I want you to think about your golf game and your approach to the four and a half hours that you commit to your ‘favourite’ past time.
It has often been said, amongst golf pro’s in English speaking countries, that most golfers consider taking Lessons, with a Golf Professional, as a form of cheating. I have regularly heard of golfers taking lessons with Pro’s at other clubs so that none of their friends know they are receiving coaching.
Research that we have done amongst 70,000 golfers in the UK shows that 87% of you think that getting your clubs ‘fitted’ is the most important part of the process, when purchasing new golf equipment. In my language that means that nearly every golfer playing the game knows that having their equipment fitted specifically for their physical dimensions, athletic ability and golf swing, will make the game more enjoyable.
So, why do less than 30% of golfers get their golf equipment fitted when they make that purchase? I cannot believe that they believe ‘fitting’ is a form of cheating. Maybe they don’t trust that they will be able to improve.
And then we come to the Hybrid. A golf club invented for the amateur and now played by nearly every PGA Tour Professional because it so much easier to hit than the equivalent long iron. Yet 50% of UK amateur golfers continue to either toil on with their long Irons or, probably quite likely, avoid using the clubs even when they would be the correct club selection.
The statistics only reveal part of the truth though. There are a greater percentage of golfers amongst lower handicap golfers playing with hybrids than those with higher handicaps. Yes, the golfer who would gain the most benefit from this club, is the golfer that avoids it the most.
So ask yourself this question. Are you a golfer who wants the game to be as difficult as possible or are you looking to enjoy your 18 holes as much as possible? Take a simple test. Think about your golf bag. If your handicap is over 8 and there is a #3 or #4 Iron in there, then mark yourselves down as a golfing masochist. If you have already replaced those clubs with Hybrids then you are placing an emphasis on enjoyment.
Having thought about your approach to the game I am interested in your opinion. What do you think the reasons are for golfers choosing to make the game more difficult than it already is? Click on the ‘comment’ below and leave me your thoughts.
It has often been said, amongst golf pro’s in English speaking countries, that most golfers consider taking Lessons, with a Golf Professional, as a form of cheating. I have regularly heard of golfers taking lessons with Pro’s at other clubs so that none of their friends know they are receiving coaching.
Research that we have done amongst 70,000 golfers in the UK shows that 87% of you think that getting your clubs ‘fitted’ is the most important part of the process, when purchasing new golf equipment. In my language that means that nearly every golfer playing the game knows that having their equipment fitted specifically for their physical dimensions, athletic ability and golf swing, will make the game more enjoyable.
So, why do less than 30% of golfers get their golf equipment fitted when they make that purchase? I cannot believe that they believe ‘fitting’ is a form of cheating. Maybe they don’t trust that they will be able to improve.
And then we come to the Hybrid. A golf club invented for the amateur and now played by nearly every PGA Tour Professional because it so much easier to hit than the equivalent long iron. Yet 50% of UK amateur golfers continue to either toil on with their long Irons or, probably quite likely, avoid using the clubs even when they would be the correct club selection.
The statistics only reveal part of the truth though. There are a greater percentage of golfers amongst lower handicap golfers playing with hybrids than those with higher handicaps. Yes, the golfer who would gain the most benefit from this club, is the golfer that avoids it the most.
So ask yourself this question. Are you a golfer who wants the game to be as difficult as possible or are you looking to enjoy your 18 holes as much as possible? Take a simple test. Think about your golf bag. If your handicap is over 8 and there is a #3 or #4 Iron in there, then mark yourselves down as a golfing masochist. If you have already replaced those clubs with Hybrids then you are placing an emphasis on enjoyment.
Having thought about your approach to the game I am interested in your opinion. What do you think the reasons are for golfers choosing to make the game more difficult than it already is? Click on the ‘comment’ below and leave me your thoughts.
posted by PGA Golfer @ 8:16 PM
97 Comments:
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HI
testing testing
long irons are easier to hit i think
As a High handicapper I don't know a lot but in this terrible wet weather I find I can get a cleaner shot with the long iron than my hybrids. I play from the places most players don't visit and when the lie is muddy the hybrid tends to sweep a wave of mud and water on my approach to the ball. Leaving me with a wet slap. Have put the hybrids away until it dries up a bit. You are probably thinking he needs a lesson, but that they way I see it.
Gave up on long irons 3 years ago in favour of hybrids which I find just so much easier to hit.
Recently bought a hybrid to replace 3 iron, what I have noticed is that off the tee I can hit it more like a 2 iron and it's far easier to shape of the fairway or even in semi rough. good buy!
Hybrids are easier than long irons to hit but they need to be properly fitted to get the most reliability out of them. Also much easier to hit when the loft is 22' rather than 19' but that is equally true when the loft on irons decreases.
Most people are still using 3 and 4 irons because that is what they get when they buy a set of irons. People are reluctant to spend more money on hybrid clubs when they think they already have clubs in their bag that do the same job.
hybrids are to exspensive, if you have spent 500+ on your irons then the 3 and 4 are worth around 100 and to then spend another 150-200 on a couple of hybrids and stick the long irons in the shed seems wrong.I carry a 17 degree in the bag instead of a five wood and also carry the 3 and 4 iron.
It all depends on the individual. I'm a high handicapper but use the 3 & 4 irons off the fairway and tee with a high rate of success. I also use a Mizuno High Fly that I tend to use in light rough with mixed success. Personally my weakness is driving and chip shots around the green. All I can say is that if you find something you like, stick with it and ignore what everyone else says. Your golf is your golf so don't get wrapped up in all the hype of which there is plenty of in this game and most of all enjoy yourself.
Hi a few people have commented on the addtional cost of a hybrid when you've purchased a 3 iron already. The answer is simple - don't buy the 3 iron. Most brand name club whilst displayed as a set can be bought/ordered without any iron you don't want. When I bought my callaways I didn't take the 3 iron or sand wedge saving me c£180 which covered most of the cost of a hybrid and a Titliet SW.
As a lady could never hit my long irons but I love my 4 & 5 Hybrid. Even off the fairway..
For any golfer over 9 hanicap, this item should be a must for their bag. Get a set from 5 upwards and then invest in a hybrid. You'd be mad not to
my test message, and i support new technology if it improves my game and continues to allow me to enjoy the game!
I like girls!!!!!!!
Archbishop Doughty shoots an Ace on Saturday on 15th. Where was my drink...?
Who needs Hybrids? Try hitting the new PING G10 off the tee, the results are amazing!! Down the middle straight as you like, with guarenteed results every time all you need is a wedge and a putter!!
Remember - The only time you force a club in the game of golf is when your putting it back in the bag.
have already got 4 hybrids in my bag as i am getting an old fart now and will not accept it playing off 9.5. i want to get to scratch before i die any way i can without cheating that is.
chris
3, 4 or even 5 iron? try a hybrid with the correct degree & make a difference,especially from the rough, But remember Its the swing that will determine the outcome, so get a lesson!
Cliff.
I think that many golfers feel that if they ask for a fitting they are committing themselves to a purchase. The pros and retailers ought to market a "no obligation" service that gives a golfer a print out rather like a eye test prescription that can be used anywhere. If I saw an advert offering to measure my clubhead speed and launch angle for say £10 I would do it and I'm sure that many golfers would too.
i play off 4 and i have a taylormade tp 2 16*. unlike my 2 iron which was difficult to hit from the semi, the hybrid is far easier to get away. also, from the tee, when you really catch one, it goes almost as far as a 3 wood.
As a lady golfer (although the term 'lady' isn't quite correct on some golfing days!) I find my hybrid a godsend. I just cannot hit my 4 or 3 iron as consistently well as the hybrid. As for being fitted for clubs I am often made to feel that beccuase I'm not a single handicapper what's the point? Like the idea about paying for a fitting and then keeping the fitting details (like an eye prescription) for future use.
I think personnally the skill involved with long iron play has long gone since these hybrid clubs came on the market.
There is nothing sweeter than middling a long iron under pressure when you play. I personnally do not use a hybrid because it feels like cheating.
If you have used both clubs you well know that confidence is the name of the game and a 3 iron in your hand breeds doubt cause not enough people practice with them. Put a hybrid in your hand and you do not evne have to think about it.
Give the game a chance and the course take a 2 or 3 iron out and see if your swing can cut it.
I play off 7 and have played golf for the last 25 years
I feel I can judge the distance I hit my irons better than I can a hybrid. I feel more confident hitting to a set yardage with a specific long iron than I do with a hybrid.
Has anyone noticed the striking resemblance between the chap second from left on the home page and Bruce Forsyth. Could they perhaps be in any way related?
has anyone noticed the striking resemblance between the guy second left on home page and Bruce Forsyth? Could they possibly be related in some way?
I find it difficult to get any degree of consistency when using my hybrids (3 or 5) off the tee. However, they are a much better option than a long-iron off the fairway or light (dryish) rough.
Can't decide? Be logical, be scientific, get measured up try different clubs by different manufacturers and see what suits you best. I did and my old clubs were worse than any of the others. Always said my crap golf wasn't my fault!!
Hybrids rule!!
i have a 18 deg cobra baffler and i can out drive most people with it and summer time (one week a year) it runs for ever and i am able to hit it off the deck.
I play off 23 and have a 19 deg TaylorMade 3-hybrid in my bag, and I have great difficulty with this club. I am far more consistent with my 3 and 4 irons which I retain in my bag.
yeehee!!!!!!!!!!!jamon
Since I've been using hybrids, my handicap has come down and down. They're so much easier and user friendly than long irons and you can purposefully shape the shot with far more accuracy than with the long iron. I have two hybrids in my bag, one to replace a 3 iron and one to get me out of the rough which is equivalent to a 6 iron. How anyone can replace cost with sheer satisfaction beats me.
I read an article written by Colin Montgomery once who said that high handicappers should not be tempted with hitting long irons in favour of hybrids. He went on to say that hybrids are now being used by more and more professionals, so what does that tell you. Even Colin himself admits that long irons are difficult to hit with any accuracy. I rest my case in favour of hybrids any day.
First Happy Birthday to Ethan.
Don't carry a 2,3 or 4 iron as I get the distance with 18, 21, 24 degree recovery clubs. But I'm missing my 3 Fairway wood for a bit more distance.
your nuts if think hybrids dont work. see your pro and have a go. these clubs have helped to take shots off my game. just trust your swing and let the club do the rest. speak to duncan at hele park and he'll set you right. nothing ventured ......
Recently purchased a set of Mizuno 950's they have a hybrid 3 & 4 as part of the set. Had them fitted and for the first time in my golfing life I enjoy reaching for a 3 or 4 iron!
Golf should be enjoyable whatever your handicap so why shy away from 2 useful clubs in the bag? Get hybrids and use the full set.
i find 2 and 3 irons easier to hit than hybrids
I doubt that there is a single reason why golfers do not convert to hybrids. All of the reasons quoted play a part. For myself, I have tried three hybrids, owning two, and do not hit any of them as well as I hit my three and four irons - despite only playing off 14 hcp. If I want a higher flight I choke down on a five wood to get the 175-180 yds I get with the 3 iron so haven't felt a desparate need to spend >£100 on another club.
.... don't recognise the tree but would like to know the name of the member who has his feet on the leather couch - Surely it is not the illustrious past Captain who now spends half the year in Spain, Half the year in California and the other half at Dunham! No wonder he is so tired..........
If you think that long irons are difficult, try hitting a 3 iron with your heels touching. You might find the answer is with your balance, in which case a hybrid is just one way of ignoring a problem that will keep re-sufacing
mmmmmm
I play to a 4 on Boughton and I still can't stand hitting my 3 and 4 irons off the turf. Going to purchase The Knife 7 and 9. Already have the 3 and 5 and there brilliant.
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Having read the article as a 20 handicapper who has recently custom fitted a new set of clubs and purchased a Hybrid I can confirm it's the way forward.
Hybrid
I used to hit my 3# well 40% of the time and 4# 50% of the time but using a Hybrid instead has increased the %'s to 80%.
The confidence has increased greatly hitting the green especially on a long par 4 and also on the tee for those dawnting narrow fairways. I can't recommend them enough!!
Custom Fitting
I used to think it wouldn't make that much difference & at a cost. Well I was wrong on both accounts.
If you do invest in a new set of clubs, most come with free custom fitting. On the playing front it's no coincidence that my game has improved already having used my clubs 3 or 4 times.
Next step - Lessons, Well worth the investment and help me get to my target of an 18 handicapper by the end of the summer.
Hope this has been of use to any high handicappers out there. If you're umming and arrring then stop, and take my advice and get a Hybrid or two and get your clubs custom fitted
The vast majority of handicap golfers do not have sufficient hand action to be able to hit long irons consistantly, therefore hybrids are an excellent alternative.
Some manufacturers are making clubs that include hybrids as a replacement for long irons, Muzuno springs to mind as one who does.
richard
i agree that club golfers should consider replacing the 3 and 4 irons in the bag for utilities.
i have recently added three cobra dws utilities to my bag being a 18,20 and 23 deg which has an affect of two clubs in one.
they are fantastic from the rough or fairway.the move forward and the improvements to the utilities by the main suppliers is crtainly the way forward for club golfers as well as the pros
My philosophy is that my handicap reflects the clubs I have in the bag and therefore why complicate matters by buying a hybrid. The enjoyment is getting the best out of the tools and not being flattered by a lower handicap from using easier equipment.
Also, keep it simple. By only playing irons off the fairway there is simply a progression of similar clubs. Why complicate matters by mixing hybrids and irons.
Having returned to golf after nearly 20 years since my brief previous flirtation my novice opinion is: As mentioned, some may not buy hybrids as they don't come with the set, price is always a problem!
My srixon irons were 4 - SW. I then bought a 'budget' 3 hybrid - (Ben Sayers M8) which does a fine job. I've since obtained a srixon AD 5 hybrid which is much easier to hit than my 5 iron so although i only carry the required 14 clubs i am overloaded on distance clubs - Driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, 3 hybrid, 4 iron, 5 hybrid, 5 iron - sw + putter. My handicap has gone from 28 - 18 in a year, i'm 40 years old. I intend to purchase a 3 & 4 AD hybrid (e-bay?) then a gap wedge, dropping the M8, 4 & 5 irons. I think its a personal / financial decision, it all depends on your circumstance. I have to save pennies for each purchase & do take time to try each club & get fittings where possible before parting with the cash, i don't think there is any shame in getting a guy to tape up a club to test it then not buying it - it's what he's paid for! Also i play with a guy who hits 3 + 4 irons really well who is finally seeing the consistency that hybrids bring to mine & others games & is considering a baffler - being a cobra man.
I wish i could hit my long irons pure - i can't at this moment in time, maybe in a few years time? Who knows? 20 years ago drivers were REALLY hard to hit, now they are massive & oh so easy! I used to hit a 3 wood (yep real wood) or a ..... wait for it...... 1 iron! off the tee, & i had a 2 iron! Couldn't hit it - just had it!
Just ask - any decent club / course / range will let you try it before you do or don't buy it!
Whatever floats your boat etc. ENJOY YOUR GOLF!
Phil
www.takeforum.com/banditcountry
I could not agree more. I am persevering with my 4 iron only because I don't like to give up. However, even before this article, I was seriously considering replacing my 4 iron with hybrid. I already have 1 hybrid (a 18% one)and am thinking about a 21% or 22% to replace my 4 iron.
Terry Coates
I think perhaps that some high handicap golfers think they are better players than they in fact are, so they play with long irons instead of the more helpful hybrids. Being a poor player, my best results are with a 7 wood.
Martin will know who I am!!
Some people are more embarrassed to hit a hybrid as they may feel that they are just making it easier and not playing "true" golf.
I'm in the old 'Arnie Palmer' mould......give me a one or two iron anyday......
I believe people embrace technology but golfers like to think they can hit their two and three irons, I practice 85% on my short game with the rest made up of hitting my longer irons.
GBW
I have a jack nicklaus 3i rescue wood and its prob the best club i have.Easy to hit,good distance,nice loft for long shots to green,and it even trains me back to my driver when things go wrong there too.So all in all im alright "JACK".
Hybrid clubs are the way forward. So many pros use these clubs now that there's no embarrassment in amateurs using them. They increase enjoyment. End of story!
Sure hybrids are easier to hit but most of the problem golfers have with longer irons is that they haven't had them correctly fitted, or so the pros keep telling me. However from experience fitting is only the answer if your posture, setup, ball position relative to stance etc is correct when you have the fitting. I, in ignorance went to the fitting centre of one of the major club manufacturers. No attempt was made to advise me of the faults in my swing and I was fitted with clubs that matched all the errors in my swing. Since that date I have tried to correct the faults with my swing but find that it's virtually impossible with the lie and shaft length of my set. If you intend to get fitted make sure you get the fitter to review your setup, posture and ball position and correct any faults or you are wasting your time
Get "The Knife".
I have the 3, 5 and 7 there exellent off the fairway and small enough to feel comfortable with. There not hybrids, there just woods that have fins on the bottom, and there cheap. I tried a ping G10 and its only as good as the knife, apart from the Knife woods only cost me £35, and that was a while ago so they may be cheaper now.
Has anyone noticed the cost of golf clubs gradualy coming down. Is this due to the lack of a second hand market, or is it just due to the fact that no one wants to spend £300 pound on a driver? I can't blame them!
Rescues are much easier and more versatile than long irons, especially for hi shots and bad lies>
Hybrids are great but it wont be long till we dont have irons be a man use blades
I JUST NEED TO KNOW IF I SHOULD BE HITTING MY HYBRID AS AN IRON OR A WOOD. THE DIFFERENCE BEING I SWEEP MY WOODS OFF THE FAIRWAY BUT NOT MY IRONS.
It's 90% swing and 10% club so I am waiting until I have a good swing and then I will consider new clubs including additional hybrids to the one I currently carry. Yes I am stupid.
Hybrid's are the future of this infuriating game that we play. Everybody wants to be the best that they can be so why not make it as easy as it can be to be the beat you can.
The only thing I have found with these magical weapons is that you need to use them more like a Long Iron, I fell into the trap of hitting it like a wood or rather trying to hit it like a wood ?? !!
The other thing is TOUR PRO'S are using them that tells you something ???
Why did the R&A change the rules and ban non conforming drivers in January? I believe it was because manufacturers were making golf easier by using the spring effect blah blah blah blah. There has also been talk along these lines about the surface of wedges and ball development.
If hybrids are making the game easier surely a similar ban will be on the way for them! I suggest you all keep to irons and save your money.
I am sticking with mine!
addicted:
As a lady golfer and golf mad I agree with all your comment's about clubs,had just bought the new King Cobra to find they are now banned"what a joke" why did they bring it out when they must have known the rules were to change? how many of us got caught?
What an earth is PGA Golfer talking about when he refers to "four and a half hours" to play a round. If he is ahead of me I know what I will do with my Hybrid, the blade end as well.
Irons -v- Hybrids, makes a good read. Demonstrates that there is nowt so peculiar as, folk. Long may that remain true.
I play off 23 so I bought two hybrids and made my 3 & 4 irons redundant.My game has improved and hopefully the handicap will drop.The fact that I am hitting cleaner and longer shots off the fairway has made my game more fun.Even win the odd hole now.Next a bit of tuition,that should see me on the tour.I recommend hybrids.
I seem to be bucking the trend. I bought a new hybrid last year with my new Wilson fitted clubs. However it has been used about 5 times. I just can't use it - the usual result is low and hooked left ...yet my 4 iron is possibly my favourite club. So the hybrid keeps getting a free trip around the course in my bag. Which leads me to say...my next lesson must be with the hybrid!!!
I have five hybrids in my bag. A 14, 16, 19, 22 and 25. I have taken out the driver, fairway wood and the 3, 4 and 5 irons. I like to play golf for fun not struggle for 4 hours trying to hit clubs i can't hit!!!. By the way i play off ten so it hasn't done me any harm!
condition of course Shirehampton posting 8th May 2008 perhaps it is the poor condition of the course that putting the SSS higher so many bare patches and areas where leaves where not picked up in the winter
I believe that in many cases cost is the main contributer, for people not to extend their equipment level, so do we get lessons first then buy the clubs? or do we pay out for a set of fitted clubs then get a lesson ??
Persist with the 3 and 4 irons ... you don't need hybrids! Had a good round with the irons again this weekend and shot 42 Stableford points. Do I hear bandit? No! I enter all available competitions and put in the cards and this proves that if you stick with the equipment you have you can get there. By the way, no lessons taken and handicap now 14.
Im a 6 h/c and I think hybrids are a bit of a waste of time for low handicap golfers. Long iorns are way more accurate, and pretty much as easy to hit. I find a 5 wood more useful than a 3h
BE AWARE IF BOOKING ONLINE.
I BOOKED A 4 BALL LATE LAST YEAR ONLINE AND PAID IN FULL.AFEW DAYS BEFORE THE GAME ONE OF OUR PARTY WAS TAKEN ILL, QUITE SERIOUSLY, LIFE THREATENING INFACT. ON THE DAY OF THE GAME I EXPLAINED THIS BUT WAS TOLD THAT NO REFUNDS CAN BE GIVEN, WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP.
NEEDLESS TO SAY MYSELF AND ALMOST EVERY GOLFER I KNOW HAVE SAID THAT WE WILL NEVER PLAY THERE AGAIN.
DONT PAY UPFRONT UNLESS YOUR PREPARED TO LOSE YOUR MONEY IF YOU CANT MAKE IT.
Snobbery of course!
If you're still reading this load of old tosh after all these blogs it must be a very, very wet day! However I agree with jonesb above, I had a set of 'game improvement' clubs (ha!) made by Wilson and was going backwards at a a ridiculous rate, with the hybrid club being the worst offender and as a consequence was never used. I got so fed up that when some idiot offered me about half the price I paid for the set I bit his hand off and got myself a full set of forged Titleist 704cb irons with advice from a Devon based PGA pro, thanks Gary; good call. Now my game has really 'improved' (in leaps and bounds) and I love the 3# & 4# irons in particular, they're straight, long and hardly ever wrong! Go figure.
If using a hybrid is making the game easier, it follows that playing to par is not the achievement it once was. I'm not suggesting we go back to balls with feather centres and clubs with real bits of wood on the end; but if it gets much easier, even girls will be able to play. (Cor I bet this'll fire a few people up)
:-)
Few weeks ago you were discussing the advantages of 'getting clubs fitted to you'. So I did. The first use of them knocked 11 (Yes, eleven!) shots of my gross. Confidence so boosted I now hit par 5's in regulation figures and par 'em. All this with no change in my swing style. I think I'm in love with the new irons.
seve learned golf with a 4 iron only.nowadays it's longer straighter drivers,golf balls with low spin and putters with sight lines and cross hairs,hybrid irons etc.i'd rather stick to difficult to use blades with 2,3,4 irons anyday than creating the illusion that i'm getting more consistent through technology.also the feeling of a pure struck long iron will be an unknown quantity amongst the crutch for a bad swing golfers.but to each their own! the pro's use them as they know that it's a cheat stick in a world where 1/10ths of a shot are critical.us hackers have a large cushion as it's not our livelyhood in the balance!
I have found that i can hit rescue clubs better than irons and a 3/5 wood better than a driver,so being a high handicapper and taking my age into consideration i am not really concerned,as long as i enjoy the game and company i am happy,and the best hole on any course is the nineteenth.
Yes my hybrid goes further but I can always rely on my 3 iron going straighter!
my putting with the hybrid is much better than with the long iron.
Don't forget, hybrids make excellent short game tools as well. a 22degree hybrid hit like a putt will get you out of the most unlikely places - I know as I'm all too often in there! Also, cost of hybrids is no guide to what suits you. I carry two of the beasts and neither cost more than £50.
I have just seen Rhys Harry's web site at http://www.rhysharry.co.uk/pro/home.asp and must congratulate him on a stunning web site. I have been a member for 34 years at the Tenby GC and Rhys has in my opinion produced the most professional, stunning and polished site that I have seen. The photographs produced on the site capture the stunning lines of the course superbly.
I've not ventured into hybrids yet, I still use my high launch G3 3 and 4 irons. I've not moved over simply because of the mixed reports I get from my friends. A few like them, but most have had mixed results, much as with their irons.
Had a 2 on a par4, driver, 5 hybrid, so for me they are great
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I have always struggled with anything that resembles a 'wood' and can just about live with woods when the ball is on a peg. Although I carry two hybrids - 20 and 26 degrees, I still find the long irons so much easier to hit from the fairway. In the semi, the hybrids come into their own though. Another good time to use them is when the pressure is really on as the bad hybrid shot is better than the bad long iron. I'll be keeping both in my bag! (8.6 handicap)
Thanks for the lessons Rhys...down to 14 / 15HC.
Game is still improving with a bag of 9.5 deg driver; 3,5,7 Steelhead woods, 3 hybrids, and 7 to P FT irons, 2 wedges and putter.
Fundamentals are fairly sound.
Swing is a work in progress with little tweaks needed here and there.
Dropped 2 shots to par at Haverfordwest on front 9.
Confidence and Consistency will surely come....
Your tip to try working the ball left to right and right to left to help understand those bad shots really works.
Bill
Who are we trying to kid; even the pros have difficulty creaming a three iron into the middle of a green. If hybrids are hybrids are good enough for them then they are good enough for anyone with a handicap, however low it may be. It is my belief that most people persist with clubs they cannot through pride.
I shot 67 last week and I hadn't got a hybrid in my bag. I was also using a set of Callaway X14's that are perhaps five years old, a battered Taylor Made Burner (original burner) 3 wood, a Ping 7 wood (that the had keeps flying off) and a putter that I put in my bag that I found in the shed. Imagine the score I wold have had if you had got your hands on me.
I reckon long irons are a must for any player trying to improve their handicap, you will learn far more about your swing by understanding why a shot did or did not work out, hybrids remove the difficulty and therefore will improve your scores, but possibly not improve your game
Don't carry "hybrids" but do carry driver, 3, 5, 7, 9 woods and only irons up to 6. Plus 4 wedges. Handicap is 15. The object of playing golf for 99% of all club players is to have fun. long irons are not "fun" they're for the pros and even they know that the hybrid woods are easier to hit. Don't lets kid ourselves if you want to have fun and not beat yourself up all the time - get rid of the long irons and use the woods.