Equipment
Today from the Forums: “Hybrid vs Utility iron – Which is more useful?”
Today from the Forums, we take a look at a discussion comparing the advantages of having either a hybrid or utility iron in the bag. WRXer, tsecor, asks for the pros and cons of each – and our members oblige, telling us which has worked best for them out on the course.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- agolf1: “I think a lot depends on swing speed / how far you can carry this type of club, especially as you get in the low 20 degrees or below. They are still a lot more iron-like than anything else and require both a good strike and speed to keep the ball in the air long enough. I tried the Ping Crossovers (original and G400) and just thought it was too limited for me. Basically, only a tee shot club or need a perfect lie/stance on a cushy fairway. I have a 20-yard gap between a 7 wood (about 200) and a 25-degree iron (about 180, whatever number you want to call that club). I’ve thought about the smaller hybrids for this spot. Like TS3, Callaway Apex, etc.”
- Joelism: “I have a 21* hybrid and a 21* utility, totally different clubs. The utility is used mainly off the tee (Wilson Staff Tour Model) and is easy to hit. The hybrid is only really used from the fairway or rough, wouldn’t dream of attempting the utility from the rough. The hybrid goes higher and further in winter; I suspect when the fairways aren’t slushy mud, then the utility will roll further.”
- granata10: “I have tried a few driving irons, but I still hit my Callaway Apex hybrid better, its a more versatile and for a hybrid does not like to go left. For me its a height issue, I hit the hybrid higher, and it’s not a problem for me to lower the flight with the hybrid. I just don’t hit driving irons high enough.”
- mizunotpz: “Notice that a lot of the hybrid players saying they wouldn’t use the utility in the rough, but then you got a think again. I use my Ping Crossover G410 from the rough all the time. It’s just the perfect utility. Creates a lot of speed with it.”
- Stinger83: “For me, it’s a club that’s for specific conditions. Hard, dry, fast, windy conditions. Anything else I’ll take a hybrid. A hybrid for me is going to be more versatile from the fairway and definitely the rough. Modern hybrids don’t spin as much as they used to and hitting a “stinger” shot with them is not hard. Also, a lot of these DI’s are not as forgiving as they look. The only ones I have found that I like are Titleist TMB tour edge ironwood and the old Callaway apex ut.”
Entire Thread: “Hybrid vs Utility iron?”
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: TaylorMade Proto (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0 (4-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-K @59) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X3 Buy here.
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x Buy here.
(Photo courtesy of TaylorMade)
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s WITB in the forums.
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The winning WITB is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Madeline Morgan
Mar 6, 2020 at 6:34 pm
If you are a male golfer who hits a 6 iron 200 yds then a utility iron would probably be a fine addition to your bag. But if you are a senior or female golfer with a much slower swing speed, then a hybrid club is probably the more sensible choice, even if, like me, you play off a single figure hcp. Those of us who are not as fast or as strong as we might once have been simply cannot get a utility iron to launch high enough to make it more than just occasionally useful.
Madeline Morgan
Mar 6, 2020 at 6:32 pm
If you are a male golfer who hits a 6 iron 200 yds then a utility iron would probably be a fine addition to your bag. But if you are a senior or female golfer with a much slower swing speed, then a hybrid club is probably the more sensible choice, even if, like me, you play off a single figure hcp. Those of us who are not as fast or as strong as we might once have been simply cannot get a utility club to launch high enough to make it more than just occasionally useful.