5 Hybrid Vs. 3 Hybrid Comparison Overview
Do you really need to invest in a long hybrid club? That will depend on your needs as a golfer. You won’t see a lot of pros pulling a long hybrid like a 3 out of their bag but you may have seen someone in your Sunday foursome use one.
If the idea of a long hybrid club intrigues you, you’re in luck because today we are going to be testing a 3 hybrid against a much more common 5 hybrid to see what (if any) practical benefits a long hybrid club has for the everyday player.
5 Hybrid Overview
A 5 hybrid replaces a 5 iron very well. Your mid irons are naturally going to be more versatile and the 5 hybrid follows suit.
Because the average player will be able to squeeze about 170 yards out of a 5 hybrid, it is an extremely useful club – mostly on the deck but some of the guys in our testing party were whacking the ball north of 180 yards with a 5 hybrid off the tee.
But for all of us mortals, the 5 hybrid has much more practical use. It makes great connection with the ball from the deck and from the rough so it can be used as a rescue club. The relatively compact head and strong loft make it perfect for tight lies.
In fact, we would say that a 4 or 5 is about the perfect hybrid range. This range will give you the distance you need for most par 4’s and 5’s.
3 Hybrid Overview
A 3 hybrid will naturally play longer than a 5 but has weaker loft making it a less viable option from the deck.
If you would prefer to use a hybrid club from the tee then by all means, check yourself out a 2 or a 3 hybrid. In fact, we really liked the workability of a 3 iron from the tee when compared to a wood. It’s not bad to use from the deck if you find yourself further back on the fairway than you’d like to be.
That all being said, the 5 hybrid is the superior club to use from the rough because of it’s stronger loft. We were getting lower-arcing shots with the 3 hybrid we were testing.
So yes, the 3 hybrid is certainly a viable option from the tee but pretty much everywhere else, a 5 hybrid would be more useful.
3 Hybrid Quick Facts
Category – Longer Club – Fairway Wood/Long Iron Mix
When To Use: From Fairway, Tee Or Light To Heavy Rough
Average Distance: 185
Longer Hitter: 200
Shorter Hitter: 175
Typical Loft: 19 Degrees
Club Importance: 94/100
5 Hybrid Quick Facts
Category – Long/Mid Hybrid
When To Use: Fairway, Light To Heavy Rough
Average Distance: 170
Longer Hitter: 180
Shorter Hitter: 165
Typical Loft: 25 Degrees
Club Importance: 94/100
3 Hybrid Overview & First Impressions
A Hybrid as the name suggests is a mix between a fairway wood with is large, round head and an iron with is large sweet spot and excellent turf interaction.
The 3 Hybrid is one of the most popular in the collection and the 3 & 4 Hybrids are usually found in most sets these days. While they used to be predominantly used by beginners and high handicappers they are now also seen in most pros bags too.
The clubs are incredibly versatile but as with most clubs they will enjoy there best performance from a nice lie on the fairway.
The large sweet spots ensure consistently straight shots and the decent loft and turf interaction ensure a high ball flight although they are slightly less workable than their iron counter parts.
The sharp leading edge is also ideal for the rough, giving the clubs it’s ‘Rescue club’ title.
The 3 Hybrid is a great for most players around the 190 mark on average from any lie and the club is great for hitting the green consistently.
A 3 hybrid can really add consistency to your game especially if you struggle with your longer irons, it will often replace a 3 or 4 iron these days.
One Club Up – 2 Hybrid
The 2 hybrid is a very similar club to the 3 except it has a stronger loft and thus hits the ball further but on a lower trajectory and with less roll out.
One Club Down – 4 Hybrid
The 4 hybrid is often coupled with the 3 in many beginner sets and will hit the ball 5 to 10 yards less than the 3 Hybrid with a higher loft that can cut through the rough more easily.
5 Hybrid First Impressions
The 5 Hybrid has a large head, large face and a huge undercut to cut the turf and long grass easily to produce high and long shots.
The 5 hybrid is usually excellent for getting to the green in 2 on par 4’s or 5’s holes. You get great distance control from 5 hybrids which also makes them very handy on particularly long par 4’s.
The best part about the 5 hybrid is the consistency. It’s like training wheels on a bike compared to an iron but it does sacrifice some of the precision of the mid range irons.
Versatile and easy to use club that is also excellent from the rough.
The only problem with these types of clubs is that they launch very high so in windy conditions, they are not the best option.
One Hybrid Up – 6 Hybrid
A hybrid 6 club can essentially be used as a rescue club when you find yourself in the rough. You should treat your 6 hybrid as a cross between an iron and a wood. The 6 is less popular but it is useful for higher launching, shorter strokes.
One Club Down – 4 Hybrid
The 4 hybrid will produce a lower and longer flight than the 5 but because there is about 10 yards between the clubs, the 4 and 5 are a good option to be carried in unison.
3 Hybrid Selling Points
- Consistently Straight Shots
- Easy To Get Into Air With A Good Launch
- Excellent Turf Interaction
- Great From The Rough
- Excellent Potential Replacement For Long Irons
Benefits of Using a 5 Hybrid
- Better for long fairway shots
- They can be used for getting on the green
- Good launch angles
- More forgiving than a 5 iron
- Good ball contact
Who Are 3 Hybrids For?
While 3 Hybrids started out as a club best utlized by beginners and handicappers, that is certainly not the cases now as Hybrids are also ominpresent in the bags of elite golfers around the world.
For it’s usefulness from the rough alone, the ‘Rescue club’ has become a vital component in almost every bag while the consistent straight and high shots are another reason why Hybrids are included in almost all golf sets these days.
For long shots from any lie, consider trying out a 3 hybrid.
Our Favorite 3 Hybrid – The Taylormade Sim Max
When you go with Taylormade, you know you are getting the best quality and since the Sim Max is not the newest model, it packs nearly all of the same tech at a lower price point.
The club is long, consistent and forgiving with a massive sweet spot, exceptional turf interaction and market leading forgiveness.
The Sim 3 Hybrid will be more suitable for the better players too.
Distance: 94/100
Accuracy: 96/100
Forgiveness: 95/100
Feel and Control: 92/100
Overall Score: 94/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Who are 5 Hybrids Good for?
Traditionally, 5 hybrids have been a favorite among junior players, senior players and lady golfers although getting more common with pros these days too.
The 5 hybrid offers a higher degree of forgiveness and is the perfect club for long approaches on par 5’s and long par 4’s.
They are also fairly effective as rescue clubs from the rough. Our only real gripe with this type of hybrid is that it is really unstable in windy conditions.
A Good 5 Hybrid to Check Out – Callaway Epic Super 5 Hybrid
The Callaway Epic Super 5 hybrid features Jailbreak bracing bars for added stability. There is even an adjustable hosel to get the kind of launch you need for every shot.
We really liked the versatility of this 5 hybrid. The perimeter weighting also makes it plenty forgiving.
Distance: 94/100
Accuracy: 92/100
Feel and Control: 91/100
Forgiveness: 95/100
Overall Rating: 94/100
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