Gettin' old... And my bag shows it!!!

[limpalong]

Had a pretty solid tournament last weekend. Won some gift certificates to the pro shop. What to buy... What to buy??

The place I had been struggling was with the occasional 4 or 5 iron. I used to carry a 2-iron and hit it great. That "gift" disappeared a few years ago. Then, the 3-iron was replaced with a hybrid. The gift certificates were more than enough to pick up a pair of Adams hybrids... a 4h and 5h. My irons now begin at the 6-iron.

Never could hit hybrids. Over the years, I've probably had at least 2 dozen hybrids come and go. Hook machines. Couldn't keep one in the same zip code. But, would keep trying... and keep moving them through the bag. Picked up my 3h Callaway a couple seasons ago for something like $12 bucks out of the used bin. Something in my swing changed, because I hit it really well. The 3h had earned its way into a permanent place in the bag. Hopefully, this 4h and 5h will do the same.

I've now got about 5 rounds on these hybrids. They, too, were cast offs from someone else. Good condition with original head covers. They have been extremely dependable, so far. The only problem is understanding the addition of hybrids to the bag is directly proportional to the addition of years to the body. My skill with long irons is but a foggy memory. Making the turn, I want to toss a towel over the top of my bag so someone doesn't see the bag full of hybrids and ask me to check in my "man card"............

 

[SilverUberXeno]

Hybrids aren't JUST for old farts. I hit my 23* steel shafted 4 hybrid over the green today from 215 yards out what a miss! The head was loose too. Epoxy curing presently. Pulled it right off.

 

[azgreg]

I currently have a 2H, 3H, 4H in the bag and have the matching 5H on my"watch" list on ebay. Love them.

 

[nututhugame]

I have a 2h and there is a thin line between beautiful draw and a hooker. I am learning, and loving this club though. the other day I came up a yard short of the green from 260 with it with a beautiful draw. For now it stops @ the one though.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

For me they are easier to hit but not easier to hit straight. I can't hit my long irons as far or high but at least I can find a fairway with them.

 

[lamebums]

-snip-

...check in my "man card"............

Hi limpalong--

Every real man knows the only way to play golf is to truly and honestly-to-God man up. Hit from the tips every time. 1 and 2 iron off every tee, preferably a non-cavity backed club. Extra-stiff shaft. And a good high-compression ball.


In all seriousness, if you can find a hybrid that isn't a hook machine, then let me know. I hit a natural draw, and aside from my 1-out-of-10 blocks way right, my misses tend to go even further left. As it is - at the age of 23 - I'm still hitting both 2 and 3 irons with pride. I figure in about a million years that might change.

Now, don't tell my old man what I bought him for his birthday - he's been struggling with his 3 wood, so I've bought him a replacement. He's blissfully unaware that it's actually 18 degrees instead of 15 degrees like a normal 3 wood, and is in 'A' flex to compensate for... age.

 

[SilverUberXeno]

In all seriousness, if you can find a hybrid that isn't a hook machine, then let me know.

I've never understood this. A hook is caused by the club face moving from inside to outside through the ball, with every club. There's just no reason club A hooks and club B doesn't, unless the club is built in such a way to exaggerate an in-to-out move. Stop psyching yourself out!

I built my hybrids to iron lengths with heavy graphite / steel shafts, and they're great. I CAN hook the life out of them, just like I can with my irons, if I put a bad swing on 'em. But I just don't believe that a well-fit hybrid is any more likely to hook than a well-fit iron.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

I hook my irons less than any of my woods or hybrids. Might be my swing or maybe graphite vs. steel, idk. I don't see a difference between my hybrids or woods though, I can hook both of them off the planet.

 

[ejdahl21]

Saw the title and figured, "He sat on the throne and his boys hit the water."

 

[SilverUberXeno]

I hook my irons less than any of my woods or hybrids. Might be my swing or maybe graphite vs. steel, idk. I don't see a difference between my hybrids or woods though, I can hook both of them off the planet.

Longer clubs = flatter swing = more prone to hook, maybe. I can hook a three wood so hard my own nuts are in range.

 

[limpalong]

Saw the title and figured, "He sat on the throne and his boys hit the water."

Photos to follow!!!!!

 

[Unrepentant 60s kid]

Don't be embarrassed by hybrids.

I go a step beyond that and carry, instead, hi-loft fairway woods up to 25°!

 

[limpalong]

Don't be embarrassed by hybrids.

I go a step beyond that and carry, instead, hi-loft fairway woods up to 25°!

No longer "embarrassed" at all, the way I've learned to like those hybrids. They have really performed well. But.... time for a story...
One of our regular group plays a set of X20 Callaway irons. He's always cussing his 5-iron. Only iron he can't keep from going waaayyy right. Sunday, I had the box on a 180 yard par 3. Hit my 5-hybrid to about 20 FT. Buddy gets up and hits his 5-iron. He's 5 yards right of the green, actually better than most times when he's farther right. He utters some unkind words that establish the heritage and genetics of his 5-iron. I say, "Tony, shut up and hand my that iron." I drop another ball, hit his 5-iron and the entire group is suddenly dead silent. The ball ends up less than 3" from going in for an ace. Or... would it have been an ace, since it was not my club and I had already hit..... I handed him back his iron and told him, "When ever you want one of your clubs given a lesson in where to hit it, I'll handle it for you!" Sheesh! I haven't hit one that close in a long, long time. Almost made me want to ditch my entire set of Pings and hybrids and go to Callaways. (It couldn't have been just a lucky shot!!!!)

 

[azgreg]

Longer clubs = flatter swing = more prone to hook, maybe. I can hook a three wood so hard my own nuts are in range.

Thanks SUX, I haven't laughed this hard for quite a while.