Gapping Between Woods and Irons

[Ryan Bachman]

So I’m struggling to figure out what I should do with the top of my bag. Currently I have Driver, 3 wood (15 degrees), and then a 20 degree 4 iron (low loft because of a game improvement set). I’m trying to figure out if an 18 degree 5 wood would be the best option to fill the gap as I only really hit my 4 iron off the tee on tighter holes and don’t feel insanely comfortable hitting it off the deck. Would this be a good idea or would this be too tight of a gap?

[RickyBobby_PR]

Clubs should serve a purpose in the bag.

What do you need it for?

Long par 3s?

second shot into par 5s?

something else?

[Ryan Bachman]

Would want this to be an all around club that I could use off the tee (shorter par 4s or long par 3s) and into par 5s

[Brooky03]

Are hybrids an option?  The 5 wood won't make the gap to 3 wood too tight; it'll be an appropriate gap.  Where you'll have the bigger gap is between 5 wood and 4 iron.  So, this all comes down to where you want the gap to be bigger.  If you go with a 3/4 hybrid instead of a 5 wood, you'd probably come closer to splitting the difference more evenly between the 3 wood and 4 iron.

If hybrids are an option I'd also consider changing out the 4 iron altogether for a hybrid so you can play it from the fairway and the tee.  It's worth noting that hybrids can be about a club longer than irons, at least in my experience.  For instance, If I were to replace a 4 iron, I'd replace it with a 5 hybrid, but I don't know if this is true for everybody.  If hooking hybrids is an issue, look at 'pro' versions which tend to be fade biased.

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Brooky03

[RickyBobby_PR]

12 hours ago, Ryan Bachman said:

Would want this to be an all around club that I could use off the tee (shorter par 4s or long par 3s) and into par 5s

There are lots of options and going purely by a loft on a club or saying 18° because not all 5woods come in that exact degree, the designs of each brand are different, possibly length top and then how the club interacts with the ground, how the weight and feel of a shaft and head feel for you and your reaction to them that can affect the swing.

Its possible that the 5wood could creep into your 3w distance due to having better laumch characteristics.

I know it’s not what most people want to hear when they come looking for club advice, but it’s the unfortunate reality of golf clubs. Your best bet is to either go get fit for something that will fit your need or do some demo testing of clubs to find what you need 

 

[vandyland]

I am atypical but I tried for a long time to make a 3W work. Then a 4W. Then a 5W. I just don't get along with them. Off the tee they seemed harder to hit than a 460cc Driver and didn't seem that much more accurate. I could never get comfortable hitting them off the deck. Some (most) people love them but I could never make them work and I think of myself as a decent golfer otherwise. 

I found I liked hybrids because the shaft is a little shorter and, for whatever reason, the head shape inspires confidence with the squarer iron-like face rather than the fairway wood face. Not saying everyone has to feel this way but an 18* hybrid should at least be considered I think. If I had tried that sooner I could have saved myself some money from desperately trying to make fairway woods work. 

[Jason Costain]

it's tough, it will come down to what feel's right, I tried quite a few hybrids and went back to the 5 wood as it just feels (probably because of the bigger head)  and performs better for me. 

something with an adjustable head that you could dial into a distance, especially as it's mostly off the tee.

 

[Ryan Bachman]

I definitely have had troubles with hybrids… for some reason they never look right behind the ball and just don’t give me the confidence that a fairway wood does. Definitely will have to just try some things out before I purchase to get everything dialed.

[Ryan Bachman]

14 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

There are lots of options and going purely by a loft on a club or saying 18° because not all 5woods come in that exact degree, the designs of each brand are different, possibly length top and then how the club interacts with the ground, how the weight and feel of a shaft and head feel for you and your reaction to them that can affect the swing.

Its possible that the 5wood could creep into your 3w distance due to having better laumch characteristics.

I know it’s not what most people want to hear when they come looking for club advice, but it’s the unfortunate reality of golf clubs. Your best bet is to either go get fit for something that will fit your need or do some demo testing of clubs to find what you need 

 

Totally agree, definitely looking into getting an updated fitting!

[Ryan Bachman]

14 hours ago, Brooky03 said:

Are hybrids an option?  The 5 wood won't make the gap to 3 wood too tight; it'll be an appropriate gap.  Where you'll have the bigger gap is between 5 wood and 4 iron.  So, this all comes down to where you want the gap to be bigger.  If you go with a 3/4 hybrid instead of a 5 wood, you'd probably come closer to splitting the difference more evenly between the 3 wood and 4 iron.

If hybrids are an option I'd also consider changing out the 4 iron altogether for a hybrid so you can play it from the fairway and the tee.  It's worth noting that hybrids can be about a club longer than irons, at least in my experience.  For instance, If I were to replace a 4 iron, I'd replace it with a 5 hybrid, but I don't know if this is true for everybody.  If hooking hybrids is an issue, look at 'pro' versions which tend to be fade biased.

 

Never had seen a pro version of a hybrid. I think that has been part of the issue for me. The face looks so closed at address and I tend to hook them way more than anything else I’ve tried. Will have to look into that.

Edited August 18, 2023 by Ryan Bachman

[Dweed]

First off, welcome to the forum. This is the right place to ask your questions. Trust me you'll get answers and opinions. Your job will then be to decipher.

For me I generally hit my driver 210-225. Depending on wind direction and firmness of fairway I can sometimes get it out to 240. My 3 wood is a 16* 2012 Tightlies from Adams. On average it is a 190-205 club for me. If I need a little less I choke down. My Adams 5 wood Tightlie 19* is a 175-185 club for me. Then I drop to a 4 hybrid at 21*. That combo has served me pretty well. Maybe not orthodox but it works for me.

[Swood1994]

For me it comes down to distances and the shot you’re trying to fill. Based off a couple of your responses it looks like your looking to fill more of a distance gap vs a shot. 

My 4-iron (22°) is my 205-210 club. My driver averages around 295 for the season. For me I have 2 clubs between there based on the courses I play and what I’m comfortable going after. So those 2 clubs are a 20° 4 Hybrid (230-235 yards) and a 16.5 HL 3-wood (265-270 yards). From there I can add or subtract yardage depending on the shot needed and to a certain extent. For example, I no longer go for the 280 yard second shot into a par 5. I probably could with a 15° or stronger 3-wood but the risk out ways the reward every time. 

Because you’re looking for an all around use I would recommend nailing down your distances for the 2 clubs you are looking to gap and then go from there. It could be a hybrid, fairway wood, or even a utility iron. It all depends on what you’re comfortable with.