Adding hybrid clubs to a senior golfer’s bag can bring improvements to many aspects of the game.

Hybrid clubs were first designed to merge the forgiveness and distance of a fairway wood with the playability and loft of irons. Originally, they were only intended as a ‘rescue’ club to help people escape difficult lies and situations encountered around the course. The hybrid manufacturers found that by slimming down the fairway wood club head to something a bit larger than an iron, they could push the perimeter weighting out further to all sides of the club head. This breakthrough meant the hybrid was forgiving on shots hit from across the club face.

By extending the shaft on hybrids to be longer than the equivalent irons, it was also possible for players to swing faster and harder through the ball. By increasing club head speed, balls struck with hybrids began to fly further than iron equivalents and higher because of the extra spin imparted on the ball. The sole of the hybrid club was also made rounded and smooth, in the fashion of a fairway wood. This meant that they could be played from difficult lies such as heavy rough and fairway bunkers. That is why hybrids are so popular now, with top professionals from across the globe using them. They are most popular on the senior and ladies tours where players need a little more help lifting the ball into the air. So the best reasons for senior players to add hybrids to their bag include:

Forgiveness

Because of the perimeter weighting, off centre hits fly further and straighter than conventional irons. This is important especially with the long irons where strikes from the centre of the club face are harder to come by. By having this extra forgiveness, senior golfers are more able to confidently attack longer approach shots into the green.

Club head speed

Because hybrid clubs have a longer shaft, the senior golfer can swing faster through the ball. This increased club head speed enables the senior golfer to hit the ball further and longer than an iron of equivalent loft. This is because the increased club head speed produces more backspin when the ball’s dimples hit the air at upwards of 100 miles per hour.

Rescue shots

Because of the sole design, hybrids can be played from many lies. It could be difficult to hit a long iron out of deep rough. Playing a hybrid from the same lie is often much easier to both get airborne and control. Hybrids can also be played from light rough, heavy rough, divots and even fairway bunkers.