Which hybrid golf club is best? For centuries, golf clubs were called woods and irons. Woods had mallet-shaped heads, and irons looked like blades. Then along came hybrid golf clubs, borrowing some of the characteristics of irons and woods while differing from both. Hybrids have heads that look like woods, only smaller. They’re lightweight and much easier to swing than long irons while also being more accurate than fairway woods. Hybrid golf clubs have established a place in most players’ golf bags between their fairway woods and their irons. We’re especially fond of the TaylorMade M4 Hybrid Rescue Club, and personally, we think it’s the best. What to know before you buy hybrid golf clubs Iron/wood hybrids This is the most popular type of hybrid golf club and the one people think of when they hear the word “hybrid.” It looks like a small wood and swings like a short iron. This means your golf ball goes high, straight and far, even when you don’t hit it in the sweet spot. Iron/wood hybrids are meant to replace the longer irons in a traditional set of golf clubs: the 2-, 3- and 4-irons. Iron hybrids This type of hybrid golf club extends the original concept beyond replacing the long irons to replacing your medium irons too: the 5-, 6- and 7-irons. There are even iron hybrids to replace your short irons for people who find the hybrid design easier to hit. Loft Hybrid clubs come in a range of loft angles. Hybrids that are made to replace long irons come with loft angles of anywhere from 15-28 degrees. Here is a simple scale that helps you convert between hybrids and irons: 2-hybrid: The 15-degree loft (or thereabouts) replaces your 2-iron or your 3-wood. 3-hybrid: The 18-degree loft replaces your 3-iron or your 5-wood. 4-hybrid: The 21-degree loft replaces your 4-iron or your 7-wood. 5-hybrid: The 24-degree loft replaces your 5-iron or your 9-wood. 6-hybrid: The 28-degree loft replaces your 6-iron or your 11-wood. Hybrids that go beyond the 6- are rare but are becoming more common. What to look for in a quality hybrid golf club Shaft flex More flexible shafts are easier to swing, but the ball won’t always go straight. Stiffer shafts hit straighter shots, but only strong people can achieve fast swing speeds with them. Ladies’ hybrid golf clubs are made with very flexible shafts that work best with swing speeds of 60 mph or less. Senior hybrid golf clubs need shafts that are made for swing speeds of 60-85 mph. Most amateurs are happy with shafts designed for average swing speeds in the range of 85-100 miles per hour. Highly talented golfers have swing speeds over 100 mph and use the stiffest shafts of all. Shaft materials As is the case with woods and irons, metal shafts are the choice of players with high swing speeds. They are also the cheapest and most durable shaft material. Graphite shafts have more flex and are more forgiving, so they cost more too. Adjustable weights Better hybrid golf clubs have weights that can be adjusted and even moved around so that you can custom fit them to your unique swing. How much you can expect to spend on hybrid golf clubs Off-brand hybrid golf clubs can be found for $50 or less. Hybrid golf clubs from golf’s leading brand names cost anywhere from $100-$300 each. Hybrid golf clubs FAQ I’ve never owned a hybrid golf club. How many should I buy? A. Clubs that are all balanced the same way are easier to hit. Most people like to start out by replacing their hard-to-hit 2-, 3- and 4-irons with 2-, 3- and 4- hybrids. When these three are from the same manufacturer, the clubface lofts will be graduated, so the distance from one to the next is consistent. Why do some hybrid golf clubs have rails on the bottom? A. Hybrids really excel when you have to play out of the rough. The rails on the bottom of the original hybrids made it easier for the club to cut through heavy grass. That’s how hybrids earned the name “rescue clubs.” What’s the best hybrid golf club to buy? Top hybrid golf club TaylorMade M4 Hybrid Rescue Club What you need to know: TaylorMade makes some of the world’s finest hybrid golf clubs and the graphite shafted M4 hybrid is no exception. What you’ll love: The M4 comes in a 22 degree 4-hybrid and a 25 degree 5-hybrid in stiff, regular and ladies’ shaft flexes. The increased flexibility and distance across the face of this low-profile golf club’s speed pocket means longer, straighter, higher ball flight. The two-tone silver and black crown looks good and inspires confidence. What you should consider: Quality golf products tend to be pricey. Top hybrid golf club for the money PING Women’s G Le 2.0 Hybrid What you need to know: This lightweight hybrid club is forgiving and has a low center of gravity. What you’ll love: The soft crown construction allows for faster ball speeds and higher launch. The shaft is made of lightweight graphite and the grip is comfortable. What you should consider: It’s best for beginner players, so if you want something more advanced, this is not the club for you. Worth checking out Senior Women’s iDrive Full Hybrid Set What you need to know: Take the plunge with this set of eight graphite-shafted hybrid golf clubs that have shafts with flexes that appeal to senior men too. What you’ll love: This set of hybrid golf clubs replaces all your irons at once with a 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- 8-, 9- and wedge hybrid. The lofts in this set run from 19 degrees for the 3-hybrid to 40 degrees for the hybrid wedge. What you should consider: You can save a lot of money when you buy a set like this. Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change. Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to print (Opens in new window) Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) ...read more read less