How Many Strokes Will You Save With Hybrid Golf Clubs?

Lee Trevino’s Favorite Club

Lee Trevino told a story about his TaylorMade fairway wood. Specifically, it was a prototype 7 wood, and in 1987, 7 woods were unheard of. The kind folks at TaylorMade let Lee take the club home, and he played it shortly thereafter at the 1987 Skins Game at PGA West.

Lee says he was able to hit a draw or fade at will with that club. He was able to hit it 165 yards or 210 yards. It was his favorite club, and it really came through for him at the Skins Game. He had a 190 yard bunker shot over water, and he hit that 7 wood to within 5 feet of the hole. He says that was a shot he never could have hit with an iron.

Of course, that shot was shown on national TV, and people rang his phone off the hook asking where they could get a similar club. Lee’s point in telling the story was that having the right club can make all the difference. There’s no need to manipulate your swing when you can let your clubs do the shot making for you.

Advantages to Hybrid Clubs

Nowadays, there are plenty of great clubs to choose from. You don’t have to be a professional taking a tour of the manufacturer’s plant. Hybrids and smaller fairway woods are quite common, and great for replacing long irons.

Hybrids are good for replacing your long irons. Many people have trouble with consistently hitting their long irons well, but they have no problem with their hybrids. They are simply easier to hit.

How often do you miss the fairway off the tee? Hybrids are built with more weight on the bottom of the sole of the club, which lowers the clubhead’s center of gravity. A low center of gravity will help you get the club through the deeper rough, and get the ball going straighter.

Here’s a great video showing some of the advantages of hybrids.

At my home course, I never hit any iron longer than a 7-iron out of the rough. The grass grabs the hosel of any longer club, and I end up hitting a low hook that doesn’t go half as far as I intend. However, with a hybrid, even if I’m in the rough with 200 yards to the green, I can go for it. How would you like to reach the par-5s in two? Hybrids will help you do that, because you can reach the green even from the rough—no more laying up. That’s why I like my hybrids.

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