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Driving Irons - New Category Or Fad?

SuperStroke
I think it'll be a trend on tour, especially each year prior to the british open, but I don't see it becoming anything more than a fad in amateur golfer's bags!
 
They are a fad for amateurs. Companies will push them until people realize they can't hit them consistently enough and sales drop off. The average player will usually be better off with a hybrid.
 
I might get the TM version just to mess around with
 
Just like the wise IceyShanks above me.

I think these will find a home in many tour players bags, but not take hold with the everyday player. The used bin at Golfmsith will probably be littered with them inside two months of release to the public.

I tried the Cleveland one that came out about 7 years ago or so. I think it was a 16 degree and forget the name. But I couldn't hit it at all, I had a scratch buddy of mine try it. He told me the guy who sold it to me should be fired...ha ha. Even some friends who worked for Cleveland at the time told me they had no expectations of it being played by amateurs.
 
deuce said:
Is there a disparity in club selection between players of both continents, and is this driven by the courses they play growing up?
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Yes I believe there is a difference based on the types of courses you play and the conditions you play them in.

If the course is windy and sets up to run the ball you play a lower flighted shot that releases and rolls a lot, if your course requires more carry style golf then you hit the ball higher so that you can carry hazards water/bunkers.
 
I think it will be a fad for recreational players as they will try to emulate the pros, but I think it is going to have legs for professionals.

With the swing speed they generate I see it as a fairway finder where they can control the trajectory.
 
That's how I feel about these adjustable drivers that use a tool to adjust stuff. Too me it's a gimmick but hey what do I know I'm new at this. Just an easy way for a person to make an excuse cuz the last hit they did they shanked it. "Oh I didn't adjust the settings properly that time....." "No....you just suck and your grip and stance was all wrong on that hit." In all fairness I'm not good but the last thing I want to do is adjust a driver setting and blame it on the club when it has nothing to do with the club but it's myself when I slice or hook it.
 
Martsy said:
i'm incredibly interested, and think there is a niche this fills. Despite being told that's it's ego or i'm out of my mind...i simply cannot hit a hybrid, off a tee or fairway. I can't explain it...i know i should be...but i cannot. I feel much more confident with a 4i or 3i. I would love something that I could consistently hit off a tee maybe 230 if i needed to be shorter on a par 4, or even a long par 3, and will really be considering one down the line.
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Me too - I'm sick of everyone saying how EASY hybrids are to hit. They're long clubs - no long clubs are that easy to hit. I prefer long irons off the tee, and hybrids off the deck. So, I've always been in a quandry over the whole 3/4 slot in my bag. I may try one of these - could be the best of both worlds ...
 
As some one who plays one, I think there is a niche market for it. Will we see releases of new versions every 6-12 months, probably not. Will we see versions come out when the more player style irons come out? Probably. I like mine. Will I be tempted to try them as they come out and compare them to what I have, yes. Do I think it's harder to hit them my hybrid? Not really. I was playing a 16° hybrid already, so the move to an 18° DI wasn't that big of deal. I think we will see more of these on tour. Tour courses for the most part play firm and fast. These style clubs cater to firm and fast. And I think Tour players find these a little easier to work. How many times do we see these guys hit low, drawing stingers that carry 250 yards and roll out another 30 yard on a rope? Today's course setup plays perfect this. I think this will be a growing trend on the tour.
 
It's a Fad.

And this is no knock against OEM's. These guys have to make money. That's their intent. But they can come up with only so much more new innovation. Lets not fool ourselves here. I'm an engineer and I know what some of these guys are going through in R&D. With the new release cycles how can you keep reinventing the wheel every year? I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

Most of the sales now are driven by marketing. They have to come up with something. It's a cycle. What's old is new again, low lofted FW & high lofted small sized drivers (This is not new. These are drivers of the past), driving irons (1 & 2 irons really, we have seen these before). In 10 years we'll all be talking about hybrids again.

What I would like to know is how many here think they have the game to hit these driving irons? I don't. But I know I'll buy one soon. Cause I'm a club ho.
 
Martsy said:
i'm incredibly interested, and think there is a niche this fills. Despite being told that's it's ego or i'm out of my mind...i simply cannot hit a hybrid, off a tee or fairway. I can't explain it...i know i should be...but i cannot. I feel much more confident with a 4i or 3i. I would love something that I could consistently hit off a tee maybe 230 if i needed to be shorter on a par 4, or even a long par 3, and will really be considering one down the line.
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Add me to that list. I can kill a FW off the tee or turf. I kill my 3Deep 13* off the turf. 4 & % irons no problem either.

Hybrid. I cant hit for whatever reason.
 
I think they'll continue to be used on tour for specific course layouts, but I don't think they offer amateurs enough for daily use for them to catch on. So I say fad.
 
The only guy I know playing one is near scratch and I only heard about him using it when he aced a 243 yard par 3 a month or so ago. I think guys with above average clubspeed & ball striking will be the majority of users. Even if they get more foregiving and easier to hit its hard to imagine a guy that can only hit a 3 hybrid (sometimes)...
 
I don't think they are a fad but I also don't see then taking over for hybrids just due to the fact hybrids are easier to hit than most driving irons for amateurs. I think they start coming back on tour and I have one in the bag that I don't see leaving anytime soon
 
I remember guys using driving irons all the time, then they went away in favor of hybrids. Personally a 3 iron never bothered me, but a 1 iron just was wrong. I think its a fad unless somehow they make them ridiculously forgiving.
 
I think everybody could benefit from a more accurate driving club for tight fairways, where you are hesitant to hit driver. This is where I would use it. Probably not so much off the deck unless it's a perfect setup - I have other clubs that would do better in that role. They are clearly not a substitute for a driver either - "driving iron" is a misnomer.

Lastly, and most importantly, I don't see these new DI's as "players" clubs at all (at least if they're used primarily off the tee) ... these are not small headed clubs - most golfers should be able to hit them (at least those who like long irons more than hybrids).
 
I think there is a niche market for them for courses that allow for low, hard running shots. The lush, often wet conditions across most of the US don't really allow for a shot you want to run a long way, which will probably keep me from ever exploring it too much.
 
There are so many hybrid/wood options that do this job and are inherently easier for most hackers to hit that I am going with fad, or at least niche market only.
 
I don't think it's a fad but I don't think that the overall appeal will be as strong as the hybrid. I could see a better player bagging one of these if it fills a need or perhaps for when they play certain courses or types of courses. I think the vast majority of amateurs and hackers like myself, ego aside, would be better suited with a hybrid.
 
I think they will be more of a niche product - for most of us golfing "mortals", a higher-lofted fairway wood or a hybrid are still likely to get more favorable results.
 
Im not sure if it's a fad or not. I struggle with long irons, so the thought of a driving iron in the bag is frightening.
 
I do think they are a lot prettier than hybrids, that alone could seel some, other than that, I'd have to try one before commenting
 
I would love to try them out. I can't hit hybrids for the life of me as they turn into hook machines, but I'm very comfortable with long irons.

That said, hybrids work well for pretty much everyone else I work for so I see no reason why they would put those away and grab a driving iron instead.
 
I do not think they will stick for long, maybe 1-2 years and fade off. I played a Titliest one when I was a junior,905h I believe it was called. For me it was a fad. Felt well and I hit it awesome but other options became better. Its pretty individual, some may like it as it inspires confidence and usally provides a fair bit of roll.
 
I'm gonna go fad because for large part, they will only be used by professionals and only at specific courses.

They will hang around but the difficulty in hitting them as compared to a hybrid will keep them from being the norm.
 
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