Lauren and I spent the afternoon at Drive Shack one Sunday and we played with a group of friends who don’t play much golf. The subject came up about the “rescue club” which is the hybrid club. We thought this would be a great topic for a video since some beginner golfers don’t know what they are.

What is a Hybrid?

A hybrid club is just like the name says: a hybrid of an iron and a wood. It’s meant to replace your longer irons.

Does everyone need a hybrid?

Yes, probably everyone could benefit from having a hybrid in their bag. The reason is a long iron doesn’t have a wide sole and there’s not a ton of material down low so it’s hard to get the center of gravity of the club below the equator of the ball. So when you catch the ball thin, you are catching the club on the way up a little bit. When you hit a hybrid club on the same shot, it has a shallower face and so much of the weight of the club is back and back behind where the ball would be so even if you catch it a little thin, all of the weight low and back on the club will still help you get the ball up in the air. Generally, the hybrid club is going to get the ball in the air much easier than a long iron. The manufacturers of clubs have essentially taken the guesswork out of it so that a 4 hybrid would be the club to replace your 4 iron. Theoretically, those clubs are intended to be hit the same distance (if they are hit solidly). That being said, you are more likely going to hit your 4 hybrid farther because you are likely not hitting your 4 iron solidly.

Which clubs should you replace with hybrids?

Once you get past your 7 iron, you are better off moving to a hybrid club especially for a recreational and beginner golfer. So anything 6 iron or longer. The higher handicapper or the newer you are at golf, the closer to the 6 iron you will want to replace. In other words, if you are a beginner golfer or have a handicap over 16, you should consider replacing your 6 iron and longer with a hybrid type club.

How long have hybrids been around?

When I was a kid, a company named Browning used to make a set of irons that looked like hybrids. They went away and then in the 90’s, Taylormade came out with the Rescue Club. In 2004 about 10% of golfers had hybrids in their bag, as of now, it’s a much bigger percentage. Even tour players are starting to use hybrids now as well.

Finally, if you are resistant to using hybrids because you believe you hit your long irons really well, I think if you give yourself a chance to hit some hybrids, you will find that you are playing the game better and enjoying the game more. Try to let go of your preconceived notions and biases that you may have because it is proven that hybrid clubs are so much easier to hit.

In the next few weeks, we will go over 3 different shots you can execute with your hybrid.