Why are 1 and 2 irons not included in a typical set?

Question

Does anybody use them?

Answer 1

they are very hard to hit--even the pros have a hard time hitting them. thats what theyre not included in the typical set =]

Answer 2

The typical golfer cannot hit the one and two iron. It requires a lot of club-head speed to get those iron airborne on an effective trajectory, more than most typical golfer can generate. Even the three & four irons are vanishing being replaced by Hybids.
Last week during the PGA broadcast one of the annoucers flat out stated there is no reason for any amateur to have less than a 5 iron in his bag.
Hybrids are so much easier to hit and far more forgiving. Some sets now exclude the lower irons and include hybrids.

Answer 3

Only God can hit a 1 iron. 1 and 2 irons are very hard to hit. I applaud sergio garcia for his 2 iron striking at the british open, that was a show in itself.
Recently when I purchased my set of callaway x-18s, I did not want the 3 and 4 irons. I seldom would hit them as I carry the callaway 9 and 11 woods. I opted for the 5-pw and I picked up the approach wedge and sand wedge with the set, which I think are more important than a 3 or 4 iron.

Answer 4

I use to use them back in high school, but I don't anymore. I have a hybrid now and only hit down to my 5-iron with my irons. I just don't find myself in many situations where I'd want to hit a 1, 2, 3 or 4-iron anymore.

Answer 5

Because very few golfers actually have the need to use them. A 2 iron basically will do the same job as a 5 wood, only it is more difficult to hit. I only know 2 recreational golfers who even own a 2-iron and they rarely pull it from the bag.

Answer 6

They are too hard to hit and there are good hybrids and fairway woods that are much easier to hit than that.

Pros don't even use a 1 iron. Some still use a 2 iron like Tiger.

Answer 7

Note as well that over the last decade or two, lofts have gotten stronger on most clubs. A 20 yr old pitching wedge was 52deg of loft whereas a modern one is more like 47deg. An old school 2 iron, like Tiger's, was 20deg in loft which is more like a modern 3 iron. In effect, today's sets are more like an old school 2-9.

Answer 8

Only about five percent of golfers have the swing speed to take advantage of them. Most players should be hitting no more than a four or five iron and let a couple of hybrids cover the gap from there to a five wood.

Answer 9

i used both up untill about a year or so ago...they may be hard to hit, but that is not the only reason that people are going away from them...ROUGH...a 1,2,3 and sometimes 4 irons are almost useless from light rough - forget about heavy rough. i can hit my 19* hybrid from moderate rough upwards of 230 and from the fairway 240. as other have said, they are also easier to hit...a toed 1 iron goes about 40 % of the distance while a toed hybrid is closer to 80 - 90

Answer 10

the 1 iron Jack Nicklaus use it to drive with I could in a 2 iron but only from a tee just to hard to hit