If your swing speed is 95 miles per hour or less with the driver, the 4 hybrid will more than likely be the best club for your game. If your swing speed is over 95 miles per hour with the driver, the 4 iron could be a great option if you are seeking accuracy and precision from those longer distances.
Special Note: I tested this recommendation below with a low handicap golfer with a swing speed of 107mph with the driver and a mid handicap golfer with a driver swing speed of 93mph. (See results below)
Golfers today have plenty of options for those shots 175 yards and over. Whether they are using a 4 iron or a 4 hybrid, they can have a club tailored to their game.
This is great as the golfer can find the right club to match their game.
With today’s hybrid options golfers can expect to experience success from these longer distances on approach shots or on the 2nd shot on a par 5.
4 Iron vs 4 Hybrid: Which one should I carry?
Testing the Recommendation of 4 iron vs 4 hybrid based on swing speed
I tested the recommendation out with 2 different golfers:
- Golfer 1: Driver swing speed of 107, handicap 3
- Golfer 2: Driver swimming speed of 93, handicap 15
4 Iron vs 4 Hybrid Comparison Chart: Low Handicap Golfer – Swing Speed of 107mph
| Shot # | 4 Iron Distance | 4 Hybrid Distance |
| 1 | 202 | 203 |
| 2 | 201 | 208 |
| 3 | 203 | 203 |
| 4 | 201 | 209 |
| 5 | 202 | 205 |
| Average | 201.8 | 205.6 |
Key Takeaways:
- While the 4 hybrid averaged more distance, the low handicap golfer preferred the distance precision that the 4 iron provided.
- He also hit two shots long and left ad long (208 and 209) with the 4 hybrid that could have led to a bogey or worse
Final Decision
- This golfer would choose the 4 iron
4 Iron vs 4 Hybrid Comparison Chart: Mid Handicap Golfer – Swing Speed of 93mph
| Shot # | 4 Iron Distance | 4 Hybrid Distance |
| 1 | 181 | 185 |
| 2 | 165 | 183 |
| 3 | 178 | 178 |
| 4 | 175 | 187 |
| 5 | 155 | 175 |
| Average | 170.8 | 181.6 |
Key Takeaways:
- The better club is clearly the 4 hybrid. The golfer above struggled on 2 of the shots with the 4 iron (165 and 155) with poor contact, which would have led to bogey or worse.
- The 4 hybrid, even though there was a range of 10 yards, all flew better and clean contact occurred 100% of the time
Final Decision:
- This golfer would choose the 4 hybrid
Update: Too many golfers overestimate their swing speed and their carry distance. At a minimum head to your local golf store and at least hit the 4 hybrid on the launch monitor or golf simulator and measure your true distance. Golfers often force certain clubs because they want to be part of the “club” that hits a 4 iron. Stop forcing it! Use the new technology your advantage. They always ask how many, but not how. Get the ball in the hole!
Overall, the technology for both hybrids and the utility irons make it easier to hit the ball further, higher and straighter than ever before. However, the golfer still needs to test out what is the best option for their game.
Ultimately, each golfer needs to have a distance chart (see below on how to build) to reference and ensure there are no major yardage gaps. As a golfer advances they will have multiple options at each distance if they are able to control their swing length and speed and play a flighted shot into certain wind conditions.
7 wood vs 4 Hybrid: Which one should I carry?
Benefits of a 4 Iron:
- Accuracy and Precision
- Ability to control shot height
Benefits of a 4 Hybrid:
- Easy to hit high
- Versatile from different lies
- Lands softly
4 Iron vs 4 Hybrid: Loft and Length Comparison
A 4 iron will have around 18 degrees of loft and around 38.875 inches in length. A 4 hybrid is going to have more loft with a 21 degrees, but slightly longer at 40”
| Club | Loft | Shaft Length |
| 4 Iron | 18 Degrees | 38.875” |
| 4 Hybrid | 21 Degrees | 40” |
4 Iron: Accuracy and Precision
The best golfers will play to certain spots on the green and hope to hit it within a 20-30 foot circle of the aim point. The 4 iron is designed to have a tighter dispersion as the short accuracy is one of the features of the club.
The single digit handicap player will need this extra precision as they play the more difficult courses where there is plenty of bunkering around each green and green complexes become more difficult.
4 Iron vs 5 Wood: Which one should I carry?
4 Iron: Ability to Control Shot Height
With a fairway wood, it can be difficult to hit low, medium and high shots on demand. The 4 iron is superior in the ability to control the height of the shot.
By changing the ball position and the release of the club, the best golfers are able to control the height of the shot. This becomes especially important when the golfer is playing the wind or on certain conditions on the course such as firm or really soft.
4 Iron vs 7 Wood: Which one should I carry?
4 Hybrid: Easy to Hit High
The 4 hybrid is designed with a low center of gravity to allow the golfer to get quality height from the shot. The fairway woods and hybrids in today’s golf market are designed with the slower swing speed and higher handicap golfer in mind.
The goal of these goals is to provide a tool to allow the golfer to hit higher, quality shots that will land softly and the 4 hybrid accomplishes this goal. For many golfers, they will fall in love with their 4 hybrid and it will be their favorite club in the bag.
The golfer that lacks swing speed with the driver might find themselves frequently reaching for the 4 hybrid for their 2nd shot on par 4s and par 5s.
Whether you select a 4 hybrid, a 3 hybrid or any fairway wood, there is a high probability it will become your go to club for many of the longer shots that you might face on a golf course.
4 Hybrid: Versatile from Different Lies
When a golfer is in the rough and has a slow swing speed or lacks strength, the 4 iron will often twist and turn due to the design. The opposite is true for the 4 hybrid. It will stay more stead and provide the golfer with the best chance for a quality shot. If you play a course that had long and demanding rough, carrying multiple hybrids might be a great option.
Back to the days of the Adams Tight Lies, fairway woods have changed forever. They are a great option for many golfers, especially out of the rough. Golfers can utilize with great confidence from the fairway, rough or even a fairway bunker. When you have confidence in a club from any lie, the golfer is able to swing with a greater level of confidence often resulting in better outcomes.
Do Professional Golfers use Hybrids?
4 Hybrid: Lands softly
Due to the extra heigh a golfer will gain with the 4 hybrid, the ball will land softly on the green. This gives a golfer the chance to hold the green from 150 yards and more. The higher handicap golfer can often grow frustrated with a shot that lands on the green, but runs off the back.
The 4 hybrid can help fix that issue. Overall hybrids have been a life saver for many higher handicap golfers or those with slower swing speeds. Many seniors turn to hybrids over the longer irons they used to carry when they had a higher swing speed.
The key is often putting the ego to the side and truly testing out what is best for their game.
Next Steps: 4 Iron vs 4 Hybrid
- Test out
- Build a distance chart
- Practice a stock shot
Next Steps: Test out your options
We made a large generalization with the swing speed below 95, but there are always exceptions to rules like this. This is why we recommend testing out the different options that are on the golf market today.
I would highly recommend every golfer using the technology that is available in launch monitors like the Skytrak or Mevo+. These devices can be great to track data such as the following:
- Ball Speed
- Carry and Total Distance
- Shot Dispersion
- Launch Angle
- Spin Rate
- Spin Axis
Are hybrid clubs good for beginners?
Here are the top 3 options to check out:
Next Steps: Build a distance chart
With any of the three launch monitors listed above, we would also recommend building a distance chart that will look like the one below:
I would highly recommend each golfer create a distance chart like the sample below:
| Club | Carry Distance (100%) | 90% | 80% |
| 2 Utility Iron | 210 | ||
| 4 iron | 190 | ||
| 5 iron | 181 | ||
| 6 iron | 171 | ||
| 7 iron | 163 | ||
| 8 iron | 153 | ||
| 9 iron | 143 | ||
| P Club | 130 | 123 | 115 |
| Pitching Wedge | 118 | 110 | 102 |
| SW Club | 105 | 97 | 91 |
| LW Club | 90 | 82 | 74 |
This might be the most important information you can use to help you play quality golf. I have heard so many stories and have seen it first hand where golfers completely over estimate how far they hit each iron.
They hit one 7 iron 165 yards one time and think this is their carry distance. So they step up to a 165 yard shot, hit the 7 iron and end up in a bunker. They blade it out of the bunker and are looking at a double bogey as their reality. Instead, if they had the right club and hit the 6 iron, their chance of hitting the middle of the green would increase greatly!
How can you create your own chart?
Best Option: I would highly recommend a launch monitor!
These portable devices can be used at the driving range, golf course or set up in your home net or golf simulator. These devices are game changers not only on being able to map your bag and know your distances, but they also provide quality feedback after on every shot and provide the following information:
- Carry Distance
- Spin Rate
- Launch Angle
- Spin Axis
- Total Distance
- Ball Speed
This information will help you map your bag, decide on which clubs are best for your game, develop a stock shot and much more. I love using my SkyTrak 365 days a year in my golf simulator setup.
The process for mapping your bag can looking something like this:
- Hit 5 shots with each club in your bag.
- Log the carry distance and total distance for each shot.
- Eliminate any outlier numbers (poor hits or low spin rates).
- Take the average and create a map of your bag.
If you visit any PGA Tour event you will see plenty of golfers utilizing their launch monitors. While most can’t afford a Trackman, there are some very affordable options in the 500-2000 dollar range. I own the Skytrak and think the world of it.
Next Steps: Practice a stock shot
Regardless if the 4 hybrid or 4 iron is best for your game, the bottom like in order to play our best golf we must be able to control the start line and the curve of the ball. No matter what your current ability level is, the stock shot drill is our go to drill to help us find the consistency that we crave. When golfers describe the consistency they want it is often about having a predictable shot pattern.
The Drill: Stock Shot Drill
- At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
- If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
- Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
- The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.