4 iron or 4 Hybrid? Advice please....

I believe it depends largely on the competency of the golfer. Irons allow one to shape the shot better as compared to hybrids. I find that hybrids launch too high and can't hold the green, hence I would recommend 4i over 4h if one can manage it. As for me, I can't hit shit with either 4i or 4h, so no difference and since my iron set comes with 4i, might as well just use it and don't need to spend money to buy another club.

These days, almost all golfers speak abt 1 on fr those long par 3 (ie: 183-200m), 2 on fr par 4 n 3 on fr par 5. And the courses re gettg longer, hence hybrid was intro to cater fr this needs.  
I hve 4i as well as 20deg hybrid in my bag to handle diff situation on the course. 

hkhamateur wrote:

These days, almost all golfers speak abt 1 on fr those long par 3 (ie: 183-200m), 2 on fr par 4 n 3 on fr par 5. And the courses re gettg longer, hence hybrid was intro to cater fr this needs.  
I hve 4i as well as 20deg hybrid in my bag to handle diff situation on the course. 

 Bro HK, 20 deg Hybrid is more like equivalent to a 3H whilst 24 deg is equivalent to a 4i ...

In perspective, in case u guys did not know, I recall someone mentioning that RafJ plays in the SGA league under "A" or "Premier" division. i.e. at worst he is a single handicap, more likely a low single or scratch player ...

Guys at that level do NOT have a problem hitting clubs flush.  They will flush it nearly all the time.

So food for thought ... even with that kind of consistent ball striking and swing speed that RafJ has, he is not optimsing the 4 iron (as shown by only 5m gap between 4i and 5i).  Ask yourselves how fast and consistently do you need to swing to get the "proper" distance from a 4i.  Logically speaking, you would need to swing faster and/or better than RafJ.  Do you?

As for RafJ original question, looks like he has decided to play a couple of games with the 4H so it is a moot point.  However, I would suggest that the needs for a player at his level and the needs of the average social golfer (like myself) are very different.

At one stage I used nothing more than a 7i. 6,5 and 4 all hybrids.  This is because even 7i impact consistency was barely acceptable, let alone anything longer, and hybrids go further when you duff (or have not so good contact).  I am slightly better now (and using slightly forgiving irons) so the 6i is back in the bag, but the 4 and 5 hybrids are still there and will stay there I believe. (Maybe if I keep practicing hard I will be able to hit a 5 iron one day)

I can only imagine what a good golfer would want when choosing between a 4i and a 4H but assuming that dispersion is not an issue, then I would think it is the club that offers consistency in terms of distance and the right trajectory even on the occasional (very slightly) off-centre hits.

I am a big fan of hybrids, they help a golfer like me who has a average swing speed.  Having said that, there are so many types of hybrid and shaft combinations out there, finding one that suits you may not be the easiest task.  The wrong shaft or head type may give u a bad experience and put you off hybrids, but if you are lucky enough to find a suitable one, you will start to realise why hybrids have become a mainstream club and are increasingly more commonly found in the bags of Pros and Amateur Golfers alike.

Enjoy the weekend and Good Golfing people!

Derek wrote:

In perspective, in case u guys did not know, I recall someone mentioning that RafJ plays in the SGA league under "A" or "Premier" division. i.e. at worst he is a single handicap, more likely a low single or scratch player ...

Guys at that level do NOT have a problem hitting clubs flush.  They will flush it nearly all the time.

So food for thought ... even with that kind of consistent ball striking and swing speed that RafJ has, he is not optimsing the 4 iron (as shown by only 5m gap between 4i and 5i).  Ask yourselves how fast and consistently do you need to swing to get the "proper" distance from a 4i.  Logically speaking, you would need to swing faster and/or better than RafJ.  Do you?

As for RafJ original question, looks like he has decided to play a couple of games with the 4H so it is a moot point.  However, I would suggest that the needs for a player at his level and the needs of the average social golfer (like myself) are very different.

At one stage I used nothing more than a 7i. 6,5 and 4 all hybrids.  This is because even 7i impact consistency was barely acceptable, let alone anything longer, and hybrids go further when you duff (or have not so good contact).  I am slightly better now (and using slightly forgiving irons) so the 6i is back in the bag, but the 4 and 5 hybrids are still there and will stay there I believe. (Maybe if I keep practicing hard I will be able to hit a 5 iron one day)

I can only imagine what a good golfer would want when choosing between a 4i and a 4H but assuming that dispersion is not an issue, then I would think it is the club that offers consistency in terms of distance and the right trajectory even on the occasional (very slightly) off-centre hits.

I am a big fan of hybrids, they help a golfer like me who has a average swing speed.  Having said that, there are so many types of hybrid and shaft combinations out there, finding one that suits you may not be the easiest task.  The wrong shaft or head type may give u a bad experience and put you off hybrids, but if you are lucky enough to find a suitable one, you will start to realise why hybrids have become a mainstream club and are increasingly more commonly found in the bags of Pros and Amateur Golfers alike.

Enjoy the weekend and Good Golfing people!

Bro, not good enough to play in Premier lah, let alone be a scratch or low single hcp player. Currently play off 7.8 and was only good enough to play in A Div for NSRCC ... But I'm extremely flattered by your post, nonetheless.

Actually, the 4 iron comes into a play quite often for me as I do not drive long and when I play courses that are set up long, like Seletar or Serapong there are a number of Par 4's where I'll have my 4iron as 2nd shots into the greens, or par 5 layups to my scoring distance, which is usually 120 - 130m.If I use my recent game at Serapong as an example, I needed it on hole #3 (3w, 4i), hole#5 (D, 4i), hole #7 (D, 4i, 9i), hole #8 (4i, tailwind), hole #9 (D, 4i), hole #13 (D, 4i), hole #14 (4i) & hole #18 (D, 4i, Pw) 

Like i said in my earlier post, i'll give it a try for a few games and see how I adapt to it.

Thanks for all your opinions and advice. I truly appreciate it.

Have a great golfing weekend folks. :-)

Just wish to add on, that i found for high handicapper (like myself), Hybrid are really good for fairway bunker.
So long the ball seats high on the sand and the "lip" of the bunker is not too high, do try it, i for one love it! cheers~!

snagy23 wrote:

Just wish to add on, that i found for high handicapper (like myself), Hybrid are really good for fairway bunker.
So long the ball seats high on the sand and the "lip" of the bunker is not too high, do try it, i for one love it! cheers~!

 This one I would agree ...

Some 4h has high launch, hence not much roll....I think hitting the 4 is not only mainly about distance but more on trying to keep it straight...

IMO 4H is not exactly a replacement for 4iron. I totally get different distance, loft and roll (& direction) altogether.

edtv75 wrote:

Some 4h has high launch, hence not much roll....I think hitting the 4 is not only mainly about distance but more on trying to keep it straight...

This one is also true ... If one can excel in the 4i or 3i, it is a good club for long Par3 hole, like 200 yards ... It can be more accurate than a hybrid.