Y.E. Did it with his Hybrid. What a shot over that tree. I usually root for Tiger buy Y.E. had me yesterday at Hazeltine.

Why the switch to Hybrid Clubs?

What’s-up with the new hybrid clubs? Everybody is talking about them.

Are they really the game saver that all the hype seems to say?

The fact is, clubs like hybrid type clubs have been around a long time. They used to go by names like “baffler” and “rescue clubs” or just plain utility woods. So are they really something new? Well, yes and no.

The hybrid as we know it today was actually developed with the help of Gary McCord, the TV announcer and former PGA pro. He saw his golf buddies back home struggling with their long irons, so he thought maybe something could be done to make them easier to hit. He went to his sponsor, TaylorMade and suggested they come up with something new.

The result was the TaylorMade Rescue Club. The first of a new breed. So what the heck did they do to make this new club?

Well, it’s called a “hybrid” because it a combination of a wood and an iron. They basically took an iron shaft and and put a new kind of head on it. That head would have features of a wood. Features like a wide sole, low-back center of gravity, and more mass. So what’s so different about that? Why not just get a 5 or 7 wood.

The big difference is that shaft. The loft of a 2 iron and a 5 wood may be about the same…but the shafts are way different.

The shaft length on a 2 iron for an average height player is about 39 inches. The length on a 5 wood is about 42 inches. Hybrids are somewhere in between. A longer club will always go farther because a longer club will produce more clubhead speed. That extra speed will also tend to make the ball go higher. The problem with that extra speed is it can make the club harder to control.

Iron shafts are also thicker than wood shafts. I bet you didn’t realize that. Not a lot (.03 inches), but enough to make the shaft more stable which adds up to a bit more accuracy.

Starting to get confused? Well here’s the bottom line.

Compared to a comparably lofted wood, a hybrid club is:
- more accurate
- won’t go quite as far
- easier to hit because it’s shorter

Compared to the same long iron, a hybrid is:
- easier to hit because the head has more mass and a lower center of gravity
- will make the ball go higher, carry further and land softer
- better out of sand and bad lies

Hopefully that clears up any confusion.

So which ones to buy?

Today’s hybrid clubs are actually quite varied. In addition to a choice of lofts, you can also get different sole widths and face heights. You can get lengths that are longer than standard irons and shorter or just as long as woods. In short, some hybrids offered are more like fairway woods and some are more like irons. Just remember the basic rules of club design…the lower and farther back the center of gravity, the higher the ball will tend to fly. The longer the shaft the farther the ball will go but that extra length may make it harder to control. Remember to make your selection based on what your game needs not the manufacturers hype.

Price ranges for brands are in the $150 to $250 range. You can find custom clone versions for under $50.

Give those hybrids a try. They’re bound to help your game.

For a great selection of discount custom hybrid clubs check out GigaGolf.

 A. Custom Fit Clubs are built to fit your body and build characteristics, much like having clothes
tailored to fit. The weight, length, type of head, type of shaft, shaft torque, shaft flex, loft, lie, grip type, and grip size giving you a perfect balanced fit.

 A. Yes, when your clubs fit, your swing becomes natural and effortless. Your stance will become
comfortable, allowing you to swing on a balanced plane. A balanced feeling encourages you to swing
with confidence, allowing you to let the club do the work.

 
A. Yes, every club will feel the same, swing the same, and hit the ball a different distance. Allowing you to build one swing for all of your clubs and use only 80% swing speed, this will improve your ability to hit the ball as well on the 18th hole as you did on the First hole.

 A. No, Custom Built clubs are less expensive than off the rack clubs because there is no added costs built into the price to pay large advertising and sponsor budgets.

A. Many people take up the game of golf with Clubs that are either too heavy, too stiff, too long or short and are soon discouraged and quit the game. As a beginning golfer it is vital that your equipment fit you. With Custom Clubs you can start out with a set make-up which will best suit your individual needs. A club head design which will allow you to get the ball airborne with ease to stop tendency to scoop the ball. A shaft of the proper material, length, flex, torque, and weight. A grip of the proper texture, and size which will allow you to hold the club with a light grip so you can swing freely. Now you GET to enjoy golf!

 A. No, a Professional Club Fitter will fit you with a set make-up which is best for you and your budget. Many new golfers start with a 3 wood, 7 wood, 5, 7, 9, Pitching Wedge, Sand Wedge and a Putter. As your game improves you can fill in the clubs you need, and the benefit is the clubs match your set and are the same per club as the original set.

A. Yes, lie angle on irons can be adjusted to your swing which will help bring your shots on target. Lie angle and face angle on your driver and fairway woods can be pre set to help eliminate your slice. Also, your shaft being the proper flex for you, and club head design are important factor in helping to eliminate a slice.

 A. Yes, the same factors that apply to a slice help to eliminate a hook.

A. When fitted with wedges of the proper length, shaft flex, a head design with the proper amount of ounce
to fit your game and courses you play on, the proper loft, lie and swingweight you will find your wedge play
begin to improve. It is always easier to hit full shots, so a 3 wedge system is recommended.

All golfers benefit from Custom Built Frequency Matched Golf Clubs.

Custom Clubs do feel alike, do swing alike,  yet each club hits the
 ball a different distance.  Custom Clubs enable  a more consistent
 on-plane swing resulting in fewer poor shots,  more good shots, 
more consistency, more accuracy, more distance and lower scores. 
 Golf becomes more fun!

Once you have your new clubs you’ll want to practice of of the best golf driving range mat available.