4 iron or not?

I currently game the Cobra Bio Cell irons 5-GW. I've never had a problem hitting the irons, but for some stupid reason hitting the 4H off the deck seems to be a bit of a problem. I don't hit it as far as my 5 iron right now. It might have to do with the time of year and the course being a bit soft. My original set was 4-5H 6i-GW and I bought a 5i because I had this problem last year. It's the amount of turf interaction, and with it still being a bit wet, I did better with the 5 iron than the 5H. Now I'm thinking of grabbing a 4 iron before Cobra sells out of the clubs. They're like $60.

This would have me gaming

Driver, 3W, 5W, 4i-9i, PW, GW, 56, 60, Putter until mid-July when the ground gets dry. Then the hybrids can come out and get used.

Thoughts?

I keep a 4i in the bag for 2 reasons. Off the tea on a par 4 or 5 where accuracy is a must. Some might call that a layup. I feel a 4i is much more accurate than a hybrid. And for the occasional punch shot out from under a tree limb. If you come across those two shots you might want to consider putting it in your bag.

I would go to the range and do a comparison for distance and accuracy against a hybrid and see how good you can shape it keeping a very low ball flight around 100 to 150 yards. See how you do on the range and you might make a decision form there?

You should be able to borrow a 4i from a range to try hitting it.

The hybrid should be better out of wet conditions over an iron. less of a tendency to dig into the soft turf.

I've been considering the same thing.  I hit my 4h a bit longer than my 4i, but my 4i is usually more on target and less likely to result in a bad shot.  I like the extra distance the 4h gives me, but I think I'm leaning towards the 4i.

On the fairway it's not an issue. It's out of the first cut in the rough where there's a problem. My hybrids tend to get slowed by the wet grass whereas irons tend to cut through.

I always thought that hybrids, born from the Rescues ad Bafflers than preceded them, were designed to play better from the first cut and beyond.

Maybe you simply make better contact with an iron, in which case you've answered it already.

Me - I like a 7W over hybrids or long irons.

We discussed this in a thread born a few weeks ago. Take a look...

For longer clubs, I own a 4W and 7W, and a 3H and a 4H.

When I play my Callaway X20 Tours, I carry a 4H and 5i-PW. The 4H carries longer and is easier to hit than the 4i.

When I play my SLDRs, it's a quandary. Off a tee, the 4i is deadly straight and sometimes carries a bit farther than the 4H. But, the 4H is more reliable off the fairway. My pro suggested I carry the 4i for tight courses, and the 4H for more open courses.

I also carry a 4W and 7W, and the 7W is really valuable. In summer, the 7W cuts out of medium rough much better then the 3H I own. But, from November through March, the 3H replaces the 7W: the 3H launches lower into the wind, and handles the sparser rough well enough.

Julia, picking up a 4-iron wouldn't be a bad idea, I have both a 4-hybrid and 4-iron I alternate... depending on conditions, it makes a tough quandary sometimes... but it's not a bad one to have... I ask myself 3 questions before I decide between the two: 1. What is the rough like on this course? 2. What is the longest par-four, will I need 4i/4h for second shots into multiple par-4 holes... 3. What is the longest par-three on this course? For my home course, question one spotty... Question 2: 450, may need a 4i/4h on 18... question 3: 215, more of a 3h hole but occasionally downwind so 4h/4I Is a possibility... One more factor... how wet the course is... Most situations it's 4 hybrid, but in the summer it will be a toss-up

I tend to hook hybrids and not just a little bit. Consequently I try to swing easy and all sorts of other things that fudge those shots so I tend to avoid them. I went back to fairways but don't hit those great either. I am going to try bringing the 4 iron back in but bought the GI version and may even put a higher launching shaft in it. Typically if I mishit a long iron the consequence is loss of distance but towards the intended target. All of this a temp solution until I can spend some time with my instructor to find out what the long club problem is.

Dave,

What type of hybrid heads do you have? If they're standard, they may have a fair amount of offset. (A pro or tour type head would have less offset). This could contribute to left misses for someone with higher clubhead speed.

Also check your H shaft weight (too light?) and your H grip size (too thin?)

TEE XCG6 stock Matrix White Tie. I bought them cheap on eBay thinking I'd rebuild them but haven't yet. The shaft is not right for me typically use something with a stiffer tip. They do have some offset but not as much as some so probably not going to spend any money on them. Really need to get out and demo some stuff.