Am I the only person left in the world that loves long irons and hates hybrids?

[turtleback]

Crazy thought:  Could you get another 3-iron and have it bent to 2-iron loft (and your correct lie)?  And maybe lengthened a bit?  It seems like your only real alternative if they don't make a 2-iron for your set.

[Vinny29]

I ditched my hybrids also, too inconsistent with them. I am now carrying the following fairway woods: Callaway Steellhead 111, 4+, 5, and 7 all with uniflex steel shafts and love them. My irons start at a 5 with 3 wedges in my set and my gaps are pretty well covered. My favorite club from the fairway is the 19 degree 5 wood. If I want to hit real low I use the 4+ 15 degree, easier to hit off the turf than a 3 wood.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by turtleback

Crazy thought:  Could you get another 3-iron and have it bent to 2-iron loft (and your correct lie)?  And maybe lengthened a bit?  It seems like your only real alternative if they don't make a 2-iron for your set.

Shh . . . you're ruining fine rant.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Shh . . . you're ruining fine rant.

Ooops.

[WUTiger]

I swapped irons at Christmas time, and my new set had flighted shafts. Flighted shafts give long irons a little extra lift at impact w/o ballooning the ball. If I swing smoothly, I can hit the 3i and 4i.

After a bad experience with hybrids circa 2008, I have found some Edge Tour and Adams hybrids which I can hit. But due to the 14-club limit, I haven't bought any. I do carry a TM Raylor 19* which I really like. I think it's a fairway wood, but others say it's a Hybrid. Oh, well..

[whit53]

Isn't a contemporary 3-iron, in fact, a traditional 2-iron.  Historically, 2-irons were most commonly lofted at 20 degrees.  That's only 1-degree stronger than a contemporary blade/muscle back.

[Harry SasQuatch]

Perfect solution is the MP FLI-HI . They look like long irons and play like them too, with slightly more forgiveness. It's geared towards the better player and you can customize the specs as well as order the shaft you want already installed. I have a set of Mizuno irons and kept the 3 iron for the times I need to hit a low shot. I carry a 19 degree hybrid that does have a higher trajectory but that's usually a good thing for the instances I use it. Out of the rough anyone can benefit from a higher trajectory. Even most pros have ditched their 2 irons because they're hard to hit consistent, it's hard to expect amateurs to carry them with success.

[cody west]

solution- if your gonna complain about hybrids, go out and get yourself a nice set of MB's with the 2 iron and hit that, you can keep it as low as you want

[kurisu]

Titleist makes a 2 iron for the 710CB.Or does it have to be a 2 iron from the same set?

[kevin.chan]

Can we buy a 3 iron and bend it to the loft of a 2 iron and re shaft it to the length of a 3 iron ? Will this able to solve the problem ?

[ND Fan]

I was a hold out on hybrids because I too had no problem with a 1 or 2 iron.  I picked on up as a tee gift during an invitational about three years ago and have never looked back.  I still carry a 3 iron but my 16 degree hybrid is the most most versatile club I have ever owned.  I hit it about 255 off the tee and straight as a die, I love it out of a tough lie  form virtually any distance.  I think the problem most good players have with the club is the appearance.  The rounded face is not a great look for something you generally put an iron swing on.  I got over it.  It's just a better mouse trap and works in many amazing ways.  I wouldn't give up on them just yet, you're only cheating yourself they are a handsome weapon even for great ball strikers.

[B of H]

thanks for the advice.  Hit my 2-iron a lot this weekend and it performed great although I could have used a 3 hybrid at times coming out of the rough on long par 5's but had to hit a 6-iron instead because the rough was too deep for even a 5 iron.  Depending on the course/conditions i'd be happy to ditch my 3 wood or 2-iron and put a hybrid in but i'd still need to find one that I can hit as accurately as an iron to justify it.

- I play blade like minimal cavity irons with stock lofts (44 degree 9-iron, 21 degree 3-iron).  I really don't need much 'help' as far as mishits go and I actually hit blade mid to short irons more accurately than perimeter weighted ones as my miss is generally high in the face rather than toe/heel.

- bending a 3-iron down to 18 degrees would take the very minimal bounce of most irons from 1* to -2* causing the club to dig too much.  So that is far from ideal.

- I'm looking at the 710cb 2-iron but i'd prefer it to match up with the set.  Right now i'm using a king cobra II forged 2-iron and I hit it fine but obviously with non-conforming grooves.

- I like the idea of the Mizuno Fli-Hi and i'm probably going to give it a shot but it sucks that nobody seems to have a demo around here.

One thing though: pro's haven't ditched their 2 irons because they are 'hard to hit consistent'.  they are looking to attack par 5's with a softer landing shot in firm conditions given the new balls flying lower and spinning less on full shots.  Many of the stronger and higher ball hitters still have a 2-iron and a hybrid then decide which to use based on the conditions from what I know.  Some guys like Woodland, Haas, Bubba Watson, Jason Day, Barnes, dustin johnson, Ogilvy etc... either carry irons up to the 2 or 3 then have a 5 or 4 wood and no hybrid.  I've done some research into this because i'm so confused about which direction to go.

[Ash1974]

I currently play MP53 4-PW with a Nike Sumo 21 Hybrid (3 iron)

When I had my last clubs (MP52s) I played 3-PW but still carried the 3H as although it offered the same distance it had a much higher ball flight so was great for dropping on the green, clearing trees etc. I used the 3 iron off the tee though and for lower ball flight as needed (wind, fairway runout etc)

I am for the long irons though, in fact I hit my 4 iron more than my hybrid and 3 wood these days, so my next purchase may well be a MP53 3 Iron :) I will probably then drop the hybrid.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by whit53

Isn't a contemporary 3-iron, in fact, a traditional 2-iron.  Historically, 2-irons were most commonly lofted at 20 degrees.  That's only 1-degree stronger than a contemporary blade/muscle back.

For some reason I hit my 2-irons farther than similarly lofted 3-iron with similar loft, but hit the 3-irons more consistently. Maybe it's mental?

[bunkerputt]

Even Tiger doesn't play a 2-iron exclusively.  I used to hate but now love the hybrids.  So many great shots from the rough where I thought I was in bogey territory, but ended up recovering well.  You can chip them from the fringe and they react like a hot putter.  Such a versatile club.  Just find one you like and get used to it.  Or, why stop at a 2-iron, why not go with a 1-iron and balata balls?  Your choice friend.

[B of H]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

For some reason I hit my 2-irons farther than similarly lofted 3-iron with similar loft, but hit the 3-irons more consistently. Maybe it's mental?

yes and shaft length.

I find that my old hogan apex blades with a 45 degree 9 iron go just as far as some strong lofted GI irons for whatever reason.  I think it has something to do with perimeter weighting and too much weight in the sole personally but that is just my own theory based on trial and error.

[B of H]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

Even Tiger doesn't play a 2-iron exclusively.  I used to hate but now love the hybrids.  So many great shots from the rough where I thought I was in bogey territory, but ended up recovering well.  You can chip them from the fringe and they react like a hot putter.  Such a versatile club.  Just find one you like and get used to it.  Or, why stop at a 2-iron, why not go with a 1-iron and balata balls?  Your choice friend.

the game was a better test with old clubs and balls.  hybrids are for wimps, that is a fact. if gary woodland still uses a 2-iron then i'm still using a 2-iron.  ;)

tiger uses a custom 5 wood that most of the posters on this board couldn't even get airborne btw, it's basically a 2-iron in a metal wood head.

(btw the ;) means i'm kidding around)

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

Even Tiger doesn't play a 2-iron exclusively.  I used to hate but now love the hybrids.  So many great shots from the rough where I thought I was in bogey territory, but ended up recovering well.  You can chip them from the fringe and they react like a hot putter.  Such a versatile club.  Just find one you like and get used to it.  Or, why stop at a 2-iron, why not go with a 1-iron and balata balls?  Your choice friend.

Did you ever hit balata balls? What a waste of money those were for amateurs. The Spalding Tour Edition was a better ball - sort of like the V1x is probably a better ball for amateurs than the V1.

Anyway, when it's really windy I sometimes put a 2-iron in the bag instead of a LW. I have a 2-hybrid (in with my cavity back set), but I still prefer the 2 or 3-iron. I'm working on it. I purchased a matching 3-hybrid to use when I get old(er).