Hybrid length vs irons

[Shindig]

Hybrid length vs irons

I play my irons half an inch under standard, and have since I was fit for my first non-starter set nine years ago.  As it stands, my 3H, 5W, and 3W are also .5" under standard, as is my driver (I forget exactly how much under, but I think it's a 44" shaft;  this one was fit by Titleist, while the 3H 5W and 3W are self assembly).

I'm going to put together a 4H in the near future and I'm thinking also .5" under standard.  Do you think I lost my mind making my 3H 5W 3W under standard, or do you think I should do the same with my 4H?

[onthehunt526]

5 hours ago, Shindig said:

Hybrid length vs irons

I play my irons half an inch under standard, and have since I was fit for my first non-starter set nine years ago.  As it stands, my 3H, 5W, and 3W are also .5" under standard, as is my driver (I forget exactly how much under, but I think it's a 44" shaft;  this one was fit by Titleist, while the 3H 5W and 3W are self assembly).

I'm going to put together a 4H in the near future and I'm thinking also .5" under standard.  Do you think I lost my mind making my 3H 5W 3W under standard, or do you think I should do the same with my 4H?

No, you haven't lost your mind... If your irons are a 1/2" under standard, why play with long clubs at standard length? Shorten them too. As it is in reality, most hybrids not in a blended combo set are in some cases 2 inches longer than the numbered iron they are replacing (Acushnet is pretty good about theirs being much closer to the numbered iron they are replacing, I think they are around an inch in the current line).

But even if you play your hybrids fairways and driver at standard, that is still a 4-hybrid shaft that is nearly 2 inches longer than your 5-iron, and for gapping, not a good idea...

[WUTiger]

@Shindig,

Club designer Tom Wishon  would like your idea about shorter shafts.

[Hacker James]

On 7/5/2017 at 1:46 PM, WUTiger said:

@Shindig,

Club designer Tom Wishon  would like your idea about shorter shafts.

I am an avid follower of Tom Wishon. The article you cite just confirms what I am starting to understand, especially when it comes to adjustable drivers. One thing that surprized me is that the driver I have which comes in a stated loft of 9.5 degrees and set at that standard setting proves to be the best for me. I believe one reason is that I do not have to make any changes at address and that what I see is what I get whereas to get the other settings to work, I need to grip the club in such a manner as to offset the change in face and lie angles presented at these settings. In other words, once I lift the club, I am compensating to ensure a (perceived) square face at impact.

It is indeed counter intuitive that a closed club face at address results in a higher loft at impact owing to the fact that visually you open the club face so that it "appears" neutral. This can be problematic for some as they cannot consistently make these compensations. With my 9.5 standard setting, I do not have to make any compensations and therefore it is repeatable.

My surprize is that I can still achieve height with a 9.5 degree driver when I thought I needed a 10.5 or more. I like his approach to fitting to find the "point of no return" and then throttle back in respect to weight. In other words, the whole fitting package. It is no surprize therefore, that Tom suggests making shafts "shorter" throughout the set.  His ideas on MOI fitting are interesting as well.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Hacker James