Review: Miura MG HB3 Hybrid

A True Iron Replacement.
Hybrids continue to be popular clubs with amateurs and professional golfers, but what club are they replacing?  For many golfers they replace their long irons with hybrids and some replace their fairway woods with hybrids too.  So when looking for a hybrid are you looking for an iron replacement, a wood replacement or both.
 
I’ve found few people that like 3-irons and even many that say 4-irons are just plain too demanding to hit, so a hybrid is usually the choice for replacing those clubs.  Sometimes hybrids will even take the slot of more than one club.  I’ve found more than anything I need a hybrid to fill a distance gap.  I hit my 4-iron about 195 and my 3-wood about 235, so what will fill that gap the best?  The problem with trying to find one club is that I have about a 40 yard gap between those two clubs so it is not really a great idea. 
For me the Miura HB hybrid is finally a true 3-iron replacement. It is a perfect 205 yard club.  It is just spot on distance for me hit after hit.     It fits that gap perfectly and allows me to play a different hybrid or a 5-wood to play at 220. 

Another factor that this is a true 3-iron replacement is the fact that it looks at address so much more like an iron than any other hybrid I have seen.  Most look like compact woods, but the Miura HB looks like an iron with a little beef behind the face.  The face and top line could pass for an iron if you didn’t have the body behind it.  The face is also taller than most hybrids more iron like.

The all black clubhead is stunning and classic, just what you would expect from Miura.  They are unmatched by others when it comes to the simple, classic, yet functional.  The paint fill is done in a mixture of white and gold which looks very nice against the black head.  There are 2 weights on the bottom which I assumed can be changed by a certified club-fitter.

Mine is paired with a SteelFiber 85 gram hybrid shaft.  This too makes for an excellent transition between 4-iron and hybrid.  It is much closer in feel to an iron shaft than a wood shaft.  It has that tight feeling of steel, but the smooth kick of graphite.  I found it to be as consistent of a shaft as I have ever hit in a hybrid.  The steel fibers really do a great job of offering a stable shaft.  Trajectory was similar to a steel shaft.  It was strong, but you could hit a variety of shots, low or high depending on your preference.

The head itself is fairly forgiving, being that it is so big, plus the circle cut sole and radius leading edge made it excellent for hitting out of the rough or the fairway.  The CG is low, but yet strong enough to keep the flight of the ball on a strong, yet soft trajectory.

If you like forged irons, you will love the Miura hybrid.  Many know that Miura makes some of, if not the best forged irons on the market, so it is no surprise that their hybrid would be just as good.  It feels like a buttery soft forged iron head at impact.

What also makes this a much better club to play compared to a 3-iron is the higher trajectory and softer landing.  You get the same distance, but in a much more controllable form.  If you hit a 3-iron will it run or stop, sometimes you just don’t know, but with the Miura HB you know that it will land soft and stop right at the distance you need.  I found great success on long par 3s, which after going through some past stats was a weakness of my game.

Currently it is only offered in 2 lofts, 20 and 23.  It is a true 3-iron or 4-iron replacement.  I could see them offering a 2-iron replacement/5-wood replacement and I think it would be very successful in filling that gap between the HB3 20* and 3-wood.

While Miura has never been and never will be known as an economical brand, this hybrid is worth it as a true 3-iron replacement.  You’re not going to be blown away by the distance, but then again, I don’t think that was ever the plan.  What you will find is a club that is much easier to hit, much more consistent and stunning to look at compared to your 3-iron.  If you need a true 3-iron replacement, look at the Miura HB3 hybrid.

For more information: www.miuragolf.com

Quick Hits
+True 3-iron replacement
+Iron-like face
+Solid feel
+Forgiving and accurate

–Not the longest hybrid
–Miura always costs more