If you love golf, you’ll have your favorite clubs. Those that are comfortable and reliable, and that have proved their worth over time. You might even give one or two a name. Although it can be tempting to stick with Swinging Betty or Slugger Joe, there are a few overwhelming reasons to bring a new favorite to your game and a mighty driving iron, no less.
What are Driving Irons?
A driving iron is a golf club that may look like nothing more than a bulked-up player iron. What makes these clubs special is how they are capable of hitting the ball farther and higher than your standard 1, 2, or 3 irons. This makes them very useful and forgiving compared to the blades you may have used in the past.
Driving irons offer penetrating ball flight and compared to similarly lofted hybrids and fairway woods, they help you maintain a lower trajectory when hitting the ball. By using these irons to achieve lower launch and landing angles, you will be able to get a better roll. This is the reason why they are perfect when you’re up against windy conditions or fast fairways.
While most golfers are usually quite familiar with driving irons, some may not know of their updated designs. Interestingly, golf companies have released a variety of new golf equipment lately, and using them can lead to a significant improvement in your game.
In case you’re interested in buying a driving iron, it is important to keep a few points in mind first.
How Much Distance it Can Cover
A very important point to understand is that a good driving iron needs to be able to send the ball off the tee. In other words, it should help you make par even in case you’re not hitting driver. It is not a good iron if the ball it launches fails to stay low or fly far. And of course, it should roll out nicely too. Not all driving irons available in the market are capable of maintaining a penetrating trajectory, so you have to do your research to pick the right brand.
It Needs to Hit the Ball Hard
The major difference between a traditional long iron and a driving iron is that a driving iron can hit the ball hard without having to exert that much force. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to how much of sweet spot it has – it needs to be large, as that is going to help prevent a mishit. It is true that an average golfer could feel intimidated by a 3-iron, but you can find a driving iron that inspires confidence and serves well for a fairways hit. Therefore, you should look for the one that performs better in this regard.
It Should Have Good Stringer Potential
There is no point wasting money on a driving iron that fails to support you when you want to hit a stinger. This is a hard shot that stays lows and covers a lot of distance after landing. If you’ve been following the game for some time, you may have already seen Tiger Woods hit a stinger with ease. The center of gravity of your driving iron matters a lot here. If it is too low, you will be in no position to hit a stinger because the club would launch the ball too high. If it allows you to smash it long yet low, you’re looking at a good driving iron.
It Should Look Easy to Use
Another thing making driving irons a lot more popular is that they look professional and are not as intimidating as long irons. In fact, the look of the long irons is one major reason why they are no longer favored by amateurs. No one can blame the average golfer for thinking that a long iron will make it hard to hit. For woods, things are not that bad because they have less loft, but where they fail is their increased body size.
Modern day driving irons are much better than those long irons supporting thin top-lines. With those long irons, you might even feel the vibration in your hands when hitting the ball. But, be sure to pick a high quality driving iron, which is the one that paints a perfect picture of tight dispersion to send the ball flying down the fairway.
It Should Offer Forgiveness
Going for most driving irons means you’re aiming for accuracy not distance, especially when hitting it off the tee. Keep in mind though, a driving iron will have a hard time competing with a well-struck 3-wood because of the larger head. It may be tricky with a driving iron, so you need to ensure you pick one that offers enough surface area to manipulate the center of gravity and still sends the ball far even if you miss the sweet spot by a slight margin. Go for purchasing a driving iron offering maximum forgiveness because you’re already sacrificing some distance, and losing accuracy would not get you far.
Is It a Good Idea to Opt for a Driving Iron or Choose a Hybrid?
It is true that 5-woods are making their way out from golfers bags around the globe and hybrids are becoming much more popular. Many people are also interested in driving irons, but remember that they work well with better players who can maintain a high club-head speed and ensure good contact to get the ball flying in the air. If you’re a slow-swinging golfer who is still learning the ropes, don’t try to waste time with driving irons. But, if you really want to give it a shot, consider opting for one with a tungsten toe and hollow heads to make it suitable in case you have trouble hitting hybrids and woods.
All You Need to Know about Finding and Using the Best Driving Iron
If you love golf, you’ll have your favorite clubs. Those that are comfortable and reliable, and that have proved their worth over time. You might even give one or two a name. Although it can be tempting to stick with Swinging Betty or Slugger Joe, there are a few overwhelming reasons to bring a new favorite to your game and a mighty driving iron, no less.
What are Driving Irons?
A driving iron is a golf club that may look like nothing more than a bulked-up player iron. What makes these clubs special is how they are capable of hitting the ball farther and higher than your standard 1, 2, or 3 irons. This makes them very useful and forgiving compared to the blades you may have used in the past.
Driving irons offer penetrating ball flight and compared to similarly lofted hybrids and fairway woods, they help you maintain a lower trajectory when hitting the ball. By using these irons to achieve lower launch and landing angles, you will be able to get a better roll. This is the reason why they are perfect when you’re up against windy conditions or fast fairways.
While most golfers are usually quite familiar with driving irons, some may not know of their updated designs. Interestingly, golf companies have released a variety of new golf equipment lately, and using them can lead to a significant improvement in your game.
In case you’re interested in buying a driving iron, it is important to keep a few points in mind first.
How Much Distance it Can Cover
A very important point to understand is that a good driving iron needs to be able to send the ball off the tee. In other words, it should help you make par even in case you’re not hitting driver. It is not a good iron if the ball it launches fails to stay low or fly far. And of course, it should roll out nicely too. Not all driving irons available in the market are capable of maintaining a penetrating trajectory, so you have to do your research to pick the right brand.
It Needs to Hit the Ball Hard
The major difference between a traditional long iron and a driving iron is that a driving iron can hit the ball hard without having to exert that much force. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to how much of sweet spot it has – it needs to be large, as that is going to help prevent a mishit. It is true that an average golfer could feel intimidated by a 3-iron, but you can find a driving iron that inspires confidence and serves well for a fairways hit. Therefore, you should look for the one that performs better in this regard.
It Should Have Good Stringer Potential
There is no point wasting money on a driving iron that fails to support you when you want to hit a stinger. This is a hard shot that stays lows and covers a lot of distance after landing. If you’ve been following the game for some time, you may have already seen Tiger Woods hit a stinger with ease. The center of gravity of your driving iron matters a lot here. If it is too low, you will be in no position to hit a stinger because the club would launch the ball too high. If it allows you to smash it long yet low, you’re looking at a good driving iron.
It Should Look Easy to Use
Another thing making driving irons a lot more popular is that they look professional and are not as intimidating as long irons. In fact, the look of the long irons is one major reason why they are no longer favored by amateurs. No one can blame the average golfer for thinking that a long iron will make it hard to hit. For woods, things are not that bad because they have less loft, but where they fail is their increased body size.
Modern day driving irons are much better than those long irons supporting thin top-lines. With those long irons, you might even feel the vibration in your hands when hitting the ball. But, be sure to pick a high quality driving iron, which is the one that paints a perfect picture of tight dispersion to send the ball flying down the fairway.
It Should Offer Forgiveness
Going for most driving irons means you’re aiming for accuracy not distance, especially when hitting it off the tee. Keep in mind though, a driving iron will have a hard time competing with a well-struck 3-wood because of the larger head. It may be tricky with a driving iron, so you need to ensure you pick one that offers enough surface area to manipulate the center of gravity and still sends the ball far even if you miss the sweet spot by a slight margin. Go for purchasing a driving iron offering maximum forgiveness because you’re already sacrificing some distance, and losing accuracy would not get you far.
Is It a Good Idea to Opt for a Driving Iron or Choose a Hybrid?
It is true that 5-woods are making their way out from golfers bags around the globe and hybrids are becoming much more popular. Many people are also interested in driving irons, but remember that they work well with better players who can maintain a high club-head speed and ensure good contact to get the ball flying in the air. If you’re a slow-swinging golfer who is still learning the ropes, don’t try to waste time with driving irons. But, if you really want to give it a shot, consider opting for one with a tungsten toe and hollow heads to make it suitable in case you have trouble hitting hybrids and woods.
If you want to keep your ball flying low and fast down the fairway, investing in a modern high tech driving iron will get you results and even the par you are after. Even so, a new golf club, even one as stunningly effective as a driving iron, won’t transform in a golfer the calibre of Mr. Woods overnight. But if your opponents are still hung up on playing with their old favorites, you can certainly give them a good run for their money.
If you want to keep your ball flying low and fast down the fairway, investing in a modern high tech driving iron will get you results and even the par you are after. Even so, a new golf club, even one as stunningly effective as a driving iron, won’t transform in a golfer the calibre of Mr. Woods overnight. But if your opponents are still hung up on playing with their old favorites, you can certainly give them a good run for their money.
