Hybrid golf clubs have appeared in the past few years, and their popularity will no doubt continue to increase. Phil Mickelson used a hybrid numerous times during his win at the 2007 Players Championship. Many other top PGA Tour players use hybrid clubs as well, and the popularity of these clubs will continue to skyrocket. Taylor Made has said that one-fourth of all its wood sales in 2007 will be hybrids. Almost one-third of U.S. golfers now choose to carry a hybrid golf club in their bags compared to about 7% in 2004. The trend is clear.
Why Use a Hybrid Golf Club?
In short, a hybrid golf club is easier to hit than a long iron with the same loft, and with a hybrid golf club the ball will have a higher trajectory. To understand this one needs to know about two things: the 24/38 rule, and the vanishing loft phenomenon which has occurred in golf over the past 20-30 years.
The 24/38 Rule
This is a rule known by golf clubmakers. Essentially it says that most golfers, that is the vast majority, do not have the ability to consistently hit an iron with 24 degrees or less of loft and 38 or more inches of length. For the vast majority of golfers in todays...