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Review & Comparison of hybrid
golf clubs
Preface:
Every year, the multitude of golf magazines and
web sites come up with reviews of golf clubs and by and large they do a good
job. But they all review clubs from major manufacturers like Nike, Callaway,
McGregor etc. There is nothing to guide the golfing public about minor brands.
First most people don't even know that minor brands exist and even if they do,
they have no way to read reviews, do a comparative analysis and make informed
decisions. At InterloperGolf.com where we specialize in minor brands, we face
this issue daily. How to help our customers make better more informed decisions.
Left with no choice, we decided to take the plunge and do it ourselves.
The next issue was what to review first,
drivers, woods, hybrids, irons or putters? Since we sell more
hybrid
golf clubs than woods, drivers, irons and putters combined, we decided to review
hybrids first. The only thing that comes close to our
hybrid
sales are our
wedge sets.
Now we were faced with the task of doing a fair
evaluation. One thing that is frustrating when reading reviews in major
magazines is that the clubs come assembled from the manufacturers and all the
testers can do is test what they receive. A key component of a golf club is the
shaft and if every club has a different shaft, the testers cannot normalize
their results. The same club head will perform differently with different
shafts. At InterloperGolf.com we have the luxury of being able to assemble our
clubs with whichever shaft we want.
We chose the Apollo Shadow Steel
Shaft on some and the Apollo Acculite 95 lightweight steel shaft on
others. The Shadow's low Kickpoint helps produce higher trajectories
for improved distance and softer landings. It is a reasonably priced
shaft so the results will not be skewed to favor the affluent
golfer. The Apollo Acculite 95 on the other hand is a little more
expensive as it is about 20 to 25 grams lighter than the Shadow.
Still heavier than graphite though. It helps produce a Mid-High ball
flight and generally gives you more roll than the Shadow.
The lighter steel shafts are a new
phenomenon. Technology has advanced to a level where you can have a
steel shaft that is not as light as graphite but lighter than
traditional steel shafts. The result is faster swing speeds without
loosing control - and who doesn't want that.
What club # to test? We can't possibly test
them all from # 1 to 9, that would just be impractical. What hybrid do our
customers buy the most? The # 3 hybrid and that is usually the iron they so
desperately want to replace. So we decided to test the # 3 hybrid club from
different manufacturers.
What about club length? Usually different
manufacturers have different club lengths for the same club size. A # 3 Nickent
hybrid may have a different length than a Taylor Made. So we decided to make all
the same length.
Using only two shafts with the same length and
the same grip on all helped us achieve uniformity of flex, length and weight. We
could not control the loft angle as different manufacturers have different loft
sizes for their # 3. We could not control the head weight either but they are
all pretty close. So out of a total of six variables, we neutralized four -
shaft length, shaft weight, shaft flex and grip size. We also spine aligned the
shafts for greater consistency of results.
What kind of shots to test? We decided on Tee
Shots, Shots off the turf (fairway), Shots in the rough, cut shots, draw shots
and flat shots. Every club was tested on the golf range as well as on the golf
course to get a more realistic feedback. Not surprisingly, results vary. Besides
it is not easy to simulate shaped shots on a range or hit a shot from the rough
over water. We used the Cowboys Golf course, Grapevine Golf course, L.B. Houston
and the Bear Creek Golf course during our testing. They all pose different
challenges.
For simulating rough, we dropped
our balls in thick heavy grass and weeds, not just the second cut
off the fairway. It hurts club rankings but gives you a much better
idea. If your golf course does not have very heavy rough, then the
'Rough' column may not matter to you.
We measured 'Flat Shots' even
though many golfers don't even know what a flat shot is and how it
is played - you see so many golfers on the weekend wandering through
the woods hitting full shots after full shots and getting farther
and deeper into trouble when a gentle flat shot would have sufficed.
When you land in the woods, all you need to do is hit a shot such
that the ball flies above the grass but below the branches and out
on to the fairway. Here the lower center of gravity type clubs are
at a disadvantage as they are designed to lift the ball. We were
using the #3 clubs in our tests so most performed admirably but it
could be a challenge if you are trying to hit flat shots with a 7
hybrid.
Club head speed was measured using the portable
Swing Speed Radar. The assumption is that the higher the swing speed,
the greater the distance the ball will travel. We did not include swing speed in
our rankings - it's just there for reference.
Results were logged on a scale of 1 to 10 on
every shot and then averaged out. Bad shots, that is golfer error, were not
recorded. The table will give you our test results. Following the test results
is a commentary on all the clubs to give you more information on a club's unique
features / characteristics. Every golfer is unique and what works for one golfer
may not necessarily work the same for another.
* Swing Speed excluded from
totals
Notes:
- Swing Speed: Swing speed translates
to distance however most people buy hybrids not for distance but for control
and trajectory. Testing was done with the conscious exclusion of speed as a
variable. This helped us avoid errors that creep in when you are trying to
hit a ball real hard. The tester had to focus on everything except speed. We
recorded the speeds and are presenting you the data but we are not including
that in the ranking. Having said that, the Dynacraft Avatar Evolution gave our
testers so much confidence that they really got after it.
- Range Shots vs On-the-course shots:
The purpose is to measure shot dispersion, that is the ball ends in the
general area where intended. We are listing results from both to give you a
better idea of how the results were derived and how they vary from the range
to course in real play.
- Aesthetics: The looks, feel and
sound of a club: Though very subjective, how the club feels like at address
and how it sounds at impact can affect your confidence. If a club gives you
confidence, quite often you will hit a better shot.
- Trajectory: Most amateur golfers
struggle to get the ball high enough with their long irons and this looses
them distance. The lower CG and design of hybrids is meant to overcome that.
They all vary in their ability and hopefully our research will help you pick
the right club.
- Shot Shaping: It covers draw and
fade shots. If you are a very high handicapper, this probably will not
matter much to you as your focus will be to just get the ball up and
straight. Better players though need a club that they can guide the ball
with left or right. Most of the hybrids clubs above did very well on draw
shots but not so well on fades and hence the lower scores.
- Flat Shot: Why did we add a
separate column for flat shots when shot shaping should cover that? The low
CG of hybrids creates a problem - the ball pops up more than conventional
irons. A feature that you want in your hybrids except when hitting a flat
shot. It is an important shot as quite often we are in the trees and to get
out, we need a flat shot that just grazes the grass underneath and comes
back out to the fairway.
- Rough Shots: Since most
recreational golfers end up in the rough more often than not, we thought it
would be a good idea to test shots out of rough as a category. As the
results show, different clubs perform differently in thick rough.
- Chipping: Pretty much the same
results from all makes. The # 3 hybrid is not really a club you would use to
chip in most cases so the test results were pretty much the same and we
decided not to include them in the comparison. Most golfers would use a mid
to short iron or a wedge for chipping, not a # 3.
Commentary:
-
Dynacraft Avatar
Evolution: The # 1 ranked club:
- We tested this the most, not because
it was difficult to but because we couldn't believe any club could help
you hit so straight. It is very hard to hit a bad shot with this hybrid.
- Testers used words like "incredible",
"this one is mine", "I am keeping this one", " I found my hybrids" to
describe the Avatar Evolution.
- The most forgiving of all hybrids
clubs we
tested. It has the most MOI -
translation - it goes the straightest on mis-hits compared to other
clubs.
- Larger head - looks like a sculpted
wood - it's more wood like but only on the longer clubs. The shorter
clubs, # 8 down are more like traditional irons.
- Good hits fly off the face -
consistently got us close to 250 yards off the tee on the golf course -
neck to neck with others who were using drivers.
- Available in size 3 to 9, PW, GW and
SW. That means, you can have a complete set of these hybrid golf clubs
if you like.
- We would suggest order 2 or 3 of these
first and once you experience for yourself how good you can play with
these clubs, order the rest of the set.
Click Here for the Order Link.
-
Power Play System Q2:
- Perhaps the most colorful and
delightful club in our arsenal. Great aesthetics - just looking at it
makes you want to play golf.
- Not too big, not too small.
- Rectangular design - looks like a
square head and almost is but not quite.
- Provides great control and shot
shaping ability.
- Stellar in all categories.
-
Acer XF:
- A very close third with a more
traditional design. Looks like a flattened smaller wood.
- Another one that is hard to hit bad
shots with - gets the ball going in the right direction.
- You can do anything with this club -
want to hit it straight or shape your shots, it will not let you down.
- Because of its traditional design,
there isn't much of a learning curve.
-
Acer XK:
- A very well balanced club that handles
all kinds of shots.
- Incredible performance in shot
shaping. Even on flat shots, you can fade or draw.
- Wide clubhead makes it look like a
smaller wood. Helps you play with confidence.
-
Power Play Caiman:
- Bold design.
- Big square face offers a large hitting
area. You can't miss the ball with this club.
- Very forgiving on mis-hits.
- The harder Maraging Steel face gives
you more distance.
- Superb ball flight.
-
Power Play System Q Adrenaline:
- It is more iron like while the other
hybrids are more wood like. Great for those who are better with irons
than woods.
- Wide selection - 1 to 9, PW and SW.
You can have a complete set of these hybrids.
- Uni-rail sole to efficiently get
through any lie.
- Great for those who have a smooth,
stable and consistent swing.
-
Power Play System Q:
- Has a draw bias and that makes it
difficult to fade. However; the draw bias can be changed with the
interchangeable weights.
- It's low CG design makes it
difficult to keep flat shots down. The ball just keeps popping up.
This could be a virtue if you don't often land in the woods.
- Ideal for those who struggle with
draw or fade.
- Wide selection - 2 to 9, PW and
SW. You can have a complete set of these hybrids.
-
Acer XDS:
- Its sole has distinct rails that makes
it easy to slide through thick rough. If you play on a golf course that
has heavy rough, this club can be a life saver.
- The XDS has the largest head of all
the hybrids we tested. It is half the size of a regular wood. Off the
tee, it gives you confidence. It's an intangible advantage.
- When you are getting set before a
shot, the wider sole helps the club rest squarely on the turf. You don't
have to contend with the wobble associated with conventional irons or
hybrids that are more like irons.
- The ball goes further on flat shots
than you expect.
- Wide selection - 1 to 9, PW and SW.
You can have a complete set of these hybrids.
- Has been our best selling hybrid two
years in a row.
-
Power Play Select 5000:
- It has been our second best seller
hybrid this year and is at a very aggressive price point.
- It is more iron like while the other
hybrids are more wood like. Great for those who are better with irons
than woods.
- If you have a smooth stable swing,
this will be an excellent club for you.
- Wide selection - 1 to 9, PW and SW.
You can have a complete set of these hybrids.
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