Equipment
Playing with no fairway woods or hybrids?
In our forums, our members have been reacting to a post from a member who is considering dropping all fairway woods or hybrids from the bag. WRXer ‘Vater’ currently has one of each in his setup, but kicks off the discussion saying:
“I’m playing a minimalist set with only one FW and only one hybrid. Now I’m already thinking that I might not need both. That second long as you can hit it shot from the fairway… the alternative off the tee… Of course that’s what I think of for my FW. But couldn’t a hybrid do the same thing?
Shots out of the rough… a club in place of my long irons… the odd creative punch out shot… That’s what I think of for my hybrid. You think you miss anything from not having any fairways woods? Or for those in the other camp, you think you miss anything from not having any hybrids?”
And our members have been sharing their thoughts and their own setups in our forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- PJE: “I’m currently carrying a fairway wood (5 turned down to 16) and a hybrid (19 degree turned to 20) but I could see a 17 degree hybrid working in lieu of the 5 wood.”
- ScooterMcTavish: “I kept being told I should play a hybrid. So I tried multiple hybrids to (at best) middling success. Then I added a 5W this year (WRX from Cobra) and will be bagging it a long time. Hybrids used to benefit from shallow and dense heads vs FW. Not anymore- new FW have the playability of hybrids but with the forgiveness and MOI of a fairway wood.”
- b.mattay: “I carry 2 fairway woods and no hybrids. I don’t think I miss out on anything with this setup. I find my higher lofted fairway wood to be better out of the rough and easier to send up in the air than a hybrid.”
- RSLP: “In the summer, when I am making good contact: 12 degree driver, and 3-GW , wedges + putter.”
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
Joe
Jan 7, 2026 at 1:39 pm
Hybrids are better overall than “fairway” woods because they are better from the rough and easier off a tee.
I currently play a 16 degree 2 hybrid and 22 degree 4 hybrid and the game has never been better.
Peter
Jan 7, 2026 at 8:06 am
I recently got rid of the fairway wood. I’ve got a 19 degree hybrid and just got the new Mizuno fli-hi 2 iron. Driver or 2 iron off the tee and hybrid from fairway, much more consistent results.