In general senior golfers can instantly see the benefit of using hybrid clubs but are often unsure of how many to have in the bag. This is a difficult question to answer because every senior golfer will have individual needs which need to be met.

However, it’s easier to judge how many hybrid clubs a senior golfer will need by working through the bag, long irons to short irons.

Follow the process outlined below to better judge the correct number of senior hybrid clubs to add to the bag:

The process

First of all, find a hybrid brand and design which you prefer, such as Thomas Golf’s AT725 Square, and select an array of lofts, from 21 degrees to 30 degrees for example (3 iron to 6 iron). You need these clubs to hit in order to compare them to your current irons.

At a driving range or golf store, start hitting balls with the longest iron in your bag, this could be a 3 or 4 iron. Use impact tape on the club face to see where the ball is being struck and take note of the height, flight, and distance the ball is traveling.

Hit 10 balls before switching to a hybrid of equivalent loft. For a 3 iron this will be about 21 degrees. Hit a further 10 balls using impact tape and taking note of the height, flight, and distance the ball is traveling. By comparing the strike pattern and other criteria, it will be easier to see the benefits that particular loft of hybrid will bring. The moment the results between the hybrid and iron become similar is the point at which hybrids are no longer needed.

By the end of this process, the senior golfer could find only the 3 iron needs replacing. However, the senior could find the hybrid clubs continue to outperform the standard iron throughout the bag. It’s not uncommon to find senior and lady golfers with hybrids replacing every club until the 8 iron. Some manufacturers like Thomas Golf have introduced full hybrid sets for extra forgiveness throughout the bag.

Why hybrid clubs would outperform irons

By deepening the cavity on the back of hybrids, manufacturers can move more weight to the perimeter of the club head, much more than the standard iron. This is because the hybrid is a slimmed down version of a fairway wood. Because of this, they are more forgiving and will give more help and distance to the senior golfer on off centre hits. Hybrids tend to give a little extra distance on centre strikes because they generally have longer shafts.

The disadvantage

The only real advantage of using normal irons is they tend to be more workable (easier to alter shot trajectory and shape) than hybrid clubs. However, many seniors are less concerned about hitting draws and fades and more focused on attaining more forgiveness and higher ball flights.

Follow the tips above and you can calculate the correct number of hybrids which you require.