what's your 21 - 24 degree club ?

[enis750]

i have been dabbling w the idea of a hybrid again....not too seriously yet though
i rarely hit my 3i and have even tried a few other GI irons, such as the Nike VR Full cavity and a Callaway X-Tour
just cant consistently get one going
a 4i used to be my go to club, but now its sorta creeping away from me
I am getting my 1st ever lesson tomorrow, but i wont be focusing on puring a 3i !! hahah!

im kinda stuck on a club in the 205-210 mark now
i go from a 16.5 4w to a 5i (w little consistency in a 4i now)
getting my 5i to do the trick sure is tough...especially in the wind

thinking a 21 or 23 degree hybrid might fill that gap and ditch the 3 and 4i in general
maybe it wont, but just figured id ask around from dudes in similar spots

i did at one time own a Titleist 90...something 19 hybrid
couldnt hit it for the life of me

opinions?
not so much on the make of which one to consider, but maybe an alternative or what do you use instead
and a wood over a 16.5 degree is out as well (like a 7w)

steel shafted hybrid of some type? do they even make those??

[kpaulhus]

Have to tried the Adams Idea Pro Black? I hit their 20* hybrid and love it. just have to get a coupon or something cuz there is no way Im dropping $200 on one club.

[hoser]

I remade my bag over the winter because I had a similar situation to yourself last season.

Last year I had a Ping G10 3 hybrid (21 degree) with a stock shaft and then 4i-PW for my irons. Like you, my 4i started to become unreliable. I could hit if off the tee or from the fairway but was pretty uncomfortable from the rough. However, I really didn't love my 3h, so I was pretty stuck in that 200 (4i) to 215 (3h) range.

At the end of the year I went to a club fitter and he made a few suggestions. Firstly, he suggested swapping out the stock 3h shaft (Ping TFC 129) for a steel Rifle 6.2 shaft to match the rest of my irons. Also, he made the shaft length closer to a 3i than a 3h which was about a 1.5 inches shorter.

These changes made a huge difference. The 3h became one of the best clubs in my bag.

Over the winter I ditched my 4i and got a 4h (Ping G10 24 degree) and actually dropped a wedge for a 2h (Ping G10 18) both with steel shafts to match my irons. I'm really loving this set up right now.

So, I thought I'd pass along these suggestions because it might make the transition from a long iron to a hybrid more palatable for you.

[sean_miller]

I don't have one. I can choke down on my 19 degree 5-wood and hit it about the same distance as a full 3-iron - just a bit higher.

When I struggle with the 3 and 4 iron, it's time to put the 2-iron in the bag.

[enis750]

I remade my bag over the winter because I had a similar situation to yourself last season.

I am liking this idea a lot!

hmmmm...and could be a cheaper alternative to a stocler hybrid...hmmm...

I don't have one. I can choke down on my 19 degree 5-wood and hit it about the same distance as a full 3-iron - just a bit higher.

ur old school miller!! hahaha!

how the hell is a 2i easier to hit than a 3 or 4i!! hahahah!!!!!!!!

[sean_miller]

how the hell is a 2i easier to hit than a 3 or 4i!! hahahah!!!!!!!!

When I feel like my tempo is back on track and I'm striping the 2-iron, I pull the 3-iron - it feels so easy to hit that I have complete confidence in it. I'll still hit the odd flyer or heel one onto the right apron, but relatively speaking hitting 2-irons makes the 3-iron feel like money in the bank.

[doof_dizzler]

PING G5 are good hybrids, I really liked the 22 I used to have. I'm playing either a TEE CB2 22* or an Alpha RX GF3 22* these days, both very forgiving and hit it a ton. Either of them is a full club longer than a 4i for me, so I have my bag down to a 5 iron, then 5h, 4h, 2h to provide the desired yardage gaps.

[Smokey916]

I use a 22* tour issue pro black replaces my 3 iron most of the time but occasionally go back to using a 3 iron.

[ronaldkuntoro]

I figure out it's easier to hit a really Super Game Improvement 3 iron than a 3 hybrid (such Cally Big Bertha)....

[kurisu]

relatively speaking hitting 2-irons makes the 3-iron feel like money in the bank.

I totally relate (albeit at my very beginner level). Getting a 4 iron and working on it made the 5 iron that much easier to hit consistently. Thinking of getting a 3 iron now, so that I can nail the 4 iron from the rough

Oh, by the way, my 21~24º club is my 4 iron (22º)

[imtomtomim]

Well, from my experience, hybrids 19* and less have no place in my bag. They give me such a low trajectory and never climb as much as an iron would from the lack of spin so I get hotter landings than I would with an iron. I'd rather take a 2 iron than a 2 hybrid. With that said, I'd take a 5 wood over all of those as it gives you a lot of options. If you need to fill in that 3i spot, I'd say yes, you should go try out some hybrids, or maybe you want to look for a 7 wood which people fall in love with after they try it.

I picked up a hybrid this year because my gap was from a 4w (250) to 3i (215). I loved that 3i and hit it great but I found myself left with yardages around 225 for par 3's and long par 5's. Hate hitting a 4w choked up or shaved off, woods have no touch to them especially for a distance that far away. 3 hybrid, problem solved.

My suggestions, learn to hit that 4 iron, and pick up a 3h or 7w. If you need to ditch that 4 iron, grab a hybrid for it too.

[shades9323]

I have Wilson Staff Fybrids 3 & 4(21 and 24) with the stock graphite shafts. The work well for me.

[goblue107501]

I have a 24º 4-iron and a 19º hybrid. The 4-iron maxes out at 200-205. I can hit the hybrid good enough to cover any yardage from 195 or so up to 225-230 if I need to.

[Amofada]

I Use a 22* adams a7 4 hybrid. I can hit this about 250 yards. 30 yards further than my 4 iron. I couldn't believe how much longer I hit this than my iron. I'm thinking it might be because I rarely strike the ball completely pure with my old blade 690 MB 4 iron. Anyway, I took my 3 iron out of the bag to make room. I also play a 17* 4 wood. I do have a significant distance gap between my hybrid and 4 iron now but I like to work the hybrid, gripping down and hitting fades to work around it.

[enis750]

Well, from my experience, hybrids 19* and less have no place in my bag. They give me such a low trajectory and never climb as much as an iron would from the lack of spin so I get hotter landings than I would with an iron. I'd rather take a 2 iron than a 2 hybrid. With that said, I'd take a 5 wood over all of those as it gives you a lot of options. If you need to fill in that 3i spot, I'd say yes, you should go try out some hybrids, or maybe you want to look for a 7 wood which people fall in love with after they try it.

can't stand the way a 7w looks at address - too much loft for a "wood" or "fwy metal" whatever u want to call it

the 3i is out of the bag I hear you on choking up or partial shots w a fwy metal, i already have a shorter, smooth-ish backswing and power coming through its hard for me to jedge distances w fwy metals on partial shots - irons are easier for that type of shot on my course too, its tough to get a round w/out a 205-215 club I put the 3w back in the bag for some shorter par 4's and have the 4w for trying to get to some par 5's in two the 3w is great off the tee, not off the deck so much, and the 4w is great off the deck, not so much off the tee - which i am fine with I can hit the 4w (on average) about the 220-235 mark, which is all i need off the deck and my 3w is about 230-245 off the tee i am thinking of ditching the 3 and 4i and replacing w one club - like a 22 or 23º club/hybrid i dunno though............ if i can get the 4i working, i dont need another club to replace the gap, I can make it work not too big of deal right now though i have some range time w my pro today, maybe he can help me make the 4i work

[andef]

I still play irons 3-PW because of the windy conditions here as I can hit the 3 iron with a low/medium trajectory on a normal swing. If I'm firing at a green then I would play a fade and the ball will definately hold it.
I'm working with a 19* hybrid to fill the gap between 3 wood and 3 iron but I doubt I will change the set up of my irons.

[etlreams]

I took out my 4 iron (23*) and put in a Callaway FT 4 Hybrid (24*).

The hybrid seems pretty comperable, distance wise, to the rare occation I hit my 4 iron well.

Prior to the FT Hybrid, I was playing a Nickent 3dx 3 hybrid (19*) to substitute for the 4 iron. Fantastic club - but there was too much of a gap between my 5 wood and 5 iron. I was hitting that club about the same distance as I was hitting my 5 wood... So I picked up the 24* hybrid.

[golfro]

I'm not a big fan of hybrids...actually never even hit one before in my life.

I used to hit a 7wood but figured I'd rather hit my 3 iron. between my 4i and 3i, I can hit both fairly consistently.