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What They Are:
A Hybrid is an Iron or Wedge that has been totally redesigned
to have some of the specific positive characteristics of a Wood, such as wide sole, spin correction, larger head, etc. This
results in an Iron which is much easier to hit and more forgiving.
Most Hybrid Irons have the same loft and weight
as a standard iron, and are therefore direct number replacements to their traditional iron counterparts. For example, a #7
Hybrid Iron will replace a #7 traditional iron.
While some golfers like the added confidence of the larger heads found
on high-lofted Woods, others appreciate the middle-ground size of the Hybrids for an easier time coming out of the rough,
and their offset hosel similar to traditional irons.
Besides head size, another Wood characteristic you’ll notice
right away with Hybrid Irons 1 through 9 is their curved faces, known as “Roll & Bulge”. Just like you find
on drivers and fairway woods, this curvature gives you the "shot correction gear effect". This helps correct shots hit near
the toe by adding counter spin to draw the ball back onto the target line, and correct shots hit near the heel by adding spin
to fade the ball back onto the target line.
How They’re Used:
Although Hybrids have added
design advantages of Woods, they should still be played using the same ball position as a traditional irons. Your Hybrids
should also be built to the same length, flex, and swing-weight as your traditional irons. Many golfers have found great success
by replacing their irons with Hybrid Irons, especially those who prefer to sweep the ball off the ground rather then hit down
hard and take divot.
Besides use of a sweeping style swing, the main difference seen when using Hybrids is some golfers
get higher trajectory (and less distance) than they’re accustomed to for that particular numbered club. This can happen
because when they used traditional irons, they were unknowingly closing and de-loft the face of the club. (For example, if
you de-loft a standard 7 iron 3 degrees, it turns it into a 6 iron). But with the wider sole of hybrids, most golfers do not
de-loft, and therefore get the proper height and distance for that club; even if it’s not the distance they’re
used to. The important thing in golf is to have consistent reliable distance from club to club, and this is easier when each
club is used with its proper loft. When you want more or less distance, simply move up or down one club.
This de-lofting
affect can be removed when placing a Hybrid on a testing machine. When shots were struck in the center of the face, the distance
performance was measured equal to that of a traditional iron. When shots were struck off-center, the Hybrid showed more forgiveness,
so the average distance for a Hybrid is greater. The bottom line of the tests; if you hit a traditional iron and a Hybrid
Iron dead center, with equal specifications, the ball will go the same distance. If you hit it off-center, the special characteristics
of Hybrids will help correct the shot.
Hybrid Wedges:
Hybrid Wedges are better out of grass than
traditional wedges because they tend to glide through the grass and are less likely to get hung up. The Hybrid Sand Wedge
is much simpler than a traditional SW. It doesn’t require special set up or face opening, simply set up and swing like
you would for a normal iron shot, hitting about 1.5 inches behind the ball. Using a Hybrid from the sand takes out a lot of
the variables, so all you need to think about is how hard to swing.
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