Equipment

2014 Gear Trials: Best Hybrids

Published

10 years ago

Jul 4, 2014

In nearly every golfer’s bag, there’s a yardage gap between two irons that’s a little closer together than it should be. It’s most common in the long irons, where golfers often hit two different clubs almost the same distance. A golfer might be able to carry his 4 iron 190 yards, but for the life of him he just can’t get his 3 iron to fly more than 192 yards. That, loyal GolfWRX readers, is the reason for hybrids, which are designed to hit the ball higher, farther and are more forgiving than the long irons they replace.

This year’s 2014 Gear Trials: Best Hybrids list highlights hybrids that are extremely long, which we have labeled “Distance-First,” as well as clubs that are extremely accurate, which we labeled “Forgiveness-First.” Our “Balanced-Performance” category rewards hybrids that are both long and accurate, which we think will be the sweet spot of hybrid design for most golfers.

Do yourself a favor and spend some time hitting a few of the models on the list to see if your longest iron is really worth all the trouble it has caused you. Maybe you’re the kind of golfer who prefers a 5 wood over a similarly lofted hybrid, and that’s fine because you’re in good company. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy enjoy hitting their 19-degree fairway woods much more than a 19-degree hybrid.

Our testing, however, indicated that many golfers could benefit from one, two or maybe even three hybrids in their bag, which will give them the consistent distance gaps between their shortest wood and longest iron that can help them get their handicaps trending downward.

Looking for a new driver or fairway wood? Click here to read 2014 Gear Trials: Best Drivers and here to read our 2014 Gear Trials: Best Fairway Woods.

Who votes?

In our past best clubs list, we relied on both the feedback of our equipment editors and an elite panel of custom fitters located across North America. For this year’s list, we decided we needed another component: mass player testing of every major manufacturer’s hybrids performed by fitters at Miles of Golf in Ypsilanti, Mich. Those fitters spent eight days with 33 different testers of various ability levels evaluating a total of 23 different hybrids. Each hybrid was tested with its stock stiff-flex shaft and had as close to 19 degrees of loft as possible. The data was then normalized by the team at Miles of Golf in order to rank each hybrid’s launch, spin and smash factor.

After the data was collected, we surveyed our five other top custom fitters located across North America — Carl’s Golfland, Modern Golf, Morton Golf and two other custom fitters who chose to remain anonymous on the top performing hybrids in each category.

The scoring process

Unlike in year’s past, this year’s scores were entirely based on the performance of each hybrid, removing the subjective categories of looks, sound and feel from the equation. What was left was the votes of our custom fitters (60 percent of a hybrid’s score), the results of our mass player test (30 percent of a hybrid’s score) and the votes of our staff members (10 percent of a hybrid’s score).

Now that we’ve added up the scores, we present to you our list of the absolute best hybrids in golf. We consider each of these hybrids to be a winner, which is why they’re listed in alphabetical order (Note: You can click the images of each hybrid to enlarge the text).

Distance

Listed in alphabetic order

If your longest iron isn’t carrying far enough, chances are it’s not staying in the air long enough. That’s where hybrids can really change a golfer’s long game. Compared to an average long iron, a properly fit hybrid will in most cases launch the ball higher and with more ball speed, keeping it in the air longer for more carry distance.

These Distance-First hybrids are the best we’ve found at maximizing ball speed and they tend to spin less than other models on this list. That makes them a good fit for better golfers who have struggled to control the trajectory of higher-lofted fairway woods, as well as those who simply want to play the longest hybrids they can get their hands on.

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: Adams’ Pro lineup includes three hybrids: the Pro, the Pro Mini and the Pro DHy. The Pro is the most well-rounded of the line, with the largest profile that offers the most forgiveness of the three hybrids. And when it’s properly fit, it’s usually the longest of the three clubs as well.

The Pro includes Adams’ patented upside-down head shape, as well as two slots — one on the crown, one on the sole — that improve spring-like effect across the hybrid’s ultra-thin 455 carpenter steel face. It also has a low, neutral center of gravity (CG) that makes the hybrid fairly low spinning and gives golfers a chance to hit both draws and fades.

The Pro is available in lofts of 16, 18, 20, 23 and 26 degrees and comes stock with Aldila’s Tour Red shaft.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.golfwrx.com/197553/review-adams-pro-hybrid/”]Read our review of the Pro[/button][button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IPTE3CO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00IPTE3CO&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20″]Buy the Pro[/button][/colored_box]

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: Adams wants golfers to #ownthesecondshot, and the XTD Ti is yet another hybrid in the company’s expansive line that will help some golfers do just that. If you’re looking to add distance to your hybrid game, this is probably going to be your longest option as long as the spin numbers fall in the appropriate range.

The XTD Ti is so hot, Adams claims, that the company had to slow down its titanium face to make it conform to the USGA’s limitation on spring-like effect. Like the Pro, the XTD Ti has two of Adams slots — one on the crown and on the sole — that work with the club’s brazed titanium face to create some of the fastest balls speeds we saw from a hybrid in testing.

The XTD Ti is offered in lofts of 16, 18, 20, 23 and 26 degrees, and comes stock with Matrix’s HQ3 “Red Tie” Hybrid shaft, which weighs about 90 grams. It’s adjustable to +/- 1.5 degrees of its printed loft.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FXLEYTO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FXLEYTO&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20″]Buy the XTD Ti[/button][/colored_box]

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: The votes we received from our club fitters for the Gear Trials: Best Hybrids category were a little more diverse than the tally from our driver and fairway wood lists, but they all had one thing in common: each custom fitter voted Callaway’s X2 Hot hybrids as one of the best lineups in 2014.

The X2 Hot and X2 Hot Pro look very different at address, but they reigned supreme in their categories thanks to the their Hyper Speed Cup Faces, which our panel said produced some of the fastest ball speeds they’ve ever seen from all-steel hybrids.

The X2 Hot (available in lofts of 19, 22, 25 and 28 degrees) is larger and more forgiving, and comes stock with a higher-launching Aldila Tour Blue proprietary hybrid shaft that weighs about 60 grams.

The X2 Hot Pro (available in lofts of 16, 18, 20 and 23 degrees) is considerably more compact for more versatility from less-than-ideal lies. It launches lower and spins less than the X2 Hot, making it a good fit for high-speed players. It comes stock with a lower-launching Aldila Tour Green Hybrid shaft that weighs about 75 grams.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.golfwrx.com/165341/review-callaway-x2-hot-hybrids/”]Read our review of X2 Hot and X2 Hot Pro[/button]

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G97Q89U/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00G97Q89U&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20″]Buy the X2 Hot[/button][button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G97Q22I/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00G97Q22I&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20″]Buy the X2 Hot Pro[/button][/colored_box]

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: TaylorMade’s SLDR hybrids have been a game changer for many high-speed golfers who have always wanted to play a hybrid instead of a 2 or 3 iron, but struggled to find a model that lowered their spin to an acceptable range.

TaylorMade created the SLDR’s low-spin launch conditions with its low, forward CG strategy, which works with the company’s Speed Pocket to provide faster ball speeds and a higher launch angle, particularly for better players who hit the sweet spot consistently. The hybrids also have a 3-degree adjustable hosel, which will be useful to golfers who want to dial in their launch conditions for specific course conditions.

The adjustability also serves as an insurance policy for golfers who don’t heed TaylorMade’s advice to loft up, giving them a 1.5-degree margin of error should they not buy a model with enough loft. Remember, the SLDR’s extremely low-spin launch conditions allow most golfers to play a hybrid that has 2-or-more degrees of additional loft, allowing them to launch their shots higher with less spin, paydirt for those who are looking to hit their hybrids farther.

The SLDR hybrids are available in lofts of 17, 19, 21 and 24 degrees with Fujikura’s Speeder 82H shaft (R, S and X flexes). A pricer TP model is also available, which comes with Fujikura’s stouter Motore Speeder 9.3H shaft in S and X flexes.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.golfwrx.com/150516/review-taylormade-sldr-fairway-woods-and-hybrids/”]Read our review of the SLDR[/button][button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G2M7QKW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00G2M7QKW&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20&linkId=2LRDUJJ3QNZSSXCB”]Buy the SLDR[/button]
[button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GB3Q5AE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00GB3Q5AE&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20&linkId=CL3SYQO7YJWHSZWG”]Buy the SLDR TP[/button][/colored_box]

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: Consider TaylorMade’s SLDR S a friendlier SLDR, with a little wider footprint and shallower face that helps golfers launch the clubs a little higher than the originals. Our testing revealed that the SLDR S hybrids are similar to the company’s JetSpeed models, but their lighter head weights, as well as their lighter and shorter shafts led to improved consistency from our testers.

Like the SLDR hybrids, the SLDR S hybrids are really long and low-spinning thanks to their low, forward CG and hot faces, which are made hotter and more consistent with the company’s Speed Pocket, a handlebar-shaped slot on the front of the sole.

The SLDR S hybrids are not adjustable, making a proper fit all-the-more important. They come in lofts of 19, 22, 25 and 28 degrees with Fujikura’s Speeder 72H shafts in M, R and S flexes.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.golfwrx.com/207735/taylormade-unveils-new-sldr-s-woods-and-irons/”]Read more about the SLDR S line[/button] [button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JR528DQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JR528DQ&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20&linkId=XL4WC3XFEVFCVODE”]Buy the SLDR S[/button][/colored_box]

Forgiveness

Listed in alphabetic order

Golfers with average or below average swing speeds tend to have the most problems with their long irons. This Forgiveness-First list was created almost exclusively for them, and is filled with high-launching, forgiving hybrids that can give them a huge boost of confidence once they move outside short-iron range.

Even if you have a swing speed that’s above average, a little extra forgiveness never hurt anyone. After all, it’s not about how far you hit your hybrids, but how consistently you hit them. That’s why you’ll find many of these Forgiveness-First hybrids in the bags of everyone from high handicappers to low handicappers and even some of the best players in the world.

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: Adams calls its Idea hybrid its “easiest to hit hybrid” and our fitters agree. Like the company’s Pro and XTD Ti models, the Idea has an upside-down head design and uses two slots — one in the crown and one in the sole — to increase launch angle, ball speed and consistency on off-center hits.

With the Idea, however, Adams moved the CG considerably lower and deeper in the head, helping golfers hit these clubs higher. Unlike Distance-First hybrids, the Idea is designed to launch shots with a little more spin. That helps golfers with slower club head speeds achieve a higher peak trajectory that allows shots to land softer on the green and stop closer to their pitch mark.

The Idea hybrids are offered in lofts of 16.5, 19, 22, 25, 28 and 32 degrees with Mitsubishi Rayon’s Bassara Eagle shaft in S, R and A flexes.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRF7Z9M/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FRF7Z9M&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20&linkId=W3F65TR73FF7P7JB”]Buy the Idea[/button][/colored_box]

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.golfwrx.com/165341/review-callaway-x2-hot-hybrids/”]Read our review of X2 Hot and X2 Hot Pro[/button]

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: Nike’s Covert 2.0 and 2.0 Tour hybrids have what Nike calls a “linear transition design.” What that means is the lower-lofted hybrids have larger heads for more forgiveness, while the higher-lofted hybrids have smaller heads for more versatility and workability.

That design and their unique cavity back on the rear of their soles makes the Covert 2.0 and 2.0 Tour hybrids two of the most forgiving hybrids in golf, and their NexCore faces with variable face thickness delivers faster ball speeds than their predecessors.

The Covert 2.0 is Nike’s higher-spinning model, and comes stock with Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kuro Kage 2.0 Black 70 shaft (A, R and S Flexes) in lofts of 17, 20, 23 and 26 degrees. The Covert 2.0 Tour is designed for golfers who need a little less spin. It comes stock with Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kuro Kage 2.0 Silver TiNi shaft in two models:

a 3 hybrid that’s adjustable from 17-to-21 degrees.
a 4 hybrid that adjusts from 21-to-25 degrees.

The FlexLoft hosel on the Covert 2.0 Tour allows golfers to adjust loft as much as 5 degrees in 1-degree increments, and each setting pairs independently with one of three face angles: left (closed), neutral (square) and right (open). If aesthetics are your thing, it’s hard to beat what many of our testers called the prettiest hybrids in golf, and allowing golfers to adjust their face angle independent of loft is also a nice touch.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.golfwrx.com/202445/review-nike-covert-2-0-hybrids/”]Read our review of Covert 2.0 and Covert 2.0 Tour[/button]

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CRFP12/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003CRFP12&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20&linkId=3ARC663MIJURNXHW”]Buy the Covert 2.0[/button][button color=”red” link=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HB6PSQ2/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00HB6PSQ2&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20&linkId=RZE34WSZBAUT7K43″]Buy the Covert 2.0 Tour[/button][/colored_box]

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: If you’ve read our Gear Trials: Drivers and Gear Trials: Fairway Woods lists, you’ve likely noticed a trend. Ping’s G25 line has been a mainstay of our “Forgiveness-First” and “Balanced-Performance” categories, and the G25 hybrids are no exception.

The G25 hybrids are designed with a low, rearward center of gravity that makes them the most-forgiving models on this list. They’re particularly good on mishits on the heel and toe, our fitters noticed, helping those shots fly almost as far and as straight as shots hit on the center of the face.

In the lower lofts (17 and 20 degrees), the G25 hybrids are designed to be extremely high launching, but in the higher lofts, (23, 37 and 31 degrees) Ping engineers moved the CG of the clubs slightly more forward to remove excess spin. If you like the forgiveness of the G25 hybrids but find that they spin too much for you, Ping also offers its i25 hybrids, which retain most of the G25’s forgiveness and have a slightly lower-launching, lower-spinning trajectory.

The G25 hybrids come stock with Ping’s TFC 189F stock shaft in Soft R, R, S, Tour-Stiff and Tour X-Stiff flexes.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.golfwrx.com/110054/ping-g25-fairway-woods-and-hybrids-editor-review/”]Read here to read our review of the G25 hybrids[/button][/colored_box]

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: The 913H is a favorite of many PGA Tour players for many reasons, but what the hybrid does best is deliver consistent distance on shots hit across the clubface, and it’s particularly impressive on shots hit below the sweet spot.

The 913H has a low, neutral center of gravity that helps better golfers work the ball either left-to-right or right-to-left. Golfers looking for a lower-spinning trajectory might try the 913H.d, which is about 15cc smaller and has slightly more offset than the 913H.

Both clubs have Titleist’s adjustable Sure-Fit hosel, which allows golfers to adjust the loft and lie angle of the hybrid as much as 1.5 degrees in 0.75-degree increments. The 913H is available in lofts of 17, 19, 21, 24 and 27 degrees. The 913H.d comes in lofts of 18, 20 and 23 degrees.

The 913H and 913H.d are available with a myriad of shaft options from Aldila and Mitsubishi Rayon, and many custom shafts are also available for an extra charge.[/colored_box]

Balanced Performance

Listed in alphabetic order

You’ll notice some carryover from the Distance-First and Forgiveness-First categories in this list, which is by design. That’s because these six hybrids: Adams’ Pro, Callaway’s X2 Hot and X2 Hot Pro, Ping’s Anser, G25 and TaylorMade’s SLDR S bring an enviable amount of both distance and forgiveness to the table.

Unless you already know you need something special, like the spin-killing performance of our Distance-First hybrids or the added forgiveness of our Forgiveness-First hybrids, this is the list you should use to start your testing.

The Pro is available in lofts of 16, 18, 20, 23 and 26 degrees and comes stock with Aldila’s Tour Red shaft.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.golfwrx.com/165341/review-callaway-x2-hot-hybrids/”]Read our review of X2 Hot and X2 Hot Pro[/button]

[colored_box color=”white”]Tech Talk: Ping’s Anser hybrid was released in July 2012, making it old enough to fall under the “classic hybrids” tab on Ping’s website. Yet two years later, the club is still one of the best performing hybrids in golf.

Like Ping’s G25 hybrids, the Anser uses progressive CG positions (the CG is farther back in the lower lofts and farther forward in the higher lofts) to give golfers a mid-launching, mid-spinning trajectory. It’s not the longest hybrid in golf by any means, as our custom fitters noted, but it has all the forgiveness you’d expect from a Ping hybrid, especially on shots hit high and low on the clubface. The Anser is also easy for better players to work left-to-right or right-to-left, and its turf interaction is impressive from a variety of lies.

If you’re into Ping hybrids, choosing one from this list can be as simple as this:

Tend to miss shots on the heel and toe? You’re probably a good fit for the G25.
Tend to miss shots high and low on the face? You’re probably a good fit for the Anser.

The Anser hybrids come stock with Ping’s TFC 800H shaft in soft regular, regular, stiff and x-stiff flexes, and the shafts weigh between 74 and 88 grams depending on flex.[/colored_box]

The G25 hybrids come stock with Ping’s TFC 189F stock shaft in Soft R, R, S, Tour-Stiff and Tour X-Stiff flexes.

[button color=”red” link=”http://www.golfwrx.com/110054/ping-g25-fairway-woods-and-hybrids-editor-review/”]Read here to read our review of the G25 hybrids[/button][/colored_box]

The SLDR S hybrids are not adjustable, making a proper fit all-the-more important. They come in lofts of 19, 22, 25 and 28 degrees with Fujikura’s Speeder 72H shafts in M, R and S flexes.

Looking for a new driver or fairway wood? Click here to read 2014 Gear Trials: Best Drivers and here to read our 2014 Gear Trials: Best Fairway Woods.

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33 Comments

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Larry

Nov 15, 2014 at 9:32 pm

In Aisa somewhere, Golf is about the best score possible and the guys making the bucks are not using anything but what works for them, and the people paying them to use their namend clubs (as some of the pro gear is so customized a Callaway can work like a Ping Etc. if needs be). Answer to everyone the best club or clubs are the ones that work for you or you make work for you…If you swear by Ping or another club company odds are that companies clubs are going to work for you.

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Charles

Jun 29, 2014 at 12:27 am

My ping rapture DI will kill all of these picks

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PGG

Jun 25, 2014 at 11:53 pm

There’s no Ping i25, Cobra Bio Cell, or Mizuno Jpx Ez

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Martin

Jun 23, 2014 at 6:04 am

I tried most of them, bought the X2Hot Hybrids and they are everything the review says.

Long and forgiving, point and shoot.

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Jim

Jun 21, 2014 at 1:01 am

Thanks for the great research and the time all the testers took to put these tests together. Of course everyone is going to have a different opinion, but you assembled a great list of 23 hybrids for the test.

I moved from Mizuno JPX (17,19,22 and 25), which I hit extremely well, to Ping G25 (20-Degree) to match up better with my G25 Driver and 5-Fairway. I am extremely happy with the G25s for my game as they are both forgiving and consistent while still providing plenty of distance.

The competition in this test was pretty fierce but from the many different hybrids I have hit this year, I couldn’t disagree with any of the test results.

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Dan

Jun 20, 2014 at 8:53 pm

I play the Cobra Baffler T-Rail+ 17* with the GD G70 R flex and it is the best hybrid I’ve played. It is straight, forgiving and just plain long. I did hit the Cleveland 588 the other day and if I change that will be the one I buy. Remember this all objective since everyone has their own opinions and favorites.

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LL

Jun 20, 2014 at 10:54 am

What about the Epon AF 902? Longest AND most forgiving.

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adam

Jun 20, 2014 at 10:50 am

Different strokes for different folks people. I’ve tested them all and Callaway X2 hots/pro’s were by far the best, FOR ME. I couldn’t get the Cobra Bio off the ground, G25 didn’t fly anywhere and the SLDR was inconsistent in toe/heel hits. All dependent on your swing speed, take away, etc…..

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- Bob
  
  Jun 20, 2014 at 5:15 pm
  
  As stated not everyone likes the same. I tried Titleist, Callaway, Adams, Nike and Cobra. I purchased the Cobra Bio Cell and loved it.
  Bob Handicap 9.5.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Fred
  
  Jun 20, 2014 at 8:56 pm
  
  Just traded my G25 for a Titleist hybrid. Good choice. In the end, preference is an individual choice; a player needs to fit his or her abilities with the club they’re most comfortable with.
  
  Reply Report comment
Jared

Jun 20, 2014 at 1:27 am

913h with the Aldila Tour Green shaft is the best hybrid hands down. Best looks of all the hybrids, simple yet impressively smooth and quick with the red and grey lines along with the titleist logo towards the toe of the club. Shaft is just right and the feel is pretty impressive, not to pinggy off the face but not dull or dead feeling either, just a soid pop. Club is very workable, yet easy to hit straight when needed. I would reccommend to all, I think you will be satisfied with the quality and titleist doesn’t release clubs every other month so it will still be current for many years. It’s may cost a little more initially but it’s cheaper in the long run because titleist clubs maintain value because there’s not always a “newer model (ex. Taylormade) of the club. ” Titleist also provides better stock shaft selections than any other company. Not only are you getting a good club, but you also are getting a premium shaft.

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Chris

Jun 19, 2014 at 10:14 pm

4 TMG products? (2 Adams and 2 Taylor Made). Not exactly a diverse selection. Cobra Bio Cell should have been included in the testing.

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- Charles
  
  Jun 19, 2014 at 10:47 pm
  
  I’m willing to bet it was. I asked for a list for the fairway woods Gear Trials and they promptly provided one.. The list was pretty large honestly.. Can we please get a list of the hybrids tested? Thanks!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Zak Kozuchowski
    
    Jun 20, 2014 at 9:58 am
    
    Charles,
    
    Here’s the list of hybrids tested:
    
    Adams Idea (2014)
    Adams Pro
    Adams Pro Mini
    Adams XTD Ti
    Callaway X2 Hot
    Callaway X2 Hot Pro
    Cobra Baffler XL
    Cleveland 588
    Cobra Bio Cell
    Mizuno JPX-EZ
    Nike Covert 2.0
    Nike Covert 2.0 Tour
    Ping Anser
    Ping G25
    Ping i25
    TaylorMade JetSpeed
    TaylorMade SLDR
    TaylorMade SLDR S
    Titleist 913H
    Titleist 913 H.d
    Tour Edge Exotics XCG7
    Tour Edge Exotics XCG7 Beta
    Wilson Staff M3
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Owen
      
      Jun 20, 2014 at 8:31 pm
      
      Where are theRoyal Collection hybrids? Renowned in Asia as the best.
      
      Reply Report comment
- Zak Kozuchowski
  
  Jun 20, 2014 at 10:37 am
  
  I posted a list of the hybrids tested, and that list included the Cobra Bio Cell.
  
  With Gear Trials, we’re not out to provide a diverse selection. It’s our leaderboard of the top-performing golf clubs currently available in each category. Most of the hybrids we tested performed admirably, but some were just a little better. We think those are the clubs golfers want to know about and want to demo.
  
  Reply Report comment
Tom

Jun 19, 2014 at 8:47 pm

Can I get a list of all the hybrids tested? Any driving irons?

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sk33tr

Jun 19, 2014 at 6:50 pm

Totally shocked Mizuno’s JPX-EZ did not make the list. I tested every club on here. Flabbergasted. Only the G25 was close.

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- Fred
  
  Jun 20, 2014 at 8:51 pm
  
  I agree. The entire line of JPX irons and woods have continually gotten excellent marks in tests.
  
  Reply Report comment
Mason

Jun 19, 2014 at 3:02 pm

Given how well reviewed the bio cell has been, I am surprised to see it totally off the list.

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- Mason
  
  Jun 19, 2014 at 3:02 pm
  
  Drivers and fairways.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Matt
    
    Jun 19, 2014 at 6:44 pm
    
    I agree on the Cobra line this year; I have the Bio cell 4-5 hybrid and tested out against many of those listed and it beat them out hands down on distance and especially forgiveness. I guess when you have a fat bank you can buy your results. Others including My Golf Spy did real people testing and the Bio cell was listed very high there to as well I think Golf Digest rated them high.
    It is a shame that in today’s golf world where they want to get more people to play you get biased results based on who pays you more. Just my opinion on all this but many different tests have always listed Cobra gear high they suddenly do not even score at all here? Adams- 2 clubs owned by TMAG lol honest results? thoughts?
    
    Reply Report comment
- Toots
  
  Jun 19, 2014 at 8:46 pm
  
  Must have not spent enough money with Golf Digest this year. You guys really need to learn something with MGS.
  
  Reply Report comment
Chris

Jun 19, 2014 at 1:35 pm

All of these hybrids have their pros and cons. Personally i’ll stick with my Mizuno JPX-EZ hybrids. easy to hit off the deck and get elevated but with a deeper face then most hybrids, they are just bombers off a tee. more versatile for me at least

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- Fred
  
  Jun 20, 2014 at 9:00 pm
  
  Chris: I’ve heard the same, as well. Again, it’s personal preference. Go to a golf store and forget about the tests. Just swing some clubs. Eventually, one with win over the others.
  
  Reply Report comment
Josh

Jun 19, 2014 at 1:15 pm

My Adams Super 9031 w/ Diamana D+ will have to be stolen or explode before I change. Bought a backup off eBay for 79 dollars brand new in plastic so I’m good for a while. Without question the most versatile club I own.

Reply Report comment
- Zak Kozuchowski
  
  Jun 19, 2014 at 1:22 pm
  
  That’s been a great club for many golfers, Josh. Readers should note that Adams’ new Pro Mini was designed on the Super 9031 platform, so you’d probably like that one, too.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Josh
    
    Jun 19, 2014 at 3:02 pm
    
    Couldn’t agree more Zak. That Pro Mini with the tour green looks like a phenomenal combo.
    
    Reply Report comment
Nick

Jun 19, 2014 at 12:17 pm

Would be interesting to see numbers of new clubs vs a few years ago as hybrids are a trusty stick that stays in the bag for a while….

Reply Report comment
derrick

Jun 19, 2014 at 12:03 pm

Maybe I should have waited on updating my Mashies to the Cleveland 588 hybrids. I didn’t try several of these on the list.

Reply Report comment
- E
  
  Jun 19, 2014 at 3:34 pm
  
  Derrick, put the 588 hybrid head-to-head against any competitor out there and see how it stacks up. It’s Cleveland’s longest hybrid ever and just as playable as the Mashie!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Dig
    
    Jun 21, 2014 at 10:50 pm
    
    I agree E. I hit the Launcher 19* hybrid for 5 years and just replaced it with the 588. Picked up 4 yds carry with the exact shaft from the launcher and same loft. It really just depends what you are used to. I like the shape, offset and have bagged Cleveland hybrids since the Halo days(I actually still use the LDI 21* as my 3 Iron!) The only other hybrid that appeals to me currently is the Ping Anser.
    
    Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Masters gear roundup: Limited-edition bags, balls, and more

Published

2 hours ago

Apr 9, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

The Masters in itself is a huge tradition in the world of golf, but it also brings its own traditions with it. One of the big ones for us golf equipment fans is the limited edition gear that is influenced by the season’s first major championship.

Around tournament time, companies big and small offer bags, balls, and accessories that are designed with the colors and history of the Masters Tournament.

Here is some of the gear that we will see this weekend out on the lush, green grass of Augusta.

Callaway

The land Augusta National sits on was once a nursery. Callaway looks to be celebrating that history this year. Colorful flowers are used all over the side panels on the staff bag and on top of the headcovers. Callaway also did some limited edition Chrome Tour golf balls with azalea patterns.

Mizuno

There might not be a green bag here for Mizuno, but they know how to celebrate the Masters! This year, Mizuno is offering Mizuno Pro 241 “Azalea” irons to a limited number of lucky customers. A new green iridescent finish is applied to the heads and some beautiful colored ferrules bring some floral color to the irons. If you are lucky enough to grab a set, you will be impressed by the green display box the irons come in as well!

TaylorMade

This year’s staff bag goes a little heavier on a metallic green color to pay homage to the first major of the year. If you look closely at the details, you will notice shiny gold accent pieces, a small Amen Corner, and an inner lining with Georgia peaches. The headcovers are made from matching metallic green fabric and feature “88th” embroidery for the number of Masters tournaments that have been played. TaylorMade’s TP5x Pix golf balls come in a case that looks, and feels, like a peach!

Srixon

Srixon’s bag for the 2024 Masters goes heavy on green and white with a more simple and classic design on the outside. When you unzip the pockets you will treated to a hidden inner lining that has Georgia’s state fruit, the peach, printed all over. Heck, Srixon even included the pit! Headcovers are matching white and green but have a look that reminds you of the iconic Masters scoreboard.

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Whats in the Bag

WITB Time Machine: Tiger Woods’ winning WITB, 2019 Masters

Published

4 hours ago

Apr 9, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

At the 2019 Masters, Tiger Woods famously ended an 11-year major championship drought. When Francesco Molinari faltered during the final round, Woods pounced. With a Sunday 70, he captured his fifth green jacket and 15th major championship.

Check out what Tiger had in the bag below.

Driver: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 60 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade M5 (13 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 70 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade M3 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 80 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7TW (3-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind Raw (56, 60)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS

Ball: Bridgestone TourB XS

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

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Equipment

Best irons in golf of 2024: Pure enjoyment

Published

7 hours ago

Apr 9, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

In our effort to assemble the 2024 best irons, we have again compiled an expert panel of fitters to help you find out which of the 2024 irons is best for your game.

Ultimately the best way to find your personal best iron set is to work with a professional fitter using a launch monitor. The difficult part is a lot of people don’t have easy access to fitters, launch monitors, and club builders — so at GolfWRX, we have done a lot of the work for you.

We are in the era of not just maximizing distance but also minimizing the penalty of common misses for each player — this applies to irons just as much as it does with any other club in the bag. And of course, proper set makeup and gapping is essential. This is why, now more than ever, custom fitting is essential to help you see results on every swing you make.

We want to give you the tools and information to go out and find what works best for you by offering recommendations for your individual iron set wants and needs with insight and feedback from the people who work every single day to help golfers get peak performance out of their equipment.

Join the discussion about best irons 2024 in the forums!

Best irons of 2024: The process

The best fitters in the world see all the options available in the marketplace, analyze their performance traits, and pull from that internal database of knowledge and experience like a supercomputer when they are working with a golfer.

It’s essentially a huge decision tree derived from experience and boiled down to a starting point of options—and it has nothing to do with a handicap!

Modern iron sets are designed into player categories that overlap the outdated “what’s your handicap?” model, and at GolfWRX we believe it was important to go beyond handicap and ask specific questions about the most crucial performance elements fitters are looking at.

These are the best iron categories we have developed to help you determine which category is most important for your swing and game.

Best irons of 2024: The categories

Overall performance
Easiest to launch/Slower swing speed
Pure enjoyment
Shotmakers
Most technology-packed
Best blade

2024 Best irons: Pure enjoyment

We continue to see an overlap in the way fitters in this category define the top irons. The most playable irons are the most likely to be higher launching, and shots that fly higher make the game more enjoyable for everyone. This reiterates our belief that your iron selection should not be defined by your handicap but instead by what gives you the best opportunity to play your best — and most enjoyable — golf.

Join the discussion about best irons 2024 in the forums!

Ping G430

Their story: Billed as Ping’s “longest iron ever,” the G430 irons combine a lower CG with stronger, custom- engineered lofts and a thinner face that delivers up to two more mph of ball speed, per the company. At the heart of the new addition is the PurFlex cavity badge, an innovation that features seven flex zones that allow more free bending in design to increase ball speed across the face. In combination with a lower CG, the badge aims to contribute to a solid feel and pleasing impact sound.

Fitter comments:

“The best G.I. iron on the market. Easy to hit and launch while making great ball speed for distance.”
“The best iron in the game improvement category. High launch and packed with forgiveness on those off-center hits. It’s one of the easiest irons to hit. So easy to hit and look at for the average golfer.”
“Yeah, I mean, that’s definitely a go-to and in the matrix for sure. I mean, it’s just super easy to hit, super forgiving. They don’t mess that iron up.”
“Ping does a great job of building golf clubs. Their design is fantastic and it’s not for everybody, you know, it’s not the lowest-spinning club…but it sure is one of the most forgiving golf clubs and most consistent golf clubs. Ping G430 in that category of club, you can have something that a good player who needs a little help maybe can use because it’s consistent across the face, and you can’t do that with some of the other clubs because they’re not as consistent across the face for the ball speeds. It is a monster for us.”
“The best iron in the game improvement category. It’s one of the easiest irons to hit.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

TaylorMade P790

Their story: Engineers utilized the variables of tungsten weighting, SpeedFoam Air, and internal mass — with an assist from AI — to precisely give golfers what they need in each iron. For example, launch and forgiveness in the long irons. More specifically, TaylorMade is using what the company calls FLTD CG (flighted CG) to strategically position CG throughout the set (lower in the long irons, higher in the short irons). CG is positioned almost a millimeter lower in the long irons compared to previous generations. In the shorter irons, the higher CG positions allowed engineers to dial in spin and promote accuracy.

Fitter comments:

“Best combination of everything. The amalgamation of all irons on the market blended into one mathematically perfect design.”
“I think people recognize the name. It’s a very popular club. It stands up to every model in a category.”
“That’s the staple in the players distance category. It’s year-in, year-out. It’s tough to beat TaylorMade — they don’t go wrong with that iron, for sure. They make little refinements, but it’s almost like, yeah, just keep making little refinements. Don’t kind of mess that up just because the, I mean, it, it fits such a wide range of players and it’s just such a good iron that fits a wide, wide range of handicaps.”
“I think where TaylorMade kind of struggled over the past is getting that spin on the golf club, and I think each generation it just keeps getting better. I think they did an awesome job.”
“If it’s not our best-selling iron in the fitting center, it’s always like number two. It’s such a great, great performer across the board. And yeah, it just keeps getting better every year. It’s really awesome; crazy distance on that thing too.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Srixon ZX5 Mk II

Their story: MainFrame v2 was developed with an Automated Intelligence process, flex-maximizing variable thickness pattern of grooves, channels, and cavities carefully milled into the backside of Z ZX5 iron faces for high ball speeds. Not only does MainFrame boost COR, but it also repositions mass away from the face and into the toe and sole for a lower CG for easier launch, more consistency, and forgiveness.

Fitter comments:

“I’m a big believer in the V-Sole. For high-speed guys who want a little forgiveness and are steep, it just doesn’t stick in the ground. Super soft and high launching. Not a ton of offset. It’s also been a good fit for moderate-to-high handicappers.”
“So I would say it, it kind of stands out in its category because it does launch higher than its competitors. It also sits in between some of the models, like, it doesn’t directly compete with a hollow cavity and it doesn’t compete with, like the Cobra King Tour. Like, it’s a degree stronger. For a forged iron, it performs great for us. The only problem is that it is a little bit light in a swing weight, so we have to be careful of who we fit.”
“It’s definitely one of our more popular irons for sure. You know, you get a guy who wants to play something small but still wants something more forgiving, and they don’t want kind of that full hollow body iron. I mean, that’s definitely one of our best sellers for sure. We’re seeing that a lot of combos — that’s a one iron that you can definitely combo with the ZX7 for sure.”
“I think a lot of guys like the concept of the V-Sole with them…If you’re talking an overall package, you know, for the guy that is looking for something clean. That’s a spectacular golf club. Good looks and good feel and great, you know, great performance, and it fits a lot of categories.”
“I think the one struggle a lot of companies have with that category is getting something to spin, so to try and give like guys so they don’t get those knuckleball shots or that fly out of the rough that goes 20 yards longer. I kind of think that that’s what I think makes that item so good is you get some spin on it, and I think it, it looks and feels good enough that like it, a guy that’s a mid-single digit can play it and be like, yeah, that’s good enough for me. But it’s also forgiving enough that a guy that’s in that kind of 12-to-15 kind of category if he wants to reach a little bit and play something that might look a little bit better. It just fits such a huge, huge range of players. I think it’s just awesome.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal

Their story: “With the JPX923 Hot Metal, Mizuno introduces “4355 nickel chromoly,” which is 35 percent stronger than the original Hot Metal material and allows for an eight-percent thinner clubface. Cup face construction works in tandem with a deep center of gravity for high launch with stopping power. Mizuno developed Hot Metal Pro, Hot Metal and Hot Metal HL (High Launch) from 175,000 real golf swings recorded via Mizuno’s Swing DNA system.”

Fitter comments:

“These are great for a player who flips at the ball but also needs some help and forgiveness. The strong lofts help reduce a player’s launch and spin.”
“Great forgiveness with the feel that Mizuno is known for.”
“Great looking and great feeling irons.”
“If I had a player come in, that’s just your, you know, your average golfer. It’s one that is like, “Hey, this is, this is one to try.” This is gonna produce a lot of ball speed and is super forgiving. You can combo it really well. Mizuno does a great job where you can do combo sets just with lofts.”
“It’s very good. It’s one of the most popular. Always in the mix of game improvement irons when people come in and they want to hit something that’s forgiving and that also still feels less clicky.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Titleist T200

Their story: If there were gripes about the previous generation of T200 irons, it was probably because of feel and sound at impact. Titleist heard your feedback on the previous T200 irons, and it listened. The new 2023 T200 irons have a reengineered chassis to create a stiffer structure and create a more stable feeling and muted sound. They also refined the Max Impact Technology within the head to sit closer to the L-face, further solidifying the feel.

Fitter comments:

“Best overall for us. Great looks, workability. Plenty of forgiveness.”
“I like the great look of these and they are easy to play for the average golfer.”
“That’s a big combo iron for sure, especially, but it’s also, you know, in that player distance category, it’s one of the higher launching ones, and it’s gonna spin a little bit more. I would say some of those irons in that category they launch, you know, they’ve launched a little bit lower and they don’t spin, which it is great for some players, but also some still want to play a smaller package.”
“I think it was definitely a big jump from the previous one. Yeah, I mean, one thing I’ve noticed is compared to some of the other irons, even kind of equal loft, it tends to get a little bit more height on it.”
“It’s great for one of those guys that if I get in there that’s kind of hitting a little low. It’s one to kind of throw in my hands…you’re seeing that initial launch kind of pick up a little bit compared to some of the other ones.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.