NEWARK, Ohio — The new buzz word for golf equipment in 2004 is ‘hybrid.’ From clubheads to shafts, hybrid technology is sweeping through golf like a Bobby Jones tee shot, and according to The GolfWorks research and design team, the new trend toward ‘hybrid-izing’ will be a big boost to custom-fitting and to the game of golf.

In most circles, ‘hybrid’ refers to a club that is neither a fairway wood, nor an iron. With features designed to make the club easier to hit than more traditional clubs — specifically the long irons — hybrid clubs are designed to help golfers get more airtime on difficult approach shots. This increased playability and “smarter” set make-up means more golfers will enjoy the game more.

“Let’s face facts. The 2-, 3- and 4-irons are the most difficult irons to hit, yet most players still carry them in their bag,” says Britt Lindsey, vice president of technical services at The GolfWorks. This is mainly because that is how the club manufacturers sell them. Walk into any golf retailer and you’ll see irons sold in sets of eight clubs or more. Usually it’s 3-iron through PW. For most people, at least two of the irons in these sets are clubs they will rarely use because they don’t hit them well. Not only is it wasting money, but the poor playability of these long irons often adds more frustration than enjoyment to the game.”

Lindsey explains that many of these hybrid or utility clubs are designed to lengths that are slightly shorter than normal fairway woods, but longer than most long irons. The lofts vary, but usually are designed to fill the distance gaps lost when long irons are removed from the bag. Even though they are longer than most long irons, the head design’s mass and dimensional characteristics often allow these clubs to more easily get the ball airborne, improve trajectory and provide distance control. And, says Lindsey, that’s good for the game.

So how does a player decide whether a hybrid is right for their game? There are many options, but the key factor is replacing hard-to-hit clubs with easy-to-hit alternatives. If a player likes to hit long irons, but needs improvement in consistency, a combination set could be the way to go. However, if long irons have taken all the fun out of a player’s game, the GolfWorks design team strongly recommends incorporating hybrid clubs in the set make-up.

There are many model options in the 2004 Golfworks component catalog that can create a more playable set make-up, and the GolfWorks Maltby, Xtreme and CER lines all offer hybrid clubs to enhance playability. Whatever a player’s preference, hybrid clubs are helping to make the game more enjoyable for golfers in 2004...and for the foreseeable future.