Older school fairway metals as modern utility clubs?

[stimpmeterp]

I came up with the brilliant idea to try my luck at an old fairway metal re-purposed as a utility club like the Callaway UW or Cobra F6 Baffler.  Bought a 980F 19* and plan to throw a heavy but short shaft in it and see how it does.  The concept is to replace my never ending search for the right hybrid and have something to use from 200-220 but in less than ideal lies.  The 980F is probably 15-18 years old and has a higher COG than we are used to today in modern stuff, but with 19* of loft it certainly will fly. I have tried this same experiment with the V-Steel.  I have tried the UW as well as the F6 Baffler.  Maybe this one will stick.  

Have you done this?

 

[Yieeman]

I have a taylormade raylor head that I’m wanting to do the same thing. Trying to find a shaft to try in it though - can’t stomach buying a 90 or 100g Ventus to butcher for the experiment. 

[skraly]

35 minutes ago, Yieeman said:

I have a taylormade raylor head that I’m wanting to do the same thing. Trying to find a shaft to try in it though - can’t stomach buying a 90 or 100g Ventus to butcher for the experiment. 

Just put a steel shaft in it.  That’ll do for an experiment.

[azgreg]

More than once I have been asked what hybrid I just hit after hitting my TM V-Steel 7w.

 

[akap4surf]

I loved the 980's back in the day especially the strong in 13* I think for your pursuit it could be the club, I was up until recently still using OG steelheads with steel shafts in the 3+ and 5 wood. They flew straight but spun a bit much and have replaced both with a epic speed 4 wood at 16.5*. I get the distance of the strong three wood and the ease of use of the 5 wood. Good luck!

[jarediogolf]

Enjoy!

On ebay there are some new Kuro Kage 80HY shafts with .335 tips. I bought one expecting it to be a typo but they are in fact .335 tips. Mitsubishi told me based on the model #s they were shafts for Nike Covert Hybrids. 

Its a good option to throw in a fairway wood head. 

I have 3 F7 FW woods cut down to 41”. I play them like hybrids. 

[BabyCarrot]

I put an Apollo I-85 into an Adams Idea Tech a4R 19-degree head. Made it pretty hard to hit the common "hybrid left hook".

[JungleJimbo]

4 hours ago, stimpmeterp said:

I came up with the brilliant idea to try my luck at an old fairway metal re-purposed as a utility club like the Callaway UW or Cobra F6 Baffler.  Bought a 980F 19* and plan to throw a heavy but short shaft in it and see how it does.  The concept is to replace my never ending search for the right hybrid and have something to use from 200-220 but in less than ideal lies.  The 980F is probably 15-18 years old and has a higher COG than we are used to today in modern stuff, but with 19* of loft it certainly will fly. I have tried this same experiment with the V-Steel.  I have tried the UW as well as the F6 Baffler.  Maybe this one will stick.  

Have you done this?

 

Hi OP @stimpmeterp. "+1".  Albeit the Taylormade Retro Raylor 19* that i have = effectively already a hybrid without further modification needed? And it came with an Aldila HM-40 Tour Gold shaft which was ~97(?) grams. 

 

The Retro Raylor's clubhead = smaller than some modern hybrids.

 

[DArnie]

Not quite a hybrid but I use my Orlimar Tri-Metal 14* as my 5 wood now. It's so easy to hit and fills in perfectly.😎

[pitchnputt]

Tried this in my trusty Adams 7w (22*) and it lost it's mojo (was hoping for tighter dispersion and a touch more distance for gapping). The 19*UW didn't appreciate the Aldila shaft from the 7w either (goal here was higher launch), so a failed experiment all around. Not sure what to try next but this certainly didnt work....

[hammergolf]

On 11/28/2022 at 7:36 PM, Yieeman said:

I have a taylormade raylor head that I’m wanting to do the same thing. Trying to find a shaft to try in it though - can’t stomach buying a 90 or 100g Ventus to butcher for the experiment. 

Here you go….

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/232092724267?var=531294008792&hash=item3609cdec2b:g:IsgAAOSwCGVX5Yfk&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsDTUg%2B9%2BUIR%2B0I7UamGRZbZV2Nh7Er6fiITGTDoVkLp1PJ%2Bv2FLYiJXDjkIVk1RQ%2BquNuTmm6NHDQBIA%2B3VrujW0HMYUM%2FyCm5n5ia%2FenFPke10XuBkJXLjurPoCJReMSSCjVUJCasfyKYUmJvjyMQBkPJ1cGz7KCQhPlo4w4XjaXvSQMvcRIkDy0HA6%2BbrIYk61o39qhlTA6ueq8c734%2BGcvMh2IO%2BTDzzPAGCHDMuJ|tkp%3ABk9SR_Dcrq-ZYQ

[Loper2]

I was going to try this several years ago.  I mentioned it to a respected club builder and he was very much against the idea.  He noted that due to the fairway wood clubhead being significantly lighter than the head of a utility club, they don’t work well when you try to use them as part of a makeshift utility club.  As such, I didn’t try it.  Maybe there are ways to make it work and some people may have had success doing it, but I thought I would share his perspective.

[Yieeman]

I found an Epic T90X shaft to try in my retro raylor 19. Not entirely sure what to expect but hoping for a lower launching club to fill the gap between 3 wood and 4 iron that’s a little easier to hit than a 3 iron. 

[Pack7483]

Mizuno MP-001 7W with S300 shaft. 

[stimpmeterp]

11 hours ago, Pack7483 said:

Mizuno MP-001 7W with S300 shaft. 

 

The MP-001 5 wood was always good to me.  Do you cut the S300 down to long iron/hybrid length?

[islesmb]

On 11/29/2022 at 12:24 AM, JungleJimbo said:

Hi OP @stimpmeterp. "+1".  Albeit the Taylormade Retro Raylor 19* that i have = effectively already a hybrid without further modification needed? And it came with an Aldila HM-40 Tour Gold shaft which was ~97(?) grams. 

 

The Retro Raylor's clubhead = smaller than some modern hybrids.

 

 

I made my only Albatross with that exact club (07ish). Should never have gotten rid of it...😁

[jarediogolf]

On 11/30/2022 at 8:24 PM, Loper2 said:

I was going to try this several years ago.  I mentioned it to a respected club builder and he was very much against the idea.  He noted that due to the fairway wood clubhead being significantly lighter than the head of a utility club, they don’t work well when you try to use them as part of a makeshift utility club.  As such, I didn’t try it.  Maybe there are ways to make it work and some people may have had success doing it, but I thought I would share his perspective.

I did it with Cobra F7 fairway woods. 
There are two weight ports on each head to flip the heavy weight front or back. 
 

I doubled up on the heavy weights in each head + a little lead tape to taste.  
Swing weights are now: 

D1 in the 16*

D1 in the 19.5*
D6 in the 21.5* (maybe heavier after putting in a heavier shaft). 
 

Before adding the weight the clubs still worked great. But at the time I was hooking everything and started adding more weight to all clubs. Now I made a swing change and I’m starting to dial back the weight on some of the clubs again. 
 

Only one way to find out if it works for you… DO IT!!!!!

[ChipNRun]

If you have an older FW and can get it reshafted, go for it. Whatever works as long as it is legal.

 

Personally, I have a fair understanding of how modern hybrids work, and would just get one of those slightly used.

[hartman29]

I just pop a v-steel 5 wood, Orlimar Trimetal 19°, or or original Wilson Fybrid (19.5°) in a 7 wood spot in the bag and call it a day 

[Feelingofgreatness]

It's called THE PERFECT CLUB!  21 degree fairway head, length of 39.25", swing weighed to D3... Goes 200 yards on a rope for me. I still have no clue why manufacturers don't make heavier 7/9/11w heads with proper lie angles for shafting at long iron lengths. 

[jt2gt]

I’m thinking of doing this with An old TM m3 5 wood and playing it at 20.5 like a 7 wood utility. Anyone still playing m3.  It seems like the last generation of small head 5 woods. Everything now is too big. Will it have enough pop u think or am I sacrificing too much distance. 

[R5Two]

Interested....

[Eeecc]

On 12/1/2022 at 9:40 PM, Pack7483 said:

Mizuno MP-001 7W with S300 shaft. 

 

On 12/2/2022 at 8:58 AM, stimpmeterp said:

 

The MP-001 5 wood was always good to me.  Do you cut the S300 down to long iron/hybrid length?

I have a MP-001 4 wood with S300, it is so good…it is retro spec so the shaft is a tad shorter than 4 wood length…more like a hybrid length…it is my trusty club when all my other clubs turn to cr*p

[cgasucks]

An old school 90s era Orlimar Trimetal will do the trick as their fairway metals have lofts as high as 21 degrees.  No modification is necessary.

[Yieeman]

6 hours ago, jt2gt said:

I’m thinking of doing this with An old TM m3 5 wood and playing it at 20.5 like a 7 wood utility. Anyone still playing m3.  It seems like the last generation of small head 5 woods. Everything now is too big. Will it have enough pop u think or am I sacrificing too much distance. 

It’s still the 5 wood that Tiger plays. And lots of pros play fairways as old or older than that. I don’t think you’re giving up much at all. 

[Wayside]

I’ve got a TM 200 Tour 17° with a 42” steel Rifle in it which I love. 
 

Must be about 20 years old but it’s always been a great club for me. It went out of the bag for newer stuff but it always goes back in. Sometimes the 15° does too, but not as often. 
 

I keep considering putting a graphite shaft in it but I know I’ll ruin it. I’ve ordered multiple shafts for it but I’ve never gone through with it. 

[James the Hogan Fan]

In 2008 Wilson Staff produced the "Fybrid", a 19.5° hybrid with a 41" shaft, with the head size something between a hybrid and a wood. This was the middle child of a line of Fybrids from 3w to 5hy. The design included a railed sole, and the clubs came with a made-for Proforce V2. 

 

Personally I did not get along with the 19.5 degree fybrid but I (and Padraig Harrington) did like the 18° 5 wood, which was a weapon from all kinds of lies, and extremely easy to hit. 

 

So I'd go with the Fybrid as it was basically designed to fulfill your concept.

[Vintage1976]

I have a 980F 17* with a VSProto 80 cut down to 40.5" and lead taped to add weight back. I'm not sold on this particular shaft, but going heavy, short and flexible has worked well every time I have built this way. 

 

That club builder is probably a knowledgeable sort, but I'm of the opinion you learn more from doing what you "shouldn't" do that what you "should" as long as you're not doing something unsafe.

Edited December 11, 2022 by Vintage1976

[NRJyzr]

14 hours ago, Wayside said:

I’ve got a TM 200 Tour 17° with a 42” steel Rifle in it which I love. 
 

Must be about 20 years old but it’s always been a great club for me. It went out of the bag for newer stuff but it always goes back in. Sometimes the 15° does too, but not as often. 
 

I keep considering putting a graphite shaft in it but I know I’ll ruin it. I’ve ordered multiple shafts for it but I’ve never gone through with it. 

 

You could always pick up another and use it as your shaft experimental unit.  🙂

 

[WristySwing]

I'll raise you all these beauties that were supposed to do the exact same thing but have been lost to time.  Most of these came in 14-22* of loft.  They just got overshadowed by the popularity of hybrids because these marketed as fairway woods but they went the distance of hybrids, so most people didn't want them because they flew too short.  In hindsight, had they come out 10-12 years later, these would have given the Callaway Apex UW and some of the other larger hybrids/smaller fairways probably a tough run for their money.  There is also an Adams model that I swore was called "Super" something and was green and black with a green Aldila Voodoo shaft, but I can't find photos on my lazy search.  All it returns are the White Super Hybrid that came out with the Adams Super LS model drivers.

 

 

Nickent 3DX Utility

 

 

 

TM Rescue Fairway Wood

 

 

 

Nike CPR Fairway

 

 

 

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by WristySwing