Fairways V's Hybrid

[hairball_89]

Recent winner with a pile of woods in the bag.

Do love that man! Saw him in the Pro Am at wentworth this year on the 17th tee. Driver in hand, placed his cigar on the tee marker, ball on the tee and stated "Now, just like this. Back, and through" as he completed his swing and smashed it straight down the middle!

This thread is really interesting and timed though. I've been contemplating losing my 60º wedge and putting in a 5w. Hardly use the 60º as I find my 56º more than enough, although i do need to do a proper comparison of 5w to 19º hybrid to see if I'd really benefit. Based on this thread, probably not?!

 

[clubchamp98]

As if by magic this was posted today:

https://mygolfspy.com/first-look-callaway-super-hybrid/

$319 will put a lot off .
I am crap with hybrids ,better with long irons .
But they do look nice.

 

[trevor]

I haven’t had any Woods in my bag for over two years now. My 3 wood was causing me to lose too many balls and I sold my 5 wood to my friend. I have driver, 2 hybrids (19 and 25) and a driving iron (3).

 

[BubbaP]

I judged myself an okay FW player, but gravitated towards hybrids I think for the shorter shaft. The Adams guys fitted me into a 17 & 22, and I've stuck with a 17 but have a 3 wood also. As I'm guilty of adding dynamic loft, in firm conditions I really like the 17, and have a strong wood itch that needs attention. Now the soggy conditions are back the FW is looking good again.

 

[MartynB]

Just this weekend I swapped in my 4 wood and took my 3 wood deep out as I need extra length on long par 4s.

Worked really and helped where I hoped it would. Bag now driver at 10.5* 4 wood at 17* 3 & 4 hybrid at 19 & 22* then 5 to LW. 3 wood deep was only ever a tee club.

 

[SammmeBee]

Yes

 

[Crow]

No.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Found this bag set up on golfwrx and thought it looks fantastic for amateur players. If people could drop the ego they might find their scores dropping too.

For the most past amateur players aren't consistent enough with their 4 5 and 6 irons yet persist with them for various reasons.

View attachment 28401

I work hard from 6-wedges and so confident with all of them. However I do agree I could/should consider a 4 and 5 hybrid as I do struggle to hit these irons well on a regular basis. At the end of the day, we have the benefit of the modern technology and so perhaps as you say, dropping the ego would let a lot of us make better scores

 

[Orikoru]

I work hard from 6-wedges and so confident with all of them. However I do agree I could/should consider a 4 and 5 hybrid as I do struggle to hit these irons well on a regular basis. At the end of the day, we have the benefit of the modern technology and so perhaps as you say, dropping the ego would let a lot of us make better scores

I don't regret binning my 6 iron for a 27° hybrid. I hit it better and have much less doubt when I'm holding it, which is what it's all about really.

 

[Dan2501]

That type of Wood/Hybrid heavy bag works for some, but for me I own a 4-wood and an old hybrid, but rarely use either at the minute as not hit them well for a while. I've started carrying my bag and found myself rarely bothering to put the FW in the bag as I have no confidence in it. I hit 2 iron off a few par 4 tees, and then hit 4 iron 2nd shot on Par 5s and much more consistent doing that than trying to smack a FW. I do need to work on my FW for sure, as it's a club I used to use a ton and had success with, but not hit it well for a while. Gonna dedicate some time to it over winter, as would be useful to get it back in play and have it as an option off the tee and 2nd shot into Par 5s again. Not found a hybrid I like though, hit my 4 iron plenty well enough to keep it in the bag.

 

[drewster]

In twenty years of golf i have never,ever been able to stand on the fairway with fairway wood in hand confident of even hitting the ball let alone get it airborne and straight. I've tried them all and it's a not starter for me . Having hovered in the 9-12 region for the last 5 years i feel like a fairly capable golfer but fairway woods have without doubt been my achilles heel. I've now found the G410 hybrid in 17 degrees as my go to club and even the misses with that get me 180 ish and stay on the course !

 

[Grant85]

Never used a 5 wood and only ever use a 3 wood off the tee.

Occasionally at the driving range I'll hit a few with my 3 wood and while can get decent contact, I feel on the course, there is always the potential for things to go wrong.

I have a 20 degree hybrid, then a gap to a 5 iron. I personally have no issue with this. A 4 iron is going to be tough to hit I only having one hybrid takes a bit of decision making out - meaning that for shots of 180 to 200 yards I am going to use the hybrid either with a full swing or an easy swing. It's still a big ask to hit the target from those kind of distances and means I often favour laying up if it is tight round the green.

To the OP - would def favour the shorter more accurate hybrid over the 5 wood - especially given your analysis. Unless you are a really straight hitter... going for loads of 200+ yard shots is going to put you in trouble at some point during a round, unless you play at a very wide open course.

 

[azazel]

I'd love to find hybrids as straightforward and helpful as a lot of people on this thread do but unfortunately that's never happened, despite trying plenty. As a result I've got a 3 wood and a 5 wood in the bag, although I occasionally leave the 5 out and put a 3 iron in instead, depending on the weather conditions.

 

[garyinderry]

Any time I see someone struggle to hit a 5 wood I say to them. Just hit level through the ball. Dont hit down. Dont hit up. Just level. Throw the club head into the back of the ball.

Without fail, due to the speed of the club head and the design of the 5 wood head. When hit in this way it takes off like a rocket and screams into the air.

 

[Jacko_G]

Any time I see someone struggle to hit a 5 wood I say to them. Just hit level through the ball. Dont hit down. Dont hit up. Just level. Throw the club head into the back of the ball.

Without fail, due to the speed of the club head and the design of the 5 wood head. When hit in this way it takes off like a rocket and screams into the air.

Sorry but I think people are taking this off track, I have no issues at all hitting a 5 wood. I just discovered by accident that the 17 hybrid was incredibly close in terms of distance but was an improvement in terms of dispersion. The reason I started the thread was to ask if anyone had gone down this road not to get tips on how to play a 5 wood.

 

[Orikoru]

I'd love to find hybrids as straightforward and helpful as a lot of people on this thread do but unfortunately that's never happened, despite trying plenty. As a result I've got a 3 wood and a 5 wood in the bag, although I occasionally leave the 5 out and put a 3 iron in instead, depending on the weather conditions.

I used to be the same, couldn't hit hybrids for ages. I tried an Adams, a BenRoss, a different Adams, but eventually I tried a Ping G25 and it just clicked. Stuck with the Ping ones ever since! I don't hit them perfect every time of course, but I hit them well a lot more often than I ever did a 5 or 6 iron. And a fairway wood always had more slice for me (which is why my 3 wood is now an SF Tec).

 

[Orikoru]

Sorry but I think people are taking this off track, I have no issues at all hitting a 5 wood. I just discovered by accident that the 17 hybrid was incredibly close in terms of distance but was an improvement in terms of dispersion. The reason I started the thread was to ask if anyone had gone down this road not to get tips on how to play a 5 wood.

I don't think he aimed that at you, it's just how all conversations evolve on this forum. If you don't get your answer in the first 5 posts then you never will.

 

[clubchamp98]

Sorry but I think people are taking this off track, I have no issues at all hitting a 5 wood. I just discovered by accident that the 17 hybrid was incredibly close in terms of distance but was an improvement in terms of dispersion. The reason I started the thread was to ask if anyone had gone down this road not to get tips on how to play a 5 wood.

I think a lot depends on your swing.
People who hit down on the ball will be better with hybrids ( small divots).
Those who can take it clean will be better with Woods.
I favour the woods because I am better with them.
It’s a try it and see thing and whatever you hit best ,that’s for you!

 

[garyinderry]

Sorry but I think people are taking this off track, I have no issues at all hitting a 5 wood. I just discovered by accident that the 17 hybrid was incredibly close in terms of distance but was an improvement in terms of dispersion. The reason I started the thread was to ask if anyone had gone down this road not to get tips on how to play a 5 wood.

Was aimed at drewster and anyone else who thinks they cant get a 5 wood airborne.

 

[garyinderry]

Has anyone dropped their fairways for hybrids?

I had a trackman session yesterday and tried out a couple of G410 hybrids. To be honest the results were pretty staggering in terms of consistency and distance that I was achieving. So much so I pulled out my 5 wood (set at 16.5 - 3 wood length shaft) and started a comparison in terms of numbers, distance, spin, dispersion etc when put up against the G410 17 degree hybrid. While overall the my 5 wood was an average of 11 yards longer it was clear that the hybrid was far more consistent. Ball speed was always similar, the dispersion was better/tighter by 12 yards and the consistency of strike was better. Certainly the results surprised me, thought the fairway would be quite a bit longer with the lower (slightly) loft, longer shaft and bigger mass. Clearly not the case.

To be honest it has made me question whether I should/could just drop the fairway and add the 17 hybrid and a 21/22 (plug the gap to the 4 iron) hybrid. I figure that the hybrid is more versatile, its easier to hit off the fairway, its easier to hit out of semi and rough and to be honest for the sake of between 8 and 14 yards (lowest and biggest distance difference) its not something that worries me. Also the 17 can be turned down to 16 with the G410 and not effect the face angle. Decisions decisions!!!

I finish up on Sunday for two weeks, will book a fitting session I think.

Do you have all the stats for the two clubs?

A thing to look at would be peak height and land angle.

For me my 5 wood flies high and lands soft. My 4 hybrid is similar in lenght but I hit it much lower and expect some run.

I could probably do without one or the other but both serve a purpose in my mind on certain shots.