Is it better to replace my fairway woods with Hybrids that have the same loft?

[DocParty]

Something as simple as moving the ball forward one inch may cure your hook tendencies.

[DocParty]

You might try having your hybrid shaft cut to equal your 4h and 5h. If swing length is all that stands in your way, and you can hit the 4h and 5h well, then it's worth a shot? Shortening a shaft is done every day/week here in the states. Everyone has a different 'comfort zone' in terms of lengths. I'm short, 5-8, lots of upper body strength. I'm old now, so I'm no scratch player and have never been nor never will be, but with a shorter shaft on my h's and woods I have greater control and better results. Just a snip-snip and a new grip and you may be ready to go.

[DocParty]

Originally Posted by Lizzyboy

Being a high handicapper and new player, I wondering if it would be better to replace

my 3 and 5 woods with the equivalent hybrid that have the same loft.

Get a 15 and 19 degree hybrid as opposed to 15 and 19 degree fairway wood.

The thought is they would be easier to hit and at my level and a consistent hit is

more important than distance.

Actually I only have a driver and 5 wood now.

I am not consistent with the 5 wood but that the case with all my clubs.

What are the pros and cons?

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Well for me, yes is the answer. The hybrid is much easier to hit. I have hit my 4h 180 and straight as an arrow at times. Usually get 175. I'm old and broken physically so I don't fit into the standard player these days. I love my 3 wood nonetheless. It's as good as my driver in overall distance and is much straighter every time I hit it, or so it seems.

With hybrids, fairway woods you have to trust the club. Swing at it, don't try to kill it and it will perform beautifully.

The biggest thing you'll face is seeing guys you play with grabbing a driver and going after it like it's a cheap wh**e. They may hit it from time to time in the fairway but they'll have more banana balls and pulled shots than straight ones.

Being a beginner, go for accuracy. If the guys in your group are hitting a 6 iron and you can do just fine with a 4 or 5 hybrid, don't let the ego get in your way. Use what works for you. In the end you are playing the course, not your buds. This is a singles game, all on your own. It doesn't matter what the other players do, you have to hit your own ball so why not use every advantage in your bag, regardless of what it is?

Enjoy. The better you get, the longer you will hit the clubs. It's inevitable. Happens to every new golfer. So in a year you may be hitting your 6 when they do or you may be hitting your 5h instead of your 4h. The one thing you can never give up for any reason, is accuracy.

People drive for show, but you pitch and putt for the dough.

[limoric]

I hit my 17* hybrid as far as my 4 wood off the deck. I can work it left and right at will. I can't say the same for my 4 wood.

Long irons are way more important than fairway woods. If you have decent course management, you're not likely going to hook or slice a hybrid into the bush, at least not as often as a fairway wood. You'll occasionally strip a fairway wood, but your percentages will be better with hybrids.

I play with an 8 handicap once and a while. He has the traditional 3/5 wood setup. If he were to take them out of his bag and not even replace them, hit 3 iron instead, he'd be a 2 handicap. He can hit his 4 iron further than I hit my 2 hybrid, but he's always in the bush chipping out...

[cooke119]

I started with a 7W, still have it, then moved to a 3W which I now hit as well. I also have two hybrids. Got rid of my long irons and never looked back.

[WUTiger]

Originally Posted by k-troop

...  I think most mid-cappers (15-25) benefit from a driver and a fairway wood. ...  Fairway wood should be a 4 or 5, in the 16-20 degree range.  Beyond that, at least two hybrids before you get to the mid-irons.

I went from a 3W to a 4W this past summer, when I found an OK 4W goes about 10 yds. farther than a really good 3W.

I also have a 4H, and split the difference with a 7W.

Others had remarked about the hybrid hook problem. If you really get through the ball well, a Tour or Pro model hybrid might work best for you (avoid closed face). If you hunt around a little, you can find a Tour or Pro head with an RFlex shaft.

Also, be cautious on the lightweight shafts on FWs and Hs. Test them out to make sure it's not too soft for your swing. An R-flex in sub-50 grams can be pretty whippy.

[Hackforfun]

Originally Posted by k-troop

That's a decent chart.  I think most mid-cappers (15-25) benefit from a driver and a fairway wood.  If the driver shaft and loft are fit properly, the driver can be the best club in the bag due to the forgiveness of massive heads.  Fairway wood should be a 4 or 5, in the 16-20 degree range.  Beyond that, at least two hybrids before you get to the mid-irons.

Not a strict formula for everyone, of course, but that's my two-cents based on observations of playing with thousands of "average" golfers over the years.  I play once or twice a week, more often than not as a single paired with two or three "average" golfers.  The average guy, hitting his 5-iron 165-170 and his 3-wood off the fairway about 200, is going to benefit from more loft and 3/4 hybrids.

I must have been to K-troop school for midcappers.

12* Driver - 18* FW - 23*H - 26*H - 6I-LW

When I'm being brutally honest with myself going for the green with anything longer than my 26*H (~185Y) is getting into very risky territory for a major mishit.

I think a couple of hybrids to replace the long irons works well for higher handicaps. I hit them much more consistently than the irons they replaced and the hot faces really help for hitting those little runners out from under the trees that we often need. I can get a pretty reliable 140Y runner with a big putting stroke on my 4H. A 3 or 4 iron would go 50-70 yards if I were lucky with the same stroke.

Of course it's desireable to not be in the trees but lets face it we wouldn't be higher handicaps if we weren't hitting it in the wrong places with too much regularity!