If you watch professional golf on TV, instructional videos on YouTube, or follow golfers on social media, you might notice that most pro golfers have at least one hybrid golf club in their bag.
Since the release of hybrid golf clubs, they have risen in popularity, with some golfers even touting three or more on the course.
This is your ultimate guide to hybrid golf clubs: a complete rundown on what hybrid golf clubs do, when you should use one, and why it may even be your best bet in certain golf situations.
What Is A Hybrid Golf Club?
A hybrid golf club is a mix between an iron and a fairway wood. Some golf manufacturers call the hybrid a rescue club, but it’s essentially the same thing.
With a hybrid club, you will get the distance of the fairway wood with the accuracy of the iron. However, the most important benefit of almost any hybrid on the market is the ease of use from the rough.
With hybrid clubs’ unique shape and weighting, hitting a shot from a difficult lie is considerably easier. On those longer par 4 holes where you were trying to muscle a long iron or a fairway wood out of the rough, you can switch to the hybrid and make very few adjustments to your swing to see the same positive results.
Who Should Use Hybrid Golf Clubs?
The great thing about a hybrid golf club is that your golf game can benefit from one, regardless of your handicap. Low handicap players use them to hit par 5 greens in two shots or get on those 400+ yard par 4’s with ease.
Mid handicap players use the hybrids for a bit more consistency in their game. The club is easy to hit and when they end up in the rough the hybrid can put them right back in play.
High handicap players use the hybrid for a variety of reasons, including chipping around the greens. While some high handicappers and beginners are learning the game, they struggle with getting an iron shot to go up in the air.
With the center of gravity positioning on a hybrid club, getting a high launch is rarely an issue.
When To Use A Hybrid on the Course?
A hybrid can be used from a tee, on the short grass (fairway), and from the rough. As easy as it is to hit from the rough, it’s just as easy from the fairway.
One thing to note is that when you hit a hybrid from the fairway, you will likely get a higher and potentially more controlled ball flight. When a hybrid is hit from the rough, there’s usually less spin because of the interaction between the face and the golf ball, which is just par for the course. This results in a golf ball with a little less carry distance but lots of roll.
The Hybrid Loft
Hybrid golf clubs come in a variety of lofts. Many are in the 19 to 25 degree range. However, some manufacturers make hybrid irons that can replace essentially any golf club in the bag.
The original purpose of hybrids was to replace the long irons. So this is why we see many 2, 3, 4 and 5 iron hybrids on the market.
Most hybrid golf clubs fly further than an iron with the matching loft. The face is a bit more forgiving and has a larger sweet spot. In addition, most hybrids have a graphite shaft to help players gain some speed when they swing.
Many long irons still have a steel shaft, making them harder for golfers with slower swing speeds.
Lofts between hybrids and fairway woods often overlap. Most golfers keep a fairway wood in their bag to bridge the gap between drivers and hybrids. Fairway woods are longer in physical length of the club so they can produce slightly more distance than the hybrid.
Pros and Cons of Hybrid Golf Clubs
As with any golf club in the bag, the hybrid golf club has positives and negatives in its application and use. One of the most important things to remember about a hybrid is that you must choose one to match your game style and handicap.
Pros of a Hybrid Golf Club
- Very easy to hit from the rough
- Effortless launch thanks to the club head design
- Available in a variety of lofts
- Versatile club that has impressive performance from a variety of lies
Cons of a Hybrid Golf Club
- It won’t fly quite as far as most fairway woods
- Bulky clubhead can take a few swings to get used to
Features to Look for in a Hybrid Golf Club
When purchasing a hybrid, you’ll want to look for a few key benefits, like increased ball speed, straight flight technology, and an optimized center of gravity. Most players are shopping for a hybrid focus on forgiveness in the clubhead as it’s a club where consistency and forgiveness may be more important than precision.
The AnyLie hybrid from Performance Golf has all of the features an amateur golfer needs in a hybrid. The clubface stays square through impact thanks to the anti-twist technology. In addition, the club features a chunk-resistant forward sole to ensure the club glides right through the golf ball regardless of the lie.
One other key benefit of the AnyLie is its length. At 40 inches, it’s easier to control than a standard hybrid and you’ll likely have no trouble transitioning to it from your iron.
You can get your own AnyLie Hybrid here.
Tips for Hitting A Great Hybrid Shot
Now that you understand the basics of what a hybrid golf club is, here are a few important tips for getting the most out of your next hybrid golf shot.
- Place the ball slightly forward of center, where you would put a long iron. This position will help you hit the hybrid at the correct point in the swing to maximize distance and control.
- Take a slightly wider stance than you would with an iron; the club is a little longer, and the goal is long distance; this stance gives you that stability.
- Make sure to get a full and balanced finish; you want to strike the hybrid with plenty of speed to maximize the results.
- When hitting a hybrid out of the rough, consider taking a slightly abbreviated swing, this swing may make it easier to get the ball out and rolling along down the fairway.
- Hit down on the golf ball as you would with an iron; the downward strike is what gives you the proper ball flight and control.
When it comes to golf for beginners, or even the everyday golfer, it’s definitely worth having at least one hybrid in your golf bag. Consider replacing the longest iron in your bag with a hybrid and see how it impacts your game. Many players have a 3 or 4 iron sitting in the golf bag that they never use.
We only get to carry 14 clubs in the bag, so play with something that actually makes a difference in your game. Check out the AnyLie hybrid if you are looking for a perfect mix of distance, accuracy, and lower golf scores!
