2 Hybrid Vs 4 Iron – Which Club To Use And When
The 4 iron has been the gold standard for precise and accurate shots for many years and the hybrids are disruptive new technology that offer the best of both fairway woods and irons.
The 4 iron is a great club for getting the ball close to the pin, it has excellent turf interaction and can be hit from the tee, fairway and the rough. It comes in different styles too for different levels of player.
The 2 hybrid offers straight shots, easy launching and consistency from all lies. It is perfect from the fairway and the rough as well although it is less workable than the 4 iron. It is also a little bit longer making both of these clubs viable as part of your 14 clubs.
2 Hybrid Overview
Hybrids have had a huge surge in popularity in recent years and while they are great for high handicappers, PGA tour pros can now also be seen carrying hybrids.
Because of the consistently straight shots of the hybrid, they are excellent for high handicappers and the 2 Hybrid is the longest possible option.
For anyone who struggles to hit their fairway woods or irons, the 2 hybrid is the logical next choice.
the generous loft with the sharp leading edge makes for excellent turf interaction. The club also cuts through the grass effortlessly making it the best possible option for longer shots from the rough and also gives it the name “Rescue Club”.
As the 2 hybrid is so long and comparable in distance to a 3 and 5 wood, it is generally an ideal replacement for on of these clubs in your bag, while the 3 and 4 hybrid are slightly more popular in conjunction with those woods and replacing the long irons.
The one issue with the 2 hybrid is that their is lower spin so the club is less workable but that hasn’t stopped the best players from carrying them.
4 Iron Overview
The 4 iron has a long compact head and is among the highest lofted irons available. It is know for it’s precision and accuracy with it’s large sweet spot and as technology advances, these clubs are getting better and better.
The 4 iron comes in different formats to suit different skill levels from players irons to game improvement which offer more distance and forgiveness at the cost of some of the workability.
Because 4 irons have a sharp leading edge, the cut the turf well and you can generate a good deal of back spin as well from a nice lie.
The sharp edge cuts through the longer grass as well and you can use the 4 iron from the mid to heavy rough but it wont be as effective as the 2 hybrid.
4 Irons are useful from the tee on par threes as well but mostly for pin hunting from a nice lie on the fairway. The 2 Hybrid is also a bit longer than the 4 iron making these clubs useful as a set of 14.
The hybrid clubs are here to stay and the 2 hybrid is an excellent club as a replacement for woods and irons.
Because hybrids have become so popular, the irons and fairway woods have also upped their game and offer better performance now than at any time in the modern past.
2 Hybrid Quick Facts
Category – Hybrid – Long Club
When To Use: From Fairway, Light-Heavy Rough, Tee
Average Distance: 190
Longer Hitter: 210
Shorter Hitter: 175
Typical Loft: 18 Degrees
Club Importance: 91/100
4 Iron Quick Facts
Category – Mid-Long Range
When To Use: From Fairway, Tee Or Light To Mid-Heavy Rough
Average Distance: 170
Longer Hitter: 180
Shorter Hitter: 160
Typical Loft: 25 Degrees
Club Importance: 93/100
2 Hybrid Overview & First Impressions
At an average hitting distance of 200 yards, the 2 Hybrid is one of the longest clubs in the game.
As the name suggests, a hybrid tries to mix the precision and consistently straight shots of an iron with the distance of a fairway wood.
The result has been a huge surge in popularity for clubs like the 2 Hybrid.
Most golfers will still carry a 3 wood and a 5 wood and the 2 Hybrid has a similar range to the 3 or 4 Wood.
If you are one of the many golfers who hits longer straighter shots with a hybrid than with a wood, a 2 hybrid will be an excellent club to carry.
The sharp leading edge on the hybrid can interact well with the turf and that makes the hybrid a ‘Rescue’ club from the rough.
If you tend to end up in the the rough off the tee, the 2 hybrid can be an excellent way to turn around a bad lie for your second shot.
The hybrid will sacrifice some of the workability of the 4 wood but it is perfect to hit straight consistently from the fairway.
One Club Up – 3 Hybrid
The three hybrid is very similar to the 2 hybrid but it has more degrees of loft and finds its way into more golf bags. The 3 hybrid hits at a more advantageous distance to match with a 3 and 5 wood than a 2 hybrid.
One Club Down – 5 Wood
The 5 Wood would be a similar but slightly shorter club distance than the 2 hybrid. The 5 wood has a bigger head and is blunter in terms of precision than they hybrid, which can achieve more precise targeting with less work ability.
4 Iron Overview & First Impressions
The 4 iron is an impressive mid to long range club with a slender compact head, aimed at precision and accuracy.
The longer irons have come under attack from hybrids in recent years and this has caused the irons to up their game too.
The 4 iron hits on average of about 170 yards making it ideal for hitting the green in two on a par 4 and also for hitting the green off the tee on a par 3.
The 4 iron is high flying, with more spin and it also has a shorter shaft offering more control and precision with the club.
While the Hybrid maybe longer and more consistently straight, it lacks the workability of the 4 iron.
Since the lofts of irons keep getting stronger over the years, there are plenty of sets that now start with the 4 iron, excluding the 3.
4 Irons come in many variations from game improvement irons, to blades to distance irons, all catered to different levels.
It’s loft and excellent turf interaction make the club effective from the mid to heavy rough but a clean strike from the fairway is the ideal position to use it from.
One Club Up – 3 Iron
The 3 iron has a stronger loft than the 4 iron @ 21 Degrees and it hits the ball generally about 10 yards further than the 4 iron. It has less launch, less spin and less precision than the 4 Iron.
One Club Down – 5 Iron
The 5 iron has more loft than the 4 iron, it hits the ball a shorter distance, has more spin, control and workability and it hits the ball about 10 yards less.
2 Hybrid Selling Points
- Excellent From The Rough
- Easy Launching
- Straight Shots Consistently
- Hits On Average 200 Yards
- Precise Targetting
4 Iron Selling Points
- Precision Club With Plenty Of Accuracy
- Different Iron Styles To Suit All Levels
- Great For Pin Hunting
- Higher Spin Rates And More Workable Than 3 Iron
- Works Well From The Rough
Who Are 2 Hybrids For?
If you are someone that hits your hybrids better than your woods, you should consider testing and carrying a 2 Hybrid instead.
If you end up in a bit of trouble off the tee quite often, the 2 Hybrid is a rescue club that get you out of trouble.
The club interacts excellently with the turf and it produces straight shots more consistently than woods for many golfers.
Hybrids are used by a lot of pros these days but the high handicapper can find the most utility from them with their consistent straightness.
The Hybrid is a very resourceful and useful clubs, if you have room for it in your 14 clubs, it is sure to coming out of the bag quite often.
Our Favorite 2 Hybrid – Taylormade Sim 2 Max
If you are talking about top quality in Hybrids, look no further than Taylormade.
This clubs look more like racing cars and they have the performance to match.
The Sim 2 Max, is extremely forgiving, long and it allows for high launch angles easily.
Distance: 96/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgiveness: 95/100
Feel and Control: 92/100
Overall Score: 94/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Who Are 4 Irons For?
The 4 Iron is a club you can find it any level of golfers bag.
There is a necessity to cover that 170 yard distance and if you aren’t going to be using a hybrid, you will most likely be using a 4 iron.
While the Hybrid might be straighter and more consistent, the 4 Iron is going to be a lot more workable for better players who want more control over the ball.
Our Favorite 4 Iron – The Taylormade Sim Max
If you are looking for a club set that has some of the very best technology and packs in forgiveness alongside distance and accuracy, the Taylormade Sim Max is a serious option.
While the Sim is measured at mid handicappers, the Sim Max offers more in the way of forgiveness with a huge sweet spot expanded by a speed pocket and ICT technology and with a speed bridge giving an excellent feel, you really can’t go too far wrong with a Sim Max 4 iron.
Distance: 94/100
Accuracy: 95/100
Forgiveness: 95/100
Feel and Control: 92/100
Overall Score: 95/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Aidan Lehane here, I’m a Mid-low handicap golfer who has made tremendous progress in breaking 90 in just over 1 year of playing golf seriously.
I get out to the course or range as often as possible and review all the equipment I’ve come across on this blog.
