For those that play a utility iron, is it a gapping club like the rest of your set, or do you have a higher flighted club that can cover some of the same distances?
Utility Iron Question
I have a bit of an overlap like you're talking but the flight differences, shot shape, etc add some needed versatility. They can gap well, but I mostly just want them to do different things for different situations.
Gaps between 3w and 4h
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- #5
I typically play it as a replacement but bent 1 weak of stated loft to fill that gap more. Still allows me to hit bullets off the tee when needed, but makes it more versatile as a. 4i replacement as well.
It's mainly a tee club for me, so I wasn't overly concerned with the gapping, but it actually does gap pretty well between my 4i and 3w. But I'm more concerned about distance and dispersion off the tee.
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Gaps pretty well between my 7W and 5i. Also much lower-launching than the 7W even though they should be close in distance based on loft alone.
- Thread starter
- #8
I have a couple UIs currently. The higher lofted is more of a forgiving iron replacement. The lower lofted doesn't really go high enough to carry something on an approach shot, but seems like it could be useful off the tee and elsewhere. I have a couple hybrids that gap well but don't really get hit on a per round basis, so thinking those 2 could be turned into one and then play the utility as well. Seems at least some folks are doing similar where the distance is based on off the tee and not really how that fits in the set.
When I was playing my King Tec 3, it was just a tee club for me. I could use it in certain situations but it never quite fit as a specific gap for me
I've played a GI iron as a driving iron, as well as a 2i Utility. I also use my set 4i as a driving irons at times, and here are my feedback of each:
1. GI Iron as a driving iron: This was a Cobra Speedzone with a Catalyst 80 graphite shaft. A great accurate club off the tee, but it could balloon on me sometimes, especially into the wind. Distance was ok, around 200-210 yards. Accuracy was pretty good. In the end, it just didn't give me enough added distance compared to my set 4i off the tee, and it was a redundant club on approach, as it went about the same distance as my set 4i.
2. Utility Iron: Srixon U85 2i at 18*. Longest of the 3 clubs here. Distance is really good off the tee, and regularly got 220-230 off the tee. Had a long of nearly 250 with favorable conditions. A fantastic club off the tee into wind, as it stays down. Mishits are punished more on the Utility. But when you catch one it feels sooo good! Don't use it on approach much, but it gaps well between my 3w and 4i when I do. Just don't have much confidence that I can elevate it off fairway lies. So great off the tee, just not very versatile.
3. Set 4i. Some of the set 4i's I've played (Tour Edge C721, Cobra KFT, and Callaway Apex Pro) have had the distance that went above the Cobra Speedzone 4i, but aren't quite as long as the Utility. With the C721 and KFT I was in the 210-215 range. With the Apex Pro I'm in the 220 range, but have more than a few that have gone 230. The Apex Pro gets the nod over the Srixon U85 because I'm more accurate with it, and when you take into account overall distance with good and bad shots, they are pretty even. This is also the most versatile club, and one that I am more than comfortable using on approach. That is the same with all the set 4i's I've mentioned.
Overall, I think the ideal club for me would be something that gives me the forgiveness/repeatability of the Cobra Speedzone driving iron, with the distance of the driving iron, and versatility of the set 4i. I think a more forgiving Utility Iron would be a good bet, it you can also elevate it on approach shots. Something else, like the Callaway Utility Wood also comes to mind, because it seems to have the distance and versatility.
It might also depend on the courses you play. I play a lot of different courses, so I need my clubs to be versatile. If I played a course with a lot of short-ish, tight par 4's, I'd be looking for a club that I know can find the fairway, and give me good distance off the tee. I don't necessarily need it to be good on approach shots though. Longer open courses I care less about off the tee, and would be looking for something that gaps better and works for those longer approach shots.
Just my 2 cents though based on what I've tried over the last 3 years.
The last 3 years the gapping between my driver and 5 iron has been all over the place... typically 4 iron to driver are all used for Tee shots for me
Mine is mostly a Tee club and a low punch out. I had taken it out of the bag but I am trying to work it back in atm.
It gives me a different flight than my 3h which is why I liked it.
It gives me a different flight than my 3h which is why I liked it.