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High Loft FW Woods vs Hybrids

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stogiesnbogies

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Hi folks:

This is my first original thread as a member of HP :act-up:

I am seeking the opinion of those familiar with the idea of replacing long iron hybrids with high lofted FW woods...i.e. the 4 hybrid iron is replaced by a 7 wood and the 5 hybrid iron is replaced by the 9 wood.

I defintely find I get better distance with the woods but sacrifice accuracy. I am a senior golfer, been playing for 6 years and have an 18 handicap....like so many seniors, I live and die with my short game -especially putting and have made this move in an attempt to improve my distance...and this switch has helped me get "somewhere" near the green sooner but it seems to be a rather long process to return to my old scores-although now improving after some 15-20 rounds of effort and disappointing scores back in the 90's ......anyone else toyed with this or some other distance inducing variation in the bag? I would also welcome the input of other more experienced players and club builders.

Oh, yes , one other thing. I have used the on-line club wizard fitting system and been informed that due to my height (5-6") my clubs should be shortened by 1/2 inch. While I do cut down my putters to between 32 and 33 inches I have not dared do so with my other clubs. Any thoughts about height and club shaft length would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
How many yards are you gaining with the woods and just how much accuracy are you losing? I would rather be 20 yrds shooter in the fairway than in a green side hazard.
 
I recently swapped my 4 iron for a 7 wood and i gain about 20 yards with it and alot more confidence,im currently gaming a 16* hybrid which im thinking of swapping out for a 3 wood in a high loft,as it stands i like the yardage gap between my clubs but feel a wood is more confidence inspiring than my hybrid at the minute which is why im thinking of dropping the hybrids all together.
 
I have a friend that is almost 70. He has older Callaway woods that include 7 & 9 woods. He hits them great and will not replace them with hybrids. Everyone likes different things.
 
I'm gaining 20 plus yards I'd say....for example before the change I really didnt have an effective 180 yard club in the bag ...now I do....so I'm definitely leaning toward the woods staying ..and just sharpening my "up and down" play. seems like a fair enough swap off so long as the hazards are dry ones. Otherwise I'll just lay up with less club. LOL
 
crazygolfnut said:
I have a friend that is almost 70. He has older Callaway woods that include 7 & 9 woods. He hits them great and will not replace them with hybrids. Everyone likes different things.
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Yes the 7 and 9 wood are much better distance clubs than the 4 and 5 hybrid irons, I find.
I've even tried an 11 and 15 wood but didnt care for those as much as the hybrid versions.

When you're getting so close that you need a 15 wood methinks 'tis more effective to simply swing a 7 hybrid or 8 iron.
 
I am definitely partial to the hybrid. They give me alot of confidence vs a fairway wood.
 
Because of back surgery which limits the amount of bending I was advised to swap all of my irons (except sw) for high angle FW wood. Enables me to keep playing and I love hitting the 19 wood (wedge) Sounded crazy at first but it really works when you get the hang of it. I do carry one Adams 4hybrid for trouble but find I get more distance with the FW woods with little loss of accuracy. Only problem is I sometimes need a crowbar (ha ha)to pull out some of the woods (very crowded bag with head covers).It works and keeps me playing at 72.
 
While I do see a little more distance with the woods, I have more confidence and more consistent with hybrids. So I personally opted for slightly less distance for better accuracy. I am still contemplating on a new 5w for certain courses I play that have very wide open fairways.
 
The longer the shaft the more problems I have, choke up a lot on the three wood. Think I will end up with 2-6 hybrids and no woods.
 
I believe control in golf is more important than distance. If you are using a club to try and hit the green you want control. If you are laying up on a par five you may want distance. To me the club than is the most consistent will win out every time. I use a 5 wood and three hybrids between my driver and 7 iron. I love the hybrids, they hit the ball high and land it softly on most every type of green I have played. But what is important to you is what feels good and fits your eye at address. If there is doubt I would go to a golf store and hit both hybrids and woods and find out what works for you, it may just be a compo of both.
 
Will be replacing my 3 hybrid with a 5 wood soon. I can hit a poor shot with a hybrid just like a fairway wood.
 
Fairway woods over hybrids all day long for me. Bad hooking issues with every hybrid I have tried.
 
My dad did this; he carried no iron longer than a 6 and had a bag full of lofted fairway woods. He didn't like hybrids for some reason...
 
My great uncle used to have fairway woods down to about a 6 iron (which is a 7 iron with today's lofts). He had this ugly little half swing, but he used the momentum he created well. He had a killer short game and was very straight, so he shot below his age well into his late 80s.

This past season I toyed around with the hybrid, fairway wood line. I've found I really like 7 woods, and feel very confident with them. Below that (i.e. 9 or 11 wood), and I want a hybrid. I'm just more accurate with very similar distance (though those high 11W bombs are a thing of beauty).
 
i was told by a fitter that often times someone is a good fw player, or a good hybo player, but rarely both. i didn't ask him to expand why, but i wonder whether it's aoa. completely talking out of my a$$, but i would think steeper aoa would do well with hybo, and shallower aoa would do well with fw.
 
caeleric said:
i was told by a fitter that often times someone is a good fw player, or a good hybo player, but rarely both. i didn't ask him to expand why, but i wonder whether it's aoa. completely talking out of my a$$, but i would think steeper aoa would do well with hybo, and shallower aoa would do well with fw.
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I don't believe you're either or. Fwiw, I want to take a divot with both FWs and hybrids. I never try to pick either clean.
 
caeleric said:
i was told by a fitter that often times someone is a good fw player, or a good hybo player, but rarely both. i didn't ask him to expand why, but i wonder whether it's aoa. completely talking out of my a$$, but i would think steeper aoa would do well with hybo, and shallower aoa would do well with fw.
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I have always been a sweeper with FW woods which is how I was taught to use them. Late in the season last year, I ditched my 3 and 5 wood (for now) over hybrids in the same lofts and could not be happier. Not a lot of distance lost and a lot more accurate. With hybrids, I will swing a little steeper and take a divot if the shot calls for a quick stop, but for the most part, I play the longer 2 more like woods (sweeping) and the shorter two more like irons. Just depends on how I want the ball to finish, into the wind, downwind etc.

Everything in golf like life is subjective.
 
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Sox Fan said:
Fairway woods over hybrids all day long for me. Bad hooking issues with every hybrid I have tried.
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Same here. For me hybrids hook and woods do not.
 
I too carry all FW woods 7,9,11,13,15,17 19 because of back surgery. 19 FW wood is my pitching wedge and I am happy with distance and direction (for my ability)of all. The only problem I have with all of those woods is finding a bag that has enough separation to easily remove and replace each wood after each shot. With the head covers on (even though I sometimes take them all off at the beginning of the round) It takes too much time to find a slot to insert them in. My bag is 9.5" x 7.5" (inside dimensions at top) but it is takes too much time replacing the club following each shot. I am looking at Sun Mountain C130 which is I think, 10.5" x 9.5". I use a cart bag and will not go to a staff bag. You just don't think about such things if you have never experienced them.
 
Oh my God, a 19 wood. What company, and I must find.
 
I've topped every 3w I've ever tried, so I quit trying.

Very happy playing a 15 degree 2 hybrid instead.
 
I much prefer hybos. For me, more solid contact and lower trajectory (I play in a lot of wind). The Titleist 913H hybrids are about the best, most consistent hybrids I've ever played.
 
luggage said:
I too carry all FW woods 7,9,11,13,15,17 19 because of back surgery. 19 FW wood is my pitching wedge and I am happy with distance and direction (for my ability)of all.
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I have a 9 & 11 xhot woods but I have never seen a 13, 15, 17 or 19. Where in the world did you find them?
 
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