Gary Players says don't bother with 5 iron use the 5 hybrid instead

[BIG STU]

I will say this and it is strictly MHO and not etched in stone or anything--- If a lot of folks that have problems elevating 4 and 5 irons would take those clubs and go to a graphite or light steel soft tipped shaft they could elevate and hit the ball with longer irons. Doing this especially with GI irons with a low CG will elevate the ball a lot. For a while I built a lot of Infiniti Assure 4 and 5 irons for some of the seniors around here with A flex 80 gram and lighter graphite shafts. That Infiniti is a component GI iron with a huge CB and huge flange. On some of them I did not tip the shaft either. I am not saying shaft all your clubs that way just the long irons. At 61 I am still hitting long irons but the catch is i am hitting soft tipped senior flex steel shafts in 2 sets and 85 gram graphite in the other set. Just food for thought

Interesting thought/observation.

 

I was hitting a Ping G25 with a CFS R-flex shaft (apx 100 grams, pretty soft), but the results were still hit or miss.

 

Most likely, I just suck (haven't found an equipment fix for that flaw yet...)

I bet if you went to a 80 gram graphite not tipped butt cut to length you could get those 25s up better than you think. Hireko has some of those cheap graphite iron shafts about $10 or so each. Those were what I was doing the Infiniti conversions with

[LaymanM]

I tried a G5 5 hybrid...hit moon balls that were short. Was not consistent with it...very bad fit for me. I could see a 5 Srixon U65 or u85 witb modus 105s making it in the bag though.

[p3ga]

Easy to say for someone who's 107 tears old.

 

He still has that chip on his shoulder from losing to Old Tom Morris.....

[Golfjack]

Yeah most guys don't have the swing to hit a five iron. Imagine on the fairway, you are at your 5 iron distance do you grab your 5 iron or do you club up to your wood or hybrid and grip down/3/4 swing? IMO if that's the case then might as well take a hybrid.

[bladehunter]

Easy to say for someone who's 107 tears old.

And still playing!

 

And better than anyone on golfwrx!

 

Not anyone. But I guess most. We’ve got a couple tour pros and an aspiring LPGA pro for a start that I’m sure can take him.

 

Not to mention I’m convinced that Ferguson is either Tiger or Phil using reverse psychology on us. Either could take him.

[eric13]

I use 3-5 hybrids with steel shafts at normal iron length

[Hardrain]

Here is my question for those who have replaced 4 and 5 irons with hybrids....what do you do when it is windy or you need to hit a low shot? I agree that 4h and 5h can be easier to hit than 4i and 5i, but I couldn't imagine not carrying at least 1 club that I can keep low and out of the wind when needed.

[brew4eagle]

Here is my question for those who have replaced 4 and 5 irons with hybrids....what do you do when it is windy or you need to hit a low shot? I agree that 4h and 5h can be easier to hit than 4i and 5i, but I couldn't imagine not carrying at least 1 club that I can keep low and out of the wind when needed.

 

Hybrids aren't hard to hit low. Not as easy to pull off as a 3 or 4 iron, but if you put it back in your stance and abbreviate the follow through you can really punch it quite low.

[nsxguy]

People often don't understand advice and who is being addressed by that advice.

 

Gary is speaking to most AVERAGE golfers. Most average golfers absolutely, unequivocally, would be better off with a hybrid than a 5 iron in their bag.

 

If you can hit a 5 iron nice and high and carry it more than 185 yards and can stop it easily on a green, He is not speaking to you. Most AVERAGE golfers do not hit a 5 iron as I just described. They struggle with both direction and elevation and not enough spin. They don't swing fast enough for a 5 iron in the bag.

 

This web site has an unusually high number of faster swinging, more accomplished golfers. Certain advice won't be applicable to them.

 

People often don't understand skill level and confuse it with distance.

 

I hit a 5 iron nice and high and about 170 yards. Should I not be hitting a 5 iron ? :dntknw: :D

 

 

But yes, Gary is talking about the average player. ;)

[Krt22]

Yeah most guys don't have the swing to hit a five iron. Imagine on the fairway, you are at your 5 iron distance do you grab your 5 iron or do you club up to your wood or hybrid and grip down/3/4 swing? IMO if that's the case then might as well take a hybrid.

 

5i distance...I pull my....5i.

[1Mordrid1]

As others have said, it is so player dependent. If I just want a club that goes straight, hybrids work well for me. But my shot shaping with a hybrid is just not reliable. There seems to be much finer line with hybrids for me between draw/hook, fade/slice. On shaped shots my misses just do not seem to be as drastic with irons.

[Titleist_PT23]

Here is my question for those who have replaced 4 and 5 irons with hybrids....what do you do when it is windy or you need to hit a low shot? I agree that 4h and 5h can be easier to hit than 4i and 5i, but I couldn't imagine not carrying at least 1 club that I can keep low and out of the wind when needed.

I've switched to 4h and 5h. I find that both clubs are fine in crosswinds but the 4h (Taylormade Taylor, 22*), is horrible into the wind. I think the 5h goes just as far into the wind (Taylormade Rescue, 25*, trajectory/flight is still fairly flat) as the 4h.

 

If I need to keep the ball down, I usually just take more club and swing easier to try and keep some of the spin off with these clubs. I think if you catch it flush, things will be fine.

 

Of course, there are some shots that are harder to hit with this strategy but net-net for my skill level I think having the hybrids is a positive.

 

Some of the newer hybrids may have better flight/trajectory for lofts in the 21*-26* range?

[Luke'sdad]

Remember seeing an old " Playing Lessons From the Pros" w/Gary Player on Golf Channel years back. He was touting the advantages of the Cally Heavenwood & Divine Nine as longer iron replacements. He just kept showing how much easier it was to hit them high, straight, & soft, in relation to a 3/4 iron. I believe this was right before the hybrid mania took over golf, but the concept is basically still the same. I assume he was in his 60's at the time, and quipped if he had those two clubs, he probably would have won a few more Majors, especially at Augusta. Lastly not cool to disparage a multi Major winner on his club choices, regardless of his age. I was fortunate to follow him during a Pro/Am round event in Florida a few years back, and I doubt even at his advanced age not many here could hang with the guy.

[Tanner25]

Have a whole set of them, HB3's!!!

[just plain bill]

Remember seeing an old " Playing Lessons From the Pros" w/Gary Player on Golf Channel years back. He was touting the advantages of the Cally Heavenwood & Divine Nine as longer iron replacements. He just kept showing how much easier it was to hit them high, straight, & soft, in relation to a 3/4 iron. I believe this was right before the hybrid mania took over golf, but the concept is basically still the same. I assume he was in his 60's at the time, and quipped if he had those two clubs, he probably would have won a few more Majors, especially at Augusta. Lastly not cool to disparage a multi Major winner on his club choices, regardless of his age. I was fortunate to follow him during a Pro/Am round event in Florida a few years back, and I doubt even at his advanced age not many here could hang with the guy.

amazing what gets posted on the internet...player is one of the greatest, yet some people get a power surge in their loins by ripping him to shreds...

[halliedog]

Yeah, he's a multi-major winner and better than anyone who regularly posts on here, I'll give you that. He is also one of the most conceited self-praising blowhards there is, and totally over-rated in the history of the game, at least in my opinion.

 

That being said, if you can hit hybrids easier/better than irons, more power to you! I play with a 70 something year old all summer who has more headcovers in his bag than irons, and shot his age last year. No way I'm ribbing him for hitting hybrids/9 woods. That doesn't mean it's gonna work for me, and I've tried. I do have an older Cally 2 Heavenwood hybrid that I hit great off the tee, fits a "need" on certain courses, but other times it's just a wasted space in my bag. There are shots I can hit with a 4 iron or driving iron that I wouldn't even consider with the hybrid, so usually it sits out.

 

I think I make valid points, but suppose some of it comes back to my dislike of his personality. What can I say, I dislike Tommy Lasorda also, and if I had a picture of him in my office I'd punch it every time I could - same with Gary Player.

 

**Edit** just realized he has way more Majors than I thought, so maybe he's not so over-rated, but I still don't like him. Something about his personality just rubs me the wrong way. Carry on.

[dciccoritti]

Yeah, he's a multi-major winner and better than anyone who regularly posts on here, I'll give you that. He is also one of the most conceited self-praising blowhards there is, and totally over-rated in the history of the game, at least in my opinion.

 

That being said, if you can hit hybrids easier/better than irons, more power to you! I play with a 70 something year old all summer who has more headcovers in his bag than irons, and shot his age last year. No way I'm ribbing him for hitting hybrids/9 woods. That doesn't mean it's gonna work for me, and I've tried. I do have an older Cally 2 Heavenwood hybrid that I hit great off the tee, fits a "need" on certain courses, but other times it's just a wasted space in my bag. There are shots I can hit with a 4 iron or driving iron that I wouldn't even consider with the hybrid, so usually it sits out.

 

I think I make valid points, but suppose some of it comes back to my dislike of his personality. What can I say, I dislike Tommy Lasorda also, and if I had a picture of him in my office I'd punch it every time I could - same with Gary Player.

 

**Edit** just realized he has way more Majors than I thought, so maybe he's not so over-rated, but I still don't like him. Something about his personality just rubs me the wrong way. Carry on.

 

I totally respect this post. A breath of fresh air. There's a few around here who don't like, pretend that they don't dislike, then spend countless hours and an enormous amount of energy attempting to post clever comments trying to discredit. You however just came right out and said it...BOOM! Not sure why it's so difficult for some to just come out and say "I don't like the guy".

 

With regards to Gary, I actually like him. Had the guts and the determination to stand with Arnie and Jack. And I think his hybrid comment was an honest attempt to let some golfers know that there's good alternatives if you find your long irons difficult to hit well.

 

Carry on... :-)

[braincramp52]

Where in the hell is Obee? That's a man who knows hybrids and can game his ball.

[halliedog]

Yeah, he's a multi-major winner and better than anyone who regularly posts on here, I'll give you that. He is also one of the most conceited self-praising blowhards there is, and totally over-rated in the history of the game, at least in my opinion.

 

That being said, if you can hit hybrids easier/better than irons, more power to you! I play with a 70 something year old all summer who has more headcovers in his bag than irons, and shot his age last year. No way I'm ribbing him for hitting hybrids/9 woods. That doesn't mean it's gonna work for me, and I've tried. I do have an older Cally 2 Heavenwood hybrid that I hit great off the tee, fits a "need" on certain courses, but other times it's just a wasted space in my bag. There are shots I can hit with a 4 iron or driving iron that I wouldn't even consider with the hybrid, so usually it sits out.

 

I think I make valid points, but suppose some of it comes back to my dislike of his personality. What can I say, I dislike Tommy Lasorda also, and if I had a picture of him in my office I'd punch it every time I could - same with Gary Player.

 

**Edit** just realized he has way more Majors than I thought, so maybe he's not so over-rated, but I still don't like him. Something about his personality just rubs me the wrong way. Carry on.

 

I totally respect this post. A breath of fresh air. There's a few around here who don't like, pretend that they don't dislike, then spend countless hours and an enormous amount of energy attempting to post clever comments trying to discredit. You however just came right out and said it...BOOM! Not sure why it's so difficult for some to just come out and say "I don't like the guy".

 

With regards to Gary, I actually like him. Had the guts and the determination to stand with Arnie and Jack. And I think his hybrid comment was an honest attempt to let some golfers know that there's good alternatives if you find your long irons difficult to hit well.

 

Carry on... :-)

 

And I wholeheartedly agree. I'm early-mid 50s, and really sick of the new PC attitude that dictates that I can't express my opinion on certain things because it might not be "popular". I'm starting to think Player probably was a better "player" than I give him credit for, but something about him still makes me want to punch him right in the face every time I see/hear him talking about how great he was. I guess it's my generation? You never had to hear Jack/Arnie tell you how good they were, they backed it up with their play.

 

There's an old saying: The greats talk about how good they were, and the goods talk about how great they were (not it, but can't put my finger on the exact quote right now).

 

**edit** Is anyone on my lawn, and if so get the He** off!

[dciccoritti]

Yeah, he's a multi-major winner and better than anyone who regularly posts on here, I'll give you that. He is also one of the most conceited self-praising blowhards there is, and totally over-rated in the history of the game, at least in my opinion.

 

That being said, if you can hit hybrids easier/better than irons, more power to you! I play with a 70 something year old all summer who has more headcovers in his bag than irons, and shot his age last year. No way I'm ribbing him for hitting hybrids/9 woods. That doesn't mean it's gonna work for me, and I've tried. I do have an older Cally 2 Heavenwood hybrid that I hit great off the tee, fits a "need" on certain courses, but other times it's just a wasted space in my bag. There are shots I can hit with a 4 iron or driving iron that I wouldn't even consider with the hybrid, so usually it sits out.

 

I think I make valid points, but suppose some of it comes back to my dislike of his personality. What can I say, I dislike Tommy Lasorda also, and if I had a picture of him in my office I'd punch it every time I could - same with Gary Player.

 

**Edit** just realized he has way more Majors than I thought, so maybe he's not so over-rated, but I still don't like him. Something about his personality just rubs me the wrong way. Carry on.

 

I totally respect this post. A breath of fresh air. There's a few around here who don't like, pretend that they don't dislike, then spend countless hours and an enormous amount of energy attempting to post clever comments trying to discredit. You however just came right out and said it...BOOM! Not sure why it's so difficult for some to just come out and say "I don't like the guy".

 

With regards to Gary, I actually like him. Had the guts and the determination to stand with Arnie and Jack. And I think his hybrid comment was an honest attempt to let some golfers know that there's good alternatives if you find your long irons difficult to hit well.

 

Carry on... :-)

 

And I wholeheartedly agree. I'm early-mid 50s, and really sick of the new PC attitude that dictates that I can't express my opinion on certain things because it might not be "popular". I'm starting to think Player probably was a better "player" than I give him credit for, but something about him still makes me want to punch him right in the face every time I see/hear him talking about how great he was. I guess it's my generation? You never had to hear Jack/Arnie tell you how good they were, they backed it up with their play.

 

There's an old saying: The greats talk about how good they were, and the goods talk about how great they were (not it, but can't put my finger on the exact quote right now).

 

**edit** Is anyone on my lawn, and if so get the He** off!

 

lol... :-)

[GolfTurkey]

I was put off Player when he did the prize presentation at some Sunshine Tour Event in South Africa. He handed over the cheque to a young up and coming Ernie Els with this clanger: "if you think this is big, you should see my wallet".

[Titleist_PT23]

Who cares if he is a jerk or not? Many top athletes are (or anyone at the top of their profession).

 

What he's saying is true for average golfers.

 

And the logic applies to better golfers too. Just change the clubs to 2 iron and 5 wood/2 hybrid. 20+ years ago this change would have been laughed at too.

[GolfTurkey]

I think the proper way to get the correct clubs is to get fit and use what suits you best. Set aside ego and what Player or anyone else says and use what you objectively hit the best.

[Naptime]

I agree with GP. Took me awhile to find hybrids that suit my swing and groove my swing to hit down. My longest iron in the bag is a 6.

[jwb10]

:wave:Bather ? Schwabbie ? TJ ? Burkie ?

Maine Mariner, which are you ? :aikido:

[p3ga]

Here is my question for those who have replaced 4 and 5 irons with hybrids....what do you do when it is windy or you need to hit a low shot? I agree that 4h and 5h can be easier to hit than 4i and 5i, but I couldn't imagine not carrying at least 1 club that I can keep low and out of the wind when needed.

 

Skulling it is a safe play. Or deloft, play back in stance, & play a 3/4 knockdown.

[just plain bill]

I used my 31°hyb from 87yds out today. Back of the green. This club is now good from 90-140yds. What a club! I do play a load of practice rounds where I might hit up to 4 balls in certain situations to get a feel for a club. That's why I've been able to add the 22° 7wd, and now the 19° 5wd. Practiced on course mon-wed this week, with specific clubs getting the most swings. Managed a 78 today, and the wind was really going.

[GolfTurkey]

Here is my question for those who have replaced 4 and 5 irons with hybrids....what do you do when it is windy or you need to hit a low shot? I agree that 4h and 5h can be easier to hit than 4i and 5i, but I couldn't imagine not carrying at least 1 club that I can keep low and out of the wind when needed.

 

Skulling it is a safe play. Or deloft, play back in stance, & play a 3/4 knockdown.

 

Skulling it lol. That was my stock shot with my 4h