Do you have a specific distance in your game you play away from? Most players do and it’s because they don’t have a club to cover the yardage or they’ve hit poor shots in the past from the spot. Since I was fitted for my current set of irons, my gap is 200-215 yards. I usually hit my 3WD 230 yards but can pooch it 220. My 3-iron is good up to 195 yards but when I land in my gap, I’m a bit lost. I have a 5WD that can cover the distance but have hit some horrendous pull-hooks and don’t trust it. Carpenter or tool? Probably carpenter, but you need confidence in your stick.
A week ago, my son’s roommate was getting rid of an old set of clubs. I took them and found a 3 and 4 hybrid included. They were a little short and had a shaft that was too soft, but I went to the range for a session and found I was pretty comfortable hitting both. So I threw them, along with my 5WD, in the bag for my Saturday round at Links At Gettysburg. Turns out it was TaylorMade demo day at the club and the rep set me up with a M6 3-hybrid that I could test in a bake-off with these second hand giveaways. Looks like I found my Father’s Day present!
The concern now is what to take out to get to the regulation 14 clubs. Maybe my 4-iron? Can I just choke down on a three at the appropriate distance? Or my lob wedge? I usually hit either a lob or sand wedge out of green-side bunkers depending on the distance of the shot. I’m sure I can open up the blade on my sand wedge for high pitches without too much trouble. Sounds like a good discussion for my next golf lesson.
On a side note, it is Memorial Day. A big note of thanks to those in our armed services and for those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our great nation. I’ll leave you with a gallery of photos of a recent tour my son and I took of Fort Sumter and the USS Yorktown in Charleston, SC.
Play well!
All About Golf 
Brian
I encountered the same issue, except I loved hitting my 5 wood. However. my journey was a bit longer. I replaced my beloved 5 wood with a 60 degree wedge. Big decision there but need more help around the green. I then replaced my 3,4,5 iron with hybrids, but lost control and options with the 4 and 5 hybrid. Ultimately, I brought back my 4 and 5 iron and kept the 3 hybrid because it offers me that distance between 200 and 215 yards (same distance as my 5-woodish). Basically, I replace my 5 wood with my 3 hybrid and kept all my wedges. So, my recommendation is for you to ditch the 5 wood and keep the wedges and 3 hybrid. Hope this helps.
Cheers Jim
Jim, I’ll also have to ditch my 3-iron, which is why I’m hesitating. I love the versatility and rely heavily on it at my home course. There’s some long par-4s and I use it on a couple of the threes as well. Am definitely thinking of dumping the lob wedge.
Thanks,
Brian