Two part hybrid question

[goblue107501]

I am having a hybrid dilemma and was hoping some of you could help me out. I will begin by saying that I have never owned a hybrid club before and have only used them a couple of times, so I don't really know what they are capable of. I am good down to my 4-iron, but I feel a hybrid might help me with the shots over that. I am looking for a 19-21 degree.

First question. How easy or difficult is it to adjust the distance control? My 4-iron will max out at around 205 and I can control my 3-wood down to about 220. So I am looking to cover about 20-25 yards with a hybrid (from 200-225). Lets say I get a 19 degree and my max distance is 225. Is the club easy enough to choke down, take an abbreviated swing and hit it 200? The few I have tried from friends, the only way I could hit them well was to take a full swing and hit them hard. I am sure some of that could be cured with some range time. Does anyone adjust their distance control with a hybrid and how easy is it to do?

Second question. The local muni I go to to hit range balls has a brand new (still in plastic) Titleist 585 19 degree with an Aldila VS Proto shaft and a 2008 Cobra Baffler. I have heard good things about both. I could get either of these clubs pretty cheap. Problem is, I can't hit them before I buy. There is a demo day in month with about 8-10 different manufacturers and they will have all of their new equipment there. My thinking is this, I could get either of these and learn how to hit them. I would save about $100 in the process. I have never owned a hybrid before, so by default, it will be the best one I have ever hit. I have nothing to compare it to, so I wouldn't know if the 585 is better than the 909 anyway. Or I could hold out for a month, go to the demo day, and see if I fall in love with something there. I am not one who needs to have the newest stuff, so it wouldn't bother me to get a older club. So should I just get the 585 or Baffler, figure it out, and save the money, or wait for the demo day and see what I like there? I am all about saving money, but at the same time I like looking through all my options.

[RocketSauce]

my favorite hybrid of all time is the new Nickent 5DX. however, they are a tad pricey right now since they are new. however, the Nickent 4DX's are also AWESOME hybrids that can be bought BRAND NEW on ebay for under $50 now. its hard to beat that. and Nickent is called "The King Of Hybrids". the 5DX is the longest, straightest, most forgiving hybrid i have EVER hit. the 4DX's are not too far behind.
and distance control with my 5DX is not a problem at all. in fact, i have choked down on it quite a few times recently during windy days to hit shorter shots with fantastic results.
before went to Nickent I was using Callaway FT Fusion hybrids and they were Ok but i tended to hook the ball with them. the Nickents are straight straight straight, and long long long, and VERY forgiving.

[willman611]

well i have a titleist 585 17 degree hybrid. and i just love it. if you hit it pure it just feels awesome and even mishits dont fel that bad but you can still tell if you mishit it. but i will choke down on it alot to take some yards off it so i dont fly the green. but i think that if you choke down on it you still need to take a fullish swing. because when i choke down sometimes and i still dont swing hard it will come up about 10 yards short of were i want it to. but its an awesome club and i would highly recommend. and when i play with my dad he bothers me because hes always trying to find an excuse to hit it. lol.

[Cody]

Personlly have 2 nickents and i love them, but as for the cobra and titleist. Cobra baffler has been gold rated like 3 years in a row and I'd imagine they earned it.

The G10 hybrid is pretty nice too, my grandfather has one and i hit it before i got him, and its smooth as can be.

[Dub]

I don't have the "precision" (if I an dare use that word to describe my current level of play ) with the hybrids yet as I did with the irons....yet. I've only been playing them a bit over a month or so.

For me they are more limited in trajectory options but vastly superior...for me...in various lies from 185-200 yards. They jump the ball up quickly from harpan....fairway bunkers....rough....etc.

I haven't spent the time to develop the knockdowns and shaped shots that I could do with my old 3 & 4 irons. I did make some headway with a partial knockdown hybrid during a round on Friday.

For me....right now...they simply eat up the distance with ease and come down soft....much easier than the irons. I need to keep working with them at the range to get more of the potential out of them.

Sounds like you really stroke your 4 iron solidly....about 20 yards further than I used to hit mine.

[Donnie_Brasco]

I have the 585 titleist, and it is great. i have the 17 and 24 and i hit them extremely well..

my friend who works for nike gave me a 21* hybrid sumo, and I hit it really nice as well

the nike is more forgiving, but when you hit them both sweet, the titleist gives you better feel/distance/control...

[Donnie_Brasco]

when you guys say choking down, how "far is considered choking down?

Im 6'2 and on all my clubs i seem to choke down a little bit. is this normal?

im right handed and when i hold my clubs my left hand is about an inch from the butt of the club is this considered choking down? i do this on all my clubs..

[goblue107501]

when you guys say choking down, how "far is considered choking down?

That is what I consider 'choking down'. I will have an inch of the grip butt showing. Sometimes even a little more. I do it more by feel than looks. I just grip the club off the butt a little. I don't use a ruler or anything to get the same distance. I only do it on certain shots, most of the time I use the full grip.

[Dpricenator]

I can hit my 3hi 210 on a good day, and on Saturday I had to make sure to stay under 180 on a particular hole. My hybrib is easier to hit than say my 4 iron, and goes straight more often. I just took a nice smooth laid back swing and set it down soft at 165 and got about 5 yrds of roll. I was tickled to have controlled the distance and set up for a sweet par on the hole that causes me all kinds of problems. I never hit mine before buying it, but it matched my driver so I bought it. Like you I have nothing to compare it to, so it seems good to me.

[CowboysClubTX]

Once you go hybrid you wont go back, infact you will add another one. Once you figure you can do so much with so little ease. You will love the full shots, but those choke down shots is what you can't believe you can hit any distance you want.

[Blades4me]

I am having a hybrid dilemma and was hoping some of you could help me out. I will begin by saying that I have never owned a hybrid club before and have only used them a couple of times, so I don't really know what they are capable of. I am good down to my 4-iron, but I feel a hybrid might help me with the shots over that. I am looking for a 19-21 degree.

Looking at your hc and distance with your irons I'm guessing you really don't have a big problem with your long irons. I would suggest you find a Bridgestone Air Muscle and they can be procured for very little, probably less than 100 bux. This is what I call a hybird iron. Its a iron design with hybrid charactoristics. Its not quite as easy to hit as a rescue club, but its much more versitle and easier to hit than a 2 or 3 iron and they come in 2 or 3 iron lofts.

I really don't like rescue clubs all that much b/c they only do one shot, high trajectory. Its difficult to vary the trajectory with them and they don't seem to work the ball as well as the Air Muscle---and thats my .02 cents.

[TyCobb]

I had a 20 Adams Pro Gold Hybrid I maxed out 210. I have a three iron now instead, and I hit that 225-235.

No problems getting the hybrid in the air, but that's all it seemed to do--just balloon on me.