5 Hybrid - Young Old Man Bag

[stratgolf]

Hey Guys - hope you are well.

 

I recently got fit into a QI35 4 Hybrid, and it's got me quite hybrid curious about potentially moving to a 5 hybrid as well. Niemann a bit of inspiration here.

 

Just wondering if anyone has much experience dropping the 4 iron, and whether you liked the move? I've currently got a P770 in the 4 iron slot and often wonder if moving to a hybrid would be that much of a difference anyway. I'm only 26, so a bit fearful of taking on too many head covers and an old man's bag, but I've never loved 4 Iron.

 

Some of my fitting data (4 Hybrid) in case it's of interest:

91.1 MPH Clubhead Speed

132.4 MPH Ball Speed

1.45 Smash Factor

-2.1 attack angle

3590 RPM

27.6m Height

189.2m Carry

208.8m Total

 

When I'm swinging it well, more like 96-97mph Clubhead Speed but that doesn't always translate to on course. I had a really bad angle of attack (-5 and beyond) which the LA golf shaft I got fit into was actually really helpful to fix a bit).

[POKeefe]

My longest iron is a 6 and I could hit the 5 just fine. It’s simply not as consistent as the 5 hybrid. I’m a big fan of the small headed hybrids that can be play like irons and not balloon.

[stratgolf]

3 minutes ago, POKeefe said:

My longest iron is a 6 and I could hit the 5 just fine. It’s simply not as consistent as the 5 hybrid. I’m a big fan of the small headed hybrids that can be play like irons and not balloon.

Agree. 4 iron carry is just not as consistent as I could get it with a 5 hybrid I feel.

[POKeefe]

40 minutes ago, stratgolf said:

Agree. 4 iron carry is just not as consistent as I could get it with a 5 hybrid I feel.

If you can get on a launch monitor, that will tell you the story. 
 

4i - 125 ball speed, 4083 spin, 81 ft Apex

5i - 125 ball speed, 4746 spin, 93 ft Apex

6i - 122 ball speed, 5218 spin, 104 ft Apex

7i - 118 ball speed, 6081 spin, 106 ft Apex

8i - 113 ball speed, 7318 spin, 106 ft Apex

9i - 108 ball speed, 8192 spin, 106 ft Apex

Note the ball speed and height fall off. If anyone sees something like this, they should look at larger irons or hybrids. Going 4 and 5 hybrids got those ball speed gaps back to 4-5 between club with 100+ft apex. 

[RacineBoxer]

Two thoughts:

 

1. Some people just like either irons, hybrid or fairways and there is nothing wrong with that. 7 wood vs 4 iron is kind of the extreme options with hybrid fitting in the middle. I like fairway woods. I don't like 4 iron. I've learned to like hybrid (taken me some time). People have different swings and different strengths and weaknesses, don't be afraid to just go with what works for YOU. There are people who are good long iron players and don't get along with fairway woods, and vice versa.  

 

2. Find a place where you can practice and compare your current 4i vs 4h (yes they might go ~15 yards difference, that's a little irrelevant for now). I tend to do this on course, late in the evening when no one is around. Find the right distance, say 200 yards, hit 5 with hybrid and 5 with your longest iron and then compare the results, focusing on dispersion. Maybe go to the next hole and do it again. If that's not an option for you, you can also do this on the range or do it on a launch monitor. If the hybrid is winning out, it's probably a safe assumption that a 5h would also win out. I do like maintaining look & feel when possible so a hybrid that matches your current 4h would probably slide right in seamlessly. 

[PSUgolf]

I made the move to a 5 hybrid last year. When I got my new Mizuno 925 forged, I started at 6 iron. Much more consistent with the hybrid than I was with my 5 iron. I go Driver 5 wood turned down to play like a 4 wood and 4/5 hybrids

[Urb]

Once your descent angle gets below 40*, probably time to look at something higher launching.

 

Also, best to have at least 5mph ball speed gaps between clubs.

 

Hybrids can be a rathole, they don't gap 1:1 with irons (5h replaces 4i usually but not always).  It often takes some tinkering or multiple fittings to find what works.  

 

This is what I have found in my experience:

 

4h - replaces 3i

 

5h - shaft weight in between 4h and irons.  Replaces 4i

 

6h - hybrid loft should match iron loft, use 5i shaft, replaces 5i.

 

One more wrinkle is that once you get over 180 yards, probably ok to have 15 yard gaps, which makes fitting/testing even more important.

[boggyman]

If you’re questioning it, just roll with the hybrid. You’ll be glad you did! 

[KnoxvilleReb]

I went the 5 hybrid route this year. G440 5 hybrid to replace my 5 iron. I really like it. 6 iron goes ~165, with 170 off a tee (normally where I use it). Best part about the hybrid is I find I can easily vary the distances and trajectory I hit it, which allows me to keep carrying 5 wedges at the bottom of my bag which is the best part of my game (44-48-52-56-60). Stock shot goes 180-185, I can lay off a little with a high cut and hit it 175-180, and then I can step of it and get it up to 185-190, all with playable ball flights, which wasn't the case with the 5 iron. The 5H is a really useful club as a kind of wide-yardage bridge between 6 iron and 7 (really an 8 at 22.5 stated loft) wood. 

[shankasaurus rex]

I run 4 and 5 hybrid, and they're actually some of my favorite clubs in the bag. Super easy to hit and consistent on flight and distance.

[getitdaily]

I have been giving this more and more thought thr last couple of months and I'll likely head this route in the winter. 

 

Currently have a 22 degree mp20 hmb 4i. I love the directional control of it but I just dont get it in the air well enough. I have a 21 degree ts2 4h that carries 220ish. 4i well struck carries 207ish. 5i carry is 192-195. So, I know my gap.

 

Will likely head down the tsr3 24 hybrid for this one so I can have it a bit more iron like...less largesse at address.

[gemo]

Aesthetics and Ego are the two biggest obstacles in golf.

 

If it works it works. I recently picked up an iron with an a-flex shaft on a lark. I immediately started hitting longer and straighter that I ever have before. I'm 45 and I doubt any fitter would ever hand me something softer than regular, and certainly not a 55g a-flex.

 

Anyone who has negative things to say about what you choose to bag isn't going to be fun to play with anyhow, so find better playing partners if that's what is holding you back.

[jlevitt9]

I'm weird, but I carry:

 

- 5w

- 4 iron (23* 500u Titleist)

- 6 Hybrid (26*, Titleist Tsi1)

- 6 iron (29*)

 

I'm 112ss. Here's the reasoning. I hit the ball low. The 4 iron is for off the tee (220-240). I often have 185-210 into greens. Whether it's on a par 5 after a good drive. A long par 4, or a par 4 after a bad drive into the rough, or a long par 3. That 185-210 range comes up often for me and I want to ensure I can get the ball up, and a mishit ends up somewhere close to pin high in the rough. That's where the 26* hybrid comes in. Much more accurate than the 5 iron coming into a green. Just my .02!

 

Josh

[eric61]

For the last couple years, I've had a lot of success replacing my 4 iron with a Ping G430 5 hybrid lofted down to 25 degrees. It's actually been a real weapon for me -- it's given me some good looks at eagle, gotten me out of jail after some really poor tee shots on long/long-ish par 4s ... just a great club in the bag.

 

Lately, I've been experimenting with replacing my 5 iron with a 6 hybrid, and I'm finding much the same thing. On the course, it's just so much better out of the rough. From the fairway, I get a nice, high, reliable ball flight. Off the tee, I do have a tendency to turn it over too much ... but my home course doesn't have a par 3 where I need the 5 iron/6 hybrid distance, so that's not really a problem unless I'm traveling, in which case I bring them both and just check out the scorecard before the round. 

 

Before deciding on a 6 hybrid, I did a test at the range -- 5 iron vs. 6 hybrid. Here's how I did it: I picked a target, a little hill roughly the size of a green with a flag on one side. I hit a bunch of shots with each, alternating back and forth, and kept a simple points system: 1 point for a good shot (as in, definitely hit my "green"), half a point for a not-bad shot (think, might have caught the edge of the green or been slightly in the rough, but generally got the distance and not terribly far from target), zero points for a truly bad shot. The number of shots I scored a 1 playing this game were roughly identical. But there were also a sizable share of 5 iron shots that scored a zero, whereas there were virtually no 6 hybrid shots that didn't score at least a 0.5. 

 

My conclusion, based on those results, was that the 6 hybrid didn't necessarily change what a good shot looks like to me, but it certainly raised the floor for bad shots. 

 

The trajectory is definitely high, but for some reason I have an easier time keeping the Ping G430 hybrids from really ballooning than I do with other models. I can't explain it, because I know they're designed to launch high. But a couple years ago I did a head-to-head test for that 4th-longest-club spot, the 25 degree Ping G430 vs. a 24 degree Titleist TSR3, and the Ping actually launched and flew lower. I know it makes no sense at all. But it's what's made the Ping's ball flight playable for me even on windy days.

[Kmac]

Longest iron for me is the 6 as well. When I got the new P790's I didnt ever order a 5 since I had just made the move to a 5h earlier in the year and so far I dont miss the 5 iron at all.

[aussieb]

I've made the move from 4i TCB.   I tried getting by with the 2i & 4i UT in my sig, but it's wet up here on the GC and our rough is getting nasty.  I added the GT3 4H and 5H recently after some testing, and I'm really loving the flight and extra stopping power on longer approach shots.  Don't worry about the extra head covers, they make it easier to keep them dry!!

[RCGA]

High SS player, +1 hcp. 

 

My 5hy (24*) is an absolute weapon. It's as long as my 3i (20*), but way more forgiving, easier to hit out of the rough and goes higher. I only keep the 3i in the bag because I can hit worm burners with the 3i and I can't get that low with the 5hy. 

 

I'm already toying with the idea of adding a 28-30* hybrid to replace my 6i. My only fear is distance control. 

[stratgolf]

10 hours ago, POKeefe said:

If you can get on a launch monitor, that will tell you the story. 
 

4i - 125 ball speed, 4083 spin, 81 ft Apex

5i - 125 ball speed, 4746 spin, 93 ft Apex

6i - 122 ball speed, 5218 spin, 104 ft Apex

7i - 118 ball speed, 6081 spin, 106 ft Apex

8i - 113 ball speed, 7318 spin, 106 ft Apex

9i - 108 ball speed, 8192 spin, 106 ft Apex

Note the ball speed and height fall off. If anyone sees something like this, they should look at larger irons or hybrids. Going 4 and 5 hybrids got those ball speed gaps back to 4-5 between club with 100+ft apex. 

 

Good data to read. My 7i is 118.2, 5847 spin not sure on height but would guess a little low. I definitely need to get in the lab and on the monitor and get some numbers.

 

10 hours ago, RacineBoxer said:

Two thoughts:

 

1. Some people just like either irons, hybrid or fairways and there is nothing wrong with that. 7 wood vs 4 iron is kind of the extreme options with hybrid fitting in the middle. I like fairway woods. I don't like 4 iron. I've learned to like hybrid (taken me some time). People have different swings and different strengths and weaknesses, don't be afraid to just go with what works for YOU. There are people who are good long iron players and don't get along with fairway woods, and vice versa.  

 

2. Find a place where you can practice and compare your current 4i vs 4h (yes they might go ~15 yards difference, that's a little irrelevant for now). I tend to do this on course, late in the evening when no one is around. Find the right distance, say 200 yards, hit 5 with hybrid and 5 with your longest iron and then compare the results, focusing on dispersion. Maybe go to the next hole and do it again. If that's not an option for you, you can also do this on the range or do it on a launch monitor. If the hybrid is winning out, it's probably a safe assumption that a 5h would also win out. I do like maintaining look & feel when possible so a hybrid that matches your current 4h would probably slide right in seamlessly. 

 

On point 1, totally agree. I have never gotten on with Fairway Woods and have only recently become a hybrid guy after putting the Qi35 in the bag. I have always played a GI - ish 4 iron which doesn't match my set just to give me some extra juice, so the hybrid probably isn't that big of a jump.

 

Point 2 - great exercise and definitely something I've done previously when looking at the 3 iron slot for the 4 hybrid that went in the bag. Same looks for clubs is so important to me and would definitely match the other one in my bag. Time to hit the course!

[stratgolf]

9 hours ago, PSUgolf said:

I made the move to a 5 hybrid last year. When I got my new Mizuno 925 forged, I started at 6 iron. Much more consistent with the hybrid than I was with my 5 iron. I go Driver 5 wood turned down to play like a 4 wood and 4/5 hybrids

 

Love to hear it. So important to find a setup that works for you and gaps correctly.

 

9 hours ago, Urb said:

Once your descent angle gets below 40*, probably time to look at something higher launching.

 

Also, best to have at least 5mph ball speed gaps between clubs.

 

Hybrids can be a rathole, they don't gap 1:1 with irons (5h replaces 4i usually but not always).  It often takes some tinkering or multiple fittings to find what works.  

 

This is what I have found in my experience:

 

4h - replaces 3i

 

5h - shaft weight in between 4h and irons.  Replaces 4i

 

6h - hybrid loft should match iron loft, use 5i shaft, replaces 5i.

 

One more wrinkle is that once you get over 180 yards, probably ok to have 15 yard gaps, which makes fitting/testing even more important.

 

Yeah that ball speed gap is so important isn't it. Putting the 4 Hybrid in the bag was a big process to gap that correctly, but I've really enjoyed the results. I already play quite a heavy 4 hybrid shaft so not sure id want to go any heavier in the 5 hybrid, but I'm not sure that's a massive issue.

 

[stratgolf]

10 hours ago, boggyman said:

If you’re questioning it, just roll with the hybrid. You’ll be glad you did! 

 

I think so too. I'm already thinking about it Everytime I don't flush the 4 iron, and how much better the bad ones could be.

 

10 hours ago, KnoxvilleReb said:

I went the 5 hybrid route this year. G440 5 hybrid to replace my 5 iron. I really like it. 6 iron goes ~165, with 170 off a tee (normally where I use it). Best part about the hybrid is I find I can easily vary the distances and trajectory I hit it, which allows me to keep carrying 5 wedges at the bottom of my bag which is the best part of my game (44-48-52-56-60). Stock shot goes 180-185, I can lay off a little with a high cut and hit it 175-180, and then I can step of it and get it up to 185-190, all with playable ball flights, which wasn't the case with the 5 iron. The 5H is a really useful club as a kind of wide-yardage bridge between 6 iron and 7 (really an 8 at 22.5 stated loft) wood. 

 

Interesting. That is certainly a lot of wedges. Versatility is such a plus with the hybrid, can do so many things out of so many different lies.

[stratgolf]

10 hours ago, shankasaurus rex said:

I run 4 and 5 hybrid, and they're actually some of my favorite clubs in the bag. Super easy to hit and consistent on flight and distance.

 

Yeah that's a big thing for me - being able to consistently hit carry numbers and know that a playable ball flight will come out, even if strike isn't perfect. Just a more playable golf club.

 

9 hours ago, getitdaily said:

I have been giving this more and more thought thr last couple of months and I'll likely head this route in the winter. 

 

Currently have a 22 degree mp20 hmb 4i. I love the directional control of it but I just dont get it in the air well enough. I have a 21 degree ts2 4h that carries 220ish. 4i well struck carries 207ish. 5i carry is 192-195. So, I know my gap.

 

Will likely head down the tsr3 24 hybrid for this one so I can have it a bit more iron like...less largesse at address.

 

Sounds good to me! Would you ever swap the TS2 into a TSR3 just for consistency or do you like the larger head in the 21 hybrid.

[stratgolf]

9 hours ago, gemo said:

Aesthetics and Ego are the two biggest obstacles in golf.

 

If it works it works. I recently picked up an iron with an a-flex shaft on a lark. I immediately started hitting longer and straighter that I ever have before. I'm 45 and I doubt any fitter would ever hand me something softer than regular, and certainly not a 55g a-flex.

 

Anyone who has negative things to say about what you choose to bag isn't going to be fun to play with anyhow, so find better playing partners if that's what is holding you back.

 

Yeah for sure. I am worried about not being able to shape the hybrid as well as I can with my 4 iron, or hit it low, but I think the added consistency and forgiveness of flight is more important, and what I need. Interesting about your a flex experience - great to find something that works.

 

9 hours ago, jlevitt9 said:

I'm weird, but I carry:

 

- 5w

- 4 iron (23* 500u Titleist)

- 6 Hybrid (26*, Titleist Tsi1)

- 6 iron (29*)

 

I'm 112ss. Here's the reasoning. I hit the ball low. The 4 iron is for off the tee (220-240). I often have 185-210 into greens. Whether it's on a par 5 after a good drive. A long par 4, or a par 4 after a bad drive into the rough, or a long par 3. That 185-210 range comes up often for me and I want to ensure I can get the ball up, and a mishit ends up somewhere close to pin high in the rough. That's where the 26* hybrid comes in. Much more accurate than the 5 iron coming into a green. Just my .02!

 

Josh

 

Interesting. Would you ever consider a mini driver for that 4 iron off the tee shot? I don't think your setup is all that strange, and makes sense to me - thanks Josh.

[stratgolf]

8 hours ago, eric61 said:

For the last couple years, I've had a lot of success replacing my 4 iron with a Ping G430 5 hybrid lofted down to 25 degrees. It's actually been a real weapon for me -- it's given me some good looks at eagle, gotten me out of jail after some really poor tee shots on long/long-ish par 4s ... just a great club in the bag.

 

Lately, I've been experimenting with replacing my 5 iron with a 6 hybrid, and I'm finding much the same thing. On the course, it's just so much better out of the rough. From the fairway, I get a nice, high, reliable ball flight. Off the tee, I do have a tendency to turn it over too much ... but my home course doesn't have a par 3 where I need the 5 iron/6 hybrid distance, so that's not really a problem unless I'm traveling, in which case I bring them both and just check out the scorecard before the round. 

 

Before deciding on a 6 hybrid, I did a test at the range -- 5 iron vs. 6 hybrid. Here's how I did it: I picked a target, a little hill roughly the size of a green with a flag on one side. I hit a bunch of shots with each, alternating back and forth, and kept a simple points system: 1 point for a good shot (as in, definitely hit my "green"), half a point for a not-bad shot (think, might have caught the edge of the green or been slightly in the rough, but generally got the distance and not terribly far from target), zero points for a truly bad shot. The number of shots I scored a 1 playing this game were roughly identical. But there were also a sizable share of 5 iron shots that scored a zero, whereas there were virtually no 6 hybrid shots that didn't score at least a 0.5. 

 

My conclusion, based on those results, was that the 6 hybrid didn't necessarily change what a good shot looks like to me, but it certainly raised the floor for bad shots. 

 

The trajectory is definitely high, but for some reason I have an easier time keeping the Ping G430 hybrids from really ballooning than I do with other models. I can't explain it, because I know they're designed to launch high. But a couple years ago I did a head-to-head test for that 4th-longest-club spot, the 25 degree Ping G430 vs. a 24 degree Titleist TSR3, and the Ping actually launched and flew lower. I know it makes no sense at all. But it's what's made the Ping's ball flight playable for me even on windy days.

 

Interesting on ball flight that you found with the ping - I much preferred the Qi35 in a head to head comparison which I wasn't expecting, given how much everyone raves about the ping hybrids. I think the floor raising bit is exactly what I'm looking for and would be the performance gain I'm chasing.

 

8 hours ago, Kmac said:

Longest iron for me is the 6 as well. When I got the new P790's I didnt ever order a 5 since I had just made the move to a 5h earlier in the year and so far I dont miss the 5 iron at all.

 

Nice one. So you go 5 hybrid into the 6 iron?

[C_rad]

Who makes a small head 5 hybrid? 

[stratgolf]

5 hours ago, aussieb said:

I've made the move from 4i TCB.   I tried getting by with the 2i & 4i UT in my sig, but it's wet up here on the GC and our rough is getting nasty.  I added the GT3 4H and 5H recently after some testing, and I'm really loving the flight and extra stopping power on longer approach shots.  Don't worry about the extra head covers, they make it easier to keep them dry!!

 

Love it. Funny on the head covers - I may end up looking like an old man bag, but it will be a stylish one! Where do you play on the GC?

 

2 hours ago, RCGA said:

High SS player, +1 hcp. 

 

My 5hy (24*) is an absolute weapon. It's as long as my 3i (20*), but way more forgiving, easier to hit out of the rough and goes higher. I only keep the 3i in the bag because I can hit worm burners with the 3i and I can't get that low with the 5hy. 

 

I'm already toying with the idea of adding a 28-30* hybrid to replace my 6i. My only fear is distance control. 

 

Love it. So you go 6 iron into 5 hybrid, then 3 iron and driver?

[stratgolf]

1 minute ago, C_rad said:

Who makes a small head 5 hybrid? 

 

I've found the standard QI35 tour to be a reasonable size, and not too big. I really liked it and never thought I would!

[getitdaily]

20 minutes ago, stratgolf said:

 

Yeah that's a big thing for me - being able to consistently hit carry numbers and know that a playable ball flight will come out, even if strike isn't perfect. Just a more playable golf club.

 

 

Sounds good to me! Would you ever swap the TS2 into a TSR3 just for consistency or do you like the larger head in the 21 hybrid.

I love the ts2 in the 21.

 

My concern with a hybrid at 24 is it getting spinny. That's why I'd go tsr3 there...

[CDLgolf]

For me hybrids are better than irons. I use ping g30 4, 5 & 6 hybrids and I can't think of an instance where an iron would be better. 

[Kmac]

54 minutes ago, stratgolf said:

 

Interesting on ball flight that you found with the ping - I much preferred the Qi35 in a head to head comparison which I wasn't expecting, given how much everyone raves about the ping hybrids. I think the floor raising bit is exactly what I'm looking for and would be the performance gain I'm chasing.

 

 

Nice one. So you go 5 hybrid into the 6 iron?

Hep, 5 hybrid to the 6 iron. 

[jlevitt9]

2 hours ago, stratgolf said:

 

Yeah for sure. I am worried about not being able to shape the hybrid as well as I can with my 4 iron, or hit it low, but I think the added consistency and forgiveness of flight is more important, and what I need. Interesting about your a flex experience - great to find something that works.

 

 

Interesting. Would you ever consider a mini driver for that 4 iron off the tee shot? I don't think your setup is all that strange, and makes sense to me - thanks Josh.

I have a mini driver too that I carry 🙂 

 

driver

mini (13.5*)

5 wood

4 iron 

26* hybrid

6-PW

GW

SW

LW

Putter

 

it works for me! Mini is 245-280. 4 iron is for when there’s trouble starting at 250.