The great news for golfers in today’s golfing world is the amount of options that exist when it comes to clubs.
There are drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and driving irons that are all designed to make the game easier and more fun on those long shots.
Whether you are hitting a tee shot or a shot from the fairway or rough, you want something that fits your swing and your game.
There are plenty of golfers that hit the driver well, but also those that struggle. Some choose to hit the 3 wood more often off the tee, while others have selected the driving iron as a viable option.
Golfers have options, which is great, but can also be confusing.
Our goal is to break it down for you when comparing the driving iron vs the driver.
Driving Iron vs Driver (Main Differences!)
The standard driver is between 45-46 inches in length and has between 8-12 degrees. While the driving iron is around 40 inches in length with loft options ranging between 16-22 degrees. Generally speaking, the driver will fly further, but the driving iron will provide more accuracy.
What are the benefits of the Driving Iron?
- Quality distance
- Workability
- Easier to hit straighter
What are the benefits of the Driver?
- Longest club in bag
- Big sweet spot
- Designed to launch high and far
Driving Iron Benefit #1: Quality Distance
While most golfers will not hit their driving iron as far as their driver, it still provides some quality distance. I can hit my driver around 265 yards and my driving iron around 230. While there is a 35 yard gap, I can hit the fairway at a higher rate with my driving iron. Overall, on shorter par 4s or par 5s, where hitting the ball straight is put at a premium, hitting the shot with the driving iron is a great option.
Carrying a driving iron in your bag also provides a quality option on those long par 3s. We are specifically talking about the 210 yard plus par 3s that can be difficult to hit the green and make a par.
Driving Iron Benefit #2: Workability
Since it is an iron, it is more simple to work the ball in both directions. If you are a golfer that prefers to hit a fade on some shots and a draw on others, the driving iron will be a favorite of yours.
The shorter shaft length and the extra loft makes hitting different shots with some control easier. The elite golfer is often looking to eliminate one side of the hole and the driving iron can do this from the tee or in the fairway on an approach shot.
The club is ultimately rather versatile and can be used on a variety of shots throughout the course. A driver is more than likely just a club that the majority of golfers will only hit off a tee. While hitting it off the deck is an option, it is not highly recommended for many golfers.
Driving Iron Benefit #3: Easier to Hit Straighter
Due to the shorter shaft, most golfers are going to have an increase in the accuracy with a driving iron vs a driver. This comes in handy on narrow golf courses.
Depending on the course you play most frequently, adding a driving iron to the bag is a good strategy. If you play a tight, tree lined course, hitting a driving iron might help save you several shots per round!
Driving Iron vs 3 Iron (Which one should I carry?
Driver Benefit #1: Longest Club in Bag
The driving has the longest shaft and it also is the longest flying club in the bag. It can generate the highest swing speed, the highest ball speed and incredible launch angles and spin rates. The bottom line: it is designed to fly high and far.
The driver has had a ton of money poured into research and development over the years because distance sells and every golfer can benefit from distance. If the driver is a weakness of yours, I would recommend working on this weakness and trying to change it to a strength.
Golf Drills for the Driver (5 Drills)
Driver Benefit #2: Big Sweet Spot
There might not be a more forgiving club in the bag. The 460cc head provides plenty of hitting space and a large sweet spot, helping the golfer maximize distance and accuracy. If you struggle to hit the sweet spot on your driver, you might struggle with a driving iron.
I see the driving iron as a complement to the driver and not a replacement. Both clubs can play a significant role in your golf journey.
How to hit your driver straighter (5 Tips)
Driver Benefit #3: Designed To Launch High and Far
If you have watched any of the PGA Tour recently, you will see golfers take a strong and fast swing at the ball. They aren’t holding much back when it comes to the driver. This is because the club is designed to hit the ball long and far and the analytics have made it clear how important distance is with the driver.
When you bring it all together: the length of the shaft, the size of the sweet spot and then how it is engineered, you have an amazing club in your bag that every golfer should work at getting better at. Work on adding swing speed and take advantage of this amazing tool we call a golf club!
What’s Next: Our #1 Recommendation!
Did you know that you aren’t stuck at your swing speed? Is it possible to increase your swing speed?
I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. Regardless of your current speed levels, there are always new barriers to break!
When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!
At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.
Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.
Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.
SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!
Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.
The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.
The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.
For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.
My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
Final Thoughts: Driving Iron vs Driver
Carry both clubs! If you are a single digit handicap the speed and distance of the driver and the accuracy and overall distance of a driving iron make for some quality shots over 200 yards. Filling in the gaps with a variety of options and exploring what is best for your game is important. I would highly recommend using a Skytrak to measure what clubs you want to carry in your bag. Know your distances, spin rates, launch angle and the ball speeds that each club option produces!
Price out a Skytrak here at Rain or Shine Golf!
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.