Getting the tee shot to be perfect is one of the most stressful parts of the game for golfers. If you can’t get off the tee, it throws off the rest of the hole. If a driver is something that you struggle with, a driving iron is a replacement that could work for your game.
Driving irons and utility irons allow for more accurate performance from the tee, and it can be a game-changer for some players. In addition, if you are not a fan of hybrid golf clubs, the utility iron is a great solution. We have rounded up some of the best driving irons on the market to give you a better idea as to what your choices are. Here is our top selection of driving irons.
Best driving irons
TaylorMade Golf P790 UDI Utility Club
Best overall
The best overall driving iron is the TaylorMade Golf P790 UDI. The P790 irons are extremely well known for their hollow body construction and speed foam technology. This is an iron the really changed what golfers thought they could get out of an iron.
Lower handicap players have been playing clean looking high-performing irons like the TaylorMade P790 UDI for years. However, only recently have golf manufacturers discovered ways to make this technology accessible to all players.
Regardless of your handicap, the TaylorMade P790 UDI has the ball speed and accuracy that any golfer needs from a driving iron. If you want to hit the ball a long way off the tee, but the driver isn’t the club for it, give this one a try.
Pros
- Forged hollow body
- Great feel, feels like a forged blade
- Plenty of forgiveness
Cons
- 2 iron can be a bit unforgiving
Cleveland Golf Launcher UHX Utility Club
Best Value
It doesn’t matter if you are shopping for a driving iron or a driver; the price you pay is an important factor. Golf equipment is expensive, and it is important to pay attention to what you are spending so that you have some room left in your budget for greens fees. With the Cleveland Golf Launcher UHX, you can ensure that you will save money yet get great performance from your club.
The Launcher UHX Utility club is another hollow body construction capable of delivering high ball speeds. You will notice a difference in the distance when you put this hollow body against a traditional construction golf club.
The V-Shaped Sole on the Cleveland also makes it a great club for hitting from the fairway as well. So many golfers think about the driving iron as the shot to hit from the tee, but you can use these golf clubs from the fairway just as easily. For a great value, impressive distance, and plenty of forgiveness, the Cleveland Golf Launcher UHX is a great driving iron to consider.
Pros
- Variable high strength steel face
- Fast ball speeds, even on the miss-hits
- V-shaped sole
- Plenty of forgiveness
Cons
- Doesn’t have the same feel as players driving iron
Srixon Z U85 Utility Club
Best Premium
Srixon continues to grow its presence both in the world of amateur golf and on professional golf tours. The Srixon Z U85 Utility iron is a great choice for the player that wants premium looks and feel in their driving iron.
The hollow body construction makes the Z U85 both long and controllable. You will be able to get lots of forgiveness and a much higher ball flight. When choosing driving irons for your bag, the ball flight is an essential factor to consider. Since these clubs are lower in loft, you will need something with a center of gravity low enough to help create a higher launch.
If you are a player that loves their irons, the Srixon Z U85 is a great choice. When you set up to hit with this club, you will find that it looks just like an iron. Srixon Z is really well known for making a great looking iron, and they don’t deviate from that with this utility iron.
Pros
- Hollow construction
- Premium looking and feeling golf clubs
- Srixon Z is used quite a bit on the PGA Tour
Cons
- High launch for a driving iron
- Expensive
TaylorMade Golf SIM UDI Utility Club Driving Iron Choose Loft Flex Dexterity
TaylorMade creates golf clubs that are built for speed and distance. Chances are, if you are shopping for a driving iron, you are going to be looking for all the distance that you can get. The new TaylorMade SIM UDI combines a C300 face, speed foam, and Thru Slot Speed to give golfers maximum distance with this driving iron.
One of the things that you will notice almost immediately is that the TaylorMade SIM UDI has a very piercing ball flight. You can watch the way these driving irons cut through the sky. As far as the clubs are, they still feel great at impact.
With a new shape, inspired by some input from the PGA Tour players, the TaylorMade SIM UDI looks better than previous TaylorMade utility clubs or driving irons. When you get the top down look on this iron, it’s impressive and cleaner than we are used to.
Pros
- Great turf interactions
- Higher ball speed
- premium feel and piercing ball flight
Cons
- Not as much workability as a Srizon Z
Callaway 2020 X-Forged Utility Iron
Callaway has been making their Callaway X Forged UT for quite some time. Every year or so, the Callaway X Forged Utility is updated, and some new technology is brought to the table. With this latest X Forged UT, you will see that the grooves are a bit different. The grooves are built to promote some more control and an excellent spin.
The Callaway X Forged UT is a club to use if you are looking to get better from a few different areas around the course. If you want a club that can be a good approach shot on a long par four or get you out of trouble on a tricky par five, this is a great choice. With the Callaway X Forged UT, you won’t have to worry so much about the lie because of the impressive turf interaction included in the iron.
If you love your irons and only want driving irons with a classic and compact look, the Callaway is the perfect solution for your game.
Pros
- Great looking golf club
- Turf interaction is superior from a variety of lies
- Tour configured soles
- Great feel
Cons
- Not as much forgiveness as some of the other driving irons on the market
Ram Golf FX Hybrid Driving Iron Men’s Right Hand
If you are not sure that a driving iron is a proper fit for your game, and you don’t want to spend too much money, the Ram Golf FX Driving Iron is a great choice. This is an affordable driving iron that has both forgiveness and plenty of distance.
Ram Golf is more of a value golf manufacturer. You will not expect this club to have as good of a feel or as high of a ball speed as some of the other clubs on the market. However, the Ram Golf FX is known for a low center of gravity, clean black finish, and high moment of inertia.
The Ram Golf driving iron is one of the best driving irons for the mid to high handicapper. The club itself is confidence inducing, and it comes at just the right price.
Pros
- Nice looking black stainless driving iron
- One of the best driving irons for higher handicappers
- Great replacement for fairway woods or hybrids
Cons
- Doesn’t have the premium feel that a TaylorMade or Srixon may have
2020 Cobra Golf King One Length Utility Iron
One of the things that Cobra is most well known for is making it easier to hit golf clubs. Cobra has consistently made one of the best driving iron choices for the mid handicapper year after year. This is a forged construction hollow golf club, and it is built to resemble a traditional long iron. Our favorite thing about this choice is the fact that it is a one-length technology.
The Cobra King Utility iron will be the same length as your seven iron. With a King Utility iron like this and the confidence that you can get swinging a shorter golf club, this is one of the best driving irons on the market. If you have slower swing speed and tend to hit behind the ball with long irons in your hand, the Cobra One Length is the club for you.
The combination of distance and forgiveness in the Cobra utility clubs makes it possible to improve your game. If you want high ball speeds, a large sweet spot, and a distance you can control, this is a perfect choice.
Pros
- Built for a variety of swing speeds
- One length for greater distance and forgiveness
- Perfect replacement for both woods and hybrids
- Strategically positioned tungsten weight
Cons
- Not all golfers will benefit from the one length technology
Wilson Staff Model Utility Men’s Golf Irons – Graphite, Right Hand
Many people think of Wilson as a golf manufacturer that creates clubs for beginners. This is just not the case. Wilson Staff is capable of creating some of the better feeling golf clubs on the market. If you have yet to hit with a Wilson Staff iron, now may be the time to give it a try.
The Wilson Staff utility iron was created using the help of tour players that wanted a better option in their 3 iron and 4 iron technology. The Wilson staff is a reliable club that plays really long but still has plenty of workability.
The high strength C300 steel face helps to ensure that there is lots of ball speed at all times. Seven grams of weight were moved around to give golfers a better launch angle. If lower ball flight has kept you away from the utility irons or driving irons, the Wilson Staff model could change that.
Pros
- Great looking club
- Performs like a hybrid looks and feels like an iron
- Plenty of ball speed
- Confidence inspiring look
Cons
- Price remains a bit high
Buyers Guide
With these eight driving iron choices, it can be hard to narrow things down to which one could be the best for your game. Since every golf club on the market has some technology that is a bit unique, here are a few of the things to look for when you are shopping for utility irons or driving irons.
Loft
Most of the time, the driving iron is offered in a 2 iron, 3 iron, and 4 iron loft. Some people think that the driving irons will have a loft as low as the driver, but this is typically not the case. The idea that this is a driving iron means you can have piercing ball flight and plenty of distance; however, the lofts will be similar to a long iron. Always make sure that you have the proper loft gapping between your irons.
Shaft
The shaft can either be graphite or a steel shaft in a driving iron. Most golfers will admit that the graphite shaft seems to be a better fit. Since driving irons are typically a little longer in length and players want to get as much speed as possible, the graphite shaft is a smart choice.
Turf Interaction
Pay attention to the technology in the best driving irons that are related to turf interaction. In order to hit a great shot out of the fairway or a slight bit of rough, you will need something that helps you with turf interaction. This can be related to the sole width or some tungsten weighting in the clubhead. Regardless it is important to consider turf interaction and plan on using your driving iron from while you are on the course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Golfers often struggle with understanding what exactly a driving iron is and how it can help their game. Here are a few questions to consider before purchasing one of the best driving irons on the market.
Are Driving Irons Forgiving?
Some driving irons are meant to be used by lower handicap players, and they will not forgive at all. Others have a large sweet spot and plenty of extra launch. Driving irons have a low loft, which will make them a little less forgiving; however, if you choose the proper club, you can get something with a good balance of forgiveness and distance.
Should High Handicappers Use Driving Irons?
High handicappers can use driving irons; however, they should consider something with a slightly higher loft. The more loft a club has, the easier it is to hit. Sometimes high handicapper struggle to get the ball off the tee, and the driving iron ends up being a better choice than a driver.
Is A Driving Iron Worth it?
A driving iron is worth it if you struggle with fairway woods or hybrids. We don’t recommend replacing your driver completely with a driving iron as it won’t really give you the same distance you may be looking for. However, if you want a more seamless transition from irons to the driver, the driving irons or utility irons are a perfect choice.
And The Winner Is . . .
The TaylorMade P790 UDI was without a doubt our top choice for the best driving iron on the market. The team at PG Golf Links love everything about this club, especially the distance, ball speed, and forgiveness. Regardless of your handicap, you will find performance benefits from using the TaylorMade P790 UDI. Overall, utility irons and driving irons make golf more enjoyable for those who struggle with the longer clubs. If your short game is where you need it to be, but the long game is falling behind, invest in a driving iron.