The hybrid club is a relatively new member of the golfer's bag. They are now very popular on tour with golf professionals and can be a great addition. They are designed to replace long irons that are harder to hit well and consistently.

A hybrid club generally is similar to an iron in terms of shaft length but has characteristics of a fairway metal in its head shape. In fact the head shape is like a cross between an iron and a fairway metal hence the name hybrid.

In practice, you get the control of an iron with the forgiveness of a fairway metal. These types of clubs are very good from the tee or the fairway but they are particularly good from rough and bad lies as the larger head is less prone to twisting than an iron.

Choosing A Fairway Metal

Firstly, you need to consider how you are going to use a hybrid club. For instance, you may be struggling to hit 3, 4 or even 5 irons and would like to replace these. Otherwise, you may wish to extend your set and add a 1 or 2 iron replacement hybrid club to give you more options. Whatever you are trying to do, don't forget to also consider an extra fairway wood as an option instead particularly if you are a beginner. In this case a 7 wood can be an easy to hit alternative to long irons too.

Also bear in mind that you may hit a hybrid 3 further than a 3 iron so there may not be a like for like match in distance control. Very often a hybrid 3 will travel the same distance as a 2 iron as you get more height and a better trajectory.

Hybrid Head Construction

The head construction of hybrid clubs broadly falls into one of two categories. There is the more iron like hybrid which is like an oversize iron head shape and there is the more wood like hybrid which looks more like a fairway metal than an iron. In general, the former is for more advanced players and have been produced by player's brands such as Mizuno and Titleist. The latter type is more common and will favour the majority of golfers.

The head is likely to be made of steel and can feature some of the same technology found in drivers and fairway metals. They will feature a lower, further back Centre of Gravity to allow you to launch the ball higher and will feature sole plates that glide through rough and poor lies with more stability than irons. Most hybrid clubs do a good job and it's a question of personal preference and budget.

Graphite or Steel Shafts

The next variable is the type of shaft. Graphite shafts are more prevalent in hybrid club sales then steel shafts but unlike drivers there are plenty of players who use steel shafts. The benefits of steel shafts are; cost (they are cheaper) and they tend to be more consistent giving better control. The benefits of graphite shafts are; that they are lighter and allow players to increase their club head speed and distance the ball will travel. Most newcomers to golf will probably benefit having graphite shafts in their hybrid clubs, particularly those will slower swing speeds.

As with drivers, the next variable is shaft flex. Your shaft will be available in a number of flexes. . The main ones are Lady, Regular, Stiff and Senior. In general for the average male, it's best to start of with a regular flex. If you are a lady or a senior then go for those flexes. The most flexible is lady, then senior, then regular, then stiff and so on.

The stiffer the shaft then the more accurate the club will be and you will be able to get more control of your shots. The big downside though is that stiffer shafts require you to generate more club head speed to fly the ball as far as you want to. When you start out in golf you don't generally have the club head speed you need so a more flexible shaft will allow you to hit the ball further. If, as you improve, you struggle to control the ball then this can be addressed by moving to a stiffer shaft then.

One other point when selecting any club is grip. The size of the grip can have an effect if you have either particularly small or large hands. If you have small hands a thinner grip can have benefits and if you have large hands a thicker grip can have benefits. Most grips are of a standard thickness and will be fine for the majority of golfers. They can be easily changed later at your local Nevada Bobs Golf shop if required.

Technical Terms

Centre of Gravity (COG): Rather than worry about what it is, what you need to know is that the position of the centre of gravity in a club head affects the flight of the golf ball. Manufacturers try to position the COG as far back from the club face and as low as possible to assist you it gaining height and a good trajectory. Better players may not want the COG placed too far back as they prefer a lower, more penetrating ball flight but for the rest of us its very helpful.

Moment of Inertia (MOI): This refers to level of twisting of an object around its axis. In golf terms, a high MOI in a driver means that the club head has a higher resistance to twisting and will therefore be more stable and forgiving.

Perimeter Weighting: This refers to placing weight on the perimeter of the club head and its effect is to increase the Moment of Inertia.

Carbon Graphite Crown: Some clubs use a mixture of titanium and carbon graphite. The lighter carbon graphite crown helps to lower the Centre of Gravity further.