Do you replace a 4i w/ a 4 hybrid?

My current setup is:

Driver18° 5W22° 4Hy5-PW49°-54°-59°I was fit 5 years ago for my woods so I'll admit I need to go get fit, but in the midst of this lockdown I thought I'd get some opinions. When I was fit they gave me the 4 Hybrid to replace the 3i. So now that I'm thinking about replacing the 4i I was wondering if I should go to a 5 hybrid?

Do you normally replace a 4i with a 4hy? I'm guessing the fitter thought with the longer, graphite shaft and hotter face of the hybrid that the number on it didn't mean anything.

I don't love the idea of having four headcovers, but I just want to shoot the lowest scores I possibly can. Truth be told I'd probably be better off with a setup that had a 3W, 5W, two hybrids, 5-PW and two then maybe like a 52/58.

Any thoughts?

 

My first hybrid was a 19* to replace a 5 wood.

Then I got a bit smarter and dumped the 19* for a 22* to replace my older set's 3 iron (21*).

Then bought a 25* hybrid to replace my 24* 4 iron and found it was so nice to hit, and good from the rough, I've kept both 4 and 5 hybrid in the bag.

For me it's about gapping with my irons, not so much my fairways.

For me, I like the 4 wedge system, so I don't feel it's warranted for me to drop a wedge to give me an extra club at the top end of my bag.

For you, maybe go:

Driver, 3W, 5W, 4H, 5H, 6-PW, 49-54-59

or D, 3 or 4W, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6-PW, 49-54-59

It all depends on the loft of the iron compared to the loft on the hybrid. You can't always replace a 4i with a 4h. The lofts have to coorespond. For example my 4i is replaced with a 7w. But my 5i it's replaced with a 4h. 6i is replaced with a 5h. And I actually go all the way to replacing my 7i with a 6h. The lofts are so different between the hybrids and irons these combos were needed to maintain gaps.

Don't compare numbers on the club. You must compare the lofts as well as the lengths of the shafts you are going to use. It took me months to figure out that the lofts were so different between my hybrids and my irons that I had to forget about the number on the club.

I play 19{3h} hybrid then go to a 23 driving iron type. The traditional hybrid above 22* becomes problematic into the wind, for me.

You need real life shots & situations to validate this transition.

Technology can make a difference as well....a 4h may replace a 4i SGI club, but a forged/blade club will be significantly shorter.

Like someone mentioned above, it depends on the loft of the iron you're replacing, and the gapping that you're looking for. Some OEM will have 2 or 3 different hybrid options in terms of size and targeted golfer, but they might all be different lofts in their "3 hybrid". My 4 hybrid is 23* and it replaces my 23* 4 iron from my set. I have s400 shafts in my irons, and play a s300 in my hybird. Gapping is what I need for the courses I play. If I were to get a 5 hybrid, I would look for the same head as my 4 hybrid and install a s300 in it to keep gapping and feel the same.

Long ago I replaced my 2i with a 19 degree 3H (I was NEVER a fan of 5W) and it was a game changer. 3 years ago, I decided to ditch the 3i for a 4H..... also a wonderful decision, as it's way easier to hit than a 3i. Last year I ran into an issue when I wanted to add a 60 lob wedge into my bag, so I dropped the 4i and immediately had a hole in my bag at 200 yards out. This was/is an issue still to this day. I've gotten a new set of irons with a stronger 5i, but it still doesn't go 200 yards, it only goes 190-195. My 4H goes 215 on a nice, smooth swing.... backing off on it doesn't work that great for me. I'm dealing with it b/c 200 yard shots aren't overly common, not nearly as common as a shot where I'd need a LW.

I'm still trying to find a good solution, but there seems to always be compromises....

 

-ZA

 

 

Most 4 hybrids will go further than 4 irons due to the hybrid being a longer length. General rule of thumb is when substituting a hybrid for an iron I always go with higher number hybrid compared to iron I'm replacing.

That is probably why they replaced your 3 iron with a 4 hybrid when you were fit. Makes sense to then replace you 4 iron with a 5 hybrid. All this depends on your iron lofts & gaping you want to achieve. I have a strong lofted iron set that I actually go from a Cobra F9 5 hybrid at 24 degrees to a 6 iron which is 26.5 degrees. For me gaping is pretty good. Hybrid goes 195ish while 6 iron goes 180ish.

 

I carry a 23 degree hybrid which goes a little further and a lot higher than a four iron. Go after it hard and its more like a three iron. Very useful club.

Steve

Missed the gist of the original question

 

loft, loft, loft with sone consideration for iron face, if it’s hi-cor, or not.

 

 

All hybrids aren't created equal either for a given loft or iron number stamped on the sole. Shaft lengths will affect actual carry distances, so be careful to choose a hybrid that fits your desired distance range.

I actually carry 4i and 4h. Iron for lower flight and punch shots. Hybrid for flexibility from the rough and for high launching shots.

I can only speak for myself but I replaced my 4 iron with a 24º 5 hybrid. MUCH easier to hit to my 4 iron yardage.

Attempting to replace my 4iron this year with a 4 hybrid of the same loft. I have tried this in the past with graphite shafted 4 hybrids and an Adam DHY with a Steelfiber shaft but both went too far leaving a big gap after my 5iron. After seeing Webb Simpson's WITB I decided to try a 4 hybrid with a steel shaft and cut it to the same length as my old 4iron. So far, so good with a few range sessions and 2 rounds under my belt. Will have to see how it performs in the wind a bit more. Goes so much higher and so much easier to hit.

My real life scenario is it does not have a hosel which means I can't hit the hosel on a 200yd Par 3. I likely would not ditch the 4i all the time, but on certain courses I'd like to have the hybrid to make things easier.

Now a days with the hot faced clubs, I'd say it depends. If you were playing P790's then I'd say a 4h and 4i are going to be very close. This is due to lofts and just the face 790's are rocket launchers. If you are gaming say....MP4's or a non techie blade, then I'd say no, the hybrids will be 1 club stronger... maybe even 2, depending on what hybrid it is.

I look at the course, specifically par 3s on the scorecard, to determine what the longest carry distance I will need. I put a 4 hybrid in the bag and it is easier to get the 180-195 carry for me with a soft landing. I purchased my irons in a 4-PW set and dumped the 4 iron in the shed immediately. For my game, the mishit with a 4 iron mb would make me feel stupid knowing plenty of players who golf for a living dumped them years ago. I am in the process of reshafting my utility iron for more of a chickenstick off of the tee. I would add a similar model hybrid and see if it gets you any closer to the hole. If you convert more putts from that distance, keep it.

My irons are Srixon Z565. When I was fit for the hybrid I had AP2 714's. My current 4i is a 22° and my current hybrid is a 22°. I've never checked the gaps on a monitor, but in my mind the hybrid is still longer than the 4i. It's definitely easier to hit.

Regarding my current setup the 5W is great for approach shots 215-230yds with normal conditions. Off the tee I wish I had something that went a little further so I had an alternative to my driver. With that being said I don't know that many people are any more accurate with their 43.5" long 3W than they are a driver anymore though. The main thing I'd like to accomplish, outside of shooting the lowest score possible is making longer Par 3's and/or approaches into Par 5's easier and also to potentially add something off the tee that allows me to not hit my driver every hole. To do that I'd replace the 4i, but reconfigure to potentially have something lower lofted as well to hit off the tee than my current 5W.

 

 

As plenty of others have correctly answered, the answer is (as always!) "It depends."

What club are you replacing, specifically? What club are you thinking of adding? And are you trying to directly fill your yardage need, or get a little more juice out of that spot in the bag? After answering these, you can get down to the nitty gritty and decide what club to purchase.

All that said, I have my 4i replaced with a driving iron head. Every little bit of forgiveness helps!

You have an extra club, take both! I have a 3 hybrid that I love anywhere from 200 to 230 and have different shots i play with it. I also have a 3 iron that I love off the tee and for fairway shots that i just need to roll right up onto the green when i'm not feeling a FW wood. The hybrid is used for everything that I cant really look at it like a replacement... it is its own beast.

I use my fairway as an alternate tee club and for me with 16.5, I build that to 42", if I went 13.5 or 15 as alternate tee club, I'd still build to 42 or 42.5" max.

Easier to hit the center of the face, and it goes for me on holes that I don't need driver.

Oooof

 

Definitely hybrid is the choice then

I kind of went the other direction last year. I dropped my 5 wood for a 19* 3 hybrid and replaced the 4 and 5 iron with a 24* 5 hybrid. I will put the 5 iron in the bag when I am playing a course where the par 3's line up better for that.

I replaced my 4i with a 5 hybrid. The hybrid carries a consistent 185-188 and probably 50% higher than the 4i. I've got 4 headcovers in the bag and while it's a little cramped, I'm more interested in having that reliable shot.

@Lefty_3Jack asked: "Do you normally replace a 4i with a 4hy? I'm guessing the fitter thought with the longer, graphite shaft and hotter face of the hybrid that the number on it didn't mean anything. ..."
The H choice depends in part on whether you're talking about traditional hybrids, or iron-replacement hybrids. Traditional hybrids - including early 2000s arrivals - have shaft lengths that fall between fairway woods and long irons.
For most iron sets, the stock 4i length for males is around 38.25 to 38.5 inches.
At TaylorMade, current hybrids (or rescues) have traditional specs for their SIM Max and M6, M4 and M2 models, as shown below in the M6 example:
So when it comes time to swap out hybrids for irons in the M6 combo sets, comparisons have to be made:
[img]https://s3.amazonaws.com/golfwrxforums/uploads/409/KMMD56ZZP506.png[/img]While the 3H and 4i both have the same 19° loft, the 3H shaft is 1.5" longer. Comparing two well-struck shots from each club, the longer shaft of the 3H would translate into a shot roughly 15 yards longer than the 4i. So, to get a good matchup, the swap of a 4H for 4i might be a good choice. The 4H might give a 5-yard premium for the average golfer, because the 4H launches better than the 4i.
[img]https://s3.amazonaws.com/golfwrxforums/uploads/273/7URP4ZCXSQB5.png[/img]For you L3J, if your second hybrid matches the model of your 4H, chances are 5H might do it as a 4i replacement. But, test to find out.
Iron-replacement (IR) hybrids appeared circa 2011 in assorted iron-hybrid matched sets. The IR hybrids had almost exactly the same loft and shaft length of the longer irons they were designed to replace. This 2016 Mizuno set-up featured bonded (non-adjustable) FLI-HI hybrids designed to mesh with the JPX 850 family of irons.
[img]https://s3.amazonaws.com/golfwrxforums/uploads/062/IE799PU0WQDR.png[/img]Mizuno 2016 also offered separate JPX hybrids which were traditional hybrids. The last four years, however, separate IR hybrid designs seem to have disappeared. This probably relates to the fact that traditional hybrids can, with the help of a good fitter, be integrated into the longer end of an iron set. This is especially true in the case of adjustable hybrids. And, it means the OEMs don't incur the cost to design a different crop of IR hybrids.(If someone knows of new model sets still offering true IR hybrids, please share!)
To find out for sure which hybrid + tweaks are needed: Get fitted and see how the actual distance shakes out for a particular golfer.
Also, some golfers are perfectly willing to have a 15-yard distance gap between 3H, 4H and 5i. This gives them tighter distance gaps in the scoring irons and wedges.
As for me, my 4H flies about 10 yards longer than my 4i, in part because the shaft is an inch longer and it launches better due to head design; both have 22° loft. My set 4i has a hollow head, and has been reshafted with a hybrid shaft, and I use it a lot as a precision driving iron. Also, I can jump on the 4H for a clear-out shot and get extra yardage... not so with 4i.

Yep , it's more about the loft then the number on the club. My experience too is that a hybrid will go longer than the similar lofted iron. So I reckon your fitter was right to replace your 3i with a 4h. If you feel you need to fill the gap between the 4h and 5i, so probably where your 4i sits, a 5h would likely be the right one.

ChipNRun Posted: Apr 14 2020 11:37AM

"Mizuno 2016 also offered separate JPX hybrids which were traditional hybrids..." "(If someone knows of new model sets still offering true IR hybrids, please share!)"

The 2019 Mizuno JPX Fli-Hi Hybrid is their latest version of their long iron replacement for the JPX 919 Hot Metals. But they are miles different and better then the 2012 original for the JPX 800s and the 2014 update for the JPX EZs. The first two gens were built with the same length shaft, loft and covered the same distances as the irons they replaced. This version is built with a bit longer shaft then the corresponding iron and with a stronger loft. Never tried the 919s, but these things are long, really long. The 19° 4 replaced my 18° 5 wood easy. Fantastic hybrids, a super bargain at an iron price, but not the direct iron replacement like my old 2014s (at least for me).

Mizuno says:"Packed with helpful technology to launch the ball high and land soft, the JPX Fli-Hi is designed to slot seamlessly into your iron set, with each Fli-Hi designed to directly replace its corresponding long iron."

Those 919s must roll out forever.

 

I'm in exactly the same predicament as you. If I wanted to add an extra wedge I'd drop the 4 iron and it would leave a 20m distance gap between my 23° 4h and my 27° 5 iron. So I just play 47, 52, 58. Ideally if I was allowed 15 clubs I'd play 47, 52, 56, 60.

Like others mentioned, I too have 3i (20°) and 3h (19°). I carry my 3i around 185-190 yds and roll another 10 to 15 yds as its flight trajectory is lower than 3h. I mainly use 3i when I need to hit lower trajectory in windy days or teeing off down slope to get extra roll. My 3h is my go to club in the roughs, needing to shape shots, or when in need for higher trajectory shots which carry distance of 195 ish (+/- 5 yds) and 5-10 yds roll.

Irons are Srixon Z565's which I would classify as GI's. The 4i is 22*. I have a 22* Callaway XR hybrid as my "3i".

I wold be going to another modern hybrid be it a TM or Callaway which both have available 22* and 19* in LH, but not as many offerings for the 25* in LH. I'll wait to get fit, but I think I might opt for larger gaps, pull the 4i when I want/need to and play a 19* & 22*. I choke down on a majority of shots so replacing the yardage number of my 4i should not be as big of a deal.

This will give me something with a little more distance off the tee (3h) and I can then go with a 16* 3W and drop the 5W. I really like the 5W though. The smaller head is so easy to get up in the air vs the deeper 3W heads.