 Yes, the sun is still shining out here in Portugal. Cascai kinted the marina just half an hour from Lisbon. Why am I here today and what am I doing? Well, I'm here courtesy of Glencore Golf Mall from them later. But the video that I'm gonna film right now is a real interesting one from me on a personal level because it's a debate that I've had for some time in terms of how my bag is made up. I've got a PXG Gen 6 25 degree hybrid and I've also got a 6 iron from that Gen 6 lineup. And what I wanna see with lofts at the same level, what do they each do in terms of performance and why might I have one in the bag over the other? Now I've done a series of these videos in the last few days. It's been really interesting to find the divide between the longest iron that manufacturers produce and their hybrid and there's been some interesting results. But I wanna see from Gen 6 a more traditional player style iron and then into a hybrid. Is there a huge difference in terms of things like ball flight? Obviously ball speeds, forgiveness, they're all the key elements that I'll look at in today's video, but also, and where I'm gonna start is that looks elements because that looks element comes twofold. Which you like at address in terms of which one breeds confidence and then from a shelf appeal perspective, I suppose, which would you rather have in your bag? So take a look at the two now and I'd be interested in your feedback on both levels because the Gen 6 iron is very much, well, undeniably, PXG, burning up some bolts going on. Let me know what you think of their Gen 6 iron lineup and then I'll give you a little look at that hybrid which to be quite honest with you, I've already described as visually, at least from address anyway, probably the best hybrid that is on the market right now, in my opinion at least, but let me know what your thoughts are in that comment section down below. Now I said I've done a few comparisons of late and we probably found the obvious in terms of results apart from one and that was when I did the Stealth HD Hybrid versus the Stealth HD5 iron. And in that one, I kind of was almost surprised at the results in that how well the five iron performed compared to the hybrid, the paradigm review and exactly the same. I would probably say it was similar but maybe lean towards the hybrid. So really interested today as to whether or not in each of those the irons were perhaps certainly in the HD a bit more bulky than what I've got in this P model from Gen 6. So am I going to struggle in forgiveness levels with this compared to this? I want to kick this experiment if you like off with the hybrid. I'm going to reference the fact we've got this in its standard setting, which is 25 degrees. That is what they number as their five hybrid. And we'll see how this thing performs. First of all, off the tee. Plenty of confidence with hybrid in hand. I must say, don't feel as though a great deal of effort is required. And that's the kind of results you would expect and hope for towering ball flight. Just slightly down that left hand side, ball speed's clearly prevalent. Not a great deal of effort required. Ball zips out of there. And I'm thinking, I can't do that with my six iron. Or can I? So the thought process is simple. Do you have to generate more clubbed speed with an iron than you do with a hybrid to generate the same ball speed, same power? And the same launch, I suppose. My thought process is yes, you do. And that's where we struggle as average golfers certainly when we get down to the longer end of the bag so we don't generate the clubbed speeds when we start to lose that loft in the irons. But anyway, this is an experiment. Let's see if that is reality. Again, just took down the left, but super strike felt so good off the club face, sit down ball. That's okay, not a million miles apart. So it'll be interesting to see and really as comparative swings and strikes, I was really happy, probably as good as I've got. Direction a little bit down the left maybe, but really happy with how pure that iron came out and super feel out these Gensik's irons. I think always up and see exactly where these two have finished in terms of distance to separate them both. Okay, so probably what we expected from those first two tee shots of the day, six iron is behind me and the hybrid is another, let's say 15 to 20 yards further on. Each of them in the first cut are off. I did think I took them a little bit down the left, but we're probably off the tee shots, got exactly what we thought would happen, more ball speeds from the hybrid. Now everybody knows I like a little chip and run with a hybrid. And of course we've got to put that to the test here this morning. This is an horrendously difficult pin position and maybe we could have picked something a little bit more straightforward. But anyway, here's the hybrid's effort. That's got to get to the top of the brow and then it's got to release down and sit down. Wow, these greens are quick, but I'm so pleased with that as a shot. And the point I was mentioning is just that from a loft perspective, the same, would I be choosing the six iron to play this shot? The answer would be no. And I think that's where the versatility that you find in a hybrid is something you've got to consider. And the fact that I've just hit the floor and not even made the brow, probably means the hybrid is the clear winner in that aspect. Today's video comes to you in association with long-term channel travel partner, Glencore Golf Holidays and we're at Kinta, the marina in Kashkai, Portugal. The hotel and golf course have been a superb place to play and stay in the Portuguese sunshine and the proximity to Lisbon Airport and nearby Kashkai make it the perfect European golf destination. So if you like what you see in today's video, then make sure you click on the link in the video description below or head on over to GlencoreGolf.com for more booking information. And although that situation in terms of the chip and run is perhaps something you'd not consider with either club or like I said, I am keen on that hybrid shot. You've got to consider what happened there and what the assistances in the hybrid that you're never going to get in this type of iron. And especially in this XF model I've chose to play in a gen six and that's a little rail situation there, which again just helps the club slide along the turf and if you are going to stub anything and I'm talking about a full shot here in terms of getting it a little bit heavy, in terms of that turf and ground interaction is greatly assisted by what happens on the bottom of a hybrid in general and in particular with those raised bars that I think do have an effect on that impact location. And like I said, when you're talking about playing a blade width or a sole width rather of an iron like this you're not going to have that kind of help. So what happened there, although in a short game scenario does really lend itself to a long game, long shot situation I should say. But versatility comes in different formats and yes we can use this to chip and run around the greens but there's another element that you need to consider and that's really what can you do in terms of manipulating the club head to make the ball do different things. And what I mean by that is predominantly ball flight. The situation we're looking tight par 4 to say the least. I probably want to just hit a little bit of a lower ball flight to make sure I've got that ball going down the middle and to do that with a six sighing I probably think I can with a hybrid with that kind of loft, I'm not so sure. There's only one way to find out I suppose. Tree line on the left edge, ball a little bit back in stance. Can we get this ball firing just a little bit lower? That was nice and controlled. It's not that big ball flight we're looking for just about that keyword control. I couldn't go down there and place that ball any better. The one thing that I hope you are picking up in terms of audio is just how good they've made gen six sound and feel as a crisp knock out that comes out the sensor which is so satisfying but also it's soft, it's responsive and it's one of the key elements into why I've not moved away from PXG irons for quite some time. I really do think they do a good job of that. So question is, can we get that same sort of control in a hybrid as what we've managed to achieve with an iron? Maybe ball flight is not the key thing here. It's like I said, it's about control. It's about the ability to hit half a shot. And yeah, if we can slide it down a little bit, that would be a bonus. Well, it's a controlled shot. And to be honest with you, in terms of distance wise there's not a great deal separating them. So in theory, what everyone would suggest is there's no way that you're gonna flight that down. And maybe more importantly, that you couldn't get that real change in sort of control elements. I'm talking about with hybrids in general. And I think what we've seen there is you certainly can but it's probably not as effective in terms of the ball flight, a penetrating ball flight that is as what we managed to achieve with the six iron. But it is doable. So just taking a guide in terms of distance again where those balls finish, that's ball number one dead center of the ferry which was the six iron. And the hybrid is just a little bit further down. And to be honest with you, from the kick it's probably got off here just extended that roll a little bit further. So nothing to separate them in terms of ball speed on that type of ball flight with that type of swing. Right, the next scenario is very straightforward one from the fairway 175, touching 180 in which club do you wanna reach for? Again, confidence is key. I'm thinking now about also descent angle because what I wanna be seeing is it coming down steep because we've gotta get this ball to land on what are really firm greens here like into the marina. So several considerations in the choice of club. That's a super strike and a super ball flight and exactly what you'd expect. It looks to have pitched and sort of drawn to a halt at least anyway. We'll go and have a look as we have with all the others. But that confidence elements is the word that keeps cropping up and I know that I put an half decent swing on it and I feel like this is gonna do me a job and don't forget I'm 180 yards in into a green. This is where your score is really gonna make or break. It's a big change in, well, get on the green or what's gonna happen with this six ironing hand. Let's see. So iron up next, I'd put myself into that sort of category of where I like playing irons. I've always preferred them hybrids to be quite honest with you so it's not a kind of shot that I would be particularly fearful of in terms of the distance and just looking down at an iron is something that, well, I'm confident with, let's say, but is that a sort of misplaced confidence? You can see the clear difference in sort of ball flight straight away. They've both done, I mean, that's done okay in terms of definitely left of flag wasn't the purest of strikes and that's the big thing for me. Wasn't the purest of strikes and therefore how much forgiveness really can you pack into these things in terms of helping me out when it doesn't go quite according to plan which it didn't there. And I've got a feeling the same sort of swing, same sort of strike, I'm managing a lot more help out of that hybrid. Right, ball to my right is that of the six iron and quite a considerable difference to ball on my left neither of them made the green, by the way maybe a little bit of uphill elevation that we didn't play its part there or played its part rather. But again, sort of 15 to 20 yards separating the two of these and clearly better strike from the hybrid but overall better performance. So hybrid was with the winner there without doubt, wasn't it? Right, we've moved forward onto the ladies tee on the 18th here at Kins of the Marine and that the reason is we've got a little bit of an obstacle to the left hand side. So what I wanna see is first of all are we able to shape the ball from right to left with both of these clubs but also one negative that a lot of people would aim at hybrid in general is that they've got a certain left in them. They can have a little bit of a closed face at times and that can be a little bit worrying so this type of tee shot would scare anyone to death. I think that hybrids have changed in these last year or two and I would say that's very much an old principle of what hybrids do. So if you have got that mentality but haven't tried a hybrid for some years I would say give them a go despite what happens in this attempt to move this ball from right to left. Now that's just, you know, that's a great iron shot for me personally to be honest with you. Didn't move a great deal just a little bit of right to left and it's a shot I'm fairly comfortable with an iron. We'll see how we get on with the hybrid right now but the one thing I keep on referencing is just that crisp knock that you get out of them. I love these things. Right, let's see what we can do with hybrid. There's no doubt that from a position address the face definitely always looks a tad closed. Let's hope that doesn't affect what I do right now. That's two super shots I've just did and a real good demonstration of the difference in ball flight and also the difference in ball speed because as much as I enjoyed hitting that iron it is undeniable just how different those two things were in the sense that that was so much more higher in terms of its ball flight but I also reckon in that instance from our ball speed perspective I think that ball is a lot further down the fairway than the six iron moors but we'll go and find out. Distance in terms of difference in an iron I was thought was really well struck very happy with that. That was there. Rather me walk all the way to the brow we've probably, you know, I mean it's 30 yards probably different in terms of the two. Ball speed far, far greater off of that strike from the hybrid and like I said, I was happy with that iron shot. We're learning a lot, well I hope you are. I know I am. Now another consideration might be playing from the rough we're talking about that flexibility again which you fancy picking up an iron as we'll try very shortly or into the hybrid and this isn't in what you'd call heavy rough and I think if it got any heavier then maybe the hybrid would be a clear favourite. We'll try from a little bit of a nestle lie and see what it does in terms of getting this ball out. Well, what it does is really well. Super ball flight, picked it up by very little interaction with the rough at all picked that up really clean and a decent ball flight but I've got a feeling the hybrid just might do it a little bit differently in terms of that ball flight. Let's see. Right, a more natural selection might be like I said, the hybrid. We'll see if the rails, we'll see if the mass help get this ball airborne which is what I'm expecting to see. And yeah, it delivered. Oh wow. Come on then. That's right on the flag but my performance aside, what did it do? Well, it went through the rough and cut through it very, very differently than that of the sick side. It also launched the ball up considerably higher which we've also seen from other shots. It probably did everything we'd have expected to do in terms of performance benefits over an iron. Right, final shout out to Glencore Golf and Kinta da Marina for hosting us because it's been another incredible day out here in Portugal. But back to the review, what were the final thoughts? Well, I just want to go back to the lofts of each of these two. The six iron is 26 degrees, the hybrid was 25 so you'd expect it to be carrying just that little bit further. Probably seen that throughout. Obviously you've got longer shaft as well with the hybrid that's another consideration to make. But without repeating everything or I'm gonna repeat it very quickly, launched higher with the hybrid, maybe a little bit more flexibility with the hybrid, better out the rough with the hybrid and you go to the iron, a bit more control, definitely can hit a different ball flight with it a little bit easier. They're very much different and when I did the review of the Stealth HD iron versus the Stealth HD hybrid, there was the only time that I seen a switch up where the iron was possibly the better option. But for me in today's test, if I had to stand on a tee or in the raw for any of the situations you've seen us in and I had to produce a shot from 175 to 180 yards, which would I'd rather go to? And it would have to be the hybrid as much as I like playing irons, the performance out the hybrid is unquestionable. Anyway, that was my findings and interesting enough, I've got both of these clubs in my bag because they do different things and cover different yardages, but my five iron has gone. Right, all done. I hope you enjoyed that one. Like I said, it was the beginning of this video, it was a personal of interest to me this video and I learned a lot, hope you did too. And let me know in that comment section below what your thoughts are and I'll see you all tomorrow night.