Confused about fairway, utility, hybrids

Hi folks,

Just a few beginner questions:

1. What is the difference between a fairway, hybrid and utility?

2. Under what circumstances do we use them?


Cheers
Scubadude

hi scubadude

hybrid aka utility is supposed to be long iron (3,4) replacement...i suspect It's designed to be easier in launching the ball high coz the CoG is deeper and farther away from face compared to an iron. Hybrid's wider sole also prevents diggers from digging too much.

Fairway woods generally have longer shaft and even larger heads. The curvature on the face also different. Woods have more rounded face, hybrids' face tend to be straight from toe to heel (like an iron). But these days the club head design gets murky, some hybrids look like wood, some look more like iron.

so maybe there's no fixed formula; gotta try and see how you handle both clubs on different lies. whatever works for you.

To further expand briefly on hybrid/utility clubs, if you are better at hitting your woods, then go for hybrids with more of wood-like design. Better at irons, then hybrids shaped more like irons would better serve your needs.

look at the Adams 9032Ti hybrid-fairwood, got quite a few good reviews in the US. I have the older version Speedline hybrid-fairway wood. A bit easier to hit than the normal 3 wood. Even using the 3+ version, i can manage to hit a couple of stingers the last game.

Basically a bigger hybrid head and longer shaft. Good off the tee as well.

Hybrid club is a great invention. Straight and easier to hit from diffcult lie. Even from the fairway bunker. But I also like my fairway wood (no 3) . It give me the distance I wanted from a good lie esp tackling the long par 4 or par 5.

scubadude wrote:

Hi folks,

Just a few beginner questions:

1. What is the difference between a fairway, hybrid and utility?

2. Under what circumstances do we use them?


Cheers
Scubadude

Hey,

let me add something...

Hybrid, Rescue club or utility was first invented by TaylorMade. And they patented the word "Rescue" so all the other golf club makers cannot use the word rescue. So they came out with the word Hybrid.
And then it can also be called Utility because you can do a lot with it.

It is now a must to have one in your golf club.
Hybrid was invented for recreational golfers who cannot hit Long irons, like 3, 4 & 5irons as replacement clubs for the above mentioned clubs.

Hybrid was made to replace Fairway woods. Because a lot of recreational golfers cannot hit 3wood or 5wood too. And since their shafts are a little shorter it is far easier to hit.

Now why is it sometimes called utility clubs because you can used it to swing your golf balls out from those fairway sand bunkers, you can use it to putt too etc. etc.

ps. If you come across with Golf Digest magazines, old issues even, you can come across with 5 different club shots using a hybrid club

just my 5cent idea. Hope this helps.....

thanks for the response guys ..

seems like there is a lot of things to say when it comes to hybrids. (will take out RESCUE since it is trademark by Taylormade).

I do agree that the woods tend to be a bit difficult to hit especially for me. I inherited a shallow face fairway club from a relative .. can't remember what brand/model it is. Will update later. But it is definitely easier to hit than the regular woods ..

anyway, more practice is required ...

Hi guys, can i just add one more question?

What club do u all choose to play out of rough?

Hybrids? Irons? Or Woods?

Jiantong wrote:

Hi guys, can i just add one more question?

What club do u all choose to play out of rough?

Hybrids? Irons? Or Woods?

Personally I am not a good woods/ hybrid player... so irons is a pretty straight forward choice for me.

But if the rough is really really thick... I will make sure I look around and see that my flight buddies are not looking... and use my secret 15th club (my hand) and scoop it out onto the fairway...

hey I own that club, the hand wedge, right? very useful club, versatile. Can handle any lies, good for getting out of hazards.

pushslice wrote:

hey I own that club, the hand wedge, right? very useful club, versatile. Can handle any lies, good for getting out of hazards.

alamak i hope i you didnt learn that from me haha but you would need it lesser by day!

whahahaha i remember justin teaching us that very impt "wedge" during the last SSN Its very useful for the towering bunkers hee

wha die. now who wants to pay me 1hr lesson fees on how to use a hand wedge? lol

no bro..since taking lessons from you, I've graduated to using the foot wedge. Got more backspin!

back to topic..sorry scubadude, back to jiantong's poll.

For me;
very thick/high rough: sand wedge, I just want to get out of there
normal rough: short to mid irons
short rough like in OCC: hybrid

I only use woods on perfect lies or off the tee.

justin, how about a pro like you?

well it depends on the lie in the rough. if we are talking abt bad, real bad lie then yes a wedge out be prob the only sensible choice. However even in average lie in the rough, a hybrid can be the club of choice as it is the most versatile .A risky shot though as the grass in Asia has grain to it. Any shot into the grain with anything more than a mid iron is pretty risky as the grass would catch a wood, hybrid or a longer iron before it impacts the ball as you'd want to swing to sweep it off the ground with such a club. Basically as similar to every shot, play your percentages. Have a look at the situation and your decision should be based on the highest percentage shot.

ah .. the famous HAND Wedge ... able to leap over tall bunkers in a single bound, more versatile than your best utility or iron ...

I suck when the ball is not on an even lie ... can someone suggest what i should do?

Some ppl refer to the hand wedge as the "5 iron".

When I tell my frens I use my 5 iron to get out of tall bunkers, it never fails to get a confused and startled look from them..

scubadude wrote:

ah .. the famous HAND Wedge ... able to leap over tall bunkers in a single bound, more versatile than your best utility or iron ...

I suck when the ball is not on an even lie ... can someone suggest what i should do?

For upslope or downslope ,set up with the slope. imagine you want your shoulders and hips to be parallel with the slope.
For sidehill lies, choke down on a ball above feet shot and aim slightly right as the ball wld want to draw and for a ball below feet lie, make sure you set up in a way where it's easier to reach for the ball by bending over from the hips a bit more and aim slightly left for a fade.

Importance for uneven lies, good balance!