Replace 4 iron with utility iron- performance out of rough? Tight lies?

[claytushaywood]

I’ve got to come to terms with the fact that I don’t hit my Bridgestone j38 pocket cavity 4 iron well consistently. I play hybrids at around 17.5 and 21. Cobra f6. Instead of getting a 24 degree hybrid. I was thinking about getting an easier to hit utility iron or something- I know some people use like an easier to hit club model that’s not nescerraily a hybrid iron or “utility iron” So maybe I should just get a wider sole iron with lower cg?

Id like to be able to hit it out of rough and tight lies. And I’m not a huge fan of the wide soles irons but maybe I haven’t given them much of a chance?

any recommendations? My 4 iron is 38.5” and 23 degrees it’s basically a standard forged cavity back. Thanks!

 

[Snickerdog]

Have you tried Srixon U85 iron? I have had good success with it.

 

[Wonton]

Callaway UTs, Titleist Utilities and the Cobra have not too wide soles.
I've had success with them out of the rough and tight lies

 

[Motopilot]

I play a 3h/4h and was thinking of replacing the 4h with a utility iron. I know it’s only the first day. Had some good shots and some not good at all. It’s the Apex UT 21 degree with 780 ES shaft. Of course today it seemed my hybrid was really solid so going to do some more comparison as was also 93 degrees out. Here’s my top 5 from each club.

 

[DG_1234]

I’ve got to come to terms with the fact that I don’t hit my Bridgestone j38 pocket cavity 4 iron well consistently. I play hybrids at around 17.5 and 21. Cobra f6. Instead of getting a 24 degree hybrid. I was thinking about getting an easier to hit utility iron or something- I know some people use like an easier to hit club model that’s not nescerraily a hybrid iron or “utility iron” So maybe I should just get a wider sole iron with lower cg?

Id like to be able to hit it out of rough and tight lies. And I’m not a huge fan of the wide soles irons but maybe I haven’t given them much of a chance?

any recommendations? My 4 iron is 38.5” and 23 degrees it’s basically a standard forged cavity back. Thanks!

Cleveland makes what you want.

 

[tehuti]

You may also want to consider Tour Edge’s iron-woods. They are easier to hit than hybrids (for me anyway).


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[Badger_Golfer]

Id just learn how to hit the 4-iron. Hybrids are fine if you like them but Ive never personally been a big fan of hybrids.

 

[-CRW-]

I find a thinner soled club easier to hit out of rough than anything else.

Some people prefer hybrids because of the extra MOI. A utility doesn’t give you the same level of forgiveness from off-center hits/twisting through rough.

I would primarily use a utility iron off the tee.

 

[lamarizpan]

Get a Mizuno JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro 4 iron. So easy to hit and very forgiving.

 

[claytushaywood]

I play a 3h/4h and was thinking of replacing the 4h with a utility iron. I know it’s only the first day. Had some good shots and some not good at all. It’s the Apex UT 21 degree with 780 ES shaft. Of course today it seemed my hybrid was really solid so going to do some more comparison as was also 93 degrees out. Here’s my top 5 from each club.

I'm looking at the apex ut and x forged- I think the thinner sole than most but thicker than my CB bridgestones looks perfect. a 21 degree would be more like a 3 iron though...

Cleveland makes what you want.

whats that?

You may also want to consider Tour Edge’s iron-woods. They are easier to hit than hybrids (for me anyway).


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Callaway UTs, Titleist Utilities and the Cobra have not too wide soles.
I've had success with them out of the rough and tight lies

Like the new cobra utility?

I find a thinner soled club easier to hit out of rough than anything else.

Some people prefer hybrids because of the extra MOI. A utility doesn’t give you the same level of forgiveness from off-center hits/twisting through rough.

I would primarily use a utility iron off the tee.

I feel like hybrids twist through the rough or its always wild out of the rough- at least with an iron if i get jammed up I'm not gonna push it off 30 yards. I guess I also like to swing steep out of the rough and feel hybrids are harder to square with any more than a little bit of downward attack angle? I love my hybrids off the fairways and tees for extra distance- and I should say I like hybrids out of a lot of rough lies. But when it gets deep deep which here in Kentucky the bluegrass can be downright mean sometimes especially when its got dew on it. I feel like I need something to literally cut through the blades of grass rather than try to smash them down and slide over them.

I'm almost thinking a graphite shaft and some handle weight might be all i need. or maybe just like a nike vapor fly 4 iron. something that will come off hotter on minor mishitsand head speed slowed due to tall thick rough

 

[claytushaywood]

Get a Mizuno JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro 4 iron. So easy to hit and very forgiving.

That might be exactly what I'm looking for- Hot metal pro has narrower sole than the original hot metals right?

 

[Tenputt]

I know you said you wouldn’t be so interested in a wider soled iron, but you really ought to give the Cobra F9 irons a fair look. I would never have thought I would put a 4 iron in the bag over a hybrid at this stage of my golfing life, but the F9 4 iron has been an absolute game changer for me and I can hit it out of rough (maybe not U.S. Open-type fought) and tight lies. A Cobra F9 5 iron would fit into the slot you are looking to fill. There is a lot of talk about the F9 irons in the relevant thread and there are some pretty darn good players who have them in the bag, including Rickie Fowler, @Canadan (a plus handicap) and several others of us who are single digit index players.

 

[lamarizpan]

That might be exactly what I'm looking for- Hot metal pro has narrower sole than the original hot metals right?

yes, but its not blade thin either. Id say it mught be a tad thicker than Callaway X Forged UT i used to play, but at a price point of $125 with no upcharge shaft options, it was a no brainer for me. It has a nice sound at impact too, powerful sounding.

 

[baddog]

If you want the absolute easiest DI / UI to play from bad lies, the rough and fairway bunkers, then you have to try the GAPR Hi.

 

[AcushnetGolf]

F9 4 iron. Long off of the tee, easy to hit it out of the rough and fairways.

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[BishopBreaks80]

I am also going to advocate the Callaway Apex UT. Despite my higher handicap, I have been hitting my 4 iron well, and as a result picked up the Apex 21° UT as a 3 iron. I was then able to dial my Hybrid down to 18°. I may be keeping 15 clubs in my bag, but I'm not playing any tournaments in the near future.

-Bishop

 

[kevin81002]

I use the Srixon u85 23* and I absolutely love it.

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[claytushaywood]

F9 4 iron. Long off of the tee, easy to hit it out of the rough and fairways.

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Is the F8 gonna be that much different?

to the mizuno guys. What about the jpx900?

 

[rallo]

I can vouch for the CBX iron woods, although it does have a thicker sole (although not nearly as wide as a full-on hybrid). So far it has been clutch off of the tee and solid off of the deck at the range. I will have to report back about its performance in the rough, but I never had any problems with the OG apex hybrids, so I doubt these will have any problem.

 

[radiman]

Do you find your MP-H4 3 iron easy enough to hit out of the rough? If I remember right, that has a pretty thick sole for an iron. I like the UT iron concept. It works for me as I don't have more success with that over a hybrid from the rough. And, unfortunately, I find myself in the rough more often than I'd like. But, if you like the MP-H4 3 iron, the 4 iron may be a pretty easy transition for you.

 

[claytushaywood]

Do you find your MP-H4 3 iron easy enough to hit out of the rough? If I remember right, that has a pretty thick sole for an iron. I like the UT iron concept. It works for me as I don't have more success with that over a hybrid from the rough. And, unfortunately, I find myself in the rough more often than I'd like. But, if you like the MP-H4 3 iron, the 4 iron may be a pretty easy transition for you.

Nice eye! I actually got rid of the mph4 because I didnt like it out of the rough very much- yes the sole was pretty huge- and it launched a bit too high off the tee to keep it as a windy day tee shot long iron.

There's something else I'd like to get in terms of a long iron- a long iron without too low of cg for the spring and fall burners)

 

[zbeekner4]

Id say give the Callaway Epic forged a test. TONS of early reviews saying theyre distance machines and at address its not as bulky as some of the more "utility" type clubs.

 

[OGputtnfool]

What're your thoughts on the Hogan utility iron?

 

[widespot]

I'm trying this. Although everything I tried that was marked 4H went too far. So I bought a cheap, used 5H. Flies higher, for sure.

 

[Daddio]

I've been pleasantly surprised at how the heavier head on my GAPR MID #3 performs in the rough. I'd characterize the head size and sole thickness as it being more utility iron than a hybrid. I would guess the Mid #4 would work at least as well. Mine plows through the rough with minimal face twisting compared to my 4 iron. (FWIW my irons are Cobra F6 which will be a similar full hollow design as the F8 or F9) My MID #3 also performs very well off tight lies. I'll sometimes catch those a groove or two low but all that sole weighting and the hot hollow face compensates well for that miss. It's straight money as a tee club or from a nice fairway lie too of course. I'm not prone to hook it like a hybrid and my successful GIR % with it far exceeds any hybrid or long iron I've ever played. It's a heavy club though, so if you can, I'd suggest that you test one out first to see if it's a good fit.