Can anyone else get 280 yards from a 4i?

[Pretzel]

I'm not a short hitter and I live in Colorado, but I still "only" hit a full 4 iron about 215-225 yards (depending on how "full" I want to hit the shot, with 215 being a little smoother, and 225 feeling like I stepped on it), 230 if I'm swinging full-bore, out of my shoes, aiming for the fences. Downwind you can maybe add 10 yards to that figure. 250 is no short poke by any stretch of the imagination, though the wind did appear fairly strong. It's hard to tell just how hard it was really blowing just because cameras make wind sound a lot louder than it usually actually is.

I forgot to mention, swinging for the 230 yardages the odds of it ending up in a good location drop significantly compared to swinging for my regular yardages. If I don't make solid contact on a swing like that, I will usually catch it a bit thin which reduces the distance to a bit shorter than my "full" yardage.

[newtogolf]

I don't carry a 4i but I hit my 5i 180 so I figure my 4i would be 190 - 200 yards.  268 yards is longer than I can hit my driver under normal conditions, that's crazy long for a 4i.

[NJpatbee]

I've moved from a 3I to a hybrid but I like having the 4I for longer, low punches. If the longest iron you have is a 7, what do you do if you have a 160 punch shot that you have keep low?

I carry both a 4i and 4h and us the iron specifically for that type shot.  For a full shot I go with the 4h.  I gave up the 5 wood since I am longer with the 2h and have room for the 4i.

[jbishop15]

I usually hit mine 225ish. Off a tee, I've cranked one 250, but I swung as hard as I possibly could; usually, though, it goes about 235.

[Gunther]

I have no issue with hitting low punch shots with any of the hybrids (the Callaway X2 Hot Pro hybrids actually have a smaller face than their normal hybrids).  But I play the ball back in my stance just like I would with any other club and take the same abbreviated follow through (I've used all of the hybrids to punch a low running shot, so far I've found that the hybrid punch seems to roll farther when I'm hitting a punch shot. But how many low 4 iron punch shots do you really hit versus using a 4 iron for a normal shot.  For me it's better to have more accuracy on the fuller shot than the minimal benefit that I might get once every 10 rounds from needing to hit a 160 yard punch shot.  And if I don't think I could pull off the low punch with my hybrids, I would use a 7 iron and get it as close to the green as possible and then try and get up and down (which I do most of the time, as I've aged I've stopped trying to pull of the miracle shot and use my short game to save my a**).  I'm thinking even having the 4 iron to hit the punch shot, how often are you really hitting the green?  Not saying it will work for everyone, but I almost wish I would've changed earlier. It has helped me immensely, for example I was having the shanks with any club over a 7 iron, all of the par 3's at my course are 175-190 yds.  I played all summer using my normal clubs, and I would on average double one or two of these holes every round.  Shank a ball out of bounds, pull hook it to avoid the shank into the water.  Still would shoot 79- low 80's during the round, handicap went from 4 to 9.  Switched to the hybrids toward the end of the year, once I got used to the clubs, last 3 scores 76,75, & 76.  Played 13 holes last month before the cold weather hit and was 1 over.

[quote name="NJpatbee" url="/t/80219/can-anyone-else-get-280-yards-from-a-4i/0_40#post_1108157"] I carry both a 4i and 4h and us the iron specifically for that type shot.  For a full shot I go with the 4h.  I gave up the 5 wood since I am longer with the 2h and have room for the 4i. [/quote] Mmm, a couple different options. I may eventually make the move to a 4h but for now, I get a lot of satisfaction out of hitting a solid 4I and I feel like I have a little more versatility, esp playing in the Texas wind. Thanks for the feedback, I think it's interesting the many different strategies so many of us use to attack a golf course.

[jsgolfer]

Mmm, a couple different options. I may eventually make the move to a 4h but for now, I get a lot of satisfaction out of hitting a solid 4I and I feel like I have a little more versatility, esp playing in the Texas wind. Thanks for the feedback, I think it's interesting the many different strategies so many of us use to attack a golf course.

I agree