WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A HYBRID CLUB
Over the past few years, hybrid golf clubs have become extremely popular among golfers worldwide. Hybrids are a mix of woods and irons, and more than half of professional golfers carry at least one hybrid club in their bag. Hybrids can outperform a fairway wood in distance, and standard irons in accuracy, revolutionizing the way golfers play. Most importantly, hybrids are easier to hit than traditional long irons they replaced.
It’s that versatility that makes hybrids so appealing for any type of golfer, but there are a few things to consider when purchasing a hybrid.
LOFT
When deciding the correct hybrid for your game, you have to know what club or clubs you are replacing in terms of their loft. The loft is the angle of the clubface in relation to the ground. A low-lofted hybrid (14° to 17°) is ideally suited to replace your 3-wood or your 5-wood. This club is easier to hit than a long iron off the fairway. If you use a 5-wood or a 7-wood, a moderate-lofted hybrid (18° to 22°) can replace either one of those clubs and can also be substituted for a 3- or 4-iron. Hybrids built with higher lofts (23° to 28°) often work well off of tight lies or when the golf ball is sitting down in the rough. That is if you’re willing to sacrifice a little distance for consistency and confidence. Higher-lofted hybrids can replace a 9-wood, but more often replace a 4- or 5-iron depending on how far you hit your clubs.
LENGTH & SIZE
Hybrid lengths are equal to or slightly longer than a traditional set of irons. Although they will vary among manufacturers, hybrids will generally increase in length from 38” on the shortest, highest lofted hybrid, to 41” on the longest, lowest lofted hybrid.
Traditional irons have a small head, making it more difficult to find the sweet spot. Their long shafts can also make the swing harder to control. Instead of negotiating that, golfers might turn to a fairway wood. The problem is that a fairway wood is designed for distance, and when the hole is in sight, as it would be if you looked to an iron first, distance isn’t the priority. So you’re stuck between a hazard and a hard place. The hybrid iron was designed for just this scenario. The head is closer to the size of a fairway wood, giving you a larger margin for error and the feel remains similar, which eases the transition from non-hybrids to hybrids.
SHAFT
