Hybrids

Paddy_2_Iron

For high handicappers, does it really make sense to have more than one?

I'm looking at charts for handicaps 15 - 25 and the 4 hybrid and 5 hybrid generally go the same distance. I'm assuming the same can be said for the 3 as well.

So in short, is it a waste of money to have 2 - 3 hybrids when the data shows for most average hitting hacks they all go relatively the same distance. In fact the chart also showed the 4 iron and 5 iron for average handicappers going the same distance. Does it make sense to carry a 4 iron knowing that information?

In fact I would think having one advancement club is better than multiple ones. Practice it and get good at it. I would think getting comfortable and confident with the one "advancer" would do far more for you game.

Besides you could get fit for that one "advancer" and put money in the shaft etc and really have a tool to use.

Markrip

I played a 3 and 4 hybrids for years and there was always a distance gap between the two. I fell into a that handicap range when I was playing 2. I don’t play the 4 anymore because I improved and can hit a 4 iron more accurately than the hybrid.

GolfWRX

NJpatbee

I am a 16 HCP 68 year old golfer and several years ago I replaced my 2 thru 6 irons with hybrids. As an older golfer with a slowing swing speed I gained distance and accuracy with every club and they were just so easy for me to hit. I have about a 10 yard difference between each club and can get "in the vicinity" of the green from 140 to 190+ which is fine for me. If I could go back in time I would have switched as soon as more hybrids came available. I started playing golf at age 40 and I could hit a 5 iron was about 170 yards. I believe that I would have been at least 10-15 yards longer with a 5 hybrid. Solid contact with a long iron was always a low % shot but with the hybrids I make solid contact most of the time.

andrue

I don't know what chart you're reading but I think it needs to go in the shredder. Both my current set and my previous set had several hybrids and they went different distances. Currently my 5 goes 170, my 4 goes 180 and my 3 goes 190.

I think a lot of high cappers would do well to replace as many of their irons with hybrids as they can.

I wish I could find a 6h and am considering ditching my 64* for a 2h.

I'm currently playing off 22.

bellken

I am a higher handicap, and, I carry 2 hybrids, a 21 and a 25. I use to carry Ping G10's, 21, 24, and, 28. They all went different distances for me. The distances and gaps you get will be dependent on your swing speed.

cardoustie

it's irons that go the same not hybrids

caniac6

I'm a 4 handicap, and I carry two hybrids. They are so easy to hit.

GolfWRX

txgolfer45

I replaced a 4i and 5i with a 4h and 5h. Fortunately, the hybrids are adjustable as I weakened both 2 degrees (33 and 26) as I have a 5 wood adjusted to 17 and 7 wood adjusted to 20. This gives me the gaps I need. I'm a mid single digit golfer. I went with the Callaway Big Bertha hybrids. Not a high handicapper. But, found hybrids to be a great addition as they provide a higher trajectory than I could muster out of the 4i and 5i on average.

ChipNRun

If you're going to talk about data charts, please share them. Then we can see what you are looking at.

You are addressing the need to do a gap analysis for your bridge clubs - those clubs between your driver and your lowest-numbered iron.

Not sure why the 4H and 5H would go the same distance for all average golfers, assuming they are the same head model and shaft. As others have said, they get distance gaps between the two. For many golfers, the 3H is somewhat difficult to hit.

Now, data does show that 4i and 5i sometimes go the same distance. If this happens, it's a case the golfer doesn't have the clubhead speed, or maybe the cleanness of strike, to maximize the 4i design. Workarounds include replacing 4i with hybrid, or going with a softstepped or lighter shaft in the 4i to improve launch. If the reshaft works, keep it. If not, go with hybrid.

With my new irons (see below), the 4i was good off the tee but iffy off the fairway. So, I refit it with a hybrid shaft. I picked up a few more yards off the tee and can now hit it off a decent fairway lie.

Or, some players will get a more forgiving 4i and 5i from the next friendlier set. When Rogue irons came out, a Callaway fitter suggested I might get a 6i-PW in Rogue Pro and a 4i + 5i in basic Rogue. If you look in our What's In The Bag section, some pros will have a GI 3i and/or 4i and Players irons for the rest of the set.

Note: some people find higher lofted FW work better for them than hybrids. Again, what works best...

lawsonman

I ditched fairway woods and carry 3 hybrids all the time and sometimes I carry a 4th. Best move I ever made.

Paddy_2_Iron

https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/comment/19238602#Comment_19238602

@txgolfer45 You make a great point. Getting the ones that adjust can help create gaps in your set.

@ChipNRun I'll try to track down that data set. It essentially compared Irons to Hybrid to Woods. Showing 4, 5 irons go the same distance for 15-20+ handicaps. Hybrids 4, 5 went the same ~distance ( I think 3 hybrid actually had a gap from the 4 if memory serves me correctly).... Again this was averages so no outliers removed, assuming duff, shanks etc.... This was broken out by **** as well. IMHO it would make more sense carrying a 3 and 5 hybrid and foregoing the 4. Just like fairway woods, you almost never see a golfer carrying a 5 wood, 6 wood and 7 wood.

Quantitatively the data shows the hybrids going ~ the same distance. Qualitatively 15+ would best be served using one advancement club in the 200 - 175 range and becoming proficient with that instead of having 3 - 4 hybrids. This piece is just my opinion from what I have witnessed on the course and personal experience.

bullie76

https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/comment/19235450#Comment_19235450

For senior golfers like myself, hybrids are a no brainer. And for younger golfers that have a tough time with the longer irons I see no reason to not put a couple in the bag.

GolfWRX

jholz

Once you learn to look at hybrids as an iron, and hit them as such, they are a great addition to the bag. I love the versatility of my current 3 and 4 hybrid set up. So much so that I would love to get an 18* Callaway Apex hybrid to fill in for the old Mizuno F50 5w I currently use for longer courses. I find it so much easier to choke down and manufacture distances with the hybrids. They are much more effective gap fillers for me.

As far as the OP is concerned, I can't say I've ever seen much discussion concerning distance gaps, or lack thereof, when it comes to hybrids. More common when it comes to Driver and 3w, in my experience.

The most common complaint with hybrids (again, in my experience) is their "tendency to go left." But...hit them like an iron, they don't go left. YMMV.

ChipNRun

@Paddy_2_Iron ,

If you could find the data set/chart, that would be great. I'm familiar with research methods, and sometimes broad summary charts can be misleading in their presentation.

Your point about carrying a 3H and 5H is a valid one. I often see single-digit HDCP players carry a 3W, a 2H and 4H, and then jump to 5i.

Also, the particulars of a hybrid model can matter. Loft ID (XR Pro - clubhead bears loft, not 2H, etc.) with tight gaps often implies you don't carry adjacent hybrids.

Men's 2015 XR Pro Mens Graphite Shaft Hybrid Product Specs (Bonded head, non-adjustable)

1H...16*...41.0"

2H...18*...40.5"

3H...20*...40.0"

4H...23*...39.5

Cobra FlyZ

2-3H...17-19*...41.25"

3-4H...19-22*...40.5"

4-5H...22-25*...39.75

With the FlyZ, however, you're more likely to get decent yardage separation between adjacent hybrids. With 3H set at 19* and 4H set at 22*, you get 3* loft gaps and 3/4" shaft gaps, rather than {2* + .5"} with XR Pro.

GolfMinimalist

I think that regardless of whether you're talking hybrids or irons or fairway woods, a lot of players need to take an honest look at their distances and dump some clubs.

rkillian

I started a thread that sort of addresses this yesterday. It's called High Handicap Bag Set up Discussion. There's a good bit in there about what to work on to improve scores too. I was asking about the top of my bag. I have struggled with my 3 Wood and 3 and 4 Hybrids. Out of those 3 clubs I am most comfortable with my 4 Hybrid likely due to whatever swing flaws I have and my current skill. On A good day I get different distances between both hybrids but in general I hit the 4 better. My hybrids are also are in regular flex shafts. I learned through trying some clubs yesterday that I need a stiff shaft in my hybrid. I am personally thinking I will be dropping my 3 wood for a 5 wood and dropping my current hybrid for a 4 with a stiff shaft. That in theory should give me even enough gapping and simplify the top of my bag. But I am not doing this because there wouldn't be enough differnece between the 2 hybrids I have. If they fit me better and I could hit the 3 well they would probably be fine and go different enough distances.

duffer18

To the OP, yes, it makes sense to have more than one hybrid. Might not be a 3 and 4--might be a 3 and 5. But if you're starting out, unless you have time to put a lot of practice in, you will be hard-pressed to find many 3, 4, and 5 irons that you can hit better than hybrids. Over time, if you improve, you can always experiment with replacing hybrids with lower irons.

And your question is also appropriate as to whether there is overlap between hybrids. A number of posters insist that each hybrid will have a different distance than it's lower or higher counterpart. That may well reflect their experience, but that doesn't make it true for all golfers and all hybrids. Between differences in shafts, in spin numbers, swing characteristics and other factors, yes, you can have 4 and 5 hybrids go the same distance. How do I know? I carry three hybrids. I'm an old hacker, 13 hi, and I've found 3 and 4 hybrids that are nicely different in length and usually accurate. Finding a 5 was a PITA because a few that I tried were no better than my 6 iron. Similarly, once I had the 5 hybrid that worked, I tried a couple of 6 hybrids--and they were no better than my 7 iron. I know this because I did testing indoors on launch monitors and outdoors using my Arccos system. Now, there are times I use only two hybrids because I can always choke up on the 4 hybrid and approximate the 5. So start with one or two, figure out how those work for you. Then, using your own demoing and testing, or through fitting, figure out if another hybrid or two will help. Don't assume a **** thing about how golf clubs, in your hands, will work, no matter what you read on this site.