Mixed iron sets and hybrids -thoughts please

[Bratty]

Following Slab's April post and SPV's recent fitting and pictures posts, some more musings about mixing irons and Pings.

Had a fitting session with my Pro for Ping i25s, following a good few irons tested on the range. He made an interesting suggestion of going 5-7 irons in i25s, and 8-pw in s55s, as I can get away with less forgiveness in the shorter irons, and they're the same lofts so no odd gaps. Wondering if anyone's done the same or similar?

There's no 4 iron above, as he suggested either a g25 4iron, or a 23 deg hybrid.

Now I've loved my r9 and mx20 4irons a lot, but is the i25 more tricky? Also, why not make life easier for myself?! Haven't tried the hybrids yet, so will be doing that, plus g25 and i25 4irons before any decisions, but have narrowed the hybrids down to ping g25s, wilson staff fg tour m3 or x2 hot pro (based on the fact I need 20 and 23 / 24 degrees to fit gaps between 3wood (15.5), 2h (17) and the 5 iron (27 deg).

Any experience good or bad with those hybrids or other hybrids with those lofts I should look at - Cobra have an adjustable, I believe, which could work too?

Thoughts in general? Cheers all.

 

[jimbob.someroo]

I'm a big convert as of the last month or so. Currently rocking 4 hybrids (FOUR!!!) after trying the new Adams Pro series stuff.

I've got a 18 (2 iron), 21 (3 iron), 24, (4 iron) and 27 (5 iron) before I go into my RBladez Tour's from 6-P.

For all the good shots I hit with my 3-5 irons, it's just so much easier to hit the hybrids - especially as the ones I have aren't too chunky.

I would argue that for the majority of club golfers, hitting 10 balls with a 4 iron vs 10 with a 24* hybrid, they'd hit the latter both further and straighter more consistently.

 

[the_coach]

If you find the hybrids give you the impact & you want to produce better consistent strikes plus the right 'numbers', it would be the way to go.
My take on the irons you seem to have narrowed it down to, you get a completely different feel from the i25's to the s55's so why make that a ways more difficult for yourself, with no great real benefit.

Difficult to generalize but off your mark at present my take would be stick with the i25's from 4i, or 5i through to 9i, even the i25 wedges too, but then you could always if for some reason you don't like the i25 wedges, get 3 specialist wedges, the 'gorge tour' (if you needed to stick with ping) or Clevelands, Vokeys.

 

[Bratty]

Thanks, Jimbob, I'll give the hybrids a go.

The Coach, I hadn't thought about a specialist wedge. I've got Cleveland 50 and 56, so guess a 46 would make sense!

Point taken about making things easy for myself too, so food for thought!

 

[mefromhere]

Tried the Wilson Staff one a couple of weeks ago and was lovely. Able to adjust loft but more importantly for me it seemed you can adjust the weights in the head. I didn't think this would make a difference but the fitter took the club off me as it was just spinning up and going nowhere very far ... did some magic and then gave it back to me. Cue a penetrating flight that still landed softly and was consistent time after time. What magic did he do? Lowered the weight in the head by 4 grams.

Certainly one to give a go

 

[Bratty]

Interesting to hear a positive experience of adjustable weighting, mefromhere. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Foxholer]

I'm with the_coach!

Mixing and matching is fine if the feel is pretty much identical, but those are sooo different!

Check out the hybrid and make sure you get on with it. My mate - who has I20 5-PW G20 3,4 - is about to have another look at them as the G20s are now too chunky looking (that comment surprised me!). Pings of course!

He's loves with the I25 Driver I transported to him on Saturday though. I measured one of his drives (downhill but not perfectly struck!) at 330! And another (perfectly struck, uphill) at 300 (too close - he duffed the chip!)!

 

[Bratty]

I had no intention of looking at a driver... 330 you say? Damn you, Foxholer!

Will certainly be trialling both 4 irons and several hybrids though.

I did try the s55 7iron a month ago, and it was lovely when hit well, but the fitter and I looked at some numbers and she also suggested that they wouldn't really suit me in the higher irons. I do see the difference in feel, though, so maybe it's best to stick with the i25s in the lower irons too.

So much to consider.

 

[groundskeeperwilly]

Hi

I use the 20 & 23 degree X2hot Pro hybrids- they are fantastic and the best hybrid that I have used. I think the aldila tour green shaft may be a major reason for it. Great clubs.

 

[duncan mackie]

I'm a big convert as of the last month or so. Currently rocking 4 hybrids (FOUR!!!) after trying the new Adams Pro series stuff.

I would argue that for the majority of club golfers, hitting 10 balls with a 4 iron vs 10 with a 24* hybrid, they'd hit the latter both further and straighter more consistently.

women clocked this a long time ago, and obviously seniors to a degree, but basically ego's get in the way of real men having such bags

 

[garyinderry]

finally got every club in my bag working quite well apart from my 22 hybrid. it just wants to go left and stay left every time.

I think this article has hit the nail on the head.

http://www.golf.com/instruction/how-straighten-out-your-hybrids

I thought having the ball in the middle of my stance was a major factor in a hook so I tried less to no shaft lean and more forward ball position which according to this article is the kiss of death.

 

[Alex1975]

I am always interested in swapping out the mid/top end of my bag with hybrids but its come to the point now where my 4 and 5 irons are such a strong part of my game that I cant see the point now. I did once have a 19* and 24* hybrid in the bag (still have the 19*) but the 24* went so far it did not really fit with the others. My 19* is without doubt the best club in my bag and I wish all my clubs felt like that, its clearly the right weight, flex and look for me.

I think ill stick for now but its always in my mind to get as many hybrids as I can.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I have a 3 and a 4 hybrid normally in my bag - lowest iron is a 5 iron

 

[Alex1975]

Oh and I was also going to say about the wind. I play on a windy course and sometimes get a lot better result from a 4 iron than a 2 hybrid purely because its easier to hit the 4 iron lower.

 

[TheJezster]

Cleveland cottoned onto this last year and produced their 588 range especially for this reason, so you could chop and change throughout the 3 models, TT, MT and Altitude. The Altitude are a kinda hybrid looking iron, so my 4 & 5 irons are these, with the rest of the set, 6-PW all the MT model.

Fantastic, so much confidence looking down at the 4 iron, I'd definitely recommend this option.

Cleveland are pioneers, they should be applauded. I'd love their wedges too but sadly don't have the money to just throw at them seeing as I already have perfectly good 52 & 56 wedges.

So, if you've not tried them, or they aren't on your list, I urge you to give the Cleveland 588 range a try. You will NOT be disappointed.

 

[Bratty]

I went to the range with an American Golf attached, and tried 9 irons, 4 irons and hybrids.

I'll be sticking with 4-9 in i25, but may go for Cleveland 588 in 46deg. Bit of advice I was given was that I'd likely see a 5-7 yard difference between the i25 wedge and the 588, so something else to explore.

Hybrids, the wilson staff was good, but wow... Nike Covert 2.0. Revelation!! It was awesome. Never in my mind until I got handed it. Superb.

 

[Bratty]

Sorry, 2nd bit disappeared!

Need to try g25 hybrids still, as they didn't have any in stiff, but the Covert went a good way, gave me a lower flight than usual, which was nice but didn't seem to lose distance as a result. Played better than the M3, and discounted the x2 as I didn't like the look of it.

The 4iron of the i25 was perfectly easy to hit and weirdly, was easier than the g25! Pretty sure I'm going for the 4iron ahead of a hybrid, but will need to try the Covert and g25 23deg to be sure.

The 9 iron in s55 was fine, but as some had already said, the feel was very different to the i25. That 9iron was rather nice, with a soft feel off the face, but still gave me a nice distance, so will be sticking with i25 through the low irons too.

 

[chrisd]

I have 2 Adams hybrids but have ditched them now as my 4 iron in the Callaway X2 Hot iron set goes just as far as the 16* Adams is easier to hit and since I bought the Callaways I still carried the Adams and never actually used one.

I agree with the Coach about a mixed set - why make the game any harder than you need to?

 

[Bratty]

I have 2 Adams hybrids but have ditched them now as my 4 iron in the Callaway X2 Hot iron set goes just as far as the 16* Adams is easier to hit and since I bought the Callaways I still carried the Adams and never actually used one.

I agree with the Coach about a mixed set - why make the game any harder than you need to?

A 16* hybrid goes as far as a 4iron, which is around 22* on average? Wow! Seems Callaway have some strong clubs there (after all, it can't be the bloke on the end of them this time, Chris! :rofl: )!

I have now ordered ping i25s in 4-PW, and will be deciding on hybrids once I've had a chance to hit the G25s and compare them to the Nikes.

Thanks to all who posted with advice, and I'm looking forward to a handicap reduction, cos that's what happens when you get new shineys, right?!

 

[Bratty]

A 16* hybrid goes as far as a 4iron, which is around 22* on average? Wow! Seems Callaway have some strong clubs there (after all, it can't be the bloke on the end of them this time, Chris! :rofl: )!

I have now ordered ping i25s in 4-PW, and will be deciding on hybrids once I've had a chance to hit the G25s and compare them to the Nikes.

Thanks to all who posted with advice, and I'm looking forward to a handicap reduction, cos that's what happens when you get new shineys, right?!

Seems like my IE is playing up, and I wasn't able to edit my post. Forgot to say that I'm not having Ping grips fitted, but the grey Lamkin Ace 3gen on 4 - 7 and Perma Wrap 3gen on 8 - PW, as I don't wear a glove for the lower irons, so felt I'd benefit from a more tacky grip. Time will tell.