Hybrids...Sonartec or something else?

[Newbie Collection Agency]

I'm new to this site and I'm also new to the hybrid world. I didn't think I'd like one till I hit the Sonartec MD the other day...21 degree to be specific. When I hit the club at my local range, I was smiling like an idiot at how repeatedly easy it was to produce the ball flight/distance I was seeing. This got me thinking. Why not use a hybrid for all of my low irons (2,3,4,5). I went back to the range and hit a given number of balls with my 21 MD and the same given number of balls with my 3 iron. No comparison. It hit a few nice shots with my 3i, but most if not all of my MD shots were magic. I did the same comparison with my 4i. Slightly better than my 3i, but still, the MD won out easily. Went on to the 5i comparison. The MD edged out, but I'm torn on this as I can pure a 5i on certain days where others I'm not quite on. So, before I jump head first into replacing irons with hybrids, I was hoping I could hear some opinions on this subject...whether I'm all alone in this finding or are there others out there that have replaced many of their irons with hybrids. If you have replaced several of your irons, has the 5 iron left the bag yet? Are there other hybrids that feel (subjective I know, but...) better than the MD, more forgiving, etc? I'm currently shooting low 80's and I'm not a bad iron player. My current irons are about 3/4 inch longer than standard across the board and 2 degree upright. The MD seems to be the most upright of the ones I've read about and shaft length being slightly shorter than others seems to lend itself to more of an iron swing plane.
I ramble. I would love to hear some feed back on this if you have the time.

Thanks,
Randy

[Donald MacKenzie]

Randy: I put the 21-degree Sonartec Md in my bag about a year ago in place of a 7-wood. I kept my 3-iron for a month or so until I noticed the same thing you did in your range session: the Md does the job better. So for me, the Md gives me the distance and ease of use of a 7-wood with the trajectory and accuracy of a 3-iron. Nice combination. I also find it very handy for scrambling: low punch shots under tree limbs, hitting low punch shots into the wind, even using it like a putter from off the green. Very versatile.

I haven't contemplated dropping my 4- or 5-irons yet, because I hit them fairly well. But I tended to only hit my 3-iron a few yards farther than my 4-iron, and my Md is longer (4-iron: 200; 3-iron: 205-210; Md: 220 yards). I know a couple people who don't carry an iron above a 5-iron, and one long-time golfer I know has an assortment of woods and hybrids and no iron longer than a 6-iron.

Trial and error will help you discover where you get more benefit from a hybrid than from an iron. For me, the line is the 3-iron, so the 4-iron stays in the bag. But your mileage may differ. Good luck finding out, and let us know what you decide.