How many of you still carry a 3 iron?

[c. lassiter]

My 14 year-old son wants a 3 iron instead of a hybrid in his next set.

Right now he is carrying a Driver, 4 Wood, 24 degree hybrid and just a 5, 7, 9, W, S and putter in his abbreviated set. He has outgrown these, but had been killing that 5 iron, hitting hit high and straight to the point that I think he might find the 3 extremely useful. His hybrid, on the other hand, is not nearly as accurate.

We are contemplating going with Driver, 3 Wood, 5 Wood and irons in 3 - L.

Does this make sense? I figure the answer is that if it works for him it makes sense, but I would be interested in any opinions that might help us decide which direction to go here.

[JML22]

I do, i find it more accurate for the fact that it has a steel shaft opposed to a whippier graphite
i havnt tried enoguh hybrids to find one that fits me properly so for now i'm more accurate with a 3 iron

[alomar123]

The only time I use my 3 iron is off the tee. Much easier to hit off a tee then the ground. I think he should get a hybrid for when he is in the rough, as a long iron is rough can be very rough. So, depending on how he plans to use thew 3 iron, maybe get rid of the 5 wood.

[Slammin' Sam]

I haven't found too many lies that I can't hit as well or better with a fairway wood as with a 3 iron and although I still carry it occasionally it doesh't get much use. I'm also not a big fan of hybrids, mainly because I can't hit one to save my life. I see no harm in letting your son carry a 3 iron in his bag just to see if it works for him.

[JML22]

*shrug* i find a propped up ball for a 3 iron shot in the rough is a lot easier.
I can't wrap my head around how a hybrid is easier to hit out of the rough than an iron... shouldnt make a difference really.
I played a scramble tourney last year with some old guys and on the first hole we took one their drives cause we had to take 4 of each or something and it was in the 1st cut and he asked me why i was hitting an iron out of the rough.... i didnt know what to say? its not that hard?

[sasquatcho69]

i carry both a 3 hybrid and a 3 iron. i hit both pretty well. i hit my 3 hybrid about 200-210 and my 3 iron about 190-200. wanted to replace my 3 iron with a 52* wedge but since my ball striking has greatly improved and my distance control has improved as well with my wedges ive decided to keep the 3 iron. so if your son is a pretty good ball striker, due to how hard a 3 iron is to hit for some people, i would consider getting it for him

[ajschn06]

.We are contemplating going with Driver, 3 Wood, 5 Wood and irons in 3 - L.

IMO, this is a problem. "We" are contemplating....

[GaijinGolfer]

I personally like my 3-iron for shots where I want to keep the ball low (hitting under tree branches or when its windy). I say let him use it if he wants. If you find that he just cant hit the ball, then you can discuss with him how it might not be the best club for him. I say you should at least let him try it for a couple months.

[c. lassiter]

IMO, this is a problem. "We" are contemplating....

We means he wants it, but I am paying for it. Hence "we" are contemplating it.

[sean_miller]

We means he wants it, but I am paying for it. Hence "we" are contemplating it.

That's what I thought you meant. I love my 3-iron, but I also sometimes carry a 2-iron. There are as many reasons to carry one as there are to carry a hybrid.

[Shanks A Million]

Heck, I carry a 2 iron. I couldn't imagine giving up the 3, it's a great club, and you just can't hope to control a hybrid as well, or maybe that's just a mental thing. I have the comfort of steel telephone poles in my long irons compared to wet noodles in hybrids. A tour issue hybrid with a good low torque X shaft may be better, but I don't want to go start trying to find, and then pay for such a setup. My 2 iron was $20, and it works great.

[melchior]

Today one of my best shots of the day was a 3 Iron out of the rough. Whenever I try out a hybrid I couldn't hit them near as straight as I could an iron. Bad ball-strikers might prefer a hybrid but I'm getting better and I like my 3 iron and I'm finding a lot more uses out of it.

[msd3075]

I play a 3 iron. I think it all comes down to how much clubhead speed you can generate; if you have enough, you shouldn't have any issues playing a 3 iron but if you can't muster up much of a swing a hybrid will help you get the ball up in the air easier. The only hybrid I have is 15*, and I swap it out with my 3 wood depending on the course I'm playing.

One of the reasons I will never take my 3 iron out of my bag is because I use it for all my punch shots. If I try to punch with my 4 iron, it goes up into the branches of the trees.

[Shindig]

I used to carry a 3-iron. My first set was 4-P, and I had a hybrid 3 because I felt that's what I should be using. I didn't much care for that particular club. About a year ago, a friend's 3-hybrid found its way into my bag and I found myself liking it so much I got a matching 4.

That having been said, it sounds as though your son is a great iron player - and I firmly believe that one should play with the 14 clubs that give you the best chance to obtain your objective in a round of golf. Whether it's the feeling of the well-struck shots or a low score, your description says to me he will benefit from the 3-iron.

I do, i find it more accurate for the fact that it has a steel shaft opposed to a whippier graphite

FYI, they do make hybrids with steel shafts. Same with fairway woods. I haven't seen a modern driver with one, though. True temper does make hybrid and fairway wood shafts, though. But if you like your iron, stick with it.

[rebby]

When I was around that age I carried; Driver, 4-wood, 2-PW, SW & Putter. When a 60' LW became somewhat common, I'd carry that as well. Often times, the 4-wood stayed in my locker because I never hit it. If your son is willing to learn how to hit the long irons, by all means, let him! IMHO, it will make him a better golfer in the long run.

A few weeks ago I met some HS golfers at a local driving rage. IIRC, they will both be juniors next year. Anyway, the longest iron either of them carried was a 6-iron! They were amazed that I had a 3-iron in my bag. Even more amazed that I owned both a 1-iron and 2-iron. They couldn't believe that I could the 3-iron as well as I did either, even out of bad lies. Both of these kids were pretty good but neither of them could hit my 3-iron very well. When they did connect they loved that they could keep the ball down compared to their hybrids. After a while I had them both convinced that long irons were not dead yet. In fact, one of them was even checking Ebay on his phone before I left. I may well be from the last generation that can honestly say that I remember a game pre-hybrid... So sad.

[sean_miller]

I may well be from the last generation that can honestly say that I remember a game pre-hybrid... So sad.

That was also the pre- GW and LW generation.

[adamg]

Have you considered both a hybrid and a 3I and ditching the 5W? I use a hybrid to gap my 3W and 3I. Allows me a little more versatility than a 5W IMO.

[Rugger]

I play a 3i and 4i. I've never hit a wood/hybrid in a round and don't plan on getting one anytime soon. My driver is my worst club and I can't imagine myself controlling a wood or hybrid very well. At least with my 3i is pretty guaranteed to go straight.