How much fun is it to watch Tiger Woods hit the notorious stinger shot? It’s arguably one of the greatest shots in golf and has helped him win a ton of events earlier in his career.
Unfortunately, 99.99% of golfers don’t have the right club or swing to make that shot happen on a regular basis. While more and more players are switching to hybrids, there is still a small group of players that are committed to long irons. Not just 3 and 4 irons but actual driving or utility irons.
They might not produce the incredible Tiger stinger, they can still help you improve your game. Keep reading to learn more about driving irons and find the best driving irons for 2023.
Our Picks for Best Driving Irons
- Titleist U505 – Best Driving Iron and a Cheat Code for Golf!
- Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi – Also Great Driving Iron
- Ping G425 Crossover – Easiest Driving Iron to Hit
- Cobra King Utility Iron – Best Technology on a Driving Iron
What is a Driving Iron?
A driving iron is a long iron that is specifically designed for tee shots. While you can hit from the fairway, they are meant to provide an alternative to hybrids, 5 wood, and long irons from the tee.
Driving irons aren’t for everyone as you typically need to have a higher amount of swing speed to benefit from them. Driving irons are awesome for links golf or playing in windy conditions to keep the ball low and roll out.
Alternatives to Driving Irons
Driving irons have lost their popularity in recent years thanks to higher lofted woods and adjustable, hybrid golf clubs. If you’re new to the game, I’d stick with hybrids or fairway woods.
Go here to read our full article on Hybrids vs Driving Irons.
But if you’re an experienced golfer and looking for ways to make your long game better, a utility iron is a great idea. Here are the best driving irons for 2023.
7 Best Driving Irons for 203
1. Titleist U505 Utility Iron
Driving irons make golf so much easier.
The new Titleist U505 is the best of the best when it comes to an alternative for hard to hit long irons. It’s truly the “do it all utility” club that can take your long game to the next level and make hard shots in golf a lot easier.
Here’s how Titleist described their latest utility iron. “U•505 is designed to allow you to reclaim your long iron game. Drawing on input from Tour Pros, it provides the high, explosive launch of a utility but with a refined design that offers a more iron-like look, feel and sound.”
The U505 is a great update from the previous U500 model (which we also loved) and is one of two long irons replacements. The other is the T200 which is designed for lower handicap golfers as it’s much smaller and less forgiving. While the U505 looks like an iron but has the performance of a hybrid.
These driving irons have a thinner forged L-face with a hollow body to improve speed and sound. While the tungsten improves the CG placement for optimal launch and trajectory.
Titleist was able to adjust the CG so it’s lower and towards the heel for the best launch possible. This means less shots leaking right and a much higher launch than a normal long iron. You’ll never have more confidence on 200+ yard shots than with this club.
Despite being a longer iron, this one isn’t clunky either. Titleist used Tour player input to make a shorter blade, shallow face, and wide sole to make it blend great with your other irons. You can use this iron off the tee, in the fairway, and the light rough too.
Another reason we love these driving irons is that you can use them to replace nearly any fairway wood or hybrid. The four loft choices are 16, 18, 20, and 22 degrees. Very few golf brands offer a 1-iron (16 degrees) which is great for golfers who prefer irons to woods or hybrids.
Finally, we can’t forget to mention the real genius behind these clubs – the hybrid shafts. Despite being an iron, Titleist uses hybrid shafts to improve speed and launch. This makes these clubs so much easier to hit and will give you more confidence than ever from long range.
The stock shaft is the Project X HZRDUS smoke black RDX which is an 80-gram shaft. It’s available in regular, stiff, or extra-stiff flex with a low-mid launch.
This helps minimize spin as the clubhead will help with a higher launch. It’s the perfect weight for a long iron and much easier to swing faster than a normal 3 or 4-iron.
But if you want a premium shaft, you can’t beat the two Graphite Design shafts either. While they do cost extra, I can say 100% they’re worth it.
- Graphite Design Tour AD-Di: The 85-gram hybrid shaft is available in S or X flex and is a mid-launch shaft. It’s one of the most trusted shafts on tour!
- Graphite Design Tour AD IZ: The heavier alternative is the 95-gram shaft which is recommended only for the fastest swinging golfers. It is a low-mid launch shaft that is available in S or X flex.
All clubs come with a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 White flat cap grip.
Pros
- Available in 1-4 iron.
- Not an overly large design.
- Easy to hit, forgiving, and high launching.
- Hybrid shafts make it easy to increase launch.
- Fantastic stock shafts and the Graphite Design upgrades are amazing too.
Cons
- None. This is the clear winner when it comes to driving irons and it’s not even close.
Before swapping my 4-iron for a Titleist driving iron my confidence was extremely low with long irons. But after switching, it’s now one of my favorite clubs in the bag. I’ve hit more great shots into long par 3s and second shots into par 5s than I thought possible!
What I like most is that it’s much higher launching than a hybrid. I had previously played a Titleist hybrid of the same loft and it went much lower. The iron head with the hybrid shaft is the best of both worlds.
It’s truly like the cheat code to long shots and recommend them for every type of golfer. I promise you’ll never hit it higher, have more confidence, or find a more forgiving long iron in golf.
We’ve got a full hands on review of the Titleist U505 driving iron here.
>> You can order your U505 Utility iron here and start making golf easier today!
2. Mizuno Fli-Hi Driving Iron
Mizuno is known for making high-quality golf clubs and their Fli-Hi driving iron is no different. Aesthetically, this club is stunning with its all black design and will inspire confidence from the moment you spot it. But the construction of this driving iron will also help your confidence even more and make you actually want to hit long irons.
These driving irons were designed for one thing above all else – ball speed. More speed means more distance and higher launch. They have a 21 gram Tungsten weight that is low and deep in the club for optimal stability plus forgiveness.
What’s unique about these driving irons is that they were made to be used with hybrid shafts, despite the fact that they are irons. Since the head length is slightly longer and offset, it makes sense though. Plus, they have a wider sole than the Mizuno Pro 225 irons which are also a great choice for replacing your standard longer irons.
These driving irons come in three different loft options; 16.5, 19, and 21.5 degrees. Unfortunately, they only come in right-handed models at this time.
I can’t comment on the shafts much because Mizuno encourages you to get custom fit for any of their clubs. These aren’t ones you can just buy online and need to buy directly from them or an authorized dealer. But shafts will play a major role in flight and distance so make sure to do your homework and find the right ones for your swing.
Pros
- Larger than the 225 – great for hitting off the tee.
- Great sounding club thanks to the Harmonic Impact Technology.
- One of the best looking utility irons on the market – it’s hard not to love the all back gunmetal design.
Cons
- Only available in right-hand models. Sorry left-handers!
- In this YouTube video, they talk about how these clubs are definitely more driving irons than for use off the deck. So you might struggle to hit them off the turf or not be able to hit them from the light rough.
This is a great club to help you with launch and control in your longer irons. If you don’t like hybrids and want a higher launch angle, this is a great option.
You can order the Mizuno Pro Fli Hi driving iron here.
3. Ping G425 Crossover
While Ping offers a huge selection of hybrids and fairway woods, they also have “crossovers” which are essentially utility irons. These driving type irons are great for players who want some help with their long irons without high lofted fairway woods or hybrids.
Ping offers the G425 or the G410 crossover irons. The G425 is the larger, more forgiving model while the G410 is more suited for better players who don’t need as much forgiveness. The G425 has an all black design and slightly larger head.
The G425 is great for off the tee on holes with tight fairways and holes where you need to find a fairway more than ever. But the good news is that it’s a versatile club and you can hit from the deck too for shots into long par 4s and reachable par 5s.
The goal of these clubs is to replace pesky long irons and make them easier to hit. They do that with the tungsten weighting (which you can actually see the screw on the outside of the toe). This extra weighting increases the MOI by 6.5% for more forgiveness, which is needed in these types of clubs.
The club also features the margin steel face, which is also present in their fairway woods and hybrids. This face promotes higher ball speeds which increase launch and distance. Paired with gaping efficiency, these clubs are accurate too.
Another big perk with these clubs is they offer three stock shafts for maximum customization. You can choose from:
- Ping Alta CB Slate: This is the stock shaft Ping uses in all their drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids. It’s a lightweight shaft that promotes more speed and a higher launch
- Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange: This 80-gram shaft has mid-launch, mid-spin characteristics and is ideal for moderate swing speeds.
- Aldila Rogue Black. The final option is this 95 gram shaft which is much heavier than the other two shafts and more closely resembles a typical lightweight steel shaft in your irons. It’s perfect if you want lower spin and lower launch which is great for driving irons but might make it harder to hit off the deck.
Pros
- Reviewers can’t stop raving about the distance.
- 2 iron lofts available if you want to replace your 5 wood.
- Extra tungsten weighting makes these irons more forgiving.
- Three stock shaft options to match them with the rest of your Ping driver, woods, or hybrids.
Cons
- Not much to say here. This club has tons of forgiveness, tons of distance, and three stock shaft options to personalize it to your swing.
You can pick up the G425 Crossover here.
4. TaylorMade SIM UDI & SIM DHY
Another top utility iron in the game is the latest models from TaylorMade. In fact, they’re trusted by some of the top guys on the PGA Tour and a great alternative to traditional long irons or hybrids.
For 2021, TaylorMade released the SIM DHY and SIM UDI utility irons which are a big upgrade from the past. They also have the P790 UDI which is designed for lower handicap or scratch golfers. Now, there is a much better selection of long irons for the everyday golfer that will help you hit it high and land it soft.
Here is a breakdown of the three TaylorMade models:
TaylorMade SIM DHY Driving Iron
First up is the SIM DHY iron, which is the more forgiving of the three irons from TaylorMade. Since it is a bit larger than most long irons, it’s more comparable to a small hybrid or the Titleist U510 iron. But even though it’s slightly larger, it’s incredibly versatile and should give you tons of confidence.
Here’s how TaylorMade describes this beast, “Designed for versatility and forgiveness, SIM DHY is truly a superior driving hybrid. A confidence-inspiring shape and wide sole give you the ability to play it off the tee, from the fairway and from difficult lies.”
With a wider sole, it’s a very helpful club that you can play from nearly any lie. Thanks to its hollow body construction and low CG, it’s incredibly easy to launch high in the air as well.
But what makes this club so great is the C300 steel face to deliver more effortless speed. More speed means more distance, thanks to its Inverted Cone Technology. This also means a larger sweet spot for those off center hits and a straighter ball flight too.
The DHY is available in 2, 3, 4, and 5 iron lofts and delivers a mid-launch to mid-low spin. Ideally, it’s suited for a 0-25 handicap golfer who wants some help with longer irons.
Like the Titleist driving iron, only one shaft is offered. In this case, you get the Diamana Limited hybrid shaft that weighs between 55-75g based on flex (M, R, and stiff available). This is still much lighter than most long irons and makes it a great choice for the everyday golfer.
If you struggle with your woods and want a fairway finder, this is a great club to add to your bag.
Click here or here to learn more about the DHY driving iron from Taylormade.
TaylorMade SIM UDI Driving Iron
The second driving iron from TaylorMade is the UDI which is geared toward a better ball striker than the DHY iron. TaylorMade recommends this club for 0-15 handicaps as the launch is lower and lower spin too. If you struggle to get the ball airborne and keep long irons on the dance floor, opt for the DHY instead.
This Tour-inspired shape is much better to look at address since it’s a lot more compact with a thinner leading edge. Not only should it inspire tons of confidence but it’s compact enough to also work the ball both ways as well. Plus, the Diamana Thump Hybrid shaft is a great stock shaft and available in S or X flex (92-105 grams).
The downside to this driving iron is that it’s only available in a 2 or 3 iron, which isn’t great for most golfers. I think they should also offer a 4 iron like Titleist as that is usually the longest iron that most golfers carry. Otherwise, a hybrid might make sense unless you think your swing is consistent enough for a 2 or 3 iron.
This club is best off the tee and a good fairway lie as it provides a piercing ball flight. If you’re in the rough, make sure to evaluate the lie and ensure you can get the club on the ball.
Click here or here to pick up your SIM UDI.
5. TaylorMade P790 UDI
Finally, let’s not forget about the P790 either. This is the least forgiving of the three driving irons from TaylorMade and designed for advanced golfers. It’s not ideal from the rough and more suited for the tee or clean fairway lie. But it’s smaller design makes it much easier to shape shots but don’t expect the same forgiveness as the other two utility irons.
This iron is only offered in a 2 iron for right-handed players and designed for 0-5 handicaps. With low launch and low spin, you might even be able to pull off the patented Tiger stinger with this club.
But unless you’re a very consistent golfer, I’d stick with the UDI or DHY model. Remember, these irons are meant to make the game easier, not harder! Always play the club that is right for your game.
Click here to learn more about it the P790 UDI.
6. Cobra King Utility Iron
Next up on our list is the Cobra King Utility Iron which is making quite a positive impression from golfers worldwide. Perhaps the biggest difference between this club and a lot of others on this list is that it’s adjustable.
That’s right, you can adjust the loft with this utility iron just like you would with a hybrid or fairway wood which is a huge perk. Thanks to the “MyFly” loft settings, you can finely tune this club into one of eight settings. Now you’ll never have to worry about gapping your long irons or hybrids and woods again.
Plus, it has:
- A clean, modern design without a bulky look at address.
- 66 gram tungsten weighting right behind the hitting zone for effortless distance.
- Forged face insert that creates a larger sweet spot and more ball speed, plus a higher launch.
While you can adjust the loft within three degrees, the stock versions are 2 iron (16 degrees), 3 iron (18 degrees) and 4 iron (21 degrees). You can also choose from a steel shaft (KBS $ Taper Lite) or a graphite shaft (Project X Catalyst) option. Each model comes with a Cobra Lamkin Crossline connect black and white grip too.
The one downside is that 2 irons and x-stiff shafts are custom options only which is kind of a bummer. Since high handicap golfers aren’t usually playing these clubs, it’s weird that Cobra didn’t make stiff and x-stiff the norm settings here.
But a big perk is that it also comes with Cobra Connect shot tracking technology too. Each utility iron has an Arccos embedded grip sensor that syncs with the Arccos Caddie app. You can use this data to learn more about your distances and thanks to adjustability, tweak as needed.
Click here or here to learn more about it the high-tech driving iron.
Or, you can also opt to go the Bryson DeChambeau route and play it as “one length” iron. This club is designed to match a 7-iron length and is available in a 3/4/5 iron with graphite or steel shaft. This isn’t the route I’d recommend for most golfers but being that Bryson is one of their top ambassadors, it makes sense to offer to the general public as well.
7. Cleveland UHX Utility Irons
Cleveland has also joined the utility iron race with their UHX utility irons. These clubs are more offset than most on this list and designed for a mid to high handicapper. If you’re a scratch golfer or low handicap, these probably aren’t the ones for you.
But if you’re the right type of golfer, these are phenomenal clubs that provide tons of forgiveness. Their hollow body construction makes them much more forgiving than a normal long iron and the steel face is designed for increased ball speeds.
Even if you do it on the heel or toe, you’ll still have a much straighter shot. Plus, their V-shaped sole makes it easy to hit it off the turf as well.
These clubs are available in a 3, 4, and 5 iron (18-20-23 degree lofts). The 3 iron is right-handed only but 4 & 5 are available for left-handed golfers too.
The only downside to this club is the one option UST Recoil 95 graphite shaft. 95 grams might be a bit much for some higher handicap players.
And the biggest perk about these Cleveland driving irons? The price! These Cleveland utility irons are a fraction of the price of bigger brands like TaylorMade or Titleist.
Click here to find your UHX driving irons or you can find it here.
8. Srixon ZX Utility Iron
The final club to make our list is the Srixon ZX utility iron. Disclaimer, these aren’t for the faint of heart – if you’re not a consistent ball striker then find another option. These are basically the opposite of the Cleveland iron and made for very low handicap golfers.
The biggest difference is that it has a much smaller profile and mimics a long iron more than a driving iron. But if you’re looking for playability and a bit more forgiveness than normal, this is the club for you.
The Srixon ZX utility iron is available in 2, 3, and 4 iron models (18-20-23 degrees). Like most irons on this list, they aren’t adjustable but do help with a higher launch and additional forgiveness on off center shots.
Looks alone, this might be the best looking driving iron on this list. Thanks to its compact shape and medium sole thickness, it’s blade-like design is great to look at. That being said, don’t expect much forgiveness on mishits.
Finally, it’s only available in a graphite shaft with regular, stiff or x-stiff flex. Needless to say, it’s definitely not the most forgiving on this list but arguably the best to look at. It’s still a big upgrade from a normal, heavy shafted long iron.
Click here to pick up a ZX utility iron, or find it here.
How to Pick Your Driving Iron
When choosing your driving iron, here are the biggest factors to think about.
Distance
One of the biggest factors in selecting your new driving iron is to find one that goes the right distance. In most cases, if you carry a driving iron, you will have a driver, 3-wood, and then 3 or 4 iron. In a perfect world, your driving iron would go further than your 3-iron and shorter than your 3-wood.
Price
Price isn’t too bad with driving irons as they are generally less expensive than fairway woods or hybrids. It only gets expensive if you replace 2-4 clubs as long irons as well.
Playability & Workability
Finding the right utility iron for your game is crucial to making sure it stays in the bag for the long term. Test a few out to make sure it’s playable enough for your game. Remember, the more forgiving, the less you’re able to work the ball (for the most part).
FAQs on Driving Irons
Got more questions about driving irons? Make sure to read all the FAQs below.
Is a 3 Iron a driving iron?
Yes and no. A 3-iron can certainly be used as a driving iron but it’s not specifically designed in the same way.
Three irons are usually 20-23 degrees in loft while driving irons have less loft. Plus, driving irons are also usually more forgiving and meant to be hit off the tee. They typically have a larger design that makes them look very different as you set up to the golf ball.
What is the best 2 iron?
The best 2-iron is the one that works for you! There isn’t one specific brand necessarily but instead, it’s figuring out the best clubs for your game. For 99% of golfers, a 2-irons shouldn’t even be in the golf bag.
If you are set on having a 2-iron and have the game for it, make sure you find the right shaft for your swing. As the club is harder to hit than most clubs, you will likely want to switch to a lighter version of your iron shaft or get a new entirely.
Do pros use driving irons?
Fewer pros are using driving irons than ever before. In fact, more pros are using hybrids and fairway woods than driving irons. But some players who have a ton of swing speed prefer the 2, 3 or driving iron.
Pros tend to use driving irons when they’re playing links golf or if it’s very windy conditions. Or if you’re Tiger Woods, you might still keep the 2-iron stinger in the bag as well.
Pro Tip: Make sure to read our article about how to hit long irons.
Final Thoughts on Driving Irons
If you’re looking to bring the Tiger stinger to your game, hopefully, you found this post helpful. Remember, when choosing a driving iron, always make sure it’s right for your game. Don’t buy one just to try and impress your buddies. Instead, impress them with your low scores, regardless of what clubs you carry.
If your game does suit a driving iron, make sure to find the right one for your game. Find one that is similar to your game in terms of loft and shaft flex. Once you get one, make sure to practice before taking it out as there is a huge difference for a lot of golfers.
