To Driving Iron or not to driving iron

[9wood]

On 11/18/2015 at 0:20 AM, onthehunt526 said:

I've been messing around with the idea of a driving iron...

Tried the driving iron - for me personally it was a waste of money. Got rid of it real quick. I believe a 3 FW like the Adams Super S would serve you better than any DI

[arturo28mx]

1 hour ago, 9wood said:

Tried the driving iron - for me personally it was a waste of money. Got rid of it real quick. I believe a 3 FW like the Adams Super S would serve you better than any DI

Same for me. DI is a waste of money.

Edited January 15, 2016 by arturo28mx
typo

[GolfLug]

Adams idea, 2 hybrid (17 degrees).

[Polemix]

I've experimented recently leaving driver, woods and hybrids out of the bag. The 3 rounds I've played like that over the last 3 months have yielded my best scores on the 2 local courses I`ve played, by 4-5 shots. I think I find it harder to adjust back and forth from shorter steel shafts to longer graphite shafts, and the changes needed in the swing plane are just throwing me off when I use the woods/driver. I´m planning to confirm this over the next month before binning the woods and hybrids for good. My take on this is that by working on a consistent draw with my irons, I have developed a tendency to hit woods and hybrids too far left with hook due to their draw bias. I have a fast swing (110mph) and quick transition, which seems to fit with the player profile for Driving Irons.

So, assuming I keep leaving my driver, fairway and hybrid at home, I have a few spare slots to fill. I´ve already added a 27* chipper/wedge (forged 5 iron I´ve had custom bent and cut and weighted to wedge specs) which is really easy to work for low hooks/slices inside 130 yards and I find a useful tool to get out of trouble under trees. I can add a 60* wedge which is more workable than my wide sole SW, bringing my wedge count to 6! (PW-46*, GW-50* matched to irons, 54/8*, 58/16*, 60/4*, 27*), 4I-9I. That still leaves me with a spare slot, for a Driving Iron maybe. If I do end up going for a Driving Iron, do you know how the Dynacraft DI or Maltby Tour HDI clubs compare to the big name brands? 

[Mike Boatright]

The weird thing is a driving iron is essentially a 3 wood with 16 degrees in loft just a shorter shaft and an iron. Some players can't hit a 3 wood so it could work for you maybe? I find if I hit my 16 degree 3 wood easy it performs like a one iron would with less spins and a boring flight. the benefits of the one iron is aggressiveness you can swing hard and get low spin results. I'd opt for the titleist 712u 2 iron and bend it degrees strong to make it 16 degrees. Yes it's in the 200 dollar range but anything else is probably a hybrid unless you find an alternative. A cheaper route would to buy a single 2 iron forged blade .355 tip get a one iron shaft in specific graphite to fit and bend it stronger and adjust the lie angle at your local pro cost about 100-150 bucks total.

 

http://www.titleist.com/teamtitleist/b/tourblog/archive/2013/04/19/titleist-introduces-tour-proven-712u-forged-utility-iron

[deadon500]

I have a 18* tour edge iron ---- fun to use every chance I get

[onthehunt526]

On 11/17/2015 at 0:20 AM, onthehunt526 said:

Hey Universe,

I've been fiddling with my set make-up a little (got a 4W, and new wedges)... I seem to hit irons better than Hybrids (I actually hit my E8 4-iron very well, nearly 200 and shall we say straight)...

I've been messing around with the idea of a driving iron... More or less an Iron-like hybrid... I'm a Tour Edge Exotics guy for the most part, however other brands are considered... (Just not a DI that will set me back $200)...

Looking in around the $100 range..

The only issue I can see is my 4i is 21° so I'd need an 18 or 19° DI (If I was still playing my CU'S, I could do a 20° or 21°)...

Basically I'm gathering information on experiences with driving irons...

And if it would fit the gap better than let's say a FW or Hybrid.

I can't believe I'm revisiting this thread 4 and a half months later... I have another thread that gets into specifics. However, for the benefit of those of you mobile, this is what's in the bag, I'll do permanent 13 and the "floaters"...

Driver: Exotics EX9 10° adjustable, Matrix Black Tie 7M3.1 X-Flex +1/2", UTX Grips +1/16"

4-wood: Exotics EX9 (Hot List Silver Medal) 16.5°, Matrix Black Tie 7M3.1 X-Flex +1/2", UTX Grips +1/16"

Irons (4-PW, AW) Exotics EXI 22°-50°, KBS Tour 105 Stiff Flex , +1/2", 2° upright, Same grips as woods.

Wedges: (54°, 58°) Exotics CB Pro S, True Temper DG Wedge, +1", 2° upright, same grip as above.

Putter: DG Tour Series v1.3 35", 3° loft, SuperStroke 3.0

Floaters:

7-wood: Exotics EX9 21°, Matrix Black Tie 75M4.

3-hybrid: Exotics EX9 19°, Matrix Black Tie 7M3.1 X-Flex,  +1/2" same grips as D, 4w, irons and wedges.

3-iron: Exotics EXI KBS Tour 105 Stiff Flex, +1/2", 2° upright. 

Lumpy: Pro DHY 18° Matrix Kujoh Stiff Flex, Std Length.

I think I may have this figured out... but I'll get back to you, if I don't.

Edited April 1, 2016 by onthehunt526
Grammar as usual