Ode to a 2 iron

[inthecup]

I must be a freak.  I can not hit a hybrid well.  I tend to get the hooks going.  My clubs are 4 up maybe that has something to do with it.  I recently got a 2 iron made to my specs.  I love this club.  It is my "has to be in the fairway club".  It is my long approach club.  It can be my layup on a par 5 club if the drive did not go so well.  In general I like my irons and my driver and I have a love hate thing going.

Any other long iron lovers out there?  Any one iron lovers?

[lumpuckeroo]

I was with you up until about 2 years ago.  I tried a variety of the hybrids and just didn't like them, I didn't hit them as well as I did my long irons.  I tried hybrids from all of the OEM's, Callaway, Taylormade, Cobra, Adams, Mizuno, but none of them worked for me.  I'm a good ball striker and never had problems hitting long irons, but the older I got the slower my swing speed got and I just can't hit long irons like I once did, so I started another trek thru the hybrids.  I finally found the TaylorMade Rescue club and was able to make it work for me.

Stick with what works for you!

[Jakester23]

I'm with you on the hybrids. I had one and either hit a huge push fade or a hook. I ended up giving it to my buddy and picked up a 18º Callaway prototype iron and I love it. I hit it almost as far as my 3 wood and much straighter. I've hit a bunch of hybrids and haven't really been impressed with any of them. It must be a mental thing because my buddy loves the one I gave him and he hits the shit out of it.

[WUTiger]

My brother is about a 25 HDCP, but he has been able to smoke a 2i since he was about 14 years old. He carries an old 2i along with his newer cavity-back irons.

On long approaches in scrambles, he takes out the 2i and hits a low, solid shot that ends up on the green or front fringe. He usually delivers a couple of times a round.

He sometimes jerks his PW shots to the left, but somehow always nails that 2i.

So, enjoy your 2i.

As for hybrids , you will find a lot of variety. Players with good clubhead speed should try hybrids with a pro or tour head (most standard hybrids have a draw face). Also, make sure your hybrid shaft is heavy enough (weight) so that you don't overpower it.

If you can hit the 2i, you might be better with a 3W plus a 5W or 7W as your longer clubs, and just skip the hybrid.

[Augustabound]

This is my first tee post, no jitters. :)

I have a Nike hybrid that never found the course with me.  I should never have bought it in the first place but a sale at GolfTown got the better of me and I just bought it off the rack without regard to the loft or fit.  I hit this thing way too high and I hit my 4 iron just as well.

I used to hit a 1 iron at my old home course, same thing, it was my go to club to hit the fairway on tight 4's and some 5's.

My home 10th was the primary reason, 260 yards to a hill.  3 wood flies the hill (the hole is downhill) and the bottom was always wet, always. You could get caught on the down slope also.

The whole course was full of mid length par 4s where even a 3 wood could have been too much on some of the holes and a 3 iron leaves too long an approach.

I tried a 2 iron that matched my set but never got the feel for it. A new one may find its way in my bag sooner rather than later.

The only problem I had with the 1 iron was putting that extra bit of oomph into the shot.  It really needed a nice, easy swing.  That little bit extra had me push it or fade it, or both on a bad day.

[LuciusWooding]

I like my long irons, I can even hit a 1 okay. But the trouble is that the height and the carry yardage just don't match what I like to do in that part of my set. Plus my adams hybrid is a great club for versatility; I may get a driving iron at 17 degrees with a matching shaft from my irons as I love my setup there, but I don't think it would do any better and it would be hard to stop the shot. I don't really care for the ultra low trajectory shot anymore, as it tends to wreck the best parts of my iron game. My well struck shots are fairly straight and towering with any club, and the spin is relatively under control so I know anything low is a mistake even if it goes the same distance.

Not much a 2 iron can do that a 3 or 2h can't do, and there's a couple of things it can't do that the hybrid can. If I were to carry a 2 iron I'd probably ditch my 3 wood that I really like and get a 15 degree hybrid, but that would just bump my gaps down a bit and remove my longest possible shot off the ground that I like having in the bag.

Of course, it goes without saying that I prefer cavity backs. Blades below about 25˚ of loft are pretty useless for me. Everything up to and including my 48˚ PW are CBs. Anyone playing a blade 2 or 1 iron these days is either delusional or doing it for the novelty.

[saevel25]

Its the offset, though hybrids are getting better these days. Hybrids use to have a huge offset, they still have a good amount. For a longer iron this tends to really cause a person to aim their club left. Offset wont mess with the rate of closure on the clubface, its like less than a tenth of a degree, nothing you'll ever notice.

If your going with a Hybrid, I would find one with as least offset as possible.

I am currently going to be looking into the Mizuno MP H4 long irons. I just got the MP-59, and I am still in the camp that longer irons need a bit more help. The MP H4 cost in the low range for hybrids, and they have a shorter shaft, steel shaft, so they will be more accurate. They will fly a bit lower than a Hybrid, so not recommended for a person with a slow swing speed. Hybrids really shine for those who need the extra height to gain that carry.