Filling A Gap in the Bag

[Jimbob13]

hey guys just looking for a little advice,

recently updated my clubs and i have a gap between my 3 wood and 4 iron. im looking for a club which is easy to hit from the rough and gives a high ball flight as well as being an option from the tee. My 4 iron has a lower ball flight if i want it to run up on a windy day. Was looking at either 5 or 7 woods but my mates keep going on about a 20 degree hybrid. I'm leaning towards a 7 wood but just wondering what your guys experiences are and any advice would be appreciated.

My current bag consists of:- Mizuno MX-700 driver and 3 wood, Mizuno MP-57 irons 4-pw and MD Golf seve icon wedges 52, 56, 60 degree.

 

[EaseNgrace]

Looks like an mx-700 hybrid would make itself at home in that bag.
Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[Jimbob13]

I was planning on sticking in the MX-700 family to keep consistancy and the limited experience with the ones i have is very good.

What makes you say the hybrid would be better for me ahead of one of the woods? I notice your bag make up is similar to mine with the obvious inclusion of a rescue/hybrid in the position im looking to fill.

cheers for the welcome.

 

[EaseNgrace]

I did have both a 3 iron and 5 wood in the bag aswell as the hybrid a few weeks ago, I was getting such a similar distance with the 3 clubs (240-250) I picked the most versatile club. The hybrid gives me a piercing flight off the tee and it's easy to hit straight aswell as with a shape in either direction, it's easy off the deck with the option of hitting a low almost punch shot approach for par 5's which I couldn't get with the 5 wood. The ball flight with the 5 wood was too high and I didn't feel comfortable with the 3 iron off the tee for reasons unknown, so when I bought my new set I didn't bother with a 3 iron and I have since given away the 5 wood.
Get your hands on a hybrid, or at least try one out and see if it suits.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the hybrid would give you more options in terms of playing from the heavier Winter rough, off the fairway and off the tee ont he longer par 3's. It would give you a higher flight than a 5 wood too

 

[rickg]

I love my Nike SQ Sumo 17 deg hybrid. Like EasNgrace, I use it a lot off the tee and off the fairway. It's good out of the rough and great around the green, especially off really tight lies, where I sometimes have a tendency to mis-hit my wedge.
With the colder and wetter weather coming in, it's also a lot easier on the hands if you have an off centre hit which you definitely can't get away with if you mis-hit say a 2 iron equivelant.
A 5 wood for me has too high a ball flight.
A Mizuno Hybrid sounds perfect for you. Good luck in your quest.

 

[RGDave]

Oooh, it's a tough one.

Throughout my golfing years I've always carried 2 clubs to fill the gap between 3 wood and 4 iron.

In the old days it was a 2 iron and 5 wood. These days it's a rescue and 5 wood.

I know lots of folk that carry a 7 wood, but t.b.h. I think it's a daft choice. It hardly goes any further than a 4 iron (unless you really hit the ball sweet) and strikes me as a sort of "lesser players" club, like admitting you can't really hit a 5 wood off the fairway. (???)

I think a 5 wood is a MUST, I really do. Not difficult to hit off the fairway, great off the tee for short-ish holes and easy to take a few yards off if necessary. The only reason I carry a rescue at all is because I need it for 1 par three (189) and the tee shot on the last (up to 200, 201 = in the lake!!)

If you want to make up distance on a long par 4 or lay-up on a par 5, the lie ought to give you the answer for which club to take. If it's good enough for a rescue, you can probably hit a 5 wood. If it's dodgy, why take the risk? hit a mid-iron.

- - - - -

PS, I tried a Mizuno MX-700 yesterday (in 15 degree 3 wood) and it was a funny old club. I'm not anti-Mizuno woods, like some on here, but for me it went either spectacularly well or absolutely terrible.

Why not try a 5 wood out? If it's not for you, look at rescues....the R7 (in neutral or draw) is ASTONISHINGLY good, and I'd have one in an instant if I was looking (which I'm not).

 

[Jimbob13]

Looks like im going to have to get my hands on a hybrid and test one of these out over over the next few days...

cheers for the feedback so far, looks like the different options a hybrid offers is the reason they are becoming so popular. from what i can see either the 17* or 20* option in the MX-700 range would suit as they wont overlap my 4 iron and should fill the gap nicely.

 

[Jimbob13]

So far i've found my mizuno woods to be pretty good, though about 12 years ago i did have a t-zoid driver and that was inconsistant well it may have been my swing to be honest.

I have a Big Bertha 4 wood in the garage somewhere that ive had for quite a few years, so i may dust that down and take it out with me and compare it to which ever hybrid i get my hands on for a test.

 

[rickg]

Just to give you more food for thought and put some additional doubt in your mind, your other option is a full cavity 2 or 3 iron!! I did look at that when I got my irons. Paul Casey has done it with his set and swears by it. I tried a 3 iron in the Full cavity VR range and got great results with it. In fact I'm still tempted to get either the 2 or 3 iron for next spring and take one of my Hybrids out of the bag. The down side is the lack of flexibility around the green and out of the rough.

 

[EaseNgrace]

Oh and if your a mizzy man, they also do the MP fli-hi irons as more forgiving 2 and 3 iron replacements. It depends on whether you like the feel of hitting a wood or iron best I guess.