Choosing the correct Hybrid (3, 4, etc)

[Nyper]

I'm looking to add a hybrid to my bag.  I want something I can hit about 215-220.  I am dropping my 5 wood or 3 iron - haven't decided which yet - because they are the two least used clubs in my bag.  The 3 iron is often too short and the 5 wood is often too long.

My relevant distances are:

3 wood:  240

5 wood:  225

3 iron:  210

4 iron: 200

5 iron 190

I can't decide what degree hybrid to go with.  Anyone have a similar situation?  What did you choose?  What were your results?

I know the best answer is to try and see.. but I can only hit on indoor launch monitors around here and I've always found them to be pretty inaccurate.

[k-troop]

Your distances are pretty similar to mine; I'm probably +5 yards with each club you mentioned.  I dropped my 3 iron and have never carried a 5 wood, but I carry 2 hybrids now--Adams Idea Pro A12, both with the RIP'D stiff.  I hit the 23* about 215, and the 18* about 230.  My 3-wood is 245.

I love the hybrids and am very glad I made the switch.

[Nyper]

Thanks for the feedback.  My last hybrid was an Adams A7 19*.  It was a little longer than I liked.

[WUTiger]

You might consider a 7W, if your fairway wood brand offers one. Check the loft on it, for some wood models the 7W only has about 2* more loft than the 5W, not much carry difference.

If there is a 7W and it has some loft separation from the 5W, consider it. I carry a 4W, 7W and a 4H, and the 7W tends to have better shot shape than the 4H.

As for hybrids, you'll just have to check around for the different models (a 3H, for example, has different loft and different head design from model to model). See If your iron set has a related hybrid group. For example, the Mizuno JPX hybrids have a chart which suggests which JPX iron each would replace.

This assumes you can hit the iron's related hybrids OK. If you can't, try someone else's hybrids.

[mdl]

I have almost exactly the same numbers as you, though some of the swing work I've been doing has had a side benefit of adding yardage, so my distances are less consistent now than they used to be and sometimes I'm +5 or even +10 yards from the distances you list.

One thing that you might consider.  With a 215-220 hybrid, you can drop the 5W and the 3i and add a wedge!  My 19˚ goes right about 215, up to 220 if I go after it (though less consistent that way).  And just choking up and swinging extra smooth puts it in the 205-210 range.  So I don't miss the 5W or the 3i.

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An aside, feel free to ignore.  I've been planning to drop the 3i out of the bag as above and add a 50˚ GW for a while (I've got 46˚ PW, 54˚ SW, 60˚ LW right now).  But then I got a Tour Edge Exotics 15˚ 3W that added significant yardage.  It goes ~250 off the deck and if I hit it really well off the tee I can get it out to 270+, carry+roll!  Other 3Ws I've played were much more ~240.  That opened up a huge gap between my 19˚ hybrid and my 3W, which was frustrating on longer par 5s without much danger around the green where I want to be able to go for the green with a long club and either putt for eagle or have a very doable up&down; for birdie.  And one day at the golf store I found a used Tour Edge Exotics 18˚ hybrid that goes more in the 225+ plus range, and I've been playing with the 8˚ wedge gap for a while now so I've gotten better at hitting that 115-125 shot with the PW.  So I've been working on my long irons to try to gain confidence with the 3i.