9 Wood or Hybrid

[Jamie23]

Never been the biggest fan of hybrids but have been looking for a replacement for my 4-5 irons to use from the deck

Been looking around and seen you can buy a 23 degree 9 wood which I am thinking may be ideal

I realise this isn’t a common club in many players bags and wanted to see if anyone currently uses one or has used one in the past?

A (4) hybrid seems to be around the same loft as a 9 wood with the (5) hybrid being around 25 degree.

I feel a lot more confident with a fairway wood rather than hybrid but just wanted to gather some opinions

 

[Imurg]

General rule - swing speed is key.
Fairways impart more spin than hybrids
Slower swing speeds need that spin tomorrow the ball in the air and gain carry.
Fairways are generally hit with a sweeping swing, hybrids you should be hitting slightly steeper.
That might be why you don't like hybrids - many that don't are trying to hit them like fairways.
Don't be afraid to take a small divot.....

 

[Pin-seeker]

My grandmother carries a 9w,she swears by it 😁

 

[shortgame]

My grandmother carries a 9w,she swears by it 😁

And mine
9w under one armpit, 11w under the other

Seriously though, I've played with a few people who swear by 7w / 9w instead of hybrids, probably for the very valid reasons Imurg mentioned

If it works, go for it... whatever makes the game easier and more enjoyable... it's not how but how many :thup:

 

[PJ87]

My uncle uses a 11 wood instead of a pitching wedge to great affect lol

 

[Pin-seeker]

And mine
9w under one armpit, 11w under the other

Seriously though, I've played with a few people who swear by 7w / 9w instead of hybrids, probably for the very valid reasons Imurg mentioned

If it works, go for it... whatever makes the game easier and more enjoyable... it's not how but how many :thup:

Couldn’t agree more.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

I have a 7 wood which in the winter is just about perfect for 4 of our 5 par 3's, they range from 175-200 yards. On Sunday I had 5 par 3's and picked up all of the bits.

Don't be embarrassed by what's in your bag, be proud of the score on your card.

 

[duncan mackie]

Firstly don't get hung up on the degrees of loft on a club for comparison purposes.

Second, 9W is roughly equivilent to between a 7 and 6 iron.

From the sound of things you might be well served getting both 7 and 9 woods and running your irons from 7 up.

I had a really cheap Dunlop 7 wood and it was magic - really easy to hit and, for me, the easiest 175yds I've ever had. Strangely in a moment of madness I put it in with a set of clubs i put together for a LH junior who was taking up the game.....got a Cally 7 Heaven but, whilst it does the same thing when it works, doesn't suit me the same at all.

The difference came down to the head profile - I preferred a lower profile; you should try a few variants to find what works best for you.

 

[Capella]

I have a 7 wood and a hybrid, both with 22° of loft. They do go similar carry distances, with the hybrid tending to have a slightly lower ballflight and getting a bit more roll (unless I hit it off a tee, in which case I can make it hop and stop relatively easy). I find the hybrid much more versatile, since I can hit it out of lighter rough or even a fairway bunker. I am not really comfortable to hit the 7 wood from anywhere but the tee or the fairway. If I had to choose just one of the two, I would go for the hybrid every day.

 

[Crow]

I carried a Dunlop 9 wood for a couple of years when the shanks on my longer irons had me despairing.

Aside from giving me a club I could hit the ball a reasonable distance with it was really useful for longer high shots over trees and for playing from parts of the course where I might be afraid of damaging a more expensive club.

Never carried a 7 wood but would like to just so I could use its old nickname of the Gentleman's Persuader.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Hit both and see which you hit better / better suits your needs and buy it.

Score is what matters, not how you do it.

 

[hines57]

I'd go with whatever feels best for you and gives you the most consistent shot/result. I know a 4 handicapper who has a 6 iron as his longest iron and then a mix of fairways and hybrids up to Driver. My longest iron is a 5 and I have have 2 hybrids, fairway and driver at the top of the bag.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I have an Adams 7 and 9 wood in the bag (also have an 11 wood in the shed, similar to a 7 iron), cant remember loft atm. I tend to chop down on the ball a bit, and provided I swing smoothly, do not have a problem hitting the woods.

For me on good hits the 7 wood is a 180 carry club and the 9 wood is a 165 carry club (for comparison my 33 degree loft 7 iron goes 150 yards carry). The 9 wood for me is in between a 6 and 5 iron for me, however the flight of the 9 wood is high and soft and I can hit it miles better than my 6/5 iron.

A 9 wood is a great club and so glad it is in my bag, never heard anyone take the mickey.:ears:

 

[garyinderry]

I'd love to see anyone stand a certain distance out and hit alternative shots with an iron and the corresponding hybrid or wood.

Over 20 shots I would back the hybrid or wood to beat the iron for quality of strike and subsequently, proximity to the hole.


For anyone that says they balloon these clubs, go and get a non GI style head and a low launching shaft. That will fix that particular problem right out of the gate.

 

[jim8flog]

7 wood for me.

The 4 iron replacement rescue has gone out of the bag in favour of this. Higher ball flight for better drop and stop plus I hit it a little longer than the hybrid which is good at this time of year with a loss of distance due to the cold.

The 5 iron replacement has stayed in the bag.

 

[ScienceBoy]

When I get back to playing full courses often I’m grabbing some off ebay. Would love a 5 and 7 wood.