Learn About Hybrid Golf Clubs

Hybrid Golf Clubs. Hybrids and Utilities have become the Long Game stars for an ever increasing number of Golfers. Isn't it time You made room in your bag for a Hybrid Club.

Hybrid Club Trends

The Hybrid in all it's various shapes and sizes is the fastest growing club category in golf. Almost two thirds of golfers now carry a hybrid or utility club of some kind.

Mens Hybrids		Ladies Hybrids		Left Hand Hybrids

It's a trend not confined to the Amateur game either. More and more Pros are now packing a hybrid and for good reason. Hybrids and Utilities are easier to hit than long irons, offer more versatility and are high-launching, playable and offer increased levels of control.

Check our Hybrid Golf Clubs Essentials for a look at the most common terms used in hybrid design.

The gains in popularity of hybrid golf clubs have come largely at the expense of fairway woods with sales of hybrid clubs outpacing fairway woods for the last 3 seasons. Long irons have also been hard hit, with many sets of irons now starting at the 4-iron as more and more manufacturers realise that the 3-iron is being replaced with a hybrid club.

Have a look at the image to the left. Which one looks easier to hit? The now retired 2-Iron or the equivalent hybrid club? No wonder the 2-Iron is now rusting away in my garage. It served me well but time came to move on.

The popularity of Hybrid Golf Clubs isn't just a passing fad. Hybrids can be used from the tee, from the fairway, semi-rough and even for little bump-and-runs around the green. Shaping your shots is much easier with a hybrid club. Hit the ball high, low, fade it, draw it. Pretty much the whole 9 yards. Not many clubs have that kind of versatility.

Latest Hybrid Club models are designed to integrate seamlessly into iron and wood sets to fill all possible yardage gaps. Most hybrid golf clubs are similar to mini-woods but there are also iron-style clubs to choose from.

As with almost any golf clubs today, Hybrids come in a variety of shapes and sizes. From more compact designs like the Power Play Select to the wide bodied Acer XDS. Inevitably the square profile has also made its way into the hybrid market, with square models like the Acer Mantara and the Power Play System Q2 bringing high MOI playability to hybrid clubs.

Hybrid irons are also gaining in popularity with a growing number of golfers. Hybrid irons like the Dynacraft Avatar XMOI which are a true progressive hybrid golf set. Hollow bodies combined with an offset design make these probably the easiest hitting hybrid irons you'll ever play.

Hybrid clubs have also benefited from the new range of shafts available from most manufacturers. Long gone are the days of any old hybrid on any old shaft. The hybrid market is growing so rapidly that specialist Hybrid shafts are now available.

Most golfers carry at least one hybrid club in their bags. Many carry more. A popular set make-up is Driver, 3-Wood, Hybrid Club, 4-PW, GW, SW, LW, Putter. Have a look at where you're most likely to pick up shots or where you need the most help from your equipment before you decide to front or back load your bag.

It might mean leaving out one of your wedges, but if your long game is suffering, Hybrid Golf Clubs are the way to go.

Hybrid Club Essentials

• What exactly is a Hybrid Club: Essentially a cross between a fairway wood and a long iron, offering the best performance benefits of both. Hybrid clubs range in looks from those almost like fairway woods to those that mirror the looks and feel of an iron. Hybrids have shorter shafts than fairway woods so the swing is essentially an iron swing.

• Shafts: Hybrids require specific shaft specifications to perform to their best. More and more shaft manufacturers now offer at least one shaft aimed at hybrids, with weight, flex and tip characteristics geared towards getting the best performance from your hybrids.

• Head Shape: It hasn't taken manufacturers too long to realise that players demanded more then one shape for their hybrids. Square profiles are now available, moving more weight low and towards the rear for more forgiveness and a higher launch angle. Mid to high handicappers in particular will benefit the most from these square designs, with better players still preferring the more compact shapes. These traditional looking compact hybrids allow a greater degree of shot shaping for the better player.

• Lofts: With the range of hybrid lofts on offer you could almost carry a full set from 3-Wood all the way down to 7 or 8-irons as hybrids. It's all about yardages. If you hit your 3-iron as far as your 20^o utility, why carry both?

[Back to Hybrid Models]