Instruction
Should you hit a long iron, hybrid or 5 wood from this lie?
For as long as I’ve been playing the game, I have always struggled hitting shots from the rough from about 200 yards or so. Either I just wasn’t strong enough to drive the club through the grass, my technique was faulty or I used the incorrect club a majority of the time. Whatever the reason, I can tell you that if you’re smart, you won’t have to fight the same battle I did because of the improvements to fairway woods and the advent of hybrids.
Fairway woods and hybrids have gotten so good, in fact, that I was inspired to use my Trackman so I could measure how a long iron, hybrid, and fairway wood of the same loft would perform from similar lies in the rough. As golfers know, it’s almost impossible to exactly duplicate the exact lie each time, but I’m hopeful that since our rough is consistent here at Vidanta the results will hold true.
For this test, I hit several shots with a 3 iron, 3 hybrid, and 5 wood from the lie, or something very similar to the lie pictured above. Also, each club was set to 19 degrees so we can compare apples to apples as best as possible.
3 Iron (TaylorMade RSi TP, 19 degrees)
Click to enlarge.
I’ve been using a hybrid in place of my 3 iron for years, and I forgot just how difficult it is to hit a 3 iron from lies in thick Bermuda grass. As you can see, my average carry with the club was only 151.1 yards, with a high of 164.1 yards and a low of 137.3 yards. These results show just how hard it is to make consistent contact with a long iron out of the rough.
With an average spin rate of 1586 rpm, an average height of 45.7 feet, and an average landing angle of 27.5 degrees, the ball was knuckling and landed low and hot. I’m just glad that I was NOT trying to carry this ball over a water hazard. The dispersion wasn’t too bad, but what good is hitting it straight if it doesn’t even reach the putting surface?
Hybrid (TaylorMade R15, 19 degrees)
Click to enlarge.
The hybrid jumped out of the same lies with ease and was much easier to hit than a 3 iron. My average carry went up to 186.5 yards — 35.4 yards longer compared to the 3 iron. Even my worst shot with the hybrid (176.2 yards) was 12 yards longer than my best shot with the 3 iron.
With the hybrid, my spin, height, and landing angle all went up dramatically, as well giving my shots a drastically better chance to stop on the green. While my average shot with the hybrid was farther offline, it was a matter of a few feet, which I’ll trade for 30+ yards any day.
5 Wood (TaylorMade SLDR, 19 degrees)
Click to enlarge.
The 5 wood got the ball out of the rough almost as easily as the hybrid did, but there was a feeling that I could not “get down to it” as easily as I could with the hybrid. Carry distance was around 192 yards, with a high of 204 yards and a low of 173.5 yards.
Overall, the 5 wood went a touch farther than the hybrid, but only by 6 yards. The average miss, however, was 27.5 feet with the worst shot being almost 90 feet left of the target. Shots with the 5 wood also launched with less spin than I prefer, but they had enough height and a steep enough landing angle to stop on the green — just not as fast as the hybrid.
Long iron, hybrid, and fairway wood comparison
Click to enlarge.
In conclusion, avoid hitting long irons out of the deep rough, as they simply can not match the performance of hybrids and fairway woods from similar lies. In my experience a golfer’s best bet is usually a hybrid, as it will go almost as far as a similar lofted fairway wood, except much straighter.
Fairway woods do tend to go farther, however, so if you keep finding yourself in a position where you need to hit a big ball to reach the green in regulation or make an eagle, a fairway wood may be your best bet.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Scott
Nov 5, 2015 at 5:05 pm
Thanks Tom. I have actually changed out all of my woods for hybrids (15 degree, 19 degree, and 24 degree) I may have lost a bit of distance, but I have gained in versatility.
tonks
Nov 5, 2015 at 7:14 am
Peter Alliss wrote in his book Golf Master Classes `If the lie is none too frightening, your fairway woods should be much more effective than a 4 or 5 iron. Woods push through the grass , rather than cutting through as an iron does. This means there is far more chance of preventing the club head twisting. A club with a small head is better and something between a 4 and 7 wood can be ideal.` I used to use a small head 5 wood (real wood!) that out performed any other club in this situation. Unfortunately time has got the better of it and I am thinking about looking for a replacement. The area of the face is smaller and the bottom of the club if a `U` rather than the modern flat bottom.
Bob Pegram
Nov 4, 2015 at 5:36 pm
Much of the choice depends on how you swing and how strong your hands are. If you have strong enough hands to keep the face square through the rough and high enough swing speed to get the club through the grass and make a solid hit, use the 5 wood as long as that is your 200-220 club. The rough will sometimes reduce total distance. Experience tells you how much it will be reduced.
For somebody with less hand strength or lower club head speed, use a more lofted club to just get the ball out and toward the green.
Rich
Oct 31, 2015 at 7:23 pm
It would depend which direction the hole was going. If my direction of play was to the left, I might take something longer because there is much less grass right behind the ball. If it is to the right, it would be take my medicine, wedge it out and move on.
Rick
Oct 30, 2015 at 1:41 pm
Lie looks like a flyer since my average 5iron goes 184 yd Arccos determined and longest 206 I play it back in my stance to get a more descending arc
ABgolfer2
Oct 31, 2015 at 6:54 pm
Nailed it.
CD
Oct 30, 2015 at 4:54 am
Anyone else look at it and think ‘7 iron’?
Mat
Oct 30, 2015 at 12:57 pm
Yes!
SirBigSpur
Oct 30, 2015 at 4:48 pm
From 200 yds out??
IceMan
Oct 31, 2015 at 3:46 pm
Yes, my first thought was 7 iron. If it is buried in the rough, my first thought is not always “how can I get this on the green”, but “what is my safest option of getting this out of this grunge, still advance it forward pretty well, and be down there far enough to try and get up and down for par”. That up and down might be attempted from 50 yards out, but to me, that is better than hitting a wood or hybrid possibly 50 yards right or left if it comes out squirrelly or I make a bad swing leaving me in the heavy rough again, or if I catch it fat and only advance it 50 yards, still leaving me 150y out. Sometimes its best to take your medicine and use more loft to get it out and forward, try to get up and down from the fairway, and take the big number out of play….
ABgolfer2
Oct 31, 2015 at 6:54 pm
Yup.
Busterpar
Nov 4, 2015 at 1:25 pm
Yup and yup,
birly-shirly
Oct 29, 2015 at 7:49 pm
I’m pretty sure that from a decent lie I’ll hit hybrid or fw to a more consistent carry distance, but I’ll hit the equivalent iron straighter. That much seems consistent with the results here. However on balance, I think the offline shots are more damaging to my score and so I tend to stick with the irons. I’m not under any illusions though about hitting them from poor lies in the rough – from there I’ll take my medicine.
Joe
Oct 29, 2015 at 7:08 pm
Very predictable results. Mass is the obviously answer.
Mat
Oct 30, 2015 at 12:59 pm
The three iron head has more mass than any hollow head…
Joe
Oct 30, 2015 at 8:32 pm
That is weight, not mass.
IceMan
Oct 31, 2015 at 3:49 pm
If more mass is the predictable answer, why did the author conclude hybrid was the best option? The 5 wood has more mass than hybrid….. Just sayin…
Joe
Oct 29, 2015 at 7:06 pm
The outcome of this test was very easy to predict. Obviously the 3 iron would be more effected by the rough, it has less mass and the hosel will be more affected. The hybrid as more mass than the 3 iron but less than the 5 wood.
I like hybrids but replaced mine with the newer designed Callaway FW, because they are easier to hit from the FW or rough. The reason is that the woods have a rail on the bottom and it will glide through the rough and has more mass.
Some of us that are older gents may the Ginty of the 70s and 80s. This wood had a massive iron wedge concave on the bottom. Nothing, and I mean nothing ever has been as easy to hit out of the rough.
Joe
Oct 29, 2015 at 6:57 pm
A wedge, take your medicine, and try to one-putt your par.
COGolfer
Oct 29, 2015 at 9:08 pm
Can’t agree more. Trying to muscle a hybrid out of deep rough is far too unpredictable.
SirBigSpur
Oct 30, 2015 at 4:52 pm
Totally depends on what hazards are in front of you. In general though, distance beats everything (as pointed out statistically in “Every Shot Counts”). I’d rather be left with a 30-40yrd pitch from deep rough than a 150yd iron from the fairway. Your chances of hitting the green and being close to the flag are substantially higher from 30yds as opposed to 150, regardless of lie.
Lou
Oct 29, 2015 at 6:43 pm
Something seems off here to me. Maybe I am missing something. If you have a 3 iron and a 3 hybrid both of the same 19 degrees and shaft length, they should go the same distance no matter what shot you hit, correct? This is assuming you make the same contact, i.e. in perfect conditions (from the fairway) both clubs should go the exact same distance. I am I misstating that?
If the 3H and 3i are indeed the same, then this test only shows that the user is not using the clubs properly or has a mental block about the 3i. Contact at the same angle should yield the same results assuming the shaft length and type are the same. Simple physics.
So were you digging the 3i into the ground and trying to take a divit or was there something else going on with the swing and point of contact?
I agree it is probably easier to hit the 3H but the difference in distance shouldn’t be there.
ScubaSteve85
Oct 31, 2015 at 4:03 pm
A 3 Rescue has much more perimeter and back weighting than a 3 Iron. The metal wood design and thinner face also creates much faster ball speeds…..simple physics
steve
Nov 17, 2015 at 11:04 am
Sorry, but did you even read the article? It clearly states the author is testing the three clubs out of seriously deep rough, not a perfect lie. So it’s not about his swing, it’s a comparison of how the different head/club designs interacts with long Bermuda grass
Lou
Dec 17, 2015 at 4:43 pm
@ ScubaSteve, I tried to keep it simple but maybe went too simple. Weighting is different from mass. I was trying to make the point that if the mass on the end of the stick were the same for each club, the ball should go relatively the same distance. I think what has happened here is that I assumed that the 3h and 3i are equal clubs in terms of mass when they really are not. The bottom line is that he has 3 different clubs and might as well have used any 3 clubs. The fact that they are all 19 degrees is moot due to (as you pointed out) the weighting and mass are different between them all.
@Steve, yes I read the article, did you read my response? My point was that in any situation (i.e. from the rough or fairway) he is going to hit the 3h farther than the 3i so what is the purpose of this test? He might as well have tested a 3i, 5i, and 7i to see which goes furthest.
mhendon
Oct 29, 2015 at 6:23 pm
Hybrids are awesome from any lie but especially less than perfect lies. I know many of the purest on here will claim long irons are more accurate but that depends on the type of hybrid you carry. There are wood based hybrids and there are iron based hybrids. I carry a 20 degree Adams A12 and 22 degree pro black both of which are iron based, especially the pro black and would put them up against the 2 and 3 irons I used them to replace any day even from a perfect lie.
Peter
Oct 29, 2015 at 3:57 pm
I am wondering whether there is a “transition” point at which the edge switches back over to irons. Seems to me that the 3 iron/5 wood/ 3 hybrid question is somewhat easy or intuitive but I’d really start wondering what works best when you get down to a 5 iron or even 6 iron.
Christestrogen
Oct 29, 2015 at 3:03 pm
This is Golfwrx….everyone on here hits 8 irons 200 yards…
Just ask them.
mhendon
Oct 29, 2015 at 6:14 pm
I only hit mine 160
other paul
Oct 30, 2015 at 2:57 am
180
Christestrogen
Oct 30, 2015 at 10:04 am
143.75
mhendon
Nov 3, 2015 at 10:49 pm
Down to .75 damn you’re good. Lol
ScubaSteve85
Oct 31, 2015 at 4:06 pm
They must all play in the mountains or something or just have some need to try and impress people. Stock 8 iron from the fairway is about 150 for me and 155 off the tee.
ABgolfer2
Oct 31, 2015 at 6:58 pm
So, longer than average, but not “bull****” long. ????
So close to the green
Sep 6, 2020 at 11:58 am
Right! That’s on every golf message board. 200 yard 8 irons. 100 yard lob wedges.
ca1879
Oct 29, 2015 at 2:52 pm
Tom – surely the type of hybrid has a bearing on this decision too. Fairway like hybrids don’t get through the rough as well as the more compact ones, at least in my experience.
Mat
Oct 29, 2015 at 2:38 pm
There is something odd about this. If you hit it out of rough, all with a 19º loft, and you assume that the club lengths are the same, you should get a roughly equal result. The slight problem that I have is the discussion between the 5-wood and hybrid… there’d be 6 yards of length difference anyhow, so that’s not really the point. The point is he’s suggesting the 5-wood is less accurate.
What would help us wrxers is finding out what makes a 5-wood less accurate, and what makes a 3-iron *that* much shorter in Bermuda grass.
Also, it sure would have been nice to know what fairway numbers would look like on those same conditions. How much yardage was lost? Additionally, the severe lack of spin on the 3-iron might be a reason, but the 3-iron was very consistent in its apex – the two others were wildly different. One was so far off, he might have crowned it.
Ugh… my mind hurts with these small sample sizes…
Philip
Oct 29, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Sorry Tom, but the real answer to your question is – I don’t know, because the picture does not show the entire situation. I cannot tell what I am hitting into, is the ball above or below my feet, any trees nearby, etc. I had an identical lie last month and the correct club was indeed a low iron as I could not get into trouble if I hit it poorly – a hybrid though – would have created a double bogey easily based on the placement of traps and rough around the green, trees by my ball, and the cliff behind the green. However, on a flat lie with a receptive green design I will pull my hybrid 9/10 times, but I am rarely in such simple situations.
Jafar
Oct 29, 2015 at 2:22 pm
omg Philip I’m glad you were here to post such useful information.
Trees… can’t forget about trees.
Mat
Oct 29, 2015 at 2:26 pm
Yep. If he’d done something he didn’t do, he’d have definitely done it worse. Because golf.
¯\_(?)_/¯
Philip
Oct 29, 2015 at 2:59 pm
More useful than your reply – for sure – but I won’t waste anymore of your time
Jafar
Oct 29, 2015 at 3:43 pm
You are right, it was rude. So what are you having for dinner tonight? I might eat pizza…
Philip
Oct 29, 2015 at 4:03 pm
B-52s by the look of it – maybe I should have inverted my comment (I thinking of doing it before I posted) – and put that I use my hybrid 9/10 times as it is like a lawn mower in the rough. Then add that unfortunately the application is not so clear in many cases. I appreciate what Tom does as it really helps me understand what I am trying to do and is based tangible data.
Brian k.
Oct 29, 2015 at 1:07 pm
Nice. I replaced my 3 & 4 irons with 19 & 22* hybrids. Much easier, more forgiving, more height, better stoppage on greens, etc. I even ditched the 4 wood which was the only fairway wood i played because the 19* hybrid goes just as far when hit well.
Teaj
Oct 29, 2015 at 12:04 pm
I went with more of a tweener setup I use two Utility irons the Srixon U45 at 23 and 18 deg I feel like I can get down into the ruff but the added forgiveness keeps any distance loss to a minimum. A lot easier to hit then the iron equivalent thats for sure. this may not be for everyone however as I am already a high ball hitter.
good write up though, if no one else is interested in getting data from the utility iron I sure would be.
Jafar
Oct 29, 2015 at 10:55 am
I’ve been having this debate for several weeks now myself.
I think I’m gonna keep a hybrid in the bag and put a “driving iron” (Mizuno mp H5) as my 21 degree iron so I have options from the rough but also keep the versatility of a hybrid as my 18 degree club. I threw a fourth wedge outta the bag because I’m more skilled in that area than I am with longer fairway clubs. Plus the driving iron can help me with long par 3’s as well.
Geordie B
Oct 30, 2015 at 5:12 am
Depending on the course & conditions, I’ll do the same. I’ve got both a 4-iron & 4-hybrid in my bag. Call me odd, but from a less than ideal lie in the rough, I’ll hit the iron. I just feel like I have more control with an iron & can ‘muscle’ it through whatever is there.
Graham
Oct 29, 2015 at 10:52 am
Great article. I recently swapped my 3 iron for a 5 wood and because of the wet conditions in the uk have now swapped my 4 iron for a rescue club. The stats kind of back up what I thought but has really added some more confidence. I miss enough fairways so can’t wait for the weekend.