4-wood or 17º hybrid

[onthehunt526]

I have a Tour Edge Exotics XCG3 4-wood 16.5º loft with a Fujikura Motore S-flex shaft in my bag that I am inconsistent with... I picked up an Adams Idea Super Hybrid with 17º loft... I seem to hit it better... though I balloon it a little... but I consistently hit it 230-240... I hit my 2-iron 220-225 ish... Should I dump the 4-wood for the hybrid or leave the 4-wood and dump the chicken stick?

[WUTiger]

How far do you hit the 4W? And, what do you mean by inconsistent? Do you  have a Left or Right tail from shot to shot, miss every other 4W shot off the fairway, or what?

Is the "chicken stick" the 2i or the 17* hybrid?

[onthehunt526]

I hit my 4w 235-245 when I catch it well... but I miss it every which way... inconsistent misses... its good off the tee but off the fairway a lot of duck hooks and slices when I do catch it I balloon it... the chicken stick is the 2-iron its digging in a little bit...but its consistently straight... and high... but a little inconsistent off the tee with distance

[LuciusWooding]

If you only hit the wood 5 yards farther, then dump it. I use the same hybrid and it flies about as far as I ever need it to with a strong 3 or 15˚ hybrid backing it up. I basically use the hybrid off the deck to attack par 5s and off the tee to give me position and height. Sometimes it's the only wood I carry besides my driver or even at all.

As far as the 2 iron, I have one but don't like it that much. It's really not that necessary to carry the 2 even in winds and courses with tight fairways, and the 3 can do most of what I require more consistently. I can be more aggressive with the hybrid distance wise and the iron is a lot less forgiving, really only good when I'm having a great ballstriking day when I'm unlikely to need help finding fairways. Then there's the whole matter of launching it from the deck without thinning it, which the hybrid performs brilliantly and the iron horrendously. It works for some people but there are too many drawbacks to give it a permanent spot in my bag at least. Give it some time with the hybrid and I expect you may find it to be very versatile.

I'd also check that you're doing keys #2 and #3 well, since funky yardages and trajectories in the long game can be an issue of dynamic loft and AOA being out of whack. You can get away with both on tee shots and with more lofted clubs a bit, or compensate with your setup, but the long clubs off the ground are demanding.

[onthehunt526]

UPDATE: I went to the range... and found out on that I hit all three well with some practice... I don't know what to dump now... I may dump the 4 wood and 2-iron an maybe add another wedge or hybrid but that's a different thread...