At 76, the one thing I have in common with Fred Couples is we carry the same number of metalwoods - and that is a higher number than the number of irons we carry.
At wherever stage your game is, play the best equipment for that. Ego doesn’t put the ball in the hole.

When you feel you do not have to work as hard to hit the longer clubs. As I have started to loose distance over the past five years, I have gone to all regular shafts and use a lot of hybrids. At the young age of 80 (in September) and proud of it, my longest iron is a six. My current set up GT2D 10.75, GTF2F 14.25, TRSH 17.0 TSR H 21.0, GT3H 24. Having had back surgery in Oct got my drivers back up to 220 on a very good day. It's been a long hard road. Still working on the irons. T350 6-48W, Vokey 56.10S. All custom fitted. Getting new irons nest year. You are a youngster. Play to have fun and move up to enjjoy the game. Leave the ego at home. I got rid of my 3 and four irons in my early sixties and stopped using my five iron two years ago. .

I swallowed my pride a few months ago and added the hybrids. I am happy I did. When my playing partners give me grief, I say “Freddy Couples plays hybrids!” I am 53.

I had to swallow my pride last year and glad I did.

MY problem with the hybrids is, no matter what I do, I am fighting a hook. I play a blended set of titleist 200/150 irons (6-gw). I also play a gt2 4 wood and 7 wood. There is a good gap between my 6 iron and 7 wood. Instead of a hybrid i went with a t350 5 iron. This seems to work for me.

When I started play hybrids, I had the same I issue. My pro old me two things. Number one stop trying to hit them like a fairway or driver. They are not meant to be hit that way. Strike them like you would your irons. Different ball position. Number two let the club do the work. You are trying to overpower it. I love my hybrids.

I've been playing a hybrid for over 20 years (turned 60 last year). When I made the switch, there was NO ego in play. They are just so much easier to hit than long irons. I'm not a long hitter so I could use all the help I can get.

It's that old expression "work smarter, not harder". Hybrids and even my 9-wood call right into that category.

Steve

The switch to hybrids is driven largely by your clubhead speed. If you don't generate enough clubhead speed to drive the ball up into the air, carry distances will suffer significantly, and you will end up with more rollout than you should have with a properly struck long irons. To some degree, changing out the long irons for hybrids will launch higher and correct for that condition..

At 71, I'm there. I wish I was 25 again, and still able to hit the long irons as I once did - but ...

I'm age 58, swing near 100mph with driver. ..... I've been carrying a strong 3 and regular 4 hybrid for 15 years. I've recently went to GT280 mini driver for 3 wood, GT3 5 wood for 3 hybrid, and a GT3 4 hybrid and could not be happier. I can get the hybrid out of the rough at 200 yards, where a 3 or 4 iron has ZERO chance in my hands. The days of the long irons are fading fast. Longest iron I carry is a 5 and I may bail on it for a GT3 5 hybrid with extra loft.

when your 4 iron and 5 iron go the same carry distance it's time to switch. Haha

i had been playing with a 3/4 iron for a long time. Then the first time i got fitted, they recommended a hybrid and i was smart and took their advice and it’s been an amazing club. especially when hitting an errant t shot into some tough rough.

Never found a hybris that I liked. I prefer high lofted fairway woods such as a 7 & 9 wood.

j22abe is closer than he realizes in his reply. If you notice any of the following:

1. ball speed between clubs varies by less than 4 or 5 mph
2. carry distance increment is smaller than between other, shorter clubs
3. peak height and/or angle of descent is too low to hold a green

then the offending club(s) are simply adding weight in your bag. The solution is usually to go to a larger clubhead/chassis, meaning to try a larger iron head (T150 to T250 to T350), going to a utility iron (if available in appropriate loft), going to a hybrid, going to a higher lofted fairway metal.

My preferred local practice range has Top Tracer at all stations, and it was very easy to determine where things started to bunch up. My longest iron is now the 6, following with a 5 hybrid, a 7 metal, and a 4 metal (which I use primarily from a tee as I can't launch it high enough from the fairway to outcarry the 7 metal but which will give me a longer total distance than it off a tee), and then a driver.

I've been golfing for about 10 years now and always had a 4 Iron. Could hit it well, but wasn't always consistent. About 2 years ago my dad got me a 4 hybrid for Christmas and I've enjoyed it ever since. Now I didn't get fitted for it, but I'm not going to complain when gifted something like that. I felt there wasn't a learning curve switching from the iron to hybrid and it has stayed consistent compared to my other clubs (when you play several good rounds and then out of no where you cant hit anything). On the mental side it has given me the confidence to hit out of the thicker grass and I feel like I can hit it well when there's wind.

Now this isn't back by any science, but mentally if you feel confident hitting a hybrid compared to an iron it seems like the move. I've never tried hitting a hybrid below the 4 so I can't say what it would be like to have more ( I have my 3h and 4h), but it definitely will give you more flexibility when you are stuck in places.

At the end of it when it feels good and you mentally feel good why not switch.