Pros And Cons Of Hybrid Golf Clubs – The Ultimate Golfing Resource

Pros And Cons Of Hybrid Golf Clubs – The Ultimate Golfing Resource

Hybrid golf clubs have really taken over as a must have club in the bag of almost all golfers. In years past, people had a hard time deciding whether or not they should put a hybrid in their golf bag.

Times have changed, and it is almost a given that your bag needs a hybrid, even for the tour professionals and not just beginners like it used to be. Hybrids are revolutionary in that they combine the benefits of fairway woods with irons, leaving you with a new type of club that can hit the ball high,far and straight, consistently and from all lies.

However, have we gone too far? Do we all really need a hybrid in our golf bag? Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of hybrid golf clubs.

 

Intro To Hybrid Golf Clubs And Your Personal Experience With Them

Even as a former professional golfer, I always had a hard time hitting a three and four iron as I never had the swing speed to compete with the heavy hitters.

On a long par four or five where my drive didn’t perform as I wanted it to, I dreaded taking out the four iron.

After years of studying the game and learning my strengths and weaknesses, I learned that it had everything to do with swing speed.

Even though I could hit the ball far and score low, I still didn’t have the speed I wanted to hit the shots that some of the other pros were hitting.

Even with a great swing and hitting the ball in the center of the club face, the long irons were just not the right fit for me.

 

Hybrid Irons Overview

A hybrid iron was first designed to help golfers with a club that could get out of the rough and fly much higher than an iron.

The hybrid was considered to be an excellent choice for high handicappers that were constantly left with longer irons into the greens.

As hybrids evolved, companies realized they could make them to look and feel great as well.

This left more and more players interested in the hybrid clubs and what they could potentially bring to their games.

Today hybrids are available for golfers of all handicaps.

They range from larger looking options that look more like fairway woods to smaller, more compact options that look just slightly wider and larger than an iron.

 

Full Hybrid Sets

Some people like hybrid golf clubs so much that they decide they need a full hybrid set as their lineup. The full hybrid sets have everything from the wedges to the long irons in the hybrid style and design.

The clubs are thick, they have wide soles, and they tend to have plenty of launch as well. Overall the hybrid sets are an excellent choice for the higher handicap players and seniors that are looking to improve their golf game.

The only thing a bit difficult with the hybrid sets is getting used to the wedges. The feel coming from a hybrid wedge is quite different than that coming from a standard blade-style wedge.

Once you get used to it, the club can be hit with very high levels of accuracy.

Advantages Of Hybrid Golf Clubs

There are some distinct advantages of hybrid golf clubs that are worth considering.

If you have never put hybrids in your bag or you are considering adding a new one and taking another long iron out, here are a few things that you can consider.

Easier To Hit

Hybrid clubs are, without a doubt, easier to hit than long irons.

Hybrid clubs are also quite a bit easier to hit than fairway woods when it comes to shots out of the rough.

It is not a surprise to find a person that says that their hybrid is their favorite golf club in their bag.

Better Launch Trajectory

Hybrids are easier to launch than the typical golf iron.

Since they have a wide sole, it is easier to get the club to approach at the proper angle and launch into the air.

The center of gravity on the hybrid is also lower, allowing for a much higher launch from the club.

Head Design

The head design of a hybrid is generally a bit more appealing for those that struggle with long irons.

The long iron is typically quite thin, and this tends to give players a bit less confident when they try to swing it.

Golfers that look down and see the larger hybrid club head will feel as though they can hit longer and straighter shots with it. There is no question the hybrid is a club that helps give players confidence.

Better For Hitting From The Rough

A hybrid golf club is much better for hitting from the rough. Players that tend to hit their driver into the rough from the tee often have to sacrifice a shot on the way to the green.

The shot comes out into the fairway, and then the third shot is hit onto the green. With a hybrid, you will not have to worry quite as much, as you can take a full approach shot to a green with a hybrid.

Better Consistency

Since hybrids are easier to hit and they are known for getting better ball flight and distance, they are also more consistent.

Higher handicap players tend to struggle with consistency and direction, and they need these hybrid type golf clubs to become more consistent.

Overall you will be better off with a hybrid in your bag than some of the other less consistent long irons.

More Confidence In Your Overall Game

When you have a club in your bag that is considered a weakness, you have to be very careful about how you think about it mentally.

These gaps in the bag where you don’t have confidence are going to impact the way you play and the way you think about your overall golf game.

You may start trying to control your drives instead of swinging fully; you may start laying up to greens that you should be going for. Overall, not having confidence because of a particular club in your bag is a major problem.

 

Disadvantages Of Hybrid Clubs

As great as hybrid golf clubs are, there are a few things that will make them a little less appealing.

Although many of these issues can be worked out, it is important to understand both the positives and the negatives of hybrid golf clubs.

Needs A Different Swing

The hybrids are not quite like hitting an iron and not quite like hitting a fairway wood. The swing for hitting a great hybrid shot will be somewhere in the middle.

However, you want to sweep the ball off the grass; you also need to take a small divot at times. Getting used to hitting a hybrid won’t be difficult, yet it is another skill that you are going to have to learn.

Can Be A Learning Curve To Hit Consistently

When you first learn to play with a hybrid golf club, you have to get used to the different look, feel, weighting and design.

This takes a bit of time and effort, but you should be able to get it to work out eventually.

The learning curve needed to hit a hybrid iron well is undoubtedly a deterrent for those that are set in their ways with their golf game.

Won’t Improve Everybody’s Game

Some players truly are better at hitting irons. The concept throughout the golf world has become that hybrids are the best option out there; however, this is just not the case.

Although hybrids are some of the best choices, they are not going to be the only option. Many lower handicap players are finding that the utility iron is a better fit for their game.

Utility irons allow players to use a club that looks like an iron but has some of the same performance benefits of a hybrid.

 

Better For High Handicappers And Novices Than Pros

There is no question that the target market for the majority of hybrids are the higher handicap players.

These clubs are certainly built for game improvement, and because of that, you will need to have a pretty good handle on whether or not you need a hybrid in your bag.

Typically speaking, the higher your handicap is, the more hybrids you will want to carry. This is why many of the people who get set on the idea of the hybrids end up going with the complete hybrid iron golf set.

Less Control And Feel

Since the hybrid irons are ultimately game improvement golf clubs, they will have less control and feel than an iron.

If you think you can control the ball the same way with a hybrid nine iron and blade style nine iron, you are mistaken.

The hybrid nine iron is going to go much higher and fly straight, even when it isn’t hit that well. Although this may seem like a golfer’s dream, it is not ideal for the lower handicap players.

Golfers with lower handicaps want to be able to control the ball and not have it simply fly to the target regardless of how it is hit.

If you can get used to the feel of the hybrids, you will eventually learn how to control them a bit.

 

Best Hybrids Overview

There are lots of hybrids on the market to choose from, and they all have their unique positives and negatives. Here are three of the best options out there and a brief description as to why they are some of the best.

 

TaylorMade Men’s RBZ Rescue, Black – Best Choice 

The TaylorMade Men’s RBZ Rescue club is an excellent choice for affordability and performance.

This club has a satin black finish design to ensure that you will have no trouble seeing the club even on those bright days.

The speed pocket technology on the RBZ rescue certainly helps golfers get more performance from their golf clubs. 

Pros

• Low pricing
• Speed pocket technology
• Increased speed
• Higher launch

Cons

• Not the latest distance technology

Overall Score: 95/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

 TaylorMade SiM 2 Rescue Men’s – Best Premium 

The TaylorMade SIM 2 has a brand new V Steel design and the C300 Twist face that will help golfers hit the ball further and straighter.

The speed pocket technology has improved from the original versions, and the ease of getting this club out of the rough is perhaps some of the best on the market.

Pros

• Higher launch
• High ball speed
• Long distances

Cons

• Expensive new release

Overall Score: 97/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

 Pinemeadow Excel EGI Hybrids – Best Budget

If you are a golfer that doesn’t have extra income to spend on hybrid golf clubs, the Pinemeadow Excel EGI are a great choice to consider.

These graphite shafted forgiving golf clubs are easy to hit, regardless of the lie you are in. With a big sweet spot and lots of forgiveness, this is a great choice.

Pros

• Large sweet spot
• Good out of any lie
• Very low price

Cons

• Not an excellent choice for higher swing speed players

Overall Score: 90/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Who Do We Recommend To Use Hybrids

Truthfully, with how technology has progressed and changed, golfers of any handicap can have a hybrid in their golf bag. Even Dustin Johnson is carrying hybrids in his bag right now.

Lower handicap players are going to want to use this club as a shot to hit on a par 5 in two.

They may also use it on a short par 4 as an alternative off the tee. The club won’t be something that is used on each hole, but it will come in handy at times.

For mid handicappers to high handicapper and even beginners, the hybrid will be a go-to club.

With consistency, forgiveness, and plenty of distance, this is a club you will continue to come back to hole after hole.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now feel a bit better about your options for golf clubs. There are some excellent choices on the market, and it’s a good idea to consider both the pros and the cons of hybrid golf clubs before you put them in your golf bag.

In the end, most golfers are going to find that a hybrid golf club is a very good fit for their game. It’s certainly hard to complain about extra forgiveness, more control around the green, and increased launch.