Gapping Between 4 Iron and 3 Wood

[bamagolf]

I am currently looking for a 250 yard club to fill the gap between my 4 iron (225 yards) and 4 wood (275 yards). I have tried a hybrid, 7 wood and 3 iron and each have their pros and cons.

 

Hybrid:

Pros: Great out of rough, nice to use around the greens.

Cons: Hard to commit to off the tee (get too sweepy and hit big hooks). I also get occasional nukes coming into par 5's where the ball comes out like a driver flight and I airmail the green by 30 yards.

 

7 Wood:

Pros: Best out of rough, most stopping power.

Cons: Crappy on windy days, always seems to sit closed regardless of model which gets in my head at times.

 

3 Iron:

Pros: Easy to hit low bullets in the wind, most accurate left-right dispersion.

Cons: Crappy out the rough into a par 5, hard to swing on really cold days. Difficult to hold firm greens.

 

Other Info:

Driver SS: 120mph

Ball Flight: High draw, miss is an overcook.

Miscellanous: Hit 35% of fairways, play from the rough a lot.

 

What club would you choose???

 

So if the 4 wood is 275, how far do you hit the driver Hercules?

 

Hahaha about 300 carry avg if teed high. However, on tight holes I tee it really low, choke down and hit a squeeze fade which carries about 280

 

Wow! If you get any roll at all that puts you in the top 20 of the PGA Tour in driving distance. I’m just curious, for someone who hits it as far or farther than the best in the world who is also a +2, what would lead you to seek advice from a message board for what club should be between your 225 4 iron and your 275 4 wood? I just got to know.

[ArniesArmy1234]

Get a hybrid, 7w, and a 3i. Play the 7w when it's not windy, and the 3i when it is. Sell the hybrid on BST.

 

Buying more clubs than necessary is the most GolWRXer thing to do.

yes this advice is spot on lol! Been down this rabbit hole way too many times

[bamagolf]

I am currently looking for a 250 yard club to fill the gap between my 4 iron (225 yards) and 4 wood (275 yards). I have tried a hybrid, 7 wood and 3 iron and each have their pros and cons.

 

Hybrid:

Pros: Great out of rough, nice to use around the greens.

Cons: Hard to commit to off the tee (get too sweepy and hit big hooks). I also get occasional nukes coming into par 5's where the ball comes out like a driver flight and I airmail the green by 30 yards.

 

7 Wood:

Pros: Best out of rough, most stopping power.

Cons: Crappy on windy days, always seems to sit closed regardless of model which gets in my head at times.

 

3 Iron:

Pros: Easy to hit low bullets in the wind, most accurate left-right dispersion.

Cons: Crappy out the rough into a par 5, hard to swing on really cold days. Difficult to hold firm greens.

 

Other Info:

Driver SS: 120mph

Ball Flight: High draw, miss is an overcook.

Miscellanous: Hit 35% of fairways, play from the rough a lot.

 

What club would you choose???

 

So if the 4 wood is 275, how far do you hit the driver Hercules?

 

Hahaha about 300 carry avg if teed high. However, on tight holes I tee it really low, choke down and hit a squeeze fade which carries about 280

 

I hear ya. I tried doing the knock down 280 driver but it kept running out to 340. I had to back down to a punch 5 iron for my 280 shots.

[Matt J]

20 degree hybrid super heavy stout shaft and cut down to a length you can control.

[Krt22]

I am currently looking for a 250 yard club to fill the gap between my 4 iron (225 yards) and 4 wood (275 yards). I have tried a hybrid, 7 wood and 3 iron and each have their pros and cons.

 

Hybrid:

Pros: Great out of rough, nice to use around the greens.

Cons: Hard to commit to off the tee (get too sweepy and hit big hooks). I also get occasional nukes coming into par 5's where the ball comes out like a driver flight and I airmail the green by 30 yards.

 

7 Wood:

Pros: Best out of rough, most stopping power.

Cons: Crappy on windy days, always seems to sit closed regardless of model which gets in my head at times.

 

3 Iron:

Pros: Easy to hit low bullets in the wind, most accurate left-right dispersion.

Cons: Crappy out the rough into a par 5, hard to swing on really cold days. Difficult to hold firm greens.

 

Other Info:

Driver SS: 120mph

Ball Flight: High draw, miss is an overcook.

Miscellanous: Hit 35% of fairways, play from the rough a lot.

 

What club would you choose???

 

So if the 4 wood is 275, how far do you hit the driver Hercules?

 

Hahaha about 300 carry avg if teed high. However, on tight holes I tee it really low, choke down and hit a squeeze fade which carries about 280

 

Wow! If you get any roll at all that puts you in the top 20 of the PGA Tour in driving distance. I’m just curious, for someone who hits it as far or farther than the best in the world who is also a +2, what would lead you to seek advice from a message board for what club should be between your 225 4 iron and your 275 4 wood? I just got to know.

 

Give the trolling a rest already. He hits it far, not a big deal

[b.mattay]

I am currently looking for a 250 yard club to fill the gap between my 4 iron (225 yards) and 4 wood (275 yards). I have tried a hybrid, 7 wood and 3 iron and each have their pros and cons.

 

Hybrid:

Pros: Great out of rough, nice to use around the greens.

Cons: Hard to commit to off the tee (get too sweepy and hit big hooks). I also get occasional nukes coming into par 5's where the ball comes out like a driver flight and I airmail the green by 30 yards.

 

7 Wood:

Pros: Best out of rough, most stopping power.

Cons: Crappy on windy days, always seems to sit closed regardless of model which gets in my head at times.

 

3 Iron:

Pros: Easy to hit low bullets in the wind, most accurate left-right dispersion.

Cons: Crappy out the rough into a par 5, hard to swing on really cold days. Difficult to hold firm greens.

 

Other Info:

Driver SS: 120mph

Ball Flight: High draw, miss is an overcook.

Miscellanous: Hit 35% of fairways, play from the rough a lot.

 

What club would you choose???

 

So if the 4 wood is 275, how far do you hit the driver Hercules?

 

Hahaha about 300 carry avg if teed high. However, on tight holes I tee it really low, choke down and hit a squeeze fade which carries about 280

 

Wow! If you get any roll at all that puts you in the top 20 of the PGA Tour in driving distance. I'm just curious, for someone who hits it as far or farther than the best in the world who is also a +2, what would lead you to seek advice from a message board for what club should be between your 225 4 iron and your 275 4 wood? I just got to know.

 

Give the trolling a rest already. He hits it far, not a big deal

 

I find the trolling funny :taunt: . I'm seeking advice because I am still a chop!

[Buzzkill]

7 wood for me. I'm comfortable hitting high lofted woods. Is it windy quite a lot where you live?

 

7 wood for me too which I hit high BUT it goes through the wind without issues.

[Krt22]

OP..honeymoon in full swing with the M3 hybrid I just picked up. Goes 240ish..(250 off the tee), nice medium ball flight, super easy to hit, and does not hook. I normally fight the hook and have not played a hybrid in a long time, but this one is money

[ago33]

Gapr mid because you are just like me

[Halebopp]

Maybe Mizuno JPX Fli-Hi? A hybrid head with the iron shaft of your choice.

[Niederjr]

 

>

> Hahaha about 300 carry avg if teed high. However, on tight holes I tee it really low, choke down and hit a squeeze fade which carries about 280

 

With your length how often do you need a fairway wood off the deck from 275 or in a round at all? I guess if you’re playing pga length and difficulty courses you might have that need but I haven’t ran into many and I’m 20 yds shorter off the tee. Have you ever considered playing a 5 wood and a three iron (utility or AP3 or similar)? I know they will gap a bit tighter than you want but it’ll allow you to always have an option in any weather conditions without changing clubs day to day. Rory did something like this a couple weeks ago when he won.

 

 

[jsedgew1]

Love this gapping issue - makes the *14th club* selection such an intriguing one. Throw in an extra wedge? Or, try to fill in the gap of the longer clubs? [as you have mentioned]. My advice? Lock down two clubs that would cater to differing conditions. I.e. for a windy track (links style) or one where you can afford to play the ball on the ground (both into greens and off the tee) go with the 3 iron. For the courses that require a shot that lands a little softer, get a 1 iron (preferably an older blade) and play it almost like a bunker shot. The feel and forgiveness of this is unmatched to anything I can think of... Or I suppose a 3 hybrid would work the for latter, too.

 

[bazeigler]

> @Krt22 said:

> Slightly less speed but have this spot rotating as well. I have a srixon u65 playing like a 2.5iron(19*, 39.25"). I typically play this in the summer, tons of run out on baked out fairways and great in the wind. Sometimes goes too far off the tee though

>

>

>

> A Cobra baffler f6 at 17.5, at 41" with Kai'Li 80x tipped 2". Goes similar distance but much higher flight. Basically an all carry club.

>

>

>

> Also typically fight a hook so typically stay away from hybrids. I was trying out the gapr mid and low and didn't play much different than my srixon u65. On a whim I tried a m3 hybrid. Nice little fall off fades, 145mph ball speeds , very easy to hit. Picked up a used on with a speeder 869x for $110. Im hoping it's the best of both

 

I’m rotating a similar combo with the Srixon ZU85 and a Tour Exotics CBX 119, messing with a lot of shaft and loft combos to find something I liked. It still leaves me with a little bit of a wider gap on one side or the other but I find I’d rather keep the extra wedge in the bag than have perfect gapping on the other end.

[manima1]

This is an easy one - 18 degree driving iron - see my setup below for my opinion on this.

 

The U45 is nice because it is a weapon off the tee, but has low enough CG to be extremely easy to launch from the fairway. It's actually difficult to flight this club down to what you would assume the window a 2 iron would normally fly, it just launches much higher than I ever expected. It won't do well out of tough lies in the rough however - but if you can get the club on it, it should perform as expected.

[Haloha]

like many suggested, get a GAPR to fill the gap

[Kevinnz]

If you cannot hit more fairways, isnt it sensible to lay up from the rough? I have the same issue with the hybrid, occasional over draw or even hooks, 7 wood loses yardage due to wind so I settled for a 3 iron on 1 iron length graphite shaft. I usually hold more fairways though when its in the rough with a visible lie, i jst choke down the 3 iron and smack it hard, the super low flight with extra roll is way better

[2over]

I'm with cardoustie... I've got a '15 Apex 20* hybrid. Perfect gap between my 15* TS2 and 24* Mp-18. I don't have the OPs swing speed (only 100 mph with driver) but for me I've got nice 15-17 yard gaps between the 3. Perfect for me. I used to play a 2 and 3 iron and realized a 3 iron is the worst option--too hard to hit out of rough, too hard to hold a green. And the 5 and 7 woods just are too squirrelly for me. The go too far downwind or no wind and balloon too much into the wind. The Apex is a true hybrid, right in between iron and fairway metal and it won't go left (which I also hate to see). If you look at the pro's bags I think a 19-21* hybrid seems to be more and more the go-to choice for the majority in plugging 3 or 4 fairway metal and 4 iron gap.

[GoPegIt]

I've had great success with the Adams Pro Mini (2014) anywhere I've needed it. It's been great off the tee, fairway, and especially out of the rough. Small profile and easy to look down at personally. Offered in 16, 18, 20, 23, 26° if your right handed. One of those should get you close to your desired number. You can find them on the cheap. As others have also stated, the latest Callaway Apex Hybrid might do the trick. Good luck!

[dcfas]

I’ve tried everything and am now hitting a Mizuno jpx 850 7 wood. The thing is you can adjust it before the round to fit the conditions or weather. Before I got the 3 wood I only had the 5 and 7. Cranked the 7 down and the 5 up. The 7 stops on a dime. Invaluable.

[Adack]

35% of fairways!! . Why are you worrying about hitting something 250ish. How about adding a extra wedge for all the greens you mis playing out of the rough.

[chadly643]

I have been working to solve this same riddle this spring myself, minus about 30 yards. After hitting an unbelievable number of utility irons, hybrids, and fairway woods, I have decided on a 5 wood with a shorter shaft. Going with a 5 wood solves your issue with all the 7 woods sitting closed as it opens the door to Callaway sub zero, F9 tour, and Srixon F85. The shorter shaft helps widen the distance gap between the 3/4 wood. The spin and launch of a 5 wood and versatility out of the rough make it the ideal choice. A fitter once told me you’re either a hybrid player or not, I’m not. That leaves 5 wood or utility iron. For me, I’m looking for a club to hit into greens and the utility irons are just too unpredictable for that because they come in with a shallower angle of descent. A well fitted 5 wood it is!

 

Take your 4 wood and 4 iron into a good fitter and he or she will have no problem dialing you in.

[Stumpnav]

Consider a Callaway Heavenwood. Head is bigger than a 5W, longer shaft, slightly more loft...I resisted the HW for years, but once I tried it, I fell in love with it.

[jkim27]

18* driving iron. I play a Callaway x forged UT between my 15* 3wood (270yds) and 4-iron (225yds). Driving iron carries around 250 and is perfect for those narrow tee shots. Out of the rough is a bit more difficult but how often do you have 250yds out trying to hit a green? Hybrids and woods will always bring the right hook or air balloon shot into play. Not with a UT, they are staight and LOWWW.

[b.mattay]

> @ago33 said:

> Gapr mid because you are just like me

Like the idea, but it is sooo ugly! > @jsedgew1 said:

> Love this gapping issue - makes the *14th club* selection such an intriguing one. Throw in an extra wedge? Or, try to fill in the gap of the longer clubs? [as you have mentioned]. My advice? Lock down two clubs that would cater to differing conditions. I.e. for a windy track (links style) or one where you can afford to play the ball on the ground (both into greens and off the tee) go with the 3 iron. For the courses that require a shot that lands a little softer, get a 1 iron (preferably an older blade) and play it almost like a bunker shot. The feel and forgiveness of this is unmatched to anything I can think of... Or I suppose a 3 hybrid would work the for latter, too.

Hahahaha on the 1 iron part!

 

 

> @Niederjr said:

>

> >

> > Hahaha about 300 carry avg if teed high. However, on tight holes I tee it really low, choke down and hit a squeeze fade which carries about 280

>

> With your length how often do you need a fairway wood off the deck from 275 or in a round at all? I guess if you’re playing pga length and difficulty courses you might have that need but I haven’t ran into many and I’m 20 yds shorter off the tee. Have you ever considered playing a 5 wood and a three iron (utility or AP3 or similar)? I know they will gap a bit tighter than you want but it’ll allow you to always have an option in any weather conditions without changing clubs day to day. Rory did something like this a couple weeks ago when he won.

>

>

That is a great idea! I generally only hit fairway woods off the deck into long par 5s that are playing into the wind. I guess it is my "attack mode" mentality that is bugging me, I want the perfect club for these scenarios, even though the smart version of myself would pick the club that is best off the tee.

[b.mattay]

> @Adack said:

> 35% of fairways!! . Why are you worrying about hitting something 250ish. How about adding a extra wedge for all the greens you mis playing out of the rough.

I hit a boatload of greens (>70%), as I am a good rough player and am coming in with short clubs. I only hit 35% of fairways because I force driver a lot and most fairways at my home track are <30 yards with pinch points that are narrower. Hitting driver almost guarantees a missed fairway on some holes but I am willing to accept that as long as the rough isn't 4+ inches long.

[namreflog]

From my experience, the key factor is considering where you play most of your golf, or if you are trying to fit multiple course setups which may lead to the "buy 2 or 3" suggestions from others.

 

I never thought my 2 utility-iron (Titleist 712u, now GAPR Lo) would leave the bag. It was a go-to off the tee when my home track was a tree-lined course in the midwest, and saw 3-4 tee shots a round. I hardly ever needed an approach from 215-250, so had no need for a hybrid or lofted fairway.

 

Now my home course has multiple par 3s over 200 yards, and one par 5 that puts me in the 215-250 approach range. With only light rough and multiple approach shots, two hybrids (17/20) makes sense there. I don't hesitate to throw in the GAPR if I head to a course where I want/need to hit some low bullets off the tee.

 

Same logic on a 5/7 wood. I just haven't played enough courses where I need the high approach out of medium/heavy rough from that far out.

 

(And you can probably tell from my explanation that during fun/practice rounds, I'm not afraid to have 15-16 clubs in the bag...)

[3fiddyz]

Ping G400 Crossover? Am starting to use mine far more, even on holes where i would use driver (i have a 3w in the bag, but its so much more forgiving)... not tried the G410 version yet...

[chickwebb]

Gapr-mid 18* with a Tensei blue fairway shaft is working pretty well for me. Good out of the long stuff and off the deck, workable flight path, distance is right between 3w and 4i, and it's adjustable so I can knock it up/down a notch depending on wind conditions.

[Lepatrique]

> @Niederjr said:

>

> >

> > Hahaha about 300 carry avg if teed high. However, on tight holes I tee it really low, choke down and hit a squeeze fade which carries about 280

>

> With your length how often do you need a fairway wood off the deck from 275 or in a round at all? I guess if you’re playing pga length and difficulty courses you might have that need but I haven’t ran into many and I’m 20 yds shorter off the tee. Have you ever considered playing a 5 wood and a three iron (utility or AP3 or similar)? I know they will gap a bit tighter than you want but it’ll allow you to always have an option in any weather conditions without changing clubs day to day. Rory did something like this a couple weeks ago when he won.

>

>

 

This makes most sense to me unless you’re playing 7200+ yard courses regularly. Better to tighten up wedge and short iron gapping. If you can dial the 4 wood back to 260 and stretch 4 iron to 230-5 then you’re probably ok, no? Otherwise my best advice is to find a driving iron you like for dry conditions and/or when you’re using it predominately off the tee, and a hybrid/7wood for when your primarily hitting into greens. If you find the right shaft there are some hybrids out there that don’t go hard left - take a look at PXG maybe - I have a gen1 w/ kurokage tx in it and it’s the only hybrid I’ve ever been able to hit straight. I’m sure there are other good options these days though.

[b.mattay]

> @Lepatrique said:

This makes most sense to me unless you’re playing 7200+ yard courses regularly. Better to tighten up wedge and short iron gapping. If you can dial the 4 wood back to 260 and stretch 4 iron to 230-5 then you’re probably ok, no? Otherwise my best advice is to find a driving iron you like for dry conditions and/or when you’re using it predominately off the tee, and a hybrid/7wood for when your primarily hitting into greens. If you find the right shaft there are some hybrids out there that don’t go hard left - take a look at PXG maybe - I have a gen1 w/ kurokage tx in it and it’s the only hybrid I’ve ever been able to hit straight. I’m sure there are other good options these days though.

>>

God, I wish i could afford PXG hahaha. My wedge/iron gapping is fine (pretty much exactly 15 yards between every club) so this is the spot I need to fill!