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driving layup club?

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Dewdman42

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I am upgrading the long end of my bag and in a quandary for what to do between 4h and driver. Currently hit driver 250-280 excluding poor shots. The 4h I'm getting is the ping G430 which I hit up to 225 at the simulator, guess we could call it 215 club.

I have room for one more club and mainly that club will be for three purposes:
  1. drives that I need to make sure to keep under 250, more like a 235-240 club, maybe 250 absolute max possible. Only used off the tee when the driver might get me into trouble by accidentally hitting it really well and sailing it 260-275
  2. for long approach shots beyond 220 where I want to try to go for it
  3. par 5 second shots.
In the past I have carried either a 3h or a 4w, but with strengths and weaknesses. The 3h was arguably more versatile since I suck at hitting a 3w off the deck. But the 4w has been so much time at times to hit a perfect tee shot reminiscent of a driver shot, except restrained in distance to 240ish. Really enjoyable to his those 4w tee shots, but then I pretty much never used it off the fairway because I've never mastered that, and plus lots of times I'm in the rough.

So what do you guys and gals think? Go for another wood to replace my 4w, go for maybe a matching ping g430 3h, or something else?

I'm leaning towards the 3h, but I'm not sure I can really hit that thing as far as I would need to hit to make it worth carrying in addition to the 4h which apparantly I hit pretty far already (on the simulator). Can I get 225-240 out of a 3h? If I could do that reliably, it's no brainer to go that way and forget about a fairway wood.

well anyway just thinking out loud here, appreciate experience of others for laying up off the tee when the driver will go too far, but a long iron or even hybrid is just not enough, and other concerns about fairway woods hit on and off the fairway.
 
It’s really whether you prefer a 3 or 2 hybrid or a 4 or 5 wood. I hit a similar lofted and length hybrid the same distance as my 4 wood which is my 235-240 yard club. I love the compact head on the 4 wood I have but lots of my buddies carry an even more compact hybrid in that 16-18° range that serves the same purpose.
 
I had trouble hitting woods and had taken any out of the bag for the last several years. I got the Mizuno ST-Z 230 5W at the Victory Cup and it has become one of my favorite clubs to hit. I was truly shocked that after spending a little time with it on the range at the Victory Cup that I trusted it in my match that weekend off the tee and smoked some great shots with it. It has really become a weapon in a spot where I didn't have anything. Something like that might be a good option for you.

If you are primarily looking for something off the tee and not so much for off the turf then you could look at going with a 2nd driver with higher loft and maybe a shorter driver shaft or even a 3w shaft. It would be a bigger club and thus more forgiving off the tee than a 3w for when the normal driver is too long or the fairway needs to be hit.
 
Yea I thought about that new taylormade mini driver...but then it really will be exactly how I currently use my 4w, just off the tee. THe 4w isn't even perfectly ideal for that bencause I find that most fairway woods are designed for hitting the ball before the ground and when I set it up no a tee like a driver I have to open up th club face more than usual to try to compensate for that. It definitely still has made some incredibly enjoyable tee shots for that particularly situation which there are usually a few per round, where a dog leg will put my long driver in danger.

But then there sometimes some situations where having a 3h could be beneficial. Not so much the par4 second shot, I can hit the 4h pretty far and most of the time I couldn't hit a 3h far enough to get on in 2. Might be a few times when I could. And that would be the reason for desiring an extra 15 yards beyond the 4h to go for that... Might happen once a round, or if I screwed up my drive, then I'd want the longest thing in the bag off the ground, that might happen once a round too.

That is probably what I should do though..its just more versatile.

I've never tried an actual 2 iron or 2 hybrid and I should probably try one of those, but probably the 3h will be more useful and easier to hit. My old 3h I was hit or miss with it and often chose to use the 4h instead unless it was absolutely worth the risk for an extra 15 yards.
 
A 5 wood sounds like a good fit. But I can't say no to the TM mini driver.
 
Paradym Super Hybrid. Get it at 16 or 18 degrees and with the adjustable hosel it’s a monster off tee and not hard to launch.
 
Can you hit your hybrid off the tee? If so, then go 2h or 3h. Maybe look at the Super Hybrid or a bigger headed hybrid.

Having a 4w, or a mini driver, for 1 or 2 tee shots a round is fine. As long as you're ok sacrificing a club spot for only 2 shots.
 
Any idea how many shots per round you would typically have for each of your 3 scenarios, and for 2 and 3, any idea how often you'd hit it from fairway vs. rough?
 
its a completely fair assumption that I would use a 3h more than a 3w or 4w overall. It's only a question that I have enjoyed hitting my 3-4w (technically its a high loft 3w) off the tee with gorgeous positive AoA tee shots and the pure joy of hitting that club for situations where I don't want to accidentally drive past 240. From a scoring perspective, I would probably be better off with the 3h even if my tee shots with it are pragmatic and boring in comparison. I think I'm probably more consistent with my 4w off the tee then I am with a 3h either off the ground or off a low tee. But I can't hit my 4w off the deck very good at all, much worse then 3h So how does that pencil out? More possible shots I can make with the 3h on any given day, but more likely to get those layup tee shots right with the 4w or mini driver...and away from the tee box, the 3h is clearly better then a wood for me...but with some errors more then other clubs.
 
Seems like a Callaway super hybrid would be right up the alley you’re looking for.
 
I'm gonna try to hit that super hybrid. I have owned a callaway hybrid last year which I returned and bought a g430 which I like much better. I didn't like the cala way at all in comparison. But it's worth a hit session no doubt. That would possibly be the perfect tweener.
 
WIldcard suggestion - Cleveland HyWood. I have the 3+ which is 17* but shaft is in-between fairway and hybrid length. I find it easy to hit off the deck and it goes straight.
 
nostatic said:
WIldcard suggestion - Cleveland HyWood. I have the 3+ which is 17* but shaft is in-between fairway and hybrid length. I find it easy to hit off the deck and it goes straight.
Click to expand...
I agree with this wholeheartedly! I have the prior model at 18* and it's my go to. I only hit my driver 220-235. I get 190-205 off the deck with this club which for the OP would translate to about 235-245 with the 17* at least.
 
17 or 19 degree Apex UW
 
Seconding the UW. Probably the 19 as an in between.

But I’d also compare to the 21. I can launch mine often to your distance but everyone is different t.
 
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