22 degree 4-Hybrid vs 22 degree 4-iron: pros and cons?

[bazinky]

For me, I feel like most decent players tend to have more consistent carry distance with a hybrid, but have better lateral dispersion with the eqivalent loft iron. You just need to decide which is more important for your needs.

 

[Rochester]

I am a senior player, and I use a 4 iron because I hit it about 10 yards further than my 5 iron, about 165-170 yards. Some of the posts here say that long irons are hard to hit, but I think it depends on the loft. I am still playing Ping G15 irons. My 4-iron has 23 degrees of loft. That is the same loft as a 5 or even 6 iron in some of today's newer sets of irons. I also have a couple of hybrids, Cobra F7 4h and 3h. I hit the 4h further than the 4i, but hook it unexpectedly. The 4 iron usually goes straight, so I settle for a shorter shot that goes the direction I want it to go. For some reason, I don't consistently hit the 3h any further than the 4h, except off the tee. I just bought a 7 wood. We'll see how that works out.

[CUBuffaloes]

I go back and forth between my 23 deg hybrid (Titleist TS2) and a 22 utility iron (Mizuno MP18 Fli Hi). If I'm swinging well the iron is better. When I'm swinging poorly the hybrid lets me get away with it.

 

The other thing to consider is that i struggle hitting the long iron out of the rough. No problem with the hybrid.

[Boognish]

I carry both a forgiving 22* 4-iron and a 22* hybrid .  Love and use em both a lot.  Hybrid flies about 10 yards farther for me on full shots. 

 

Play the hybrid from the rough and the 4-iron for punch out duties.  Trajectories are pretty similar, so from the fairway and tee the choice just depends on exact distance required.

[Barfolomew]

Just got a G425 4 Hybrid 22* matched up with Ventus 10 tx and love it!

 

Used for first time in a tourney last week.  Hit one up hill out of the rough to the back fringe with a bunker in the front.  My 4 iron would have found the bunker and even come up short of it if the nasty rough didnt twist the face for a crap shot.

 

Yet feel like I can hit a high soft one too..... so versatile compared to the 4 iron.  No problems workin the ball left or right at the range either love it!!!

[bevans0222]

I've had 4h in my bag most of this year.  I did that because my 4i didn't gap well.  More specifically, it only carried about 5 yds farther than my 5i.  I've just gotten a new set of irons(4-P), and am starting to figure out if the 4i goes in the bag, or if I'll stick with the 4h.  The lofts on my new irons are a little weaker, with the 4i at 23.5*.  My first impressions are that it is going to gap better, and seems to fly plenty high.  I hit 4i much, much straighter than the 4h.  If I can get consistent distances, and if it continues to gap well, the 4i will probably go in the bag.  

 

[mizunotpz]

On 10/24/2021 at 3:23 PM, playit said:

 

Do you know of anyone who puts a lighter graphite shaft in a 4i and if they do, is that the only club they do such or all long irons or just what? Just curious, thanks.

late reply sorry. Yes, if you get fit it might show you need it in a 5 iron or 6 iron as well but not 7-p. My breaking point is the 4 iron, thats were I start to go graphite. So much easier to hit a 4 iron after that change.

[ShortGolfer]

I play a Mavrik Max lite 4I with a 40LL shaft as a driving iron of the tee.  I learned to play golf with a 3 iron in the 1970s.  I also use it in the fairway as needed.

Everything except  the putter has a light graphite shaft.

Edited December 25, 2021 by ShortGolfer

[morgan1819]

On 10/24/2020 at 6:16 PM, pinestreetgolf said:

you think a tour pro is 8/10 or 9/10 from the fairway at 220?!!?

 

its not even close. They’re not even that good from 150.

 

golfers remember great shots and forget average shots.  You seem like a good guy and you make good, interesting posts.  That said, there is no way in hell you “often hit the green with a 4 iron with a good swing.”

 

also, don’t pick clubs based on sample sizes of 10 swings on the range.

 

It's golfwrx/internet.  Everyone here drives it 340 with their mini-driver, and drop 7 irons next to the pin from 200 with their eyes closed.

 

Hitting the green everytime from 225 with a 4 iron  is embarrassingly average on the interweb fantasy land.

Edited December 25, 2021 by morgan1819

[bnperrone]

On 10/25/2021 at 7:43 AM, zrheisler22 said:

I’ve tried to kick my normal T100 4 iron to the bag because it simply doesn’t go high enough (80ft peak compared to ~100 with the rest of the bag) but can never get comfortable with a 4H. Thinking about grabbing a T200 4iron which will gap better.

 

I also just cut down the length of my 3H (19.5) to play at 39.5 inches to bring it closer in line with the 4 iron carry that I expect. Ideally carry the 4I about 205 and was having the 3H going 225-230

Try taking an 818h2 or TS3 23*, turned down to 22*, same shaft as is in your 4-iron, cut to same playing length, then add back whatever head weight you need to match the swingweight. Total weight will, as a result, match up. 
 

That should fly basically the same distance as your T100 4-iron but go higher and feel the same swinging it. 
 

It’s what I settled on after tons of trial and error, and I doubt the 4-iron will be spending much time in my bag. It’ll probably be relegated to a practice club.

[RoyalMustang]

2 hours ago, morgan1819 said:

 

It's golfwrx/internet.  Everyone here drives it 340 with their mini-driver, and drop 7 irons next to the pin from 200 with their eyes closed.

 

Hitting the green everytime from 225 with a 4 iron  is embarrassingly average on the interweb fantasy land.

 

I think it depends on a lot of factors! We have a 220 green here, carry over water, and the green is HUGE.  I am on it 5 or 6 times out of 10, and a pro would be on it 9/10 times.  

 

The thing is, I am more likely to 3 putt than 2 putt on this green. I can easily be looking at an 80 footer!  I have played this course probably 25 times and never made birdie.  

 

Plus, when we see pros on TV, the courses are so much harder than what we are are playing.  That "hitting into a green from 150" is no big deal on most courses (just take a nice smooth 9 iron swing and plop it into the middle of the green) but for them, they often have to be in a specific 1/5 or 1/6th part of the green. Otherwise, they have no chance.  If you took them to your local rating 72, 125 slope course, they would probably shoot 62 on an average day.

 

A 4-iron is hard to hit but tends to go straighter. the 4H, for me, seems to be more consistent distance-wise but easier to pull if my tempo is off. still, I like it.      

[zrheisler22]

Well ditched my 19 SIM2 rescue and replaced it with a tour edge c721 hybrid. Carrying it 219 on trackman with my 5 iron flying 187. Going to grab the 22 degree hybrid to hit the 200-205 range.

[RoyalMustang]

On 1/25/2022 at 8:12 PM, zrheisler22 said:

Well ditched my 19 SIM2 rescue and replaced it with a tour edge c721 hybrid. Carrying it 219 on trackman with my 5 iron flying 187. Going to grab the 22 degree hybrid to hit the 200-205 range.

 

what do you like about the TE over the TM?  I am hunting in the 4H range as well

[NZ315]

That part of the bag for me is a little bunched up. 4iron 7wood 5wood. Then today I just got the FliHi Pro 3@19 degrees 

[OsnolaKinnard]

I just got a Ping 425 SFT 7 wood and cranked the loft to 23,5*...flies high, lands soft, better than either a 4 iron or a hybrid.

Edited January 28, 2022 by OsnolaKinnard

[NZ315]

53 minutes ago, OsnolaKinnard said:

I just got a Ping 425 SFT 7 wood and cranked the loft to 23,5*...flies high, lands soft, better than either a 4 iron or a hybrid.

Absolutely love my 7wood!! I went the opposite direction and cranked it down to 19

[Poor Mans Ty Webb]

On 10/27/2020 at 8:14 AM, jc4birdie said:

So, the answer for 90% of amateurs is pretty simple.  Better contact, trajectory, hold greens better....all improvements that nearly anyone will have w/ a 22* hybrid over a 4i. 

 

On 10/25/2021 at 8:31 PM, bazinky said:

For me, I feel like most decent players tend to have more consistent carry distance with a hybrid, but have better lateral dispersion with the eqivalent loft iron. You just need to decide which is more important for your needs.

 

 

I'll second both of these posts.  It depends on what you need this club to do.  If your current 4i does the job, then why take it out of the bag?  Would you consider replacing your 7i or 8i with a hybrid?  I think the assumption would be probably not, because those clubs likely do what you need them to already and are less of a potential problem than what your 4i might be for you.

 

For many (myself included), it can be tough to rely on consistent distance control with a 4i.  I would sell my soul to be able to confidently and consistently carry my 23* 4i 190 every time, but I'm as wildly inconsistent as they come, and the only reasons I haven't switched to a hybrid are:

• I don't often find myself needing that number outside of a long par 3 (which I suck at anyway)
• I do hit a green from 185+ just occasionally enough to make me go back to the well
• I also like to play a more controlled, less-than-full knockdown type shot that a higher launching hybrid won't work as well for (in my mind)
• I'm a stubborn fool who is more interested in entertaining the deluded fantasy of gaming a 4i than I am about lowering my scores

 

Full disclosure: I do game a 21* 3 hybrid, and while I typically lean on it for a 200ish yard carry, I also trust it way more to hit the numbers I wish my 4i did, haha.

[zrheisler22]

5 hours ago, RoyalMustang said:

 

what do you like about the TE over the TM?  I am hunting in the 4H range as well

The TE is just so easy to hit. It feels literally effortless to get the ball airborne and the ball just wants to go straight. Found thus far I can work it both directions and if I mishit one, it still flies 98% of the distance I’m expecting. 
 

The TM Sim2 rescue was solid off the tee but off the ground I just couldn’t consistently get the height / landing angle. With the TE, it’s effortless from both tee and ground. I never thought I would own one but it’s truly a great club. 
 

I’ve got the 19 with the KBS TGI S. 

[OsnolaKinnard]

5 hours ago, NZ315 said:

Absolutely love my 7wood!! I went the opposite direction and cranked it down to 19

I almost cranked it down to 20, but so have two holes that require a 195-200 yard shot and the 23.5 does it.

[animalgolfs]

G400 9 wood small - 22.5*

 

It's a thing of beauty

[mx-20]

I battled the same process.  I landed on the latest Ping Crossover. It’s been incredible. My problem with hybrids was feast or famine.  Every 4th shot was a massive hook or push right. It was longer but definitely not as accurate. This crossover just goes straight. If mishit, it will lose some distance but stays straight. I will take that any day over OB.  It’s one of the easiest clubs in my bag to execute what it is intended to do.  

[NZ315]

1 hour ago, mx-20 said:

I battled the same process.  I landed on the latest Ping Crossover. It’s been incredible. My problem with hybrids was feast or famine.  Every 4th shot was a massive hook or push right. It was longer but definitely not as accurate. This crossover just goes straight. If mishit, it will lose some distance but stays straight. I will take that any day over OB.  It’s one of the easiest clubs in my bag to execute what it is intended to do.  

Which crossover you have the 3 or 4??

[mx-20]

On 1/29/2022 at 1:28 PM, NZ315 said:

Which crossover you have the 3 or 4??

The 4.  185-190 yards. 5 wood is next at about 205.