguement...well if you saw Hagen hit a Gutta Percha ball... In modern course design the 1 iron is obsolete, that is an irrelevent argument.

If a 1 iron was a useful club then people would use one, even amateurs! With the development of hybrids with a high boring ball flight and soft landing, then there is no need to use 1 irons. I carried a 2 iron for a long time, have recently moved to a 17 degree hybrid for the ball flight.