We take a look at the best driving irons out right now, clubs to give you a solid, straight and long, go-to, option from the tee.
Best Driving Irons
Getting the best golf irons for your game is imperative if you want to shoot lower scores and we think the same can be said of getting the right bag setup too.
It seems many players just plump for a three-wood, five-wood configuration without thinking about the possibility of using a utility or driving iron which we think is a possible mistake.
The best driving irons can help you to find more fairways, avoid disasters and produce lower scores. Finding the right “go-to” fairway-finding club could give you great confidence, help you to relax and enjoy your game.
- Best Compact Mid-Handicap Irons – Some of our favourites
- Best Golf Blade Irons – Our picks for lower handicappers
For many golfers, the tee shot is the most daunting in golf and that feeling is exacerbated when facing a narrow fairway or a hole where trouble lurks on either side.
On those tee boxes, driver may well not be the right play. Even a fairway metal might be too much of a risk.
When you absolutely must find the fairway, and gain a little distance to boot, the driving iron can be your saviour.
Bearing this in mind, below are some of the best driving irons on the market that you should definitely consider adding to your setup.
You may have had a chance to look at our ultimate guide to the best golf hybrid clubs has to offer or the best utility irons golf clubs on the market right now.
Best Driving Irons
TaylorMade SIM UDI Utility Iron
+ Good power
+ Sleek look behind the ball
– Really only for the better player
The TaylorMade SIM UDI features a hollow head to boost distance and forgiveness. It’s also filled with Speed Foam to dampen down vibrations and provide a smooth but powerful feel through impact.
The UDI has a slightly more compact look behind the ball than the DHY (see below) with a thinner sole and is designed to provide a slightly lower, more penetrating ball flight.
In testing, we found the UDI to lend itself towards being an extra driving option for faster swingers and confident ball strikers.
For those who prefer long irons to hybrids or want another option to use from the tee, the TaylorMade SIM UDI is worth considering.
TaylorMade SIM UDI Utility Iron Review
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $249.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £199
TaylorMade SIM DHY Utility Iron
+ Forgiving
+ Powerful
– Slightly chunkier look than UDI
Like the TaylorMade SIM UDI, the SIM DHY features a hollow head to boost distance and forgiveness. It’s also filled with Speed Foam to dampen down vibrations and provide a smooth but powerful feel through impact.
The DHY has a slightly thicker topline and additional offset making it a more confidence-inspiring package for those in search of extra ball-striking assistance at the top end of the bag. It should also be noted that the Speed Foam used in the DHY is a lower density version to help lower the centre of gravity and increase the launch angle.
Despite being bigger than the UDI, the DHY is still a great-looking club and the extra forgiveness and higher flight make it a solid option to use off the deck as well as off the tee. We think the TaylorMade SIM DHY driving iron will suit players of varying standards who like the look of an iron but still want a good degree of forgiveness.
TaylorMade SIM DHY Utility Iron Review
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $249.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £199
Ping G410 Crossover Utility Iron
+ Great looking driving iron
+ Powerful ball flight
– Won’t suit those who prefer hybrid shape
Available in 2, 3 and 4 iron crossover options, the Ping G410 crossover is a solid performer that looks and plays like an iron but offers the ball speed, flight and forgiveness of a hybrid.
In the different lofts available, golfers of all skill levels should be able to find a G410 Crossover that fits the gap in their bag nicely and helps them hit all the shots they need, both from the tee and off the turf.
The head is hollow with a narrower sole for better turf interaction, while the maraging steel face produces good ball speeds.
A 30g tungsten weight helps increase forgiveness, and the use of internal ribs helps support the body of the clubhead.
We like the positioning of the centre of gravity – slightly forward to improve spin consistency and promote straighter flight.
The Ping 410 Crossover will suit golfers of varying abilities who prefer the look of a long iron but seek the forgiveness of a hybrid off the tee.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $189.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £199
Titleist U500 Utility Iron
+ Appealing looks
+ Good workability
– Not as forgiving as 510 (see below)
The compact, slimline Titleist U500 will suit the eye of the better player who has more club speed at their disposal and is looking to flight the ball a little lower.
The ultra-thin forged face feels springy and hot, while the 95 grams of tungsten weighting helps stabilize the clubhead on slight off-centre hits.
Low handicappers will likely enjoy how the U500 can manoeuvre the ball flight in different ways, both high and low and left to right.
In testing, we found the turf interaction was noticeably cleaner and crisper, like the club was travelling through the ground with less interference.
Titleist U500 Utility Iron Review
US Buy Now at Rock Bottom Golf for $249.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £199
Titleist U510 Utility Iron
+ More forgiving than compact 500
+ Good launch
– Slightly reduced workability
The U510 provides golfers with a larger, more confidence inspiring shape that launches and spins a little higher. This makes it a great option, both when driving and when hitting off the turf into long par fours and par fives. It also has a slightly lighter stock graphite shaft to help with the extra launch.
The U510 is unquestionably easier to hit than the 500 and is likely to be the favoured choice of the weekend golfer.
In testing, it flighted the ball around five yards higher in the 3-iron, which is 20° on both models. It also gave us a touch more ball speed, 500 rpm approx. more spin and around six yards extra carry distance.
Interestingly though, factoring in the roll, the total distance from the U500 and the U510 3-iron was basically the same.
Titleist U510 Utility Iron Review
US Buy Now at Rock Bottom Golf for $249.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £199
TaylorMade P790 UDI Utility Iron
+ Sleek lines and clean look
+ Powerful
– Really only for better players
From a technological standpoint the TaylorMade P790 UDI driving iron features a forged hollow body filled with Speed Foam and low-profile tungsten weight.
It comes with the Inverted Cone face and ThruSlot Speed Pocket, but unlike the old version, the new P790 UDI features internal metal-injection-molded (MIM) tungsten weighting for precise CG placement, aiding forgiveness and playability.
Other updates include a cleaner overall look, increased toe height and slightly less offset which the better player will generally prefer visually.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $229.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £189
Callaway X Forged 21 UT Utility Iron
+ Good blend of power and forgiveness
+ High ball speeds
– Aimed at better players
The new Callaway X-Forged UT iron boasts a hollow construction along with Callaway’s A.I.-designed Flash Face Cup that creates a sophisticated face design for high ball speeds.
The irons are forged from 1025 mild carbon steel and inside the hollow body construction there is Callaway’s urethane microspheres that dampen vibration for better sound and feel.
External MIM’d (Metal Injection Moulded) tungsten weighting allows for the CG position to be optimally located for the best trajectory and launch for the target player.
A longer blade length and a wider sole versus a traditional long iron provide forgiveness and control.
The Callaway X Forged UT will suit better players who like the feel and looks of a long iron but are also after a little more distance and forgiveness. A useful weapon off the tee.
US Buy Now at Rock Bottom Golf for $249.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £199
Wilson Staff Model Utility Iron
+ Pleasing shape
+ Impressive ball speeds and strong flight
– Dirt gathers in screw on sole
Given it’s Major winning pedigree at the hands of Gary Woodland, the Wilson Staff Model Utility is unquestionably one of the best driving irons on the market. It has been designed to deliver a combination of distance, reliability and forgiveness. One of the ways this is created is through the positioning of seven grams of weight low in the clubhead for improved launch.
The high-strength maraging steel face produces impressive ball speeds and notable distance.
It’s a versatile club and we found it to deliver a reliable, penetrating ball flight.
In testing out on the course, it gave us a reliable and accurate option off tees of tight par fours and it was proficient from the turf too,
Wilson Staff Model Utility Iron Review
US Buy Now at Rock Bottom Golf for $229.99
UK Buy Now at Golf Support from £169
Honma TW-U Utility Iron
+ Impressive distance
+ Good launch
– Pricey
The Honma TW-U utility iron is a real powerhouse. Superb distance is generated thanks to the Maraging C300 steel used in the face together with the use of cleverly located tungsten weighting.
It’s a great looking driving iron but it’s also forgiving and we found off-centre strikes were still flying impressively straight and a decent distance.
The precisely located centre of gravity insures a strong and powerful launch and we think it performs well both off the tee and the turf. This is one of the best driving irons on the market just now.
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £269
Srixon ZX Forged Utility Iron
+ Clean lines
+ Soft feel
– Narrow look may not inspire confidence for all
More compact than the previous generation, the ZX Forged delivers a more blade-like address profile that blends seamlessly with any set.
It features Srixon’s MainFrame technology, along with a hollow design and multi-piece construction. All of these powerful technologies come together in a smaller profile, with all the same forgiveness that is expected from a driving iron.
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £189
Cobra King Utility Iron
+ Tungsten weighting increases stability
+ Inclusion of Arccos tracking system is good addition
– Adjustability option will be too much to fiddle with for some
The Cobra King Utility Irons have been designed for players who seek control on tight tee shots and longer approach shots.
A classic, muscleback iron shape delivers the feeling of controlled ball flights, while a wider sole and hollow body provides stability, power, and a low centre of gravity for higher, stronger trajectories.
A Pwrshell face insert adds to the performance by expanding the size of the sweetspot for improved ball speeds on off-centre hits, launch efficiency and ball flight.
Cobra has integrated the MyFly8 hosel too, a series of eight adjustable loft settings that give users the ability to manage trajectory and launch for proper distance gapping.
US Buy Now at Rock Bottom Golf for $199.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £169.99
TaylorMade GAPR Mid Utility Iron
+ Solid feel
+ fast ball speed
– Look may be too hybrid-like for some
Inside the GAPR Mid you’ll find TaylorMade’s SpeedFoam technology.
SpeedFoam serves the dual purpose of generating ball speed while also dampening vibrations to create optimal sound and feel. Additionally, strategically placed, ultra-low centre of gravity creates a hotter, higher launch for more distance and improved playability.
Featuring a CG that is ultra-low and forward for maximum distance and a mid-high trajectory, GAPR MID has an iron face profile that inspires confidence and easy alignment and a medium-wide sole width for ease of play and versatility. It will come in 18°, 21° and 24° loft options.
The GAPR Mid is appealing aesthetically and an extremely versatile option on the course. It combines the look and playability of an iron with the forgiveness of a hybrid, which means golfers can employ it with confidence both off the tee and the fairway.
For those who struggle with a 2 or 3-iron, the GAPR Mid is one of the best driving irons on the market just now.
TaylorMade GAPR Mid Utility Irons Review
US Buy Now at Amazon for $142.49
If you enjoyed this post on the best driving irons, be sure the follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
This article Best Driving Irons appeared first on Golf Monthly.