Hybrid clubs, also called "utility clubs" are designed to provide golfers with the advantages of both woods and irons. Combining the consistency of irons and the forgiveness and playability of a wood, hybrid clubs have become preferred among numerous professional golfers.
Hybrid Club Design
The clubhead combines the loft of a long iron with the semi-circular shape of a wood. The face of the club is usually made out of steel or titanium, although the golf world continually experiments with new materials to achieve maximum distance and consistency of ball flight. The shaft is usually metal like an iron, as opposed to a wood, which has a graphite shaft. Hybrid shafts have also been created combining distance enhancing graphite with consistency and stability of metal closer to the clubhead.
Uses on the Course
Replacing 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-irons, hybrid clubs are first and foremost used for shots of the same distance of the iron which the hybrid has replaced. From the fairway, a golfer may find his ball may land softer on the green, due to the higher ball flight provided from the hybrid's low center of gravity. The longer, flatter base allows the hybrid to cut easier through long grass producing more crisp contact and better results from the rough. Hybrids may also be used from the tee area if you choose to lay up short of fairway bunkers or if you are looking for greater accuracy than a driver or 3-wood. Finally, you may choose to use a hybrid club around the green. By using a putter-type stroke, you can keep the ball low to the ground and avoid errant shots that come from bad swings with a wedge.
Which Irons Should I Replace?
The loft of a hybrid determines which iron it replaces in the bag. If you have the clubhead speed to use your long irons effectively, you may only wish to use a 21 degree hybrid, replacing the 2-iron, which is a difficult club to hit consistently, even for scratch players. An easy way to tell whether or not an iron in your bag should be replaced is if you are able to hit the club over 10 yards further than the last. When a golfer does not have adequate clubhead speed, the distances between the 5-, 4- and 3-iron begin to shrink.
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