"Better Players:" Long Irons vs Hybrids

[stimpmeterp]

For some reason I don't suffer from any gap problems and I only carry a 27* 6 iron (PXG Gen 3 P) and then a 21* Epic Super Hybrid.  The 6 iron goes 185 when I step on it and the 21* is a smooth 200 to 210 when stepped on.  

 

I'm 45 with two artificial discs in my neck and swing speed hovers around 100.  

 

When I mess with more clubs at the top end of my bag I end up with bad results.  For example, I had an 18* Epic Super Hybrid in the bag just a couple weeks ago but it only got me in trouble.  

 

Carded a 76 today from 6600 yards and didn't miss anything.  Longest par 3 was 210 and I hit the 21* ESH.  Second longest was 188 uphill and I was 'in between' but stepped on the 6 iron and found the front of the green.

 

Such an interesting thread.  My favorite long iron ever was the Srixon ZU65 but the sole was too fat and I didn't enjoy it from the fairway.  

[joostin]

12 hours ago, kintap said:

Lots has been said about gapping and trajectory.  On the forgiveness front, I don’t know if anyone has mentioned the following:  if you miss heavy or thin, the hybrid will be much more forgiving for you.  If you miss heel-toe, you need to consider what you want out of that shot.  Hybrid will go closer to typical distance but more offline due to gear effect.  Iron will hold its line better but will lose more distance.  This usually favors the long iron unless you are using it for regular forced caries.

Yep.  Gear effect on the hybrids (like toe hook) is one reason I prefer irons - more on line on toe/heel mishits.  Hybrids are fine, I have a couple Adams around.  I personally feel more confident with iron, and have smaller left/right misses than with a hybrid.  Misses with iron may be short but not in the trees.

 

I've gone from set 4i to utility to hybrid (same shaft, length, weight as 4i) - all which are fine - but my favorite so far is my current SGI "6i", a TM Sim2 Max.  I just built a Steelhead XR "5i" that may replace it as I remember liking the look of it - less offset, big inviting head.  I find the SGI long irons inviting to look at and just easy to hit.  With strong lofts of SGIs, the distance of a 4i spot is fine with an SGI 5 or 6 iron.

[shaolingolfer]

I am 57, not a long hitter to begin with.  My 33 degree 7 iron PXG 0311 ST carry 155 on usually swing, about 162 on a hard draw swing.  I have dropped my 5 iron approx. 5 years ago and been in and out of 6 iron last year or so.

 

I hit my 6 hybrid carry 165, 5 hybrid 175 and 4 hybrid 190 then 19 degree UW 205 on normal swing.  My hdcp has dropped from 7 to 3 this year, the apex pro hybrids is perfect for people want to try hybrid but afraid of a hook.  My distance control with hybrids is a lot more precise than iron and playing in Texas, I have no problem control the distance into the wind or with the wind.

 

I think debate between long iron and hybrid is more about speed than hdcp.

 

 

[Tinkerer]

Interesting. 55 years old, been playing through a wet Melbourne Australia winter and broke 80 for the first time yesterday. 
 

I changed the top of my bag away from 3w and 5w to a 16 degree 2 hybrid and a 20 degree utility iron. The hybrid is slightly shorter in distance but much more consistent compared to the 3w. The utility iron is better gapped as well as 3w and 5w were actually quite close. 
 

id never got on with hybrids but this seems to work. Been getting a few lessons, all shafts are now stiff and that has stopped the miss left. I’m not a big hitter, driver is around 240-250 yards, the 2H around 210. My 5 iron is lofted at 23 degrees. Over the last 10 rounds I have never been as consistent in my scores. 

[achappy]

I’ve gone back and forth on this for several years.  Logic and launch conditions say that hybrids are better. But I never found one that I was comfortable with “attacking” like I could with an iron and I’ve always been a good iron player. Give me a pin tucked in a corner that I can attack and I will with an iron. Hybrid I’m just aiming at the center of the green.

 

 I tried out the 19* Malty KE4 Tour with the MPF Pro hybrid shaft which plays pretty stiff but lighter than other hybrids I tried.  I have a few rounds with it and I’m impressed.  It’s ridiculous how easy it has been to hit from multiple lies.  And the Pro Hybrid is a phenomenal shaft as it’s really accurate and feels really good and stable.  

 

I used it several times this past weekend.  Tee shot, 2nd shot on a par 5, long par 3 (stuck to 15 feet) but the shot that made my round was a 210 yard shot to an elevated green ticked over a deep bunker.  I had to jump on it a bit and as soon as I hit it I knew it was good.  Never left the flag with an high soaring shot and when I got up it was about 5 feet behind the pin.  No way I could’ve done that with a 3iron (not even in my peak as I’ve always hit irons on a medium trajectory).  Plus the profile allows me to hit down on it like an iron.

 

If this weekend goes just as well again, I will be getting the 4H…

[be0972]

What’s with turning 50 and 4 irons?  I had the exact same issue!  My 4 iron use to be one of the best clubs in my bag, but not so much anymore. When I turned 50 last month I thought hell, I’m 50 now, I guess it’s time to put a hybrid in the bag. Plus, replacing my 4 iron with something that was usable seemed like a good idea.  I went to my fitter with this in mind but ended up finding magic in a Titleist T200 (4 Iron) with a Fujikura Pro 95i shaft.

 

My 4 iron gap is now filled and I’m smashing it! It’s easy to control my trajectory and easy to launch high from the fairway, which is what I really wanted. On a golf trip the week before last my 4 iron was literally money on several different occasions.

Edited November 2, 2022 by be0972

[GGalunga]

I'm just getting back into the game after not playing for almost 10 years. I also had back surgery 12 months ago so I'm just a 12 hcp for now. I've put the ego aside and I've been taking some time to figure out which clubs would perform better for me and so far long irons are still out performing hybrids for me. For me, long irons are just the same swing feel as my irons, same look throughout the bag and I don't feel like I have to change it up my swing vs a hybrid. 

 

My last Trackman session comparing my 5, 4, 3 (utility iron), and a hybrid. My 4 iron was the worst dispersion (not shown) so I just took it out of the bag for now and went from the 5 iron to the 3 iron. Now I'm sure I can get that hybrid to perform better if I got fit for it like I did with the irons. 

 

.	Club	Ball	Smash	Launch	Spin	Height	Decent	Carry	Total
TSi3 20° 85g graphite	96.0	136.0	1.42	14.9	2854	84	38.5	214.0	234.3
ZX 20° 115g steel	94.6	134.8	1.43	13.7	3487	83	40.0	205.5	222.6
ZX5 25° 115g steel	92.4	127.3	1.38	13.7	3487	83	40.0	187.4	199.3

 

 

 

[GGalunga]

33 minutes ago, be0972 said:

What’s with turning 50 and 4 irons?  I had the exact same issue!  My 4 iron use to be one of the best clubs in my bag, but not so much anymore. When I turned 50 last month I thought hell, I’m 50 now, I guess it’s time to put a hybrid in the bag. Plus, replacing my 4 iron with something that was usable seemed like a good idea.  I went to my fitter with this in mind but ended up finding magic in a Titleist T200 with a Fujikura Pro 95i shaft.

 

My 4 iron gap is now filled and I’m smashing it! It’s easy to control my trajectory and easy to launch high from the fairway, which is what I really wanted. On a golf trip the week before last my 4 iron was literally money on several different occasions.

Maybe it's 4 is bad luck in some cultures? 🤨 I ditched my 4-iron as well, so I go from a 5 iron to a 3 utility iron

[Thats two thus far Shooter]

When i had an out to in path, hybrids were a life saver. As i've gotten better and learned to change my swing path, hybrids are still manageable but hook off the tee too easily. I've switched to a T200 3i and it is so much straighter in the fairway and playable off the tee. Everyone is different, but unfortunately the best way to figure this out is get both and hit two balls in that situation while playing a round and see what you're more confident with. Just sell the loser on ebay. 

 

Also dont sleep on the 5w 3i combo instead of 3w 3Hy. My new TSr3 5wood lofted down 1 degree goes just as far as my Tsi2 3wood. The 5 wood helps for people that are missing the height of a hybrid sometimes. 

[dsmil]

I haven't seen driving irons discussed much in this thread, and I think they are great for certain people.  They should give you a little more launch/spin/ball speed than an iron, and they should be more accurate (horizontally) than a hybrid, so I think it's a great tee shot club if you have enough speed.  If hitting primarily off of the turf, perhaps hybrids are better because they should land more softly into the green.  I've used a 21* iron, a 20* driving iron, and a 22* hybrid in the past few years and the driving iron is giving me what I'm looking for, which is 200-230 yards and in play.

[stimpmeterp]

There's also the issue of offset.  At least for me.  The driving irons/utility irons tend to have too much or at least too much for me to see visually.  What's worse than looking down and seeing that layer of fat behind the back of the club LOL.

 

This doesn't matter to a lot of golfers and I wish I was included in that group, but I am not.

[dsmil]

1 hour ago, stimpmeterp said:

There's also the issue of offset.  At least for me.  The driving irons/utility irons tend to have too much or at least too much for me to see visually.  What's worse than looking down and seeing that layer of fat behind the back of the club LOL.

 

This doesn't matter to a lot of golfers and I wish I was included in that group, but I am not.

Yes, my driving iron is a total shovel. Luckily, it’s the only club like this in my bag so I’m ok with it.

[Marcel Trudeau]

, My comments will be very different compared to all others. For a few years, I had play with 3 Adams hybrid, 3-4-5 which I liked very much, I was never a fan of long irons. This year, I bought Ping hybrid, H2-H3,H4, H5, H6, H7 and kept my 7-8-9-PW-AW, SW 56-. These are all loft ajustable +or- 1.5, I did adjust my H2 to 15.5 and it is becoming my strongest club after the driver, I don't own a 3 or 5 wood. I am getting more at ease with them, it is requiring some practice. I tend to adress them more like a wood than an iron. By the way, I am 76.5 years of age, having a very bad back since I am born, I am on Morphine and Antiinflammatory twice a day, and since 1999 because of medical error who burned out my both vestibulars in the ears, so I don't have anymore balance. I would say that these 2 latest are very usefull in a golf swing. I was a fairly decent golfer up to 1999, I started to play again in August of 2021, I am scoring in low 80 for now but improving hopefully with my new hybrids clubs. Thank you for reading me. M.T.

[phizzy30]

I don't see why you shouldn't replace your long iron with another hybrid especially since you're hitting your other one well.  Hybrids launch higher and typically spin more than their long iron counterparts.  The downside is that they can be prone to the hooks.  I've tried the two hybrids set up in my bag many years ago, but found that having one and and a driving iron covers my distance gap and also give me the versatility I need. 

[Mobert19]

25 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

I don't see why you shouldn't replace your long iron with another hybrid especially since you're hitting your other one well.  Hybrids launch higher and typically spin more than their long iron counterparts.  The downside is that they can be prone to the hooks.  I've tried the two hybrids set up in my bag many years ago, but found that having one and and a driving iron covers my distance gap and also give me the versatility I need. 

Funny enough. Yesterday was a windy day and high flying 4H got chewed up on a par 3 landing in a green side bunker just shy of the green. Wished I had my 4i. But then again I could have hit that 4i anywhere as well. Golf is hard. 

[Longballjock]

I have just took a g20 23* hybrid head into be shafted up with a Tour AD DI to match my 20* that I put back in the bag again after another failed experiment with a 2 iron.

 

I'm 31 and a 2 index. What I have come to realise is that with the g20 hybrids I can hit stingers, mid flighted and high shots. All while being more forgiving and consistent. I feel I'm going to hit the green as soon as I pull it out the bag. 

 

There is something to be said about looking at the LPGA bags and hybrids. Might be a "Better Player" but we are not on tour.

[steventoo]

I've really struggled with the "what to have between driver and 3 iron" question. I hit the ball far enough to not normally need anything there, but I've tried a few ideas over the years - everything from not carrying anything at all, to keeping clubs in my bag that almost never saw the light of day. So - I have almost no experience with fairway woods or hybrids.

 

Until recently, I had a U510 1 iron (16 degrees) in the gap but I'm not very consistent with it. I really struggle with the wide sole - the same is true of fairway woods. I haven't figured out how to hit wide soles from the fairway yet and I've been trying for 30-something years - so I have to concede defeat. The 1 iron worked occasionally, and it has worked well, but I never really gelled with it.

 

So, I've extended my slightly blended iron set. The U510 is banished, and I've got a T200 2 iron utility at 17 degrees on the way. During the fitting I thought the fairways and hybrids looked wonky, and I don't think I hit centre face once. So we swapped to the T200 with Tensei AV Raw White 100X and I actually looked like a golfer again. So that's what I've ordered - gives me a 20m gap to the 3 iron and also looks like it'll stick greens. I'm looking forward to trying it out on course - I'll have to make an effort to use it, but it might get more love than the U510.

Edited November 8, 2022 by steventoo

[stimpmeterp]

14 hours ago, Longballjock said:

I have just took a g20 23* hybrid head into be shafted up with a Tour AD DI to match my 20* that I put back in the bag again after another failed experiment with a 2 iron.

 

I'm 31 and a 2 index. What I have come to realise is that with the g20 hybrids I can hit stingers, mid flighted and high shots. All while being more forgiving and consistent. I feel I'm going to hit the green as soon as I pull it out the bag. 

 

There is something to be said about looking at the LPGA bags and hybrids. Might be a "Better Player" but we are not on tour.

and here’s part of why this is so interesting.  The G20 is a seriously offset hybrid and is bagged by a 2 index!  Better players can play anything.

[T.B.]

I switch out between a 5 wood, 3 hybrid, 3 iron depending on the course I play and what’s going to be needed.   If I’m playing somewhere I haven’t played my go to in that spot in the bag is the 3 hybrid.  Just sort of a all around club for that spot in the bag.  

[Longballjock]

5 hours ago, stimpmeterp said:

and here’s part of why this is so interesting.  The G20 is a seriously offset hybrid and is bagged by a 2 index!  Better players can play anything.

Yup it's the big swollen toe hybrid... played one on and off since 2011. Now putting 2 in the bag. Only hybrid I get on with so reckon these will be here till they break.

[Longballjock]

5 hours ago, stimpmeterp said:

and here’s part of why this is so interesting.  The G20 is a seriously offset hybrid and is bagged by a 2 index!  Better players can play anything.

Yup it's the big swollen toe hybrid... played one on and off since 2011. Now putting 2 in the bag. Only hybrid I get on with so reckon these will be here till they break.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Longballjock
Administration delete double post

[ezra76]

I still carry my 4iron sometimes. I like it off the tee and really like it for those get out of jail shots when I need to put hit a little punch cut/draw. 

 

I have a 22* hybrid that's a better option on full shots for me. It's an old one, rescue midTP and I put an s300 2iron shaft in it. 

 

Unfortunately I'm not one of the "better players" though. My main issue with the 4iron fulltime is inconsistent strikes. For some reason though I hit the 4iron better than the hybrid off a tee. Then again I have an 18* 5wood and a 15.5* driving iron/1 iron. Same deal, hit a piercing little draw with the driving iron off the tee and more likely to have trouble hitting 5w off the tee for whatever reason. 

 

 

[ALIF]

26° five iron then 25° hybrid. Gaps are pretty good. 

[biglefthander]

On 10/31/2022 at 5:10 PM, biglefthander said:

Been thinking about replacing my 4i with something else 

 

currently have in the bag a 4w, 21* UDI (graphite) and then 4-P (players cavity back, steel) 

 

The UDI can cover my low trajectory requirements so this would be primarily for par 3s + par 5 approaches where I’m looking to hold a green with some level of precision

 

Any recommendations on a neutral hybrid or a SGI shovel that will really prioritize getting the ball up and stopping from 200+? Where would you go shaft wise if I’d like it to be at a 4i length?

 

wound up slapping together a 23* titleist 818 H1 shafted with a modus3 105x at 4i length - initial results are very promising for what I wanted - ideal launch and land for two par 5 approaches.

 

also pulled it more than once for bump and runs around the greens which was an unexpected but pleasant surprise.