Hybrids vs Long Irons

[m11]

To begin with, i'm pretty satisfied with my ballstriking and my swing speed is about 95+mph for my irons.

I've been switching out my clubs that i've had for years for better clubs over the course of this summer.

I've had a 21* hybrid that was recommended to replace a 3/4 iron (im still playing with the same clubs that i used when i started) and my next club down is a 5 iron. Up from the hybrid it goes to a 3wood.

My instructor is a big fan of hybrids, and think that when I upgrade, i should just stick with a 5-9i set (im happy with my wedges and woods) and then pick up like a new 21* and like 18* hybrid.

However, im pretty uncomfortable with my hybrid. I feel like its almost impossible to work it at all...and it barely draws like the rest of my irons. If i adjust the face at anything besides square, my shots can get kinda squirrely. On the other hand tho, i was at the golf store and the sumo and burner hybrids looked kinda nice at address.

Im kinda leaning at getting a 3i and 4i when i buy a new set.

Basically i have it as

Pro's of hybrids--more forgiving in the sense that if im a little fat on the shot..doesnt really matter...i might lose 10 yards..but still goes straight, more versatile (maybe? i dont see how it is more versatile but im assuming i'm just misusing it...and generally people feel its versatile..although around the green i'd never use it to chip-putt or anything..Im no Seve...i keep it simple)

Con's of hybrids---cant be worked...and is it even more forgiving? if i mishit my iron...i'll miss the green (although i may come up fat sometimes which isnt a problem with my hybrid)...but if i mishit my hybrid ....goofy, uncharacteristic stuff happens


what are your guys' thoughts?

[mrobbie]

I find that I can hit a 5 iron about 185 yds, and a 4 iron 190 and a 3 iron about 195... These distance gaps are far closer than any of my other irons. Yes, I can on occasion flush a 3 iron 220 yds, but more often than not it will fall short of 200

To me this tells me I am not striking these irons properly, and a hybrid may help me.

My only consolation is that I love my 5 wood and it can go 230 with a fair old smack, or 200 choked down a bit. A 19 or 21 deg hybrid may fit nicely in my bag to replace the 3 iron, but I don't see myself having a desperate need due to the versatility of the 5 wood.

You should always go with what you are most comfortable with at the end of the day - If you don't like hybrids then stick to the long irons - or, you could always get the full set of irons and then you have the option to alternate with hybrids as needed.

[ks8829]

I have a 25 degree hybrid and replace my 4 iron and occasionally take the 5 iron out of my bag because I can work my hybrid the following ways:

a) choke down about an inch to match my 5 iron in distance
b) play a draw by closing the face
c) play a high fade over trees by opening the face and if necessary take it slightly outside
d) play a low shot under trees by playing it back of my stance and adjust the face of the hybrid to hit the low shot.

[GaijinGolfer]

Im a fan of hybrids. IMO, they are a lot easier to hit than a long iron.

[ds91b]

I've been wondering the same thing.

Right now I am set up for long range as: 3W, 4H, and 6I... I've been choking down a bit on the 3W and 4H when I need to close the gap. It's not so bad from the fairway but I don't have much confidence shot making like this on long par 3's.

So, I've got the space to add 2 clubs and for the next round I'm planning to add the 5I (seem to hook the 4H when I try to swing easy) and I'm leaning towards adding the 4I too. I like the 4I when I want to keep it really low and when I'm striking the ball well. Feels redundant to keep the 4H, but I have a lot of confidence with it from the rough.

Anyone have a thought on whether I should drop the 4h in favor of say a 2h? I can't hit the 3W well from outside the fairway and wonder if the 2H might be as easy as the 4h? Plus I wouldn't have to choke down between a 3W and 4i.

[Cody]

With my new iron set I'm kicking out the 3i and 4i for hybrids. Given that is the standard set offering i would have done it anyway.

My 3 iron is just way too inconsisent. One day I'll be crushing that thing all day long. Other days ill slice the piss out of it. The 4i is the same way just not nearly as bad

[GranvilleGolf]

in my opinion
hybrids are harder to hit off the fairway

[GaijinGolfer]

  ds91b said:

I've been wondering the same thing.

Id keep the 3-wood and get a 22* hybrid. IMO, if you have a 3-wood and 19* hybrid, you will have a pretty big gap between the hybrid and your 6-iron. Add the 5-iron back to your bag and get a 19* hybrid. You can always choke down on the hybrid if you need the distance of a 4-iron.

[Anand]

I have been thinking about this as well. I just bought a new set of Mizuno MP-57's 10 days ago having played with Ping ISIs for 10 years.

I strike the ball pretty consistantly. 5 iron 180-190, 4 iron 190-200, 3-iron 200-210.

6 months ago I bought a 2nd hand Cleveland HiBore 2i 19* hybrid. I can say in all honestly, that is almost a magic wand for me. I flush it 8/10 times with perfect trajectory and distance. Draw (my usual shape), fade when I need it. I can play it back and work it low and it's' a dream out of light rough. I find it much easier to make a true contact off a fairway with this club, than with say, a 3 iron.

My dilemma is that I want to continue to improve my ball striking so that I can flush 3 and 4 irons from the fairway, work them as required. Maybe I'm a bit of a traditionalist and I would like to be a great iron player. But it is so darn easy to hit these Cleveland HiBores! So much so that I went out and bought the 16* 1i off eBay this week. And I'm crushing that too. I reached 3/6 520+ Par 5s in two today with Driver and hybrid. Far more accurate than with my 3 wood.

I would love to pull out a 3 iron from 210 and stick it. And sometimes I probably can; but the margin for error is so much lower with the hybrid, and the success rate is so much higher -- I have to hit it.

In my experience, when you find the right one for you and practice enough and get used to your hybrids, there's no going back. If you strike the ball well with a full swing, I'm sure with experience, you'll soon be able to work the ball. I also find them very forgiving.

Oh, and do yourself a favour -- pelase go out and try the Cleveland HiBore. I know they have the new XLS Hybrids -- I haven't hit those. But the older ones -- like I said, magic wand for me

[GaijinGolfer]

  Anand said:

My dilemma is that I want to continue to improve my ball striking so that I can flush 3 and 4 irons from the fairway, work them as required. Maybe I'm a bit of a traditionalist and I would like to be a great iron player. But it is so darn easy to hit these Cleveland HiBores! So much so that I went out and bought the 16* 1i off eBay this week. And I'm crushing that too. I reached 3/6 520+ Par 5s in two today with Driver and hybrid. Far more accurate than with my 3 wood.

I hear ya. I think a lot of us who are traditionalists would love to stick with the long irons, but hybrids are just so darned easy to hit.

I was a long iron guy for a long, long time; but after 5 minutes at the driving range with my Titleist 503H, my 1-4 irons left my golfbag and will likely never return. I guess Im to the point where honoring tradition is great, but at the end of the day its all about giving yourself chances to post low scores and for me personally, I have a much better chance of getting a positive result from a 200+ yard fairway shot with a hybrid than I ever did with a long iron.

[Island Par]

My original set started with 3 and 4 hybrids then 5i-pw, then i became i hybrid "addict" with rescues and hibores until i bought my mx-900s and learned to use my 4i and thats when i realized i could hit 4 irons well.

If you're having problems with a wood like hybrid, why not try the MP Fli-HI Hybrid iron of Mizuno, it looks like a regular iron but hits like a hybrid (sans the difficulties you encountered). Or as Anand, said the cleveland hibore- i keep one too and it really is a magic wand.

[GaijinGolfer]

The Cobra Transition-S irons are another option too. Basically the whole set is a hybrid iron that uses hybrids for the mid irons and wide-sole short irons.