Which Hybrid?

If Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton and company needs advice for the impending F1 they need to consult me. I have been racing the Marina circuit everyday and I know every nook and cranny on this route. Mine was even tougher as I have to be faced with traffic jam on some days. Can I take the G-Force? Hey, I am the G-Force Guru! What were you thinking? Talking about driving...


Tiger Woods was driving his BMW into the gas station one day after practice and while getting out of his car, he drop a couple of tees from his trousers' pocket onto the driver's seat. The old man at the gas station oblivious to who he is noticed the tees and asked Tiger what they were. Tiger explained carefully that those were tees that he used to hold his balls while driving and the old man nodded in approval before saying: "Damn, these people at BMW surely go out of the way and think of everything to give to the driver."


Except for some die-hards who swear by their long irons (3 & 4), most golfers today have one or two hybrids in their bag. Those who stick to their long irons are usually quite proficient with their irons but I believe they too would be converts if they try the hybrid clubs which are relatively more forgiving and therefore, easier to hit. Hybrid clubs are also known as "rescue" or "utility" clubs. Few golfers today use their 3 iron let alone the 2 iron and they used to say that the 2 iron is like your mother-in-law as a pro golfer once famously said, "you want to hit them but you can't."


Let me share with you my previous articles "Why Hybrids" for your better understanding:


http://gforce-guru.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-hybrids.html


Now I wish to share with you "Which Hybrid" because there are so many brands and models in the market and there are actually different types of hybrids that offer you different feel and performance. First thing to understand is that hybrids are there to replace long irons not your woods. So you should be looking for the same lofts, distance as your irons. Hybrids are usually a bit longer than irons but are more forgiving because they put more weight to the back of the club head. They will launch higher and drop with less run.

Three Types

There are three types of hybrids to choose from. One is iron-like type but the club head is built with more weight for more meaty launch. Another is built almost like a fairway wood as the crown and the perimeter weighting are larger (just slightly smaller than a wood) and finally we have the half-wood type smaller head hybrid. Remember never to purchase based on the number on the hybrid as each manufacturer and brand can use a different number so you have to do it based on the lofts. A number 4 hybrid can be 22-25 degrees and you need to know that every 2 degrees is equal to about 10 yards in distance. So look for the same loft hybrid to replace your iron of similar loft.

Then decide which kind of player are you. If you are more of a wood player then go for the hybrid built more like a wood like TaylorMade Burner. If you do not like wood-shaped then go for the iron like one. The half-wood hybrid is a popular choice and one where you can play it with an iron-like swing.

What To Look For

You will want your hybrid to give you distance as many could not hit the right distance with the long irons. You want it to have height when launching a shot so that the trajectory will give you the distance. A long shot with a high trajectory will also give you parachute landing on a green as a result of higher spin rate. It is already more forgiving than irons but there are always a hybrid that is more suitable and easier to use than another, so lots of forgiveness is good. Looks and feel are subjective but they are feel good factors. Some of us better players may want workability as you may like to shape shots. Those that are built like auto-pilot straight and high shooters may not be a favourite of better players. You can then opt of TP (Tour Preferred) types where the club head is smaller and comes in stiffer shafts.

You may also want to look at the sole of the club as some are more suited for flatter terrain and may not be as effective on slopes. Newer types offer adjustable club head like drivers and fairway woods where one can select draw/fade or neutral. Some offer an entire set of hybrids right up to the shortest irons. These are very good for newbies or older golfers due to its ease of use to produce effortless shots. When you are choosing hybrids, make sure you get a proper distance gap between clubs. Do not just select 3 & 4 of different brands as you may end up with the same lofts. Choose a 19 and a 22 degrees for example rather than an 18 and 25 degrees.

Difference Between Iron and Hybrid

A hybrid is supposed to be more forgiving than an iron and have more control than woods. Hybrid shots will go further, fly higher, shoot straighter, land steeper than irons. These are indisputable facts. So what are you waiting for? Based on a swing speed of 90mph, a 3-iron can go about 170-180m with a trajectory height of more than 40ft. and a landing angle of almsot 30 degrees while a hybrid of 21 degrees loft (equal to 3 iron) can go 180-190m with a height of more than 60ft. and a landing angle of almost 35 degrees. Hybrids are irons on steroids!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MyDtgGQ0qY (TaylorMade R11 Rescue Hybrid & Burner SuperFast hybrid). 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yQV93-8tEE&feature=related (Full Hybrid Sets)


Good luck and happy birdie hunting! You hear this only from the Guru!


Golf as in life, play as it lies.

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