Which Club: 5 Iron or 5 Hybrid?

It is a questions I have been wondering, which club is better for me? I love my 6 iron and all the pro's have a 5 iron, so should i?

[pb]

I just put a 5 hybrid in my bag and dropped the 5 iron. Not bragging but I'm a low handicap and I'll do, like you, whatever I think will help my game. The hybrid is also much better out of bad lies, bunkers, trouble shots, etc. Way more versatile club. IMO

[geesonnit]

This should have more likes,
Brilliant content mate! Thanks for the upload. I just bought a Adams 5 hybrid. 🤙🏻

[kymstock]

I picked up a half set of Tour Edge Bazooka iron-hybrids ( 3, 5, 7, 9, SW) + a 5W and putter for $90 last week from Face Book Marketplace. they look like a blend of a iron face and hybrid body, with the shaft length the same as an iron, not longer as in a conventional hybrid.

Even at my swing speed ( 90 mph on a good day) I was hitting the 21 degree 3 iron in the air! I can't do that with a cavity backed 21 degree iron. The 5 iron is 27 degrees and it was very easy to hit well. The down sides to these clubs are their draw bias makes fades difficult ( great news if you are a slicer) and maybe they will be unsuited to mid summer hard packed lies.

I bought a 521E Tour Edge 6 iron-hybrid to replace my 6 iron recently, but in retrospect I should have bought the 521C model with less offset, so I can play fades if needed. Either way, my fore -aft ball dispersion with the TE 6 iron-hybrid is 3 m ( 135-132m) whereas the 6 iron Milford Golf SL-7 is 10 m ( 135-125M). A good strike ( smash factor around 1.4) and it is 135m, but a not quite so good average strike in a game and it is close to 125m where my 7 irons shots are.

[kymstock]

Loft of some of the new 5 irons is around 22 degrees ( same as a 4 iron ) . My 6 irons is 29 degrees and I can hit that well( mostly) even at my mid 70's MPH iron swing speed. I have single length hybrids at 19, 22, 25 degrees, instead of 3, 4, 5 irons. They are shorter than traditional variable length hybrids by about 10 m carry distance, but trajectory is higher than the same loft irons. They are easier to hit than the long irons for me.

[Rosetwin]

I think a big problem is that the newer 5 iron is anywhere from 20 to 24 degrees so it's not really a 5 iron it's a 3 iron. I use traditionally lofted clubs (47 degrees pitching wedge, 27 degree 5 iron) and I really only have trouble with the 4 iron (24 degrees).

[seanmann]

glad he answered the question I had about those shorts

[matm]

I also use an apex 5h (iron shaped sort of head) over a 5iron. I play off a 4 hcap and am a strong ball striker at a pretty consistent 260m +(290yrs)off the tee with the driver swinging controlled. Have always struggled with long iron consistency from the 5 down as i tend to get 'stuck' on these clubs with poor dispertion and flight consistency as a result. With a 5h even the bad hits are predictable and in a tight dispertion for par or better. I typically hit a 5 iron 180-185m (200yds) to provide some swing speed info for any one similar looking to give the 5h a try. Ball flight etc can always be customised with a shaft fitting whilst keeping the forgiveness and ease of the hybrid head. The question should really be for amatuers to ask themselves am i more likely to make birdie or bogey with this club (5i / 5h)? If the answer is bogey then better to go the choice that improves your chances at par

[kymstock]

I think marketing "distance irons" to higher handicap golfers looking for more distance is a reliant on our ignorance. They promise distance but in reality the stronger lofted long irons still require good consistent ball striking and reasonable swing speed to get the ball up in the air enough to achieve gapping between the longer clubs and a high enough descent angle. Strapping lads like Aaron have the swing speed, but great ball striking can elude many high handicap golfers. Anything that assists overcoming the not so great strikes ought to be embraced by the high handicappers.

Large headed hollow bodied hybrid-irons ( Launch Pads etc) or hybrids instead of cavity backed irons below 26 degrees of so (or higher if your swing speed is lower) make sense to results, but don't appeal to the ego. Buying a full set of irons just doesn't make sense unless you are a great ball striker and swing fast. I bought a set of Cobra F9 single length irons a few years ago and soon realized I had wasted money on the 5 iron ( 22.5) and 6 irons ( 26). I replaced them with a Hybrid 24 and 19 and got better results.