Shouldn't a driving iron go further than a traditional iron?

[The Chicken Connoisseur]

I play the the '09 Tour Preferred irons, 1* strong so the 4-iron is 23*. Pretty traditional players irons, nothing crazy going on. I am a high speed/high ball hitter. I carry this club 215, but I wanted something that would go just a touch further for my longest iron.

 

Ordered a UDI 4-iron, which is also 23*. I was expecting it to be higher launching, but also lower spinning from a lower CG, and thus give me 5-10 more yards.

 

I hit it on GC2, and it launches significantly higher than my 4-iron. Don't have the data but the peak height must have been 10 yards more. But, unlike what I was expecting, it also spun around 1000 rpm more. It did have more ball speed tho, So it carried the same exact distance, just higher. I had a friend try it and he got the same results.

 

It has the stock C-Taper Lite, stiff flex, while I play the actual C-Taper, S+ in my irons. So that may make a bit of difference, but not this much I don't think?

 

Is this typical? Or unique to just the UDI? I have read how clubs like the T-MB spin less and therefore go further, but I had the opposite experience.

[gripandrip]

i don't find significantly longer distance with my 3 iron vs. my equivalent lofted U45. I probably pick up an additional 5 yards from the fairway, but I use it over the 3 iron because I find it easier to hit and it lands a bit softer. I have been going back and forth between the driving iron and the hybrid (816 H2) deciding what to bag. It now depends on the course and wind conditions. The driving cuts through the wind better.

[BearQ]

That shaft is significantly different than your S+ C-taper. I can fully attest to that cause I play the same shaft and immediately reshafted the stock setup. You shouldn't really expect 10 yards more from a "driving" iron vs an iron with the same loft.

 

However with the right shaft pairing it will be a better club. Id say 90% of guys with UDI reshaft out the stock. And yes it will make a big difference in any "driving iron". However you need to lower your distance increase expectations, it's still an iron. It's hollow and has a slightly hotter face, you MIGHT get 5-10 yards increase WITH the correct shaft.

[The Chicken Connoisseur]

I just didn't think spin would go UP 1000 revs. If launch is increased due to a lower CG, you would assume spin would decrease

[Yrrdead]

I had the same experience so I just kept my normal 3i to use off the tee. This was with a UDI 20* and a MP54 3iron. I'm still thinking an M2 (maybe tour) is the real answer here but it is such an edge case anyway I'm going to spend my time chipping and putting.

[bladehunter]

same here ..TMB 2 iron vs several 2 irons i have wih same shafts .... no more distance and he TMB is really harsh on all but perfect strikes... i prefer the regular 2 or 3 irons

[The Chicken Connoisseur]

That shaft is significantly different than your S+ C-taper. I can fully attest to that cause I play the same shaft and immediately reshafted the stock setup. You shouldn't really expect 10 yards more from a "driving" iron vs an iron with the same loft.

 

However with the right shaft pairing it will be a better club. Id say 90% of guys with UDI reshaft out the stock. And yes it will make a big difference in any "driving iron". However you need to lower your distance increase expectations, it's still an iron. It's hollow and has a slightly hotter face, you MIGHT get 5-10 yards increase WITH the correct shaft.

 

So did you put your normal c taper in there? What were the results? Yeah 5 yards would be great. But if it's going to spin more than the iron I think I'll have to ditch it

[BearQ]

That shaft is significantly different than your S+ C-taper. I can fully attest to that cause I play the same shaft and immediately reshafted the stock setup. You shouldn't really expect 10 yards more from a "driving" iron vs an iron with the same loft.

 

However with the right shaft pairing it will be a better club. Id say 90% of guys with UDI reshaft out the stock. And yes it will make a big difference in any "driving iron". However you need to lower your distance increase expectations, it's still an iron. It's hollow and has a slightly hotter face, you MIGHT get 5-10 yards increase WITH the correct shaft.

 

So did you put your normal c taper in there? What were the results? Yeah 5 yards would be great. But if it's going to spin more than the iron I think I'll have to ditch it

 

I put a recoil prototype 110X that was worth every penny. I've played three different 2irons over a decade so I don't switch often. But I've loved this pairing, the shaft has felt phenomenal.

 

The S+ would be okay in the UDI too. i just preferred something a bit more lively while staying on the low end for spin/launch.

 

Try the other offerings too - apex ut, H5 etc. Maybe the UDI just isn't the right stick for you. The lowest spinner of any driving iron is probably the 712U. Good luck

[D_money]

Udi is a great club but like many said the shaft isn't the best except for people that have trouble with launch. Also it supposed to be more forgiving with the same loft I wouldn't really expect more distance. If u are trying for more distance go up and club I personally go 4 iron 22* to 2 iron udi 18*. My 4 iron is turned up 2* and my 5 iron is 1* strong to help with gapping through my set. I don't see any changes in my set for a long time. Udi is here to stay.

[The Chicken Connoisseur]

Udi is a great club but like many said the shaft isn't the best except for people that have trouble with launch. Also it supposed to be more forgiving with the same loft I wouldn't really expect more distance. If u are trying for more distance go up and club I personally go 4 iron 22* to 2 iron udi 18*. My 4 iron is turned up 2* and my 5 iron is 1* strong to help with gapping through my set. I don't see any changes in my set for a long time. Udi is here to stay.

 

I have a 3 hybrid I like that I carry close to 240. Which is why I wanted my 4 iron to go from 215 to 220-225 if I could.

 

I guess I'll pull my 4 iron shaft and throw it in and see what happens. I'm just a believer that the head makes way more difference than the shaft especially in irons. We'll see

[Jonesy]

Definitely try changing the shaft first, I reckon that will make a difference.

 

I must say though my H4 2 iron goes silly far compared to some other normal 2 irons I've hit, especially off a tee, the driving iron just finds another gear but off the deck they are fairly similar with the driving iron being a touch longer.

[BearQ]

Definitely try changing the shaft first, I reckon that will make a difference.

 

I must say though my H4 2 iron goes silly far compared to some other normal 2 irons I've hit, especially off a tee, the driving iron just finds another gear but off the deck they are fairly similar with the driving iron being a touch longer.

 

I gotta agree that the H4 was the longest 2i I've ever played. Had a c-taper X in it, man that club was a rocket. I should have kept it, but couldn't handle the telephone pole shaft during some injuries...

 

Highly recommend the H4

[The Chicken Connoisseur]

I think it makes sense on a 2 iron where most people struggle for launch, but with a 4 iron and my speed and naturally high launch that isn't an issue

[Stuart_G]

I was expecting it to be higher launching, but also lower spinning from a lower CG, and thus give me 5-10 more yards.

 

 

I just didn't think spin would go UP 1000 revs. If launch is increased due to a lower CG, you would assume spin would decrease

 

 

In drivers, fairways, and even hybrids, low c.g. means lower spin because of gear effect. A driving iron does not have the c.g. far enough back away from the face to have much, if any, gear effect. So low c.g. will not really equate to low spin in irons in the same way it does for those other club types.

 

If you are seeing more spin, it's very likely because you are coming into the ball with more dynamic loft then you are with the 4 iron. Unfortunately, with the info given, it's impossible to say what the cause might be. Some of the possibilities would be due to a different shaft bend profile adding some, the swing changing (different club head speed, amount of shaft lean at impact, or AoA) due to a different feel from the shaft or club in general - such as static weight, swing weight, or feel of the loading.

 

Detailed LM data might help but the bottom line is that it will take some trial and error to determine what might be the cause (and therefore what might be the 'fix'). But the best advice is to find the shaft that gives the consistency and even feel that you are comfortable with, and then just adjust loft to tweak the distance gaps.

[Halebopp]

I haven't found my H5 3 iron to be longer than a usual 3 iron. The difference is that it's slightly easier to get that distance out of the H5. As for your shaft issues, the C-Taper Lite is far from normal C-Taper. I have the H5 1 iron with the CTL stiff, I should be playing KBS Tour x (soft stepped) but play stiff and the CTL stiff shaft doesn't really work for me. I just bought the 1 iron used just for laughs (and thus with the wrong shaft) and I'll be selling it soon wondering whether or not I should get another one with the KBS Tour stiff.