Gapping Between 4 Iron and 3 Wood

[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???

[BiggErn]

A new driver if you’re left with a lot of 250 shots.

[cargo8]

Did you try a utility iron or a stock 3?

 

Apex UT and Gapr Lo are both pretty awesome, TMB is great too but slightly less forgiving

[JAMH03]

Get a 18-22* wood w/ a stout shaft tip it and you have yr club. Reason why you want 2 play something relatively stiff is because this club will be all about accuracy long approaches and uber tight fwys. So you want it 2 do that job as well as possible. Why a wood? Because its better suited 2 the task. PS Congrats on the high SS & Low cap well done!!

[Hedgehog]

Get a properly fitted hybrid, one of the most versatile long clubs if you learn to use it.

[Titleist_PT23]

I don't have anywhere near the swing speed as you, but I've gone back and forth between FW/hybrid after my 19* 5-wood (i.e. a 22* hybrid or another fairway around this loft). Personally, I find that having two fairways in a row provides a little less versatility. From a perfect lie in the fairway or tee box (and probably a decent lie in the rough), I probably prefer the another high lofted fairway. However, I find that the hybrid is much easier to hit out of bad lies in the rough or sidehill lies in the rough (I think the fairway's head is just too big sometimes on the sidehill lies). I obviously don't have the swing speed for a 3-iron...

 

With your speed, you probably don't have any issues elevating the 2nd fairway out of tougher lies though.

[MattyO1984]

You miss 65% of fairways, bomb and gouge!!

[Tree Levino]

Hybrid for me is the best option. I find 7 wood very one dimensional. I find it very interesting that you like it out of the rough... Regardless I'd get a properly fit hybrid or a graphite shafted utility such as Srixon Uxx, UDI, T-MB etc.

[baloo]

What will you use it for more? Approach shots or tee shots?

[pheenomz4774]

I have nowhere near the same swing speed or distances you have but did go through about 2 years of trying to fit the same gap between my 3 Wood (225) and my 4 iron (180-190). Didn't get along with the 3 iron because I found myself needing it out of the rough a bit too much, and neither 2/3 hybrid ever worked out for me. What I chose was a 5 wood with a cranked up loft since I have traditionally hit fairway woods more consistent than hybrids and the longer irons.

 

So my advice is take the club on the other end of the spectrum (fairway or long iron) you hit the best, and go ahead and take the club right next to it.

[CJINC]

Are you more accurate with your 7 wood vs hybrid? If yes, in true WRX fashion get BOTH!!

 

When the wind is howling, or playing a very tight course play the 3 iron. Normal use the 7 wood.

 

CJ

[Whit1969]

From the cons you listed for each one I would suggest the hybrid. Like another poster stated get a tip stiff shaft in it and get an adjustable one and open the club face. This should help prevent the hooks with it. The hybrid is just more versatile than the fairway wood or the 3 iron.

[TexasRed]

My swing speed is similar to yours and for me, the best option is a 19* hybrid. It’s more versatile than my 3i and any woods with higher than 15* loft never suited my eye.

[mwink822]

A 19* utility iron could be a good place to start. Something like a Titleist T-MB; Ping G410 Crossover; Callaway Apex UT; Srixon Z785U; Taylormade GAPR Lo or Mid; or if you can find one out there, an 18* Adams Pro Mini hyubrid or DHy.

[ChipNRun]

Hybrid for me is the best option. I find 7 wood very one dimensional. I find it very interesting that you like it out of the rough... Regardless I'd get a properly fit hybrid or a graphite shafted utility such as Srixon Uxx, UDI, T-MB etc.

 

The 7W is great out of the rough, better than a hybrid. Also good for long par 3 holes. I swap out the 7W for 3H in winter when the rough is thinner and the winds higher. (3H launches lower) I'm not the longest hitter but the 7W gives a reliable 200 yards.

 

As for b.mattay, check out the Tour Edge CBX. TE reps bill them as left-proof, and several bloggers have picked them up for that reason. Original CBX comes with robust Project X HZDS and Kuro Kage shafts as stock. Also check out the follow-on CBX119 hybrids.

https://www.touredge...s/cbxhybrid.asp

[fpyle3]

I generally will switch between a 17-18* driving iron and 18-19* hybrid to fill the gap between 4 iron and 3 wood. I play the driving iron on short, tight courses where I anticipate needing it for at least 2-3 tee shots and the hybrid on longer/open courses where I know I'll just hit driver all day. To help with gapping, my 4 iron is generally 1 or 2 degrees strong (usually at 21*), and I may strengthen my 5 iron a degree if needed to keep 4* gaps between my 4 iron and gap wedge. If you can find an Adams Pro Mini or DHy, they may be the best cross between a driving iron and hybrid that I've seen.

[b.mattay]

You miss 65% of fairways, bomb and gouge!!

 

On my home course for sure, super tight fairways on most holes (<30 yards) and I take aggressive lines! I miss a butt load of fairways by a few feet ?. Driver or die!

[b.mattay]

Did you try a utility iron or a stock 3?

 

Apex UT and Gapr Lo are both pretty awesome, TMB is great too but slightly less forgiving

 

The GAPR looks awesome. I tried the Mizuno HiFli and really didn’t love it.

[b.mattay]

What will you use it for more? Approach shots or tee shots?

 

Depends a lot on what club I pick. Most comfortable with 3i off the tee, most comfortable with 7Wood on approach shots.

[b.mattay]

Hybrid for me is the best option. I find 7 wood very one dimensional. I find it very interesting that you like it out of the rough... Regardless I'd get a properly fit hybrid or a graphite shafted utility such as Srixon Uxx, UDI, T-MB etc.

 

The 7W is great out of the rough, better than a hybrid. Also good for long par 3 holes. I swap out the 7W for 3H in winter when the rough is thinner and the winds higher. (3H launches lower) I'm not the longest hitter but the 7W gives a reliable 200 yards.

 

As for b.mattay, check out the Tour Edge CBX. TE reps bill them as left-proof, and several bloggers have picked them up for that reason. Original CBX comes with robust Project X HZDS and Kuro Kage shafts as stock. Also check out the follow-on CBX119 hybrids.

https://www.touredge...s/cbxhybrid.asp

 

Those look sweet! Will have to look into reviews on it. The low-spin thing kind of freaks me out given my propensity to hit accidental nukes with hybrids!