Can I hit a 712u?

[nick1998bunker]

I've done a little research and it's been hard to determine if I can get a 712u in the air well enough or not. I've hit it before a long time ago and hit it well in a simulator. But my handicap was over 10 strokes worse at the time so I can't make any comparisons. I've grown to love hitting my 4 iron off the tee and can rely on a carry of 200 to 205 off a tee. I also play a lot of junior tournaments where driver is not necessary or hazardous. My question is with a 108 driver speed(maybe?) and a 15-155 9 iron. Can I get a 2 or 3 driving iron in the air sufficiently. I can manipulate the trajectory but have currently been loving a low penetrating 4 iron so that may need to change. As for distances, would a 3 iron 712u fit well between my 200 yard 4 iron and 230 yard 3 wood? Or should I get a 2 iron to replace my 3 wood (which I hate and never use) and add a 5th wedge and change my lofts to have a 60, 56, 52, 48 and pw? Thanks

[mvmac]

Yes I think you can certainly hit the 3 iron, they're great clubs.

If you want to ditch your 3 wood, I would suggest going with 4 wood, 5 wood or a 17/18 degree hybrid. I don't think the 712U 2 iron would be a good club to replace your 3 wood.

[saevel25]

I'd agree, the 712U would be something to replace a hybrid or your longest iron.

[nick1998bunker]

Yes I think you can certainly hit the 3 iron, they're great clubs.  If you want to ditch your 3 wood, I would suggest going with 4 wood, 5 wood or a 17/18 degree hybrid. I don't think the 712U 2 iron would be a good club to replace your 3 wood.

Thanks for the response. I think I'll keep the 3 wood and get the 3 iron. I used to play a 3 hybrid and absolutely hate it. The problem with my 3 wood is it's too long and launches too high with too much spin. So I don't think a different club would help. How far do you think a 3 and 2 driving iron would go compared to my 200 yard 4 iron?

[saevel25]

Your 4 irons has 23 degrees of loft and 39 inches long

2 utility has 18 degrees of loft and 39.5

3 utility has 21 degrees of loft and 39 inches long

I would say, the 2 utility would go about 20 yards longer than your 4 iron, and the 3 utility would probably go 10 yards longer than your 4 iron.

Just a rough guess.

[nick1998bunker]

Your 4 irons has 23 degrees of loft and 39 inches long 2 utility has 18 degrees of loft and 39.5 3 utility has 21 degrees of loft and 39 inches long I would say, the 2 utility would go about 20 yards longer than your 4 iron, and the 3 utility would probably go 10 yards longer than your 4 iron.  Just a rough guess.

Thanks, last question, if I get the lofts bent, how will that affect the bounce and how will the bounce affect the shot? An how fast would the 3 iron stop on a green?

[saevel25]

Thanks, last question, if I get the lofts bent, how will that affect the bounce and how will the bounce affect the shot?

I am not entirely sure. I would think adding loft would bring more bounce into the shot. I would suspect for each degree you might add a degree of bounce. With those close I doubt it would matter much. Most better player clubs have very minimal bounce and small soles.

[nick1998bunker]

Thanks

[mvmac]

Your 4 irons has 23 degrees of loft and 39 inches long

2 utility has 18 degrees of loft and 39.5

3 utility has 21 degrees of loft and 39 inches long

I would say, the 2 utility would go about 20 yards longer than your 4 iron, and the 3 utility would probably go 10 yards longer than your 4 iron.

Just a rough guess.

Yep agree with this. I also think bending the wedges a degree weaker will be fine.

[LuciusWooding]

I'm going to go against the others on this topic; I hated the 712u and loved the AP1 long irons. Since they're basically down to the same role, I'd recommend you go with an AP1 3 iron if you want to go with Titleist. I felt it performed a lot better even with the stock shaft, plus it should be way cheaper even if you get it customized.

[nick1998bunker]

I'm going to go against the others on this topic; I hated the 712u and loved the AP1 long irons. Since they're basically down to the same role, I'd recommend you go with an AP1 3 iron if you want to go with Titleist. I felt it performed a lot better even with the stock shaft, plus it should be way cheaper even if you get it customized.

Why didn't you like the 712u? I think that is probably a good idea but I worry about an ap1 spinning up too much, and I'm not sure they sell a 2 iron.

[LuciusWooding]

Why didn't you like the 712u? I think that is probably a good idea but I worry about an ap1 spinning up too much, and I'm not sure they sell a 2 iron.

The 3 iron is about 20˚ in loft, and you could even just bend it a degree or 2 if you had to. Tour players use the AP1 head so they can get a good trajectory at least with the right shaft. Some extra spin is okay; if you want ideal launch conditions for distance don't use any type of iron; go for a titanium hybrid or wood. The high ball is your friend in general and this club is meant for consistent and accurate tee shots I assume, so it makes sense to me to try and get a consistent carry yardage rather than trying to rely on roll all the time.

I didn't like the 712u because it didn't give me any launch, wasn't forgiving, and felt harsh. Loved the AP1 though, much more forgiving. The 712u was also totally useless from the deck while the AP1 was a champ. Could be different for you, but don't just assume you'll like one club better just because it's aimed at better players. The longest few irons in the bag tend to be a different beast from the short irons, plus based on your distances you'd benefit more from other ranges, 25y in that part of the bag isn't that bad. The 40 between driver and 3w or the wedge game seem like higher priorities to me if you do want to make changes. If you do want to add a driving iron, I'd recommend it as a specialized club that doesn't need to fit into your yardages logically as much as it just needs to do one thing well.

I have a 2 iron, believe me; to be blunt it's a waste of money even to the handful of percent of golfers who can use them effectively compared to a wood or hybrid. That's just my advice though.

[shakogolfer78]

A friend of mine has one (3 iron) and he loves it. His swing speed is right around 110 maybe give or take a few. As far as trajectory, with that swing speed he gets it in the air very nicely. I don't think you will have a problem with that at all. Maybe try one out with a fitter to get dialed in for a shaft that gives you a higher ball flight. My buddy put a KBS shaft in his, and to repeat myself one more time, he LOVES it. Hope that helps.

[nick1998bunker]

Thanks for the responses. Do any of y'all know some of the differences between the 712u and other di like the taylormade DUI or ping rapture? Any pros and cons, thanks.

[inthecup]

I never liked hybrids and just took a 2 iron out of my bag. I tried all the driving irons and ended up liking the Adams DHy hybrids. I hook hybrids, I have a garage full of them. I don't hook the DHy's and they are more forgiving which was my goal. I now game a 18, 21 and 24. If you are going this direction I would put them on your list.

[WUTiger]

... If you want to ditch your 3 wood, I would suggest going with 4 wood, 5 wood or a 17/18 degree hybrid. ...

Last summer I went to a demo day which featured most of the major and smaller, respected club manufacturers.

The Tour Edge rep has a line of people hitting the Exotics fairway woods. The 3W was causing some people problems, including a couple of really long driver hitters. The rep suggested the long drivers try the 4W. They got a lot better launch and more distance than they did with a 3W.

Depending how you come into the ball, you may find you can hit a 4W longer and better than a 3W.

I would suggest you get a clubfitter to help you on this.

[nick1998bunker]

Last summer I went to a demo day which featured most of the major and smaller, respected club manufacturers. The Tour Edge rep has a line of people hitting the Exotics fairway woods. The 3W was causing some people problems, including a couple of really long driver hitters. The rep suggested the long drivers try the 4W. They got a lot better launch and more distance than they did with a 3W. Depending how you come into the ball, you may find you can hit a 4W longer and better than a 3W. I would suggest you get a clubfitter to help you on this.

Thanks, my 3 wood has actually turned around. I think I am going to keep it and get a 712u when I can find a good deal