Your 4 iron spot-iron,hybrid, FW or driving iron?

[R5Two]

4i need something flat enough to hit a punch cut from under the trees..  

[ChipNRun]

In my prior set-up, I played Tour Edge CB Pro Tungsten irons with set 4i. Also carried a 4H.

 

The CBPTs were hollow headed, and I refitted the set 22* 4i from KBS Tour 90 steel to a SteelFiber 780 HLS hybrid shaft. The reshaft gave me a solid driving iron - a lower, hot trajectory - and a club for approaches into wind out of good fairway lie.

 

The 4H, both the current Callaway and an earlier Cobra, launched the ball higher and about 15 yards longer on carry.

 

In my current MAX iron set-up, the irons have slightly stronger lofts and lighter shafts. I'm getting about 10 yards longer with irons, so the new 5i flies about as long as the old 4i, plus higher and with more spin.

 

The 4H has stayed in the bag, with the two fairways shown in sig line.

 

Note: the new MAX irons did not arrive until early October, so I'll need a few spring rounds to figure out the actual distance yardstick.

 

[Jack Pearsall]

He uses a Titleist 718 tmb 4 24*..it’s okay.  

Jack Pearsall suspects their are probably better options.

[asKaasa]

I’ve found that for my needs gapping and utility wise (after trying many setups) that going 3 wedges is functional.

 

Driver 8,25°, TSi3

3 wood 15° SIM2 Max

7 wood 20,25° TSi2

3 UT 20° U505

4 iron 23° Vapor Pro Combo

 

The 7 wood head is still small enough to use it as a rough club, while I hit it longer than the 3 UT. The UT is my go to FW finder for shorter holes, and even though it’s wide soled and bulky, I can flight it little lower in the wind. For those calm summer days on shorter courses I adjust my 7W up in loft and add another wedge.

 

Carry numbers (meters):

Driver, 235

3W, 215

7W, 200

3UT, 190

4i, 175

[bladehunter]

Toyed with a 4h recently , but a windy day poked holes all in that . Down wind it was “ touch em all “ home runs everywhere.  Good lord would it launch and go.  
 

went back and did some adjusting on the 4 iron.  Took it another degree upright , and added a few grams of lead  tape and got it in balance feel wise.  And all is well.   Put the x forged UT 3 iron back in and my setup goes like this now 

 

driver 

300 mini 13.5 

4 wood 17 

X forged uT 3 iron 21 

[RCGA]

4i driving iron for me. Will probably replace the 5 iron with a similar "driving iron" head in the future. 

 

The main reason: I don't wear out my long irons as fast as my 6-pw. And with the increasing cost of irons, it's simply cheaper to buy a 6-PW set vs a 4-PW.

[boggyman]

TM DHY 22* with a high launch V2 shaft.

[joostin]

Gear Effect I think is a big reason why we see so many different setups and opinions, in relation to strike variations and swing.  Set iron = maybe no gear effect, DI/UI = little, Hybrid = more, FW = most.  Helps to explain hooks on hybrids and woods (maybe more on hybrid with little face bulge), flyer type low spin shots, a little bigger dispersion every direction. 

 

*If you strike center all the time, you can make anything work.*

 

Fast and aggressive - possibly bigger strike variation:  Might prefer set iron or DI/UI. YMMV

 

Smooth, controlled, maybe not as fast or aggressive - possibly tight strike pattern (thinking a lot of LPGA swings):  Might prefer the ease of a hybrid without seeing big misses that faster more strike-varied people can see.  A fast swinger might dial down to this too..  YMMV

 

It's possible a 7 wood length gives people "easy speed" so they're not going so hard, even the more aggressive swingers, for pretty consistent strike pattern. Also YMMV!

 

This is why I think shorter length hybrids/irons at this spot can benefit me and others to go at it hard with less misses.  But whatever, YMMV lol.

[animalgolfs]

41 minutes ago, joostin said:

Gear Effect I think is a big reason why we see so many different setups and opinions, in relation to strike variations and swing.  Set iron = maybe no gear effect, DI/UI = little, Hybrid = more, FW = most.  Helps to explain hooks on hybrids and woods (maybe more on hybrid with little face bulge), flyer type low spin shots, a little bigger dispersion every direction. 

 

*If you strike center all the time, you can make anything work.*

 

Fast and aggressive - possibly bigger strike variation:  Might prefer set iron or DI/UI. YMMV

 

Smooth, controlled, maybe not as fast or aggressive - possibly tight strike pattern (thinking a lot of LPGA swings):  Might prefer the ease of a hybrid without seeing big misses that faster more strike-varied people can see.  A fast swinger might dial down to this too..  YMMV

 

It's possible a 7 wood length gives people "easy speed" so they're not going so hard, even the more aggressive swingers, for pretty consistent strike pattern. Also YMMV!

 

This is why I think shorter length hybrids/irons at this spot can benefit me and others to go at it hard with less misses.  But whatever, YMMV lol.

I can thin a 9wd & still hold the green - easily

 

thin a 4i & one is lucky to hit the green much less hold

 

Center strikes mean squat.....its the misses that count - more of where my bad shots end up

 

7wd is a 3i

Edited January 6, 2022 by animalgolfs

[joostin]

40 minutes ago, animalgolfs said:

I can thin a 9wd & still hold the green - easily

 

thin a 4i & one is lucky to hit the green much less hold

 

Center strikes mean squat.....its the misses that count - more of where my bad shots end up

 

7wd is a 3i

Right, gear effect can help in that case.  It'll help gear higher spin with a thin 9 wood, but nothing for a 4 iron, even if they have the same loft at impact.  Gear effect might hurt though on toe or heel strikes by amplifying a draw or fade.  Low strike gears higher spin, high strike gears lower spin just like driver.  Hey, whatever works and is comfortable is cool.

[tehuti]

I now carry 3-6 hybrids. And I probably could drop the 3 and not miss it too much. The 6 is an experiment but it could possibly stay in the bag.

[MP4444]

A lot depends on how I'm striking my irons at the time but a 716 TMB 4 iron has been in the bag most frequently in the last year or two.

 

Other options include set 4 iron, GI 5/4 Iron depending on loft, and 23/24 degree hybrid. 

[Duffner's Waggle]

I had to double take to be sure I didn't start this thread. That spot has been a revolving door in my bag. 

 

I'm in a major testing/transition phase as the moment. 

 

Clubs currently in my possession and vying for a spot at the top end of the bag: 

 

Ping G425 LST 8*

 

TM 300 Mini 11.5* - OR - Ping G400 Stretch 13* - OR TM SIM Ti 14* Rocket

 

SIM Max 5W - OR - TEE CB Pro U 16* - OR -  Titleist TSi3 20* Hybrid - OR Ping G20 4w (Old faithful)

 

ZX5 4i - OR Titleist TSi3 20* Hybrid  (Tried eleventy billion utility irons here....didn't love any of them).

 

I'm a high ball hitter, so even 4i isn't a low bullet type of club for me, and sometimes hybrids can fly way too high. The TSi3 with a Tensei White 100X flies fairly flat, but then when it does, it can often be too long for the 4i slot. Thought about bending the 5i a degree or 2 strong and going 

 

Driver, Mini, 5w, 3h, 5i-PW, etc. 

 

The mini might get turned down to 9.5* and knock the driver out all together, so lots of transition, but I only play 3 wedges at the bottom, so that 4i slot is just always in flux. 

 

 

[Ben Berube]

On 1/3/2022 at 9:55 PM, doctorgriffo said:

Has anyone taken a GI/SGI 4 iron (the lofts of these seem to be in the high teens loft) and stuck a decent shaft in there? The amount of offset might be a bit of a challenge (but my ballflight is left to right and I don’t get the hooks) and if the goal is a straight, easy to hit club then I’ve always wondered if this would work. For example, you can put a steelfiber 115 (which I have in my other irons) in the PXG GI iron in their current sale and just buy a 3 or 4 iron. I guess it might launch a bit high if you have tons of speed, but the loft is very low in these. Be interested to know if anyone has tried this. 

We have all tried it and why JDay never stuck with that M2 2i he was hitting 285yards.  They are FUGLY and hard to get over the off set, hands forward and how thick and long the heads are.  

 

I have a s55 sets with i25 4-5irons and those are hard enough to play.  

 

As a couple have said on here its about the course you are playing, conditions and what works for your gaps.  I am always messing around with this too.  I have 2x hybrids, 7 and 5 woods, driving irons, long irons.  Mostly to tinker but when I find something that works and I can hit I keep it around for the courses and conditions.  

 

If you are a high handicap stick with 1x set up.  Just easier and allows for consistency.  Lower sticks have fun playing with different looks. 

[mizuno]

I carry both a 4 hybrid (21*) and a 4 iron (21*) now.  Originally when I got a new set of irons last year I ordered just a 5-PW, but I found I had a pretty significant gap between the 4 hybrid and my 5 iron so I ordered a 4 iron which is the same loft as the 4 hybrid.  For me the 4 iron carries 190-200 yards and is the club I use for tee shots on some short, tight par 4 holes or when I need a long second shot into the wind.  The 4 hybrid with its longer shaft carries 210-220 depending on conditions and is also used on tee shots on short par 4 holes that have a little more open fairway.  I also tend to use it more for the second shot on par 5 holes than my 3 metal depending on the lie and how narrow the landing area is.  Even though both clubs have the same loft the difference in the length of the shaft and the club face results in about a 10 yard difference in carry distance.

[ALIF]

Ping G700 bent to 23*. 

[Golly]

4 iron blade, shovel, whatever is always gonna be a iron in my bag. Have quite a few options at 3 hybrid where I sometimes need the long option out of not so good lie. The 4 is always a great option if accuracy and a consistent yardage is required.

[stuart.f.cohen]

Titleist U510 4 iron is the best club in my bag.  I  went through a ton of 21 hybrids but never found one I really like.  This club is great!

[DaveMc82]

I go:

 

Driver

3w+5w

3 hybrid 

Adams XTD black 4i with Tour ADI 85 DI shaft cut to 5 iron length for gapping 

Ap2 715 5i down

 

I could easily play the set 4i but it’s much harder to hit the high floating shot for our par 3 @ 215 yards with it than with the Adams. 
 

Our course has savage rough hence the hybrid. It gets swapped out for a driving iron for 90% of away days. 
 

I’m a firm believer that going more GI in the longer irons as opposed to hybrids will suit the majority of players.

 

I very rarely see length of club being altered to get the gapping right for blended sets as opposed to adjusting lofts. Our pro always does length first to get it as close as possible and then final tweaks with loft if needs be. I massively prefer this approach as the shaft length reduction allows for more control also. 

[Popeye64]

For me the three options are almost interchangeable. So it actually depends on what I think ill find for conditions. 

The more rough I will play in.. I'll use a 21° FW/Hybrid style club, its longer than the other two but great out of cabbage. Mild rough and it's a 21° hybrid. Muni style golf and it's the 21° 4 i. Given a very clean lie all three go as far and react nearly the same. Only the FW/Hybrid club will fly higher than the other two. 

[biffstix]

All the fours here.

4 wood @ 16.5, need the higher launch because I like fairway woods much shorter than stock

4 hybrid @ 20.25, hollow body and hotter face make enough of a gap difference with the 4 iron

4 iron t100 @ 24, it's already a progressively larger club than the rest of the set. Plus it’s fun to hit.

 

also have played 

smaller 4 hybrid like an Adams pro @ 23

3 driving iron @ 19

3 wood @ 15

 

 

 

[NRJyzr]

Still using a 4 iron in the 4 iron slot, with each of the three sets that worked their way thru my bag during 2021.  Will keep the 4i in play for 2022.

 

If it matters...  using a 3i above that, it's the 17* - 18* slot where more variation happens in my bag.  Used a hybrid much of the year, going to try an MP20 HMB in that slot.  Got it at end of season, managed one round with it, shows promise.

 

Have been thinking of replacing the 3i and maybe 4i with a Maltby TS1 or perhaps a Sub 70 699 Pro, but its all just prospective at this point.

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by NRJyzr

[BallerNate]

Interestingly on this topic, I was looking at Shane Lowry's WITB last night and saw that he has 3 of the 4 options. 

 

Lowry goes 5W (TM M5 19*), UT (ZX 20*), and 4i (ZX5 22*): https://www.golfwrx.com/666698/shane-lowry-witb-2021-december/

 

Obviously there's a trade off, so for him at the bottom of his bag he's only got PW-50*-58* for wedges.

[HackerDad78]

I’ve done this dance until landing on my current irons. I started playing Zx7s this year and it’s the first in the last 3 sets I’ve played (Mizuno HMB, TM770, Mizuno MMC) that I’ve found the 4 iron to be the right fit. 
 

I’ve rotated a TM UDI and DHY iron in, a 4 hybrid, and 4 irons from the set. Until the Zx7s I wasn’t finding anything I loved or that gapped correctly. 
 

Can’t say enough good things about the Srixons.

[1puttTUT]

I'm currently using a Cobra F9 21° hybrid and I like it (put it in the bag mid-summer). I also have a forged tec 4 iron, but it's only seen basement sim swings. I have the 5 iron in the bag and really like it, so one day I might get crazy and try it on the course. I worry that it will fly too low. Some days that's good and some days that's not. I probably wouldn't use it off the tee as a lay up club that often, because my 5 wood has won that jobs hands down.

[SnapHooker_307]

I've messed around between a 4 hybrid and a 4 iron for years. With my swing, I tend to make way more consistent contact with the 4 iron. My hybrid ends up either going 180 or 220, nothing in between. My 4 iron is generally a solid 195-200 total distance which is exactly what I need. It also helped switching to JPX HM Pro irons, if I was still playing the JPX forged I would most likely be using the hybrid, the 4 iron on the HM Pro is ridiculously forgiving.

[TLUBulldogGolf]

I still play my set 4 iron, though the 223s look really good and are tempting for a bit more help vs the MP-20 MB. I have more issues 1 spot up the bag where I have a TSi2 7 wood and T200 3 iron currently battling it out. T200 is the early leader. 

[animalgolfs]

22 hours ago, ALIF said:

Ping G700 bent to 23*. 

So a 5i?

Edited January 7, 2022 by animalgolfs

[jsmcdon]

hybrid

one of the best golf decisions i ever made a few years ago.

in fact i play a 3-4-5 hybrid...

easier to hit (fairway or rough), forgiveness, long, etc.

ask yourself, how many holes are you hitting driver and then hybrid? cant be many at all. so then why not hit driver then hybrid on par 5s? or long par 3 hybrid?

handicaps dont matter but im a 5 and i still play game improvement hybrids. when i have playing partners hit 3-4-5 irons not well i ask myself why!

[ezra76]

I have a 22 degree hybrid but  that's really my 3iron since I haven't switched to jacked lofts yet. I'm going to test some newer irons soon though, then probably skip right over 4iron to the 5iron since most 5's are 25-26degrees these days. 

 

My hybrid is an original TM rescueTP I put an s300 2iron shaft in. So maybe a slightly more player geared hybrid in your 4iron slot might be worth trying? 

 

For what it's worth I carry a 18* 5w as my next club down from my 22. I hit the 22  205yds. and have tried several newer 19* hybrids but the gap is less than 10yds.. I went down to a 17* and finally got to 218, which I might try. I like a 5w off the tee but think a hybrid would be better off the deck for me. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by ezra76