BEST OF SERIES: DRIVING IRONS // Which Driving Iron Gives the Best Performance?

[@kyshapka]

All good, Mikey. I can turn my WEDGE into a driving iron. I often play the green side stinger.

[@JB-Go]

I was fitted for a Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi a few months ago and I absolutely love it. It has been a lot better for me compared to my old hybrid.

[@santtumaki6172]

Would have liked to see the Wilson driving iron in this. It's a solid club and a wee bit more affordable. Interesting to see how the Takomo 101U would stack up to the bigger brands.

[@golgotisme]

I'm not an hybrid fan, just bought the ping icrossover 2 ... I'm in love !!

[@tomvankamperdijk4392]

I Carry the mizen pro flihi 3 iron. I absolutely love it, I find it so much easier to control hight and flight more than with a hybrid or even woods and more steady on distance. and it blends so well with my 225 long irons 4 and 5. I'm in the 223 6 and down. it's my best setup ever

[@tag_76]

I will say this, after many years hating traditional hybrids, I bought a TM DHY 2 iron with an upgraded shaft and I absolutely love it. It does tend to fly pretty high off the tee but noticeably lower off the deck. Very good club that I would highly suggest at least trying.

[@lukek901]

My 2 iron is my keep in play club. My miss with it is so small compared to a wood. One of the best unexpected things about 2 irons is how good it is at keeping the ball low under trees when in trouble. Literally takes no effort 😅

[@krusher74]

Would be fun to see a Titlelist U 510 1 iron 16deg bent to 15 with a Autolfex hybrid shaft in it and see what max distance you could get. Christmas Video idea?

[@chadmacjack454]

Have the srixon in my bag absolutely love it

[@joso5554]

A great comparison test. Good to include feeling beyond the figures.

[@yakkajoe1983]

I’ve had the zx and it was good but moved up to the mizuno, just so much more forgiving, feels easy to hit and just gives a lot more confidence

[@markpilutti4532]

I put a Srixon zx 4 utility in the bag this year in mid season, not a big hybrid guy and don't see a 3&5 Wood in the bag. Went with a HL 3 wood and a 4 hy and it fits nicely cheers

[@doggoronnie3387]

I tried all of these in May and ended up buying the ping. Longest, most forgiving and adjustable. What more could you ask for

[@neilross6227]

so interesting you doing this just now.... was in get a bag MOT as it were and found the only real weakness was in my 4Iron..... having it leaking left no what we tried in my stance or swing... so the hit a couple DI's and came out with the Ping iCrossover

[@TheShaming]

I have the original ZX Utility in the 3 and 4 iron. Feel great, easy to control.

[@jimlaw2495]

Same here. Absolutely love them. The biggest advantage I found over hybrids is that their lie angles can be adjusted and the offset inspires more confidence.

[@mattdipadua3614]

Absolutely love the ping i crossover

[@ericbradner6986]

I’ve loved the iCrossover in the 4 iron spot in my bag this year. I’d noticed on Trackman my i230 4 iron wasn’t separating enough from my 5 iron, and the peak height was dipping from low 90s feet with my other irons into the high 70s feet with my 4 iron. The iCrossover instantly fixed those problems - peaks in the mid-90s, and actually carried far enough that I needed to use the loft sleeve to dial it back a touch to keep the gap between it and 5 iron at 15 yards. The flat, plus-one setting has worked out really well. And like Ian found here, it really just wants to go straight, which makes it a lot more reliable than a hybrid for me. I know you guys can’t spend all day testing *everything* out there, so this isn’t a criticism or complaint - but I would be curious to see how the new Apex UT compares to these. Maybe a club that could get a look in a future video, I hope.

[@2785mgr]

Same issue I have with my i230s

[@tonybytheway7543]

I have the Pro Fli Hi (4) in a Steelfiber i95 and love it, plus a recent addition of the U505 2023 (2) in a GD IZ which is also great. May switch the IZ for ano shaft though but the head is a keeper......Ian/Mikey - any recommendations pls? Love the videos's....keep em coming!

[@jimppa86]

cant sleep on the wilson staff utility. its so good and almost halve the price compared to other utility irons. Also just so good looking.

[@SePhO11]

Cant sleep on Wilson full stop, their irons are quality, i have the Staff Model CB’s and they match up to any of the top brands.

[@AJredroc]

Definitely!

[@tfaudree]

Know what’s also half the price? Last years model.

[@jimppa86]

@@tfaudree cant get fitted to last years model. Also gotta have that new shiny stuff

[@LeprechaunGinger]

⁠@@jimppa86any club fitter can fit you with an older model. If you are going to put it in a museum I understand.

[@papab3272]

Love my 2021 Callaway 21° X Forged UT with the Tensei White 90 shaft. Somewhere Johnny Wunder is kicking a cat for the Callaway being left out of the test

[@johnbachman8908]

I was extremely disappointed this wasn’t in the test.

[@CaptFelony]

Is there a reason you tested the Stealth UDI in this comparison, as opposed to the P790 UDI, as I feel it’s a closer comparison to the others you tested. This is what I’ve recently put in my bag. Would have been better to see a more common shaft for this test also, for a better comparison knowing what a difference the shaft can make. Keep up the great content though.

[@Ryan_Orion]

I picked up one of the new takomo 101u’s in the 4 iron and it’s definitely my new tight fairway/comfort tee club.

[@zacharymilos392]

Not tested here bc older but my pxg driving iron is a sleeper. Feels soft but explosive. Flights quiet low with low spin. I would pick that over my '21 T200 3i purely due to feel.

[@MichaelM-to4sg]

I still carry the Srixon U84, which is the ZX predecessor some 3 generations old. Just such an awesome club in versatility, feel and consistency. The only dislike was the oe Recoil shaft. Once we swapped for Ventus Blue HB 9X, that club is not leaving the bag. I use the 22*, replaced my Miura 501 4-iron. I also carry a 19*. I do have a 19* hybrid that I use on courses where I will see several 240 approaches and low wind but as you showed, the Srixon has decent spin to hold all but the tiniest greens. I’m not sure an adjustable sleeve on any iron is a good thing. Adding a lot of mass at hosel, I’d be concerned of blocking shots, maybe that’s why they added so much offset. Well done demo and love the summation. Keep up the fine work lads👍

[@DavidPetryk]

I think these iron for most golfers fit in the bag with a bit more loft as 4 iron replacements and a transition into thier woods or Hybrids.

[@brianbrinegar6086]

Excellent reviews. I added an older Callaway UT forged version to my bag over the summer in place of a hybrid which would rarely cooperate.

[@Brackloon]

Live my ZX 3 iron. Absolutely crush the ball with it. Nice wide swing, super closed face on the backswing, Bob's your uncle

[@BrettPharis]

Titleist T200 utility build has been so sick in my bag! I highly recommend for a blended set 💪

[@fredgarvin4252]

I had the T200. Hated it! Horrible sound & feel! My new T150 4 iron is a beast!! Way better than the T200. The Srixon ZX is very very good also. Heard the new T200 is much better 2023 version!

[@jameslaughter5183]

Ian, You need the Ping iCrossover !!! All four shots were tight dispersion, front to back. All four shots were right of center line (and All good players hate to miss left), and All four shots were in the fairway at Muirfield and that's hard to do (the other driving irons missed right and left). Plus, with the adjustable loft you can loft down and are set for Royal Dornoch because Dornoch Loves players that hit low runners. Plus you can loft up and hit darts when you play Woodhall Spa Hotchkin; you don't want to get lost in those bunkers. Next time I make a trip to the UK for my Links Fix I'll be packing the Ping. I don't like offset but it did not affect you, and you can go flat if needed. Bag the Ping.

[@clubchampionmedia]

Yeh I think you’re right, that one performed so well!

[@lawbinson]

Ian hates Ping 😂

[@Voorhees2002]

Love this one... coming back to golf and got fit into t100(s) before the t150 came out. Feeling like I have a fall off on the 4i/5i and haven't ever got on with a hybrid, but love woods. 7 wood was way to high and spinny. Definitely looking at a 4i in one of these. Really interested in the iCrossover especially with the adjustment. I think the Ping was actually your best, but the offset bothered you just in appearance. I was put in x100 shafts in my irons, but also love the s400. Curious your opinion on shaft in a driving iron. Match more to my woods or more to the irons or something between? Steel/graphite? Thanks for this one!

[@serendipityuk]

I would love to see how the Mizuno 245 2 iron stacks up!

[@westovi]

I’ve got the old srixon zu85 4 iron. Soft as butter, easy to shape the ball flight esp. In comparison with hybrids.

[@bravofan4life17]

I have the Mizuno Fli Hi and Titleist U505 and love em.

[@adamw9764]

Driving Irons are probably my favorite club in the bag, I have 2 that I switch between quiet a bit: The Ping iCrossover (2 iron) and the Titleist U505 (2023 model) (1 iron) Both are fantastic clubs, the Titleist doesn't carry as far for me compared to the Ping, but on a windly/dry day it runs about 15-20 yards longer and is not that easy to hit off the deck due to the lower loft. The Ping is my comfort club and is in the bag pretty much 90% of the time, long and straight off a tee and great off the deck.

[@muzzleblast88]

My ping icrossovwr sometimes creeps up there to my driver numbers. It's so easy to hit and goes so far. I love it

[@josephyellowhorn4284]

I had a mizuno broke at the hosel, waited three months for warranty and no response from mizuno. So I asked the shop for my money back, and got a stealth dhy 3 iron and it's been great.

[@zacherywade9141]

Bought the srixon zx on sale recently, and I love it! Question for the people: Do you use a cover on your driving iron? If so, what kind?

[@matthewqueree]

how about that tight dispersion on the Ping iCrossover? if i'm putting a driving iron in my bag, that is my #1 thing i'm looking at...

[@keitho6018]

TEE would be a great addition as well...bomber, and can move flight quite easily

[@golf-g5u]

Swing is so pure and consistent. Does that make it difficult to know what is your favorite? As a mid handicap, I can immediately tell when something feels different.

[@keithkwas]

adding a UI to my bag. Is matching my iron shaft (steelfiber i110) a good place to start? If not, what would I look for to start the fitting/testing process?

[@user-kw7rt9zl4e]

I have an crossover 3 iron and love it. Perfect lil fairway finder

[@davead6578]

Will be interested in seeing the 2024 Fli-Hi tested next year to compare to the current model. I’ve been using the Taylormade DHY with some success, but that soft Ascent shaft holds it back from being a true driving iron.

[@jadenngl]

change the shaft????

[@deanbrayshaw5862]

Got the srixon in a 4 iron. Quality club.

[@curtisrichey4431]

Mizuno. All day!!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@Theworldowesyounothing]

What a stripe show Get this man a tour card

[@jamessimpson4862]

No cobra?

[@muzzleblast88]

Got the ping icrossover. According to my stats I hit fairway 82 percent of the time with it and average 255. My driver average is 267. So its a bomber for someone like me . I hit my 7 iron about 165 for reference if you are thinking about the crossover. It's amazing

[@jaschatetlow5490]

T200, with Mikey’s stamp of approval!

[@brians5270]

Should have added the Wilson Staff Utility. Still and excellent utility club.

[@jerezettelmann841]

Are the driving irons for most players standard length considering they have hybrid shafts? Or is it common to lengthen/shorten the length of the shaft to match the iron set (for example iron set with +0.5" = driving iron +0.5")?

[@clubchampionmedia]

Hey there Jerez --- That's player dependent, but it is pretty common to shorten or lengthen driving iron shafts to match the lengths of your irons. Go get fitted to get some sound advice for you as an individual though!

[@chrismcleod104]

I know it’s old but what about Wilson staff utility iron. Well below £200 price point

[@joedoaks6517]

Mike, do you build these with hybrid shafts, or iron shafts?

[@Garysalunatic]

What’s the difference between these driving iron 2 irons and a 2 iron (or even a 1 iron) that matches the set of irons you’re playing? I have ping eye2 set with 1 & 2 irons along with zing2 set with 1 & 2 irons. The 2 irons are gangbusters off the tee. Is it just that modern sets don’t offer 1 & 2 irons anymore?

[@jjschafe11]

Would love to see the PXG thrown into the mix as well!

[@pacypacman]

the only reason the srixon did have the most spin is that you hit hit thinner than the other clubs. look at the screen 13:40 and you see the red dot.

[@tabooOner]

Would have to be ping,looked stable, offset neutralising path or just tendencies?

[@allahalibaba9063]

I bought a Ben Hogan 3 iron FiHI before they went out of business and it is a 18 deg loft and works well off of hard thin pan fairways were a 3 Wd is almost impossible to hit and get it up in the air.....

[@J_B72]

So, basically they are the same except for “feel”? Wait for any of them to go on sale and then buy it?

[@Forever31-u7k]

What shaft spec is that Mizuno fly-high on?

[@mikec.2314]

PING for me. Actually, every club in my bag is now PING.....I just love how its an engineering company that has always put function over form. Heck, my 4-L are still ISI BeNi's !!! Function is obviously more important to me that form.😂

[@goutfromfriedokra3936]

I would never buy a club from chiiiina

[@MichaelM-to4sg]

I’ve never liked a golf club that favors function over form. Form, at least defined by the look at address, is one of most important considerations. I need to feel confident at address and Ping irons always have that added mass at toe, longer toe-heel and anything with excess offset is a hard no. I also dislike the sound and hand feel of cast clubs. Even Ping drivers, which look decent at address, I can’t ever feel where on face I struck ball and they are so loud I feel I need to wear earplugs and warn my playing partners of the impending sound as I tee up. It’s just all a hard no. Give me traditional thin top line irons and a driver that I know sounds and feels solid, I’m going to swing better just because I feel more confident at address. That’s why I play Miura irons, Srixon driving irons and TSR3 driver 👨

[@goutfromfriedokra3936]

Would never buy Japanese clubs after they bombed Pearl Harbor...@@MichaelM-to4sg

[@markjames4926]

The Vega Mizar is getting lots of love here with UK reviewers. Any chance you could give a view on that?

[@krusher74]

Just looked them up, 14deg for a 2 iron! (the titleist U510 irorn is only 16) i;v never seen then doing any VEGA i dont think they carry them.

[@clubchampionmedia]

You can demo the Vega Mizar Max driving iron at Club Champion!

[@jeremylonsdale3350]

Srixon ZX all day.

[@collinhall6356]

interesting how uncommon UI’s are. especially for people who strike irons well but can struggle with woods. is there a reason some of these people are still fit into 3-7 woods as opposed to something they can strike more effectively?

[@clubchampionmedia]

Even if hit with less efficiency, some may still be able to produce better numbers with a wood than an iron. Woods are typically longer in length, and that longer length means they can be swung faster. With that said, some people feel like they need multiple woods even if that wouldn't be best for their game. It's another instance showing how important it is to be fit for your clubs to see what would work best for you as an individual!

[@IPv6Freely]

Oof those graphics. This is basically an advertisement for GSPro! haha

[@socktanman]

Ping: Play your best, or you could theoretically play your best but... You dont want to truly play your best. You want the shinier club in the bag

[@Ravenhurst]

How about Titleist U505?

[@J_B72]

Yes. Disappointing it wasn’t included.

[@danherring4349]

Great to see the DI getting a run guys, pity the PXG didn’t get into the mix - best looking DI on the market.

[@cdmurray23]

agreed I really like the pxg

[@randomgamer-st1ie]

PXGs design strategy: cover every square inch with set screws and writing. Busiest for sure. I'd take a MP245 or iCrossover for their simple beauty.

[@davidlewisTN]

Srixon is so good 🥃

[@DamoHeath]

Need a second bracket with Wilson and Cobra

[@ericgjerde686]

I like the Mizuno high Fli 4 iron but i would never use it on 18 here

[@hypeNT500]

Have four driving irons in my bag. All titleist. Same distance of a high loft fairway wood with the accuracy of an iron. ❤

[@shaynesvenson8628]

You keep hitting driving irons but your yet to try the old Mizuno MP-H5 1Iron, only then will it be a true comparison.

[@cobra1995xx]

Do you guys have an email or how would I contact you?! I have a fitting kinda question about the axiom shafts

[@SK-nt3lb]

Have the srixon ZX gen 1… solid club, but absolutely no forgiveness on off center strikes.. just bought the Takomo driving iron for sh*ts and gigs

[@paulc5817]

Hey guys. Ty for another entertaining video. Being in rural WV we don’t have access to a variety of golf equipment so we depend on content like this to see what products are out there. You never actually showed any good views of any of these? Kinda weird for as meticulous as you gentlemen are. Blessed day.

[@mjbone23]

Take that ping and loft it up. Takes out the offset

[@TrevorDandy.]

See that dispersion? That’s why I put iCrossover in the bag. And I’m a staunch Titleist/Mizuno guy

[@shanesoni4175]

Hit the ping the best by a mile 😂 but brand bias always win

[@mikeshar852]

I got a t200 2i and it’s the most unforgiving club I’ve ever owned. And I play mp 223. The U505 2i is a lot better for me

[@TheBradleyp63]

I wish I could hit the ball that high!

[@Jimwaz44]

Mizuno fli hi all day.. no debate

[@user-gs9yc7wx7z]

Anybody else love the cobra king utility? I prefer it to the ping and srizon.

[@BugattiDane]

For future videos, you’ve just *gotta* insert at least a clip from address position of the clubs. Visuals are so much part of the battle with clubs.

[@hypeNT500]

Zero fairway woods. Zero hybrids. My feeling is the hybrids are weird to swing also the heads for the fairway also hybrid causes too much spin for me.

[@01devilboy]

Why no cobra Driving iron the newer one looks boss

[@abhibhavsahu6677]

Cobra?

[@LeprechaunGinger]

Sounds so clicky on the mizuno. Hate that! Why I play the Callaway.

[@fragster1]

Elephant in the room is no Titleist U505 …weird - far more relevant for comparison than the T200 IMO.

[@juffin17]

Mikey slurping the t200

[@victorchen8484]

no cobra？

[@jeremylonsdale3350]

No cobra???

[@steve827]

The ZX is lethal for me… I can do anything with it , spin off or Spin on its Soo versitle whether it’s 280. Yards or 240 it’s Soo easy to launch low Or High

[@ohwowthatsgood]

So companies just renamed 3 irons and started charging double for them? What's the playing length of these "driving irons"? My 3 iron is 20 degrees and 38.75". Flies the same as all of these. Seems like golfers are getting taken for a ride from all the manufacturers.

[@honkerh8r564]

Why did they both quickly dismiss the Ping even though it looked to perform the best?

[@shocktech102]

Probably don't like the offset.

[@MAN_vs_GOLF]

No Callaway Apex UT?

[@pwilliams417]

The Ping’s were literally identical. Nothing “arguably” about it. That data is absurd.

[@RobertRandow]

Where's the Apex UT? Nice test tho gents

[@jballoregon]

Where's the Apex? Best looking of the utility irons.

[@MrAhuraMazda]

The Ping, Mizuno and Wilson aren't forged and feel significantly worse than forged

[@randomgamer-st1ie]

The Mizuno 245 feels much better than the FliHi.

[@JohnFishburne1]

Niche market. I have played golf for 17 years. I have never played with a person with a driving iron. I have never even seen a driving iron hit in person. You do this video but you won’t do the most requested video in history. Good video anyway.

[@clubchampionmedia]

🤣🤣🤣

[@lawbinson]

What is the most requested video in history?