Are Hybrids Taking Over Lofted Fairway Woods

[onthehunt526]

I was looking through one of my boxes of childhood stuff... and was reading a Golf Digest Hot List Article from like 1999...

It got me thinking, when I was a kid I used to carry a 7 and 9 wood... what ever happened to the lofted fairway metals, was it necessarily that hybrids have killed the 7, 9, and 11 wood population, Opinions appreciated...

[Big_M]

Pretty sure that's exactly what happened. Personaly, I don't even carry a 5-wood, no reason for it when the 2-hybrid is every bit as long, plus more accurate and more versetile.

[laxbballgolf]

Agreed. It's versatility for me. I use my hybrid for trouble shots all the time: punch draws or fades under the trees. It cuts through rough or other weird lies better than a wood. And it's just as good as a 5 wood for full swings, too.

[PiKapp23]

I carried a 9 wood just a few years ago, as well as a 5 wood. Now I carry 2, 4 and 5 hybrids instead. They are easier to hit from more lies and easier to control. The only advantage of fairway woods is that they tended to be higher. One of my friends did recently dump his hybrid in favor of a 7 wood, though.

The one shot I miss with my 9 wood is the long fairway bunker shot. Because of the loft I could get it out of just about any fairway bunker and hit it close to 185 yards or so in those cases. No I pretty much have to use my 5H to have enough loft to get out of the deep ones, which only carries about 170 on those shots.

[Gioguy21]

i still rock the 3,5,7 woods all callaway big bertha warbirds...call me nostalgic haha

[Mr3Putt]

You'll have to pull my 11 wood out of my cold dead hands.

I've won more money with that club than any 2 other clubs combined.

I've tried many hybrids. They're just not for me.

[lumpuckeroo]

Hybrids may have taken over the 7,9,11 market but I hope not the 3 and 5 market. I have not found a hybrid I like or can hit, I much prefer my woods!

[shortgame85]

It seems to me that many, if not most of us, have found it easier to hit the hybrids than the comparable fairway wood under most circumstances and most of us enjoy the versatility of those clubs. I use to carry 3, 5 and 7 woods. For several years, I replaced all three woods with hybrids. Only recently have I tried to work a 3 wood back in the bag for a little extra carry off the tee. It remains to be seen whether or not the 3 wood stays in the bag or is replaced by the hybrid.

[SandyFeet]

I agree, I do think hybrids are taking over the 7+ wood market for sure.

I have a hybrid for my 3 and 4 irons and I love them...but I'm still rocking a 3 and 5 wood!

It's like a perfect marriage.

[Big_M]

i still rock the 3,5,7 woods all callaway big bertha warbirds...call me nostalgic haha

Nostalgic... there I did it. What ever works though.

You'll have to pull my 11 wood out of my cold dead hands.

couple questions... just curious, but why do you always use "oversize" font?

other question... do you have to scrape the moon dust off the ball when it comes down for a landing, I had a 7-wood way back when, and that thing went high... I can just imagine an 11-wood.

[alf174]

I carry a 3w, 2h, and 9w and then into the irons. The trajectory on the 9w starts low, pulls up, and then drops down with little roll. Its the only club that I can hit that does that and its come in handy more times than I can count to get on the green from a lie that has a tree overhang and then green side bunker. The 2h has replaced the need for a 5 & 7w.

[clearwaterms]

I just purchased a 3H and 7w off of hireko. The 7w is a closeout and I shafted it to a high launch shaft. I will be at the range to hit both today to see which one works for me.

I carry a 3w but can't hit it off the deck for the life of me.

At this point it looks my bag will shape up to be

Driver
Thriver
7w
3h
4-9
52
56
Alien sandwedge or pitching wedge
putter

at the level i currently play at, a 3w from the deck to get home from that distance is a higher risk then taking a 7i / wedge to get home in two.

My thriver is a 43" long 360cc titanium head with 14 degree's of loft. For shorter par 4's, I can hit it pretty accurate and get a good setup. Since I can't hit a 3w from the deck, no sense in trying to keep it around.

[Mr3Putt]

couple questions... just curious, but why do you always use "oversize" font?

1. Font size. I don't know if I would call 10 point "oversize" but for me, it's much easier to read. Kinda wish all the posts were that size. I can follow a golf ball out at 250 yards, but I can't read a text message on my phone without reading glasses. (Maybe it's showing up differently on your monitor, is it really THAT big?) 2. Actually, the loft on the club is only 25 degrees, depending on how I try to hit it, it can fly either like the McDonalds Arch out to about 175, or I can hit it more like a 4 iron launch angle out to around 200 (+-). The 175 yarders tend to drop and not roll out. I like that particular shot a lot! (I may now call a successful one of those a "moon duster" , I like that phrase!) I get alot of crap sometimes from playing partners regarding my "Geezer Clubs". As long as they are usually paying me for my skins and greenies, instead of the other way around, I'll take their crap (and their money).

[iacas]

1. Font size. I don't know if I would call 10 point "oversize" but for me, it's

13 point on a computer, yeah.

[pjsnyc]

1. Font size. I don't know if I would call 10 point "oversize" but for me, it's much easier to read. Kinda wish all the posts were that size. I can follow a golf ball out at 250 yards, but I can't read a text message on my phone without reading glasses. (Maybe it's showing up differently on your monitor, is it really THAT big?)...

You could always hit ctrl & = at the same time to increase the text size in your browser (its a fairly uniform command).

But to answer the original question - yes, hybrids are taking over. Though it's gonna be tough when I finally add another wedge. I LOVE MY 5 WOOD! I can't tell you how many times its given me a respectable score when flubbing my drive just past the front tees.

[bioman]

I still love my 7-wood Callaway Warbird. Easily over 220 everytime.

[Dub]

They did for me....quickly.

Laid off the game for a few years.....got back into it 12 months ago.......revamped my woods.......gamed a 7 wood for a while to good success......gave it up to a 3 hybrid without a second thought.....this was after giving up my 4 iron to a 4 hybrid a month prior.


Hybrids are unreal....would've never quit playing if I had them before my layoff from golf.

[PutterHead]

I dumped my 5 wood, & 3-4 irons for 2 hybrids. I brought back the 3 & 4 late last year, but yanked them not long after, probably for good! A few hybrids in the bag is awesome. The 3 wood will always be there.