Decision-making is a crucial part of the game of golf. Do you go for the green over a hazard or lay up? Do you attempt a flop shot around the green or try to pitch and run the ball near the hole? Those options can be even more difficult in the long game. Golfers want distance but they also want to be accurate. Keep the ball in the fairway but attack the hole with a chance to score.
That is why there is a vast array of options to fill the 18°-22° loft gap. Iron sets do not include a 2-iron or a 3-iron the way they used to. So many golfers have an open spot at the top end of their bag to try to fill that gap. In this guide, TGW explores a few of the options golfers have available in the modern age.
Hybrids
Hybrids have become the go-to long iron replacement for most golfers. You can find one or two in the bag of people at your local club, weekend warriors at the nearest municipal course, and the professionals you see on television. Many manufacturers now offer combo sets where they include matching hybrids, starting the irons in the set with the 5-iron or 6-iron.
Hybrid golf clubs are prized for several reasons. First, they are easier to hit and more forgiving than a traditional long iron. The larger club head with more weight in the perimeter and back makes it more stable and forgiving while also expanding the sweet spot, making it easier to get the most out of your swing. Since they are long iron replacements, they are easy to hit because you swing a hybrid just like an iron. Hybrids are also valued for their versatility. You can hit it off the tee on a long par 3 or on a hole where you have to find the fairway. A hybrid can get you out of the rough with their expanded sole design or help you attack the green on a par 5. Anywhere you would hit a 3-iron or 4-iron, a hybrid can enhance that shot and add forgiveness.
Utility/Hybrid Irons
There are many golfers who still prefer their long irons. Just because many manufacturers have stopped making their new iron models with a 3-iron does not mean there are no iron options available to fill the 18°-22° gap. A number of the top club makers produce a long game option that has the profile, control, and workability of an iron with distance technology to help make the golf course shorter. These are often called utility or hybrid irons.
TaylorMade has its Ultimate Driving Iron design like the new P790 UDI. PING makes a version they call the Crossover. Titleist, Cobra, Cleveland, and Wilson all make a utility iron as well to fit this type of golfer. These designs often share many qualities such as a hollow club head, muscle-back shape, and forged face. Weight is strategically placed to help these golf clubs launch higher and easier than a traditional long iron.
Utility or driving irons provide the distance and forgiveness of a hybrid while maintaining the workability and look of an iron. This package is often preferred by highly skilled golfers. Not only are these golf clubs workable from side to side whether you want to hit a fade or a draw, but they also provide more control over how high or low your trajectory is. Golfers can hit a traditional high iron shot with them or they can flight the ball down and hit that low “stinger” when the conditions call for it.
Fairway Woods
Finally, don’t forget about the fairway wood. They are still plentiful and many players still put them in their bag. Filling the 18°-22° loft gap usually means choosing a 5 wood, 7 wood, or 9 wood. These golf clubs can be intimidating for some golfers to hit but with some practice, they can provide invaluable distance and forgiveness that can make even the toughest holes more manageable.
If your swing is that of a “sweeper”, or you hit up on the golf ball, then a fairway wood is a good option for you. The technology and size of the fairway wood are more comparable to that of a driver so if you hit the golf ball with an ascending blow like you do with a driver, try a fairway wood over a hybrid or long iron.
One of the biggest benefits of a fairway wood is that the sweet spot is much larger than that of a long iron. The larger club head and added perimeter weighting also reduces how much the head wants to twist when the ball is hit off-center, protecting speed and distance even when you don’t hit the ball perfectly square. Also, the larger sole on a fairway wood glides the turf, reducing the chance that the club gets stuck on the downswing like can sometimes happen with an iron.
Three golf club options in the long game give every golfer the tool they need to be better from long range. Choose a hybrid as your 18°-22° golf club if you want distance with forgiveness and versatility in your long game options. If you are looking for precision and control and prefer the look of an iron, then a utility iron is for you. If you want to get maximum distance out of your 18°-22° golf club, then a fairway wood is the right choice for you. TGW has a large selection of each choice from the top brands like Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, PING, Cobra, and more. Once you decide which one is for you, shop TGW.com to find your favorite.
What about Cleveland irons? Like the Cleveland turbo hi bore?
Iron designs like the Cleveland Turbo and Hi-Bore options are great choices for game improvement players because the irons are made to play more like a hybrid so the long irons especially are easier to hit.