I have an old Titleist hybrid with a steel shaft that will be in my bag as long as I play golf. Swings much more like an iron than standard hybrids. I never have gotten along with newer hybrids (operator error).

How are you swinging at it? Are you hitting more down on it like a long iron or up like a driver?

Down on it. Although, I also tried sweeping through it, which is kinda how I feel like I hit my 3w.

I did hit a few good shots, but I couldn't replicate them.

For reference, my handicap ranges from 5-8, currently 7.8.

Try it with a stance that feels like the club face is ridiculously back too far. Swing easy and let it fly.

DargelSkout said:

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Down on it. Although, I also tried sweeping through it, which is kinda how I feel like I hit my 3w.

I did hit a few good shots, but I couldn't replicate them.

For reference, my handicap ranges from 5-8, currently 7.8.

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This is me exactly.

Blocks and duckhooks out of play.

I hate hybrids.

Try shifting your shoulder angle up at address…I.e. left shoulder higher than right for a rightie.

98Ag99Grad said:

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have you tried a 7-wood? recently ditched my hybrid for one and love it. Its a 21-deg loft

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Same here. It's much more consistent and longer.

I have not, but I'm intrigued.

I swing it pretty much exactly like a long iron. I hit my 3w very similarly too. It's the only way i can keep from snap hooking it.

Generally a little easier to hit and tend to fly higher which should help hold a green. Many pros are actually using them now.

High flight sounds good, as I normally hit my clubs on a lower trajectory. With my old irons I had trouble stopping a 3i on some greens.

here's a pretty good article on it and how to hit it

7 wood

how to hit it

You're looking for a 5 wood / 3H.

You should sweep it. I assume you're trying 19 degree 3H? Why would you think this would be easy to hit? Anything below 25 degree loft isn't easy to hit except for a teed up Driver.

Go into it knowing the club isn't going to hit itself. Adjust the loft to 20 deg, choke up half inch to an inch (hybrid is longer than iron) on the grip and get your hands high on the backswing and swing.

Hybrid is easier to hit typically refers to lower COG and more gear effect on the face (irons have less GE) and typically hybrids glide though rough better.

Once you find a hybrid that works, you won't go back.

Good luck!

You are 2X better than me but I feel that I have my 3 hybrid swing flatter at the top and it's sweeping through contact. Feels closer to a wood swing not sure that's right just my feel

I hover between a 1-5 handicap (having kids really hurt) and I hit hybrids way better than long irons. Totally mental for me I'm certain but it may also be a shaft issue if you've not tried different ones.

Hit it like a 7iron

Funky Winkerbean said:

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Hit it like a 7iron

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Agree! I have a sub70 949X and it's the easiest club in my bag to hit. If I swing it too hard, I'll hook it. I carry a driver, 3W, 3 hybrid, 5I for my long clubs.

It seems like a lot of the hybrid models are geared towards helping higher handicaps get the ball up and also fight slices. I've had trouble with those and much better luck with the smallest head hybrids that are geared towards the better player. Search for hybrid for low handicap. I went with Callway Apex Pro 21 and there are others that would fall into this category.

Another thought is a utility iron - usually a hollow head with some weighting to get the ball up plus probably a little longer shafted than a traditional iron. Cleveland UHX works great for me. I also hear a lot of love for the Srixon ZX utility iron. I pulled my 3-4 iron out and replaced them with a 4 and 5 Cleveland UHX graphite shafted with the UST Recoil. They are strong lofts, so the 4-5 utility irons replace 3-4 regular irons. They also make a 3 (which would essentially be a 2i), but I didn't try that one.

im not near as good with a 3i around the green as i am w my 3hybrid.

rononeill said:

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im not near as good with a 3i around the green as i am w my 3hybrid.

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Ehh... Been a while since I tried to hit a flop shot with 3i or 3H around the green... Perhaps never.

I was never able to hit a hybrid before lessons/fitting. I started hitting my new one way better once I started swinging it like an iron instead of a fairway wood. I have a pretty big gap now between by 5i and 4h. For reference, here are my carry and total distance averages:

7i - 164 carry, 172 total
6i - 175 carry, 183 total
5i - 181 carry, 195 total
4h - 206 carry, 219 total
3w - 219 carry, 235 total
D - 251 carry, 266 total

MW03 said:

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I was never able to hit a hybrid before lessons/fitting. I started hitting my new one way better once I started swinging it like an iron instead of a fairway wood. I have a pretty big gap now between by 5i and 4h. For reference, here are my carry and total distance averages:

7i - 164 carry, 172 total
6i - 175 carry, 183 total
5i - 181 carry, 195 total
4h - 206 carry, 219 total
3w - 219 carry, 235 total
D - 251 carry, 266 total

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Have you tried 5H or loft up 4H?

JB93 said:

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It seems like a lot of the hybrid models are geared towards helping higher handicaps get the ball up and also fight slices. I've had trouble with those and much better luck with the smallest head hybrids that are geared towards the better player. Search for hybrid for low handicap. I went with Callway Apex Pro 21 and there are others that would fall into this category.

Another thought is a utility iron - usually a hollow head with some weighting to get the ball up plus probably a little longer shafted than a traditional iron. Cleveland UHX works great for me. I also hear a lot of love for the Srixon ZX utility iron. I pulled my 3-4 iron out and replaced them with a 4 and 5 Cleveland UHX graphite shafted with the UST Recoil. They are strong lofts, so the 4-5 utility irons replace 3-4 regular irons. They also make a 3 (which would essentially be a 2i), but I didn't try that one.

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I tried out a ZX4 utility iron and loved it. Wish I'd bought it, TBH. But I was hitting my old Amp Cell 3-4h at 22* pretty well at the time and decided to save the money.

Well, I tried a few more hybrids and a couple 7 woods. I ended up buying a used Rogue 7 wood. I'll try it this week on the course and see how I like it.

Then the next time I upgrade all my woods, I'll upgrade that too.

UPDATE: I'm hitting this 7 wood really good. I wish I would have bought one of these a long time ago. Thank you to the posters that recommended the 7 wood. I never would have thought to try one.

I'm hitting a Ping iCrossover 3 iron in the slot between 4i and 3w.

I've about every driving iron out there, and this one is just a beast.

Bought it on a whim after it dominated the MyGolfSpy rankings -- and it is great.

DargelSkout said:

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UPDATE: I'm hitting this 7 wood really good. I wish I would have bought one of these a long time ago. Thank you to the posters that recommended the 7 wood. I never would have thought to try one.

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They are great. Played a Tournament this weekend and made 4 birdies with mine 3 of them inside 5 feet.