4 wood

Oilbeefhooked!

Just wanted to see if anyone out there has abandoned the 3 and 5 fairways woods and replaced them with a single 4 wood?
I have recently moved to a 4 wedge system which is working out really well
( 46pw, 50deg,54deg and 58 deg).
However I have been chopping and changing between leaving either my 4 iron or my 20 degree hybrid in the bag ,
As I love them both.
So my new plan is for the 4 wood to allow both 4 and hybrid and keeping it to 14 clubs in the bag.
Would love to hear from anyone who has adopted a similar system?!

newport2

I have an almost identical setup to yours (wedges exact same), except I kept with just a 3 wood. Find it pretty easy to take a bit off it to bridge the gap to my hybrid, so I left my 5 wood out of my bag.

Senecio

I've done it.

Driver, 4-wood, 4-hybrid, then 5-iron down. I only carry 3 wedges (PW, 52, 56) which keeps the bag light at only 12 clubs.

Can't say I miss the 3-wood at all and I've never carried a 5-wood. At this end of the bag a distance gap of 30yards between clubs isn't important. Just use whatever keeps it in play and pay more attention to the other end of the bag where the scoring is done.

Oilbeefhooked!

Senecio wrote: »

I've done it.

Driver, 4-wood, 4-hybrid, then 5-iron down. I only carry 3 wedges (PW, 52, 56) which keeps the bag light at only 12 clubs.

Can't say I miss the 3-wood at all and I've never carried a 5-wood. At this end of the bag a distance gap of 30yards between clubs isn't important. Just use whatever keeps it in play and pay more attention to the other end of the bag where the scoring is done.

Thanks for that and totally agree on the more focus on the scoring end of the bag philosophy.
My only concern is finding myself in between clubs on a long par 3/, perhaps into a breeze where before my 5 wood would have been my Go to club.
Do you ever find this scenario between your 3 wood and 4 hybrid??

Ben1977

Same setup myself, find the 4wood very forgiving. Dropped 3wood, 5wood and 3iron. Find that I'm not in between clubs as the 4wood and hybrid are easier to hit and more consistent.
4wood flys higher and longer than my old 3wood. I was always 50/50 with the 3iron, so would go 10yards and others I would nail. Hybrid is just so much more forgiving, espically off the tee.
I find a bigger advantage having the 4 wedges, find judging distances must better and gives me loads of options around the green.

dines08

Oilbeefhooked! wrote: »

Just wanted to see if anyone out there has abandoned the 3 and 5 fairways woods and replaced them with a single 4 wood?
I have recently moved to a 4 wedge system which is working out really well
( 46pw, 50deg,54deg and 58 deg).
However I have been chopping and changing between leaving either my 4 iron or my 20 degree hybrid in the bag ,
As I love them both.
So my new plan is for the 4 wood to allow both 4 and hybrid and keeping it to 14 clubs in the bag.
Would love to hear from anyone who has adopted a similar system?!

Very similar setup to you but I dropped the 4 iron. If you are on the lookout for a club to purchase you should look at a taylormade rocketballz stage 2 in 16.5*
It adjusts +/- 1.5 degrees so essentially is adjustable to be a 3 4 or 5 wood. Very handy but also very new and very expensive

Almaviva

Gone the other way since last summer after several years playing the 4 wood. Liked the 4 wood, but too big a gap for me between it and the 4 hybrid. So have gone for a 5 wood (cut down a little to give me a 10-15 yard gap from the hybrid), and a 3 wood (longer than the 4 wood when played as alternative driver from the tee). 5 iron above the 4 hybrid to 44, 48, 52, 58 wedges.

4 wood would be the first club back in the back if 15 clubs were permitted though.

Jazzzman

I have a 4w which I have zero confidence in. It's a Titleist 910f.

Replacing it with a hybrid asap.

For Paws

Took out 3i and 4i in favour of

Driver, 3w, 5w, 7w
5i, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i
47d, 51d, 56d, 60d
Putter.

Having a choice of clubs at the 'scoring' end helps me.
I know I have the club to hit the shot I 'see'.

90% of the shots I'd use the 60degree for are from sand.
The 51/8 is my 'go to' club from 100 yards in.

My advice : try the 4 wedge system & see how it goes.
It's not like your'e throwing your other clubs out.

Ps: tried for years to find a 4wood to replace 3w + 5w. Never found one single club that would replace both, mainly because I'd regularly use the 3w off the tee.

Kace

dines08 wrote: »

Very similar setup to you but I dropped the 4 iron. If you are on the lookout for a club to purchase you should look at a taylormade rocketballz stage 2 in 16.5*
It adjusts +/- 1.5 degrees so essentially is adjustable to be a 3 4 or 5 wood. Very handy but also very new and very expensive

I've been a 4 wood and 4 wedge user for about 15 years now.

Just treated myself to an upgraded Titleist 17 degree weapon also. Guy in mcGuirks informed me that it is indeed becoming a more popular club.

Rippeditup

I have gone for Driver/ Strong 3/ Rescue 2 iron/ 4 - PW then a 52/56/60 in wedges

Oilbeefhooked!

dines08 wrote: »

Very similar setup to you but I dropped the 4 iron. If you are on the lookout for a club to purchase you should look at a taylormade rocketballz stage 2 in 16.5*
It adjusts +/- 1.5 degrees so essentially is adjustable to be a 3 4 or 5 wood. Very handy but also very new and very expensive

Picked myself up a 2nd hand Ping G25 4 wood today (16.5 deg) just been to range to try a few quick balls and have fallen in love with it already :0)
My old 3 wood was a Ping I20 (14 deg) and honestly this 4 wood is not far behind it if any!!
So the new set up is_
Ping i20 Driver (8.5 deg)
Ping G25 4 wood (16.5 deg)
Ping i20 Hybrid (20 deg)
Ping I 15 irons 4,5,6,7,8,9,pw(46 deg)
ping Anser wedges 50,54,58 deg.
The 4 wedge system really works for me, and as previous poster said -
allows me to play the shot i see, rather than goin down the clock face swing system with less wedges which i really stuggled with.
Add to that my Scotty putter and thats my 14 going forward.
Going to sell everything else so theres no going back :0)
Thanks for the input everyone.

PARlance

Oilbeefhooked! wrote: »

My old 3 wood was a Ping I20 (14 deg) and honestly this 4 wood is not far behind it if any!!
.

Does that not leave you with the same problem you had yesterday?

Maybe you should have bought a new 5 wood, that went as far as a 4 wood, so you could bridge the gap between your old 3 & 5 wood, still the same gap and all created by introducing a gap wedge.... Confused

Oilbeefhooked!

ajcurry123 wrote: »

Does that not leave you with the same problem you had yesterday?

Maybe you should have bought a new 5 wood, that went as far as a 4 wood, so you could bridge the gap between your old 3 & 5 wood, still the same gap and all created by introducing a gap wedge.... Confused

Haha dont do that , my head is messed up enough already but that is a fair point actually!!
This new set up def isnt bulletproof but its worth it to get my 4 wedges.
My reckoning with the 4 is - if nailed then it nearly covers the old 3 and a
smooth easy swing will not be a million miles beyond my old 5 wood.:rolleyes:

Oilbeefhooked!

By the way , what loft club is everyone classing as a 4 hybrid??
My hybrid is 20 degree is that a 3 or a 4 iron replacement??

Senecio

Oilbeefhooked! wrote: »

Thanks for that and totally agree on the more focus on the scoring end of the bag philosophy.
My only concern is finding myself in between clubs on a long par 3/, perhaps into a breeze where before my 5 wood would have been my Go to club.
Do you ever find this scenario between your 3 wood and 4 hybrid??

You mean 4-wood and 4-hybrid?

Not at all, it all comes down to expectation. If I'm on a par 3 that's long enough to require a wood of any description then I accept that's its unlikely that I'll hit the green even if I have the right club for the yardage. As I said, at that end of the bag it's all about keeping it in play.

If there's trouble at the back, I'll happily take the hybrid and come up short. If I have to carry trouble at the front I'll take the wood. I'll take an up and down par any day on a 200+ yard par 3.

Oilbeefhooked!

Senecio wrote: »

You mean 4-wood and 4-hybrid?

Not at all, it all comes down to expectation. If I'm on a par 3 that's long enough to require a wood of any description then I accept that's its unlikely that I'll hit the green even if I have the right club for the yardage. As I said, at that end of the bag it's all about keeping it in play.

If there's trouble at the back, I'll happily take the hybrid and come up short. If I have to carry trouble at the front I'll take the wood. I'll take an up and down par any day on a 200+ yard par 3.

+1 I like your way of thinking a lot - any par 3 over 200 yds will more than likely be a low enough index ( fair chance that off 12 i would recieve a sroke)so missing the green
Is not the worst as long as Its a good miss! ie. leaving an up and down or at worst an up and 2 putts not the end of the world!!
Good course management - too many amateurs ( me included)feel the have try and reach every green in regulation whether they have strokes or not!!
Gonna adopt this new approach thanks

Senecio

To use an old phrase, it's not rocket science. I play off 5 and I don't expect to hit the green if I have anything more than 8-iron in my hand. 7-iron and up and I consider a green in regulation a bonus, it's about where I can get up and down from.

If you start to think about it this way you soon realise that what clubs you carry at the top end of your bag doesn't matter.

I'll say it again, just keep it play and put the next one close.

Almaviva

Oilbeefhooked! wrote: »

By the way , what loft club is everyone classing as a 4 hybrid??
My hybrid is 20 degree is that a 3 or a 4 iron replacement??

16.5 deg.
3 iron.

Oilbeefhooked!

Almaviva wrote: »

16.5 deg.
3 iron.

My i15 irons are 21 deg for 3 iron and 24 degree for 4 iron
So that would suggest my 20 deg hybrid is a 3 iron replacement - 4 iron / 23 deg and
a 17 degree rescue would be a 2 iron replacement !!??

For Paws

Oilbeefhooked! wrote: »

By the way , what loft club is everyone classing as a 4 hybrid??
My hybrid is 20 degree is that a 3 or a 4 iron replacement??

Standard loft of a 3 iron is 21 degrees with Lie angle of 59.32 degrees and Shaft length of 38.75 inches. For a 4 iron it is 24 / 60.02 / 38.25.

A Hybrid of 20-22 Degrees replaces a 3 iron or 7 wood.

But remember that Lie angle and Shaft length will not be the same in an
equivalent Loft Hybrid, so the Hybrid will produce a different shot shape,
usually a higher flight, slightly shorter in distance than a wood of equivalent loft, but slightly longer than an iron of eqv. loft.

Hope this helps

Oilbeefhooked!

For Paws wrote: »

Standard loft of a 3 iron is 21 degrees with Lie angle of 59.32 degrees and Shaft length of 38.75 inches. For a 4 iron it is 24 / 60.02 / 38.25.

A Hybrid of 20-22 Degrees replaces a 3 iron or 7 wood.

But remember that Lie angle and Shaft length will not be the same in an
equivalent Loft Hybrid, so the Hybrid will produce a different shot shape,
usually a higher flight, slightly shorter in distance than a wood of equivalent loft, but slightly longer than an iron of eqv. loft.

Hope this helps

Yeah that's what I thought , thanks .