Reasons to Use a Hybrid Golf Club

The development of the hybrid golf club has virtually revolutionized the golf club manufacturing industry to the point that the typical eight- or nine-iron set of clubs is, if not quite endangered, definitely threatened.

Hybrid clubs combine all the best qualities of both fairway woods and long irons while attempting to avoid the negatives of both. Slide one or more of these clubs into your bag and you'll see what all the fuss is about.

Overview

The development of the hybrid golf club has virtually revolutionized the golf club manufacturing industry to the point that the typical eight- or nine-iron set of clubs is, if not quite endangered, definitely threatened.

Hybrid clubs combine all the best qualities of both fairway woods and long irons while attempting to avoid the negatives of both. Slide one or more of these clubs into your bag and you'll see what all the fuss is about.

Replace Long Irons

The long irons--the two, three and four--have long been considered the toughest clubs in the bag for most amateur golfers. But up until the past several years, amateurs didn't really have an option for replacing these clubs, which cost them so many shots so far from the green. Hybrid clubs are that option. A hybrid with 18, 22 or 24 degrees of loft can easily replace longer irons. Many players find the hybrids so easy to use, they replace their five or six irons, too.

Replace Fairway Woods

With their wider soles, heavier heads and longer shafts, amateur golfers have had a tough time controlling fairway woods for generations. With the hybrids on the market, many if not most players have begun augmenting their sets or outright replacing four-, five- and seven-woods with these shorter, lighter and easier-to-hit clubs. No level of play is immune, with even some elite players replacing their fairway woods with hybrids.

Rough

Tall grass is always a challenge.

With the extra weight and control, hybrid clubs are a perfect choice for hitting longer shots out of the rough. The sharp front edge of the club cuts through the grass, and the mass behind the sweet spot helps the ball into the air with velocity that only a perfectly executed shot with a fairway wood or long iron could generate.

Forgiveness

Even out of a perfect lie, the hybrid club has a wider sweet spot than a long iron. With a shorter shaft than the average fairway wood, the hybrid is much more controllable.

All of this combines to make it more likely to hit the sweet spot and launch a high, straight shot at the flag. Why make things harder than they have to be?

Creativity

Hybrids have opened up a whole new area of shot-making that never existed before. Even on the PGA Tour, you see pros chipping with their hybrid clubs. The wide, flat sole makes the dreaded "chili dip" nearly impossible, and the shallow loft gets the ball rolling on the green more quickly than other clubs.

And the ball needs to be rolling to go into the hole.

Try these shots. You'll like them.