Driving iron v UT v FWd

[RIduffer]

What are the reasons to play a driving iron vs a hybrid/UT vs a fairway wood? Assuming they are all ~18* in loft. Also how would the shaft selection differ between the various clubs.

Obviously the fairway wood would leverage a wood shaft, but the UT/hybrid can perform equally well with an iron shaft..

[Baddmnkey]

For me I find the driving iron (18*) to be a much lowered ball flight then my ute also 18*.

It's nice if playing a tight fairway. I find that i can control the shot better then the ute but with the lowered flight it's not so conducive to holding a green.

[RIduffer]

For me I find the driving iron (18*) to be a much lowered ball flight then my ute also 18*.

It's nice if playing a tight fairway. I find that i can control the shot better then the ute but with the lowered flight it's not so conducive to holding a green.

Do you have a hybrid or iron shaft in the UT?

[daamartin]

I have an old PRGR Zoom 4+ driving iron with heavy HB graphite shaft. It is a driving iron, and irreplacable for following reasons:

1. 200m (220yd) fairway finder on short par 4s
   
2. Great for strategic 2nd shots on par 5s
   
3. Easy to hit low recovery punch shots (I can't do this with my RC hybrid)
   
4. Great out of thick rough or hardpan
   
5. Super-forgiving with all that tungsten strategic weight placement
   
6. Great feel, and can actually shape shots quite easily
   
7. When it's really windy, can hit all sorts of knock-downs with it
   
8. It looks cool and always gets comments - "What is that thing?"
   
9. I think it's the best club PRGR have ever made - superb design!
   

Highly recommend a club like this in your bag.

[akapur]

The driving iron excels in wind, you can fly the ball low and avoid ballooning in the wind. Heavy rough is no match for a driving iron, the UT's and FW's fail when trying to get through thick rough. I use the driving iron for windy days and on courses I know will have thick rough or tight fairways. The FW is mainly for short par 4's or on those days that my driver wont behave. The UT 18 is always in my bag and used mostly for the par 5's so that the ball stops dead on the green. I find on approach shots with the driving iron the ball doesn't hold the green as well as the shots made with the UT.

[nobmontana]

For an 18 deg club, I'd personally choose a fairway. 18 deg in a fairway will be an approx. 230 yard club for me.

When I weigh the "consistency in distance" vs "controllability/workability" from 230 yards, I think I would choose consistent distance over control.

But honestly, I don't think I'd be able to hit an 18 deg hybrid consistently enough and I know I would not be able to hit a 18 deg driving iron right :) but that's just me.

[coops1967]

Fairway woods can use the same steel shaft as your irons, no problem - especially 5 woods etc as you're not meant to be looking at distance, but extra forgiveness over the 2 or 3 iron it's replacing (depending on jacked upness of its lts loft and club 'number').

FW is more clumsy put out of rough.. which is where the hybrid steps in as almost all the forgiveness with more manageable size, and better from rough.

A good, modern 'driving iron' or iron-brid like Epon 901, Mizuno Fli-hi's and the like also has close to the forgiveness of the hybrid (and out of the rough) - and has the distinct advantage of allowing the hosel to be bent for proper lie angle.

Plenty of forgiveness with most of the feel of a regular iron - and a well hit long iron feels fabulous.

[Spoon]

here is a good article i was reading yesterday

http://golf wrx/101090/long-iron-or-hybrid-the-importance-of-bag-setup/

i ask myself the same question everyday.

[+TourSpecGolfer]

I think it boils down to what we hit best, are you better at hitting irons, ut's, or FWs? Playing to your strengths is key IMO.

Another thing is where our mistakes are. If its OB's from longer shots a couple of times a round one should consider trying driving irons as they tend to be a bit more accurate yet not as long or soft landing.

For me I sometimes yank FW's left, so I ventured into stiffer heavier more stable shafts and that helped. I also went to the Ryoma F3 and that helped a lot. Same deal with UTs. But I absolutely love driving irons. Accurate and not so wild, low and tight. One more thing is what course your playing. In Japan I hit driving irons a lot.

[Baddmnkey]

Do you have a hybrid or iron shaft in the UT?

Yes matrix program 95. I'll put it in the bag on certain courses I play.

[Chanaa]

thats not many driving irons out there. So which are good ones besides prgr & epon cited earlier ?

also, do they come in stronger lofts ?

thanks

[Blader-X]

Ah, a topic I've thought of often. For me I found the ultimate answer to this a few years back when I put the Royal Collection TRC ute in the bag. Its 17 degrees and has the GD SF8 shaft in it. For me this club is the holy grail so to speak of all the things everyone posted above. I can work it; I can hit 3/4 shots, punch shots, full shots, shots of the tee, out of the rough, out of the sand (yes and have hit some killer fairway trap shots), it even works well around the greens if one was so inclined. What I like about this setup for me is that the trajectory is a frozen rope which gives me anywhere from 180-230 yards depending upon the situation. I'm very comfortable with this at 220. I do find I can also vary the trajectory and distance depending upon my setup.

The RC TRC has a shape that is very pleasing to me. I never got along well with boxy-looking utes and driving irons always had way too much offset for me. I did have a Miura driving iron but the offset just killed it for me. The TRC has the right kind of shape that pleases me and gives me confidence. The only thing that has come close to its look that I've seen is the new Roma-Ro. If I were to replace the TRC I would think it would be with the RomaRo. The SF shaft really works well in this setup as it has 2.3 degrees of torque, great feel and feedback while still delivering a powerful trajectory.

I have never liked fairways other than 3 woods. I tried 5's and 7's and never found one I liked. I will say though that the new RomaRo 5+ woods like really nice.

The new Buchi driving irons would definitely be worth a look and I have been thinking of them recently especially since they have a 18.5 available. That said though I don't see it ever replacing the TRC as I think that club was one of genius when it was designed and has bailed me out of plenty of trouble over the past few years with it in the bag. No other club in the bag has delivered such a great assortment of shots as this one has and is probably the club which sticks out in my memory more than any other at producing truly "memorable" shots.

I have played many kinds of utes/hybrids but never really found the best until the TRC. Acutally the RC TRC was a re-introduction of a design it previously released under its now defunct Sonartec brand/line. I do find like many others here that its very personal much like that of a putter as to what works and what doesn't for a particular player when it comes to these types of clubs.

One last thing to add and that is for a driving type iron which I currently carry is my GeoTech RF 700 3 iron. This has become a club that I do use when I want a low running shot. I can hit "stingers" with it that run quite a ways off the tee. Even though it is a 3 iron, I find to have many of the characteristics one would describe of a "driving" iron. Very forgiving, while still being workable. Great feel and feedback and just the right amount of everything a player would need.

Edited July 26, 2013 by Blader-X

[swing981]

is it me, or are the tour pros getting away from hybrids...

[RLL33]

I second what many have said about the driving iron's lower penetrating flight and ability to hit from various lies, including rough. Like a lot of people, I've gone through many, many hybrids over the years, and always had the odd experience of each one eventually producing ballooning hooks -- even when I started out liking the look and feel of the club. Don't know what causes this exactly -- maybe it's expectation, maybe not... All I know is it happens...

By contrast, the driving irons I've used have maintained their low, long, and straight ball flight. Perfect off the tee for short Par 4's, and incredibly easy to hit well flighted shots out of rough that turn into the long iron approaches that hit on or near a green on long Par 5's. My home course also has one dead on straight and very narrow 205yd Par 3 with back to front sloping green, and I find hitting an 18-deg iron like throwing a dart on this hole.

I've been using the Callaway x-Util Proto's for some time, both 18 and 21 deg, but recently have started experimenting with the Yonex Zero, which I've found is scary long when I connect just right with it. Have been thinking about using it as my driving iron, and throwing the Cally 21 and 24 in the bag as 3 and 4 iron replacements.

In any case, I'm done for now with straight hybrids. For me, there's nothing better than the feel of a well hit long iron.

[RIduffer]

i have been using the ONOFF UTs and iBrids to great success for a few seasons now. I find them to be controllable and accurate with very good distance, 21* is a 240 yd club.

When I got my set Yam Tours, it included the 3 and 4 iron. While decent with them, I am also less consistent and 0.5-1 club shorter distance wise loft for loft. As I play the same course and rotate bags frequently I continue to play the 3 and 4 iron and have gotten better with them. In the Yam bag, I also have an 18* Yam UT that I am not necessarily as fond of when compared to the iBrid and ONOFFs so am considering a switch. Hence the question above.

I have Miura 5wd that is money, but a little high flying and not as controllable(traj. wise) as the ONOFF and the 18* iBrid is low rockets all day. The new Bucchi definitely has my curiosity piqued but not sure if it or other driving irons are as versatile as the UTs. Similarly the new ONOFF FW seems to be a good candidate to fill the 240ish length for me. I don't carry a 3 or 4 wd as from 260-270, unless there is trouble I play a lay up shot anyway. Minimize the bad and all...

When it comes to directional stability, the ONOFF and iBrid more than any other UT offer tops in performance. I have tried the RomaRo Ray, RC TRC, a couple of Adams' and Epon UTs and have fought the hook on all of them.

On the feel front, if you have never hit an ONOFF UT then you don't know what you are missing. I get the best feeling and sound out of those things, definitely on par with a pured long iron. The iBrids are more metallic and not as good sounding/feeling but they are still great performers.

[RIduffer]

Think I found my next club assuming it an be sourced...

http://onoff.globeride.co.jp/labo/labo-spec-club/fairway-wings-type-s.html

Didn't even know 18* was an option here, but given what the 21* and 24* can do the 18* should be special. Throw an i10sx in it and should be good to go...

[Chanaa]

question guys - for the driving irons, do we shaft it with longer ute shafts or iron shafts ?

I presume if its for accuracy & iron like perf, it should be iron shafts correct ?

[coops1967]

question guys - for the driving irons, do we shaft it with longer ute shafts or iron shafts ?

I presume if its for accuracy & iron like perf, it should be iron shafts correct ?

Up to you.

Same steel shaft in my Epon 901 as my irons, works great and because it's the same shaft the standard swingweight scale does its job ok.

You could maybe go for a shaft slightly lighter than your iron shafts... but if you're using say 120gm steel shafts, then a 60g graphite shaft is going to throw you off quite horribly.