Club Dilema - Hybrid vs Iron

[One Planer]

Gentlemen, I have a quandary.

I've been playing the 910H now for the past year or so with, to be honest, mixed results.

The regulars on here know I share Brendy's dislike of hybrids, however my had was forced when I brought the MP63's as I had quite a gap between my 3 iron and 4 wood, as you would probably expect. The 19° 910H bridges the gap nicely when it behaves, but it has far too many off days for my liking.

I used to find it easy to hit, however since taking lessons, the only consistent shot I seem to be able to hit with it is a booming, uncontrollable draw, border line hook. You know the one. The ball starts out to the right and moves left to, and past, your target . I've tried various changes to ball position and the like to improve/cure the strong flight to no avail.

Thing is, I hit my 3 and 4 irons either straight, or with a tiny draw with a medium to high flight. Just what I'm looking for. The flight, shape and distance are all semi-predictable, a complete contrast to the 910H.

I have more confidence in hitting the 3 iron from my set than a, supposedly, more forgiving, easier to hit hybrid.

To this end, I'm considering giving a 2 iron a trial.

A slight issue on this is that Mizuno don't offer a 2 iron as part of the MP63 line.

There are plenty of 2 irons kicking about on eBay from various manufacturers. Mizuno have plenty of offerings with prices ranging from £20-£50 with various models from the older TP series to the more modern MP offerings. There are also MP Fli-Hi and H4 hybrid clubs on in the same price bracket and availability.

What do you good people think? Worth a trial to see how it goes?

All opinions appreciated :thup:

 

[CMAC]

you dont like Hybrids and you dont hit it well anymore- no brainer, get rid.

3 iron is my fav club but I know what you mean about the gap from 3 iron to 3w (4w for me), before I got my 910h I would deloft the 3 iron but thats not as reliable as a 'normal' iron.

Titleist and Mizuno '2 irons' are excellent. Back in the day Gareth most of us had a Ping eye 1 iron regardless of what irons you played.

So summary is pick one you like the look of and buy it, sell the hybrid, it will sell no problems and you'll be in a better place mentally.

 

[tsped83]

You must be a good ball striker Gareth is all I can say to find a 3 iron preferable to a hybrid!

Maybe you've not found the right hybrid? Certainly more versatile than a 2 iron I would have thought? I use mine a lot, for full shots, low under the tree shots (frequently) and chipping. A lot more friendly when you put an octopus-wrestling-a-horse-downstairs swing on it.

Have you had a bash with any other models other than the Titleist? RBZ Stage 2 Tour? A friend at our spot uses one (9hcp) and he hits it a bloody mile, nice high draw flight, it's monstrous.

Maybe the Callaway X Hot Pro? The standard version would probably have too much offset for you, but I can assure you that off the face, these things go filthy long. Bonkers.

 

[Alex1975]

I simply cannot get rid of my 910H, its the oldest club in my bag and I just love it, its so versatile.

I would suggest you stop trying to beat the hell out of it!!!! and just play its yardage! or the yardage you want from it its a guess but I bet I am right. The club feels light, its got a big head (compared with your 4i) and you just want to rip at it and end up hooking it.

Clearly though get a MP-Fli Hi on the cheap with your shaft and give it a go... as you say, its a cheap experiment.

 

[Lontano]

I have a couple of 913 Hybrids in my bag and have been suffering in recents months the massive draws you describe. When I hit them well I love them and I have found that putting the ball further back in the stance and taking a gentle swing on the shot - letting the club do all the work produces some excellent results without the huge draws.

 

[mcbroon]

I'm with you Gareth, I don't particularly like hybrids. I have one that I hit reasonably well but far too high for my liking, so I swapped it for a 3 iron and then put a 2 iron in the bag at the end of last year.

It's a Ping Eye 2 which I bought off jimbob.someroo for £20, reasoning that if I couldn't hit it, it wasn't exactly costing me an arm and a leg to find out.

If you can pick one up cheap, it's worth the experiment.

 

[Foxholer]

FliHi seems the obvious solution to me!

Or the 712H. Markgs might have a 3 going spare?

I had problems initially with hybrids - hook machines for me, a 'natural' fader. Got on well with my 909H w Voodoo though - difficult to hit anywhere but straight!

 

[One Planer]

You must be a good ball striker Gareth is all I can say to find a 3 iron preferable to a hybrid!

Maybe you've not found the right hybrid? Certainly more versatile than a 2 iron I would have thought? I use mine a lot, for full shots, low under the tree shots (frequently) and chipping. A lot more friendly when you put an octopus-wrestling-a-horse-downstairs swing on it.

Have you had a bash with any other models other than the Titleist? RBZ Stage 2 Tour? A friend at our spot uses one (9hcp) and he hits it a bloody mile, nice high draw flight, it's monstrous.

Maybe the Callaway X Hot Pro? The standard version would probably have too much offset for you, but I can assure you that off the face, these things go filthy long. Bonkers.

I've had Taylormade, Mizuno, A loaned Adams and a Titleist hybrid up until now. Different shafts, different head shapes, all different amounts of off-set, still had the same issue. The Titleist was, initially, different. It was so easy to hit, it was almost like cheating.

Since my swing has changed, through lessons, I'm hitting every club through the bag much, much more consistently and this has been reflected in my scoring. The only club in my bag which has gone backwards is my 910H. No idea why

I simply cannot get rid of my 910H, its the oldest club in my bag and I just love it, its so versatile.

I would suggest you stop trying to beat the hell out of it!!!! and just play its yardage! or the yardage you want from it its a guess but I bet I am right. The club feels light, its got a big head (compared with your 4i) and you just want to rip at it and end up hooking it.

Clearly though get a MP-Fli Hi on the cheap with your shaft and give it a go... as you say, its a cheap experiment.

With my swing speed Al' it won't be a case of trying to smash the cover off. As my swing has changed, the rest of the clubs in my bag have become markedly more consistent, but the hybrid has gone backwards.

I only used the hybrid twice at the weekend and that was to play a low running shot under a tree line (..... Even one of those had a strong right to left shape) , whereas I used the 3 & 4 from both tee and fairway around 6 times (... Total) with a pretty high success rate.

Surely I can't be swinging that differently? ...... Can I?

 

[patricks148]

Gaz, this makes no sense to me, if you can hit a 3 iron no problem, you should in theory be able to hit a hybrid just as well.

I'd go with hybrid everytime now, so much easier to hit than a long iron, ive not used a 3 iron in a while and have no chance of going back

 

[swanny32]

I prefer the ball flight of a long iron, a lot flatter and piercing although at the height of summer sometimes that's not the best thing around my course as it tends to get quite hard around the greens so getting it to stop is mission impossible. I've been struggling with my hybrid really badly as of late and am contemplating getting rid of it, I had a hit of the 910h last week at the range and quite liked it but didn't think it was any better than my amp so decided against forking out the £150 for it.

I think your best bet (which is what I'm going to do) is sped £30 on getting a lesson and let a pro see what's going on, might save you a bit of hassle and money.

 

[One Planer]

Gaz, this makes no sense to me, if you can hit a 3 iron no problem, you should in theory be able to hit a hybrid just as well.

Believe me Patrick, I share your confusion.

Every club in my bag has shown a marked improvement since taking lessons. Every club except the 910H. That's gone backwards!!!

 

[Alex1975]

This is about direction not strike right? I would tend to agree with Patrick and its not like he is saying anything strange, its a golf club, it will only do what you tell it. That said I have the same thing with my brother in law, he hits all his irons straight or straight fade but always draws his hybrid and a bad one is a hook with that club. I would now start thinking about offset or shafts giving up but you say you swing slow and I already know your irons have no offset so... Prrrrr, is it mental?

 

[G1BB0]

I trialled a 18.5deg stage 2 tour hybrid yesterday as a replacement for my 4w (it says its a 3 but 17 deg is 4w to me). It was a hook machine, dont get me wrong, when middled it went miles but I struggled to get it up at times (ooer missus). I hit my standard ones well but they have a 65g stiff whereas the tour had a 80g stiff.

It might just be the loft/shaft isnt suited to your new swing Gareth.

 

[One Planer]

It might just be the loft/shaft isnt suited to your new swing Gareth.

Quite possibly Steve, but wouldn't that have had the same effect on the other woods ad clubs?

 

[the_coach]

I use a 913Hd 18d which I was fitted for. (slightly heavier S shaft)
Also still use my 2i (MP 33) Swop both of these in the bag depending on course type I'm playing &/or weather/ground conditions, particularly to how firm the greens are, as hybrid flies higher lands that tad softer.


Titleist - Drivers, metals, hybrids I've used mostly throughout my golfing 'career' so far, although they perhaps are less forgiving of a slightly less than perfect strike. There are easier hybrids around to hit for sure, but the Titleist's perform well but perhaps demand a little more from the golfer.

Surely I can't be swinging that differently? ...... Can I?

You could well be swinging different some, sure sounds like path could well be more from the inside which will also, de facto, make it a shallower AoA, plus it could be also with a slight set up problem with ball position.

Folks who work on their swing to improve as you obviously do, have done to good effect. With this good work, it usually means the path delivery of club head is much better on plane and so it's from the inside & shallower.

The key then along with the above (as you've been looking at in your other thread/s while back) is the finding correct hip movement and weight pressure into the ground on the left leg, to still get good strike, ball then turf. It's the ground force into, down then slightly up of the left leg plus the hip clearance that gives the best AoA into & through impact crucial in the longer clubs from ball on ground to get the best results.


Although hybrids are long iron replacements they still need to be used as you would a long iron.
Meaning that the ball position would be the one you would use when striking your 3i, and it still needs a descending AoA as you would for a 3i, so ball first and a narrow small divot after.


Am thinking maybes given the shot pattern you describe, so coming from the inside, any swing from the inside is always going to be shallower it has to be.


So could possibly well be that the swing is a little too level approaching, or even a tad up through impact which would be a reason you get mixed results with the 910H some of the time & find it less predictable.


An actual 2i (at around 18 degrees, should you find one) will still need that downward AoA to get the best/most out of it, flight & distance.


You might find if the problem is one of slightly using the wrong intent to the swing so it's still a little shallow, no ball first ground & divot contact with 2i, might still leave you in a similar place that you are with the 910H.


You'd have to try to either:-
a) slightly change the intent of the swing (down & thru ball then divot) therefore contact through impact (which may mean your changing ball position more back to match the 3i's) with the 910H to see if it still could do the job for you.
b) find a 2i to see if you'd still have the problem the hybrid currently gives you.


Not sure how easy it would be either to find a 2i version of the Miz H4 (though folks who use them seem to like them) don't ever recall seeing any anywhere to try them out, but maybes that's just over here.


Think it would be first off worth another session on the practice ground with the 910H re. ball position, swing intent etc.


Should you decide to go the other route definitely worth a trial though with a 2i proper or H4 (or similar) before you buy, as it might, if it is a slight technique issue not give you what you're looking for anyways, unless you fine with just taking the gamble as it's not super expensive.


A 2i will also give you a different flatter flight to the 901H, so if under normal conditions you play into a lot of firm smaller par 5, long par 4, greens it may be possibly better looking at a little more forgiving hybrid to get the height you'd need on those shots.


My hunch would be that it's a slight set up & technique issue (ideally you'd want weight left & hips cleared thru impact whilst the arms + club should be more in front of chest coming down & not a little back & behind you which tends to make the club come too much from the inside + way too shallow maybes so then difficult to get the AoA the hybrid or 2i needs to get good results from them, slightly easier to get with the little bit more loft of a 3i still though) and with a little bit of work something you can sort out that will make the 910H work better & consistently for you.
Sure the pro would be able to help you and the 910H then give you the results you are looking for.


Elk talking about disassociation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z-lLISxaVk

 

[One Planer]

Thanks for the write-up Coach :thup:

As I've said previously. The 910H is the only club in the bag not to improve since I started taking lessons.

Every other club, as I said earlier, is massively improved in both length and consistency. I just can't understand how everything else can move forward, yet this one club goes backwards

 

[the_coach]

Thanks for the write-up Coach :thup:

As I've said previously. The 910H is the only club in the bag not to improve since I started taking lessons.

Every other club, as I said earlier, is massively improved in both length and consistency. I just can't understand how everything else can move forward, yet this one club goes backwards

Get where you're coming from, though my hunch would still be set-up, ball position, and your intent prior to making the swing. You need to be able to commit fully to very definitely ball first, small divot, so descending AoA, if you can get rid of the doubt in your mind am sure that would fix it.

Working it through with the Pro am sure would get you back on track with in no time at all.

 

[dotty001]

Go get an adams super s , absolute beast of a club , goes like stink , thank me later

 

[garyinderry]

I had to flog Cleveland classic 3 and 5 woods as I couldn't hit anything but the biggest duck hook you have ever seen. liverbirdie and birchy can testify to this!!

I know a few on here rave about them, but they just don't work with my swing. the closed face on them just turns them into hook machines in my hands!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

In your position, you clearly have a little bit of confidence issue with the hybrid and knowing exactly where it will be going. That can't be good over the ball and so if you are happier with your long irons and the strike isn't the problem then I would get a long iron you fancy and give it a go.