What's the Point of Irons When There are Hybrids?

[Hugh Jars]

So I've been building up my stock pile of hybrids steadily over the last few months. I use a 3, 5, 6 and 7.

I just find them so much easier to hit and so versatile. When struck clean it is oh so sweet. I can use them off the tee, off the deck. They are great to use in the rough, on the edge of the green and when scrambling from underneath trees. 

My 6 and 7 hybrids are both Cobra F-Max's. Compared to the iron equivalent I have I absolutely smash them. They feel like butter.

If they released an 8 or 9 I'd probably get them too.

What advantage does an iron have over a hybrid exactly? As a weekend hacker, I cant seem to reason with using irons.

And does anyone know of a manufacturer who makes an 8 or 9 hybrid?

Thanks

Edited March 6, 2019 by Hugh Jars

[billchao]

I don't really like hybrids. Compared to irons, they're big, too long, and prone to hooking. They launch the ball too high and they're harder to hit out of deep rough than irons. They're also significantly more expensive.

I only carry one hybrid and it's a 2h. The only reason I carry that is because I dislike woods even more than I dislike hybrids so I don't have a 5w and I can't hit a 2i.

[Scotty D]

Check out Callaway # 9 Heaven wood. 

[Vinsk]

22 minutes ago, Hugh Jars said:

So I've been building up my stock pile of hybrids steadily over the last few months. I use a 3, 5, 6 and 7.

I just find them so much easier to hit and so versatile. When struck clean it is oh so sweet. I can use them off the tee, off the deck. They are great to use in the rough, on the edge of the green and when scrambling from underneath trees. 

My 6 and 7 hybrids are both Cobra F-Max's. Compared to the iron equivalent I have I absolutely smash them. They feel like butter.

If they released an 8 or 9 I'd probably get them too.

What advantage does an iron have over a hybrid exactly? As a weekend hacker, I cant seem to reason with using irons.

And does anyone know of a manufacturer who makes an 8 or 9 hybrid?

Thanks

Irons will provide you a better ability to stop the ball on the greens and many of us can work an iron better than the clunk of a hybrid or wood. Nothing to me feels better than a well struck iron either. I don't care much for hybrids but I do carry a 3H for long straight hits when my lie just isn't looking good for a long iron. I think these days you can certainly have a bag with 7-9 hybrids. Not sure, but I'm sure a good Google or Ebay search would let you know. Cheers.

[DrMJG]

I have recently decided to put my longer irons into storage for the time being and use my 3h, 4h, and 5h for the most part where I would have used my 4i, 5i, and 6i.  This was done for many reasons.  I am continuing to develop my skills with a 7i and 9i and my 3 wedges.  So I have good weapons to use to get those nice shots with good stopping power on the green.

To each their own, I guess.  I am finding this mix has me covered or the game I play.

[Cantankerish]

" What advantage does an iron have over a hybrid exactly? As a weekend hacker, I cant seem to reason with using irons."

 

It's a question of what the ball does in the air versus what it does once it lands.

If you imagine the way an iron strikes the ball (assuming you are doing it right), it gets under the ball, and so has the angle to put backspin on it.  The narrower the blade and the more the loft, the more backspin you can apply.  If you are good enough to reliably strike the ball true then you can count on the backspin stopping or even reversing the ball once it strikes the green. That way, you can aggressively aim for smaller targets.

By contrast, a thick hybrid can not be manipulated to come from under the ball very much, so none of that is possible.  In exchange for that reduction in control over the ball once it lands you get a more forgiving shape of club head that can have the weight distributed to be even more forgiving of a strike that is not true, especially for slightly fat or thin mishits.  In this way, you get more consistent ball flight.

Since long irons, with their longer shafts and smaller club face are harder to hit, it makes a lot of sense to pack a few hybrids to replace them for many golfers, even some pros.  You are not likely to get the blade of a long iron under the ball enough to get it to bite anyway. Short irons are the ones that make the most sense to keep for tight approach shots.

One more note on that...old clubs with worn grooves on the face get considerably less backspin.

[Carl3]

6 hours ago, Hugh Jars said:

when scrambling from underneath trees. 

I have a 3h and 4h and find that my 5i is best when trying to plat a low punch shot out of trees. My lower lofted hybrids tend to launch much higher. That along with a tendency for hooking, which was previously mentioned are what I see as draw backs.

 

Oh, and another member on here once mentioned his bag of hybrids all donned with head covers made it look like he might put on a puppet show. 

Edited March 6, 2019 by Carl3

[boogielicious]

I have used 3 and 4 hybrids and even tried a 5. I switched back to a 4 iron from the hybrid for a couple of reasons. First, I tended to hook the 4 hybrid unless I was really careful. I feel I have more control with the 4 iron in terms of distance. The 4H could go anywhere from 170 to 190, whereas the 4 iron is 175-185. Lastly, my 3 and 4H overlapped a lot in distance.

I recently changed the shaft of the 3H to a heavier shaft. So far with range testing it feels less likely to hook. The stock shafts are pretty light, 70g range like a wood versus my irons which are in the 110g range. The 3H feels more like an iron now, which is how I use it.

[GolfLug]

Yeah, for a weekend warrior I suppose no reason why you can't go all hybrids. @jsgolfer is a good single digit who plays hybrids pretty deep down in the set. Maybe he can provide further insight.

I have heard that irons are a bit more versatile in flight trajectory control for those who are able enough. Especially shorter irons. 

For me it's just a 'like' thing similar to @billchao. I have 2H and a 3H.

[Foot Wedge]

@Hugh Jars everyone's different as are their needs, but for me irons provide more distance consistency and accuracy than a hybrid does.  If I do my part, the ball is going to travel the distance I expect it to.  My hybrid is for when distance takes priority over accuracy.  My 22* hybrid is a bit easier to hit than my 4i, so if I'm at a distance where I could maybe get there with my 4i, it's a no brainer to choke up a touch and hit hybrid.  I don't really have the speed or ballstriking to make 4i out of the rough an option.

Honestly, my 4i could possibly get benched if it weren't for a couple courses I play having a couple holes where 4i off the tee is the perfect club.

Additionally, I hit into a net a bit and my irons provide great feedback, making it easy to tell where I hit a ball and make adjustments.  Can't say the same about my hybrid.

As far as all hybrid club sets, I believe Cleveland makes some down to the PW but don't quote me on that.  

[billchao]

5 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

" What advantage does an iron have over a hybrid exactly? As a weekend hacker, I cant seem to reason with using irons."

 

It's a question of what the ball does in the air versus what it does once it lands.

If you imagine the way an iron strikes the ball (assuming you are doing it right), it gets under the ball, and so has the angle to put backspin on it.  The narrower the blade and the more the loft, the more backspin you can apply.  If you are good enough to reliably strike the ball true then you can count on the backspin stopping or even reversing the ball once it strikes the green. That way, you can aggressively aim for smaller targets.

By contrast, a thick hybrid can not be manipulated to come from under the ball very much, so none of that is possible.  In exchange for that reduction in control over the ball once it lands you get a more forgiving shape of club head that can have the weight distributed to be even more forgiving of a strike that is not true, especially for slightly fat or thin mishits.  In this way, you get more consistent ball flight.

Since long irons, with their longer shafts and smaller club face are harder to hit, it makes a lot of sense to pack a few hybrids to replace them for many golfers, even some pros.  You are not likely to get the blade of a long iron under the ball enough to get it to bite anyway. Short irons are the ones that make the most sense to keep for tight approach shots.

One more note on that...old clubs with worn grooves on the face get considerably less backspin.

That's not how spin works. Or impact, for that matter. The clubface isn't getting under the ball and using the grooves to grab it to generate spin.

Hybrids don't generate as much spin as an equivalent iron because of gear effect. The CoG is lower and further away from the face than an iron.

1 hour ago, GolfLug said:

Yeah, for a weekend warrior I suppose no reason why you can't go all hybrids. @jsgolfer is a good single digit who plays hybrids pretty deep down in the set. Maybe he can provide further insight.

If it suits their swing, it works. I've played with Jerry so I obviously know this to be true. They don't suit mine, though.

1 hour ago, GolfLug said:

I have heard that irons are a bit more versatile in flight trajectory control for those who are able enough. Especially shorter irons. 

Hybrids are designed to launch the ball higher. They also generate less spin, so flighting a shot with a hybrid isn't going to give you the same result as with an iron.

[uitar9]

9 hours ago, Scotty D said:

Check out Callaway # 9 Heaven wood. 

I've got the #7 Heavenwood-love it

Got a cobra king 7 Nine equivalent.

Love them both

Took the hybrids and 5 iron out of the bag.

I've decided I want to enjoy the round, not slave over constant improvement, so just use clubs I can hit consistently. 

[DeadMan]

For better players, hybrids tend to balloon in the air and can be hook machines. They're also harder to flight down than a long iron. But, a lot of good players will play a 2-4 hybrid if they find one they like.

For me, they don't really fill a niche in my bag that needs to be filled. My 5 wood tends to be just as accurate off the tee as any hybrid, and it's longer than them, too. Hybrids are most useful to me on long approach shots from the rough, but that's not something I face a ton of. It would basically be a short par 5 or a really long par 4, and I don't tend to play a lot of those.

[ChetlovesMer]

I saw a guy at my local range with a set of Adams clubs. They were all hybrids, right down to the pitching wedge.

 

[saevel25]

16 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

For better players, hybrids tend to balloon in the air and can be hook machines. They're also harder to flight down than a long iron. But, a lot of good players will play a 2-4 hybrid if they find one they like.

I am pretty sure they fixed the left tendency on hybrids. I can get a pretty severe inside to out swing sometimes, and the hybrid doesn't hook anymore than any other club.

11 hours ago, Hugh Jars said:

What advantage does an iron have over a hybrid exactly? As a weekend hacker, I cant seem to reason with using irons.

1. Launches Higher.
2. Steeper descent angle.
3. Better yardage gaps than versus long irons.
4. Can struggle out of deep rough versus an iron.
5. Irons could be more consistent in ball flight numbers (ball speed, spin rates, launch angles).

[NM Golf]

Three words: Hybrids go left

I have never found a hybrid I could trust, they all have a big left miss in them, hook city. I carry a 18° driving iron and I hit it much straighter than any hybrid. It is not as versatile as a hybrid, but I rarely need to hit a hybrid length club out of the fairway anyway.  

[tehuti]

I would definitely like to game more hybrids. The problem is I am wildly inconsistent with them. Recently I replaced my 3 hybrid with a TE HL3 ironwood because I couldn’t hit the 3. My 4 hybrid is not much better, but I am determined to figure it out. 

There are several options for full sets of hybrids, but not from the big name OEMs.

[SloopDanB]

14 hours ago, Hugh Jars said:

So I've been building up my stock pile of hybrids steadily over the last few months. I use a 3, 5, 6 and 7.

I just find them so much easier to hit and so versatile. When struck clean it is oh so sweet. I can use them off the tee, off the deck. They are great to use in the rough, on the edge of the green and when scrambling from underneath trees. 

My 6 and 7 hybrids are both Cobra F-Max's. Compared to the iron equivalent I have I absolutely smash them. They feel like butter.

If they released an 8 or 9 I'd probably get them too.

What advantage does an iron have over a hybrid exactly? As a weekend hacker, I cant seem to reason with using irons.

And does anyone know of a manufacturer who makes an 8 or 9 hybrid?

Thanks

On eBay, they sell iDrive Hybrids. Not only do they have 8 & 9's, they also have lofts equal to PW, LW & SW! I have them. I use them. They are awesome. I've gotten all my hybrids through the eBay seller "ProSeriesGolf". He's in Michigan and all my clubs have arrived in perfect condition. Most importantly, the clubs work!