Ditching the Hybrid

[Rickp 21,354]

I was on the range the other week hitting one of my Mac Custom 5 woods. THis kid beside me got curious and real politely asked me "Sir when did they start making hybrids out of wood?" He was sincere. I had to explain that it was not a hybrid but a real fairway wood back when woods were actually woods. As you know all of those Mac fairways are tiny even in it's day. Actually his new Callaway hybrid was a tad larger than my 5 wood. I told him if he was interested he could hit one. He really did not want to. I told him if he ever wanted to go to persimmon please see me. We talked and I know his Dad. I bet $20 I will know what his Dad will tell him. "Ole Stuey is ok but he is tied too much to the past with those outdated antiques" Funny thing is I am some 25 years older than his Dad and can beat him straight up from any tee using my antique equipment and him moderns. A lot of the regulars around my club will tell you tongue in cheek that I am "touched in the head" because I am always hitting those antique blades and wooden woods

I think all golfers are “touched in the head”


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[aerospace_ray 643]

I remember several years ago when hybrids first gained popularity. The majority of golfers played them IMO way too forward in their stance similar to their fairway woods. That position / stance caused me to severely hook the ball at times.

So I ditched the hybrids and went back to high lofted fairway woods which were longer in length but had much flatter lie angles and square / open club faces. I never turned those over.

Fast forward a few years and I started experimenting with Wishon hybrids because the hosel was bendable. Not pushing Wishon although that is my preferred component and I learned my club making/fitting from his books and later videos. I played Adams hybrids years ago (bendable hosels) and later Callaway (again bendable/adjustable).

The second thing and probably most important positive change  for me regarding hitting hybrids was from  watching an instructor ask a student, "why not hit down on your hybrid and play it like an iron"?

So I experimented with the ball position tweaked. It worked near instantly for me, the only challenge I had was I was actually hitting the ball way higher-- so I adjusted the loft and actually changed shafts (more mid-bend point/firmer tip) and have not looked back. My only concern today is the look of the hybrid in address position. That has to fit my eye or I don't commit to the swing. 

[NRJyzr 447]

I've been going in the opposite direction, in a way, by removing fairway woods in favor of hybrid use.  Today's round, I'll be using 3-PW, SW, LW, with a #2 driving iron, and a 2h that I'm tuning down to 15*.

For the most part, I prefer the shorter club lengths one can get with hybrids, as well as the heavier shafts available.  My 2h has a 105g shaft.

[hartrick11 536]

I have come full circle on hybrids, initially loving them when I got back into the game 10 yrs ago, but then abandoning them once I started having hook problems. Now it seems like there are more options with adjustable hosels/weights and stout shafts. After a couple of failed trials with other options, I have enjoyed my 818 h2 with fade weight & lie angle, and 90g shaft. 

[tehuti 557]

My newest clubs are my 4w and 3h. Up to now I had no luck with fairways or hybrids and pulled them from my bag for a while. But that left me with nothing I could hit longer than 150 from the fairway. So I gave it another shot.

It’s still early but so far results have been positive. Today I hit both clubs more than anything else in my bag, and stayed out of trouble. Unheard of for me!


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[josmi15 1,732]

My newest clubs are my 4w and 3h. Up to now I had no luck with fairways or hybrids and pulled them from my bag for a while. But that left me with nothing I could hit longer than 150 from the fairway. So I gave it another shot.

It’s still early but so far results have been positive. Today I hit both clubs more than anything else in my bag, and stayed out of trouble. Unheard of for me!


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Great news!


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[fixyurdivot 9,550]

On 2/7/2018 at 8:06 AM, deejaid said:

I feel I have given hybrids enough of a chance but these things don't work for me. I'm at a loss as to why. Perhaps I just need a fitting but I've tried small head hybrids; larger, almost fairway wood sized hybrids; both stiff and regular flex shafts and I've not found one that I am consistent and fully confident in. I have full confidence in my 3-wood as well as my 4-Iron, but that spot in the bag between the two I'm lost.

 

 

How many of you have switched from a hybrid to one of the new driving/fli hi irons that seem to have become pretty popular in the last few seasons?

 

For now, I'm just shafting up the 3-Iron again and it's going back in the bag.

 

 

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I tested hybrids before ultimately choosing the G400 SFT 5w to compliment the 3w.  They just were not as consistent for me.  Plus, I was impressed that the shots I made from thick (like the fitter knocked into the ground) were better with the 5w than the hybrid.  I almost opted for the 7w as it too was easy and consistent.  There have been a few times I wish I had it but more times I'm glad I have the 5w... which I can throttle a little.

[deejaid 3,939]

What’s funny is how my game and bag has changed since I started this thread. Now that I am playing persimmon woods exclusively the hybrid isn’t even a consideration. I am carrying either 1,3,4,5 or 1,3,4 woods depending on which wedge configuration I take. I am also much more comfortable with my 3-iron so it’s in the bag regularly.

I really enjoy hitting higher lofted woods though. Even if I was playing modern woods I think I’d be looking at woods instead of hybrids.


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[fixyurdivot 9,550]

57 minutes ago, deejaid said:

What’s funny is how my game and bag has changed since I started this thread. Now that I am playing persimmon woods exclusively the hybrid isn’t even a consideration. I am carrying either 1,3,4,5 or 1,3,4 woods depending on which wedge configuration I take. I am also much more comfortable with my 3-iron so it’s in the bag regularly.

I really enjoy hitting higher lofted woods though. Even if I was playing modern woods I think I’d be looking at woods instead of hybrids.


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Well Deejaid, when we start seeing persimmon woods once again adorn the racks at Golf Galaxy, Dicks, etc., we'll point to you as the man who started the movement .  I still use a couple bamboo fly rods and those have maintained a dedicated user base - in fact have had a bit of a resurgence.

[Rickp 21,354]

I’m struggling mightily w 5 hybrid. It’s so bad guys make sure their in back of me to stay from getting Kilt!
Digging out a 5w from the depths of the garage Monday. See what happens.


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[Kenny B 24,168]

58 minutes ago, Rickp said:

I’m struggling mightily w 5 hybrid. It’s so bad guys make sure their in back of me to stay from getting Kilt!
Digging out a 5w from the depths of the garage Monday. See what happens.
 

Sometimes you just have to show a club who's boss.  My 5H did the same thing two weeks ago; took it out.  Put it back in today and hit two high second shots onto greens.  It must have learned its lesson.

[MadMex 331]

11 hours ago, Rickp said:

I’m struggling mightily w 5 hybrid. It’s so bad guys make sure their in back of me to stay from getting Kilt!
Digging out a 5w from the depths of the garage Monday. See what happens.


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My biggest fault is when I play hybrids like a wood, as soon as I set it up and hit like an iron, success. 

I bought a PING G-410 3H and a 4H when the COVID thing hit for about $210 with shipping on the bay, mostly because of what I read,,, first shot on range, instant success for me, high and log, 3H a little lower than my 5 wood.

The only reason I carried a 3H and 4H before was to pull balls out of brush and water. Tried Taylormade, Titleist, Adams,,,, settled on Cleveland Mashie since I had success hitting them once in a while.
 

[Hadi05 20]

My biggest fault is when I play hybrids like a wood, as soon as I set it up and hit like an iron, success. 
I bought a PING G-410 3H and a 4H when the COVID thing hit for about $210 with shipping on the bay, mostly because of what I read,,, first shot on range, instant success for me, high and log, 3H a little lower than my 5 wood.
The only reason I carried a 3H and 4H before was to pull balls out of brush and water. Tried Taylormade, Titleist, Adams,,,, settled on Cleveland Mashie since I had success hitting them once in a while.
 

#truth a hybrid isn't a wood and shouldn't be played like one. Played with where it is in my stance and now it won't come out of the bag!

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[HAC 53]

My first hybrids were Ping G 15s.  I hit them solidly, but they had a big offset, were very draw biased and I had to fight a hook with them.  I replaced them a couple of years ago with my Titleists that are adjustable and were fitted to me. Love them.

[RoverRick 1,545]

I’m gaming 2 hybrids right now. No it’s not the Mizuno CLK’s I bought last year or whatever I bought the year before or even the year before that. They all sucked. (Certainly wasn’t my fault)

I’m gaming TM SLDR’s BUT what’s different about these are I stuck in some old Aldila VooDoo shafts in them. I had the heads in the garage and the shafts, perhaps from the Bush Administration, and I butt trimmed to he shafts to play standard steel shaft 3&4 iron lengths. It was meant as an experiment but I have never hit higher and straighter hybrids in my life.

I’m sure it is the shorter shaft is simply delivering the club head at the proper angle but so far there have been no hooks and I can hit fades or draws.

It turns out that the SLDR driver and 3 wood also got back in the bag this weekend. I reshafted my Mizuno ST190G and 3w and 5W but they were not set by Saturday so I played my M5 driver and SLDR 3w. But didn’t hit the M5 well so tried the SLDR on a Tensei Orange shaft and that is the flavor of the week.


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[Firebird 305]

I never really worried or thought about hybrids until I was buying my latest set of clubs and part of the deal was a free hybrid or 3 iron. I tried the hybrid and it found that the ball flight was better than the 3 iron and also the Epic was adjustable. For me I used to carry a 1-2 iron and could hit both really consistently, but the bad shots/off sweet spot were really bad. With the hybrid consistency has improved however the big difference is the off centre hits are so much better. I might loose 20-25m but are reasonable straight where I used to hood the irons.

I have tried driving irons and again they are ok but still not as forgiving as the hybrid.