Fairway wood vs hybrid

[Gilles0180]

I would like to get your opinion between fairway wood vs hybrid. I hesitate between 5,7 and 9 Fairway wood vs hybrid 3,4 and 5. Any comments/suggestions?

[lefthack]

It's about ball flight and what you are looking to get out of it. I only carry a 5 wood and there are only like 4 lefty 7 woods. 

 

I just got a GAPR Lo and it's more like a pudgy iron than a hybrid.

[blam89]

I think 3 hybrids are generally supposed to go the same distance as 5 woods (according to TXG's test which compared the two with identical lofts of 18*). The wood flies higher and lands softer but carry is identical. 

 

I have a g425 3hybrid (19* set at 20*) and just picked up the 425 5wood (17.5*) to replace a 3wood. Hoping this provides nice gapping at the top of the bag.

[Kale_m]

I am on the 3/4/5 w search right now 

 

thinking sim ti in either a 5 or 3 wood.

 

have a g425 4hyb that is my 250 yard club. 
 

need a 275 yard carry Off a tee club and I should be good 

[ChipNRun]

You would need to do a side-by-side to see which works best.

 

Some players prefer higher lofted FWs such as  5 - 7 - 9. Hybrids 3 - 4 - 5 are more popular with some, provided they can hit the 3H. Not everyone can hit a 3H that well.

 

One key point: If you struggle with a 3W, try a 4W or 5W for your distance club. The shorter shafts and greater loft make them easier to hit than a 3W. Many mid-HDCP golfers will go with a single 4W or a 5W, and a couple of hybrids. Or, like me: 4W + 7W + 4H.

 

Other factors...

• FWs tend to work better with a sweep swing, whereas a hybrid tends to work better if you hit down on it like an iron.
• Hybrids as hook machines: Tends to be a problem with high-offset heads it you square the clubface up naturally. If one hybrid hooks, look for different model with a square face instead.
• Be aware of the distraction of marketing trends: 1990s higher lofted fairway woods were the rage... early 2000s hybrids were the stairway to heaven... circa 2011 high-lofted FW returned...
• Figure out what distance gapping you want. You may find a 2H + 4H, or a 3H + 5H gives looser but more useful, looser gapping at long end of bag. Don't automatically elect three straight hybrids, or a 5 - 7 - 9 FW brace.

Final note: Figure out what works, and go with it.

[subrew]

I recently switched from hybrids (TM M1) to Mavrik Max woods, 18* 5w and 23* 9w.  The Mavrick Max is very much their larger head, with a bit more draw bias with a changeable heal located weight.  I've always fought a bit of a fade, hence going with the Mavrik Max.

 

Everything the TXG video showed was true.  The woods hit higher, carry the same, and land softer.  I'm also finding I can hit them a bit "softer" and still get great height out of them.  For example, the 9W can be anywhere from a soft 160yd shot to a 190yd full shot with a bit of draw.  I had considered a 7W to fill the gap between the two, but I can do that very easy by hitting the 5W a bit softer.  It can land nice and soft from 180yds, or I've used it on a few doglegs par 4 tee shots and had it roll out to 220yds with a good strong swing.  Either way, it still gets up in the air.

 

I'm a very average swing speed player, so I sucked it up and went with the stiffer of the two stock option ladies shafts.  Helium 5 I think they are.  They are -1" stock, so swing weight was C7 instead of D3.  That allowed me to replace the 14g heal weight with a 18g weight, for even more draw bias.  I'm really liking how the ladies shaft feels.  It for sure feels softer during the waggle test, but it just seems to match up perfectly with a smooth tempo swing.  Both clubs have proven to be the straightest clubs in my bag.

 

  

[596]

Currently in the bag.

3w, 5w and 7w, 4h, 5h, and 6h

My hybrids are old lofts so they match my 5, 6 and 7 irons. Longest iron in the bag is an 8. I'm a single digit cap from regular men's tees at 66 years old.

 

Woods and hybrids fly higher and are more workable then longer irons for me.  

 

[Shushwap]

Just picked up a new 7 wood and it is amazing 

I sold my hybrids as they were hook machines 

My 5 and 7 wood are my fav clubs in the bag 

[chadly643]

I wanted to get into the 5w. I tested them and hit them awesome. Too awesome. 3h filled the gap between 3w and 4i much better so I went with the titleist hybrid that allows you to flatten the line angle a bit and get more weight in the toe to mitigate hybrids tendency to hook. I love the club.
 

This decision is purely a preference/individual decision. There is no one size fits all answer to this one. Test/get fit. Good luck!

[blam89]

1 hour ago, chadly643 said:

I wanted to get into the 5w. I tested them and hit them awesome. Too awesome. 3h filled the gap between 3w and 4i much better so I went with the titleist hybrid that allows you to flatten the line angle a bit and get more weight in the toe to mitigate hybrids tendency to hook. I love the club.
 

This decision is purely a preference/individual decision. There is no one size fits all answer to this one. Test/get fit. Good luck!

 

curious what your distances/gapping is like for 3w 3h and 4i?

[nostatic]

Yes, and…

 

Have a 3W at 15.5, 3H at 19, 7w at 22.5, 5H at 26, then into 6i. The 3H is kind of magic, good out of any lie. The 7w is shorter and higher. The 5H is new, and just more consistent than 5i for me. Nice to have choices based on lie and yardage.

[chadly643]

55 minutes ago, blam89 said:

 

curious what your distances/gapping is like for 3w 3h and 4i?

4i is 210. Off turf 3w is about 245. I was hitting 5w 235. 3h is 225.  

[blam89]

4 minutes ago, chadly643 said:

4i is 210. Off turf 3w is about 245. I was hitting 5w 235. 3h is 225.  

curious why you went 3w over 5w?

[chadly643]

Just now, blam89 said:

curious why you went 3w over 5w?

Usage off the tee. I can turn it over off a peg and get it to roll out to 270ish. I am terrified if I see my driver turn over. 

[foamhead]

I replaced my 3 wood with a 5 wood (turned down to 17* for distance and a more open face) I cant stand a closed face on fw 

[North Butte]

Here's my theory.

 

Take a long club in your hand, either a hybrid or a fairway. Something in the 40" to 43" range with a longer shaft than an iron but shorter than a driver.

 

If your natural tendency is to swing on a flatter, around your body type swing (similar to a driver) with that length club then you'll hit fairway woods better.

 

If your natural tendency is to swing on a steeper, more up and down swing (similar to an iron) with that length club then you'll hit hybrids better.

 

My natural tendency is always toward flatter. Even with irons I have to guard against too flat a takeaway. So I get along much better with a 5-wood than any 17, 18, 19, 20 degree hybrid I've ever tried. In the higher lofts, I can usually hit a 7-wood best but if I want to use a hybrid it has to be a "mini-fairway-wood style" instead of "iron style" clubhead. 

[cmatthews77]

Just like with irons mfg’s are juicing hybrid lofts now. To me a “3” hybrid should be 20 degrees (19 at most) but I’ve seen some at 18 which is more of a 2 hybrid. Most people will hit a 5 wood further than a 3 hybrid (and higher). I think 7 wood is the more comparable club to a true 3hy. 
 

Good advice in all these threads on peak height, your AOA, etc. but also I think these clubs often find a single use (a shot to 3 shots per round) and if you often play the same course most of the time you’ll know what that shot is. Test and find the one that gives you the most comfort in that particular shot. Is it a 2nd into a particular Par 5? A long par 3. Is your course really windy and exposed? All factors when selecting. 
 

I will agree that most people with under 110mph driver speed would likely benefit from a higher lofted fairway for off the deck than 15. I use my Flash SZ up one at 16 and it’s great. Also use it off the tee to shape a draw easier. I used to play a strong 3W (14) off the tee and a 5W but like this setup better. I go 4w (16) to 3hy (20) and 4hy (23). 
 

I would like to test a 7w again in place of the 3hy but it’s hard to find one used without it being a ladies or senior flex and I don’t really want to pay $300 for a new one just to test it. 

[NoTalentLefty]

I use 3 thru 6 hybrids. And 16 fairway wood. Admittedly woods hit higher but I could never use a 7 or 9 wood. No direction with them. 

[buckethat72]

If you can test them side by side.  I did this with 3H vs 7 wood and it wasnt even close - ball flight and dispersion was a lot better with 7 wood, and since putting it in the bag I havent regretted it.  Its my favourite club in the bag. So good to have a strong option between 4 wood and 4 iron.

[driveandputtmachine]

23 hours ago, cmatthews77 said:

 

I will agree that most people with under 110mph driver speed would likely benefit from a higher lofted fairway for off the deck than 15. I use my Flash SZ up one at 16 and it’s great. Also use it off the tee to shape a draw easier. I used to play a strong 3W (14) off the tee and a 5W but like this setup better. I go 4w (16) to 3hy (20) and 4hy (23). 
 

 

I think even a lot of people over 110 mph would benefit from a 4 wood over a 3 wood.  I know it has been great for me.   I played 13-15* three woods for years.  Then after my last I could not find one I could hit reliably.   Finding a 4 wood and turning it open helps me tremendously for my forward shaft lean.

[North Butte]

Tour Edge has a set of clubs for basically old guys with a slice (as far as I can parse their marketing). It's the E521 series. The fairways are a 42" long 16 degree 3w up through a 41" long 23 degree (!!!) 7-wood. 

 

Unfortunately they are offset and have a big ol' heel weight to try and create a draw from a slice. I wish someone would sell fairway woods for us non-slicers who still need plenty of loft and not so terribly long shafts. Those length and loft specs are a blast from the past for me, I think that was the kind of thing you'd have seen in the early metalwoods when I was first learning the game. 

[RolandofGilead]

36 minutes ago, driveandputtmachine said:

I think even a lot of people over 110 mph would benefit from a 4 wood over a 3 wood.  I know it has been great for me.   I played 13-15* three woods for years.  Then after my last I could not find one I could hit reliably.   Finding a 4 wood and turning it open helps me tremendously for my forward shaft lean.

I agree with this and it aligns with another point - shaft length. Manufacturers have turned fairway woods into distance clubs, and shaft lengths have increased over the years. The reality is most amateurs would benefit from reducing shaft length to help find the center of the face more often. So comparing hybrids to fairways at similar lofts: the Cobra Speedzone line lists their stock 5W (18.5*) at 42.5” and their stock 3H (19*) at 40.25”. That’s a huge difference that would almost certainly explain the increased apex height and descent angle many have observed in head-to-head, loft-to-loft testing. I personally play my 16* 4W at 42” and it’s a great, versatile club there.

[North Butte]

10 minutes ago, RolandofGilead said:

I agree with this and it aligns with another point - shaft length. Manufacturers have turned fairway woods into distance clubs, and shaft lengths have increased over the years. The reality is most amateurs would benefit from reducing shaft length to help find the center of the face more often. So comparing hybrids to fairways at similar lofts: the Cobra Speedzone line lists their stock 5W (18.5*) at 42.5” and their stock 3H (19*) at 40.25”. That’s a huge difference that would almost certainly explain the increased apex height and descent angle many have observed in head-to-head, loft-to-loft testing. I personally play my 16* 4W at 42” and it’s a great, versatile club there.

We were discussing in another thread Tom Wishon's "rule" that most hackers can't handle any irons longer than 38" or less than 24 degree loft. That's true enough for me but there's a similar "rule" for my fairway woods.

 

If it's more than 42" long my percentage of duffed shots seems to go up exponentially with each additional half inch. I simply can not control a 43-1/2" long 3-wood well enough to strike a ball cleanly from a tight lie. Put a tee under it?  No problemo. But for me "fairway" woods are a club I need to hit from the fairway and anything longer than 42" just ain't gonna work. 

[Greenie]

I carry a 4w,7w,4h and 5h. My 7w and 4h are the same loft but I don't hit them the same. I hit a nice high ball with my 7w with it landing soft and my 4 hybrid is more of a peircing ball flight. I don't mind carrying two clubs of the same loft because each one is used for different situations and I get different results. My 7w has always been my favorite club to hit. 

 

Over the yrs. it took alot of trial and error with finding a hybrid I didn't hook. I went through many hybrids and I didn't care for any until I bought the Cobra Baffler T-Rail +. It wasn't even Cobra's high end hybrid for that model yr. They are older clubs now but I hit them so well I have never given a look at another hybrid. 

 

I have always prefered woods over hybrids but I am happy with the hybrids I have and I use them alot. 

[me05501]

I'm currently carrying a Rogue Heavenwood and a Big Bertha '19 3h. I have the hybrid adjusted to 20*. These clubs go within about 5 yards of each other on a sweet strike, but the flight is totally different. The hybrid is useful for lots of trouble shots like chipping off tight lights or punching out from the tree line. The Heavenwood flies very high and straight and comes straight down. 

 

I may eventually grab a real 4h so I can hit a higher, softer shot with it versus the 3h turned down which hits bullets. 

[xkilgorextroutx]

I'm on the FW side of the fence in this equipment battle.

 

I just prefer the larger head of a 4w or 7w vs a hybrid. I have more confidence hitting them and I like the ballflight over a hybrid, which I tend to hit a lot lower. Also, like some others have said, hybrids tend to be left-biased. I normally fade a lot of clubs but I can hook a hybrid off the face of the earth like no other. And it usually happens right in the middle of a good round.

[Inferno2ss]

I play Ping G410 17 and 19 degree hybrid clubs instead of fairway woods.

 

For me they launch and carry the distances I need and are more versatile out of the rough and fairway bunkers. 

[Drivingrangehero]

I’m trying to figure this out myself, just in one position behind the driver. I have a 16* hybrid and a 16.5* 4wood. I’m undecided on that position. 
 

I am very good driver of the ball, so a 3 wood never appealed to me, I may have a higher % of fairways hit with the driver than a 3 wood
 

I hit my 20* 3 hybrid plenty high and consistent, but need something in between that and my driver. 
 

I like the 4 Wood, of the tee ok, but not as consistent as the 16* hybrid. The length off the tee is about the same. The 4 wood is better for hitting off the deck because it launches higher and lands softer. If I can dial the 4 wood in with adding weight to the head and shortening the playing length, it may be in the bag. 
 

 

[BTP]

9* Driver

12* 3W

16* 5W

19* 3H

24/27* 4/5H

 

Use 3W off the tee on tight holes primarily or as the driver if the driver is having an off day. 5W off the deck into par 5s or longer par 4 approaches. Hybrids utilize out of the rough and as needed for tee shots and long par 3s. Set up works for my game and the courses I play which require distance with a lot of hazards to carry with some tight lay outs. I play higher launching shafts in woods and hybrids minus the driver. I prefer to have more hybrid options than fairway woods because can swing them like an iron and play better out of thicker rough.

 

I'd recommend you go with whatever option gives you the most forgiveness and versatility on the tee box, fairway and rough, and promotes confidence over the ball.

[launcher]

In regards to the OP's question. Fairways or hybrids? I personally love them both, unfortunately, I never seem to be able to hit them both well in the same round. Some days, I bomb the sh*t out of my 3 wood, other days I'm better off leaving it on the bench, and going with hybrid.