Lynx Golf Prowler VT Stinger Driving Iron – Rocket Performance at Reasonable Pricing

Driving irons have amassed a large following over the recent years. Whether you can’t find a hybrid you can’t hit straight (my issue) or prefer the appearance, feel and control that an iron provides (along with some additional forgiveness), driving irons certainly offer unique advantages over long irons, hybrids and even fairway woods.

Indeed, technological advancements and proper club fitting have allowed even golfers who previously didn’t fit into the driving iron player-profile (i.e., high swing speed) to experiment with ditching their 4, 5 and even 6 irons and swapping in something that’s easier to launch and hit with ample power behind it.

That said, driving irons aren’t suited for everyone and, much like the Pros, may even be a part of your bag that you may want to consider rotating in and out depending on the playing conditions, the course you’re playing and the current status of your game.

As a result, spending big money on a club that may not be a set piece isn’t exactly an attractive idea. But that doesn’t mean you have to swear off driving irons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Lynx Golf USA (@lynxgolfusa) on Oct 16, 2019 at 9:02am PDT

Steve Elford and Stephanie Zinser acquired Lynx Golf from Dicks Sporting Goods after working out a deal following the Golfsmith bankruptcy. Since then, Lynx has achieved double-digit annual sales increases every year since 2013.

While there are certainly several factors that have contributed to the brand’s success, it’s indisputable that Lynx’s quality products positioned at an incredibly reasonable price point has helped their equipment find their ways into amateurs’ bags. Indeed, Trackman testing showed that the Prowler VT, Forged CB and Tour Blade irons all performed very well against my custom fit, major OEM brand irons (and could’ve likely been performed nearly as well with some additional tweaking).

With all the success in the European market, the duo have decided to expand Lynx beyond their home turf and tap into the US marketplace. During that expansion, Lynx has developed and refined its product offerings to include, among other things, the Prowler VT Stinger Driving Iron.

To provide a brief rundown, the Prowler VT Stinger Driving Iron features variable face thickness and a hollow head, packaged together in a muscle back-esque design. As far as options go, the VT Stinger is available in 2 loft options (12.5° and 16°) with 2 shaft options (the KBS Tour 90 steel shaft and UST Mamiya Recoil graphite shaft), 2 flexes (Regular and Stiff) and 2 finishes (Chrome and Fossil).

Regardless of how you spec it out, the Prowler VT Stinger Driving Iron flat-out performs.

I had the opportunity to test out the the VT Stinger in 16° loft with the UST Mamiya Recoil graphite shaft in Stiff, which made it easy to compare against my TaylorMade GAPR Mid (18°) equipped with the Recoil Prototype 125 graphite shaft. It’s worth noting that the GAPR is noticeably more expensive, which could be a real deal breaker for a club you’re experimenting with, unsure whether it’ll match well with your playing ability and the courses you frequent and/or might only make an appearance on shorter courses or windy days.

Be that as it may, the data showed that the Lynx was every bit as capable as the GAPR. Indeed, both clubs were generating ball speeds in the low/mid 140s, Smash Factors in the high 1.3/low 1.4s and spin rates hovering in the mid-3,000 range.

As a result, the Lynx was often carrying the ball approximately 220 yards, with total distance creeping into mid/high 230s, all while maintaining a launch angle below 20°. In sum, the TrackMan data showed that the Lynx VT Stinger is a low-filing missile launcher that offers premium performance at a very reasonable price tag.

On the course, I found the VT Stinger equally hot and useful. Indeed, my home course features a combination of shorter Par-4s that you want to lay up to a certain distance and a couple Par 5s with protected greens. Add into the mix that almost a ⅓ of the holes are exposed to the waterfront (see: windy), and you can easily see how a high launching hybrid or 5W could easily turn your golf ball into a kite. Fortunately, however, the VT Stinger was both predictable (ball never ballooned up in the air) and confidence inspiring (the ball never flew unusually far), regardless if I was hitting off the tee, from the fairway or out of light rough.

In light of the foregoing, perhaps the only negative thing I could say about the VT Stinger is the lack of a true head cover (the VT Stinger comes with a felt bag cover, which I buried into my bag to avoid losing during the round), but that’s easily overshadowed by cost savings and readily available solutions (i.e., gym sock head cover) if you want to avoid scratching/denting your metal woods.

Provided you have the necessary ball striking ability, driving irons can be a real weapon on the tee, from the fairway and even out of the rough. While the 12.5° loft option might be a bit too low lofted for most people (although could be ideal for the player who struggles hitting 3 woods off the deck), the 16° is an incredibly high-value option for the golfer who struggles with hybrids, shorter fairway woods and long irons and is looking to bridge that gap between the top and mid section of their bags.

The Lynx Golf Prowler VT Stinger Driving iron provides performance that rivals the OEMs, but at a fraction of the cost that won’t hurt your wallet or have you feeling guilty if you decide to mix- and-match this section of your bag with some other options.

Cover Image Via Instagram