| The short answer is any one as they are all the | | | | look of the iron type over the ball and some |
| same thing. They are all a cross between a wood | | | | prefer the wood look, it's a personal thing. |
| and an iron utilising the best features of both. I | | | | One other reason for making the head deeper is |
| shall use any name as I go depending on where | | | | that it allows the hybrid club designer to bring in |
| my fingers are on the keyboard. | | | | another characteristic which is 'perimeter |
| A 3 or 4 iron will give you a decent penetrating | | | | weighting'. What's that I hear you ask, well it |
| shot with a fairly low flight trajectory and a | | | | means that the forces from the club head are |
| corresponding roll. However this can be difficult to | | | | channelled to the outer edges or perimeter of the |
| control with any great accuracy especially on a | | | | club head and the benefit of this is a much larger |
| dry firm fairway. The reduced top spin produced | | | | 'sweet spot' thereby cancelling out some of those |
| by the average player with a long iron also gives | | | | less than perfect contacts. |
| a greater margin for side spin off the more | | | | Why would I buy one? |
| upright face leading to a pronounced curve to the | | | | Playing from the rough is where these clubs really |
| ball flight. A hybrid / utility/ rescue golf club with | | | | come into their own as the sheer mass behind |
| its lower centre of gravity helps to launch the ball | | | | the club help to drive through the grass without |
| higher with more top spin giving a straighter shot | | | | twisting, some even have a rudder on the sole |
| and a more "drop and stop " characteristic. This | | | | which further helps to get the clubface square so |
| makes it ideal for those shots into the green | | | | you can hit straight almost all the time. |
| where a long iron will bounce or roll off. | | | | A further use for the hybrid golf club is shots |
| So, how does work? | | | | from just off the green where you need just a |
| The design of the hybrid club generally follows | | | | little loft to get over the fringe or where you are |
| two formats, some look like a conventional iron | | | | against the fringe and need the club to get to the |
| Titleist for example and some, like the Callaway | | | | back of the ball. The hybrid is almost made for |
| have the appearance of a small fairway wood. | | | | this. The shorter shaft also makes for greater |
| This is just two ways to skin the same proverbial | | | | controllability as it is often said it's easier to make |
| cat. An iron look will have a lump like bulge at the | | | | the shot when you are closer to the ball. |
| back of the head, this allows the weight, i.e. | | | | Hybrid golf clubs are made in a variety of styles, |
| centre of gravity to be further back and it is this | | | | lofts and designs and their sheer flexibility has |
| that affects the angle of trajectory making the | | | | earned them the other title of rescue club, a |
| ball take off at a much steeper angle, thus giving | | | | more fitting title couldn't be nearer the truth. Pick |
| a longer flight and the drop and stop capability. | | | | a hybrid golf club and you will soon wonder how |
| The fairway wood design is just another way of | | | | you got along without it. |
| achieving the same effect. Some golfers like the | | | | |