Best Hybrids 2019
Published:
Best Hybrids 2019: We bring you our best hybrids of 2019 - tried and tested as part of our biggest ever golf club equipment guide, Top Gear.
From the Ping G410 Hybrid to the Callaway Apex and TaylorMade M6 Rescue, there is a club designed to help every golfer. But when it comes to hybrids, it's crucial to get the best one for your game.
In our biggest ever equipment test we reviewed hundreds of golf clubs, and when it came to selecting the best hybrids of 2019, these were our top 10 on the market right now.
Reveiw: Ping G410 hybrid - £225
Lofts: 2-17° / 3-19° / 4-22° / 5-26° / 6-30°
Stock shaft: Choose from five premium options
Adjustable hosel: Yes (+/- 1.5°)
Ping G410 hybrid verdict:
Not many brands will admit to making their hybrids 6.5% bigger (the G410 is now a mid-wide head), but it’s exactly what Ping have done with the G410 (over the G400). The idea is to not only improve forgiveness, but also tailor the hybrid down to the type of golfer who buys them; those looking for extra confidence in the long game.
We loved the lively feel off the G410’s fast face, and how the aerodynamic “Turbulators” and face grooves focus attention on the back of the ball at address. Like a lot of Ping equipment right now, the G410 is a really solid option that all three testers would happily put in their own bag for 2019.
Why we use a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor
Review: TaylorMade M6 Rescue £229
Lofts: 3-19° / 4-22° / 5-25° / 6-28°
Stock shaft: Fujikura Atmos Orange 7 / 6 / 5
Adjustable hosel: No
TaylorMade M6 Rescue verdict:
TaylorMade invented the modern hybrid with the Rescue in 2003. They’ve learnt a huge amount about the category since then, and it could be argued with the M6 rescue, three different GAPR options, plus a P790 UDI (driving iron) they have the best set up to fill gaps between your shortest fairway wood and longest iron.
The M6, like the driver and fairway, now has TwistFace, which helps reduce toe and heel strike dispersion from 20 yards in the M4 rescue to eight. The lightweight face catapults shots high and long and the M6 is really forgiving, too.
It’s a lovely club golfer option, meaning the mid-wide body suits golfers who enjoy (and have more success) hitting woods more than long irons.
TESTED: Titleist Pro V1 vs TaylorMade TP5 golf
Review: Srixon Z H85 hybrid £179
Lofts: 2-16° / 3-19° / 4-22°
Stock shafts: Project X HZRDUS Black 65, Miyazaki Mahana
Adjustable hosel: No
Srixon Z H85 hybrid verdict:
At a time when prices are sky-rocketing, this is a very simple, unpretentious hybrid which can mix it up with the very best in terms of performance –without costing the earth.
It’s no secret Srixon have refocused their attention on better players, and it’s that sort of player who’ll love the clean head design and full face grooves, which don’t draw the eye. Yet we found the mid-wide body actually pretty forgiving.
The H85 is well worth seeking out if you’re looking for a reasonably priced, powerful hybrid.
Review: Mizuno CLK hybrid £245
Lofts: 2-16º / 3-19º / 4-22º / 5-25º
Stock shaft: Fujikura Speeder Evolution HB
Adjustable hosel: Yes (+/- 2°)
Mizuno CLK Hybrid verdict:
The CLK is a cracking little mid-width hybrid with a really neat, compact appearance. It’s cheeky little head drew us into attempting lots of different types of shots which says it’s a really versatile option, and our test pro was really impressed at how shots fizzed off the face like a fairway wood.
The stock Fujikura Speeder shaft is pretty stout and low launching, so if you’re an average swing speed player it would be well worth checking its suitably with Mizuno’s DNA swing analyser.
All-in-all a lovely hybrid, and thanks to the eight-position hosel and four lofts there’s 32
set-up options, so everyone can find a solution in the CLK family.
How they compare in data
Why we use a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor
Best of the rest
Review: Ping G410 Crossover - £225
Ping G410 Crossover verdict:
Crossovers have changed beyond all recognition from the original. There’s 50% more tungsten weighting, a 20% narrower sole and a reduced blade length, which makes them visually a whole lot more pleasing.
For us Crossovers shouldn’t be confused with driving irons – we see them much more as forgiving long irons for players who really want to hit irons, instead of hybrids or fairway woods. Powerful from the middle, but bigger drop-offs than traditional hybrids on mishits.
Review: TaylorMade GAPR HI - £259
TaylorMade GAPR HI verdict:
There’s no M5 rescue (to match the driver and fairway) because the GAPR is the TaylorMade hybrid for players who typically choose narrow body hybrids.
For serious golfers, the GAPR has all the answers for transitioning from irons to fairway woods. Of the three head styles (HI, MID and LO), HI is the most useful model for single figure golfers.
Make sure you get properly fitted on a GC Quad to ensure gaps between your irons and woods are covered off accurately.
Review: Honma TWorld TW747 Utility - from £269
Honma TWorld TW747 Utility verdict:
Honma says the TWorld’s wide body head was developed with tour pro influence, and it’s fair to say our test pro was a massive fan.
The 747 has a very simple look at address, it sounds crisp and powerful and we were really impressed with the light shaft that feels very easy to launch even at average swing speeds.
A shorter hosel frees up weight, which is repositioned to increase launch by two degrees over the previous model. A lovely high flying and forgiving option.
Review: Cobra King F9 Speedback hybrid - £179
Cobra King F9 Speedback hybrid verdict:
Cobra’s whole King F9 range has excelled in our 2019 test sessions, and the hybrid didn’t let the family down. We love the matt head, and the Baffler rails on the sole which help cut through scraggy lies and make the F9’s mid-wide head shape versatile, but forgiving too.
Our data has the F9 among our most powerful half dozen hybrids of 2019, a superb result when you consider the price.
Review: PXG 0317 X Gen 2 hybrid - £375
PXG 0317 X Gen 2 hybrid verdict:
Just like PXG’s fairway woods the 0317 X hybrid can be set up as a low spin, forgiving or shot-biased hybrid which puts ultimate shot tinkering and adjustability on the table, in a way most hybrids can’t compete with.
We love the mid/wide head shape, which is just as useful for rifling through rough as it is at nipping shots off compact sand in low-lipped fairway bunkers.
Many won’t be able to justify the cost, but if you can the X is a beauty.
And the rest of the hybrids we tested:
Mizuno JPX Fli-Hi / Wilson Staff C300 / Benross Delta / Wilson Staff D7 / Titleist 818 H2 / Cobra King F9 One-Length / Benross Evolution R / Cobra F-Max Superlite / TaylorMade GAPR MID / TaylorMade GAPR LO / Callaway Rogue
