Fairway Driver vs Hybrid vs Utility Iron

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By TDial

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  • 3 Replies
  1. TDial

    TDial
    Weldon Spring, MO

    Once you've identified your gaps between Driver and 4i, what are your opinions and personal thoughts on deciding what club type to select to fill the gaps? Now-a-days, we have so many options in fairway drivers, hybrids, and even some utility irons. Is this more so the stereotypical answer "hit the club that feels the best", whether you prefer the look/contact of an iron vs the softer png of a driver? Or is there actually a distance, spin, control, performance fact to these club differences?

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  2. Brian D

    Brian D
    Corunna, MI

    I think a little bit of everything you have said may be true. Every golfer has unique preferences, and a unique swing. That said; I think each club in the bag should have a purpose. For me, the clubs between driver and the first iron in my bag have just that - the 3wood is a fairway finder, get it down there club that is my second option off the tee and equally something to hit if I need to simply get the ball down the length of the hole. The 5wood is more height for a little less run out, and for me typically is a fade shot shape. The hybrid is very easy to hit for me, provides decent control, I can hit both fades and draws with it, and even use it around the green when necessary. I am equally comfortable hitting each one of them off the tee or in the appropriate non-teeing areas. Also, each of them has a slightly different head shape, which provides for either more forgiveness or more workability, depending on the club.
  3. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    3 wood to find fairways. 7 wood to navigate with even the tightest lies.
  4. J22abe

    J22abe
    Texas

    3 Irons tend to fly lower which may be preferable in windy situations.
    Hybrids are better out of the rough than fairway woods.
    5W will soar low to high and land softly to stick greens which is why a lot of pros are moving to 5W/7W in place of hybrids.

    for me:
    Off the tee I use 3W on anything less than 400yds, 3 iron anything less than 350 yards or when missing the fairway is not an option.

    If it's in deep rough, I'll use 3 iron. On the fairway 3W mostly to get it as far down as possible. 3 iron is from like 230 out and mostly just hit and pray. Trying to give myself a good chip to get up and down.

    3W on the fairway I can hit it high and about 240-250 but not really accurate enough to consistently hit the green. So I'd rather hit 4 or 3 iron and come up short and pitch/chip as short of green is usually much less troublesome than off the back or the sides.

    I'll mainly use the 3W to get me as far down as possible with a low bullet that can chase out to 280+

    Anything more than a 4 iron I don't really have any expectations of hitting the green. And with a 4 iron my expectation is pretty low. Haha.

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