Updated July 30, 2024. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
What if I told you there was a specific type of iron you could use to get more fairways hit and make more pars?
Enter the driving iron.
These long irons are designed to be more forgiving and useful than the blades of the past while taking advantage of the more penetrating ball flight and workability that irons can provide.
On top of this, these irons are often considered more accurate and better wind performers than hybrids and fairway woods.
This article will explore the strengths of each and help you make an informed decision that will result in more fairways hit and more pars made.
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Table of Contents
Best Driving Irons 2024
TaylorMade P-UDI Utility Iron
Best All-Around Driving Iron
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Specifications
- Loft: 17°-22°
- Lie: 60°-61°
- Shaft Length: 38.75”-39.75”
- Swing Weight: D2
Pros
- Shaped like P790 irons
- Lightweight feel with powerful results
- Penetrating flight with rollout
Cons
- Only for low handicappers
TaylorMade utilizes the design of their popular P770 and P790 irons to create the P-UDI Utility Iron.
Featuring a compact sweet spot and hollow body construction, the P-UDI delivers tour-inspired shaping that can absolutely boost your game off the tee box and from the fairway.
With three different loft options, the P-UDI offers plenty of customization options, such as stiff and x-stiff shaft flex to match your swing speed.
On the range, we loved the penetrating flight created by this utility iron. The club feels lightweight at address, helping increase your confidence while delivering optimal shot shape. We were able to work the golf ball in all directions easily.
While we found that forgiveness was greater with the higher lofted options, you still need to be able to hit the ball in the center repeatedly to get the most from this utility iron. From the fairway, turf interaction remained crisp, even in light rough.
Not for the faint of heart, the TaylorMade P-UDI works exceptionally well for golfers who know what they’re doing on the links.
Callaway Apex UT Utility Iron
Best Utility Iron for Low Handicappers
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Specifications
- Loft: 18°-23°
- Lie: 60°-61°
- Shaft Length: 38.5”-39.5”
- Swing Weight: Graphite: D1/Steel: D3
Pros
- Extremely versatile with premium workability
- Superb feel and responsiveness
- Crisp, clean turf interaction
Cons
- Smaller hitting area than most utility irons
Callaway’s premium Apex UT iron offers the sophistication of the company’s most popular advanced set with the features of a well-made utility iron.
What jumped out with the Apex UT is how workable this iron is off the tee box. We’re not speaking in hyperbole when we say this might be the most workable utility iron we’ve ever tested.
Turf interaction also ranked incredibly high with the Apex UT iron, as the rounded sole never snagged in the soil when hitting off the deck. Stingers were very easy to generate, especially with the ball slightly teed up off the soil.
Another feature we really liked about the Apex UT came from the choice of either the Mitsubishi MMT UT 80 graphite shaft or the Dynamic Gold Mid 115 steel shaft.
Since most manufacturers force golfers to choose the graphite option, it’s nice to see Callaway offering a choice for golfers who want the heft and uniform feel of a steel shaft with their long irons.
If you value workability more than any other feature in a driving iron, you should start your shopping with the Callaway Apex UT.
Srixon ZX Mk II Utility Iron
Best Distance Utility Iron for Low Handicappers
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Specifications
- Loft: 18°-23°
- Lie: 60°-60.5°
- Shaft Length: 39”-40”
- Swing Weight: D2
Pros
- Stunning appearance
- Lightweight, agile, and very fast
- Tons of face flex producing accurate ball flight
Cons
- Lacks the forgiveness casual golfers need
Srixon’s new utility iron, the MK II, offers a gorgeous combination of performance and appearance.
This strong yet surprisingly lightweight utility iron offers some serious muscle through the golf ball, creating an ideal shot shape with a sizable spoonful of workability for your game.
One of our favorite things about Srixon irons, especially this MK II utility iron, is the craftsmanship. So we were relieved when we found that the utility iron performed as beautifully as it looks on the links.
Contact remained crisp both indoors and outdoors with smooth turf interaction. Ball flight stayed relatively in the low-mid range, helping create a reliable shot shape we could depend upon when the situation called for a stinger or a full swing.
Another benefit we noted from playing with the MK II utility iron is how stable the face remained through impact. We never felt the club fighting to twist in our hands. Instead, it glided into the golf ball repeatedly with silky power.
An easy choice for the longest driving irons of the year, the Srixon utility iron deserves serious praise.
Titleist U505 Utility Iron
Most Forgiving Driving Iron
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Specifications
- Loft: 16°-22°
- Lie: 60°-61.5°
- Shaft Length: 38.75”-40.25”
- Swing Weight: D2/D3
Pros
- Tour-inspired design and appearance
- Outstanding feel with clean turf interaction
- Solid forgiveness on off-center strikes
Cons
- Higher price point than comparable driving irons
Titleist’s new driving iron, the U505, provides a sleek appearance with performance to back it up.
A mainstay on the PGA Tour, the U505 offers a tour-inspired design with reliable shot shaping to help you craft ball flight from the tee and fairway.
Featuring a wider sole, the U505 offers a higher launch than most driving irons, but we found that you won’t sacrifice a yard of distance.
And with four different loft options, you can easily find the ideal loft to help round out your club collection for attacking the course.
Another feature worth noting is the U505’s forgiveness on off-center strikes. The longer blade helps keep wayward strikes along the target line, something we witnessed both on the indoor simulator and the driving range.
Dispersion also remained incredibly tight throughout our time with the Titleist driving iron.
You won’t find classier, more sophisticated driving irons than the Titleist U505. It is a remarkable achievement in both design and performance, perfect for the low handicapper and scratch golfer looking to add another facet to their long-distance golf game.
Cobra King Tec Utility Iron
Best Utility Iron for Mid Handicappers
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Specifications
- Loft: 18°-23°
- Lie: 60°-60.5°
- Shaft Length: 39”-40”
- Swing Weight: D2
Pros
- Hollow body construction boosts swing speed
- Low spin with penetrating flight
- Hot, fast face generates distance
Cons
- Better for mid-handicappers
Cobra’s King Tec driving irons offer all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a top-tier utility iron but with one caveat. While most driving irons are built for low handicappers, Cobra designed the King Tec Utility to appeal to the weekend warrior.
With that goal in mind, we must admit the company deserves a hearty pat on the back for releasing these accessible driving irons to the market.
Not only is the club incredibly easy to hit, but it delivers results that can revolutionize the game of mid and high handicappers struggling with their driver.
One of the big reasons we like this club for mid-handicappers is Cobra’s flex selection for the shaft. If you have a mid-range swing speed, you can get the King Tec driving irons in a regular flex shaft to help you get the most distance and accuracy possible.
After our testing, we ranked forgiveness as solid with the King Tec Utility, another benefit that should appeal to casual golfers.
While we’d like to see a lower price for this club, we must admit there’s tremendous value in carrying the Cobra King Tec Utility for golfers who might otherwise doubt their abilities with a driving iron.
Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi Driving Iron
Best Distance Driving Iron for High Handicappers
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Specifications
- Loft: 16.5°-21.5°
- Lie: 59°-60°
- Shaft Length: 38.75”-39.75”
- Swing Weight: D2/D3
Pros
- Hollow body construction improves feel
- High launch, great for mid-handicappers
- Black plating gives club sleek, impressive look
Cons
- Harder to work from side to side
The Pro Fli-Hi driving irons from Mizuno utilize a hybrid graphite shaft to give you the feel of a wood with the performance of a long iron. The club comes equipped with a 21-gram tungsten weight low and deep in the head to boost height and increase carry.
The club comes in either a 16.5-degree, 19-degree, or 21.5-degree loft option helping you find the perfect distance and accuracy regardless of the situation you face on the links.
Once I got this iron on the Trackman, I found it delivers first-rate ball speed with penetrating flight and high-grade forgiveness. On off-center strikes, the ball stays along the target line with maximum ball speed.
Also, I’m a sucker for a beautiful black finish, and this driving iron looks incredible sitting in your bag. The feel and sound also register top grades from me after using this iron on the range and golf course.
Ideal for mid handicappers who want an easier-to-hit driving iron, the Fli-Hi Pro from Mizuno offers total control and superb distance from either the fairway or tee box.
Ping iCrossover Utility Iron
Best Distance Driving Iron for Mid Handicappers
Specifications
- Loft: 18°-22.5°
- Lie: 59.5°-61.5°
- Shaft Length: 39”-40.125”
- Swing Weight: D4
Pros
- Outstanding forgiveness on off-center strikes
- Lower CG with high energy transfer
- Solid feel at impact with immediate feedback
Cons
- Thinner than game-improvement iron
Ping’s iCrossover Driving Irons offer all of the high-grade construction the company is known for, with better launch and more carry than most low-lofted clubs deliver.
The club’s tour-inspired design directs power to the golf ball for more distance and impressive forgiveness. The rounded leading edge offers outstanding turf interaction, moving cleanly through the soil for first-rate contact.
Along the face, the club uses precision-milled MicroMax grooves, a feature I really enjoyed. It delivers a smooth feel and workability off the hitting area. The iron also provides high MOI to keep the face square through the impact zone, helping increase launch.
Another feature I loved is the appearance of this driving iron. The iCrossover’s matte black finish looks great on the course and in your golf bag, especially if you are already playing with Ping irons.
Even though I feel high handicappers can benefit from the power of this utility iron, it may take time to find consistency with this club.
How We Tested the Golf Irons
When testing driving irons, we first bring them into the lab and break down their specifications.
We want to know loft options, shaft options, the groove system, and the blade shape. All those factors play a huge part in the performance of these specialized clubs.
After we get a sense of how these clubs are designed, we take them to the indoor simulator to get dozens of swings on the launch monitor.
During the indoor session, we are looking to get a performance baseline in several important categories, such as total distance, spin rate, and dispersion.
Once we’ve gathered this information, we will head out to the outdoor driving range for more swings with the club.
We set up a launch monitor and began taking swings, looking to see how the club interacted with the turf. Clean, crisp contact with a driving iron is vital, so we take a healthy combination of full swings and stingers to see if there are any differences.
After we hit the driving iron a few hundred times, we reconvene in the lab and compare our evaluation notes. Next, we compare our indoor data points with our outdoor sessions to see if there are any major discrepancies.
Once we’ve reached a consensus on each club, we make our best driving iron list and assign awards to help you find the iron that better matches your game.
How to Choose the Best Driving Iron
Distance
Good driving irons need to have a hot face that sends the ball off the tee and gives you a chance to make par even when you’re not hitting the driver.
The ball should launch low, fly far, and roll out nicely.
They’re best used in windy, firm conditions when you need a penetrating trajectory to obtain a good distance.
Hittability
What separates a driving iron from a traditional long iron is that it should be much easier to hit than regular long iron.
The sweet spot needs to be large, and mis-hits should still result in decent shots.
While a 3-iron might look intimidating to the average golfer, driving irons should inspire confidence and be a reliable source of fairways hit. So I’m condensing this feeling into a criterion I call hittability.
Stinger Potential
The best driving irons should give you the option to hit a stinger: a low, hard shot that runs out significantly after landing.
Tiger Woods is famous for it, but one of my all-time favorite stingers is Ollie Schneiderjans’ 341-yard 1-iron from the 2017 Wyndham Championship.
The shot tracer shows that its trajectory peaks at a mere 39 feet, but it still traveled 341 yards!
If the center of gravity of driving irons is too low, a stinger will be hard to hit as it’ll launch the ball too high. To me, the best driving irons will let you smash it low and long.
Looks
One of the main reasons long irons have fallen out of favor with most amateurs and even many professionals is that they look intimidating and hard to hit.
Woods have less loft, but the increased body size gives you the impression that the club will help you get the ball off the ground.
Long irons with thin toplines look like they’re just sitting there, poised to blade the ball off into the woods and send shockwaves of vibration into your hands. If it’s cold out, they’re even more intimidating.
The best driving irons should overcome this: instead of being intimidating, they should paint a picture of tight dispersion, of a ball sailing straight and true down the fairway.
Forgiveness
When you choose to hit driving irons off the tee, you choose to sacrifice distance for accuracy.
A well-struck driver or 3-wood will always go farther than a driving iron, and the larger heads of the woods allow manufacturers to maximize the sweet spot to help forgive mis-hits.
This is tougher to accomplish with a driving iron, as there’s less surface area to manipulate weight and center of gravity.
But the distance potential of a driver means that if you don’t get it online, it can go deep into the woods.
So you take a driving iron, trying to ensure that your next shot will be from the fairway. But you still want forgiveness, as not every swing will find the sweet spot.
Forgiveness matters in this case since you’re already sacrificing some distance. The last thing you want is to hit it slightly out on the toe and suddenly not be able to reach the green with your next shot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a driving iron for?
A driving iron is a long iron that golfers use as an alternative to a driver or fairway wood on the tee box.
The iron carries a shallow loft to create a low penetrating ball flight that generates a similar distance to a 3-wood. The club is harder to hit for high handicappers and inexperienced golfers.
How high do you tee up a driving iron?
You should tee up the golf ball low to the ground with a driving iron. Since the face of driving irons are shallow and compact, the ball needs to be just slightly off the ground to generate the flight most golfers want from this club.
What is a utility iron club?
Also known as a driving iron, a utility iron club offers a loft similar to a fairway wood or hybrid that provides an iron’s workability and shot shape.
These irons are designed to help advanced golfers maximize their long iron play. These irons are great for hitting stingers that stay relatively low to the ground with plenty of rollout.
What is a UDI golf club?
A UDI golf club stands for utility driving iron. Like a long iron, a UDI offers a very shallow loft degree on the face to help golfers hit long shots that stay lower to the ground than a driver or fairway wood.
Great for tee shots where accuracy is a must, a UDI provides an alternative for golfers who want more versatility around the golf course.
Should I use a driving iron or a hybrid?
Driving irons have traditionally been geared towards better players, as they require a high clubhead speed and good contact to even get the ball in the air in the first place.
Many slow-swinging amateurs have found it hard to hit anything but worm burners with traditional driving irons.
However, recent technological advancements like hollow heads and tungsten toe weights have brought driving irons into the consciousness of mid-handicap amateurs who have trouble hitting woods and hybrids.
Driving irons are often seen as more accurate and better wind performers than hybrids and fairway woods. If you’re a decent player looking to find more fairways, this is certainly worth looking into. For beginners, I’d recommend sticking to hybrids and fairway woods.
Recommended: Driving Iron vs Hybrid (What Should You Have in Your Bag?)