3-Iron or Hybrid?

[silverbear]

I occasionally will drop my three iron out of the bag for my 5 wood which is almost a 7 wood in loft. The advantage to the wood is its easier to get out of sand traps or the rough.

I don't believe I've ever tried to swing a wood out of a fairway bunker; do you really find it easier than a long iron??

 

[Vintage]

I don't believe I've ever tried to swing a wood out of a fairway bunker; do you really find it easier than a long iron??

I've done this before....

Back in H.S., I put my ball in a fairway bunker....I obviously didn't have a low iron game, so I took my 5 wood, from 200 out onto the green.

Only time I've ever been in a fairway bunker (of course, most courses I play don't have them....and when they do, I either take them out of play with my driver....or lay up with iron/half shot 3 woods)

 

[Nors]

I don't believe I've ever tried to swing a wood out of a fairway bunker; do you really find it easier than a long iron??

Yes as long as sitting clean it works! But I am hitting a weak 5 wood that is near 7 wood in loft. I kid you not it comes out at a 7=8 iron trajectory. It is great out of traps and ok lies in rough.

 

[silverbear]

Yes as long as sitting clean it works! But I am hitting a weak 5 wood that is near 7 wood in loft. I kid you not it comes out at a 7=8 iron trajectory. It is great out of traps and ok lies in rough.

I might have to give that a try some time...

BTW, you're offering Vintage some really good advice... I have no doubts that you're the player you claim to be, you know the golf swing...

 

[Nors]

I might have to give that a try some time...

BTW, you're offering Vintage some really good advice... I have no doubts that you're the player you claim to be, you know the golf swing...

I lived on the golf course and played 7 days a week until work/marriage/kids. Handicap as low as 3 - but I had to work my butt off just to compete with the best at my course. Only way I could do that was to outwork them.

Ironically now that I play far less and have lower expectations I enjoy the game more. And I now have a short game that compensates for my lack of consistency with iron game. And confidence in short game allows you comfort in knowing every iron shot does not have to be perfect as you can get up and down.

I'll have to dig it up but the best tip I ever received came from an unlikely source 15 years ago. Tom Kite on maximizing power on drives! It basically is what Tiger does and was a very scary thought. His principal is to torque off your left shoulder. Rotate club back and keep left shoulder torqued until your shoulder/upper torso is 180to target - and then fire hips and fire through the ball. I call it body torque that generates clubhead speed. It is a shot that if you don't get through on you can miss world right but when mastered generates monster power.

I can talk golf all day and have spent many a night at the 19th hole talking golf - To this day I regret selling my Ping Eye 2's. Square grooves and set had a 1 and 2 iron.

 

[Hostile]

I lived on the golf course and played 7 days a week until work/marriage/kids. Handicap as low as 3 - but I had to work my butt off just to compete with the best at my course. Only way I could do that was to outwork them.

Ironically now that I play far less and have lower expectations I enjoy the game more. And I now have a short game that compensates for my lack of consistency with iron game. And confidence in short game allows you comfort in knowing every iron shot does not have to be perfect as you can get up and down.

I'll have to dig it up but the best tip I ever received came from an unlikely source 15 years ago. Tom Kite on maximizing power on drives! It basically is what Tiger does and was a very scary thought. His principal is to torque off your left shoulder. Rotate club back and keep left shoulder torqued until your shoulder/upper torso is 180to target - and then fire hips and fire through the ball. I call it body torque that generates clubhead speed. It is a shot that if you don't get through on you can miss world right but when mastered generates monster power.

I can talk golf all day and have spent many a night at the 19th hole talking golf - To this day I regret selling my Ping Eye 2's. Square grooves and set had a 1 and 2 iron.

Isn't that the truth? I feel exactly the same.

 

[Nors]

Yup - I call it golfer burnout. I played so much and expectations so high every bad shot or bogey or bad round was the focal point.

Now the focal point are the great shots or putts made.

I just enjoy it a lot more - not expecting perfection as time not there to do attempt to do it.

 

[Bizwah]

Man, I'm jealous of you guys.

I play a ton...and never get any better. I still slice horribly...and I can get no distance. I'm a big guy (6-4) and smaller guys outdrive me by 30 yards.

I've just started lessons....but I can't quite break free of my bad habits.

I consistently shoot at or near 100. My best score ever was an 84...but the next time out I shot 120+.

I know the way to improve is to go out to the range....but I feel if I'm spending all that money to belong to the course, then I'm gonna play.

I'm cheap I guess..

I'm gonna try that 5 wood out of the bunker bit. That's the one club I hit decently.

 

[Vintage]

Well, I was making some good progress....

Then its come undone the past 1.5 weeks.

I am starting to slice with my 3 Wood (I never do that) and I've started to hit my irons to the right of where I am aiming.

I think its my "release." I started concentrating on it at the driving range and seemed to straighten it out at the end.

I also started doing the inside-outside takeaway thing that you were talking about, silverbear...... its taken awhile to get adjusted to it, but I finally started putting it together towards the end of today's session at the driving range.

My short game is coming around too, particularly my putting. I've just missed a bunch of 20-30' putts by inches. I am consistantly from 20-25' making really solid efforts at holing these putts; it just seems like I am missing by an inch or two (either high or low). And I am 2 putting everything. I used to 3 putt probably once every 9 holes this summer; now, I can go a couple of rounds without doing it.

My short game has progressed nicely lately (though admittedly, its not as good as it needs to be). But its not respectable for someone of my skill level. If I can re-straighten my irons out (and my 3 Wood), I think I am poised to make a run at shooting in the 80s.

I am getting really, really excited about this....

I also need to limit some mental mistakes to accomplish this.

(And I am still waiting for Ping to send me my driver back....they are taking forever!!!!)

 

[Doomsday101]

Hybrid is an easier club to hit and now days even pros are going to the hybrid clubs. If you comfortable hitting a 3 iron stay with it but if you like the feel of the hybrid and you are more consistent with it that the 3 iron then hybrid is the way to go.

 

[Vintage]

I got an 18* hybrid... it basically bridged the gap between my 3 Wood and 3 Iron...

I am counting on the ability to improve my 3 Iron so I don't need to replace that too.

 

[Doomsday101]

I got an 18* hybrid... it basically bridged the gap between my 3 Wood and 3 Iron...

I am counting on the ability to improve my 3 Iron so I don't need to replace that too.

I just recently went to a hybrid to replace my 3. I hit a decent 3 but after trying out a friends hybrid 19* Taylor Made hybrid and I liked the way I hit it and found I have better control over it I went ahead and made the switch. After all it is about doing what you can to improve your own game. I admit I was reluctant at 1st but the more I hit that club the more I relize I made the right choice for me.

 

[Vintage]

I've had some mixed results with it... but then again, I've barely used it. I've been spending a lot of time working on my 5 iron and 3 iron at the driving range....

3 Iron is still pretty inconsistant. 5 Iron is looking nice. If I can start hitting it with the consistancy of my 6 iron, I am going to be pleased.

 

[Doomsday101]

I've had some mixed results with it... but then again, I've barely used it. I've been spending a lot of time working on my 5 iron and 3 iron at the driving range....

3 Iron is still pretty inconsistant. 5 Iron is looking nice. If I can start hitting it with the consistancy of my 6 iron, I am going to be pleased.

As I said I hit a pretty good 3 iron I think the biggest selling point about the hybrid is the control I have over it especially coming out of the rough it is much easier for me to the club head through the thick stuff.

The club that gives me the hardest time is the driver. When I'm hitting it good it is very good but when I'm hitting it bad it gets me in all kinds of trouble.

I know I should spend my time working on it but I find myself working mostly on 150 and in which is how I have been able to stay in the upper 70's fairly consistently.

 

[Nors]

I love my Taylor Made Hybrid - It says 5 wood but believe it is closer to 7 wood loft. I can hit it 230 downwind and get it 185-205 normally with uncanny spin/stop. It does not spin back like a wedge but it hits green and stops right there. I have cleared trees with what amounts to an 8 iron trajectory - once did that after popping up a drive short lefy on dog leg left. And carried trees no right carrying and still getting 225 to green - probably biggest miracle shots I have ever hit.