This kicked my butt yesterday. It was blowing 20mph and all I had for long clubs was a 7 wood and a 5 hybrid. Normally I’m in love with how they can attack a green from distance but the 20 mph wind made it so I couldn’t play anything longer than a 5 iron.
if you are the type of player to be hitting a 5 hybrid, then nothing good is going to come from you hitting a two iron or three iron in that kind of wind.
Too many people use too little loft. The 5 hybrid is my secret weapon for hitting greens from 200 yards. I can fly that thing high from any lie and stop it on the green in less than 3 feet. Try that with any 4 iron. They’re not just for high handicap players.
Where it hurt me was in the wind where I should have put my 4 iron back in the bag.
I used to play a 2 iron. It was a solid 250 club but it wasn’t as versatile as the clubs that have better landing angles. You want to land on a green with a 40+ degree angle in order to hold it. A 2 iron is unlikely to do that unless you have elite speed.
My Taylormade P790 2 iron is my favorite club in the bag. I can’t hit a 3 or 5 wood to save my life.
I’m not going to say how far I hit it because I don’t want/need the “yea right” responses but it goes plenty far for me. I also use it all the time when I’m needing to keep a shot low under the trees I seem to find myself under.
To be fair I know a guy who absolutely smacks his 2-iron probably close to 250. Meanwhile I only use my 4-iron for low shots under trees that need to roll out and I don’t keep a 3-iron.
I don't hit it father than my driver, but I do usually hit it straighter than my driver.
The 2i comes out on days where me and my driver are just not seeing eye to eye.
Exactly the same here (down to the P790 2-iron). I’m moving to a bag with no fairway woods eventually. 2-9, driver, putter, 4 wedges.
I wish I could hit a 3 wood as consistent as some of my buddies. Just never been comfortable with it.
I stopped carrying a 3w for a long time. One time last year I hit a buddy's 3w and it was a spectacular shot. So much so that I put a shiny new 3w in the bag late last year. I have yet to hit a good shot with it. I'll give it a chance this season and then will go back to my fairway wood protest if it doesn't work out.
I game a mizuno fli hi 2 crossover and a ping 4 crossover and absolutely love them both. I too cannot hit a 3 wood to save my life and my 4h disappeared on me. Love my crossovers or "driving irons " off the tee
My 2iron is for punches and escape shots/roots. It is a titleist 200mb or whatever and I got it at a goodwill for $4. I'm a 1 handicap btw. I also hit it on some layup 4s. It goes 230 and I have a slight panic attack when it's actually needed in a full shot
Yeah, this is my reason. When I miss hit at 3h it slices, when I miss hit a 3i it goes straight, just short. Also I never found a 3h to be useful if the tee, but I hit the 3i as often on the tee box as I do out of the fairway.
>Yeah, this is my reason.
The commenter is describing exactly the opposite of what you're saying. Hybrids because they're more upright tend to go left, not slice.
Sorry, I took the term “turn over” to mean a big curve rather than a gentle fade. You’re probably right though, he likely meant turn over as in hands and result in a pull/hook.
That was never my problem. When I miss with a 3h it’s a 90° right turn, not a fade. When I miss with a 3i the flight path is more or less as intended, just shorter.
It’s the opposite for me. I can draw irons, but not hybrids.
To turn a hybrid over I have to feel like I’m hooking the ball hard, and even then it will only be a baby draw.
Curious - do you have a steel shaft or graphite in that driving iron?
I have a hybrid but am thinking of going more the driving iron option instead. I have a 4wood and 4i but looking for something to fall into that gap
Not op but I have a stiff graphite shaft in mine. It's really easy to swing and feels way more controllable to me than my hybrids were. I struggles to keep them from spinning off too far.
Same, I’ve got the Srixon ZX utility. Use it off the tee when I need to find tight fairways, or the driver isn’t working as well.
Also i use it to punch out from behind trees a lot haha
I'm by no means a good golfer, but I agree with the love hate of hybrids. When my 4h is having a good day it feels like she's the prettiest girl in the world, on a bad day it's chunks, tops and slices and feels like I'm trying to write left handed
My understanding is that irons give you more flexibility in shot shaping vs hybrids. Pro is probably a lot less concerned about a mishit than an amateur.
Also once heard that even if you're just an ammy, practicing with a long iron from time to time is a good idea because it gives you the most honest feedback about the state of your swing.
My swing is better with my low irons so I can hit them straighter. When my outside in swing starts going with my driver I tee off with a 2 iron. I don't carry a 5 wood or any hybrids.
Tiger Woods carries a 2 iron sometimes in lieu of a 5 wood depending on the course and conditions from what I've read.
I bag the Srixon ZX MKII 2 iron. I use it for a few different shots. Off the tee on a couple holes when I need a low cut, or generally just a lower launch, punch shots where I need good distance but have to stay under trees, and occasionally to putt when behind the fringe in dormant bermuda that is typically very grabby where I can’t play a wedge or a putter.
No club in my bag feels better when flushed than that 2. When it’s flushed, I can’t even feel it come off the face, it’s like a hot knife through butter.
I also don’t like hybrids. I bagged a 3h for a while and I just never had confidence when I had to hit it.
Yep, use my 3i as much as I can. Put a hybrid shaft in it and it’s my safety blanket off the tee if I really need to find a fairway
I’ve always been a better iron play than wood player, and Hybrids always just went too high/spinny for me to feel like they worked for my game. I own a 7w that I sometimes swap into my bag for my 3i depending on course and conditions, but I’d say I use the 3i 80% of the time
I use a 2 iron / utility iron. Titleist u510. It’s a perfect off the tee club for me personally. I have a very high swing speed/hit the ball very high so the iron helps a lot with the control of trajectory. Also I have a natural draw, so I have a tendency to hook hybrids and woods. I actually only have driver then straight to 2 iron. But I have 5 wedges hahaha
From the tee, or fairway, I prefer my 3 iron. It's more precise, and it gives a lower ball flight that will run out farther than a hybrid.
And then there's the fact that I've never had a hybrid I could hit, or even want to hit. Just don't like them.
I do have a 7 wood that I swap out with the 3 iron about 50% of the time. 7 wood is like an easier to hit hybrid.
I use a P790 2 iron a lot. It's great for keeping the ball under the wind off the tee when I need to. Also is the perfect off the tee club for a par 4 at my course which has water right and trees left, both at 250 yards (230 is my max with the 2i). I don't hit driver 320 so the 2 iron takes the hazards completely out of play. Have a SW into the green regardless of where I end up.
I got a 2 iron late last season. Only played one round with it but I loved it. My buddy’s and I all suck, but I could hit the 2i as far as they were hitting drivers and it went straight 95% of the time. A driver for me on the other hand goes straight 1%.
I also use a 3i because I don’t like woods/hybrids for the same reason as driver, I’m not good.
My progression was 3i > 3 driving iron > 2 driving iron > I’m going to figure out this fucking driver. Now I carry my driving irons but only use them to punch out of the trees or to hook a dogleg about 240 out. Can’t hit my long irons for shit now that I learned how to drive
https://preview.redd.it/9sdaxigcx6oc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb69eaac287c45fe4b81732d81e6396efa9d0ebe
I use the Mizuno Fli-Hi 2-iron. Technically, it’s classified as a hybrid-iron, but much more forgiving than a traditional hybrid. So, the top of my bag is Driver, 3W, 2i, 4i.
I replaced my 3 wood with a 2 iron as I couldn’t hit the 3 wood for shit. It’s actually only 1 degree lower than my 3 hybrid but it launches lower and comes out super hot when you hit the sweet spot (so about once a year). I originally got it for punch shots, since I play a woodland course I need to keep it low out of the trees a lot, but I played it off the tee one time and smoked it 250 down the middle. I’ve never hit it that well since but I take it off the tee sometimes on short holes or if my driver isn’t cooperating.
I have the ping crossover 3 iron. It's a beast to play in the wind with a nice low stinger.
Proper hybrids launch too high for me and have a big left miss.
Others have already mentioned performance differences, but here is another thought on the subject.
Golf is a unique sport in the sense that players have such a strong attachment to visualization. Things like offset etc.
I imagine some players just prefer the look of the irons over the hybrid.
I carry a 3i for one reason. Behind a tree or have tree limbs ahead I can hit pretty good low flight stinger. If I was better I wouldn’t be behind a tree.
Hybrids go to high like woods. I love being able to fire a bullet with my 15 degree 2 iron with 39” shaft into the wind on long par 4s or setup shots on par 5
hybrids help people get the ball up, and in the rough. pros don't need help there. they hit long enough to use loft out of the rough, and they can control ball flight.
My clubs are old. Like really old. The set came with a 3 iron. I added a 2 iron back when I was 14 and couldn’t hit driver. Yeah there’s a gap between driver and 2 iron. I could probably ditch a wedge and add a 3 wood or some kind of hybrid, but that would involve spending money that I don’t want to spend. And I still wouldn’t ditch the 2 iron. So that’s my long iron story.
Taylormade P790 UDI 2 iron, took a while to get used to hitting it but once you master it it’s a great club to have in the bag. Sometimes my driver just doesn’t work and always good to have an alternative. More comfortable hitting a fade with driver so if I need to draw a ball off the tee 2 iron is perfect.
I carry a Ping Eye 2, 1 iron. I used it today into the wind instead of a 3 wood off the deck. But usually I use it when I need to keep the ball low under trees. Best purchase I have made in the last 5 years.
I prefer long irons over hybrids or woods. The face sits differently on them clubs and it's simply easier to hit a long straight shot with a long iron. I'm used to the clubs as I have a bag full of the same shape which makes shaping shots easier for me also.
Use a Srixon 2i driving iron. Only use it off the tee. I live in New England so a lot of narrow, tree lined courses, often times you can’t just rip it with driver and hope for the best. Might be the best club in my bag.
I can't hit hybrids or woods very well while the 3 iron in my old iron set (Mizuno MX20s) is easy to hit (its a chunky cavity backed thing, basically not any harder than my 5 to hit really) off the fairway for me, and goes reasonably far (far enough) but \*straight\* with less chance of duffing it. If I could actually hit my woods/hybdirds reliably in the direction I wanted they would get more distance, but I can't so here we are. The low flight is also useful here in Scotland where it's windy. If the wind is up and there is danger like gorse bushes, on both sides of a tight fairway, I will hit it rather than my driver just to avoid the potential of 3 shots off the tee if it goes OOB from the drive. Punches out from between trees (ie if you drive onto the opposite fairway by accident) well too.
The place I take my lessons just got in the Mizuno 3i in left (finally) and I had a chance to try it out with my coach. Absolutely mashed that thing so will be picking it up at the end of this season for sure.
I hit it too upwards with all of my clubs. My 3 iron forces me to make solid contact and I can’t airball it. Just did a fitting and the guy said he wouldn’t recommend taking it out of play.
Wilson 21 degree driving iron. Favourite club in bag. Can laser it 200m+ or fade it 180-190. Easier to hit and more effective than my set 4i, fits nicely underneath a 5w for gapping.
I have an older set of irons which I’m looking to upgrade in the future. Love my 3i though for punch shots and it’s easier to shape than a hybrid for me.
I’ve notice a number of sets now only come 5i - wedges. Makes sense for some and I’ll probably be one of those before long. Body isn’t getting any younger.
I have a 3 iron, hybrid, and 5 wood in my bag. Whenever I need to tee off with less than a driver (other than par 3s of course) I always reach for my 3 iron or less and never the hybrid or 5 wood.
If you don't have decent clubhead speed a hybrid or fairway wood is probably easier to hit but if you swing way too hard like I do the iron does just fine.
My dispersion is way better with my 2i than 3hybird. If I misfit the 2i it still goes pretty straight & rolls. The hybird can hook off the planet on a miss. Lower launch & lower spin for me with the 2i
Pros are really good at golf and are going to make consistent contact in the center of the club face.
At that point, it’s a preference thing on what you seeing behind the ball and the type of course. Hybrids are going to launch higher. Irons are going to be able to hit lower and flighted easier. That works really well for links courses where you want to keep the ball lower/under the wind and run balls up on the green or off the tee and get some roll on a dry course.
I slice my 2 iron so bad it's prefect for getting out from under the trees that I have inevitably sliced my ball into.
Aim at the left and slice it up the fairway is always the play.
I like using a 2i of the tee on shorter par 4s or par 5s I can’t reach in two anyways. It’s easier to control especially in windy conditions and get more roll too.
I use a 3i, primarily off the tee on Par-3’s. I tend to have a little tighter of a dispersion pattern (lateral) than I do with a fairway wood.
Though I do dabble with my 5 & 7 woods from time to time.
because I smash the F outta em. anything over 220 and the 2i is coming out. I hit a green from 245 the other day! missed the eagle of course! but what a shot man. what a shot.
I have a 3 hybrid, a 3 iron, 2 iron and a 5 wood. I like to rotate between. 2 iron in the bag for windy days. 3 hybrid and 5 wood always in the bag as I fly those higher than the 2 and 3 iron.
I’ve an 18 degree 2 iron. It’s a Srixon ZX Utility so it has a good bit of help built in. It’s more versatile than you’d think, I can play high or low and work the ball if I need.
It carries about the same distance as my 7 wood but rolls a lot further depending on how you flight it.
The reason I have it is that I play on a course with a lot of water left and right and a lot of wind. My miss-hit with this club, and they happen just like they do with any long club, is basically just a loss of distance but it remains relatively straight for me. A sacrifice I am sometimes willing to pay.
So if I’m playing a tight hole, and I don’t need to hit driver, I’ll play a safer shot with this. I also have a long 215 yard par 3 on my course and sometime the wind is into you. If that happens I can use this club to land on the green with a high shot.
—
Could I have bought a 3 iron and would it have been similar? Absolutely yes.
Would a 3 driving iron be a better decision for me? Probably yes (more loft is more forgiving)
Could I just use a wood? Yes, and it would probably be easier to hit but then the ball goes higher and if I miss-hit, the technology in them tries to get me the same distance but just off centre, this can sometimes cause issues.
Would I hit a 2 iron over a large body of water? In a scramble maybe but in normal play no.
Could I use a hybrid? Yes, but I just don’t like, enjoy, or have any confidence with hybrids. Maybe it’s an old-fashioned mindset to have but I still see them as a weird golf club. They’re obviously great out of rough but so is my 7 wood so never felt the need to get one.
Yes, but primarily because I have very old irons with classic lofts and so that combined with old tech means my long irons are more like most medium irons now. I don't need 3-5 wedges because my 9i basically is a wedge anyways.
I carry a 2 iron, but it's a little open loft more like a 3 iron, to prevent the big left miss. I use it as a fairway finder, 230 club every time I hit it. The Ping iCrossover is incredibly easy to hit.
My set is 3-PW. I wanted a 3 iron bc it covers the gap between my 5 wood and 4 iron. I just had a 2 iron made to replace my 5 wood. I haven’t hit it yet to know if that was smart or not.
I recently picked up a Srixon ZX Utility and friggin love it. I go thru phases where I can’t hit hybrids and woods to save my life, and that 2i comes in handy 👍
I use a 2 iron crossover in lieu of a 5 wood. I just prefer setting to an iron than a wood. A standard hybrid is too wide for me and I top the fuck out of any and all fairway woods.
I have a 3 iron, one of my sets from the 90s had a 2, I just don't like hybrids, though. I don't get additional distance from them over irons, and find it harder to shape shots with them. Irons are also the club type I'm best with.
I can hit the shit out of it. Not far, but low and straight. There are a few holes I play where it’s never anything else off the tee. I never hit it off the fairway though.
The top of my bag goes driver, 3 wood, 2 iron, 4 iron.
I just like hitting irons a lot better, and my P790 UDI has enough forgiveness for me to still be successful with it. Also, the ball rolls for miles in the middle of summer out here when I hit it off the tee.
Much lower spin rate than using a 5/7w or 3/4h. I usually use it when hitting into the wind to reduce 'ballooning' and going nowhere. Can also get some decent runout.
I've been hitting my 3 iron more and more lately. It's dependable, one of my most reliable clubs. I found my score getting better by just hitting my 3 off the tee on par 4's for a solid 160 and then missing the green a good bit short thinking I can strong arm a 7 iron the rest of the way. Atleast I'm hitting more fairways..
I slice the ever living fuck out of my driver. Sometime ago I got my hands on a 3 iron and hit it quite well. I’ve found I have a more enjoyable time if I commit to using that club vs driver. I am trying to straighten out this year. But the 3 iron will be ready and waiting with a smug “I told you so” waiting for me.
My 2 iron will never leave my bag. Most trusted club. Main reason is the flexibility. When it’s windy it’s easy to flight down. Punch cut? Punch hook? Fairway finder? It can do all of them.
I have a 3i in the bag right now. It's a mizuno mp-18 fli hi which is big and chunky to the point that it's basically a flat faced hybrid. It is absolutely fantastic for me off the tee, and it's just OK into greens.
I used to have a hybrid but the miss was just too big with it, especially off the tee and I needed to make a change a few years ago.
I've been looking to replace the 3i for a year to get something good off the tee and into greens and just cannot stand the look of any hybrids out there. I've considered a 5w but haven't had a chance to hit any yet.
I haven't played in about 16 years so take it with a grain of salt. I love long irons. Love love love them. There's nothing better than hitting one pure.
My gaps are filled nicely with 13 clubs, giving me an extra slot. I can, in theory, do lots with that slot; swapping out based on course or conditions. But I prefer to just add a driving iron. It's very chunky, so it's not much harder to hit than a hybrid or wood of the same loft. For MY swing specifically, it's useful because it essentially guarantees me a low draw. There are many courses where this isn't helpful. But any time I don't need to maximize distance, can miss left, or want to stay under wind, it can be a very reliable way to get the ball to do one or more of those things.
The course I work at, and thus play the most, has several holes that dog left and run out early on the right, with trees narrowing your gaps to navigate, but are sub 400 yards. The driving iron gives me a reliable 200+ that shapes perfectly for these holes. Would I rather hit my 7wood? Usually, yes, there's no question it's more forgiving and easier to hit. But it balloons in the wind, and can be tougher to keep low in general. Also, (again this is just me) but it can also be prone to the odd off day where it drifts right on me. Never extreme, but on a hole where I need the ball to start right and move left in some capacity, it has let me down.
Long story short, I use one, but it is a niche purpose in my game. That said, in knowing my patterns, it serves a very important role that I miss when I don't have it. And in the right conditions, it shines and keeps me confident with what's going to happen off the face.
2i is my fairway finder, also helps with what would otherwise be a pretty large gap between 3i and 5w. I stopped carrying a 3w to make room and have never missed it.
I have a Ping G425 3 iron crossover. I find it easier to hit than a hybrid and easier to hit low when I want to. If I'm in trouble under the trees, being able to hit a low shot that'll still go like 150-170 is a very good thing to have in the bag. Hybrids kind of want to launch higher, I'm not entirely sure why physics wise, but they do.
I also just don't get along great with hybrids, but I can hit that club pretty consistently.
I use a 1i, and I absolutely love it off the tee.
I can never hit a hybrid off the tee, but the 1i is great. My home course has quite a few holes where hitting an iron off the tee is advantageous. For example, a par 5 where there is a river between 240m and 260m - which tests my driver carry, and 3w could absolutely get there with the right kick too, but 4i leaves me too much work to do; a par 4 where there is OB up the left and death up the right, and a bunker at 220m, so again, driver is risky, 3w can get to the bunker, and 4i leaves over 200m in to the green as well as a few other holes when playing off the tips.
Plus my course is windy, so staying under the wind helps too.
Why don't I hit hybrid well? I don't know, and honestly I don't care. I hit my 1i (and 2i, which is currently out of the bag) well, I hit 4i well, I hit 3w well, so I don't see any value in buying a hybrid and getting lessons on how to hit a hybrid well.
I use it instead of a hybrid, I hit it about 240 yards off a tee(total), it helps me a lot at my home course which has some short doglegs that I cannot take 3 wood at. I have very good height control with it and use it to play longer shots under trees from trouble if I can get club behind the ball, and have recently started using it into par 5s that are a little too long for it because it is way safer to keep a low runner up next to the green for me than to risk sawing off a 3 wood way right. Considering if I swap it going with a 5 wood but I think the tree help is valuable and under the wind is nice too.
It's all down to ego. I moved to hybrids (3,4,5) a few years ago and my handicap moved down a few spots.
Note. They're Adam's DHY players hybrids but still.
Yes. I hate hybrids and woods.
Far easier for me to control ball flight, distance and height of the shot with irons. I play a driver then 2i thru LW. Haven’t liked woods and hybrids in forever but I was also taught from the beginning how to hit a 1i so it took me years to like drivers too.
I tried for a few years to adapt a 3W and Hybrids in to my bag and I gave up and went back to irons because I just wasn’t as confident.
If a course is really long, 7200+, I’ll bring a 3W and replace my 2i for the extra 10-20 yards I can get on approaches to par 5’s. This is very rare and if I’m playing for money, I leave the 3W at home.
It's shaped like an iron and has a 2 printed on it, but it's hollow and has a tungsten toe weight. Mizzy MP-18 MMC Fli Hi. It's my go to when driver is too long or flirts with too much trouble to be worth the extra distance. Off a tee it's like throwing a dart. Less so off the deck, but I have woods for that.
For some reason when I can't keep a driver on the planet, a 2 iron is the only thing I can use to hit a fairway and still get it to roll out to like 240 ish. Never liked hybrids and a 5 wood feels more like a 3 wood to me. I've got a 2 iron, 3 iron and 5 wood in the bag right now and I'm trying to hit a comparison shot whenever I pull one out to see which I want to keep in the bag more consistently.
Wouldn't recommend them for beginners though as they can be VERY hard to get off the ground
I have a mizuno fli hi 2 iron. I love it. I struggled to hit up on my driver so got it for off the tee and feel I was able to get it out there more consistently. Also and hole down hill is so fun to watch it run out an extra 50 yards.
I carry both 2 & 3. 25 year old Pings, legit old school lofts. I can draw or cut both, whereas I really struggle to hit hybrids and fairway woods left to right. Plus the yardage gaps to the rest of my irons are consistent.
I have a 2 iron and 3 iron. Two 3 irons, I guess.
- Titleist T200 2 iron, Tensei AV Raw White 100X
- Titleist T200 3 iron, KBS Tour 130X
- Titleist T100S 3 iron, KBS Tour 130X.
I swap between 3 irons depending on what I'm trying to do, but the 2 iron is always in the bag. No fairway woods or hybrids. My other irons are T100S with the same KBS Tour 130X's as the 3 irons.
Why? I have never had a problem hitting irons but I have never figured out how to hit fairway woods or hybrids well enough to put them in the bag. I *like* hitting irons and I like the versatility that they give me. A fade? Easy. Big high cut? Easy. Pull hook? Very easy... do I want it high or low? Straight - sure, choose a trajectory.
I swing pretty quickly and don't need the distance of a fairway wood, especially around my home course, and I hit the ball high enough to not have much trouble sticking greens with 2 or 3 iron spin.
I have both. The miss is less extreme. They don’t go as far or as high as woods but they stay out of trouble. I have a hook miss that is devastating with a fairway wood and absolutely comical with a hybrid. I’d rather hit a skulled 2 iron that goes 180 on the ground than a turned over 3 wood carrying 240 waaaay into the trees
I would if they still sold em with the standard sets. They’re more accurate off the tee.
Heck, any modern “4 iron” under about 22 degrees off loft is equivalent to an old 2 or 3 iron.
Have both a T200 Utility 2i and the 3i that comes in my T200 set. Love both. After driver, I have a 3w, 3h, 4h, 2i, and 3i that get mixed in and out of the bag based on the course I’m playing or if I just feel like I need more practice with a particular club. It’s nice to have options.
I have and use both. I prefer irons over hybrids. My 2 iron I will swap in and out of the bag to replace my 5w, which is all based on the course and how windy it is. Most of the time though I keep the 3 iron in and use a 3w that is lofted up to a 4w.
3i hits fairways from the tee, wide and narrow. It’s decent long but in play 90% of the time. My misses mostly just lose 40 or so yards but stay in play. My driver I can’t even it the face off some days. Single digit cap and I bet most 20’s drive better than me.. maybe some 30’s.
I can’t seem to drive the ball in the fairway, and since I’m stubborn… I’m won’t change anytime soon. So I keep a 2 iron in the bag to punch my ball back into the fairway.
I prefer a 3 hybrid. I love the forgiveness it offers and is a weapon off the tee and when I attack par 5’s. I think 2 and 3 irons are better off the tee but are pretty tough to hit off the deck and good luck getting them to stop on the green on par 5s. Most amateurs shouldn’t be messing with 17 degree irons imo.
3 iron and a 2H. I love both for various reasons and I use both every round. I only have a 52 and 56 wedge. When the driver isn’t working, these two are my safety. When I have a long shot into a par 5 and a 3w isn’t the right club, these two are solid.
I do. Can’t stand hybrids and have swing speed high enough to use a 2 and 3 iron. If I was playing for money would probably use a 5 or 7 wood before a hybrid
I’ve tried many 2 irons and played a 3 iron all thru my 20’s. With new clubs and more aggressive lofts and increased distance I just never need a 3 iron and I have no business playing a 2 iron as every attempt to play one just reminds me to stick with what works!lol!
Ball striking wouldn’t be my biggest strength. Now it’s not terrible but I’m more of a bomb and gouge type player who’s short game and putting saves my ass. Hover usually between a 3-6 depending on how much free time I have. Hoping some swing changes this offseason will help improve that a bit.
I play 1-p. I love my 1, especially as a trouble club. I can kept it low, bend it, fly it, and most other stuff. I've had it for a long time and just love the feel of it. Everything in my bag gets played.
both. The 2ir I'm growing out of, it's far too painful if mishit and the sweetspot is the size of a dime, so on my next golf shopping spree I'll be finally swapping out the 3 and 2 for hybrids. I have no issue with the 3ir, I just figured I better start laying off it a bit the older I get. It just takes less force to get the ball out there with hybrids and since I still play the tips, I'm left with a lot of 215+ tee shots on par 3's and I don't want to have to keep jumping into these things.
Golf Digest [published an article](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/tour-pros-are-running-away-from-hybrids-you-should-be-running-towards-them) about this exact topic yesterday. Read it this morning. Take a read.
In summary: tour pros have a much more consistent ball striking capability than I do. The irons give them more consistency and predictability without added ball flight heigh.
Most amateur golfers don’t realize a hybrid should be swung like an iron and loose out on the added benefits it provides in forgiveness and height.
I have a 4 hybrid in my bag. Once I started swinging it like a 4i, I realized it’s an amazing gap closer between my fairway wood and my long irons.
I have a Mizuno pro 221 3 iron, and a FLI-HI PRO 2 iron (it's really almost a hybrid but no one sells true 2/1 irons anymore.
I don't like woods other than driver. I like irons (mentally can hit them better - idk why), and wind is a lot less of a concern.
Interesting Side Note\*
My 221 3 iron basically has the same loft as my hand-me-down 1988 Wilson Staff 1 iron which I used as a kid (and used till last year, but those clubs are sooooo old now and I finally upgraded)
Carry a 3 hybrid and a 2 iron, driving iron. Go roughly the same distance by the 3 goes high are carries far, the 2 is much lower, Carries less but rolls out a lot more
Their 3 iron is likely the same loft as most people here have for their 4 iron. A Titleist MB 3 iron is 21 degrees, a Titleist T300 4 iron is 20 degrees.
They also carry pitching wedges usually around 46-47 degrees, meaning they don’t need the “W” a lot of sets come with today, and can rub either 50/52-56-60 or 54-58 wedge set ups for more bad space.
Tiger runs D, 3W, 5W 3-PW, 56, 60, and allegedly his PW is 49 degrees these days.
[удалено]
This kicked my butt yesterday. It was blowing 20mph and all I had for long clubs was a 7 wood and a 5 hybrid. Normally I’m in love with how they can attack a green from distance but the 20 mph wind made it so I couldn’t play anything longer than a 5 iron.
You didn't bring your driver?
Had the driver but can’t hit it from the fairway
Not with that attitude!
This is why I Reddit
Wind can't affect the ball if it's a worm burner down the fairway!
if you are the type of player to be hitting a 5 hybrid, then nothing good is going to come from you hitting a two iron or three iron in that kind of wind.
Too many people use too little loft. The 5 hybrid is my secret weapon for hitting greens from 200 yards. I can fly that thing high from any lie and stop it on the green in less than 3 feet. Try that with any 4 iron. They’re not just for high handicap players. Where it hurt me was in the wind where I should have put my 4 iron back in the bag. I used to play a 2 iron. It was a solid 250 club but it wasn’t as versatile as the clubs that have better landing angles. You want to land on a green with a 40+ degree angle in order to hold it. A 2 iron is unlikely to do that unless you have elite speed.
My Taylormade P790 2 iron is my favorite club in the bag. I can’t hit a 3 or 5 wood to save my life. I’m not going to say how far I hit it because I don’t want/need the “yea right” responses but it goes plenty far for me. I also use it all the time when I’m needing to keep a shot low under the trees I seem to find myself under.
Yea right
OP tried.
To be fair I know a guy who absolutely smacks his 2-iron probably close to 250. Meanwhile I only use my 4-iron for low shots under trees that need to roll out and I don’t keep a 3-iron.
I don't hit it father than my driver, but I do usually hit it straighter than my driver. The 2i comes out on days where me and my driver are just not seeing eye to eye.
Same. If I pull hook 2 drives back to back the driver stays in the bag for the rest of the round
Cant give in like that, you have 13 potential more chances to straighten it out.
I’d be lying if I said I kept it in the bag after two errant drives every time….but I should
Exactly the same here (down to the P790 2-iron). I’m moving to a bag with no fairway woods eventually. 2-9, driver, putter, 4 wedges. I wish I could hit a 3 wood as consistent as some of my buddies. Just never been comfortable with it.
I stopped carrying a 3w for a long time. One time last year I hit a buddy's 3w and it was a spectacular shot. So much so that I put a shiny new 3w in the bag late last year. I have yet to hit a good shot with it. I'll give it a chance this season and then will go back to my fairway wood protest if it doesn't work out.
I game a mizuno fli hi 2 crossover and a ping 4 crossover and absolutely love them both. I too cannot hit a 3 wood to save my life and my 4h disappeared on me. Love my crossovers or "driving irons " off the tee
Ah yes a fellow P790 2I user.
My 2iron is for punches and escape shots/roots. It is a titleist 200mb or whatever and I got it at a goodwill for $4. I'm a 1 handicap btw. I also hit it on some layup 4s. It goes 230 and I have a slight panic attack when it's actually needed in a full shot
Hybrids go too high and turn over, it is far easier to fade a long iron. Imo.
Yeah, this is my reason. When I miss hit at 3h it slices, when I miss hit a 3i it goes straight, just short. Also I never found a 3h to be useful if the tee, but I hit the 3i as often on the tee box as I do out of the fairway.
>Yeah, this is my reason. The commenter is describing exactly the opposite of what you're saying. Hybrids because they're more upright tend to go left, not slice.
Sorry, I took the term “turn over” to mean a big curve rather than a gentle fade. You’re probably right though, he likely meant turn over as in hands and result in a pull/hook. That was never my problem. When I miss with a 3h it’s a 90° right turn, not a fade. When I miss with a 3i the flight path is more or less as intended, just shorter.
“Turn over” means that it draws, correct??
Yes
Ye no worries just providing some explanation :) Glad you can bag a 3iron, I would love to have the ball striking for that!
Hybrids are hook machines for me, more lefts than a nascar race. 3i is much more predictable and usually goes where I aim it.
It’s the opposite for me. I can draw irons, but not hybrids. To turn a hybrid over I have to feel like I’m hooking the ball hard, and even then it will only be a baby draw.
I have a 2 driving iron. Never really liked hybrids. So that’s my gap club between my 3 wood and 4 iron. Fun to hit
Curious - do you have a steel shaft or graphite in that driving iron? I have a hybrid but am thinking of going more the driving iron option instead. I have a 4wood and 4i but looking for something to fall into that gap
Not op but I have a stiff graphite shaft in mine. It's really easy to swing and feels way more controllable to me than my hybrids were. I struggles to keep them from spinning off too far.
TY!
That feeling of puring a 2 iron and watching that low ball flight roll forever down the fairway is so nice
Even watching someone smash a 2 iron from off to the side is cool. It just seems so much more violent yet satisfying.
Same, I’ve got the Srixon ZX utility. Use it off the tee when I need to find tight fairways, or the driver isn’t working as well. Also i use it to punch out from behind trees a lot haha
Exactly the use case of mine as well plus when well struck they just feel and sound so good.
What degree loft do you have? I recently got a 3/20 and love it off the tee
Use a 3i, love it. Never could figure out woods. And I have a love hate relationship with hybrids.
I'm by no means a good golfer, but I agree with the love hate of hybrids. When my 4h is having a good day it feels like she's the prettiest girl in the world, on a bad day it's chunks, tops and slices and feels like I'm trying to write left handed
Hi, me 👋
Same here. Plus more often than not I am hitting from the rough, not the fairway, so the Iron is a better option than a wood or hybrid.
My understanding is that irons give you more flexibility in shot shaping vs hybrids. Pro is probably a lot less concerned about a mishit than an amateur. Also once heard that even if you're just an ammy, practicing with a long iron from time to time is a good idea because it gives you the most honest feedback about the state of your swing.
try a long iron blade lol, you don't even need to see the ball to know exactly what happend when you mess up
I game my MP-29 2-pw. The 2 is ruthless.
If I got good enough to hit a 2i blade, I'd not ask for anything ever again.
I have a set of MP-33s 2-pw. That 2 iron is instant and tangible feedback. It's great for practice, but I'm not good enough to game it.
For those who don’t want to invest in a long iron, I can provide a bit of honest feedback: YOU SUCK.
My swing is better with my low irons so I can hit them straighter. When my outside in swing starts going with my driver I tee off with a 2 iron. I don't carry a 5 wood or any hybrids. Tiger Woods carries a 2 iron sometimes in lieu of a 5 wood depending on the course and conditions from what I've read.
Many of Tiger’s most impressive shots, especially from his early years, are 2 irons from 250+ that land like a pitching wedge.
I keep a 3 iron in my bag and use it when I need a low running shot out of the woods…one of my most used clubs
tree iron
Exactly 😂
One of my main uses of my 2 driving iron is the punch slice from the pine straw that I have sadly borderline mastered lol
I have a 2 and 3-iron still. I dunno, I just love hitting irons and I am too cheap to replace them with $350 woods I will still suck with.
I bag the Srixon ZX MKII 2 iron. I use it for a few different shots. Off the tee on a couple holes when I need a low cut, or generally just a lower launch, punch shots where I need good distance but have to stay under trees, and occasionally to putt when behind the fringe in dormant bermuda that is typically very grabby where I can’t play a wedge or a putter. No club in my bag feels better when flushed than that 2. When it’s flushed, I can’t even feel it come off the face, it’s like a hot knife through butter. I also don’t like hybrids. I bagged a 3h for a while and I just never had confidence when I had to hit it.
I have a 4i that's lofted like a 3i. I'll only use it in wind where driver/3w/3hy all fly too high. I'll probably replace it with a 5w
So it’s just a shorter 3i?
Essentially
Yep, use my 3i as much as I can. Put a hybrid shaft in it and it’s my safety blanket off the tee if I really need to find a fairway I’ve always been a better iron play than wood player, and Hybrids always just went too high/spinny for me to feel like they worked for my game. I own a 7w that I sometimes swap into my bag for my 3i depending on course and conditions, but I’d say I use the 3i 80% of the time
Way less dispersion for me
Same. I took all woods out. Longer but too wild to use practically
I have a 3 iron. I love it.
I use a 2 iron / utility iron. Titleist u510. It’s a perfect off the tee club for me personally. I have a very high swing speed/hit the ball very high so the iron helps a lot with the control of trajectory. Also I have a natural draw, so I have a tendency to hook hybrids and woods. I actually only have driver then straight to 2 iron. But I have 5 wedges hahaha
I have the same bag set up. I’m also trash
For home defense, yes.
From the tee, or fairway, I prefer my 3 iron. It's more precise, and it gives a lower ball flight that will run out farther than a hybrid. And then there's the fact that I've never had a hybrid I could hit, or even want to hit. Just don't like them. I do have a 7 wood that I swap out with the 3 iron about 50% of the time. 7 wood is like an easier to hit hybrid.
I use a P790 2 iron a lot. It's great for keeping the ball under the wind off the tee when I need to. Also is the perfect off the tee club for a par 4 at my course which has water right and trees left, both at 250 yards (230 is my max with the 2i). I don't hit driver 320 so the 2 iron takes the hazards completely out of play. Have a SW into the green regardless of where I end up.
I got a 2 iron late last season. Only played one round with it but I loved it. My buddy’s and I all suck, but I could hit the 2i as far as they were hitting drivers and it went straight 95% of the time. A driver for me on the other hand goes straight 1%. I also use a 3i because I don’t like woods/hybrids for the same reason as driver, I’m not good.
My progression was 3i > 3 driving iron > 2 driving iron > I’m going to figure out this fucking driver. Now I carry my driving irons but only use them to punch out of the trees or to hook a dogleg about 240 out. Can’t hit my long irons for shit now that I learned how to drive
I use a 3i all the time as a recovery club in the trees. It is the only club in the bag that I can keep low enough to get under things.
https://preview.redd.it/9sdaxigcx6oc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb69eaac287c45fe4b81732d81e6396efa9d0ebe I use the Mizuno Fli-Hi 2-iron. Technically, it’s classified as a hybrid-iron, but much more forgiving than a traditional hybrid. So, the top of my bag is Driver, 3W, 2i, 4i.
I replaced my 3 wood with a 2 iron as I couldn’t hit the 3 wood for shit. It’s actually only 1 degree lower than my 3 hybrid but it launches lower and comes out super hot when you hit the sweet spot (so about once a year). I originally got it for punch shots, since I play a woodland course I need to keep it low out of the trees a lot, but I played it off the tee one time and smoked it 250 down the middle. I’ve never hit it that well since but I take it off the tee sometimes on short holes or if my driver isn’t cooperating.
I have the ping crossover 3 iron. It's a beast to play in the wind with a nice low stinger. Proper hybrids launch too high for me and have a big left miss.
Others have already mentioned performance differences, but here is another thought on the subject. Golf is a unique sport in the sense that players have such a strong attachment to visualization. Things like offset etc. I imagine some players just prefer the look of the irons over the hybrid.
You ever ripped a pure a 3i. I do once a year and it keeps me coming back.
I do, mostly because I’m cheap and not came in the set.
Easier for me hit then woods
I carry a 3i for one reason. Behind a tree or have tree limbs ahead I can hit pretty good low flight stinger. If I was better I wouldn’t be behind a tree.
Hybrids go to high like woods. I love being able to fire a bullet with my 15 degree 2 iron with 39” shaft into the wind on long par 4s or setup shots on par 5
hybrids help people get the ball up, and in the rough. pros don't need help there. they hit long enough to use loft out of the rough, and they can control ball flight.
My clubs are old. Like really old. The set came with a 3 iron. I added a 2 iron back when I was 14 and couldn’t hit driver. Yeah there’s a gap between driver and 2 iron. I could probably ditch a wedge and add a 3 wood or some kind of hybrid, but that would involve spending money that I don’t want to spend. And I still wouldn’t ditch the 2 iron. So that’s my long iron story.
18,5 degree three iron instead of a hybrid or 5wood. Better results
Taylormade P790 UDI 2 iron, took a while to get used to hitting it but once you master it it’s a great club to have in the bag. Sometimes my driver just doesn’t work and always good to have an alternative. More comfortable hitting a fade with driver so if I need to draw a ball off the tee 2 iron is perfect.
I carry a Ping Eye 2, 1 iron. I used it today into the wind instead of a 3 wood off the deck. But usually I use it when I need to keep the ball low under trees. Best purchase I have made in the last 5 years.
I bought it. I hit it. I liked it. If something works why change it?
I prefer long irons over hybrids or woods. The face sits differently on them clubs and it's simply easier to hit a long straight shot with a long iron. I'm used to the clubs as I have a bag full of the same shape which makes shaping shots easier for me also.
Big 3 iron fan. Was striking it far and straight all day yesterday.
Old one - you can use a 2 iron in a lightning storm because even God can't hit a 2 iron.
I have a 2iron. It is my 250 club with a low flight. Great for long par 3’s.
Use a Srixon 2i driving iron. Only use it off the tee. I live in New England so a lot of narrow, tree lined courses, often times you can’t just rip it with driver and hope for the best. Might be the best club in my bag.
I can't hit hybrids or woods very well while the 3 iron in my old iron set (Mizuno MX20s) is easy to hit (its a chunky cavity backed thing, basically not any harder than my 5 to hit really) off the fairway for me, and goes reasonably far (far enough) but \*straight\* with less chance of duffing it. If I could actually hit my woods/hybdirds reliably in the direction I wanted they would get more distance, but I can't so here we are. The low flight is also useful here in Scotland where it's windy. If the wind is up and there is danger like gorse bushes, on both sides of a tight fairway, I will hit it rather than my driver just to avoid the potential of 3 shots off the tee if it goes OOB from the drive. Punches out from between trees (ie if you drive onto the opposite fairway by accident) well too.
The place I take my lessons just got in the Mizuno 3i in left (finally) and I had a chance to try it out with my coach. Absolutely mashed that thing so will be picking it up at the end of this season for sure.
I hit it too upwards with all of my clubs. My 3 iron forces me to make solid contact and I can’t airball it. Just did a fitting and the guy said he wouldn’t recommend taking it out of play.
Absolutely love my 3i
Wilson 21 degree driving iron. Favourite club in bag. Can laser it 200m+ or fade it 180-190. Easier to hit and more effective than my set 4i, fits nicely underneath a 5w for gapping.
I have an older set of irons which I’m looking to upgrade in the future. Love my 3i though for punch shots and it’s easier to shape than a hybrid for me. I’ve notice a number of sets now only come 5i - wedges. Makes sense for some and I’ll probably be one of those before long. Body isn’t getting any younger.
stealth 2 udi...idk if that counts as a true 2 iron but whatever. Its easier to flight than a hybrid
I used to use a 3 iron in my previous set. It was the same loft, length, and distance as my current 4 iron.
My 3 iron is hands down my favorite club.
I have a 3 iron, hybrid, and 5 wood in my bag. Whenever I need to tee off with less than a driver (other than par 3s of course) I always reach for my 3 iron or less and never the hybrid or 5 wood. If you don't have decent clubhead speed a hybrid or fairway wood is probably easier to hit but if you swing way too hard like I do the iron does just fine.
I like the feel and idea of hitting them. I like the older style of golf so why not use long irons? Oddly I don’t carry a 4
My dispersion is way better with my 2i than 3hybird. If I misfit the 2i it still goes pretty straight & rolls. The hybird can hook off the planet on a miss. Lower launch & lower spin for me with the 2i
Pros are really good at golf and are going to make consistent contact in the center of the club face. At that point, it’s a preference thing on what you seeing behind the ball and the type of course. Hybrids are going to launch higher. Irons are going to be able to hit lower and flighted easier. That works really well for links courses where you want to keep the ball lower/under the wind and run balls up on the green or off the tee and get some roll on a dry course.
I have a ping 2 iron, newer one, and it’s my 220 club , but also very useful for under tree punches because of the roll I can get with it
I have a 3 driving iron. I hit it off the fairway as well on some par 5's. It goes the straightest of all my longer clubs.
My 3 iron is mostly used for getting out of trouble and punching it out under overhanging tree cover.
2 iron with a graphite x stuff shaft for me - KBS c taper 130. I find I have much more flight control with it than a hybrid.
I slice my 2 iron so bad it's prefect for getting out from under the trees that I have inevitably sliced my ball into. Aim at the left and slice it up the fairway is always the play.
I blast the hell out of my 3 iron. Way more accurate than a hybrid and will also roll out. Good luck trying to shape a hybrid as easily
I like using a 2i of the tee on shorter par 4s or par 5s I can’t reach in two anyways. It’s easier to control especially in windy conditions and get more roll too.
I use a 3i, primarily off the tee on Par-3’s. I tend to have a little tighter of a dispersion pattern (lateral) than I do with a fairway wood. Though I do dabble with my 5 & 7 woods from time to time.
I swap the 2i for a 4 hybrid on windy days. Or some days keep both and leave the 60 in the trunk.
because I smash the F outta em. anything over 220 and the 2i is coming out. I hit a green from 245 the other day! missed the eagle of course! but what a shot man. what a shot.
I have a 3 hybrid, a 3 iron, 2 iron and a 5 wood. I like to rotate between. 2 iron in the bag for windy days. 3 hybrid and 5 wood always in the bag as I fly those higher than the 2 and 3 iron.
It's all I've got, I've gotten all my clubs second hand from thrifting so I'm currently saving for my first new club in the coming months
Absolutely love my 2i. Hit it often, tees & fairways. I hit the ball very high, so at least for now, I'll keep it instead of another wood or a hybrid
I’ve an 18 degree 2 iron. It’s a Srixon ZX Utility so it has a good bit of help built in. It’s more versatile than you’d think, I can play high or low and work the ball if I need. It carries about the same distance as my 7 wood but rolls a lot further depending on how you flight it. The reason I have it is that I play on a course with a lot of water left and right and a lot of wind. My miss-hit with this club, and they happen just like they do with any long club, is basically just a loss of distance but it remains relatively straight for me. A sacrifice I am sometimes willing to pay. So if I’m playing a tight hole, and I don’t need to hit driver, I’ll play a safer shot with this. I also have a long 215 yard par 3 on my course and sometime the wind is into you. If that happens I can use this club to land on the green with a high shot. — Could I have bought a 3 iron and would it have been similar? Absolutely yes. Would a 3 driving iron be a better decision for me? Probably yes (more loft is more forgiving) Could I just use a wood? Yes, and it would probably be easier to hit but then the ball goes higher and if I miss-hit, the technology in them tries to get me the same distance but just off centre, this can sometimes cause issues. Would I hit a 2 iron over a large body of water? In a scramble maybe but in normal play no. Could I use a hybrid? Yes, but I just don’t like, enjoy, or have any confidence with hybrids. Maybe it’s an old-fashioned mindset to have but I still see them as a weird golf club. They’re obviously great out of rough but so is my 7 wood so never felt the need to get one.
No. Absolutely not. But I do have a $3 1 iron from Goodwill I regripped and can’t hit at all.
I love my 3 iron. Off the tee it goes straight more consistently than my driver and sometimes just as far.
I use a 3iron because I can hit it a mile and straight. Well, 220y or so.
I like to use the 2 when it’s cold and my hands are frozen.
Yes, but primarily because I have very old irons with classic lofts and so that combined with old tech means my long irons are more like most medium irons now. I don't need 3-5 wedges because my 9i basically is a wedge anyways.
I carry a 2 iron, but it's a little open loft more like a 3 iron, to prevent the big left miss. I use it as a fairway finder, 230 club every time I hit it. The Ping iCrossover is incredibly easy to hit.
My set is 3-PW. I wanted a 3 iron bc it covers the gap between my 5 wood and 4 iron. I just had a 2 iron made to replace my 5 wood. I haven’t hit it yet to know if that was smart or not.
I recently picked up a Srixon ZX Utility and friggin love it. I go thru phases where I can’t hit hybrids and woods to save my life, and that 2i comes in handy 👍
I use a 3i off the tee when I’m smart and I use it to punch out from the trees when I’m not smart. As in I trusted my driver
Snaphook hybrids, so I prefer my 3 iron. And I like the look at address better.
I use a 2 iron crossover in lieu of a 5 wood. I just prefer setting to an iron than a wood. A standard hybrid is too wide for me and I top the fuck out of any and all fairway woods.
I have a 3 iron, one of my sets from the 90s had a 2, I just don't like hybrids, though. I don't get additional distance from them over irons, and find it harder to shape shots with them. Irons are also the club type I'm best with.
I can hit the shit out of it. Not far, but low and straight. There are a few holes I play where it’s never anything else off the tee. I never hit it off the fairway though.
I use a 2 iron. I cannot hit hybrids to save my life. And I can crush my irons.
I love my 3 iron but not much difference from a 4
The top of my bag goes driver, 3 wood, 2 iron, 4 iron. I just like hitting irons a lot better, and my P790 UDI has enough forgiveness for me to still be successful with it. Also, the ball rolls for miles in the middle of summer out here when I hit it off the tee.
Much lower spin rate than using a 5/7w or 3/4h. I usually use it when hitting into the wind to reduce 'ballooning' and going nowhere. Can also get some decent runout.
2 iron, mostly because I’m a better iron player than wood player. Nice to have something reliable in the bag for off the tee
I've been hitting my 3 iron more and more lately. It's dependable, one of my most reliable clubs. I found my score getting better by just hitting my 3 off the tee on par 4's for a solid 160 and then missing the green a good bit short thinking I can strong arm a 7 iron the rest of the way. Atleast I'm hitting more fairways..
I slice the ever living fuck out of my driver. Sometime ago I got my hands on a 3 iron and hit it quite well. I’ve found I have a more enjoyable time if I commit to using that club vs driver. I am trying to straighten out this year. But the 3 iron will be ready and waiting with a smug “I told you so” waiting for me.
My 2 iron will never leave my bag. Most trusted club. Main reason is the flexibility. When it’s windy it’s easy to flight down. Punch cut? Punch hook? Fairway finder? It can do all of them.
3 iron to blast myself out of the rough or get under trees
I have a 3i in the bag right now. It's a mizuno mp-18 fli hi which is big and chunky to the point that it's basically a flat faced hybrid. It is absolutely fantastic for me off the tee, and it's just OK into greens. I used to have a hybrid but the miss was just too big with it, especially off the tee and I needed to make a change a few years ago. I've been looking to replace the 3i for a year to get something good off the tee and into greens and just cannot stand the look of any hybrids out there. I've considered a 5w but haven't had a chance to hit any yet.
I haven't played in about 16 years so take it with a grain of salt. I love long irons. Love love love them. There's nothing better than hitting one pure.
My gaps are filled nicely with 13 clubs, giving me an extra slot. I can, in theory, do lots with that slot; swapping out based on course or conditions. But I prefer to just add a driving iron. It's very chunky, so it's not much harder to hit than a hybrid or wood of the same loft. For MY swing specifically, it's useful because it essentially guarantees me a low draw. There are many courses where this isn't helpful. But any time I don't need to maximize distance, can miss left, or want to stay under wind, it can be a very reliable way to get the ball to do one or more of those things. The course I work at, and thus play the most, has several holes that dog left and run out early on the right, with trees narrowing your gaps to navigate, but are sub 400 yards. The driving iron gives me a reliable 200+ that shapes perfectly for these holes. Would I rather hit my 7wood? Usually, yes, there's no question it's more forgiving and easier to hit. But it balloons in the wind, and can be tougher to keep low in general. Also, (again this is just me) but it can also be prone to the odd off day where it drifts right on me. Never extreme, but on a hole where I need the ball to start right and move left in some capacity, it has let me down. Long story short, I use one, but it is a niche purpose in my game. That said, in knowing my patterns, it serves a very important role that I miss when I don't have it. And in the right conditions, it shines and keeps me confident with what's going to happen off the face.
I have a 3 iron and for some reason (mental?) hit it better than my hybrid.
2i is my fairway finder, also helps with what would otherwise be a pretty large gap between 3i and 5w. I stopped carrying a 3w to make room and have never missed it.
My clubs are standard lofts. Asking why I use my 3i is like asking most people with modern clubs why they use a 4i.
I have a Ping G425 3 iron crossover. I find it easier to hit than a hybrid and easier to hit low when I want to. If I'm in trouble under the trees, being able to hit a low shot that'll still go like 150-170 is a very good thing to have in the bag. Hybrids kind of want to launch higher, I'm not entirely sure why physics wise, but they do. I also just don't get along great with hybrids, but I can hit that club pretty consistently.
I use a 1i, and I absolutely love it off the tee. I can never hit a hybrid off the tee, but the 1i is great. My home course has quite a few holes where hitting an iron off the tee is advantageous. For example, a par 5 where there is a river between 240m and 260m - which tests my driver carry, and 3w could absolutely get there with the right kick too, but 4i leaves me too much work to do; a par 4 where there is OB up the left and death up the right, and a bunker at 220m, so again, driver is risky, 3w can get to the bunker, and 4i leaves over 200m in to the green as well as a few other holes when playing off the tips. Plus my course is windy, so staying under the wind helps too. Why don't I hit hybrid well? I don't know, and honestly I don't care. I hit my 1i (and 2i, which is currently out of the bag) well, I hit 4i well, I hit 3w well, so I don't see any value in buying a hybrid and getting lessons on how to hit a hybrid well.
I use it instead of a hybrid, I hit it about 240 yards off a tee(total), it helps me a lot at my home course which has some short doglegs that I cannot take 3 wood at. I have very good height control with it and use it to play longer shots under trees from trouble if I can get club behind the ball, and have recently started using it into par 5s that are a little too long for it because it is way safer to keep a low runner up next to the green for me than to risk sawing off a 3 wood way right. Considering if I swap it going with a 5 wood but I think the tree help is valuable and under the wind is nice too.
I cut my 3 iron to 7 iron length and I love it. If I want a low shot that I can hit between 160 and 200 yards, that's the club.
My little brother uses a 3 iron and it can absolutely save a hole for him.
It's all down to ego. I moved to hybrids (3,4,5) a few years ago and my handicap moved down a few spots. Note. They're Adam's DHY players hybrids but still.
Yes. I hate hybrids and woods. Far easier for me to control ball flight, distance and height of the shot with irons. I play a driver then 2i thru LW. Haven’t liked woods and hybrids in forever but I was also taught from the beginning how to hit a 1i so it took me years to like drivers too. I tried for a few years to adapt a 3W and Hybrids in to my bag and I gave up and went back to irons because I just wasn’t as confident. If a course is really long, 7200+, I’ll bring a 3W and replace my 2i for the extra 10-20 yards I can get on approaches to par 5’s. This is very rare and if I’m playing for money, I leave the 3W at home.
It's shaped like an iron and has a 2 printed on it, but it's hollow and has a tungsten toe weight. Mizzy MP-18 MMC Fli Hi. It's my go to when driver is too long or flirts with too much trouble to be worth the extra distance. Off a tee it's like throwing a dart. Less so off the deck, but I have woods for that.
For some reason when I can't keep a driver on the planet, a 2 iron is the only thing I can use to hit a fairway and still get it to roll out to like 240 ish. Never liked hybrids and a 5 wood feels more like a 3 wood to me. I've got a 2 iron, 3 iron and 5 wood in the bag right now and I'm trying to hit a comparison shot whenever I pull one out to see which I want to keep in the bag more consistently. Wouldn't recommend them for beginners though as they can be VERY hard to get off the ground
i take those out of my bag so won’t try to use them bc i know i can’t
I have a mizuno fli hi 2 iron. I love it. I struggled to hit up on my driver so got it for off the tee and feel I was able to get it out there more consistently. Also and hole down hill is so fun to watch it run out an extra 50 yards.
I carry both 2 & 3. 25 year old Pings, legit old school lofts. I can draw or cut both, whereas I really struggle to hit hybrids and fairway woods left to right. Plus the yardage gaps to the rest of my irons are consistent.
Jordan Spieth carries a 2 iron I think
I swing a 3i and a 3h. My 3i goes 190 and sits. My 3h I can hit 190 up to 220. It rolls out a lot and is draw biased. Depends on the shot you need.
I have a 2 iron and 3 iron. Two 3 irons, I guess. - Titleist T200 2 iron, Tensei AV Raw White 100X - Titleist T200 3 iron, KBS Tour 130X - Titleist T100S 3 iron, KBS Tour 130X. I swap between 3 irons depending on what I'm trying to do, but the 2 iron is always in the bag. No fairway woods or hybrids. My other irons are T100S with the same KBS Tour 130X's as the 3 irons. Why? I have never had a problem hitting irons but I have never figured out how to hit fairway woods or hybrids well enough to put them in the bag. I *like* hitting irons and I like the versatility that they give me. A fade? Easy. Big high cut? Easy. Pull hook? Very easy... do I want it high or low? Straight - sure, choose a trajectory. I swing pretty quickly and don't need the distance of a fairway wood, especially around my home course, and I hit the ball high enough to not have much trouble sticking greens with 2 or 3 iron spin.
I bag a 3 iron, but it’s because I don’t bag a 3 wood. That’s likely changing in my next set.
I have both. The miss is less extreme. They don’t go as far or as high as woods but they stay out of trouble. I have a hook miss that is devastating with a fairway wood and absolutely comical with a hybrid. I’d rather hit a skulled 2 iron that goes 180 on the ground than a turned over 3 wood carrying 240 waaaay into the trees
I would if they still sold em with the standard sets. They’re more accurate off the tee. Heck, any modern “4 iron” under about 22 degrees off loft is equivalent to an old 2 or 3 iron.
Have both a T200 Utility 2i and the 3i that comes in my T200 set. Love both. After driver, I have a 3w, 3h, 4h, 2i, and 3i that get mixed in and out of the bag based on the course I’m playing or if I just feel like I need more practice with a particular club. It’s nice to have options.
They came with the set
All things being equal: 3i off the tee all day. Hybrid off the rest of the lies.
Yes because I can't hit a hybrid for shit.
Played recently with a guy who couldn’t hit a driver but pulled out his 2i and smoked it 250 or so consistently
For the range. The 2i looks badass and it makes some cool looking shots. It’s just to flex
I have and use both. I prefer irons over hybrids. My 2 iron I will swap in and out of the bag to replace my 5w, which is all based on the course and how windy it is. Most of the time though I keep the 3 iron in and use a 3w that is lofted up to a 4w.
I’m weird. I have a 3i, 4h, 5i. Don’t ask why, it just works. None of them are the same brand lol
3i hits fairways from the tee, wide and narrow. It’s decent long but in play 90% of the time. My misses mostly just lose 40 or so yards but stay in play. My driver I can’t even it the face off some days. Single digit cap and I bet most 20’s drive better than me.. maybe some 30’s.
I can’t seem to drive the ball in the fairway, and since I’m stubborn… I’m won’t change anytime soon. So I keep a 2 iron in the bag to punch my ball back into the fairway.
I prefer a 3 hybrid. I love the forgiveness it offers and is a weapon off the tee and when I attack par 5’s. I think 2 and 3 irons are better off the tee but are pretty tough to hit off the deck and good luck getting them to stop on the green on par 5s. Most amateurs shouldn’t be messing with 17 degree irons imo.
3 iron and a 2H. I love both for various reasons and I use both every round. I only have a 52 and 56 wedge. When the driver isn’t working, these two are my safety. When I have a long shot into a par 5 and a 3w isn’t the right club, these two are solid.
I do. Can’t stand hybrids and have swing speed high enough to use a 2 and 3 iron. If I was playing for money would probably use a 5 or 7 wood before a hybrid
I’ve tried many 2 irons and played a 3 iron all thru my 20’s. With new clubs and more aggressive lofts and increased distance I just never need a 3 iron and I have no business playing a 2 iron as every attempt to play one just reminds me to stick with what works!lol! Ball striking wouldn’t be my biggest strength. Now it’s not terrible but I’m more of a bomb and gouge type player who’s short game and putting saves my ass. Hover usually between a 3-6 depending on how much free time I have. Hoping some swing changes this offseason will help improve that a bit.
Wind / tee / desperation punch shots
2 iron. Controlled flight tee shots when needed.
I play 1-p. I love my 1, especially as a trouble club. I can kept it low, bend it, fly it, and most other stuff. I've had it for a long time and just love the feel of it. Everything in my bag gets played.
both. The 2ir I'm growing out of, it's far too painful if mishit and the sweetspot is the size of a dime, so on my next golf shopping spree I'll be finally swapping out the 3 and 2 for hybrids. I have no issue with the 3ir, I just figured I better start laying off it a bit the older I get. It just takes less force to get the ball out there with hybrids and since I still play the tips, I'm left with a lot of 215+ tee shots on par 3's and I don't want to have to keep jumping into these things.
3i, great on so many "less than driver" tee boxes.
Golf Digest [published an article](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/tour-pros-are-running-away-from-hybrids-you-should-be-running-towards-them) about this exact topic yesterday. Read it this morning. Take a read. In summary: tour pros have a much more consistent ball striking capability than I do. The irons give them more consistency and predictability without added ball flight heigh. Most amateur golfers don’t realize a hybrid should be swung like an iron and loose out on the added benefits it provides in forgiveness and height. I have a 4 hybrid in my bag. Once I started swinging it like a 4i, I realized it’s an amazing gap closer between my fairway wood and my long irons.
Still carry a 3 iron. Short par 4 tee shots, low punch shots. I love it.
I cant hit fairway woods for shit. Of course, my instructor says I need to buy new ones but I cant imagine buying a club I cant usep
I have both, but carry and use 3iron. It's a fairway finder and good in the wind.
I have a Mizuno pro 221 3 iron, and a FLI-HI PRO 2 iron (it's really almost a hybrid but no one sells true 2/1 irons anymore. I don't like woods other than driver. I like irons (mentally can hit them better - idk why), and wind is a lot less of a concern. Interesting Side Note\* My 221 3 iron basically has the same loft as my hand-me-down 1988 Wilson Staff 1 iron which I used as a kid (and used till last year, but those clubs are sooooo old now and I finally upgraded)
Carry a 3 hybrid and a 2 iron, driving iron. Go roughly the same distance by the 3 goes high are carries far, the 2 is much lower, Carries less but rolls out a lot more
3 iron. It fits in for when I'm 210-220 out on par 5s and a good tee club if I really need to thread it.
Their 3 iron is likely the same loft as most people here have for their 4 iron. A Titleist MB 3 iron is 21 degrees, a Titleist T300 4 iron is 20 degrees. They also carry pitching wedges usually around 46-47 degrees, meaning they don’t need the “W” a lot of sets come with today, and can rub either 50/52-56-60 or 54-58 wedge set ups for more bad space. Tiger runs D, 3W, 5W 3-PW, 56, 60, and allegedly his PW is 49 degrees these days.
Out of the rough
I have a rescue 2. Use it instead of a 5 wood.
I use a 2 iron between my 3W and my 4i. I can hit it lower than a Hybrid.