Hybrid clubs are in play
Hybrids aren’t just advanced technology vehicles. The buzz this year
in golf clubs is the hybrid club.
Hybrids are part fairway wood and part long iron. Essentially, the club’s length is shorter than a wood but longer than an iron. And the shape of the head is smaller than a wood but larger than an iron.
Many professionals on the PGA, LPGA and Senior tours now play these clubs
and have removed either long irons or fairway woods from their golf bags.
Here are two simple reasons:
• Hybrid clubs have a lower center of gravity than long irons, making it easier to get the ball in the air. In turn, the ball lands softer on the green.
• Hybrids are also easier to hit out of the rough than a long iron. This is similar to the lofted fairway woods, but hybrids are shorter making them easier to control.
Before purchasing a hybrid club, I’d recommend hitting one. Most golf shops (including Black Lake Golf Club) have hybrid demo clubs.
Pam Phipps is director of golf at the UAW’s Black Lake Golf Club in Onaway, Mich. For more information, see www.uawgolf.org.
