Woods vs. Hybrids... differences?

[TakeDeadAim]

If equal loft and shaft, does a wood behave the same as a hybrid? Same trajectory? Same distance? Same feel?

Inquiring minds would like to know...

[uttexas]

I would say the following applies to most people and swings.
Hybrids (of the same loft as woods) comparitively hit the ball higher with more backspin. They tend to be more foregiving off of bad lies. 3 woods (by 3 wood I mean a wood-like club from 13-17 degrees) are particularily difficult to hit off the fairway. IMO, most 3 woods are only good off the tee (unless your handicap is approaching scratch or better).

As a comparison I compared by 5 wood to my 3Hybrid. I hit my 3 hybrid much better, now my five wood stays in the garage.

[uttexas]

I have played with a few people that hit 3 woods and 4 woods really well. The primary advantage is that they can keep the ball lower lower into the wind and get more roll out of a wood compared to a same lofted hybrid.

I would say that a same lofted wood is better off the tee than a same lofted hybrid (more roll). However, I tend to stay away from courses that force you to lay up on par 4s and 5s off the tee.

[PiKapp23]

In general woods tend to have longer shafts and longer head configuration, and thus typically a lower center of gravity (as well as higher COR and MOI in most cases), which will make a wood fly higher than hybrid of the same loft (and usually longer as well). A hybrid will usually fly lower than equally lofted wood, but higher than equally lofted iron because it will have a lower center of gravity than iron. Because of the smaller head of a hybrid I think they are far more versatile and easier to hit off most lies than woods. Not to mention, for most players they are easier to hit accurately (at least in part because of shorter shaft). Because of the way that many most hybrid heads are weighted, many people feel a wood is easier to 'work', though (there are some 'tour' type hybrids that are less forgiving than others, but are much easier to work - such as Titleist and Adams Idea Pro)

[Snake]

If 5W = 18°, shaft "X", R flex, 40" and 2H = 18°, shaft "X", R flex, 40", then I would think the 5W would theoretically fly a little higher and a little longer due to the differences of the two heads CG, size, weight, etc. (like pikapp said). I'm no expert, but it seems logical.