Hybrid Golf Clubs

Why do you need them?
Hybrids have only really caught on in the past few seasons but in fact they've been around in one form or another for many years.

Way back in the early 20th Century the aluminum faced Mills NK Niblick, which was used to help players escape from bunkers and bad lies, could rightly be described as a hybrid. Cobra launched The Baffler in the mid 70's which played a big part in the company's success. Some of the early hybrids were hard to hit and initially golfers didn't take well to them. But with some modifications all that has changed.

If when you first took up the game you found your long irons more difficult to hit, then you may have more than advancing years to blame! Compared to twenty or thirty years ago each of the long irons in your set is likely to have 2 to 4 degrees less loft, making them that much more difficult to hit consistently. Compared to long irons, the latest hybrids are a doddle to hit. So if you've dismissed hybrids in the past it's time to take another look.

What is a hybrid?
Hybrids combine the best elements of long irons and fairway woods into one club whose goal is to be easier to hit. They should provide the distance of a fairway wood or long iron, with a higher trajectory. This means the ball gets airborne, flies high and lands soft. Shafts are shorter and club-faces stiffer - more akin to irons - for distance, control and accuracy. Compact heads and features such as rounded soles or rails on the bottom help you deal with a variety of different lies.

When to use them
If you can't carry the ball for around 240 yards, you should seriously consider replacing your 2- and 3- iron with a hybrid and if you struggle to hit 220 yards consistently you should probably also think twice about your 4-iron. In fact if you feel any apprehension about hitting a long iron, you should consider trying a hybrid.

And it's not just club golfers who appreciate their benefits. Champions Tour player Sammy Rachels once famously quipped. 'The 2- and 3-iron are like my mother-in-law. I'd like to hit them, but I just can't'. The Open in 2004 saw PGA rookie Todd Hamilton, who emerged as victor, using his trusty Sonartec hybrid. Hamilton stunned his play-off opponent Ernie Els, with an impressive short game featuring long chips with this club. At the final play-off hole his pitch from 30 yards off the green to within 3 feet of the flag, proved to be the tournament-winning shot. And he used the same club throughout the tournament off the tee on tight driving holes. From tee to green the hybrid was his winning club.

Like Todd Hamilton, you could find hybrid clubs useful in all kinds of situations around the course. Their low centre of gravity makes them easier to hit out of the rough, on tight lies and even out of sand. Here is a list of 5 different instances when you could find a hybrid club invaluable.

1. Off the Tee
Hybrids are great on long par 3s or short par 4s when you need to carry a bunker or water hazard. They have a higher launch angle and consequently come down again on a much steeper angle than a long iron, making it easier to clear the obstacle and stop the ball on the green.

2. From the Fairway
Their distance control and accuracy makes them good for building confidence on long approach shots to the greens on par 5's and long par 4's. You could find yourself reaching more par 5's in two or three, creating more welcome eagle or birdie shots.

3. From the Rough
Long irons have a tendency to get caught up in the rough causing them to twist, resulting in mishits. In contrast, hybrids have a bigger size and mass, helping you to drive through the rough and keep the face square.

4. On Long Bunker Shots
On long bunker shots it is important to hit the ball first, to get it airborne quickly and out of the trap. A hybrid can come in useful here. By moving the ball back in your stance you can promote a steeper angle of attack. The bigger clubhead and larger sole of a hybrid club makes it easier to swing through the sand without catching it heavy.

5. Around the Green
A hybrid club can help you get the ball rolling on the ground quickly on bump and run shots around the green. Its shorter shaft helps you to hit the ball almost like a putt without having to choke down on the shaft. As Todd Hamilton said following his Open Victory "It's a very versatile club. It's about a 14-degree loft, so it's basically a 1-iron and great to chip-and-run
shots with".

With all these potential uses, you can see just why the hybrid club has earned its reputation as the most versatile club in the bag.

How to choose
The good news is that they don't cost the earth. Most don't use exotic materials, which mean that prices are affordable for most golfers.

Woods or Irons?
There are two types of hybrids - woods and irons. The woods look a bit like under-fed fairway woods, with a smaller clubhead, lower profile and shorter shaft. In contrast the irons look like traditional irons on steroids. They're thicker and larger, enabling the centre of gravity to be pushed back and lower, making it easy to get the ball in the air.

Both types take the place of long irons. The general idea is that you get rid of the most difficult to hit clubs in the bag - replacing them with clubs that are among the easiest to hit.

Which of the two types you plump for, will be very much a matter of personal choice.

If you are buying a new set of irons, particularly if you are less experienced, it may be worth considering opting for a "hybrid set". Many of the leading manufacturers now offer club sets in which the long irons (typically 3- and 4-irons) are replaced with hybrid clubs designed to hit the ball the same distances.

Three final pieces of advice

* It's important to choose a hybrid with similar loft and shaft length as your existing long irons

* When you are choosing a hybrid, opt for a club that looks good to you. This is very important to build up your confidence.

* You must be willing to change. These clubs are different, so you have to be ok with mixing and matching your set.

What is a Hybrid Golf Club?

Golf is a really old game, which has been played since the 12th century. Think about that statement. Since the 12th century, golf has been around and played with all sorts of equipment. This 12th century sport has seen its share of golf balls, drivers, putters and even clothing. Golf has undergone significant modifications over the years and what is played today is allot different from the beginning of the sport. The courses are different, the players are different and the most change has been in the equipment and the golf clubs of today.

Every player that is playing golf needs to have their own equipment, in their own bag with their own golf balls. Most sports require some sort of equipment to play the games, but golf perhaps requires the most individual equipment. Golf requires different types of clubs that include putters, drivers and irons. Each golf club is made up of a shaft with a grip and a club head. Each and every club the player carries are used for different shots; for example the drivers are primarily used off the tee box and are used for long distance shots, after you get off the tee box the player would then use an iron, the irons which are the most versatile clubs are used for various kinds of shots on and off the fairway, and the last club used on each hole, providing you did not get a hole in one or hole out on the previous shot is the putter, the putters are used to roll the ball on the green into the cup and finalize each hole.

As mentioned earlier, golf has undergone many changes and modifications over the years in terms of game rules and especially equipment. Most recently the equipment changes we have are a new class of golf clubs, known as the 'Hybrid Golf Club'. The hybrid golf club has been introduced to help enhance your game. Every player using a hybrid has seen an improvement in his or her game and has been able to lower his or her overall score per round played. There are plenty of reviews from the major golf magazines and most of the big golf magazines are recommending their use. Almost every professional golfer has a hybrid in their bag and is using them during tournament play. Almost all big names in the golf club industry are manufacturing them.

So what has this led us to believe?

A hybrid golf club is a club every golfer should have in their golf bag. YES, they do work; yes they will make those difficult shots easier and have evolved to be one of the best clubs ever. To understand what a hybrid is the term 'hybrid' originated from genetics, which means a combination of two different species in order to get the desirable characteristics of both. A Hybrid Golf Club is simply a combination of the advantages you will get from both the 'iron' and 'wood'. In other words a hybrid golf club is a cross between a long iron and a fairway wood, and is comprised of some positive features from both clubs.

Hybrid golf clubs are primarily used when you need to hit the golf ball in the air for long distance and pinpoint accurate shots. There was a time not too long ago when these clubs didn't show good results and thus, weren't well accepted by players anywhere. But in recent times with a few modifications these clubs now easily outperform ordinary irons or woods.

Wondering how Hybrid Golf Clubs work?
A Hybrid Golf Club has been designed with better distance control and more accuracy. Club makers have shifted the 'center of gravity' to the bottom of the club that allows the clubs attain a better level of perfection. This particular arrangement helps in launching the ball in the air easier and with better control of direction. Keep in mind though; you still need to have a decent golf swing, because a poor swing will still result in a bad shot. These clubs have also been designed to give it a higher launch angle and a flat face which gives the golf ball a higher spin and helps it stop faster with more precision.

The hybrid golf clubs have flatter clubfaces and shorter shafts. Unlike fairway woods they do not have round and bulgy face. It is often seen that a hybrid club has rails or runners at the bottom that helps it react positively with the grass whether it is short fairway, long rough or sand. Hybrid Golf Club lofts also varies from 16 to mid 20 degrees like the long irons.

So, in conclusion, a Hybrid Golf Club is combining the qualities of both a wood and an iron and will elevate your game to new levels, lower your overall score per round and make golf that much more enjoyable. Hybrid golf clubs are a small investment for your golf bag that will give you a greater return for your game.

The author of this article is Peter Sicoli. Peter owns and operates PetersGolfStore where you can find more information about Hybrid Golf Clubs and the game of golf.