Lately, hybrid golf clubs have emerged as one of the most popular golf clubs among professionals and amateurs alike. These clubs are designed to act as a mixture of your fairway woods and irons by providing the benefits of both. The loft of the hybrid club determines its equivalent iron or wood.
However, golf’s rules are among the most stringent of all sports. And one of these rules specifies the limit of golf clubs you can carry in your bag, which is 14.
In other words, if you want to keep a hybrid golf club in your bag, you’ll have to sacrifice any other club from your bag, usually an iron or fairway wood. So golfers are often unsure whether to go for a hybrid or not, and if so, what should be the loft.
As fellow golfers, we want to clear this confusion and help people like you be more informed about different hybrid golf club lofts and the benefits of each. Having an understanding of the degree magnitude and equivalent clubs will help you make a more informed decision.
Generally speaking, hybrids are classified into three types based on their loft and degrees. Here they are.
Low Loft Hybrids
Drivers have the lowest lofts among all the golf clubs, which usually is too low for hybrids. The loft range of hybrids starts just a few degrees from drivers. These are low loft hybrids and the loft of these golf clubs ranges from 14 to 16 degrees.
Low loft hybrids like a 3 hybrid act as an excellent substitute for your 1 or 2 iron. These can also be used in place of 3 or 5 woods, depending on their loft. The primary advantage of using a low loft hybrid is that they’re easier to hit than long irons.
Moderate Loft Hybrids
Moderate loft hybrids are more common than low loft hybrids and can be a valuable addition to your bag in tricky situations. Their loft ranges between 17 and 23 degrees, making them an ideal replacement for your 2 or 3 irons. You can also use them instead of 5 or 7 woods.
One of the primary functions of a hybrid is to act as a rescue club. In other words, hybrids are specifically designed to “rescue” you from complicated situations. Moderate loft hybrids perform this function brilliantly.
High Loft Hybrids
High loft hybrids are the least common type of hybrid golf clubs. They have an unusually high loft which doesn’t make them a popular choice among golfers.
However, some leading manufacturers make high loft hybrid golf clubs. The loft of these hybrids ranges from 24 degrees to 29 degrees. Such high lofts are only comparable with uncommon clubs like the 9 wood. You can also use this as a substitute for a 4 or 5 iron.
Final Thoughts
Even though hybrids are becoming increasingly popular, there is still a lot of ambiguity regarding them. We hope that we cleared some of it in this article.
And if you’re wondering how many degrees should a hybrid golf club be, the answer depends entirely on your playing style.
If you’re someone who uses both 1 or 2 irons and 3 or 5 woods but only has space for one, a low loft hybrid could be a lifesaver. The same is the situation with moderate loft and high loft hybrids.
