Hybids & distance

Captain_Black.

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
451
Visit site
So I bought some new hybrids a while ago to replace my ancient ones.
I bought Callaway Mavriks & to cut a long story short, I hated them.
I found them difficult to launch & when I did launch one it went way to far to the comparable iron it was supposed to replace.
So I sold them & went back to my old set.

Then I happened upon an article about Mizuno JPX Fli Hi's.
Supposedly they have stopped the stupid "these are our longest ever hybrids sales patter" & dialed them back to comparable iron distances with the emphasis on playability & forgiveness.
I've ordered some with the NS PRO 950 shafts.
These are lightweight steel shafts 95g, as I play Dynamic Gold 105 shafts in my irons.
Has anyone tried these hybrids?
If so, what is the verdict?
 

tobybarker

Active member
Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Messages
429
Visit site
oddly I just bought a mavrik 4 hybrid and love it. true, it only launches high if you catch it just right, but either way it goes 200 without effort (longer at the moment!). the key I find was to swing easy and let the club head do the work (true of all clubs but the temptation is great to try to whack it, I found)
 

Jason.H

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
1,209
Location
Midlands
Visit site
So I bought some new hybrids a while ago to replace my ancient ones.
I bought Callaway Mavriks & to cut a long story short, I hated them.
I found them difficult to launch & when I did launch one it went way to far to the comparable iron it was supposed to replace.
So I sold them & went back to my old set.

Then I happened upon an article about Mizuno JPX Fli Hi's.
Supposedly they have stopped the stupid "these are our longest ever hybrids sales patter" & dialed them back to comparable iron distances with the emphasis on playability & forgiveness.
I've ordered some with the NS PRO 950 shafts.
These are lightweight steel shafts 95g, as I play Dynamic Gold 105 shafts in my irons.
Has anyone tried these hybrids?
If so, what is the verdict?

Interested to hear how you get on with the fli hi,s.
I’m a fan of my TM sim 2 max hybrids but yesterday I had a great card going and I pulled my 22 degree left (favourite club ever)😂 for a penalty drop, 2nd shot on a par 5 hit it maybe nonchalantly.
I feel more control is now needed.
 

Slab

Occasional Tour Caddy
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Messages
11,721
Location
Port Louis
Visit site
I have a pair of mizuno fli-hi hybrids (3 & 4) but not current model, mine are circa 2016 I think

I too got them with the s/steel shaft option but never got the launch height I expected (bought online with no chance to hit) so ended up swapping shafts for TM graphite shafts, cant recall the exact one
I still don't think they're quite as easy to hit/forgiving as the Cobra baffler rail I originally had (as much as I want them to be) but the distance from each is at least predictable with the expected gap between the two of them and the 4 is longer than my (lower flight) 5iron, and the 3 doesn't reach my 5w distance, so they fit well for gapping

I also changed the grips to the Golf Pride MCC Plus 4 (original grip was fine but I was getting the other long clubs done & wanted them all to match)
 

Robster59

Tour Rookie
Joined
Aug 7, 2015
Messages
5,585
Location
Jackton
www.eastrengolfclub.co.uk
I have a Cleveland Classic hybrid. Probably about 10 years old. I chose it as the lie was fairly flat, which suits my swing. It still flies strong and straight(ish). This was when hybrids were sold on forgiveness rather than distance. I'm at the stage now where I look for forgiveness more than distance.
 

Captain_Black.

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
451
Visit site
I have a Cleveland Classic hybrid. Probably about 10 years old. I chose it as the lie was fairly flat, which suits my swing. It still flies strong and straight(ish). This was when hybrids were sold on forgiveness rather than distance. I'm at the stage now where I look for forgiveness more than distance.
Exactly the issue for me.
The Callaway's I bought (when I hit them well) went way too far.
I wanted them as iron replacements, but they we're anything but & caused me huge gapping issues.
I wish the manufacturers would concentrate on forgiveness rather than distance.
 

Bratty

Princess Pouty (Queen of Fish Lips)
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
4,793
Visit site
A friend of mine can't hit a hybrid but loves his fli-his. Hopefully it works for you too.
 

Voyager EMH

Slipper Wearing Plucker of Pheasants
Joined
Mar 14, 2021
Messages
6,192
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
I played some of my best golf with Driver and 4-wood, 1-SW irons.

I have a 16° cobra baffler hybrid that I feel has replaced the 4-wood and the 1-iron.
And a 20° cobra baffler hybrid that has replaced the 2-iron.
So I still have irons starting at 21°. That could be any number from 2 to 5. Mine happens to be a 3. (TM Sim2 5-iron is 21.5°)
 

Crazyface

Tour Winner
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
7,304
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
I cannot for the life of me get on with hybrids. Mizuno Hi-Fly, Cobras, Clevelands, Adams. Nope nowt works. I've sacked them off out of the bag, but am on the hunt for a good looking one. They must work, it's just a case of finding the right one.
 

WGCRider

Newbie
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
291
Visit site
I cannot for the life of me get on with hybrids. Mizuno Hi-Fly, Cobras, Clevelands, Adams. Nope nowt works. I've sacked them off out of the bag, but am on the hunt for a good looking one. They must work, it's just a case of finding the right one.
Same. Changed to a 7 wood and I feel like I'm cheating. Never going back
 

Captain_Black.

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
451
Visit site
If you can hit them, 3 hybrids are great as a distance club off the tee on a tight fairway or off the deck.
My issue in the past is long par 3's or going into greens from distance.
I don't want a stupid long hybrid.
I want a 4 & 5 hybrid which is easy to hit & will go a comparable distance to the equivalent iron, so it doesn't cause gapping issues.
The problem is most manufacturers have added extra weight to the club head & made the lofts stronger, so that I was getting 3 iron distance from a supposed 5 hybrid.

Got my Fli Hi's delivered today, I haven't hit them yet (hopefully tomorrow)
I'll soon see if they are as claimed genuine like for like iron replacements.
 

Jigger

Club Champion
Joined
Aug 25, 2009
Messages
1,845
Visit site
We were talking about this last night as my mate prefers fairway woods and I prefer hybrids. My hybrids are 15 yards longer so my 4i is replaced with a 5h.
 

RichA

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2021
Messages
3,866
Location
UK
Visit site
I've spent the 3 years since my return to golf being completely unable to hit a fairway wood and struggling with the numerous hybrids I've tried.
I hit my irons fairly hard and long so can play a decent round with neither, but I always feel like I should have something between my driver and longest iron.
The only hybrids that ever make it out of the garage now are the G400 22° and the Baffler 20°.
The G400 likes to be hit with a smooth, lazy swing that doesn't come naturally to me. Hit it with anything like my usual iron stroke and it's, "FORE LEFT!"
The 20-year old Baffler likes to be battered and is a thing of beauty with a good strike - the trajectory seems to defy the laws of physics. Unfortunately, the more frequent imperfect strike results in, "FORE RIGHT!"
I've never tried a Fli-Hi. That might have to be the next experiment. Are we talking about the standard hybrid style Mizuno Fli-Hi here or the iron head crossover type?
 

Jason.H

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
1,209
Location
Midlands
Visit site
I don’t think it’s an issue not matching a 5 iron to a 5 hybrid as all manufacturers have varying iron lofts on their range of irons so it wouldn’t work. As long as your gapping is decent at the top end of your bag.
 

Captain_Black.

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
451
Visit site
The Mizuno's I've just got are traditional hybrid heads.
They do a multitude of different shafts in carbon fibre or steel.
I have a mizuno 3 iron fitted with a NS PRO 950 GH steel shaft which I hit really well.
The shaft flex feels absolutely perfect for me.
I've never yet found a hybrid with a carbon fibre shaft that I've been happy with or suits me.
So I thought I'd try steel shafted hybrids (NS PRO 950 Neo shafts)
 

Jason.H

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
1,209
Location
Midlands
Visit site
If you can hit them, 3 hybrids are great as a distance club off the tee on a tight fairway or off the deck.
My issue in the past is long par 3's or going into greens from distance.
I don't want a stupid long hybrid.
I want a 4 & 5 hybrid which is easy to hit & will go a comparable distance to the equivalent iron, so it doesn't cause gapping issues.
The problem is most manufacturers have added extra weight to the club head & made the lofts stronger, so that I was getting 3 iron distance from a supposed 5 hybrid.

Got my Fli Hi's delivered today, I haven't hit them yet (hopefully tomorrow)
I'll soon see if they are as claimed genuine like for like iron replacements.

My 5 hybrid gives a really nice high ball flight that drops softly ideal for 185 yard shots into greens and my 4 hybrid (same make/manufacturer) has a really strong boring flight better for tee shots and fairway shots.
 

Jason.H

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
1,209
Location
Midlands
Visit site
The Mizuno's I've just got are traditional hybrid heads.
They do a multitude of different shafts in carbon fibre or steel.
I have a mizuno 3 iron fitted with a NS PRO 950 GH steel shaft which I hit really well.
The shaft flex feels absolutely perfect for me.
I've never yet found a hybrid with a carbon fibre shaft that I've been happy with or suits me.
So I thought I'd try steel shafted hybrids (NS PRO 950 Neo shafts)

Back in the day I had Ping fairway woods i3,s with steel shafts which were superb. I do wonder if my hybrids would be better with steel shafts.
 
Last edited:

Backsticks

Assistant Pro
Banned
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
3,852
Visit site
I cannot for the life of me get on with hybrids. Mizuno Hi-Fly, Cobras, Clevelands, Adams. Nope nowt works. I've sacked them off out of the bag, but am on the hunt for a good looking one. They must work, it's just a case of finding the right one.
No, its a case of finding the right swing, or accepting that what the ball does of a hybrid is a function of you and not the club. All hybrids are the same. Club manufacturers and 'fitters' love the idea of, just finding the right one - its how they extract your cash.
But there is no such thing as not getting on with hybrids. And, if you can hit an iron, you can hit a hybrid.
 
Top