Fairway wood or hybrid?

[Aimee]

Which works better for you?

Question for the women golfers: have you replaced fairway wood (3 or 5) with a hybrid?
The common opinion is that everyone should drop their long irons/FW for hybrids because they are easier to hit...but I'm having HUGE problems hitting my hybrid and I continue to hit my 3 iron really well. The hybrid was supposed to be my club for 2nd shot on a par 5 since my 3 iron is only good for around 150 yards carry. I'm almost always in the fairway. If I hit the hybrid perfectly, it is great - it goes around 170 with a low, boring trajectory. Unfortunately, I rarely hit it perfectly. Thin, snap hook, top, I've done it all after trying various ball positions, etc.
Aside from the obvious (take a lesson to see what the problem is)...has anyone else tried hybrids and gone back to fairway woods? I haven't hit one in a couple of years, but I'm begining to think I might be better off with a 5 wood :cheesy:

Your favorite fairway woods? I use men's clubs with Senior flex graphite shafts.

[little brit]

I use a hybrid mainly for the rough. I just love it for that, it is my go to it club when I am in trouble. I have a cally heavenwood. reg. flex mens, it is also useful for chipping around the greens. I don't have any long irons, but my set goes from wedges, irons up to 5, plus I have the 5 hybrid, (so I tend to leave the 5 iron at home ), then 7,5,3 FW and Driver. I love my 7 FW also. I am a pretty new player though, you must be pretty good to be hitting long irons that well, so a more experienced player may help you more than I. I think I could do with a 4 also to fill a gap. (that is next on my list).

[little brit]

Wow! I just noticed the rest of your bag. I also have the X18, and the cleveland 588s. My FWs are Cally and all in mens regular, and I have a 905T Titleist Driver.

 

I wonder if the shaft is right for you on your hybrid. I would recommend that you try the one you have against the mens callys at a simulator or course if poss. Also I find for me it works best to really hit down on the hybrid.

[Aimee]

I've heard both about the hybrids, "hit down like irons" and "sweep like woods". I missed an opportunity to do a Callaway demo at our local course a couple of weeks ago, I really wanted to try the Heavenwood hybrids and the new X fairway woods. I have the light/senior flex shaft in the hybrid (same as my other clubs - correct for my ss)...I've played men's clubs for so long I have a hard time with ladies' clubs feeling too short and light.

I picked up a 3-wood on Ebay last night really cheap, so let the experimentation begin!

[Debit]

Finally gave up on the 7W and put my 4I back into the bag. Although not a hybrid, I was having the same problem with it that you are claiming with hybrid. It was much easier to just retire the d@@@ thing than deal with the frustration of not knowing where the ball was going to wind up. IMHO, we get a whole lot of advice that doesn't take into consideration our individual games. For instance, do X or purchase X to get the ball into the air more easily. Well, I have NEVER had a problem getting the ball airborn with my long irons. I sold off one set of Ping clubs ASAP because the ball flew much too high. I continue to play with steel, regular flex shafts in irons and wedges -- those wimpy ladies flex things cause huge slices and hooks vs. fade or draws. Tried a friend's Callaway ladies flex Fusion driver. Yuk! Lousy thing had the audacity to signal before turning hard right! I'm still using and loving my Wilson fat shaft, deep red, 10.5°, 330 CC driver. These new 460 CC jobs feel as though I'm swinging a toaster. Add a ladies flex, and it's like swinging a toaster on a rope!

 

In other words -- play what ever works for you and that you are comfortable with. After all, once a golfer is about a 16 hdcp, the biggest hurdle to game improvement is between your ears.

[Mina]

Are utility clubs the same as hybrids? My dad has some and I like to use them in place of my long irons. I can hit better with a utility club than a long iron, but still not all that well. More often than not, I will grab a 6 or 7 iron and sacrifice the distance in favor of a more certain shot. I still prefer my woods to the utility clubs just because I spent more time with them and have a better feel for them. I'm not very accomplished with a driver yet, so I often tee off using a 3 wood.

[steph1964]

I've tried a number of hybrids and just really do not like them. I LOVE my 26 degree 7 wood. So today I ordered the 30 degree 9 wood. I never use my 6 iron...but my shorter irons are great. The 7 wood is referred to as a "utility wood" if that helps.

 

Cheers!

Stephanie

[Aimee]

Hybrids are sometimes also called "Rescue clubs", too.

With the smaller club head, they get thru the rough easier than a traditional wood (hence, "Rescue").

I just picked up a 3 wood and went to the range today with both clubs. I had a quick lesson the other day which showed me I was having problems because of swing path, not swinging down the target line. I was swinging the hybrid too much like an iron. Since that lesson, I'm seeing much better results. I think I prefer the "look" of the wood when hitting off the tee. If you feel confident, you swing better.

Next round I'll use both and see how they compare in play.

[golfergal]

I'm new to the board. I'm also a bit of a club "ho". I buy and sell clubs faster than I can keep track..but I do keep the clubs that seem to work best for my game. As for me only, the hybrid just wasn't it for my game. I tried the Nickent and Ping as well as the Callaway. Though I hit them decently, I went back to my fairway woods. Incidently, I play the Ovation Adams fairway woods. They are fab!

[Aimee]

I'm hitting the 3 wood off the fairway better/more consistently than the hybrid. I'm so mad that I tortured myself over the hybrid because everyone said they were "better" for everyone, I figured I was doing something wrong that I'd eventually correct. I'll continue to hit my 3-iron, thank you, and my 3-wood. Maybe after some (long overdue) lessons I'll figure out the hybrid, then I'll have a full arsenal.

Of course it brings up the next (bad) thought...should I look for a newer 3-wood which I might hit even better! :drinks:

[Mina]

I just inherited my dad's old Orlimar driver, so maybe I will start to tee-off with that instead of my 3 wood. But first, I need to get it shortened to fit me and maybe a softer shaft.

 

I'm still not very good hitting my 3 wood off the grass, but oddly enough, I can connect fairly well with a 5 wood hitting off the fairway. As far as the 3 and 4 iron, I've now parked them in my dad's golf cabinet since I end up launching the divot farther than the ball.

[Aimee]

Mina, you can get a newer driver for close to what it would cost you to reshaft the Orlimar (with a decent shaft). Technology makes a huge difference in drivers, do yourself a favor and take advantage. Try to demo some women's drivers if you can, look for 11 degree loft or more. Women's drivers will be weighted properly for you, head and shaft. I find the Callaway Big Bertha titanium driver to be very forgiving. See if you can get out to demo some clubs. Have fun!

[golfergal]

Is that the truth? I love my G5 driver and my 3 wood, and have no reason to be "snooping" for anything new to displace them...however, this season alone, I've bought and sold the Cobra Speed driver and several 3 woods, Ping, G5, G2, Callaway, and another Adams...My "Ovation" with it's grass stains and grip that needs to be replaced is like that comfortable pair of slippers that just feel "right" when I put them on. I always go back to this club. The technology may improve, but having confidence in the club makes the most difference.

 

As for my driver, I came across this website due to the fact that Ping is coming out with a new driver in September. I'm so "in love" with my G5 and here I'm already considering of cheating on "her". No wonder she's giving me the evil eye! :drinks:

[Mina]

I didn't realize it was expensive to get a club reshafted. I never did really care what clubs I used, so long as they were useable by me. All of my clubs are hand-me-downs from my father. I've gotten pretty used to them now and they were free! I'm not very good right now, so it kind of makes me not want to spend a lot on clubs. I've swung expensive clubs and not-so-expensive clubs and I can't tell the difference between them. I will take a look at the Callaway Big Bertha. I've never tried that brand before, so maybe it will work! I'm considering a complete set or maybe just a set of irons. Any recommendations?

 

Thanks!

[golfergal]

I strongly suggest you visit a local golf shop that will fit you for clubs that match your loft, lie angle, and swing path. I know that most beginniers think it's not necessary to go that route until "one" is better at the game, but what these same people don't understand is that the game will be "easeir"..(well not easier) but less difficult if one is playing with clubs that will shorten the learning curve. Cutting down clubs from a mens to a ladies length will affect ball flight, sweet spot on the club face, and overall performance.

 

Fitted clubs do not cost extra for most golf companies. I play Ping, and You would not need anything lower in an iron than a 5 or 6. Then, be sure to look at the high lofted hairway woods or hybrids, which ever suits you better. If you go with Ping, you should be fitted by an authorized dealer. There is no charge for this. Ping specially makes your clubs based on your specs and if you plan on playing this game for a life time, you will not be sorry with a good set.

 

I'm sure you don't purchase shoes without trying them on and making sure they fit right and feel good on your feet..Sure, you could probably get by just grabbing some shoes off the rack, and you would be able to get from point A to point B, but did you get there in ease..comfort...stability?

 

I didn't play with fitted clubs until two years ago. Since then, my handicap has dropped from a 14 to an 10, and tonight I broke 80! I was so thrilled! I love my clubs and even mis-hits aren't too costly.

[Aimee]

Golfergal made a great analogy...we can relate to shoes, right?

Say you wear a shoe size 7... do all size 7 shoes fit you right and feel comfortable?

One route you can go is to get good quality clubs used...like other things (cars, for example), better quality will last. That saves quite a bit of money. You can usually look in golf stores, try clubs, then shop for used (either in retail stores or online). It will save you several hundred $'s. If you look at the various golf magazines (such as Golf Digest or Golf for Women) they always do club tests and make rec's for "Best Bets" for beginners (you should be able to read those articles online). Ping makes great clubs, but you pay a premium for them. There are many brands that have clubs specifically designed for forgiveness so the beginning golfer can learn to make better shots. Look for irons which are described as "oversized" and "cavity back". Larger club face = bigger sweet spot. Cavity back means there is more weight around the perimeter of the club (it looks scooped out on the back), which makes it easier to get the ball up in the air.

As a beginner, your swing is still changing/evolving. Having clubs custom fit at this point wouldn't make sense, you'd be fitting them to your beginner swing. After you play a couple of years and get more consistent, then it makes sense to have clubs fitted to you.

[GolferGal2009]

I got two hybrids, 26* and 30* that replace my 4 and 5 irons. Then it goes, 7w, 5w, 3w. Since I've got these new woods and hybrids, I am able to switch out clubs to accomidate for the weather or however I'm playing. Like maybe I'll take out my 5 wood and add a lob wedge or whatever. Hybrids are good because you can get them high enough in the air with enough spin to just drop out of the air and land soft on greens. The only thing that I don't like about them is that I miss the trajectory of my low irons with that line drive shape that kind of climbs and drops soft so I'm going to start working with my 4 and 5 irons more to get them back on the team.

 

:drinks:

[Mina]

Yeah. The shoe analogy does make perfect sense. Aimee hits on the point that my swing is still a beginner swing and fitting me for clubs will only fit it to my beginner swing. I still can't swing consistently so I would probably be a club fitter's worst nightmare. So what exactly do they do when you are fitted for clubs? I assume they have you swing in the simulator and maybe have some cameras and the fitter watching you. I'll definately not buy anything unless I am able to try it out first.

[Gub]

Wow, lots of new women members chatting it up in this thread... that's awesome!

 

I'm a huge fan of hybrids! Never could hit my long irons - I don't have a 3 iron and I carried my 4 iron around a lot but hardly ever used it. I have a hard time with fairway woods too...

 

Deb.

[Aimee]

Mina, if you are getting fitted for clubs, sometimes it's in a store with a launch monitor (which measures your swing speed and various aspects of the ball flight). Some professional club fitters don't use computers, they take you to the range to have you hit and watch your swing/ball flight. Personally, I think that's a key component. I know those launch monitors can be inaccurate if they aren't adjusted properly, so using that all by itself isn't optimal. There are also some fitters who use a setup which is from True Temper (shaft manufacturer) called a "Shaft Lab"...it goes a step further to see how you "load" the shaft on your swing. The loading refers to at what point in your swing you generate the most energy. Optimizing the type of shaft for that gives you the most control/distance. Sometimes two people who appear to have radically different swings may need the same type of shaft. That's kind of specialized thing and probably used more by advanced players. The other parts of the club fitting are taking physical measurements (wrist to floor distance tells shaft length/lie angle; hand size for grip size).

There is a Professional Clubmakers Society which has a web site (www.proclubmakers.org) so you can search for experienced clubfitters if you are interested.

Best investment you can make if you are interested in playing better golf is lessons - before clubs.

[Mina]

Club fitting sounds like pretty sophisticated business. But then again, every golfer is different and with the wide range of shafts, clubheads, etc. to choose from, it would take an expert to figure out a good combination. Yes, lesson from a real pro would probably be my best investment for the time being. Like I'm always told by my father, it's not the gear that makes the golfer great. I may just hold off on any equipment purchases until I get some good advice from a pro. I've had my eyes on this cool Yes! putter for nearly a month now. I think it is called the Diana or something like that.

[Aimee]

Mina, the Yes! putters are great. Very well balanced, nice feel.

And there is some truth to the saying "it's not the arrow, it's the Indian"...but it's also true that better bow makes it easier for the Indian to hit their target!

Try to get a set of 3 lessons this summer, continue working on your swing on the range over the fall/winter, and you'll have a good start next spring.