In this article we discuss and reveal what we believe to be the best driving iron for high handicappers. To get the most pleasure from your game, especially as a high handicapper you need to spend as much time in the fairway, and as far down that fairway as possible. If the driver is not the best option on a given hole then you need a reliable and long hitting fairway finder. Driving irons will not suit all high handicappers, if you are a slow swinger then you should probably look at hybrid options. However if your typical drive is more than 200 yards then finding the best driving iron for you as a high handicapper will add a flexible and multi purpose club to your armory.
What exactly is a driving iron and what does it do?
Driving irons used to be 1 and 2 irons. So hard to hit that Lee Trevino, it is claimed, would carry his 1 iron aloft during thunderstorms claiming “Even God cannot hit a 1 iron”. God must be a decent golfer because he hit the Merry Mex twice! But you get his point.
Driving irons are low lofted irons, often especially designed with a low centre of gravity and light weight shafts to make them easier to get airborne whilst maintaining a compact, tidy appearance. They are intended to perform the task of filling the gap between your driver and mid irons. I carry a Mizuno Hi Fli 2 iron. I use it for tight driving holes, long approaches and long par 3s. I use mine in preference to my 3 wood simply because the head is less bulky, it’s easier on my eye which gives me more confidence and as a result I find it much easier to hit than fairway woods.
Why would you choose a driving iron over a hybrid?
Hybrids and driving irons perform many of the same tasks but go about it differently. For example driving irons tend to give a lower more piercing trajectory with more roll out. Ultimately it’s about personal preference. Many hybrids, in order to minimize sliced shots, have an offset. If you are not a slicer then that club is likely to give you a dose of the hooks!
For many players when they look down at a club it either looks good or it just does not look right. As any golfer will tell you, if a club does not suit your eye then you will never be comfortable hitting it!
So, which is the best driving iron for high handicappers?
The contenders for the best driving iron for high handicapper are:
King Cobra Utility
Mizuno Pro
Ping Crossover
Taylormade Stealth HD
Titleist U505
King Cobra Utility
King Cobra are an innovative designer of clubs that provide outstanding performance and outstanding value. The range of driving irons in my view are amongst their most exciting products.
The King Cobra Utility irons are available in 2, 3 and 4 iron configurations. Each club’s loft is adjustable through a range of 3 degrees with a further 3 settings offering levels of draw bias. This makes the King Cobra utility a jack of trades and master of most! With some trial and error on a launch monitor you can configure your King Cobra to dial out slice, add in a baby draw, optimize launch from tight lies and still have a fairway splitting weapon from the tee box. For me the sweet spot is the 3 iron, it has tremendous versatility, easy to hit from the grass and great length from a tee peg.
Mizuno Pro
The Mizuno Pro diving iron is designed for better players who are looking for precision and control in their iron shots. It features a compact head shape and a thin top line, which may make it more challenging for high handicap golfers to hit consistently.
It is a beautifully made club with the most extraordinary soft feeling at impact. Nothing feels better when it comes off the middle. However, it is not as forgiving as its competitors and therefore perhaps not the optimum choice if you are a high handicapper that struggles to find the center of the club face.
Ping Crosssover
Ping are the masters at “hittable” clubs. Their entire range of golf clubs whether you are looking at the game improvement range or their players clubs are designed to give consistent performance. and ease of use. No one does it better.
The Ping Crossover range is fabulous. Designed to help all golfers find more fairways and more greens from long range. The sweet spot seems to be spread over the entire hitting area of the face! The low CG gets the ball up with ease giving good distance and straight flight characteristics.
Ping are peerless.
Taylormade Stealth HD
The wide sole of the Taylormade Stealth HD driving irons provides greater stability through the club head on off center hits, this is a great boon towards its overall forgiveness. The face is designed so that strikes across most of its area perform consistently. The net result is a club which brings a depth of versatility. It is great to hit off the tee and just about the easiest club here to hit off the grass.
It might not be as forgiving as the Ping, but its versatility makes it as compelling as the Cobra.
Titleist U505
The Titleist U505 Driving irons, like all Titleist products, have a high quality, premium feel about them. I can remember salivating over the Titleist Tour Model blades back in the ‘80s, the same feel and look is still present in the current U505 driving irons. The stability of the ball flight and the overall distance achieved was the best of all of the clubs we tested today. However the drop off from centre hits to both heel and toe hits was as large as the Mizuno.
Like the Mizuno this is a beautiful tool, but will reward the skilled player more than the high handicapper!
Summary
Overall, the best golf driving iron for a high handicap golfer will depend on individual preferences and needs. Fitting is essential . However, in our testing two clubheads rose head and shoulders above the rest when considering ease of use, consistency and versatility. The Ping Crossover and the King Cobra Utility share the honors of being the best driving irons for high handicap golfers in 2023.
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