Alternative to my favorite club, need suggestions!

[firehole]

The good:

Got a Stealth 2 Plus 3h with kaili white 90x last year. Never had a hybrid that I clicked with but it quickly became a club I can rely on and my lady dubbed it my “magic club”. Love it off the tee, fairway, and even lighter/shorter rough. It’s my 235-255 club (now I pretty much don’t ever use my 3w off the deck anymore). Liked it so much even ordered a matching 4h that I swap between my 4i depending on the course and weather and that has been great as well. 

 

The bad:

This doesn’t happen always but, If I catch one out in the toe or high on the face it can come out as a low spin knuckle ball, same with playing in the morning with grass and deeper rough regardless of strike. Also, the stealth 2 plus it’s the most forgiving hybrid and requires a good strike.
 

The search:

I’m asking for suggestions that are more forgiving on strike as well as out of wet grass and rough, in order to keep height and spin up. I get plenty of height and spin on a good strike and decent lie, just need more help on less than ideal conditions. I have come to prefer hybrid length clubs over fw’s, so hybrids would be preferred but am open to anything, as long as it has a deep face. I am a mid/high spin player but live and play at 7k elevation so having some extra spin helps control the ball, but please no 7 woods as I’ve been down that path already.
 

One last thing: I’m not getting rid of my 3h. This new club will just be an alternative to my 3h. It’s pretty windy where I play so the 3h/4i will continue to be me go to, then switch to the ?/4h when the rough is deep and it’s wet. Thanks for the help!

[Arlin964]

I have found that PING hybrids tend to be deep face enough, while also launching high and keeping up spin.  In fact, they are the ones who coined the term Spinsistency.  They will probably (no guarantee) be a bit more forgiving on toe strikes than your current hybrid, but that could also come down to individuals.  Nothing says two clubs would behave the same for me as they would for anyone else.

 

Have you considered the option of a really chunky driving iron?  It's possible that on misses, especially left and right on the face, that you'd get less curve.  Just guestimating your speed (90x shaft in a 3h), you probably would have enough speed for a chunky DI to get it up in the air.  Personally, I really really like the 2021 Titleist U505 in the 22* loft option.  Launches super high, but I can keep it down too.  Good off the tee, good off the turf, and I also use it to gouge out of some rough.  It's maybe not as good out of the rough as a real hybrid, but I have found it serviceable.  A very good all-rounder.

 

Others might suggest any of the Max versions of recent Callaway hybrids too.  But those tend to be a little shallower in order to help with launch.  Some might even suggest a 21* of the Callaway UW.  Most folks find it flies farther than an equivalent lofted hybrid, so 21 might be the best bet for your gapping.  They tend to fly lower, so again, the 21 might be a good fit.  Not really sure how forgiving they are with strike though.

 

And finally, maybe the "non-plus" version of the Taylormade hybrid/rescue would be good too since you know you like your current version.  A benefit here is basically plug and play from one day to the next with a minimal change in looks/playability.  Pretty seamless I think.

 

I imagine you will get a ton of suggestions, so it's a matter of which one resonates with your game the best.  

[hammergolf]

2 hours ago, firehole said:

The good:

Got a Stealth 2 Plus 3h with kaili white 90x last year. Never had a hybrid that I clicked with but it quickly became a club I can rely on and my lady dubbed it my “magic club”. Love it off the tee, fairway, and even lighter/shorter rough. It’s my 235-255 club (now I pretty much don’t ever use my 3w off the deck anymore). Liked it so much even ordered a matching 4h that I swap between my 4i depending on the course and weather and that has been great as well. 

 

The bad:

This doesn’t happen always but, If I catch one out in the toe or high on the face it can come out as a low spin knuckle ball, same with playing in the morning with grass and deeper rough regardless of strike. Also, the stealth 2 plus it’s the most forgiving hybrid and requires a good strike.
 

The search:

I’m asking for suggestions that are more forgiving on strike as well as out of wet grass and rough, in order to keep height and spin up. I get plenty of height and spin on a good strike and decent lie, just need more help on less than ideal conditions. I have come to prefer hybrid length clubs over fw’s, so hybrids would be preferred but am open to anything, as long as it has a deep face. I am a mid/high spin player but live and play at 7k elevation so having some extra spin helps control the ball, but please no 7 woods as I’ve been down that path already.
 

One last thing: I’m not getting rid of my 3h. This new club will just be an alternative to my 3h. It’s pretty windy where I play so the 3h/4i will continue to be me go to, then switch to the ?/4h when the rough is deep and it’s wet. Thanks for the help!

7wd….. 

[firehole]

2 hours ago, hammergolf said:

7wd….. 

Appreciate the suggestion, but I’ve already have been down the 7 wood route with a tsi2. That thing went sky high and crazy high spin that make it unplayable for me. 

[phizzy30]

UW for sure.

[poor_putting]

Cobra King Tec hybrid. Deep face, and no knuckle ball, snap hooks on toe shots. That and the ping hybrids are the only hybrids I could play. The king Tec was just a touch better for me. Playing it with a hzrdus black gen 4 90 gram 6.5 at standard length. 

[PJE]

Pings are really easy to hit and are consistent out of all kinds of lies. But, I wouldn’t say they are deep faced. 
Have you considered the TSR2? It’s a big hybrid but it is still nicely shaped. It is very easy to hit out of various lies. Ball speed is good.
Trajectory is high but in a good way. It wants to launch; a Titleist rep. at a demo event told me it was designed to benefit sweepers so it must have a low and rearward center of gravity? 
I usually play a Ping but I have a TSR2 that I also play from time to time depending on the course. 

[firehole]

7 hours ago, PJE said:

Pings are really easy to hit and are consistent out of all kinds of lies. But, I wouldn’t say they are deep faced. 
Have you considered the TSR2? It’s a big hybrid but it is still nicely shaped. It is very easy to hit out of various lies. Ball speed is good.
Trajectory is high but in a good way. It wants to launch; a Titleist rep. at a demo event told me it was designed to benefit sweepers so it must have a low and rearward center of gravity? 
I usually play a Ping but I have a TSR2 that I also play from time to time depending on the course. 

Would you mind comparing the Ping and tsr2 for me?

[hook_or_slice]

On 6/14/2024 at 9:54 AM, firehole said:

The good:

Got a Stealth 2 Plus 3h with kaili white 90x last year. Never had a hybrid that I clicked with but it quickly became a club I can rely on and my lady dubbed it my “magic club”. Love it off the tee, fairway, and even lighter/shorter rough. It’s my 235-255 club (now I pretty much don’t ever use my 3w off the deck anymore). Liked it so much even ordered a matching 4h that I swap between my 4i depending on the course and weather and that has been great as well. 

 

The bad:

This doesn’t happen always but, If I catch one out in the toe or high on the face it can come out as a low spin knuckle ball, same with playing in the morning with grass and deeper rough regardless of strike. Also, the stealth 2 plus it’s the most forgiving hybrid and requires a good strike.
 

The search:

I’m asking for suggestions that are more forgiving on strike as well as out of wet grass and rough, in order to keep height and spin up. I get plenty of height and spin on a good strike and decent lie, just need more help on less than ideal conditions. I have come to prefer hybrid length clubs over fw’s, so hybrids would be preferred but am open to anything, as long as it has a deep face. I am a mid/high spin player but live and play at 7k elevation so having some extra spin helps control the ball, but please no 7 woods as I’ve been down that path already.
 

One last thing: I’m not getting rid of my 3h. This new club will just be an alternative to my 3h. It’s pretty windy where I play so the 3h/4i will continue to be me go to, then switch to the ?/4h when the rough is deep and it’s wet. Thanks for the help!

 

 

If the rough is deep and wet I hit a really hard 6 or 7 iron. Gets up in the air faster than the lower lofted hybrid and it runs from the flyer lie. Gives up very little distance to a hybrid.

[ShortGolfer]

I was fitted at Club Champion for irons that would allow me to hit and hold tiny Par 3 or executive course greens.  First the shaft for descent angle and then fine tuning with the club head.

It helps that my stock shot is  very consistent high fade.  I can hold greens with cheap 2 piece balls but I play   better with expensive urethane  covered  balls.

 

It helps to work work the ball so it lands in a hollow and bounces uphill.  I play much better when I think that way compared to "center of green."

Sort of like playing checkers when you know how to intimidate your opponents playing chess.

I had  more fun playing that way versus studying Chess Books.

Edited June 16 by ShortGolfer

[PJE]

15 hours ago, firehole said:

Would you mind comparing the Ping and tsr2 for me?

I can post comparison photos tomorrow for you. We had a small problem and I had to go out of town on short notice. 

[PJE]

On 6/16/2024 at 6:44 AM, firehole said:

Would you mind comparing the Ping and tsr2 for me?

See the photos. The TSR2 has a little shorter blade length and it’s a little deeper faced than the Ping. It kind of looks like a little fat fairway wood. 
For me, I hit the Ping on a lower launching and flatter trajectory. But the TSR2 launches high and goes long too. 
Note: This is a G425 hybrid but the 430 is similar. 

Edited June 17 by PJE

[firehole]

@PJE Thanks so much! 

[POKeefe]

21* Callaway Apex UW and the TSR2 sound like they would make sense for what you're looking for. The UW launches a mile in the air in 21* and generally goes the same distance as most 18-19* hybrids. I found the newer UW to launch higher and be more friendly to hit than the older UW.

[MongoSmash]

Callaway Super Hyprid. High launch, very forgiving.