3-iron

[onthehunt526]

I've been thinking of picking up a 3-iron... Just to have it, to see how my swing is and such... I'd be getting the matching 3i to my CU's... Maybe one day it will find it's way back into the bag... My question... Is this a good idea? (This is just to practice with for now)... Or would my funds be best served elsewhere?

[WUTiger]

If you want it, get it. I suspect your XRail 3H, however, will outperform it.

[onthehunt526]

  WUTiger said:

If you want it, get it. I suspect your XRail 3H, however, will outperform it.

I'll agree with that, I don't think it will find it's way into the bag. (Unless I play an irons only tournament) However, it would just be for practice purposes mostly. I still hit my 4i well, which once I get my wedges will be in the bag only part-time... But the 3i will be to assess how I'm actually hitting the ball.

[mvmac]

  onthehunt526 said:

I've been thinking of picking up a 3-iron... Just to have it, to see how my swing is and such... I'd be getting the matching 3i to my CU's... Maybe one day it will find it's way back into the bag...

My question... Is this a good idea? (This is just to practice with for now)... Or would my funds be best served elsewhere?

If you want a practice club, I think the funds might be best served getting a muscleback 6-iron. The 3-iron won't be a huge difference from your 4 and you'll "get away" with less with something like an MP-4 or Titleist 714 MB.

[onthehunt526]

  mvmac said:

If you want a practice club, I think the funds might be best served getting a muscleback 6-iron. The 3-iron won't be a huge difference from your 4 and you'll "get away" with less with something like an MP-4 or Titleist 714 MB.

I still have my V-Blades, Mike

[Lihu]

I remember you mentioned that your lofts are weaker than the normal club, so a 3i is more like a 22 degree club?

[brettfan]

I think you should put it in your bag so you can warm up with it before your round.

I've always enjoyed the story about Tom Watson always hitting his 2 iron in his warm-up sessions.  When asked why he did that he said that if he hit it well he was very confident starting his round and if it wasn't going well he didn't worry about it because, "nobody can hit a 2-iron".

That's the way I remember the story being told at least.

[Sante TwoGloves]

i practice with my 4 iron but dont play with it. i think its a good idea to practice with your 3 iron if you arent consistent with it like I am with my 4.

[onthehunt526]

  Lihu said:

I remember you mentioned that your lofts are weaker than the normal club, so a 3i is more like a 22 degree club?

My CU's not so much, the 3-iron is 20°, my PW is 45°... My V-Blades on the other hand are very weak in comparison... I have 1-PW in that set, the PW is 49°, The 3-iron is 21°... My CU 4-iron is 23°

[Lihu]

  onthehunt526 said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

I remember you mentioned that your lofts are weaker than the normal club, so a 3i is more like a 22 degree club?

My CU's not so much, the 3-iron is 20°, my PW is 45°...

My V-Blades on the other hand are very weak in comparison... I have 1-PW in that set, the PW is 49°, The 3-iron is 21°... My CU 4-iron is 23°

A 20 degree iron is going to take a really high swing speed to get it up in the air. I find it useful mainly when punching out of trees and hitting into strong winds. It get's more time on the range relative to my other clubs as opposed to the course now that I can hit my hybrids again.

[Shorty]

  onthehunt526 said:

My question... Is this a good idea? (This is just to practice with for now)... Or would my funds be best served elsewhere?

It's a bad idea. This idea about practising with hard to hit clubs is complete BS.

There will be people here who will claim to be able to hit their 3 irons (and 2 irons) as easily as their 5 irons. They can't.

Hit your 18 degree hybrid and learn to live with the extra distance, versatility and confidence it gives you.

[Lihu]

  Shorty said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by onthehunt526

My question... Is this a good idea? (This is just to practice with for now)... Or would my funds be best served elsewhere?

It's a bad idea. This idea about practising with hard to hit clubs is complete BS.

There will be people here who will claim to be able to hit their 3 irons (and 2 irons) as easily as their 5 irons. They can't.

Hit your 18 degree hybrid and learn to live with the extra distance, versatility and confidence it gives you.

Yeah, this makes the most sense.

[onthehunt526]

I don't have an 18° hybrid, Shorty, honestly never found a use for one... My 3h is 20°, My 4h is 23°, My 4i is also 23°... I hit Driver about 250 carry...(Though I finally popped one on 9, almost 290 today)... I have the swing speed to hit it, my 4i is my 190 club usually and my 4h I hit about 195... But I've been working on taking a little off of it, with my hybrid to cover my gap of my 5i... The 3i would go back in the bag as soon as I can hit my 4i 200-205 consistently on average again... I mostly want it so I have all 10 irons in the set... LOL.

[Lihu]

  onthehunt526 said:

I don't have an 18° hybrid, Shorty, honestly never found a use for one... My 3h is 20°, My 4h is 23°, My 4i is also 23°... I hit Driver about 250 carry...(Though I finally popped one on 9, almost 290 today)...

I have the swing speed to hit it, my 4i is my 190 club usually and my 4h I hit about 195... But I've been working on taking a little off of it, with my hybrid to cover my gap of my 5i...

The 3i would go back in the bag as soon as I can hit my 4i 200-205 consistently on average again... I mostly want it so I have all 10 irons in the set... LOL.

When I stated that the swing speed is not high enough, I meant anything less than 115-120.

Also, my 3i it is about 22.5 degrees or like your 4i, and I still can't really hit it. Hybrid is like "cheating" to me, but it's better than missing a forced carry or rolling into a bunker with a 3i.

[Mike Boatright]

Iv'e done this get one at a pawn shop or something and take it to the range heck get a 2 if you can find one.

[Dave2512]

I'd rather spend my time and money getting a quality lesson than trying to dig a swing out of the dirt. I see people that make half decent contact with fugly swings all the time. My concern blindly hitting my blade 3 iron or whatever would be I do things that aren't necessarily "right" thinking they are just because I manage to not hit a bunch of shit shots with it. Seriously I see guys that look like they are having a seizure when they swing hit a few decent shots. I wouldn't want to practice that.

[gregsandiego]

I was thinking the same but after reading some of the replies maybe not. I know I can't get my club head speed to 115 mph.

Related question:

What is the lowest number iron you actually keep in the bag and use? For me it is probably the 5. (Not counting 3 and 4 for sweeping low out of under the trees)

 

 

 

[Natural Patrick]

I took my 3 iron out of the bag 2yrs ago and replaced it with another wedge. I have a lot of confidence with my 4 iron. I'm not ready to go the hybrid route yet. Although I know that day is coming quicker than I would like.