2 hybrid help

[cfunk11]

I decided this year to try a 2 hybrid as opposed to a fairway wood. I have a Srixon ZX that performs well so I found the same model 2 hybrid to try. I hit it at the range yesterday and impact was very consistent but was having trouble elevating it. I found myself trying to trying to do the things I do to a fairway wood to  to elevate it nothing really worked consistently. Maybe one in five would launch in the correct window and I  have no idea why. I am comited to trying a 2 hybrid  for at least the 1st half of this golf season. Should I be swinging this thing like a long iron or a fairway wood.  Is there a 2 hybrid out there that launches higher? Or maybe just accept that fact that I don't have the "cajones" to launch it a 2 hybrid.

[darkhelmet]

Took a quick look at the srixon site -- ZX hybrid seems to be more of a mid-low launching hybrid in the first place.  They claim it has a "penetrating" launch (read that as "low"), and that it's low spin.

 

So even with a higher-launching shaft, you might still have problems with getting height on the shot and with keeping it airborne.

 

If it has the stock hzrdus shaft, it's really going to be launching low as well.

 

You could try a higher-launching shaft, but depending on your swing speed, you might just be fighting the setup of the head the entire time.  Best bet is to find a higher-launching hybrid to borrow and compare outside with your ZX.

[jholz]

This is a good question, and one that I think really depends on which hybrid you are using. I love my low lofted hybrids.

 

I would argue that when you get up into the sub 20* lofts - there are going to be some hybrids that are more FW-like and some that are more iron-like.

 

I haven't hit the ZX - but my instincts tell me that it probably wants to be hit in a more "iron-like" fashion.

 

So, if you are having trouble getting the performance you want by approaching it like a FW - then try hitting it like an iron.

 

Put the ball more towards the middle of your stance and really try to hit down - fight the desire to use a sweeping FW style swing. Try to feel like you are hitting a 6-iron. See what happens.

 

If that doesn't work, you may just need to fiddle with some different hybrid models - or just get a 5w.

 

 

[Sean124]

In general, hybrids launch lower than equally lofted fairway woods. The swing should be closer to an iron. I ditched my 5 wood in favor of a 3 hybrid specifically to keep the flight down. 
 

What’s your swing speed with driver? Even if the technique is good, you need some speed to reliably hit a 16-17* hybrid off the deck. 

[MonteScheinblum]

ACTIVELY trying to make different swings to support different clubs is a good way to get worse at golf.  If you’re not elevating the club with your normal swing, it doesn’t have enough loft for you.

 

Either that, or you have a swing issue that isn’t delivering enough loft to begin with.

[amace04]

I'm not sure you'll have much luck getting it to launch like a fairway wood.   Some clubs are designed to do exactly that, low penetrating flight.

I have a SIM UDI 2h, and while it's a different class of club that the ZX, it comes out very low.  When I hit it pure, it plays a low, penetrating ball flight, it's perfect for into a wind.  I hit this just like a long iron. I'll have a pretty flat AOA (ideally -0.5ish).  At 18*, it's not overly strong, your 2h is 16*, so I'd expect it will launch extremely low.  You'd need pretty good delivery to get that up into the air, and it'll be very tough to make it fly like a 5 wood.

 

I also have a TM SIM2 ti 5 wood, turned up to 17* to play more like a "4W", which I get about 20 more yards than the 2h.  It's a higher launch, but the CG on the wood is so low, it's designed to get the ball up in the air.  Longer shaft & lower CG = higher speed & higher launch.   The two are not direct substitutes. 

Edited March 6, 2023 by amace04

[crcunningham]

Have played a 2h for the last two years in the Sim2 Rescue and play it turned down one notch from 17* with a Ventus Blue HB 8X and it is the only club that hasn't been changed out in that time (waiting to see if TSr will be able to do that). Have never felt the urge to replace it with a 5 wood.

 

Also, I think having at least a "mid-launch" profile shaft makes these much easier to get into a good window as well, but that is a super subjective thing to get in to. You can pick up a Tensei Blue on the Bay for $25 that has been an awesome mid launch hybrid shaft for me in the past.

I would say you should try to swing it like an iron and marginally hit down on it. However, I echo what @Sean124 said in that you have to have some inherent speed to get the ball off the ground with that little of loft. I throw a lot of dynamic loft on everything, so I launch a 2h like a 3h and I hit my 12.75* FW off the deck like a lot of people hit a normal 15* 3w, so those clubs launch in the windows and hit the yardages I need for the courses and climate I play in. At the end of the day, you have to build that part of the bag to plug the gaps that you have and fit the kind of game you play.

[cfunk11]

1 hour ago, Sean124 said:

In general, hybrids launch lower than equally lofted fairway woods. The swing should be closer to an iron. I ditched my 5 wood in favor of a 3 hybrid specifically to keep the flight down. 
 

What’s your swing speed with driver? Even if the technique is good, you need some speed to reliably hit a 16-17* hybrid off the deck. 

I cruise at 103-105 mph with my driver. Even off the tee I wasn't getting the launch I wanted. I was hitting into a 10 mph headwind, that generally leads to my ball float a little. Wasn't happening yesterday.

[Sean124]

17 minutes ago, cfunk11 said:

I cruise at 103-105 mph with my driver. Even off the tee I wasn't getting the launch I wanted. I was hitting into a 10 mph headwind, that generally leads to my ball float a little. Wasn't happening yesterday.

Everything you’ve said so far points to a 16.5-21* fairway wood being the better option here. 

[Rapidcat]

Ditch it, it's not right for you.

 

Square peg into a round hole.

[MonteScheinblum]

13 minutes ago, Rapidcat said:

Ditch it, it's not right for you.

 

Square peg into a round hole.

Well said.

 

A seemingly unrelated topic is shaft lean.  I had someone come for a lesson recently and was really upset with me when I told him that shaft lean would make him hit it shorter.  He was an older guy with a good golf, swing and not very much speed. He was trying to ruin his golf swing because he thought shaft lean is an imperative.

 

I showed him how he could get more shaft lean, his club head speed went down, his spin went down, and his distance went way down.

 

103 mph on a driver isn’t a good match for the loft of a two hybrid.

[ALX]

How are 2 hybrids generally viewed? I've never played woods very well and recently got back into a 3 hybrid and it's been working with the small sample size I have, so this made me think about picking up a 2 Hybrid to replace the 3W collecting dust in my bag.

 

I know it shouldn't be the same yardage as the 3W, but is going to a 2H a common move?

[chollier986]

I bought a ping g425 3,4, and 5 hybrid.  I found through testing that I carried the 4 hybrid further than the 3 hybrid.  Sold the 3 hybrid.  My driver swing speed is 110-114 for reference.

[DaveGoodrich]

11 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

A seemingly unrelated topic is shaft lean.  I had someone come for a lesson recently and was really upset with me when I told him that shaft lean would make him hit it shorter.  He was an older guy with a good golf, swing and not very much speed. He was trying to ruin his golf swing because he thought shaft lean is an imperative.

 

I showed him how he could get more shaft lean, his club head speed went down, his spin went down, and his distance went way down.

 

103 mph on a driver isn’t a good match for the loft of a two hybrid.

 

It's not just speed. My driver speed is in the low 90's, but I love low-lofted hybrids, and have no trouble launching them. Probably because I don't lean the shaft that much. 

 

 

 

[Mikeflj]

I have a similar driver swing speed. I picked up a previous Srixon 2 hybrid on eBay because I kept topping my 3 wood. I found a  3 hybrid carried much further than the 2. I think anything lower than 19 degrees in a hybrid is not going to give any further distances for anyone outside of very fast swing speeds. 

[Jeselnik]

Demo a 7 wood with a mid or mid/high shaft.  Its faster and more reliable than changing your swing.  If you have any problems elevating a 5-7 wood, you may need to adjust you.  It takes alignments, sequencing and structure.

 

JNIK

Edited March 7, 2023 by Jeselnik

[Rosco1216]

I played a 2h as a fairway replacement for 4 years up until this spring. It takes lot of speed and to be able to launch a 2h in a comparable window as a 3/4 wood.  That being said, there are big differences in launch between different models and I have also found that the shaft can make a noticeable difference in launch when I tested.  
 

For example, I played a heavily tipped hand crafted hzrdus black 85tx in my g410 2hy for 3 years and then got a cobra king tec 2h. While it didn’t launch very high in the g410, it launched similarly in the cobra but my needs were changing so I wanted something more mid/mid so I tried a ventus blue 9x tipped 1” and it seemingly doubled the launch and spun a lot. The softness of the handle just didn’t work for me at all and probably changed my delivery as well which compounded the results. 

[Krt22]

22 hours ago, ALX said:

How are 2 hybrids generally viewed?

Good for those with a ton of speed, those who add loft at impact, and struggle with fairway woods. Fairway woods are the hardest clubs to hit off the deck, too shallow or too steep can both be problematic. Hybrids are meant for players who struggle to elevate long irons, but at a certain point too little loft gets you into an area of diminishing returns. The goal of every club in the bag except driver is to go a fixed distance and stop relatively quickly, low lofted hybrids for most players do not accomplish that goal

[DaveGoodrich]

15 minutes ago, Krt22 said:

The goal of every club in the bag except driver is to go a fixed distance and stop relatively quickly, low lofted hybrids for most players do not accomplish that goal

 

My goal for a low-lofted hybrid does not include "stopping relatively quickly." For me, it is primarily used as a "as long as possible off the deck" club, including roll out.  When I need a long ball to stop on a green, or stay short of a hazard, etc., I'm hitting my 5-wood instead.  

[RoyalTroon]

31 minutes ago, Krt22 said:

The goal of every club in the bag except driver is to go a fixed distance and stop relatively quickly...

 

No.

 

4 minutes ago, DaveGoodrich said:

My goal for a low-lofted hybrid does not include "stopping relatively quickly." For me, it is primarily used as a "as long as possible off the deck" club, including roll out.  When I need a long ball to stop on a green, or stay short of a hazard, etc., I'm hitting my 5-wood instead.  

 

There are clubs for all occasions and needs.  I like low and penetrating myself, easier playing low than high most of the time.  See that low flight and put the ball onto it. 

[Krt22]

34 minutes ago, DaveGoodrich said:

 

My goal for a low-lofted hybrid does not include "stopping relatively quickly." For me, it is primarily used as a "as long as possible off the deck" club, including roll out.  When I need a long ball to stop on a green, or stay short of a hazard, etc., I'm hitting my 5-wood instead.  

There is some specialty use there, but not much for most people IMHO. Realistically most ams dont have enough speed to really need 14 clubs, in which case there can be some utility in a specialty club like this. Like you said, it's not a good club for approaching greens for most golfers (or even pros). 

[DaveGoodrich]

2 minutes ago, BALLYBUNION said:

 

No.

 

 

There are clubs for all occasions and needs.  I like low and penetrating myself, easier playing low than high most of the time.  See that low flight and put the ball onto it. 

 

I don't necessarily intend to hit the hybrid low.  I tend to hit my 16* medium-high, but with much lower spin than a similarly lofted fairway wood, so it runs out.  

 

For me, it has just come down to me finally understanding that, for shots off the deck, my ability to find the middle of the face, and square it up, drops off significantly with clubs longer than about 42”.   So I carry a 42" 5-wood (18*) for holding greens and long downwind carry, and a 41" 2-hybrid (16*) for max distance on unreachable Par 5's, and for any other situation where I want similar carry to the 5-wood, but with lower spin. 

 

Off a long Par 3 tee, into the wind, the 2-hybrid cheats the wind so much better than a 5-wood.  Tee it up a bit, swing smoothly, and it launches high with low spin.  

[ALX]

3 hours ago, DaveGoodrich said:

 

My goal for a low-lofted hybrid does not include "stopping relatively quickly." For me, it is primarily used as a "as long as possible off the deck" club, including roll out.  When I need a long ball to stop on a green, or stay short of a hazard, etc., I'm hitting my 5-wood instead.  

This is basically what I would be using it for too. Long par-5 that I'm just looking to get my second shot down course as far as possible. On the rare occasion I ever pulled out the 3W, it would go decently far, just nowhere near the intended target.

[cfunk11]

Does anyone have any experience with a similar lofted Callaway uw compared to a 2 hybrid.  Do they launch and spin easier? Swing speed with my 2 hybrid is right around 100mph, but just produced knuckleballs.

[cav5]

22 hours ago, Rosco1216 said:

I played a 2h as a fairway replacement for 4 years up until this spring. It takes lot of speed and to be able to launch a 2h in a comparable window as a 3/4 wood.  That being said, there are big differences in launch between different models and I have also found that the shaft can make a noticeable difference in launch when I tested.  
 

For example, I played a heavily tipped hand crafted hzrdus black 85tx in my g410 2hy for 3 years and then got a cobra king tec 2h. While it didn’t launch very high in the g410, it launched similarly in the cobra but my needs were changing so I wanted something more mid/mid so I tried a ventus blue 9x tipped 1” and it seemingly doubled the launch and spun a lot. The softness of the handle just didn’t work for me at all and probably changed my delivery as well which compounded the results. 

Looking at your sig, did you replace the cobra king tec?

[Rosco1216]

4 hours ago, cav5 said:

Looking at your sig, did you replace the cobra king tec?

No but I no longer use it as a 3/4 fairway spot. I’m playing a traditional 3w now to set up better for my home course. 

Still have the king tec but I put a heavier shaft in, 1” shorter playing length, and now playing it at 17* instead of 15.5*. 

[cav5]

49 minutes ago, Rosco1216 said:

No but I no longer use it as a 3/4 fairway spot. I’m playing a traditional 3w now to set up better for my home course. 

Still have the king tec but I put a heavier shaft in, 1” shorter playing length, and now playing it at 17* instead of 15.5*. 

I gotcha. I might have to do an experiment. 1" in  shorter than stock hybrid or fairway?

[Rosco1216]

12 minutes ago, cav5 said:

I gotcha. I might have to do an experiment. 1" in  shorter than stock hybrid or fairway?

I play 3w at 42.5” and the 2h at 40.5”

[MonteScheinblum]

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/7-iron-longer-than-5-iron?utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram&utm_campaign=golfdigest

[Tinkerer]

I play the ZX hybrid at 2 and 4, 16 and 22 degrees. Swing speed mid 90s, driver distance 240 yards. 
 

Read this with interest, I launch 2H fine, it goes around 210 yards, not far behind a 3HL fairway, more consistent and able to hit it from more places. Same swing as an iron, absolutely no issues with launching off the deck or the tee. I have the stock Hzrdus shaft. 
 

If it works use it, I give up a few yards only but the shot results are much better compared to the 3w.