Looking For Recommendations - Top of bag gap

[mmack067]

Hey all - I'm looking to add something new to the top of the bag to fill the gap between 4i and 3 wood. I have a TM RSI TP UDI 3 iron with a Recoil 110 F5 and an old Titleist 910H that I play at 18.5. I swap them in and out but neither of them are exactly what I'm looking for so I wanted to see what others might be able to recommend.

3 wood carry - 260

4i carry - 212-215.

The goal is to get something that's versatile in terms of flighting it high and low and that I don't have to fight to keep from going left. Ideally something that I could chase out there 235-40 off the tee and isn't a total nightmare from the light rough. I love the ease of a hybrid but find it hard to flight down in the wind off the tee.

I'm going for a fit tomorrow at my club and am going to try the P790, Titleist U500/510 and TS3 hybrid.

What else should I look at?

[Doyouevenblade]

Mizuno HMB 2/3 iron. Srixon U85. I believe Wilson has a new utility iron. Anything in that 18-20 degree space.

Maybe a 5W? Might be tougher to knock down but they can be a blessing coming into par5s.

[driveandputtmachine]

What loft is your current 4 iron?

You can do what Fowler (and myself and quite a few others on WRX have done) and look to the SGI irons for a driving iron/hybrid hybrid. I find this to be the best of both worlds. I can hit it "high" or at least higher than any of the "driving irons" I ever tried, but I can also play the lowish runner that I could never play with an actual hybrid.

[mmack067]

4 iron is at 22. Ya I was thinking of that option too. My good buddy has an Apex 3 iron that he uses as a driving iron and it's a cannon.

[driveandputtmachine]

I have a Cobra Speedzone "4" iron that I ordered at 18* of loft and the thing is amazing. Fowler is using a 4 and 5 iron from the speedzones at the top of his bag between his new proto irons and his three wood.

Honestly I struggled in this area for a long time. I have a ping G400 hybrid, M3 5 wood and a TM UDI that have all gone in and out of the bag at that bridge between the 3 wood and my first real iron. I tried to choose based on the course I was playing and in the end I never got comfortable with them for more than one type of shot. The UDI wasn't good off the ground(great off the tee for medium and low shots), the hybrid was good at everything other than the low chaser off the tee, and the 5 wood was ok except in the wind and never was able to master a low shot with it.

With the SGI I can hit the ball high and L to R or R to L, I can hit mid in both directions and low R to L. I am still trying to figure out ball position to hit a low cut though, and I can hit it off of a tee or the ground without any issue. This is WAY more than I accomplished with anything else I tried.

[gvogel]

5-Wood or even a 7-wood. Matthew Fitzpatrick rocks a 7-wood.

[James the Hogan Fan]

Just gonna say before you leave the fitting try out at least one 5 wood. I used to scoff at 5 woods and then I got one as part of a set I bought on CL and tried it out. It's been 2 years and it's still in the bag (wilson Fybrid, ancient I know).

Point is 5 woods can be surprisingly usable. Just for sake of due diligence hit the 5w of whatever your favorite brand/model is.

[nhaun2]

Would definitely recommend the 2016 Apex 2 or 3 hybrid depending on the loft you want. I have the 3 hybrid and have my 3 wood lofted up like a 4 wood and it's perfect. It's got more of the iron look to it than the 2019 version but still really easy to hit it high and soft off the tee and its great out of the fairway and any decent lie out of the rough on par 5's. Best hybrid I've had for what I look for.

[OwlPro]

@mmack067 I just ordered a 20deg U500 w/ PX 7.0. I should get it Friday but seeing as you'll be testing tomorrow I'd love to hear your feedback/thoughts on that stick after you've had a chance to test it out. I hit some off and on at different places, but none had a 7.0 in them so i'm hoping it is what I need/want. I also have a Ping G410 17deg HY that I turn down to 16 and Flat, and that has been a nice gap between driver (300+ carry) and 3 iron (previously a 240 carry) for me. I hit that G410 anywhere from 250 carry, if I am trying to control one into the green, or 275 w/roll if I try to hit a low streaker off the tee. It's been great as long as you get the right shaft and swingweight for it. Being able to flatten the G410 has made it where I don't really worry about the left shot unless I dramatically toe one, and even then the 100g+ shaft with low torque keeps the head pretty stable and it's more of a draw than a smother (which I got from other Hybrids in the past).

[mmack067]

Love it!

I've played my 910H flat and with a 100+g shaft in it the whole time (PX 7.0 graphite) and the left doesn't come out too often. I like it but would like to see if the new versions allow for a bit more of the high/low control.

Such a tricky spot in the bag to get everything you want. It needs to cover so many options.

[Myherobobhope]

It sounds like you want a driving iron between 17 and 22 degrees... SGI iron or driving iron are both good options. I can't flight a hybrid, so I went with a utility iron... 699U from Sub70. It has fit my needs perfectly vs my hybrid. I didn't like other utility irons. The PING crossover felt hollow, the titliest felt too hard.... 699u was just right for me. It's a fairly typical design, but I think a good utility iron is a great addition for longer hitters. Fill a distance gap and add something you can hit wind cheaters with....

[mmack067]

I had the fitting on Thursday and it came down to the two that I initially had my eyes on. I liked the 500U 3 iron and the TS3 19 hybrid the best. The 500U 2 iron was great but it leaves way too big of a gap between that and my 4 iron.

500U - I was incredibly impressed how easy it was to control - was able to adjust flight from around 65-100 feet so it would be fine coming into a par 5 or off the tee.TS3 - This is the best hybrid I think I've ever hit. Like the 500U the control was amazing but had the added benefit of forgiveness and keeping ball speed and spin numbers in a consistent window. I was able to hit this about 75-120 feet, so it apexed about 10 feet higher. Spin was actually a hair lower than the 500U.I took the 500U out on the course and hit a couple of rockets and a couple that I didn't love. The crappy thing about the bonded hosel is that the demos are all the HZRDUS Black, a shaft I hate - can never feel where the club is.

So the front running right now is the TS3 with the Evenflow Black 100X. Ability to control high/low is very very impressive for a hybrid, and the additional forgiveness and playability from the rough are the difference makers.

 

[Floris]

22º? HOLY MOLY I'm old fashioned and all, but 22.. I used to game an 18º 1-iron, that would be your 3i? :D

#GetThoseLoftsUp

[mmack067]

Ya the Srixon long irons are strong, which is why I only have the 4 iron - it more or less functions as a 3.5 iron for me haha. They launch pretty high for a players cavity but the rest of my setup are closer to traditional lofts in the Miura MC501s.

If I played my lofts 2 weak like your setup then I'd hit the ball to the moon with to much spin and be (even more) useless on really windy days!

[Mahamilto]

Callaway apex hybrid.... you can thank me later.