Equipment
Today from the Forums: “Hybrid vs Utility iron – Which is more useful?”
Today from the Forums, we take a look at a discussion comparing the advantages of having either a hybrid or utility iron in the bag. WRXer, tsecor, asks for the pros and cons of each – and our members oblige, telling us which has worked best for them out on the course.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- agolf1: “I think a lot depends on swing speed / how far you can carry this type of club, especially as you get in the low 20 degrees or below. They are still a lot more iron-like than anything else and require both a good strike and speed to keep the ball in the air long enough. I tried the Ping Crossovers (original and G400) and just thought it was too limited for me. Basically, only a tee shot club or need a perfect lie/stance on a cushy fairway. I have a 20-yard gap between a 7 wood (about 200) and a 25-degree iron (about 180, whatever number you want to call that club). I’ve thought about the smaller hybrids for this spot. Like TS3, Callaway Apex, etc.”
- Joelism: “I have a 21* hybrid and a 21* utility, totally different clubs. The utility is used mainly off the tee (Wilson Staff Tour Model) and is easy to hit. The hybrid is only really used from the fairway or rough, wouldn’t dream of attempting the utility from the rough. The hybrid goes higher and further in winter; I suspect when the fairways aren’t slushy mud, then the utility will roll further.”
- granata10: “I have tried a few driving irons, but I still hit my Callaway Apex hybrid better, its a more versatile and for a hybrid does not like to go left. For me its a height issue, I hit the hybrid higher, and it’s not a problem for me to lower the flight with the hybrid. I just don’t hit driving irons high enough.”
- mizunotpz: “Notice that a lot of the hybrid players saying they wouldn’t use the utility in the rough, but then you got a think again. I use my Ping Crossover G410 from the rough all the time. It’s just the perfect utility. Creates a lot of speed with it.”
- Stinger83: “For me, it’s a club that’s for specific conditions. Hard, dry, fast, windy conditions. Anything else I’ll take a hybrid. A hybrid for me is going to be more versatile from the fairway and definitely the rough. Modern hybrids don’t spin as much as they used to and hitting a “stinger” shot with them is not hard. Also, a lot of these DI’s are not as forgiving as they look. The only ones I have found that I like are Titleist TMB tour edge ironwood and the old Callaway apex ut.”
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
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Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
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Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
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Madeline Morgan
Mar 6, 2020 at 6:34 pm
If you are a male golfer who hits a 6 iron 200 yds then a utility iron would probably be a fine addition to your bag. But if you are a senior or female golfer with a much slower swing speed, then a hybrid club is probably the more sensible choice, even if, like me, you play off a single figure hcp. Those of us who are not as fast or as strong as we might once have been simply cannot get a utility iron to launch high enough to make it more than just occasionally useful.
Madeline Morgan
Mar 6, 2020 at 6:32 pm
If you are a male golfer who hits a 6 iron 200 yds then a utility iron would probably be a fine addition to your bag. But if you are a senior or female golfer with a much slower swing speed, then a hybrid club is probably the more sensible choice, even if, like me, you play off a single figure hcp. Those of us who are not as fast or as strong as we might once have been simply cannot get a utility club to launch high enough to make it more than just occasionally useful.