3 iron or hybrid?

I sometimes feel i'm missing a club.

My modest Ben Sayers M7 set goes 5 iron, 4 hybird, 5 wood so feel there's a gap between the 4h and the 5w, both in terms of distance but in particular when i'm in the scrubby stuff under trees and need to keep it low. I've tried closing my 5 iron but with little succes [so clearly need to practise this] and while my 4h is probably my favourite and most reliable club i'm not happy with it in really rough, twiggy conditions.

Any thoughts?

you'll get a varying amount of responses on here.  I recently chucked in my hybrid and got a 2-iron, as I much prefer hitting the 2 iron, and am more consistent with it. 

The 5-iron should really be enough tokeep the ball low though. grip down, ball off the right foot and lean the shaft forwards, thus de-lofting the club.  take it back halfway and make sure you keep the same angle at attack as you did at the beginning of the swing....ball should come out nice and low.  Practice it at the range until you get it spot on...it's a useful shot to play!!

I used to have a 5 wood but then I got 3 and 4 hybrids and found I could hit the 3 hybrid almost as far as the 5 wood (around 220 yards ) so I sold the 5 wood and bought a 3 wood and kept the hybrids. I do hit my hybrids very well so I see no reason for me to have 3 or 4 irons. But that is my preference !

Nice to see you're into single figures Adrian. You still at Oulton? if so pretty good going around there.

 Paidraig Harrington favours the hybrids as he says it gives him extra height and so can stop it on the green aas opposed to a 3 iron. I tend  to him my irons high and so have never considered hybrids. As for keeping it low: I would have thought the stance requires the ball to be furher back rather than further forward?

Cheers Pat, not quite single figures yet ! But almost there ! Just had a shoulder operation so may have to wait a month or so before I can get back to my best. Managed to win a couple of comps at Oulton last year and had a few rounds in the 70's, I still think it,s possible to get down to 6 handicap or so, hopefully before my joints start seizing up. I had a knee operation 2 years ago so I don't know how long that will last.

Thanks folks, some fascinating responses as always and plenty of ideas for me to try out.

Ona slightly different angle then, can anyone recommend  reasonably priced hybrids that are worth looking at?

Ta.

I own a 3 iron and a hybrid, but usually only carry one of them, if conditions are wet and/or the course is tight/rough infested its the hybrid and if they are dry and/or very windy i will carry the 3 - different trajectory and all that.

I knew all that of course! Thanks for the in depth responses. I've got plenty of ideas to try out now, will give this ago with my existing clubs, i don't want to be buying unneccessary gear.

Ta.