[PHOTO: Harry How]
Question: At my home course there’s a 170-metre par-3 where I normally hit my 4-iron. The rest of my foursome keeps telling me to get a hybrid instead. Are they right? I kinda like my 4-iron.
Answer: We’re sure you kinda liked your Blackberry, too. And updating your MySpace page. And navigating via your UBD street directory. The mere fact you’re asking this question leads us to believe you’re not exactly knocking down the pin with that club, but we digress.
For the high majority of everyday players, the 4-iron is dead. Fullstop. Only about 20 percent of LPGA Tour players carry a 4-iron that’s not a utility iron. Are you better than an LPGA Tour player? We all know the answer to that. Plus, given that the lofts of today’s 4-irons can be lower than 20 degrees (or basically a 2-iron loft of yesteryear), you need tour player skills to get them airborne.
The hybrid will almost assuredly give you more height and more forgiveness, useful for any golfer. Also be aware it will give you more distance. A 4-hybrid usually goes further than a 4-iron. The head is larger, the face probably springier and the shaft longer – all things that lead to more distance. Given that, you might want a 5-hybrid if you’re looking to hit a specific distance. It all comes down to distance gapping.
One of us recently got fit for a set of irons and mentioned to his fitter the 5-iron was a bit of a bugaboo club. Low percentage of success and even on good strikes not enough elevation. The solution turned out to be a 6-hybrid with the loft ratcheted up another three-quarters of a degree. This achieved the proper distance between their 9-wood (yes, 9-wood) and 6-iron while bringing green-holding height instead of hitting line drives with no hope of staying on the putting surface.
Which points to perhaps the best news. We’re not just talking about replacing a 4 or 5-iron here. Some players struggle with irons even deeper into the bag. Manufacturers have responded, with several offering 6, 7 even 8-hybrids to ease your approach-game pain.
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Oh, and another thing. Hybrids are pretty handy around the green, too. If you’ve never tried to chip with one when your ball is just off the putting surface and your short game has you wishing you had a chipper in your bag, you’re missing out. Just employ your putting grip and stroke and the large head will glide through the grass and the loft will pop the ball gently over any tall grass before settling into an easy, end-over-end roll without any fear of the dreaded skull or chunk. If you need convincing just watch a YouTube video of Todd Hamilton at the 2004 Open Championship where he used his hybrid in a myriad of ways on the path to the claret jug.
Give hybrids a shot. They’ll have you feeling about that 4-iron pretty much the way you would now about that old Blackberry. Beyond cool and super-functional at one time. Today, pretty much useless.
