hybrid selection

Hi,

Ive just started, been happy hitting irons. I have found it increasingly challenging to hit the longer irons, i find myself hitting a 5 iron far more in consistently compared to my 6 or 7 irons. I am hitting a pretty consistent (with a slight hook when i get tired) 135 - 140m distance with my 7 iron but find it increasingly difficult to get past the 150m with my 5 iron even on shots with better contact.

I was wondering if:
a) hybrids would help my game
b) would it make me shy away from longer irons which could be detrimental in further game development?

if hybrids are the way to go, what should I look for?

cheers
JT

3H and 4H obviously. or even a 5H.

Although its rare to see a replacement for 5i because usually golfers are expected to clear at least a 5i loft.

whatever helps you play better, you can play hybrids up to sand wedge(hybrid chipper).

as for the various makes and models, best to attend demo days, Starry Starry Night and try out all the different hybrids to find out what suits you.

u should be able to get at least 150m w 5H

hacknet wrote:

...
I was wondering if:
a) hybrids would help my game

In the short term, yes.

hacknet wrote:

b) would it make me shy away from longer irons which could be detrimental in further game development?

Game development, not so detrimental; it helps you reach distances beyond your 7 and 6 iron easier.

Swing development, perhaps. Overcoming the difficult is how we achieve mastery. To succeed, we must first encounter failure. If you persevere, and learn to master 6, 5, 4, and even 3 iron, you will grow stronger in terms of your swing mechanics.

Certainly, it's a longer route.

A shorter route is using hybrids to get the distances you want.

Hybrids were invaluable to me earlier in my game. I hardly hit 4 or even 5 iron.

Now I am using hybrids less and long irons more. And I find the confidence of hitting a tee shot into a 180m par 3 with an iron is invaluable, and has a flow-on effect onto my shorter irons.

hacknet wrote:

if hybrids are the way to go, what should I look for?

cheers
JT

Simple, look for a company who made their reputation in hybrids.

Choose a degree of forgiveness vs workability that matches your current level or the level that you want to develop into.

Peace.

Thank you so much for your advice.

question, what specifically should i be looking for to start? higher loft? more flexible shafts?

cheers

hacknet wrote:

Thank you so much for your advice.

question, what specifically should i be looking for to start? higher loft? more flexible shafts?

cheers

This is what I did when I started.

I looked at the distances I could not reach, between the longest manageable iron and the driver. I chose the woods and hybrids to help me reach those distances.

So I got myself a 3 wood, 5 wood, hybrid 3 and hybrid 4. Total overkill, trying to buy myself a game instead of building one.

Soon after, my longer irons started performing. So I dropped the hybrid 4.

Next my hybrid 3 got longer and longer, overlapping with 5 wood, So I dropped the 5 wood.

Now I finally found the wood I want and the hybrid I want; I also have a living room full of woods and hybrids I no longer use (some are still in their plastic wrappers....)

Now I play with a 3 wood and one hybrid in the bag, either the 18 deg pro black or the 20 deg A12.

So, to answer your question, look at your distance gaps that you're trying to fill with the hybrids, and choose a head that is sufficiently forgiving for your current swing that can reach those distances, and a shaft that fits, typically regular for now.

An option would be to get one that hits a nice gap below your shortest wood, say 10m shorter. And learn to choke down to hit distances below that to fill the distance gap to your longest iron.

To save money, because you're not sure what you will finally settle on, consider buying used to try and see how your game responds.

Point to note, if you work on your swing and it improves, your needs will change as well. More work, takes more time, but also more satisfying in the longer term.

Good advice as usual from Mr. Lee. Thank you sir!

Lee from your posts, i think you must be playing sub 80s already

kwannick wrote:

Good advice as usual from Mr. Lee. Thank you sir!

You're most welcome.

eiji wrote:

Lee from your posts, i think you must be playing sub 80s already

Thank you for high expectation. I will strive not to disappoint.

Peace.

thanks again! will go shopping online for a second hand piece. the way it looks, i think it might be better start to get a wood first. i having a bit of trouble getting the ball to climb with my driver which is probably something i have to look into.

hacknet wrote:

thanks again! will go shopping online for a second hand piece. the way it looks, i think it might be better start to get a wood first. i having a bit of trouble getting the ball to climb with my driver which is probably something i have to look into.

for a beginner, i rather u look for a hybrid than a wood since u are having trouble launching the ball.....22-24* would be ideal

me a bit old school, i find shorter clubs easier to hit than longer clubs.....

i absolutely agree. I got a 3H that I hit alot more consistently than my 3w. In terms of distance difference, it is perhaps between 20-30m, which is really not that important. I'll rather have a sharp short game than an inconsistent long game.

Recommend to start with a 5H or 4H to gain confidence and consistency. Once you get the hang of hybrids, you'll find it a lot easier to handle than long irons or woods. In my bag, I only have upto 6i. Rest of the gaps filled by hybrids. Disadvantage is too many headcovers in the bag now

Perfectly normal for 3wood to carry more distance than 3 hybrid cos the former is usually 15 deg loft and the latter is usually (depending on brand) 18-21 deg loft.

They are not 1-for-1 replacement anyway. A shorter length club is easier to handle than a longer length club is the reason many choose a hybrid over fw.

It's better than to spray a fw into hazard (or thinned it / duffed it). Over time, with the right technique, you will enjoy hitting fw. Enjoy the journey

wow, thanks for the good advice. i did try a ping 20deg hybrid, found it really different from irons, much heavier and felt really uncomfortable. is the experience really that jaringly different from an iron?

cheers

The key to all clubs is to grip them firm but not tight. When you swing, you should feel the clubhead weight leading your hands, very much the same as if you are swing a pendulum ball. light grip, easy swing. that works for me

the head felt much heavier than id expected and it felt really hard to control its decent.

Correct me if I'm wrong, that is more to swing weight of the club. The head will feel heavier if the swing weight is high. Personally, I don't like to have too much change in swing weight between my irons and hybrid.

Hey Hacknet,

I would rather suggest you to buy your clubs in your country, if you are Singaporean. Than buying online.

Sometimes the clubs you buy online may not come "okay" according to your expectations. While in Singapore, you could "Hold on to your desired golf clubs" and "Swing Test" it

I remember there's a "small hitting area" in Isetan

Because not at all hyrbids are made equal.

Some are made longer as fairway replacement and some are iron replacement.

Click here to read some reviews about Hybrids

I've got a TM rescue 2011 (4,21) and a old TM Rescue mid (4,22). For some reasons i'm not able to get consistent good hits with the 2011 version, but yet i can get very nice hits (150m) consistently with the old TM Rescue mid.

anybody else have a personal review of the 2011 TM hybrid?

genexis wrote:

I've got a TM rescue 2011 (4,21) and a old TM Rescue mid (4,22). For some reasons i'm not able to get consistent good hits with the 2011 version, but yet i can get very nice hits (150m) consistently with the old TM Rescue mid.

anybody else have a personal review of the 2011 TM hybrid?

I got the impression that somehow the some of the older models from TM are better than current versions.

For wood, TM made a classic, Vsteel, that is still sought after today.

For hybrid, I tried a recent version (not sure if it's the 2011 model, it was the model just before the white head) and found it less solid than my old Burner hybrid.

Highly subjective opinion from me to be taken with a suitable amount of sodium chloride, of course.

i agree with you i like the older models of the TM hybrids...

i just got a taylormade 4,21 from isetan, really reasonable, had the chance to try the US and asia spec, went with the US spec shaft, was really more comfortable and it was cheaper!

im going to the range later to see how it fairs!

thanks guys!

got back from the range, really enjoyed it. had no issue clearing 150m, very very please with results. i found it extremely easy to hit because its really really light!