I have uncovered a gap in my clubs - in brief I hit the 4 hybrid about 175 yards from most lies, and my 5 wood 200 yards from the tee (I can't hit it reliably off the fairway).

Having ruled out a 3 iron, I invite your opinions on whether I should plug the gap.  Faced with 190 yards off the tee I presently choke down on the 5 wood.

Secondly, would the gap best be filled by a 7 wood or a 3 hybid?

Your not alone there mate. I hit my 5 wood Between 220 and 250 off the deck, 5 iron about 190 but rarely get over 200 with a 3 or a 4 off the deck as i just can't use those 2 clubs. I'm definatley gonna try and get hold of a 7 wood 'The Knife' to try and plug the gap and take my 3 Iron out of the bag. If I can get 210 with a 7 Wood that'll do nicely.

As for your problem, I'd go for the wood as there's a lot more loft on it and will therefore come down softer. Also with 5-7 woods you can hit down on it and get a bit of spin to stop the ball even quicker, whereas with a long iron/hybrid you have to take a wide swing otherwise it just doesn't want to get up in the air.

Yes you could just choke down, but i'd rather be coming in high from that distance and a 7 wood will get a lot higher, you know, and stop quicker.  

7 wood I would defo favour and I think if you play parkland courses it's a must have club over a hybrid. I only switch to a hybrid when i play links and I drop my 3 wood over my 7.

So far I'm a little surprised that the hybrid isn't more popular.  Generally the longer the club, the harder to hit, is that not so?

I went for a hybrid myself, but I do prefer hitting my woods from the fairway and can use them out of the same level of rough as the hybrid.  I do find the 3 hybrid easier to work though (get a lovely draw with it) and a higher ball flight too, which can come in useful.  With hindsight, I probably would've used a 7 wood more. 

I carry a 19* utitlity wood - it's like a short shafted 5 wood and fits the bill nicely as it's good from the tee, fairway and rough.

i would go hybrid

i actully have a 4 hybrid

 Go with what you're most comfortable with, sounds to me that you've talked yourself into gripping down the shaft....nothing wrong with that.

Try out a few down at the range and see what feels the best Martin. If you are not too reliable with a 5 wood off the deck, would you be able to hit a 7 wood any better? You are comfortable with a 4 hybrid but would a 3 hybrid give the sort of shot you are after?

I love my 3 hybrid for windy conditions but i would be the first to admit that it is not a club to hit and hold greens with.

Ah yes Paul, good comment and questions.

I do love the feeling of hitting a nice fairway wood.  The ball flies in a very pleasing manner, although perhaps some of the pleasure is in truth relief at having played a rare good shot with the club.

In fact, that's the answer isn't it.  The 3 and 5 fairway woods are, for me, accurate and reliable off the tee but scatterguns with high failure rates off the fairway.

The 4 hybrid is miles better off the turf because even mishits go a long way fairly accurately.  However I am less confident with it from the tee although that is getting better (as it should - tee conditions can replicate fairway conditions).

If I buy the club just for tee shots then I'll use it once or twice a round at most.  Having a 3 and 4 hybrid gives options the fairway wood simply won't.

If you are having high failure rates off the fairway with your fairway woods, Martin, then perhaps it would be wise to not use them and play an iron instead. I cannot for the life of me understand why players take out a fairway wood when they have no possibility of reaching the green, assuming they could button it 100%. This cavalier attitude costs many strokes, all unnecessary.

It depends on the strengths of you game.  I strike my fairways quite well but tend not to be as accurate as I could be with a 4 or 5 iron into the green.  For this reason, it's better for me to take a 3 wood and a pitching wedge from 340 yards than two 5 irons (assuming the same level of touble around the fairway).  

The only time you are likely to e 340 yards from a green is on a par five and it is normal to hit the fairway wood as there is usually the space to do so.The same applies to a short par four of theat distance as the three wood from the tee has a large target to aim at.

My previous post should have been more exlicit when I said that if one cannot reach the green then it should not be used. A lay up would be the sensible approach for any player, no matter what their abilities. All the Pros lay up to a certain distance, you never see them attack the green unless thney are certain they can hit it.

Thanks for your comments John.  Do you carry a seven wood and/or a three iron (or hybrid)?

On the topic of laying up, my short approach play has been distressing too, but that's another issue and nothing to do with 21 degree clubs. 

Martin, I seem to chane my mind as to what I put in the bag on a daily basis as woods are not my forte. Currently I have a driver, 3 wood, and a ping G5 19deg hybrid. Next week I might have a different driver, a five wood/7 wood and a three iron. Sometiomes I put in the 1 iron. Depends on how I feel. The driver goes everywhere but the fairway, my 3 wood and 5 wood just don't go far enough and the hybrid is a joke club, I really cannot see what its purpose is, but I keep trying to find out, usually ending up in even more trouble and then need rescuing. My irons are great, I don't have a problem in that department.