Do you struggle to hit longer shots? Are you bothered by the inconsistencies in your hitting? Is it often a problem to get your shots airborne? Hybrid golf clubs may be the perfect answer. Quite simply, they are a cross between fairway woods and irons.
What is the purpose of hybrid clubs?
1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-irons are traditionally very difficult to get airborne and can be rather inconsistent. In fact, most golfers struggle with them, even the best professionals. 1- and 2-irons are particularly difficult to play with, so much so that very few players nowadays actually use them. A new replacement for the long irons are the best hybrid golf clubs, and you’re going to want to try them because they make life on the course so much easier.
When is the best time to use them?
Imagine there is 170 yards or more still to go before you reach the green. This is the perfect time to use a hybrid club. However, hybrids are really quite versatile, in that they can be used for the rough, off the fairway, and even off the tee. There are also a number of players who use them for chipping around the green. On the whole, however, they are designed for the long game.
Do you need to worry about the best hybrid golf clubs?
Imagine yourself in the following scenario: You’ve just hit a beautiful drive, and found yourself 200 yards from the green. A 3-iron is the one you should pull out of your bag, but you may have some reservations. You’re not alone, so don’t be embarrassed. Using a 3-iron means there won’t be enough clubhead speed generated in order to get good height. You try really hard to compensate for the difficulty, but always seem to end up scuffing, hooking, or duffing it.
A hybrid club is the perfect answer, as they are ‘deeper’ face-to-back than a traditional iron. This means that the center of gravity, in other words the weight, is further back, which means that getting the ball airborne will be a piece of cake.
Hybrids are also great for hitting from the rough, as they don’t have angular edges to get stuck in the grass. This quality is what makes them more like a wood, with smoother edges than an iron, to reduce the drag through the long grass.
Even the best players in the world aren’t ashamed to use hybrids
There are very few players that don’t use a hybrid, and that includes professionals. Some of the best names in the game now use hybrids, such as Justin Rose, Ernie Els, and Sergio Garcia. You might wonder why we haven’t mentioned Tiger Woods. Well, he’s one of the few that don’t use one.
What clubs in your bag should you replace with a hybrid?
There are several different options, when it comes to adding the best hybrid golf clubs to your bag. Consider replacing a 3- or 4-iron and keep the rest of the bag fairly standard. Or you might want to carry 2 hybrids to ensure the 2-3 iron range is covered, as well as the 4-5 iron range. This is a very popular set-up for senior and lady golfers. A very popular set-up for the ladies is to have a bag that’s almost exclusively hybrids, apart from some short irons and wedges.
Hybrids come in a range of shapes and sizes
Hybrid irons, hybrid woods, hybrid putters, and hybrid wedges. But which one to choose? The most popular among golfers is the hybrid iron, with hybrid wedges and putters pretty sparse on the ground. Hybrid irons have become popular, because of the general difficulty many players experience when using a non-hybrid iron.
The best hybrid iron golf clubs
Hitting the ball with long irons is very challenging. A ‘small head’ makes it more difficult to find the ‘sweet spot’, and a long shaft makes it really difficult to swing. Some golfers will try a wood, instead of an iron, but success is very limited.
Hence the reason for hybrid irons coming onto the market. Their head is the same size as a wood, which reduces the chance of a missed shot. The disbursement of weight, in combination with the head, also make it much easier to swing. There is a much better connection with the ball, which makes it travel longer and straighter. On the whole, they are much the same weight as a non-hybrid, which makes changing over a lot easier to manage. The low center of gravity you get with a hybrid will also increase the trajectory of the ball, leading to better accuracy.
If you’re new to the game, you’ll be advised to pick a set that includes some hybrids. More experienced players should consider adding them to their golf bag, as they will definitely improve your game.
