19* hybrid, 19* 5 wood, what is the difference?

[IndianaDundee]

Some of the confusion comes from the same loft in different types after clubs causing different flight paths and different distances.  As was said above a wood has a longer shaft than a hybrid which is longer shafted than an iron.  Also with a longer shaft your small swing errors are amplified.  But because of different swings needed to hit each type of club it is not as simple as woods being long and sloppy, irons being short and accurate, and hybrids being a compromise of the two extremes, although many golfers tend to think that way.  

For example my swing doesn't work well with irons but I can sweep a fairway wood off the short grass effortlessly.    Therefore in my case a 5 wood is longer, more consistent, and more accurate than a 3 iron or 4 hybrid. However my 5 wood will not drop and stop like someone who can play a hybrid or iron at that distance.

If distance is your only consideration then you can compare a 5 wood to a 2 iron or a 3 hybrid.  But different companies make different lofts and shaft lengths for the same clubs so you still can't really compare apples to oranges.

Edited August 20, 2016 by IndianaDundee

[pganapathy]

What has not been mentioned here and is also a very important factor is the type of swing you have.  A more shallow swing and you can play the longer club (in this case 5W) better.  A more steep swing and the hybrid with the shorter shaft works better.  Of course, a 5W tends to be longer than the hybrid because of the longer shaft.

The other key in choosing between the 2, if you have to, is what your distance with other clubs is and which one or both fit into the gapping you need.