Hybrid vs 5 wood

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By matt a

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  1. matt a

    matt a
    carmel, IN

    I cannot decide whether I should have an 19* 5 wood or a 19* hybrid. What are the advantages or disadvantages? What do you use?

    Thanks

  2. All Day Titleist

    All Day Titleist
    b, CA

    i also am interested to hear what others think about this...

  3. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Using a hybrid or wood with the same loft is a matter of personal preference. I use a 7 (21) wood instead of a 3H or 4H because I find it a lot easier to hit and I get better distance with less effort. I also get better results with a 7 wood vs a 5 wood on the fairway because it is easier to launch. For me, a 7 wood actually hits farther than one of those Flight Control Technology 2 iron hybrids. Conversely, I use a 5H instead of a lofted wood (such as a 9 wood) because it works better for me. The disadvantage of the wood is the footprint (longer shaft length). The hybrid has a lower ball flight (at least that is what I have experienced with a 22H vs a 7W) and generally is more accurate. The fairway wood is better for someone with a slower swing speed. Whether or not one or the other is harder to hit depends on your swing. If you tend to "airmail" a wood, use a hybrid. The wood gets better distance. I hit a 5 wood about 190 but barely make 180 with a 19H. I hit my 7 wood 180 and just about never miss with it. The no-risk way to test them is to go to Golf Mart (Roger Dunn Golf Shops) and buy a used 5 wood or 3H. They have a 90 day playability guarantee and you can return the clubs after hitting some balls on the range and playing a few rounds of golf.
  4. fred k

    fred k
    falls church, VA

    i would have to agree with lou - it all depends on what you feel comfortable with...

    after my fitting, it was determined that a 17* hybrid would be better than a 17* wood because of the shaft length.  i've dialed it down to 16.25* which is what i'm playing for my 3 wood.  i'm adding a 19* hybrid (dialed down to 18.25) as my 5 wood.

    personally, i've always hit a smaller headed club better than the shovels that are out there now.  guess that's why i went with the d3 instead of the d2 driver and still carry a 3 iron in the bag (which i hit pretty well).  i'd also think that a hybrid would be better in more situations when you miss the fairway, than a wood would be.

    you should definitely try some clubs out and maybe go for a fitting.  you may be surprised with the results.  good luck!

    -fred

  5. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    I played golf with laminated or persimmon woods between 1972-2003 and I used them mainly off the tee (my so-called "fairway wood" was a 4 iron and I could hit it 200 back then; I could hit a 1-3 iron off the tee but not too well on the grass). When I took up golf again in 2006, I upgraded my woods to graphite shafts and metal heads and I ended up cutting the shafts 1" to get them to hit properly. I also discovered the 7 wood and, to sum it up, it and the 5 hybrid have been my winning combination since then (first one that worked well was an Orlimar Trimetal 7W that I reshafted to TT Lite XL Steel and a Nickent 3DX 5/26 that I also reshafted to steel). My best performers to date (and I use them now) have been a Burner Draw HT driver, Burner 7 wood and Nike Sumo SQ 5/26 hybrid. These are keepers and my driving, fairway wood and middle game play has been SOLID. It would be nice to get on the dance floor on the 185-200 yard par 3s and not have to get down in 2 for par (I have pinpoint accuracy with the 7W so I use it). I am taking a Nike Sumo SQ 4/17 fairway wood and 3/20 hybrid to the golf course tomorrow. These are to fill the gap between the driver-7W and 7W-5H. They hit well so far. I haven't really found a 3 or 4 wood (or even a 2 iron hybrid) that has performed as well as my 7 wood (it actually blew away a Ping G10 4W) and most 3H and 4H don't get too much more distance than my 5H. What I found out is that a hybrid between 38-39" (with lie angle between 61 to 60*) and a fairway wood between 41.5-42" (with a lie angle between 58.5 and 58) seem to work best for my golf swing. The Burner driver I am using has a lie angle of 58 and length of 45". I'm still kicking myself for trading away a 980F 3 wood and Warbird Heavenwood 7 wood a year ago but the upside is that I applied the trade-ins (along with some other clubs that didn't work out and some I had laying around the garage) for a couple Vokey Spin Milled wedges. And I also have some persimmons that I bust out once in a while (Louisville Niblick Vanguard 5W and Even Stripe 10W and HL3 34H). I played with the 980F 3W and the two Niblick persimmons for a year and shot 42 for 9 holes first time out.
  6. Cath D.

    Cath D.
    Carlsbad, CA

    matt a said:

    I cannot decide whether I should have an 19* 5 wood or a 19* hybrid. What are the advantages or disadvantages? What do you use?

    Thanks

    We did some testing with the 21°Fairway vs the 21° hybrid. The 21°fairway launched about 1° higher with increased spin (approx 720rpm more) and landed softer than the 21° hybrid. If you are a high spin player, the hybrid will give you a more boring trajectory and keep the ball flight down.
  7. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    I concure with Cathi's results - granted the test articles were TM and golfing robot was me. I have a Burner 2007 21 deg 7 wood (50 gram REAX) and bought a Rescue Mid 22 deg 4 iron (uniflex steel) to test out if it was worthy to put in my bag.

    The 4H had a lower ball flight and got about 10 yards less distance (about 170). For me, a 7 wood gives me a distance in between a 19* 5 wood and a 19* 3H. It is also easier to launch off a wide variety of conditions vs either. Believe it or not, I get a more boring trajectory with a 7 wood off the tee vs a 5 wood. Comparing a 5/26 hybrid to a lofted wood is another story.

    I've had a 9/24 fairway wood (Big Bertha 2004 and Warbird Divine 9), an Ely Would (27 deg Warbird 11 wood) and currently have a persimmon 10 wood (28.5); the 5/26 gets 5-10 yards more than any of them. Basically bottom line is that a 7/21 fww and 5/26 hybrid are the winning combo to replace the 5W thru 5 iron in my golf bag.

    I'm also doing pretty good on scoring on the 150-180 yard par 3s with these two. I have a 4 wood to cover the gap between the driver and 7W and a 34* approach hybrid for the gap between the 5H and 7 iron.

  8. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    I finally found a 3H that I can hit reasonable and it is a filler between the 7W and 5H.
  9. John L

    John L
    Dewey, OK

    For me Brother its a course conditions thing. I can hit both just fine and i can work both reasonably well. i tend to do with  hybrid on a course with shorter par fives and longer par threes because i can back off a hybrid easier than a a wood but i like the feel of a wood better on long par fives or short par four. it is truly a preference thing and i also recommend look at your course management. what is it you need. and If you ask me get fit for both and buy both that way you can enter change them when ever you need. i actually have a 13 degree, 17, and 19 degree woods and i have a 19H graphite, 21H graphite and a 21h in steel all just to put in and out of the bag base on the course i play. I've played everything from a traditional bag to a no wood bag to a one wood bag  to a two wood one hybrid bag. i always carry 14 clubs but some times i have more wedges all depends on the course.

    Again i say  get them both you'll be please with both clubs.

  10. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    John L said:

    For me Brother its a course conditions thing. I can hit both just fine and i can work both reasonably well. i tend to do with  hybrid on a course with shorter par fives and longer par threes because i can back off a hybrid easier than a a wood but i like the feel of a wood better on long par fives or short par four. it is truly a preference thing and i also recommend look at your course management. what is it you need. and If you ask me get fit for both and buy both that way you can enter change them when ever you need. i actually have a 13 degree, 17, and 19 degree woods and i have a 19H graphite, 21H graphite and a 21h in steel all just to put in and out of the bag base on the course i play. I've played everything from a traditional bag to a no wood bag to a one wood bag  to a two wood one hybrid bag. i always carry 14 clubs but some times i have more wedges all depends on the course.

    Again i say  get them both you'll be please with both clubs.

    After today's game, I totally agree with you. I'm using the 7 wood and the 3H. I broke in the 3H at one of the exec courses I play and it worked nicely on a par 3 that was in between the 7W and 5H for distance. I'm now permanently on a one fairway wood game because I have yet to find a 3,4 or 5 wood that I hit as well as my good ole Burner 7 wood and really no point in carrying a 3 wood since my driver is 13* (and I actually hit it farther and lower than a standard 10.5* neutral driver; I average around 220 with it and have hit it as far as 270 - it works and I find the fairway just about all the time); I've hit my 7 wood 225 a couple times.
  11. John L

    John L
    Dewey, OK

    Lou G said:

    For me Brother its a course conditions thing. I can hit both just fine and i can work both reasonably well. i tend to do with  hybrid on a course with shorter par fives and longer par threes because i can back off a hybrid easier than a a wood but i like the feel of a wood better on long par fives or short par four. it is truly a preference thing and i also recommend look at your course management. what is it you need. and If you ask me get fit for both and buy both that way you can enter change them when ever you need. i actually have a 13 degree, 17, and 19 degree woods and i have a 19H graphite, 21H graphite and a 21h in steel all just to put in and out of the bag base on the course i play. I've played everything from a traditional bag to a no wood bag to a one wood bag  to a two wood one hybrid bag. i always carry 14 clubs but some times i have more wedges all depends on the course.

    Again i say  get them both you'll be please with both clubs.

  12. Warren B

    Warren B

    I have actually gone to a 2 iron (for the first time), I find that I have much more control (trajectory wise) especially from the tee which is when I would use a 5 wood or hybrid 80% of the time.

    My issue as well is that I'm an extreme slider and so I dont get great contact due to the width of the soles on fairway woods and hybrids.

    You should take this into account sole width as well; 5 wood being wider than hybrid

  13. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    I used to hit a 2 iron back up until the 1990s (mostly off the tee or on a plush lie) - this was with an old-school set (Wilson X31) and I even used a 1 iron off the tee in the 1980s. As far as hybrids, anything above a 20* hybrid isn't worth carrying because I nail my 7 wood pretty solid; for that matter, the particular one I carry (Burner 2007) blows away most 3 and 4 woods for accuracy and distance (although maybe a couple yards). My secret to succes with a fww is a slightly closed stance (I have an outside-in swing with a wood by nature so why fight Mother Nature?). That gives me more power than a square stance.
  14. CrazyGolfNut

    CrazyGolfNut
    Omaha, NE

    I am much more consistant with woods than hybrids.
  15. Ryan

    Ryan
    Ashburn, VA

    i go 5w (18.75*). i like hitting woods off the tee and the distance i get from it works very nicely on a number of short par 4's at my course.

  16. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Ryan said:

    i go 5w (18.75*). i like hitting woods off the tee and the distance i get from it works very nicely on a number of short par 4's at my course.

    I'm very happy with the 7 wood I carry (Burner 2007) because I get a nice trajectory off the tee and the fairway, AND I get good distance. It's all I need because I can manipulate it very well and I am super-consistent with it; don't need to reiterate that it outperforms a lot of 3 and 5 woods (even another Burner). I've had it for over a year now. I had some 975F (16.5 and 20.5) and 980F (15 and 19). The 975s got reasonable distance but were very unforgiving on a mis-hit. The 980F woods were very easy to hit on the fairway but I tended to fade the 3W on the tee and hit a bit too high with the 5W (I could crush them on the fairway). I occasionally bring along a couple persimmon woods (Louisville Niblick Vanguard 5W and Even Stripe 10W) for the ride; I got the 10 wood as a Father's Day present and the 5W as a birthday present in 2010. Also got an HL3 persimmon 34H as a tax return gift to myself this year (I carry it for show and sometimes use it when more advantageous to use vs a 6 or 7 iron, such as in the rough or on the 140-160 yard par 3s).
  17. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    CrazyGolfNut - ditto here on the woods. I'm sure if you look all over the forums I make mention of a 2007 Burner 7 wood in my golf bag. I get about 180 with a conservative swing (which is what I hit on par 3s) and in excess of 200 yards when I really hit it (I teed off on a 290 yard par 4 with it and ended up 65 yards from the pin and have hit around 200 when I crush it on the fairway).

    This club hits as far as quite a few 16 hybrids and 3 or 4 woods (it smoked a G10 draw 4W in a tee shot contest). I have the RIGHT middle club in a Sumo SQ 5/26 hybrid. Super accurate, never miss and workable. Also fits the way I swing. It is my go to club for the 155-175yard par 3s.

    As far as lofted woods, I have a Louisville Niblick Even Stripe 10/28.5 wood that I occasionally take on the course and, before I got the Sumo, it was my go to club for 150-165 yards. I still break it out every so often just to have the feel of a real wood. Its only issue was that it wasn't so forgiving on a mishit.

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