I'm A (Hybrid) Believer!

[Zippo]

I've posted here a few times about how I used to play golf 30 years ago. Back then we didn't have hybrids and when I returned to the game I had a difficult time accepting how a hybrid looked sitting behind the ball at address and consequently, wasn't able to hit them very well. I have a 2016 TaylorMade M2 22 degree Rescue hybrid with a Reax 55G in senior flex in my bag and a month or so ago I decided to bear down and try to learn to hit it. Man, am I glad I did! I'm hitting the thing so well that I started looking for another 2016 M2 Rescue in 19 degree and 25 degree. I found a 25 brand new with the same shaft at a terrific price so I bought it and received it today. Wow! Another great club. This one will probably replace my 5 iron which I have difficulty swinging fast enough to get a good strike and distance. Now, if I could just find the 19 degree with the same shaft I'd be a very happy camper (Oops! I mean golfer!).

[Bonvivant]

I bag 1 hybrid, and I hit it....ok. I can strike a decent 4 iron (blade, traditional loft goes about 180 yards), but when I get a hold of my 5 Hybrid which is about the same loft it goes 200ish. I don't like the look of the hybrid when I am over the ball and I think that is why I have some errant shots with it. Glad to hear it is going well for you though. Maybe one day I'll lose my love for the look of a thin iron, but today is not that day.

[Zippo]

Yeah. The hybrids look like some kind of oddly misshapen pregnant club. They also looked like they would be very difficult for me to get a good center strike with and I figured a slightly off center strike would have the ball looking for fairways other than the one we were on. Fortunately, that has not been the case and they are giving me the length I've been lacking with my irons. I'm glad I gave them a try and I guess you can teach a new trick to an old dog...

[MarvChamp]

11 hours ago, Zippo said:

I decided to bear down and try to learn to hit it.

Same with my Mizuno hybrid-DIR's (3,4, 5). I got so frustrated I tried to go back to more shallow faced hybrids with about 80% success. Then, after working with them, when I figured how to set up to the Mizuno's 3 and 4, the percentage of straight and long went up and is still going up. I am wearing the 3 out for my longer 2nd shots (my senior drives are good but not all that long). I found a semi-matching 5 (has a senior shaft) and it has become my go-to club. Confidence in all my Mizuno's has steadily increased. Good topic. Best, Marv

[cooke119]

I have been a big hybrid fan for years, I carried a 19*, 22*, and a 25* and hit them all very well. I'm 68 and have had three back surgeries so I look for all the help I can get. Mark Crossfield did a review of the Cleveland HB Launcher irons which are all based on a hybrid design, I was in the market for new irons so I tried them and bought a set, 4 thru gap wedge. I've been playing them for about a year and have grown to really like them. What I found is that they launch the ball high at the expense of some distance so I just club up. For me the hybrid design instills confidence which I really enjoy, I hit them well, (but I know they are not for everyone).

[Billy Z]

I have better ball striking with hybrids. I don't hit them thin or fat as often as irons. 

[Buckeyebowman]

I bought my first hybrid quite a few years ago, when I could no longer get my 2 iron higher in the air than the gutters on a ranch house! I loved it right from the get go! It was a Cleveland HiBore 2 hybrid that is still in my bag! I don't carry an iron longer than a 6, my 3,4, and 5 irons being covered by TM Rescue hybrids that I bought from a buddy. He couldn't hit them, I could! 

They are just halfway between irons and fairway woods, with more mass farther behind the ball. This allows the club to get the ball up in the air more easily. If you can hit a 5 or 7 wood, you can hit a hybrid!

Edited September 8, 2019 by Buckeyebowman

[CharlieB]

I have been playing Callaway Diablo HB’s in 3-4-5 for several years now. They really helped me, so I don’t plan on getting rid of them.

[rehmwa]

Same background - I left golf for a long interval.  When I came back hybrids were here and I had no idea.  I tried one.  Once I could hit it, I became a fan and found another (2 and 4h nikes).  Now that the two I have are fitted for me by a good fitting process (3 and 5h Callaway)......even MORE.

these things are great.  I can hit them well, shape the shot with little effort.  up and down lofting is decent.  Easier to get good contact for sure.

I'm much more comfy hitting my 5h to a 200 yard target, than my 6i to a 175 target......(I know, that means I need to learn my long irons....still)

[Billy Z]

You will notice that I have for hybrids in my bag right now, and generally I play as well or better than most of the people I play with because of the hybrids.

 

1    Driver
2    Putter                       
3   4w   17°
4   4h    22°
5   5h    25°
6   6h    28°
7   7h    31°
8    7i    30°
9    8i    34.5°
10  9     39°
11  pw  44°
12  aw  49°
13  sw  54°
14  lw   58°

[CharlieB]

Wow, I am getting old! 5H-110 yards, 4H-120 yards, 3H-135 yards. All my clubs are -1”. Senior flex graphite shafts.

[Zippo]

I'm old but I'm getting better swing speeds and distance with the hybrids. I'll get to try the new one on the course on Wednesday.

[WillieT]

As a guy who's finally getting into golf at age 60, I find hybrids good for the long irons.  I have used TourEdge GeoMax Bazooka 3 & 4 Hybrids (19 & 22 deg), love them as they are predictable on distance and shot shaping.  Likewise I have used a Nike CPR 5h (26deg) - sweet hitting club as well.  Currently the bag carries a TaylorMade SLDR S 4h (22deg).  The TourEdge clubs are now in a secondary bag with the TM and Nike in the primary.  I am finding that I can predictably go with the hybrids anyway from sand to fairways to the cabbage patch roughs.  Just love how they launch the ball when struck well.     

[Inferno2ss]

I love my 3 Hybrid, carry around 230 with it and just ordered a 2 Hybrid (17 deg), hoping it can replace my 3 wood.

i just don't seem to be able to hit my 3 wood consistently from the fairway and don't even try to hit it out of the rough.  One time it will go 190 yards and other times 240.  Makes to tough to use and has been collecting dust in my bag more and more.  

[cooke119]

1 hour ago, Inferno2ss said:

I love my 3 Hybrid, carry around 230 with it and just ordered a 2 Hybrid (17 deg), hoping it can replace my 3 wood.

i just don't seem to be able to hit my 3 wood consistently from the fairway and don't even try to hit it out of the rough.  One time it will go 190 yards and other times 240.  Makes to tough to use and has been collecting dust in my bag more and more.  

How did that work out for you, i.e., the 2 hybrid versus the 3W?

[Inferno2ss]

On 9/28/2019 at 11:08 AM, cooke119 said:

How did that work out for you, i.e., the 2 hybrid versus the 3W?

So far so good, I have only had it for 2 rounds, and used it 5 times total. 

However, I have hit it well all 4 times off the fairway and once off the tee.  I am getting it in the air better than the 3 wood.  It is only carrying around 237 which is a few yards less than I was hoping since my 3 hybrid carries around 230 but other than I really like it.  Off the tee I got it out to 245 which is only about 5 or 10 yards less than my 3 wood, so I don't think I will miss it.

I will probably add some loft to the 3 hybrid to cut down the gap between it and my 4 iron which should give me nice gapping from 210 to 240.

Edited October 1, 2019 by Inferno2ss

[tinker]

I’m a senior golfer and I don’t care for hybrids. I find hitting hybrids are a case of advancing the ball rather than making shots. I spend a lot of practice time hitting long irons and I have gotten it down fairly good. 

[Patch]

I have a full bag of hybrid irons (2-lw) that I sometimes play. Bazooka Ironwoods, made by Tour Edge. These were some of the first hybrid sets to come out. 

I have been laughingly told I was cheating using them. That I could flip pancakes with my lob wedge. 

These were my gamers for several years, many years ago. Back in my best golf playing days. 

I love playing these irons. My Granddaughter has permanently "borrowed" my Nickent driver, so the lone metal wood in my bag is a 12* TE driver. On a few occassions last year, I still managed to break 80 with these older clubs. This, mostly because of putting lights out during those rounds. 

However, most of my lowest scores still come from my newer,  non hybrid bag, consisting of 4 metal woods, and regular irons. I average about 2-3 strokes lower with my newer gamers. (they are not that new either) I attribute these lower scores to the added distances I get with the fairway metals. I hit my 7w, about the distance as my 2i hybrid.