Tired of People Hating on the 3-iron

[Kellfire]

Too right mate, Grammer and Punctuation are key.

You mean

grammar ?

[mikelz]

[rant]You know, I'm getting tired of people hating on the 3-iron. I've got a hybrid in the bag ...

IMHO, the biggest advance in golf technology is marketing.

[Lost Ball]

You mean

Lost Ball laughed

[Biesus]

I didnt love my 3 iron when I first got it. I got my Taylormades used for a steal and every club had winn grips except my 3 iron. I guess the guy before me didnt use his. I didnt really have much confidence hitting a 3 iron either. But after watching Sergio play it off the tee in the British Open I thought about it differently and figured it out. Now I love mine.

[RX Phoenix]

You know age is creeping up on you when you can't hit your 3 iron. Let's face it, taking it out of your bag is in effect admitting that you getting older and who wants to do that?

Eventually the 4 has to go as well.

[geezer]

Its the start of a slippery slope, eh? The five could follow the four after that. Before you know it you are playing slazenger big ezee!

[neudi]

I love my 3 iron especially off of par 4's, just the perfect club for postion in my opinion.

[polred2007]

Harrington sacked his 3 iron off for a hybrid, he feels he has got more trajectory options with it

[marpr]

[rant]You know, I'm getting tired of people hating on the 3-iron. I've got a hybrid in the bag - it fills my 2-iron/5-wood distance gap - so I'm not some neanderthal who is opposed to hybrids because I think they're emasculating or something. But dammit, I'm keeping my 3-iron for awhile, and my 4-iron is staying in the bag, too!

Great call. I still use my 2-iron over my hybrid!

[xd3vilx]

I am a 21 handicapper and three iron is quite a useful club to use on the field. For long par 3 especially.

[Biesus]

Yeah, and its not to shabby for getting out from under the trees with those little punch shots.

[StoliGolf]

I'm in the low single digits and replaced my 2 iron with a hybrid early last year and my 3 iron in mid summer. I have always loved my long irons and have hit them well (had a 1 iron in the bag for many years). There are many comments here about the satisfaction of a well struck 2 or 3 iron and I couldn't agree more.

However, the key question I asked myself was, "Self, out of ten 2 or 3 iron shots, how many do you hit well (and in the trajectory, direction and distance you want) in comparison with ten 2 or 3 hybrid shots?". For me (and many other lower handicap players with whom I play), the answer is probably 6 to 7 times out of ten with the iron and 9 to 10 times out of 10 with the hybrid. For me, that correlates to 1 to 3 saved strokes per round. I would suggest that higher handicap players will save many more strokes than that.

[Biesus]

I've only been playing for 5 years or so and I hear what you are saying. But I have been skateboarding for 15 years and I still love that rush of a well struck 3 iron. I know it doesnt serve the higher purpose of lowering my scores but I just love swinging that club. There is something about the challenge on myself to stay in tempo and form. Plus, I feel like if Im going to spend money right now I need a new putter. Putt for dough right?

[uglande]

It's all about what you hit the best, and that usually means the club you can swing most confidently. A 3i is obviously harder to swing, but I think most people's problems with long irons are psychological. If they employed the same swing with their 3i that they use with their 8i, they would notice only a slight dropoff -- say 10-15 percent -- in their accuracy. But with the 3i in their hands, they start focusing on that slight decrease in the margin of error, they end up swinging fearfully instead of confidently, and all of a sudden that 10-15 percent becomes 40-50 percent. Then the next time they pick up the club, they start focusing on that 40-50 percent and it becomes 60-70 percent. And the next day they are at Golf Galaxy buying a new hybrid. I still think hybrids are great clubs for most people, but the perception that they are night-and-day better than long irons is a little more perception than reality. Swing away, Erik!

[Crafty]

I like to hit the 3 off the tee, too. Just curious. When you say better, are you comparing the 3 iron to a 'hybrid'?

Yes I am comparing it to a 3 hybrid. THe 3i is a little easier to shape and I can hit it high or low, whereas the 3h seems to be high and unworkable every time.

[HytrewQasdfg]

[rant]You know, I'm getting tired of people hating on the 3-iron. I've got a hybrid in the bag - it fills my 2-iron/5-wood distance gap - so I'm not some neanderthal who is opposed to hybrids because I think they're emasculating or something. But dammit, I'm keeping my 3-iron for awhile, and my 4-iron is staying in the bag, too!

If they'd take the 3 off it and put the old numbers back on it (a 2 or even 1 in some instances) people would quit hating on it and appreciate it for what it is: a 2 or 1 iron.

1: 16 2: 20 3: 24 --> 18/19/20/21 The 3 iron loft was traditionally 24 degrees. The standard has dropped to 20/21 and now you're starting to see manufacturers make 19 degree and below 3 irons. Also, the standard club length for steel shafts has also gotten longer. 1: 39 2: 38.5 3: 38 ---> 39 Today, the typical 3 iron has the length of yesterday's 1 iron and the loft of yesterday's 2 iron (quickly moving to even below that.) If only God and Jack Nickalus could hit a 2 iron (and even God couldn't hit a 1 iron like Nickalus) is it any wonder people can't hit today's two iron: the 3 iron?

[marpr]

If they'd take the 3 off it and put the old numbers back on it (a 2 or even 1 in some instances) people would quit hating on it and appreciate it for what it is: a 2 or 1 iron.

I hit my 2 iron > 18* all the time (therefore obviously my 3 iron 21* too).

I sometimes even swap my fairway metal (15*) for my hybrid, rather than taking the 2-iron out. I often prefer the hybrid out of the rough than the 2-iron.

[mn723]

Is it possible to hit a "knock down" hybrid? Sometimes on windy days I like to hit low "knock down" 190-200 yard tee shots with my 3 iron that probably dont get more than 20 feet off the ground. I have a feeling that hybrids might be prone to ballooning.