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Hybrids vs Driving irons and What to buy


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I bought a hybrid a couple of years ago to fill in a gap between my 3 wood and 4 iron. I found a great deal on a 3 hybrid online and thought that I was getting everything I needed. This hybrid has become the most feared club in my bag because it is either a stung, low flying missile or an absolute snap dragon hook and sometimes I can't even tell what has caused my misfortune. I have a higher club speed than most, and usually play my irons well so I was dumbfounded by my struggles.

It was recently recommended to try a driving iron to replace the hybrid. A friend let me use his Titleist MB 2 iron and it was pure magic from the first swing. Was wondering what causes my woes with the hybrid and recommendations for a nice driving iron to replace it. 

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I’m certainly no pro but in my opinion, a hybrid works better for someone with a slower swing speed or more deliberate swing. 
 

If what you say is true, and your swing speed is pretty high, I’d definitely recommend trying out some driving irons/utility irons  
 

I play a hybrid myself but if I was to recommend a driving iron it would either be the TaylorMade P790 or the Mizuno MB-20 HMB. Of course, it’s all about what works for you and your swing

Edited by jlbarbour
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Here's a good video that provides a great overview.

I want to game a driving iron instead of hybrid because I always hooked hybrids. The DI was amazing off the tee but just not what I needed for those longer shots off the deck. 

A lot of hybrids today have adjustability to make them less draw biased. Titleist and Ping both have flat settings. Also, choosing higher loft head and then adjusting down opens the face so that helps mitigate the over draw too. 

My Titleist 818 H2 has become one of the most reliable clubs in my bag. My driver swing speed is 112+ mph so while I can game a driving iron, the hybrid is just more versatile for me. 

Another option to look into is a 5 wood. 

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Everybody gets along with clubs differently.  I love hybrids and hate driving irons.  Issues are probably less about speed and more about how you swing and deliver the club to the ball.  Not a bad thing,  it is just what it is. 

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven
Fairway: :titelist-small: TS3 15*  w/Project X Hzardous Smoke
Hybrids:  :titelist-small: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype
                :titelist-small: 915H  24*  w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype        
Irons:      :honma:TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite
Wedge:  :titleist-small: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite
Putter:   :taylormade-small:TM-180

Testing:   SPGC_logo.jpg

Backups:  :odyssey-small: Milled Collection RSX 2, :seemore-small: mFGP2, :cameron-small: Futura 5W

Member:  MGS Hitsquad since 2017697979773_DSCN2368(Custom).JPG.a1a25f5e430d9eebae93c5d652cbd4b9.JPG

 

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Thanks for the feedback guys, I looked into it a little more and it seems many hybrids have a  draw bias, mine in particular. I think I will go check out some driving irons once stores open back up and see what fits me best. 

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Interesting video that highlights the different trajectories of each type of club. As I am starting to fill in my bag, this will be a great resource in thinking how I deliver my irons vs. hybrids vs. fairway woods. My local club has a good variation on shots that might need the higher flight / steeper angle of a fairway wood over water or bunker, with some other holes might need that longer roll-out of a driving iron.

1641152206_TaylorMadelogo.png.1a4d69c9e3e98b4a2cc285ddd4f44160.png M5 9 deg [Project X Evenflow Black 65g] // 1641152206_TaylorMadelogo.png.1a4d69c9e3e98b4a2cc285ddd4f44160.png SIM Max 3w 15 deg [Fujikura Ventus Blue 5-R] // 1818715690_mizunologo.png.362d1f007e2345c895a2a095ac1d19d1.png JPX 919 5i-PW // 1641152206_TaylorMadelogo.png.1a4d69c9e3e98b4a2cc285ddd4f44160.png ATV Grind Wedges 52-60 [KBS Tour Steel] // 1455271488_Odysseylogo.jpg.b9b3d31d23a9b217779870779776c15d.jpg Stroke Lab 7 // 1641152206_TaylorMadelogo.png.1a4d69c9e3e98b4a2cc285ddd4f44160.png TP5 // 1818715690_mizunologo.png.362d1f007e2345c895a2a095ac1d19d1.png BRD-4 [Cart-Red-Gray] // adidas_logo_21.png.8b407cf238a5268554c70f59912c11a7.png CodeChaos [White-Red]

1448174426_SuperSpeedLogo2.png.17b2bb92c3fb344ab94e0e85f7419d12.png SuperSpeed 2020 Testing Group

Initial Driver Swing Speed: 95 mph

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4 hours ago, Sasquatch said:

Thanks for the feedback guys, I looked into it a little more and it seems many hybrids have a  draw bias, mine in particular. I think I will go check out some driving irons once stores open back up and see what fits me best. 

Remember, most hybrids these days are adjustable.  Most driving irons are not (Besides bending them possibly). 

:titelist-small: TSR2 10.0 Fujikura Ventus TR Black 5x

:titelist-small: TSR2+ 14.5 degree Graphite Design Tour AD DI-6s

:titelist-small: TSR2 18 degree Graphite Design Tour AD UB 6s

:titelist-small: T200 Utility Build 4iron Graphite Design Tour AD DI

:titelist-small: T100s 5-P Dynamic Gold TI X100 

:vokey-small: SM 9 50, 54, 58

:cameron-small: Super Select Golo 6

:titelist-small: ProV1X 

 

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On 4/1/2020 at 6:25 PM, jlbarbour said:

I’m certainly no pro but in my opinion, a hybrid works better for someone with a slower swing speed or more deliberate swing. 
 

If what you say is true, and your swing speed is pretty high, I’d definitely recommend trying out some driving irons/utility irons  
 

I play a hybrid myself but if I was to recommend a driving iron it would either be the TaylorMade P790 or the Mizuno MB-20 HMB. Of course, it’s all about what works for you and your swing

Many pros have at least one hybrid in their bag. 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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Its all what you like really.  Some would say that average golfers should get a hybrid because they are forgiving and easy to hit and that pros should use a driving iron to help them keep the ball down so that it doesnt balloon on them.

Me, I never really go on with hybrids and would personally pick a fairway wood over either a hybrid or driving iron.  I always struggled with hybrids because if I tried to hit them like a mid iron, I would always block them to the right and if I tried to sweep them I would hit these thin pulls.  Every now and then I would get it right and hit a nice shot with them but it was like 1 out of 10 for me.

"I suppose its better to be a master of 7 than to be vaguely familiar with 14." - Chick Evans

Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag?

Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* 

Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H

Irons: Mizuno T-Zoid True 5, 7 and 9-irons

Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper

Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02

Ball: Maxfli Tour X

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I play both, Srixon U65 3i mostly for anything off the tee requiring low/mid flight and accuracy, and a new taylormade sim max off the deck. Actually get almost as much out of the sim as my titleist tS3 3 wood. Mostly bc of consistent strike, but it’s a beast with limited draw bias. The driving iron is a bit challenging off a tight fairway


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

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I was in the same boat as you.  I needed to fill a gap so I have two hybrids.  At first, I hit them both well, but over time I began to hook both of them off the tee.  These are the only two clubs I hook btw.  One day a good friend of mine gave me his Callaway UT driving iron to try.  I love that club off the tee.  I would have to say, my stats are similar to what @jlukes said (my swing speed is 112+, and I hit the driving iron pure, most of the time, off the tee, but this is the ONLY place I use it.)  I never use it from the fairway...EVER.  I can't hit it.  My hybrids I can hit fairly well off the deck but hook off the tee.  So what I did, I pulled out one of the hybrids (4 hybrid) and kept my 3 hybrid.  My course is an old tree lined tight course that's not overly long.  Having accurate tee shots are a must where I play.  I will hit the 2 iron on about 3-4 holes. 

Here is my gapping for top of my bag:

Driver-285+

3 Wood off tee-260 ball flight straight to small fade

3 wood off deck 240 straight to small fade

2 iron off tee 240 dead straight

3 hybrid off deck 225 straight to small draw

This seems to work fairly well for me on most holes.  Just what I use.

   Driver:  :callaway-small: Epic Flash Sub Zero Hzdrs Smoke x flex 70g

3 Wood:  :titelist-small: 917 w/ Diamana Whiteboard stiff

5 Wood : :callaway-small: Epic Flash 18* Hzdrs Smoke stiff

4 Hybrid: image.png.cf6ab25979c6727ff31e6cc6f719636c.png TSi3 Hzdrs Smoke X flex

     Irons:  :callaway-small: 5-7  Apex forged 19 w/ Modus 120 X

                         9-A Apex Pro 19 w/ Modus 120 X

Wedges:  :callaway-small: MD5 52&56 Jaws Dynamic Gold wedge flex

    Putter: :titelist-small: Scotty Cameron Phantom 5.5 34"

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I went the hybrid route this year , Callaway super hybrid adjustable to 15 degrees to 19. And the mavrik max 3h at 19* and 5h at 24*. I dont swing fast an after my last lesson my instructor thinks I need to add a wood to my bag and ditch the super hybrid.. I tried the Sim Ti 3 wood and it is a rocket and Max is as well.. I am on the fence about giving up on the super hybrid just yet but the way I hit the Sim 3 woods I am now back to drawing board. Good Luck on your search.


Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

DRIVER -  Ping G425 SFT Driver Tensei AV 55 Orange Reg Flex 

Woods -  Ping G425 7 wood  Tensei AV 65 Orange Reg Flex 

Irons - Cobra Rad Speed 1 Length UST Recoil 780 Smacwrap Graphite Reg Flex 

WEDGES-  Callaway jaws 52/56/60

PUTTER-  Taylormade FCG spider putter 34" 

BALL-  Pro V1x or Tp5X  -- trying to figure this one out.

Footjoy Tour S golf shoe 

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For me I will take a driving iron over a hybrid.  I have tried hybrids but tend to draw them more than I prefer so I sold my hybrid and replace it with a 917 F2 5 wood which I like more but if I am not careful I will hook it.  I have hit Titleist U500 and U510 utility irons and I am thinking I may be going for a U510 2-iron in the near future.  Swing speed isn't an issue at this point so I find hitting irons preferable.

Ping G425 Max 10.5 with a Tour AD IZ-7 XStiff 

Ping G425 3-wood (14.5 degree)

Ping G425 Hybrid (19 degree)

Mizuno JPX 921 Forged W/Stiff Shafts

Vokey SM8 50.08, 54.14, 58,10

Scotty Cameron Fastback 1.5 (2020)

Pro V1x 

 

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I've been trying to decide between pulling the trigger on a 3hybrid or a driving iron for awhile now. I currently have the Taylormade P790 irons (3i - PW) and an old Callaway x-hot 3 wood but there is still a pretty big gap between the 3i and the 3w. I have just kinda dealt with it for awhile but figured it was something I should solve for at some point. So, I went and tested the Taylormade Sim 3H about a month ago. I was really hoping I'd like it since I had heard so many good things and had never hit a hybrid before. Sadly, I was very disappointed. I did not feel confident over the ball with it, I was inconsistent and I wasn't really hitting it much further than a good strike on my 3 iron. I know it was my first session swinging it and maybe there would be a learning curve, but I'm someone who has a hard time getting excited about a club if it doesn't feel good right from the get go. So I pulled back on the idea of that hybrid. However, I did go hit the Taylormade P790 UDI shortly after and I liked it much more. I definitely was not the easiest club to hit but I was still more consistent with it and it filled the gap between my 3i and 3w beautifully. I didn't pull the trigger on buying it since I'm rethinking whether or not that is really a gap I need to fill at this point, but if I was going to add either a driving iron or a hybrid to my bag right now, for me it would be the UDI.

WITB:

Driver: Callaway Mavrik SubZero

Irons: Taylormade P770 4i - AW

Wedges: Taylormade MG3 at 55 and 60 degrees

Taylormade Stealth Plus 3Hy

Taylormade Stealth Plus 3W

Putter: Odyssey Stroke Lab Double Wide Arm Lock

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