Ready for the Course: How to Buy a Hybrid Club

Combining elements of fairway woods and irons, hybrid clubs are designed for distance, control and accuracy. Learn more with these Pro Tips.

There are times on the golf course when you will want a club that offers loft and length with a solid level of control. Whether you are hitting out of the rough, playing off an uneven lie or attacking a narrow fairway, you will encounter situations where you will crave the best aspects of a fairway wood and an iron.

That is why it’s important to have a hybrid club in your bag.

Hybrid golf clubs help fill in the gap between your harder-to-hit irons and fairway woods. They are designed for distance, trajectory, control and playability, combining features from irons and fairway woods. They could even replace a fairway wood or iron in your bag. Here’s how:

• Hybrid 2H = 4 Wood = 3 Iron
• Hybrid 3H or 4H = 5 Wood = 4 Iron
• Hybrid 5H = 7 or 9 Wood = 5 Iron
• Hybrid 6H = 11 Wood = 6 Iron

The above chart is a good starting point, but you may need to experiment to find the right hybrid.

What else should you know before getting a hybrid club? Here are a few more things that make a hybrid club unique.

MATERIAL & DESIGN

Hybrid clubs have heads that are larger than an iron but smaller than a fairway wood. The size of the clubhead can help increase the chance of making contact with the sweet spot and give less experienced golfers confidence in making contact with the ball.

A hybrid’s clubhead comes with several features that can help boost a golfer’s game:

• The face is typically made of titanium or steel. The flat face of the hybrid, similar to what you see in irons, can make it easier for golfers to hit the ball squarely.
• The center of gravity is moved back and lower on a hybrid club. This can help increase the ability to lift shots into the air easily with slower swing speeds. It can also provide a multi-use design allowing for greater utility options.
• The hybrid club has a wider sole that can skid across the ground to help reduce the chance of taking a divot before making contact with the ball.

Hybrid clubs come in lofts typically ranging from 16 to 27 degrees but can go higher. Remember, it's crucial to get hybrids with the same length and loft as the clubs you replace to avoid distance gaps.

SHAFTS

Hybrid golf clubs typically come with graphite shafts that tend to be the same weight or slightly heavier than their matching fairway wood shafts. The graphite shaft can help produce a faster clubhead speed. Hybrid shafts come in one of several flex categories: regular, stiff, extra stiff, senior and ladies.

LENGTH

Hybrid golf clubs tend to be equal to or slightly longer than traditional long irons and shorter than fairway woods. Because of that, it can be easier to control than a longer fairway wood, which could help increase confidence in an inexperienced golfer.

CUSTOMIZATION

You will also find hybrids that offer adjustability and customization. These specific technology designs can help improve your score on the course:

For example, there are some hybrid clubs that allow you to make adjustments to the face angle to allow for an open, closed or neutral look at address.

Some hybrids allow golfers to adjust the loft of the club within a range of three to five degrees to help you reach the distance and flight you are striving for.

You will even find some hybrids with interchangeable weights in the sole, designed to change the club’s center of gravity.

GOLF CLUB FITTING

 

Before you set out to buy new clubs, it’s important to get fitted. For optimal consistency and accuracy, you should have clubs customized to your body and swing. Our in-store PROS at Golf Services can help you find your optimal set makeup, loft angle, lie angle, shaft type, shaft length, grip size and more.

A hybrid golf club is a great utility option for golfers at every level. Add hybrids to your bag and get ready to start the trek to a lower score the next time you hit the links.

Once you’ve found the right hybrid for your game, it’s time to head to the course. Learn how to use it to attack a narrow fairway or hit out of the rough with even more golf tips from Pro Tips.