Hybrid/wood question ( a little long but please help)

[dagolfer]

My 3 wood is in bad shape, paint chipped, very slight dent in bottom. My 5 wood is pretty much a club used on long par 3's. I don't have good luck with woods off the fairway so i normally just take hybrid. With that being said i just got a nickent 3dx dc 24 degree hybrid and i played today with it and love it. Now since my 3 wood clearly deserves to be replaced do you think i shoudl just get about a 17 degree hybrid since i have more confidence with them than woods? I hit the 24* hybrid about 200 so i would imagine a 17 would get me to about 230-240 which would be nice on par 5's to get to the green and super tight par 4's. Getting rid of the 3 and 5 woods and replacing it with a hybrid will give me only 12 clubs, is this okay or do you think i am restricting myself with only 12 clubs?

[Big Padrigo]

I'd like to interject on the topic if I may.

I agree, I think you may be onto something here.

[Dub]

What a great question.

I'm in the same boat as of yesterday. Just added a 23 degree 4hybrid to the bag with very, very pleasing results. It's got me rethinking my set make up.

I can see adding at least a 3hybrid to the bag. If it strokes as smoothly as the 4hybrid is doing then I could see dropping out a fairway wood and going with a 2 hybrid just like it.

Sounds like you are really nailing that stick. I'm not sure what my real range is on mine. I was on the range hitting to a 175 yard target into a slight breeze using worn out range balls. I don't know how accurate the target was due to the roped off area being in a different position. I'm going to guess I'm getting better distance than my 4 iron with a huge trajectory difference.

Thinking about setting the bag up like this in the future:

1. 9-10.5 degree driver
2. 15 degree 3 wood
3. 2hybrid
4. 3hybrid
5. 4hybrid
6. 5iron
7. 6iron
8. 7iron
9. 8iron
10. 9iron
11. PW
12. GW
13. SW
    
14. Putter

[Big Padrigo]

When I bought my woods/hyrbid a couple of years ago I went driver, 3w, 2, 3, 4hyrbid. The 2h is 17degrees, 3h is 20 and 4h is 24. A matter of a few weeks after I realised that I didn't need both the 3w and 2h. The difference in distance is pretty minimal and not one that I really needed. I'd say try some 3woods and your 2 hybrid and see what you prefer.

For me, and I stress, for me, I find the 2 hybrid a little more difficult to hit than my 3w. I also think 3w off the tee is a safer more consistent option than a 2h. I got rid of the 2h and went with a gap wedge. I made that change 18 months ago and I'm happy.

[Stacey_E]

I'd like to interject on the topic if I may.

Think about your hybrids, just like your irons. At some point in your iron set, if you are real honest, you reach a point of diminishing returns in launch angle. For some that is the 2 iron for others it's the 7 iron. Hybrids are a great alternative to those hard to hit long irons. But simply adding more hybrids doesn't garuntee a consistant gap. At some point you reach a diminshing return in those hybrids as well. This may not be true of high swing speeds that can actually launch a 1 or 2 hybrid. It's just been my experience that a 3 hybrid hits a little farther than a 4 hybrid. But when I and others got into the 16,17,18 & even 19* ranges, the trajectory often comes back down.

I realize this may not apply to all players. But for some, consider that at some point in your hybrid progression a fairway wood starts to become more effecient. Just like when moving from irons to hybrids, that transition point is different for each player.

JMHO. I realize generalizations are just that. If I were to guess, most people would do best to have no more than 2 hybrds. For example if you are carrying 5 & 6 hybrids, the next club up should be a wood (7 or 9 wood?). If you have enough clubhead speed to not need a hybrid until you get to the 2 iron then maybe you can hit a 1 hybrid and not a 3 or 4 wood. Again just a personal theory.

[jcrob902]

My 3 wood is in bad shape, paint chipped, very slight dent in bottom. My 5 wood is pretty much a club used on long par 3's. I don't have good luck with woods off the fairway so i normally just take hybrid. With that being said i just got a nickent 3dx dc 24 degree hybrid and i played today with it and love it. Now since my 3 wood clearly deserves to be replaced do you think i shoudl just get about a 17 degree hybrid since i have more confidence with them than woods? I hit the 24* hybrid about 200 so i would imagine a 17 would get me to about 230-240 which would be nice on par 5's to get to the green and super tight par 4's. Getting rid of the 3 and 5 woods and replacing it with a hybrid will give me only 12 clubs, is this okay or do you think i am restricting myself with only 12 clubs?

See if you can't find a one hybrid of say 15* to go with a 3 hybrid of like 19* to kind of keep the yardage gap consistant, considering that you would hit tham consitant distances according to loft. you know what go get some #'s on a launch monitor on an outside range where you can watch you'r ball flight and get the #'s to tell you just how far your gap's are apart.That's my opinion.

[skwon11]

This is a great post...

I too have been thinking about my setup as well. My swing speed is slow and so driver and long irons are particularly had to hit... I just bought a Nickent 3 Hybrid to replace my 3 iron/5 wood distance. At this point I'm only thinking (until I get better) to invest in a 3 wood that I can hit off the tee and as a long fairway wood. So my bag will be. 3 wood, Hybrid (20 degrees), 4-PW, 56 wedge and putter. 11 clubs... but 11 clubs that I can actually use vs. 3 extra that will give me trouble.

[dagolfer]

My old set up was:

driver 10.5
3 wood 14
5 wood 19
3 hybrid 23
4-9 iron
48 degree pitching wedge
56 degree sand wedge

setup now
9.5* driver
3 wood 14
5 wood 19
4 hybrid 24
4-9 iron
48 wdge
56 wedge.

And since i hit hybrids better than woods i think a 17 degree hybrid will replace both woods and give me the chance of more birdies and pars on the par 5's. I would still like to golf a couple more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke that i hit the par 3 with my new hybrid opposed to hitting it with the 5 wood which i normally hit there. May i also add that my driver shaft is stiff , i wanted some more consistency than distance, but my hybrid shaft is regular and i love it too. Don't know if that really matters but i thought i would add it in.

[bIGwIRE]

......do you think i am restricting myself with only 12 clubs?

Yes, I think you are. Add some more wedges, or keep the fairway wood for driving on tight fairways.... whatever you decide on, but I would play 14.

[mkrolewski]

I had/have issues with 3 wood and 5 woods, so the new clubs did not even have a 5 wood.

I have been adding hybrids, so the new long clubs are:

• Acer Mantara S.S 3 Wood 15*
• 3DX DC 15* Hybrid (3w/1h)
• 3DX DC 17* Hybrid (4w/2h)
• Acer XP 905 19* Hybrid (3h)

After experimenting some, the hybrids are really a nice addition especially replacing the 1-2-3 irons. For me, they produce a nice, consistent, low trajectory (most of the time)

The 15* hybrid is very nice. My personal observation is the 3 wood is longer off the tee but my performance off the deck is poor. If I hit the 3 wood well, it does fly longer. However, I am more likely to duff the shot with the 3 wood. So, the 3w/1h 15* hybrid is better club from the fairway. Now to pick my poison on the course.

[Klew]

My old set up was:

1. driver 9.5°
2. 3 wood 15°
3. 5 wood 18°
4-10. 3-9 iron
11. 48° pitching wedge
12. 56° sand wedge
13. 60° lob wedge
14. putter

setup now
1. driver 9.5°
2. 16° hybrid
3. 20° hybrid
4. 23° hybrid
5-9. 5-9 iron
10. 46° pitching wedge
11. 50° gap wedge
12. 54° sand wedge
13. 60° lob wedge
14. putter

I too was hit & miss with my FW off the fairway, so I got rid of it. haven't looked back.