9 wood or 5 hybrid? Wanna hear your thoughts or about your experiences

[aoo]

Recently purchased 4 wood and 7 wood to replace my 3 wood, 5 wood and 4 hybrid. Was going to maintain my 5 hybrid but am now intrigued by going with a 9 wood to replace the 5 hybrid.

 

Has anyone done this? Or have any thoughts about going this route?

[animalgolfs]

Play both  - few more yards carry with 9wd.....stops quicker - 5h rolls out little more, better into strong wind...better for punch outs

 

[DiscoStu35]

I could never hit hybrids except off the tee so I go 5,7,9 wood and I'm never looking back. Like others have said the only issue is into a decent breeze. I've never landed 195 shots on a green and had them stop until the 9 wood though.

[lil'mike]

For this year, I just ordered a 3HL (16.5 deg.), Heavenwood (20 deg) and a 9wd (24 deg) to try out.  I have played the 4wd/7wd or 3HL/Heavenwood off and on for quite a few years now.  First time for the 9 wood though!

 

[JMB3]

I hit hybrids fairly well, and I always like to keep one in the bag for their versatility.  9w sounds fun tho!

[Ca3l]

Might as well see how you like the 7 wood before you decide. If you feel like you don’t get enough launch or can’t hold greens with the hybrid then the 9 wood is probably in your future.

[NYDave]

I play a 5 hybrid, I also carry a 7 wood and a 4 hybrid that I hit about the dame distance, the 7 is great for long par 3's for high shots that stop, but most of the time I play the 4 hybrid to control the flight in the windy conditions I play in...

[Millhill88]

I swap a 9W in and out depending on the course, and if it's windy.  It really is like cheating.  High, straight, hits, stops.  

9Woods create a lot of spin though.  If you are playing in windy conditions, you could lose big yards hitting into it.  Or carry an additional 10 yards going with it.  

[Nickb333]

I used a 9w for a short time. Super easy to hit but always felt like a one trick pony to me. 5h is more versatile for me. 

[Striker Ace]

5h, more versatile, more like an iron at its appropriate gap. 5h, my friend.. 5h.

[ezra76]

I use 5H but it's set at 23* now. I'm using a zx4 25.5* above it then into my irons 6-PW. 

 

[Konklifer]

I like 4w-7w-5h.

[tbowles411]

I play both now.  It's just easier to get the ball in the air. I found the 9w to be a bit easier to use around the greens because of the loft getting the ball in the air and rolling.  Takes some practice, but it's cool to use.

[bluedot]

I replaced my 5H, which I really liked, with a 9 wood about a year and a half ago after watching my Member-Guest hit his 9 wood.  
 

There are trade offs, but the 9 wood is especially useful on my home course because it’s the only club I can hit high enough AND far enough to hold the green on one of our par 3’s that is severely uphill. The 9 wood is also great out of fairway bunkers.  
 

The 9 wood is a pretty versatile club; the biggest downside is that it can be hooked severely if I’m not VERY careful about my setup.

[RSLP]

9W should be longer vs. the 5HY as it is about 2 inches longer.

 

Couple seasons ago I played a 5-7-9W combo in the woods, a 5Hy , and 6i-GW

[Vater]

If it's one or the other, I'd go with the 5H. Assuming you have a 7W, I'd want the shot variety from the hybrid.

 

I get the flight/holding the green aspect of a 9W, but in real world situations, aren't you using an iron in most of those cases/distances?

[DJDJ]

46 minutes ago, Vater said:

If it's one or the other, I'd go with the 5H. Assuming you have a 7W, I'd want the shot variety from the hybrid.

 

I get the flight/holding the green aspect of a 9W, but in real world situations, aren't you using an iron in most of those cases/distances?

 

not me.....i could hit the 5 iron instead of the 9w but i pretty much can't hold the green with my 5i due to my overall height not being great.  The 9w flies so high and lands super soft.  I hit it from 190 this week and it rolled out maybe 2 feet on the green.

[RacineBoxer]

12 hours ago, ezra76 said:

I use 5H but it's set at 23* now. I'm using a zx4 25.5* above it then into my irons 6-PW. 

 

 

I often have a very similar delivery (path 6 degrees left, I'm working on it this winter though) and its why I have shifted from high lofted fairway woods to hybrids. 

 

Both high lofted fairway woods and hybrids are great replacements for long irons, especially for us moderate swing speed players, but if you deliver the club like this sometimes that high lofted fairway woods just go too high and spin too much. Everyone loves height and spin but there's a point of diminishing returns. That shot right there is A+ course playable all day long. 

[RacineBoxer]

58 minutes ago, Vater said:

If it's one or the other, I'd go with the 5H. Assuming you have a 7W, I'd want the shot variety from the hybrid.

 

I get the flight/holding the green aspect of a 9W, but in real world situations, aren't you using an iron in most of those cases/distances?

 

Depends on the player, mostly their speed and their delivery. A lot of people with moderate swing speed and relatively low ball flight will benefit greatly from a high lofted fairway wood. The longer shaft length is a variable that some people struggle with but if you practice with your fairway woods quite a bit a lot of people will find them more forgiving as you can hit the ball almost anywhere on the face and at least move it down the fairway pretty far. 

[CDLgolf]

I've never tried a 9 wood. I just got a 7 wood to experiment with. But I have a 5 and 6 hybrid that I think are great. For me they are so much easier to use than long irons in any situation. 

[eric61]

I go with a 5 hybrid in that fourth-longest-club slot.

 

I love 7 woods, and carry one as my third longest club … but I find that 9 woods tumble across the line into too much height and too much spin, and it makes them a little inconsistent for me in terms of distance and somewhat difficult to control if there’s much wind at all. That’s just based on a couple rounds and some range sessions experimenting with one — so I do admit it’s possible I just need more time with one, or a different shaft, or something.

 

However, the 5 hybrid is probably the most consistent club in the long end of my bag. It was a revelation for me last year. It’s a Ping G430 5H turned down one to 25 degrees with a VA Slay 85S shaft — which is pretty whippy, but feels a lot like the Fujikura Speeder NX Blue 70X that I have in my 3W and just really seems to suit my swing. I was fitted into it and it’s just really accurate for me.

 

The 5H carries 195 for me. What I like about it is in my current set-up with it, it’s very neutral. It’s not a problem to crank it up and hit a draw that carries in the very low 200s and runs out a little, or hoist up a really high floating fade that carries 185 and stops immediately. 
 

It’s the safest club in my bag this year … which really just illustrates that I’m a club ho and no club is ever safe, because I’ve been curious about trying a G440 hybrid…

[goalie]

I go 4w, 7w, 5hy in strong wind, 4w, 7w, 9w in light wind.  

[BG5]

I sold my 3 wood, 3 hybrid and 4 hybrid and replaced them with a 9 wood, 7 wood and 5 hyrbird and its the best thing I have ever done.  You will not regret getting a 9 wood but I honestly would keep your 5 hybrid as well.  They are both great clubs and I am honestly considering getting a 6 hyrbid as well and getting rid of a long iron.  When in doubt loft up!

[EKB]

I’ve never hit a 9 wood but I carry both a 5H and a 5i.  The 5H goes 10-15 yds further than the 5i and fills the gap perfectly between the 5i and UW21 (7W equivalent)

[Goodfellas8]

Recently put a 9 wood in the bag and I’m amazed at how easy it is to use. Goes straight and high. Leaving 5 hybrid in as well for shots that need more penetrating flight. 

[AverageGopher]

I still go down to a 4 iron/don't use either, but would therefore obviously be more of a 5h than a 9 wood.  But in general, a windy day would probably ruin most a players' 9 woods.

[animalgolfs]

3 hours ago, AverageGopher said:

I still go down to a 4 iron/don't use either, but would therefore obviously be more of a 5h than a 9 wood.  But in general, a windy day would probably ruin most a players' 9 woods.

I play in winds around 20-25 regularly- I've learned to hit lowered flight shots with my 9 wood....generally not losing or experiencing a significant yardage lost. 

It's all in the player & type of shot you're wanting to play.

[tele_pathic]

I played a 9w for the first time this weekend. And HOLY SMOKES!!! I love it! Easy to hit, easy to launch high, good distance! Highly recommend 

[Golfdoctor]

I play Ping woods, and haved played 5-7-9 woods and had 4-5-6-7 hybrids in the bag at one time. I currently have Mizuno's JPX 923 HL irons and starting at 6 iron 28° and instead of a hybrid being the next club, Im just moving to a 9 wood 24° and then to a 5 wood 19°. It makes more since to me. I have more confidence in using a fairway wood over a Hybrid.

[aoo]

Thanks for all your responses. Went with the Ping G440 4 wood, 7 wood and 9 wood to replace my Adams 3 wood, 5 wood, 4 hybrid and 5 hybrid. The G440 4 wood is money! The 7 and 9 wood are very easy to hit but took a couple of rounds to get used to. Was kinda blocking them right in the beginning. Was a bit worried about my gapping between the 6 iron and 9 wood but so far seems ok. If I just swing easy with the 9 wood it goes as far as my old 5 hybrid but can step on it if needed to get some extra yardage.

 

So far so good...

Edited March 17 by aoo