Everyone knows that golf is a very difficult sport to play, especially for those new to the game. But I think even some of the more highly-skilled golfers have been making the sport harder than it needs to be through their equipment choices. Specifically, the clubs they choose at the point where the hybrids transition to irons. Now every golfer is different and some will prefer the look, feel and flight of an iron versus a hybrid – some low handicap golfers may not have any hybrids in their bag at all. But the overall performance of a hybrid versus a long-iron equivalent cannot be ignored, which is why I think every golfer should have a 4-hybrid in their bag instead of a 4-iron – myself included! Let me explain…
WATCH: We reveal the club every golfer should consider adding to their bag
The status quo has always been that iron sets start at a 4-iron and while we’re now seeing more game improvement iron sets starting at a 5-iron, this is more down to the lofts getting stronger and the 5-iron being, in real terms, a 4-iron with a 5 stamped on the bottom. But golfers should really think hard about where the transition point from tech-infused metalwoods to intimidating long irons sits as the versatility and user-friendly performance of the best golf hybrid clubs is something many golfers overlook.
To put my theory to the test, I took the new Titleist GT2 hybrid adjusted to 22° of loft and put it up against the Mizuno Pro 243 four iron, which comes in at the same static loft, in a variety of on-course scenarios as well as the Flightscope Mevo launch monitor at La Hacienda Golf Links. This was to see how the data compared but also what the realistic differences in on-course performance were and whether there was a case for choosing a 4-iron over the hybrid equivalent.
The GT2 hybrid comes in at around one-and-three-quarter inches longer than the 4-iron, which should allow for more clubhead speed to be created. The GT2 is infinitely more versatile in how it could be set up – it has the SureFit hosel that adjusts loft and lie angle independently as well as moveable weights on the sole to really dial in the ball flight. The profiles at address are chalk and cheese – the GT2 four hybrid presents a lot more real estate behind the ball compared to the 4-iron. Some people prefer the look of an iron over a hybrid but it’s hard not to feel more confident over the ball with so much more meat behind it.
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