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Long Irons vs Hybrids - Alternate Shots

SuperStroke
Wow. This is an impressive thread.

With the old blades, when I pulled the 2i, good swings produced good shots...and the misses ended up being these 150-180 yrd low to the ground things that rolled a bunch...."A good miss".

With the hybrid I get the thing in the air...which if way off line can make a larger mess of the things.

I think and would imagine that statistically a hybrid is better for the overall population of golfers and swings. The exceptions certainly exists; and within the population there are people who will be better off with the irons. But more shots in the air going a little longer with a club that allows for easier play from the ruff on the average will be better.

Yes, correct, you can point to exceptions on a particular shot and the exception of a particular golfer.

But practically; if you hit your long irons in a way that you like continue to do so; if that is an area you struggle; give a hybrid a go. The above link regarding lie and loft is a good read as you begin to look.
 
I think it comes down to the type of player. If someone is working on being a great ball striker and shoots at the pin, then irons might be the way. For the person who plays just for fun with the buddies, then a hybrid that is in their comfort zone might be the best route.
 
I'd say it's more a fitting thing. Look at some LPGA bags and tell me they aren't great ball strikers and aren't shooting at the pin.
 
For me it is not about the good ball strikes. It is all about what happens on the bad swings. For this reason it is hybrids for me and it is not even close.
 
I think it's totally subjective and up to each person's preference. I've hit both well at times, but definitely feel hybrids are easier for me to hit consistently. With that said, I've been trying to hit my 4/5 irons in my rocketbladez instead of my hybrid lately. I'm definitely more consistent with the hybrid. My miss with both seems to be a big hook.
 
Hybrids are much easier to hit higher and I hit them more accurately than higher lofted fairway woods. I also like replacing my longer irons with driving type irons because they are so much easier to elevate than a traditional long iron.

I currently play a 20* hybrid, a 23* X-Utility prototype, and then my 5-iron.
 
After this past weekend, I might be more firmly entrenched on the 'long iron' side of the argument, at least for my game.

That said, a more forgiving long iron.
 
After this past weekend, I'm more tempted than ever to go try a hybrid or utility to replace my 4 iron. Hit it twice and was not on with it today - both were thin, well short, and right (though not catastrophically so). Granted, my 4i is not a particularly forgiving one, but the point remains - I think I need the distance forgiveness that a hybrid offers. Both of those shots ended in double bogey or worse, which is not helping my quest to get to a single digit handicap.
 
Canadan said:
After this past weekend, I might be more firmly entrenched on the 'long iron' side of the argument, at least for my game.

That said, a more forgiving long iron.
Click to expand...

See, and I like the key there, for your game. What I saw you do with the 4i was awesome. Yes, a hybo is built to be easier to hit and the science doesn't lie, but in the end personal preference does play a large role. It's all about understanding and seeing both sides of this topic.

If you could get a 3i, look out.
 
I think Dan needs a certain 21* utility iron.
 
For my game a 4 iron is as low as I want to go. I love how I hit it and when it hits the green it's a two small hops and stops. My hybrids are fantastic they fly long and high and stick to the green like Velcro. I think a 3 iron might roll out a little more than what I want. I really like the set up, flight and distance of all my clubs.
 
I am still in the "both" camp for my 4i/h slot. I hit the last two greens of our last "guy's weekend" round from 175-185 out uphill with my W/S Fybrid 4, and I used the regular Diablo Edge 4i three times for great punch-outs from under tree trouble. I NEED them both.
 
In my case, I prefer to use custom order long iron from Mizuno USA. JPX EZ #5, 39 inches long, 59 degree lie angle, Fujikura Orochi 70 grams - R flex. ( I have callaway hybrids before, XHot2 , it didn't work ).
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The punch out shot from the trees is actually one of my favorite shots. The only real use of a long iron for me.
 
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