Long irons - why so unpopular ?

[Macster]

There seems to be an increasing trend these days for peeps to discard their 3 & 4 irons, because 'they cant get on with them', cant hit them, or whatever.

But, I personally think its a bad move, and anyone that does, should perhaps work more on their strike before immediately bailing out in search of the new rescue clubs, which you have to admit, do look crap sat behind the ball ?

A well struck 3 or 4 iron is a thing to behold, and surely they arent that difficult of a Tee peg anyway, which is when they perhaps might mostly be used ?
Ok, I admit, I've always got on with mine, most of the time, and there is no way I'd bin them, I find them powerful and lovely clubs to hit, and really think if most fella's worked harder at getting on with them, they would be better iron strikers for it ?

Please - I'm not trying to wind anyone up, and I know 'some' Pro's carry hybrids etc, but not that many ?

Give 'em a chance again ?

 

[DelB]

Have to agree with you.
I never usually have a problem hitting my 3 or 4 iron. I do have a hybrid, but it's a 2 iron equivalent and I use that off the fairway and for some Par 3's. I can understand those that do have a 3 or 4 iron equivalent hybrid, but have heard others describe them, tongue-in-cheek, as 'legalised cheating'!!

 

[Dodger]

Terrible.....Using hybrids really is as bad as using those dreadful GPS units or those big headed drivers!

 

[brendy]

Going to hybrids is a bit of a short term cop out fix.
When I was playing of my lowest handicap 5.something, I couldnt hit my 3 and 4 irons for toffee. I relied on my distance off the tee to leave me mid irons or shorter (or a fairway wood for the longer par 5's).
These days I enjoy my mid to long irons as it means I can hit a shorter club off the tee for a little more reliability and still get the green in regulation.
I think people have a natural negativity towards this end of the iron set as they take a little more patience to learn to hit, something with a large head and loft is an easy out. My most satisfying shot used to be booming a drive as far as possible with a little draw, now its the controlled 3/4 or punched long irons because I know Ive had to hit a lot of mis-hits on the range to learn how to do it.

 

[ademac]

I use my 4 iron off the tee on tight holes or longer par 3's. I can also hit it quite well off the fairway. However, just looking at my 3 iron brings me out in a cold sweat! I know it's a confidence thing but as I'm new to the game it's to be expected. The hybrids I carry are good in most lies and if my ball ends up in the rough I don't think the 4 iron is an option for me tbh. The hybrids are also good on days when I'm not striking the ball well, on them day's I don't go anywhere the 4 iron! I won't be discarding my long irons and I look forward to the day's that I'm good enough to be more consistent wuth them. Until then though the hybrids are a bit of a blessing!

 

[Imurg]

Give me a 3 or 4 iron and I'll hit 2 in 10 well. Give me the corresponding hybrids and I'll hit 8 of 10 well.

I'll agree there is almost nothing better than creaming a long iron. I once hit a 3 iron to a few feet going up the 9th at the Forest of Arden - probably the purest shot I've ever hit. But a 20% rate to an 80% rate is a no-brainer.

 

[Libzy]

I have to admit that in my youth, which is not so long abo being 26. I wouldn't think twice before grabbing my 3 iron for a shot off the fairway. Recently though I have struggled to hit my 3 and 4 irons consistently.

It is clear that the fairway woods I nicked from my dad are a lot easier to hit. But there is so much satisfaction from drilling a finely hit 3 iron to the green that I won't give up on them just yet.

 

[TonyN]

Chris I totally agree.

I could never replace anything shorter than a 4 iron with a hybrid, its just not golf to me.

And funny you should bring this up because at the moment, my ball striking has been a little off. My intention was to go to the range for a couple of weeks with just the 4 iron and keep hitting balls untill I get it right.

The hardest club in the bag is going to make me concentrate alot more at the range. I find when I go to work on somethin, i do for all of 10 minutes. Then I take out my favourite club and play that. Doesn't really help much.

 

[SammmeBee]

Hydrids ae fine except when someone sneezes and the resultant wind causes them to go so high - gimme a 3 or 4 iron to punch into the wind any day....

They are great out of divots and rough though, compared to a 3/4 iron....

They are great round the green though for when you are just off it with some thickish grass to go through....

Hence, why I have both....

 

[Imurg]

I can hit my hybrid high or low as needed. Same with my 7 wood.

 

[viscount17]

admittedly, hitting the 4-i well can be a chancy thing but much more satisfying than the hybrid, though I carry both.
I am still trying to work out the 3-i but rarely carry it, maybe force the issue by making it the only long club in a short bag.

 

[USER1999]

I carry (and enjoy hitting) my 4i, but carry a 3 hybrid. This is not because I can't hit a 3i, but because it is way more versatile.
I don't need a 2 hybrid, because I carry a 5w, and they do the same. I find the 5w is easier to hit than a 2 hybrid.

 

[GB72]

For the first time since I started playing I am not carrying a hybrid and am finding great satisfaction when I hit a decent 4 iron.

Also find it annoying that hybrids now as expensive as woods when you woudl think that they should be at a similar price to an iron.

 

[Tommo21]

Full set of irons for me, my hybrid’s in the hut as it was never on the course for long. IMO you really need irons for links golf and that just carries over to any other course.

 

[andiritchie]

I have ditched the hybrid and put a more forgiving 3 iron in the bag to be honest now the 4 iron does not get used i use the 3 iron off the tee on tighter holes and reley on my distance off the tee to leave me 5/6 in on the longest of the holes.

I not against hybrids my girlfriend uses 3.4.and 5 hybrids to good effect i just dont like them maybe how they lie

It would be good to get hybrids the same lie as your irons,my irons are 2 degrees upright so a standard hybrid off the deck will go right or am i wrong

 

[CarpeDiem]

I find it harder to hit my hybrid than my long irons. Don't know why.

 

[USER1999]

I am not sure. I had my irons c/f'ed and they are 1/2" longer and 2 degrees upright. Now I bought my hybrid at the same time, so it has the same shaft as the irons, and is 1/2" longer in the shaft, but whether it is 2 degrees upright, who knows. Personally, I doubt it, but I hit it well, so I don't care. I am not sure with woods, that the lie really matters as much as with irons, because you sweep them away.

 

[andiritchie]

You might sweep them away but me with a hybrid i tend to hack at the bugger,good job i dont need to use hybrids all the time

 

[Teeshot]

I find it harder to hit my hybrid than my long irons. Don't know why.

Me too- In fact I am looking for a 3 iron to replace my 3/4 hybrid- I hate it, it looks bad at address and I have trouble getting it in the air off the fairway- I like my 4 iron, and practice the most with it. Would a 3 be that much harder?

 

[CarpeDiem]

What hybrid is it?