What's your Top end combo???

[Motley01]

I have my driver adjusted at 11.0*.

3 wood adjusted to 16*.

and Hybrid is 22*.

I'm a low ball hitter so I need the higher lofts.

[trickyputt]

[quote name="trickyputt" url="/t/75566/whats-your-top-end-combo#post_1014780"]10.5 xhot 15 xhot 3w 17 tm rescue 21 tm rescue

This looks a nicely spaced top end combo! Could you tell me your average distances for these![/quote] I play the D at 260, the 3W at 235, the 17 at 215, the 21 at 190. A typical use of the 21 was two par 3s I played yesterday. 185 and 203. By fading the 21 i stopped it on the green for 187 and by high draw I stopped it at 205ish middle on a tucked pin. Two birdie putts, the shorter one I made. I play the other clubs the same way. My 5i is 175.

[anthony]

I bought a 2 hybrid (to go with my 4 and 5 hybrids) a few years ago to replace my 3 wood. I couldn't hit it for shit. I've since ditched all of my hybrids and my top 3 slots are now: Driver, 3 wood, 3 iron.

There is too much of a gap between the 3 iron and 3w to be honest. But, I don't want to drop a wedge to fit in a 5 wood, so I'm thinking about putting a 5w in place of the 3w.

[Hardballs]

Well I christened the 1h tonight! 15.5* I hit a few on the range with great affect, then did 9 holes! I like it ...a lot! Granted, it's not as easy to hit as the matching 20.5* but much easier than any wood or iron of same loft! It matches a 3wood off the tee, and is my new 200+ club off the deck!

[tristanhilton85]

I always had problems hitting a 3 wood well, so a few years back I dropped that and the five wood in favor of a 4 wood and a 3 hybrid. It works for me.

[BuckeyeNut]

My "top end" has changed drastically over the years back and forth to entirely different types of clubs.  If I had a weakness, I'd have to say it was between 3-wood and 5-iron, but not any more.

Driver: TM R9 SuperTRI....9.5deg....I like the driver, but it's nearly time to modernize.

3-Wood  Callaway FT..... I've had this awhile too, but I bust it off the ground or a tee...doesn't matter.....draw or fade...no problemmo...hard to replace THAT!!

5-wood  Callaway RazrFit...........ditto for this club! I love this club!

4-Rescue Callaway Razr Fit....I can hit a wide range of shots with this club.  It also extricates the ball from bad lies well when I want to advance the ball as far as possible.  My home club has some long par4s and 5s...so this comes in very handy!!

When it comes to the longer clubs, I have never been more comfortable than I am right now.

[oregongolfguy]

My Top end is fairly simplistic now.....

8.5 degree driver

19 degree 3 hybrid

21 degree hybrid

The 21 is a older club that is called a hybrid but is really more like a 7 wood.  It is going to be replaced soon by a 22H same as my 19.  I then go 4-pw and 3 more wedges...

I find that a 21-22H gaps well with my 24 degree 4 iron.  I have a 3 wood sitting in the closet.  If I am playing a long track I might throw it in and drop a wedge...but not likely...I'm confident in my hybrids, especially the 19.  It goes high long and straight...

[MS256]

Driver: 8 1/2 degree Tailormade R9.

3 Wood: 15 degree Tailormade Burner.

5 Wood: 18 degree Tailormade Burner.

[BuckeyeNut]

My Top end is fairly simplistic now.....

8.5 degree driver

19 degree 3 hybrid

21 degree hybrid

my first impression when seeing this is you have a big gap between driver and 3-hybrid.  This may not be the case for you personally depending on how well you hit the clubs, but I see a big gap on the top end.  My 2 cents..

[PirateJim]

I've tried several and have not yet found a hybrid that I can hit with any real consistency, so for me the "top end combo" is Driver, 4 and 7 fairway metal.  The 4 is just easier to hit off various fairway lies than a 3 and the 7 is one of my favorite clubs in the bag.  I like the idea of a hybrid and the goodness it is supposed to bring to the game, but I haven't found my match yet.

[oregongolfguy]

my first impression when seeing this is you have a big gap between driver and 3-hybrid.  This may not be the case for you personally depending on how well you hit the clubs, but I see a big gap on the top end.  My 2 cents..

BuckeyeNut, you are correct in that there is a much bigger gap then if I had say a 3 or 4 wood in the bag.  And I do have a 3 wood also for the rare occasion that I play a really long track.  I here is what I have found for myself...

I play mostly less then 6500 yds.  While I am not super long by internet standards I can move the ball out just fine.  I average around 250 off the tee(that is 290-210 depending on ball strike).  That 3 hybrid is a tour edge exotics xcg7 beta.  I can 220-225.  And I can keep it online fairly easily, the shorter shaft compared to a wood gives me accuracy.  I used to carry my 3 wood and one less wedge in the bag, and would go multiple rounds without ever playing it, or I would hit it off the tee here and there on a par 4 just because, not because it was needed.  For myself I just haven't found a position where it would be a benefit to me.

Looking at my ball striking realistically.....The carry distance between my 3 wood and driver is not that much, total distance maybe but not carry distance when it comes to bunkers, water etc.

I just find for my self the distance gap at that range is not as important for me.  Putting the extra wedge in my bag has made a bigger difference...

I would guess that if I played longer courses with maybe tighter fairways, different length dog legs a fairway wood might be needed.

[dave s]

Having a wife who's entering her 6th year of play, I've watched her game evolve each season.  What struck me about her game was the clubs she used.  More importantly, the clubs she DOESN'T use.  Her game is driver off the tee, a 5-hybrid to 100 yards and an 8-iron or shorter from there.  She wears out her SW as well.

So I look in my bag and find cobwebs on several clubs as well.  Driver, 3-wood to 'get home' on par 5s isn't in the bag anymore.  Some of the  longer par 4s are 3-shot holes as well.  Ok, so what are we going to use to get it done?  Driver 5-hyrbrid and wedges ended up being a pretty good club strategy for me.  Actually used this complement of clubs for a couple of years to help relearn how to hit solid shots.

In the past 2 seasons, I added a #4 hybrid, a HL 3-wood for par 3s in the 180-200 yard range and most recently a HL 5-wood to eat up considerably more yardage on par 5 second shots and to get a lot closer to the green on the longish par 4s.

My bag is back to full with Driver, 3 and 5 woods, 4 and 5 hybrids, 6-9, four wedges and a putter.  Most clubs get used each and every round which to me, is a good thing.

dave

[Hardballs]

It's interesting for me the differences in top end combo's! [quote name="MS256" url="/t/75566/whats-your-top-end-combo#post_1015347"]Driver: 8 1/2 degree Tailormade R9. 3 Wood: 15 degree Tailormade Burner. 5 Wood: 18 degree Tailormade Burner. [/quote] I always wanted this type! I'm a traditional guy! I tried it all last year but with very inconsistent results, as much as I wanted it to, it just wasn't working for me! So I switched the woods for 1 & 3 hybrids, I have a friend who's biggest club after the driver is a 5iron, (he carries a 4i but never uses it) he plays safe and steady, with a good shirt game, and can shoot in the 80's, but I can't wanting to buy him a 3 hybrid to show him the be benefits!

[Pretzel]

Driver: 10.5* Ping G10 3-wood: 15* Ping G10 3-hybrid: 21* Ping G10 4-hybrid: 24* Ping G10 I got them all when the G10 series had a large sale at the local Golfsmith when the G20's came out. I got the two hybrids at a golf shop for $70 for the both, and the 3-wood and driver were only $115 each compared to $300 brand new. The nice thing was, all but one hybrid came with the upgraded shaft in them already.

[PJCdude]

Having a wife who's entering her 6th year of play, I've watched her game evolve each season.  What struck me about her game was the clubs she used.  More importantly, the clubs she DOESN'T use.  Her game is driver off the tee, a 5-hybrid to 100 yards and an 8-iron or shorter from there.  She wears out her SW as well. So I look in my bag and find cobwebs on several clubs as well.  Driver, 3-wood to 'get home' on par 5s isn't in the bag anymore.  Some of the  longer par 4s are 3-shot holes as well.  Ok, so what are we going to use to get it done?  Driver 5-hyrbrid and wedges ended up being a pretty good club strategy for me.  Actually used this complement of clubs for a couple of years to help relearn how to hit solid shots. In the past 2 seasons, I added a #4 hybrid, a HL 3-wood for par 3s in the 180-200 yard range and most recently a HL 5-wood to eat up considerably more yardage on par 5 second shots and to get a lot closer to the green on the longish par 4s. My bag is back to full with Driver, 3 and 5 woods, 4 and 5 hybrids, 6-9, four wedges and a putter.  Most clubs get used each and every round which to me, is a good thing. dave

This is the exact setup that I think I've settled on. I only really use 3 wood off the tee but there's nowhere else I need to fill any gaps. 18 degree 5W to 23 degree 4H looks like a big gap on paper but for me it's about 175-190 and I haven't found a 3H that I really like yet.

[PJCdude]

I have a friend who's biggest club after the driver is a 5iron, (he carries a 4i but never uses it) he plays safe and steady, with a good shirt game, and can shoot in the 80's, but I can't wanting to buy him a 3 hybrid to show him the be benefits!

I think we have the same friend. I keep telling him to go to golfsmith and tryout Fairway woods and hybrids and buy AT LEAST one.

[dbuck]

It is interesting to see the various strategies and accompanying handicaps, mine included.

A mainstay in my "modern" bag for over 20 years has been an old Tour Preferred pattern Taylor Raylor in 16*. It is so old that I bought it new to replace a persimmon Hogan 5 wood that cracked. I didn't know what I was looking for when I bought it. I told the salesperson at the golf shop I wanted something a little stronger than my old 5 wood as I was thinking of leaving the 3 and 5 out for one club. He said, "You mean a 4 wood?". I said that I wanted a smallish metal head and stronger than my old 5, then he suggested the Raylor.

For those of you not familiar, the old Taylor Raylor has a headshape and size not unlike many hybrids. On the sole are "rails" that help with turf interaction and add a bit of low weight. To me, it represents a hybrid forerunner.  I can hit it almost as far as a 3 wood off the deck, and probably more consistently. When I play "modern" , my top three are driver, Raylor, 3H (20*).

[dbuck]

A "top of the bag" club in which I have some interest (even I am not immune to hype) is the the SLDR mini teeing club, or "play club" as Shivas might call it. Hmm, higher loft, shorter shaft, intended for use as a tee club and maybe occasionally from the fairway--it seems they have "discovered" the 2 wood!

Although my tone may sound mocking, I am interested.