How to Choose a Hybrid Golf Club

A hybrid golf club is one which combines the good or desirable qualities of the iron and fairway wood into one club. Over the past decade, hybrid golf clubs have significantly grown in popularity among golfers world-wide. Over half of professional golfers carry at least one hybrid club in their golf bag and over 20 percent of U.S. golfers use at least one hybrid club.

This increase in popularity is due to the difficulty that many golfers have in properly striking the two-, three- or four-iron and the difficulty in hitting fairway woods from the rough. Choosing hybrid clubs requires the same deliberate approach that picking out new irons or a driver requires.

1. Identify why you are buying a hybrid golf club.

2. Most golfers choose to get a hybrid to replace one of the long irons (two, three or four) or to complement or replace a fairway wood (three or five). This will determine the loft of the hybrid to purchase.

1. Determine the Hybrid loft angle that correlates to the club you are going to replace. Conversions for men's hybrid golf clubs are: 14-16 Degree Hybrid - 3 Wood 17-19 Degree Hybrid - 5 Wood/2 Iron 20-22 Degree Hybrid - 7 Wood/3 Iron 23-25 Degree Hybrid - 9 Wood/4 Iron 26-29 Degree Hybrid - 5 Iron

   Conversions for women's hybrid golf clubs are: 18 - 20 Degree Hybrid - 5 Wood/2 Iron
   21 - 23 Degree Hybrid - 7 Wood/3 Iron 24 - 26 Degree Hybrid - 9 Wood/4 Iron 27 - 28 Degree Hybrid - 5 Iron 29 - 31 Degree Hybrid - 6 Iron

1. Choose a shaft type and flex to match your current set of irons or woods depending on what club you are replacing or complementing with the hybrid golf club. Many amateurs will make the mistake of buying a hybrid golf club off of the shelf that is a different shaft type or flex from the rest of the clubs in their bag, which increases the odds of inconsistency in their golf swing.

1. Try out your hybrid at the golf-store before making a purchase. You may find that some of the hybrid club head designs are harder for you to hit the golf ball from the difference in visual cuing when striking a square golf club from a traditionally shaped one.