5 Wood vs 2 Hybrid vs 2 iron

[giogolf]

Hey all,

 

I am have been tinkering with 5 woods, (17-19*) Hybrids and 2 irons lately and want to share my thoughts and open this up for comments.

 

First off I prefer my woods to have a deeper face and designed for a more penetrating flight. I mainly play the clubs we are talking about here off the tee for position on shorter par 4's (375-425 yards) or the rare opportunity to go for the green at 225-245 yards out.

 

So I went out and purchased a bunch of 5 woods, 2 Hybrids and a couple of 2 irons. I shafted them up with my favorite shafts and took them to the course.

 

Here is what I found...

 

5 wood, Long and high off the tee, but not the most forgiving out of the bunch. I can move the ball right or left, but not low. Easy off the fairway, okay out of the rough. Mainly, an easy club to get the ball up fast without any effort. I did have a problem in the wind, I could not keep this club low.

 

17-19* Hybrids, Long off the tee, most forgiving out of the bunch. I can draw the ball, hit it high, and hit it low, hitting a fade took more work. Easy off the fairway and out of the rough it performed the best out of the bunch.

 

2 irons, Low or high off the tee, and easy for me to hit and work, down side is if your off a little bit you can lose some distance (not a major issue with hybrids and woods). Easiest club to work for me, especially into the wind. Off the fairway, there is no room for error and hitting it really high takes work. No good out of deep rough.

 

Have you guys found the same to be true in your findings?

 

My biggest question is, why do some of the better players hit 5 woods; especially ones who interchange there 5 woods for 2 irons depending on the course?

 

I find the 5 wood to be a one trick pony unless you want a higher launch. It is beyond me how Tiger can hit a stinger with a 5 wood. Every 5 wood I have tried gave a nice high trajectory, but was difficult to hit low.

 

In the end for me, I stuck with a 2 hybrid, I think it provided the best of both worlds and the forgiveness needed for a fairway finding club that can go low or high.

 

Your thoughts or comments....

[Tarkata]

Pretty much exactly what I found. I used for years my Mizuno Forged 7 wood at 21* as my fairway wood but as I began to play more windy courses, the high ball became a real problem. I loved the club, but for around here, forget it unless you are inland and on the other side of the mountains. Just too much wind.

I don't hit the 17-19* hybrids very well off a tee. For some reason, the small head or the closed face, I dunno which, but I just have a problem controlling those hybrids on the left side. It's probably psychological at this point

SO, I started with the driving irons - the Mizuno Fli Hi's and very much liked the boring, penetrating ball flight. I found I liked the cut muscle version much more than the newer 2010 one. I may be the only one in the world who feels this way, but hey...

eventually I stumbled onto a Srixon ZR at 18* that I use a lot off the tee.
So to answer your question, the 18* driving iron is not as green friendly as a 5 or 7 wood, but again, I live in the Bay Area and wind is a [i]big deal,[/i] so even if I wanted to hit into par 3's from 235, I am going to chance it with my 18* driving iron and hope my expensive ball holds the green. Usually it does...

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

Thought experiment. Imagine you had the ability to make the 5-wood go as low as you can make your 17-degree hybrid go...would that change your decision?

I'm guessing that a lot of Tour players are really, really good at taking a club that goes a mile in the air (like a 5-wood does for anyone with Tour clubhead speed) and knocking it down. So it's just a shot they find easy that isn't a high percentage shot for you.

It has always seemed to me a typical Tour player's entire game is built around bringing the ball down to various degrees from what would naturally be a real high ball flight. Sometimes they go ahead and let it fly, other times they bring it down a bit and the best of them can hit it real low. All with the same clubs. So the 5-wood might look real good in that case.

[pr123]

i am going through the same process, trying to find the right fit. I have a 910f 19*, not working for me. I am currently looking for a 17* 910h.

what about SGI long irons, does anyone have experience using the rocketballz 3 iron as a driving iron?

[kellygreen]

[quote name='gioGolf' timestamp='1340304882' post='5143404']
Hey all,

I am have been tinkering with 5 woods, (17-19*) Hybrids and 2 irons lately and want to share my thoughts and open this up for comments.

First off I prefer my woods to have a deeper face and designed for a more penetrating flight. I mainly play the clubs we are talking about here off the tee for position on shorter par 4's (375-425 yards) or the rare opportunity to go for the green at 225-245 yards out.

So I went out and purchased a bunch of 5 woods, 2 Hybrids and a couple of 2 irons. I shafted them up with my favorite shafts and took them to the course.

Here is what I found...

5 wood, Long and high off the tee, but not the most forgiving out of the bunch. I can move the ball right or left, but not low. Easy off the fairway, okay out of the ruff. Mainly, an easy club to get the ball up fast without any effort. I did have a problem in the wind, I could not keep this club low.

17-19* Hybrids, Long off the tee, most forgiving out of the bunch. I can draw the ball, hit it high, and hit it low, hitting a fade took more work. Easy off the fairway and out of the ruff it performed the best out of the bunch.

2 irons, Low or high off the tee, and easy for me to hit and work, down side is if your off a little bit you can lose some distance (not a major issue with hybrids and woods). Easiest club to work for me, especially into the wind. Off the fairway, there is no room for error and hitting it really high takes work.

Have you guys found the same to be true in your findings?

My biggest question is, why do some of the better players hit 5 woods; especially ones who interchange there 5 woods for 2 irons depending on the course?

I find the 5 wood to be a one trick pony unless you want a higher launch. It is beyond me how Tiger can hit a stinger with a 5 wood. Every 5 wood I have tried gave a nice high trajectory, but was difficult to hit low.

In the end for me, I stuck with a 2 hybrid, I think it provided the best of both worlds and the forgiveness needed for a fairway finding club that can go low or high.

Your thoughts or comments....
[/quote]

Agree. Pretty typical of the experience of high swing speed players (which you probably are considering your definition of "short" par 4s). The only thing is that you must have been playing with a GI 2-iron, or only hitting that 2-iron off the tee. Off the tee, a 2-iron is a pretty reasonable club if you've got good swing speed, and a consistent enough swing to make center-face contact.

Off the deck, however, even a cavity-back 2-iron is a demanding club....and a blade 2-iron can be an unforgiving beast.

The only other thing I would add is that sweeper/pickers tend to prefer hitting 5-woods and 2-irons, whereas driver/diggers tend to get along better with hybrids.

[MRT6893]

i went with a adams pro black 20 degree with a radix 9T-Hy shaft keeps it low and is solid off the tee and the deck. Had the same issues with the 5 wood going too high even with a srixon z-steel and lost the feel for my titleist 960mb 2 iron with a black gold x-flex best wind club out there just no forgiveness.

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='gioGolf' timestamp='1340304882' post='5143404']
Hey all,

I am have been tinkering with 5 woods, (17-19*) Hybrids and 2 irons lately and want to share my thoughts and open this up for comments.

First off I prefer my woods to have a deeper face and designed for a more penetrating flight. I mainly play the clubs we are talking about here off the tee for position on shorter par 4's (375-425 yards) or the rare opportunity to go for the green at 225-245 yards out.

So I went out and purchased a bunch of 5 woods, 2 Hybrids and a couple of 2 irons. I shafted them up with my favorite shafts and took them to the course.

Here is what I found...

5 wood, Long and high off the tee, but not the most forgiving out of the bunch. I can move the ball right or left, but not low. Easy off the fairway, okay out of the ruff. Mainly, an easy club to get the ball up fast without any effort. I did have a problem in the wind, I could not keep this club low.

17-19* Hybrids, Long off the tee, most forgiving out of the bunch. I can draw the ball, hit it high, and hit it low, hitting a fade took more work. Easy off the fairway and out of the ruff it performed the best out of the bunch.

2 irons, Low or high off the tee, and easy for me to hit and work, down side is if your off a little bit you can lose some distance (not a major issue with hybrids and woods). Easiest club to work for me, especially into the wind. Off the fairway, there is no room for error and hitting it really high takes work.

Have you guys found the same to be true in your findings?

My biggest question is, why do some of the better players hit 5 woods; especially ones who interchange there 5 woods for 2 irons depending on the course?

I find the 5 wood to be a one trick pony unless you want a higher launch. It is beyond me how Tiger can hit a stinger with a 5 wood. Every 5 wood I have tried gave a nice high trajectory, but was difficult to hit low.

In the end for me, I stuck with a 2 hybrid, I think it provided the best of both worlds and the forgiveness needed for a fairway finding club that can go low or high.

Your thoughts or comments....
[/quote]

5 wood and hybrid are similar in my view. However, 5 wood should be slightly longer, mostly because of the shaft length, making it a slightly better 2nd shot club then hybrid on Par 5's. But, it really depends on the conditions, and how far someone hits each club. Also, there's dispersion issue. Although 2 iron might not go as far or as high as the others, its almost always in the fairway and under the wind. But, it takes a bit more talent to be effective with 2 iron. I happen to hit it as well off the deck as off a tee.

I've had a number of 5wds, and sold a few hybrids, always coming back to 17* (adjusted) 2 iron. Why... I hate dispersion, and face wind rather often. Neither the 5wd or comparable hybrid are nearly as effective as 2 iron in wind.

[kellygreen]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1340306102' post='5143512']
It has always seemed to me a typical Tour player's entire game is built around bringing the ball down to various degrees from what would naturally be a real high ball flight. Sometimes they go ahead and let it fly, other times they bring it down a bit and the best of them can hit it real low. All with the same clubs. So the 5-wood might look real good in that case.
[/quote]

Agreed. But the way I see is that the pro's game is built around distance control...and since they play in a wider variety of weather conditions than do recreational players, controlling trajectory and spin are a part of that.

Either as a means of hitting the ball a specific distance when in-between clubs...or trying to control distance/direction in windy conditions.

[DrCRHop]

For me, it's a 5W all the way. I cannot seem to hit hybrids (especially 19* - 21*) very well and forget the 2 iron. I like the 5W off the tee and out of the fairway or first cut of rough. In deeper rough it doesn't perform as well - for that shot I usually use a 4 iron like a hockey slapshot (not the grip though).

[lukesmurf59]

I really don't have any issues with my 2iron off the deck or even out of the rough. I just swing it like any other long iron and beat it down there. Can really launch it up there if I hit way down on it, draw it, fade it, works fine out of most of the rough and great off the tee. Plus, nothing feels like it when you pure it out of the middle. I love courses that start with short par fours because I can tee off with and when I stripe it down the middle everyone goes "whoa, a 2iron? I have so much fun with that club, it is probably my favorite club.

[SheriffBooth]

I put a 5-wood in the bag for the first time in a decade this year, and it's become my favorite club. For me it bridges the gap between a 4-iron and 3-wood. My R9 TP has about the same trajectory as the 3H I was using before (maybe the F1 Motore is helping to keep it down?) but I can hit it anywhere from 210 to 235 depending on how I swing. For me, the club is no more or less versatile out of the rough than a hybrid, but it's a fairly compact head.

[lukesmurf59]

But I did finally find a decent hybrid which I hit quite well out of those nasty lies in the rough and can launch and spin like crazy if need be but still just gives a mid-high flight on normal shots as opposed to just mid with my 2iron.

[lukesmurf59]

Oh and it's called the rough, not the ruff. You're not a dog.

[MRT6893]

[quote name='MRT6893' timestamp='1340306674' post='5143588']
i went with a adams pro black 20 degree with a radix 9T-Hy shaft keeps it low and is solid off the tee and the deck. Had the same issues with the 5 wood going too high even with a srixon z-steel and lost the feel for my titleist [b]690mb[/b] 2 iron with a black gold x-flex best wind club out there just no forgiveness.
[/quote]

[KPH808]

Same here for me. I tried using a 5 wood but hit it way too high and ballooned. I always used to use a 2 iron, great off the tee, punching out of trouble, etc. Not too long ago, I switched to a 17* 910H and have gone back and forth a few times and the hybrid works better for me. Off the tee, I hit the 2 iron much better but the hybrid was much easier to hit off the deck and higher shots into greens.

A buddy of mine has always used a Callaway 2 iron but after playing with me for a weekend, he is not wanting to get the same hybrid.

[giogolf]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1340306102' post='5143512'] Thought experiment. Imagine you had the ability to make the 5-wood go as low as you can make your 17-degree hybrid go...would that change your decision? I'm guessing that a lot of Tour players are really, really good at taking a club that goes a mile in the air (like a 5-wood does for anyone with Tour clubhead speed) and knocking it down. So it's just a shot they find easy that isn't a high percentage shot for you. It has always seemed to me a typical Tour player's entire game is built around bringing the ball down to various degrees from what would naturally be a real high ball flight. Sometimes they go ahead and let it fly, other times they bring it down a bit and the best of them can hit it real low. All with the same clubs. So the 5-wood might look real good in that case. [/quote]

Yes, if I could flight the 5 wood low I would consider playing it over the Hybrid.

Not sure if this helps, but here are the Woods, Hybrids and 2 irons I tested.

906F2 5 wood (Great feeling, and the closest I have come to hitting it low with a 5 wood)
i15 5 wood (Lively Face)
TourEdge CB2 (Hot face, but didnt feel right to me)

909H 17* and 19* hybrid (Great feel)
i15 17* Hybrid (Amazing, lively face with feel)

MP FLIHI Ti 2 iron (Thought this would be th eend all be all best of both worlds, btu to me it has a hollow feel with little feedback)
MP 53 3 Irons Bent to 18* with 2 iron length shaft. (Great 2 iron, forgiving, workable and great feel)
MP 37 2 irons (my old 2 iron from 5 years ago, Awesome, but demanding for my current game)

[duffer888]

Have both and play the one that fits the course and conditions that day.

[MattTheTaff]

2 iron... All day long.

My 2 iron is called "the bishop"

Cos I love whacking the bishop

[RightHandRough]

I'm really digging the super hybrids. They seem to give me the best of both the hybrid and a fairway metal. I can hit long irons, but not as effectively as when I played more often. For my couple games a week lifestyle they fit the bill just peachy.

[mhancock]

This is a no brainer for me. Hybrid all the way. I carry the 04 model 14° 2 and the 3 Taylormade rescue mid. I can easily hit the 2 hybrid 25 yards past my 15° r9 3 wood. It has a low boring ball flight and feels great hitting it pure. Seeing the look on playing partners faces is priceless when I blow past their drivers. That club does have a fujikura shaft as I use it a lot off the tee but it works equally well for second shots. The 3 hybrid has a steel shaft (so did my 16° 2h) and both were also long and much easier to hit than a 2 or 3 iron from various lies. I just cant decide if I like the steel or graphite shafts. I see little distance between the two except the steel is a little more controlable. I like them so much, I have several back up clubs ordered. I also have the 4h that may have been hit 10 times since new but I like the 4 iron better.