What is a 2 Iron Golf Club?
The 2 iron finds its place among the long iron category of golf clubs. Like a 1-iron, players usually find this club the most difficult to hit with. Thus, the 2 iron is not an ideal choice for beginners. The club is generally replaced by a high-loft fairway wood or a hybrid club.
The 2 iron isn’t a part of a classic off-the-shelf iron clubs set that have clubs ranging from 3-iron to pitching wedge. This is because of its hitting difficulty and de-lofting of present-day iron golf clubs, that the average distance of short irons is increased.
If you’re buying such a set of clubs and want a 2 iron, you will often have to buy it separately.
Like any long iron, the 2 iron has a very low loft and a long shaft along with a low launch angle. This golf club is meant for hitting the ball over a long distance of 180 to 260 yards. The difficulty in hitting is because the low loft renders a very small sweet spot and striking surface.
Should You Use a 2 Iron?
While it isn’t necessary that you should use a 2 iron in a game, there are a few instances where this club is capable of proving its worth. Based on the experiences of several players, the following are some instances when you can consider having a 2 iron in your golf bag.
- The 2 iron can be of use if you plan to hit quite a few off-the-tee shots. It helps you in delivering your shots confidently.
- This club is a good option for playing from roughs or fairways. The club can help you get some of the best fairway shots depending on the shape, wind, lie and other such factors.
- It is also helpful in trouble spots when you want to punch out from below trees or play on tight or short holes.
- The 2 iron golf club comes in handy when you want to render some very low shots or deliver a very low ball flight.
- This golf club may be a good choice when playing on a windy day for low trajectories.
- The 2 iron is an ideal option if you have a fairly fast swing and find the sweet spot often without much problem.
- It helps in hitting the golf ball easily with the middle of the clubface, with a confident and smooth swing.
What is the Loft of a 2 Iron?
The 2 iron is a low-lofted golf club. The average loft of a 2 iron is between 18°and 20°.
All manufacturers design their 2 irons with their loft angles less than 20 degrees. Very few of them have 2 iron golf clubs with a loft angle of 20°. The typical loft angle for these golf clubs is 18.5°.
How Far Should You Hit a 2 Iron?
The distance that you hit with a 2 iron depends on several factors.
- The first factor that determines how far you hit your 2 iron is whether you’re a male or a female golfer.
- The second deciding factor is if the golfer is a beginner (amateur) or a professional.
- The third factor is if the player is a short hitter, mid-hitter or a long hitter.
- Lastly, a combination of all the above factors is also taken into account.
For example, an average male player will hit 170, 195 or 215 yards depending on whether he is a short hitter, mid-hitter or long hitter respectively. Thus, the minimum distance that any male player is expected to hit with his 2 iron is 170 yards.
Similarly, an average female short hitter will hit 105 yards if she is a short hitter and 135 yards or 170 yards depending on whether she is a mid-hitter or a long hitter. Thus, the minimum distance that any female player is expected to hit with her 2 iron is 105 yards.
There are players who can hit 250 yards off the tee with their 2 irons. Some of them can hit 175 yards from the middle of the fairway. A few long hitters have been able to go as far as 267 yards.
What is the Average 2 Iron Distance?
The average distance of a 2 iron golf club is 195 yards (178 meters).
The average 2 iron distance depends on multiple parameters such as gender, fitness level, height, swing speed, ball type, player type and hitter type. The 2 iron distance is usually calculated considering average amateur players. This applies to both male and female golfers.
Average male amateur short, mid and long mid-hitters cover a distance of 170, 195 and 215 yards respectively. These distances for their female counterparts are 105, 135 and 170 yards in that order.
There are also instances where the 2 iron distances for average male short, mid and long hitters are 161, 195 and 219 yards respectively. In such cases, the corresponding distances for female golfers were noted to be 98, 126 and 161 yards.
Standard Length of a 2 Iron
Just like various factors influence the distance that a 2 iron can hit, the standard length of the golf club depends on two key parameters.
- One of them is whether the player is a male or a female golfer.
- The other aspect is whether the shaft of the 2 iron is made of steel or graphite.
As a rule, the 2 iron of a woman is an inch lesser than that used by a man. The length of a 2 iron with a steel shaft is half an inch lesser than that of one with a graphite shaft. This is irrespective of whether it is used by a male or a female golfer.
Generally, the 2 iron of a male player with a steel shaft has a standard length of 39.50 inches. The length of a 2 iron golf club with a graphite shaft in the case of this golfer will be 40 inches.
In contrast, a 2 iron club for a woman playing with a steel shaft has a length of 38.50 inches. The corresponding length for a graphite 2 iron club is 39 inches.
The manufacturer PING offers a 2 iron golf club with a length of 39.25 inches. Some players have 2 irons with a length of 39 inches.
How to Hit a 2 Iron
Hitting a 2 iron is an art and is usually easy for a low handicap player who has a fast swing speed. Depending on where you plan to use the golf club, there are different ways you can hit your 2 iron.
Hitting Off the Tee:
- Tee the ball at a lower level to the ground than you would usually do with a driver.
- Position the 2 iron so that its clubhead is near the ball and ensure that only one-quarter of the ball is visible above the center of the clubface. This is keeping in mind that the ball is positioned on the tee.
- Take your position so that the ball is between the inside of the left heel and the middle of your stance.
- Swing the 2 iron in such a way that you sweep the golf ball over the tee. You might consider choking down a little on the golf club so that you get better control.
Hitting from the Fairway:
- Keep the golf ball ahead of the middle of your stance by a few inches.
- Swing your 2 iron golf club as much as you would do using a fairway wood.
- Form a shallow arc by ensuring that you keep your golf club as low as possible to the ground when you do your backswing.
- Hit down on the ball slightly and render a shallow divot after hitting the ball.
Keep in mind that if you’re going to hit an approach shot, a low shot will result in the golf ball rolling quite a bit without holding on to the green easily.
If the terrain is accommodating, you can hit the club on the front part of a big green or bounce the ball on to a green.
Chipping:
To chip a ball with a 2 iron golf club, you need a clear path leading to the hole and a good lie close to the green.
- Position your wrists firmly on the 2 iron without any wrist cock.
- Take the golf club behind you by moving it quarter-way to half-way backward. How much you swing depends on your distance from the hole.
- Swing the club straight through the golf ball using a follow-through style that is at least the same length as that of your backswing.
- Chip with your 2 iron if you wish to avoid hitting the ball high up into the air. Plan your hit so that the chip shot lands well ahead of the cup and starts rolling.
Some players find themselves compromising on height and distance when they want to hit their 2 iron clubs consistently and successfully off the tee. On the other hand, a few of them have to go a little slow on their swing and swing it easy to use their 2 iron with a regular shaft comfortably.
There are golfers who have been successful using their 2 irons by positioning themselves so that their weight is forward when there is an impact and maintaining a flat lead wrist. They also position themselves in such a way that their hips are pushed forward to form a reverse K.
A few players tend to use their 2 irons by gripping on to them with their dominant hand and positioning themselves with their back to the target. Start spinning the hammer like an Olympic hammer throw. The spin is counter-clockwise for a righty and clockwise for a lefty.
2 Iron Vs 2 Hybrid
- Some players tend to lose out a bit on distance with a 2 iron in comparison to a 2-hybrid when they’re a bit off the center of their stance.
- A 2 iron is a good choice for low and high off-the-tee shots for golfers with reasonable speed while a 2-hybrid is more forgiving on the fairway and easier when hitting off the deck.
- For some, the golf ball doesn’t go as high as a 2-hybrid when they use a 2 iron.
- Some golfers prefer the 2-hybrid instead of 2 irons for hitting high shots into the greens.
- Some players who are comfortable using long irons prefer their 2 iron golf clubs over 2-hybrids when playing on windy days.
- A 2 iron has proved to be ideal for playing on tight courses with short par4s whereas the 2-hybrid is suitable for hitting low sweeping draws.
- A 2 iron is often more accurate than a 2-hybrid golf club that is easier, more versatile and gives a softer landing.
2 Iron Vs 3 Wood
- Some golfers find that they’re able to achieve more consistency with a 2 iron rather than when they opt for a 3-wood.
- Some players have been able to hit 2 irons with lightweight shaft profiles better than 3-woods with an identical shaft profile.
- A few golfers have experienced a lesser distance of 20 to 30 yards with their 2 iron in place of a 3 wood.
- A 2 iron is more predictable than a 3-iron for players who are looking for a golf club to play off-the-tee shots.
2 Iron Vs 5 Wood
- Some golfers are able to hit the golf ball more consistently and get it to go higher into the air but land softly with a 5-wood when compared to using a 2 iron.
- A few players prefer to use a 2 iron instead of a 5-wood when they play in rough weather such as on a windy day.
- Others have found 2 irons suitable for playing off-the-tee while the 5-wood is more versatile off-the-turf.
2 Iron Vs 3 Iron
- Some players prefer using a 2 iron to play on short courses and a 3-iron when they opt for a game on long courses.
- Some golfers are able to cover a greater distance on tight par 4s and off-the-tee with a 2 iron when compared to a 3-iron.