Anybody who watches the Golf Channel has seen the infomercial. I’ve seen it and I’m betting, since you’re reading this review, a good portion of you have seen it as well. It’s for the Bobby Jones hybrid by Jesse Ortiz.
Now I’m not the kind of guy who sits around watching infomercials. I’m also not the kind of guy who will believe the five minutes or so that I catch of one. That being said, if the Bobby Jones Golf Company hadn’t promoted their hybrid as much as they did, I wouldn’t have jumped at the chance to review a couple of them. I’ve been on the hybrid bandwagon since 2005 and haven’t gotten off.
The Bobby Jones hybrid hasn’t had a breakthrough in a tournament like the Sonartec in the 2004 British Open. What it has had is some of the highest rankings in the Golf Digest Hot List in the past couple years though. Are those high rankings deserved? Can we actually believe an infomercial? Is this club worthy of having Bobby Jones’ name on it? Read on to find out.
Build and Technology
Jesse Ortiz has gone old-style with his build of the Bobby Jones hybrid. Instead of leaning towards a design that looks more like an iron, Ortiz went the other way. The Bobby Jones hybrids take more design elements and looks from fairway metal woods. This might be because Ortiz once owned and ran the Orlimar company and is known for his fairway wood designs.
Whatever the reason, Ortiz’s hybrid design is much different than hybrids on the market. I currently own and use a TaylorMade Rescue Dual TP and have also had the Sonartec MD in my bag. Both have very flat and long leading edges that, as mentioned above, look like irons. The Bobby Jones hybrid, from the face, looks just like a fairway metal and has a deep leading edge. This design, according to Ortiz, takes advantage of a fairway metal’s low center of gravity, its wide bodied triangle-of-stability (TOS), and its versatile contoured sole.
Here you can see the deep leading edge of the Bobby Jones hybrid. It resembles a fairway metal I previously owned, the Callaway Steelhead.
The length of the shafts in the Bobby Jones hybrids is a bit shorter to help with accuracy. A quick check against the TaylorMade shows that this is true for the 19° (40.25″ versus 40.5″ in the TM) but not in the 21° (40.25″ versus 40″ in the TM).
Look and Feel
I still think all hybrids have a bit of a strange look to them. When I first started using them, hybrids never really inspired confidence at setup. Now, after a couple years in the bag, I look for excuses to use my hybrid.
I received both a 19° and 21° hybrid to review. While they both have distinct looks, they are exactly as described on the Bobby Jones website. They are “a throwback to the old Cleek or Mashee.” At setup, it feels like you’ve been taken back in time. I’ve picked up a few of those older, hickory-shafted clubs before and if the Bobby Jones hybrid was made of wood, it could be mistaken for one of the classics.
A very old-school, classic look by Jesse Ortiz.
The bottom of the hybrids is also classic. It looks like something from the 1920s with a blend of the dark green clubhead, a polished steel plate, and a copper-looking insert stamped with the image of Bobby Jones himself.
Performance
When I evaluate a hybrid, I have in mind two main features or areas of interest. The first area is the long, high shot that my irons have never been able to execute.
I call it the 220 yard shot of death. You have all manner of disaster around the green and have to carry the ball 220 yards to the green. A 3-wood is too hot (and too much) and I can’t carry a 2- or 3-iron that far. My low ball flight and lack of Tiger clubhead speed keeps me from carrying any iron longer than 210 and not screaming through the green. So did Jesse Ortiz design that type of club? I think so.
First off, these hybrids just feel easy to hit. From the first ball I could tell that the Bobby Jones hybrid was a solid club. Everyone talks about how a purely struck golf shot feels. More often than not, I could produce that feeling with the Bobby Jones hybrid. Even with what looks like a smaller face on the golf club, I rarely had a mis-hit.
I got a very confident feeling every time I put the Bobby Jones hybrids, especially the 21°, behind my ball.
As I said before, I received 19° and 21° hybrids to review. Also, I have a 21° TaylorMade Rescue Dual TP in my bag as well. I chose the TaylorMade because it has a higher launch angle than any other hybrid I tried – including the Sonartec. After hitting the first handful of balls with the 19° Bobby Jones, I got a very Sonartec-like feeling. Its flight was lower than the TaylorMade and even the Sonartec. I wasn’t thrilled with the Sonartec’s flight and the Bobby Jones 19° gave me the same feeling. It left me wanting a bit more lift.
The 19° may have been a little flat, but the 21° Bobby Jones was much better. It had a trajectory similar to my TaylorMade. In fact, probably it was probably a bit better. The TaylorMade has a tendency to float a bit. The Bobby Jones never floated once and bore through the air much better.
To compare the Bobby Jones and TaylorMade hybrids, I did a test for the shot of death. I hit a series of balls from about 225 out with all three clubs. As experienced before, my TaylorMade 19° TP would easily reach the green with a high ball flight. On occasion, the ball would float a bit and not bore as much as I would like. The 19° Bobby Jones didn’t carry nearly as long as the TaylorMade. In fact, it would always come up short of the green and trickle on to the green. On the other hand, the 21° carried further – to the front of the green. There were some shots with the 21° that I carried as far as the TaylorMade. This was with a much better ball flight. The boring flight was much more consistent and predictable with the Bobby Jones.
The second area I like to review hybrids is in its “recueability” – which is the ability get you out of trouble. There are three rescue shots I like to run through with any hybrid. The first is out of some thick rough. Both of the Bobby Jones hybrids did a good job but I’d have to give a slight advantage to the 21° as the 19 wasn’t able to get the ball up as easily. I think that this is certainly one area where that deep leading edge helps out. You can feel it digging down and getting to the bottom of the ball.
You won’t have any problems hitting the Bobby Jones from all the “rescue” places on the course.
The next trouble area to test was the thin lie. Often times you’ll find yourself on some dirt or very thin grass and needing to hit that long, high shot. I’ve never had a problem with the TaylorMade given its high launch angle. The 21° Bobby Jones hybrid also did a very good job. Again, the flight was consistent and the deep leading edge made it easy to get down at the ball and get it up in the air quick enough and not sacrifice too much distance.
Lastly, I always like to try out a few punch shots. Whether it is getting out of the trees or hitting some wind-cheaters, a reliable low shot is a great one to fall back on. Both Bobby Jones hybrids performed remarkably well. That consistent ball flight I’ve been talking about was key during testing. I could control my trajectory better with the Bobby Jones hybrids than I could with my TaylorMade.
The Bobby Jones hybrids can produce nearly every shot that you need it to. It’s a versatile jack-of-all-clubs that didn’t disappoint with its performance.
Options & Extras
19° and 21° models are not the only option for the Bobby Jones hybrids. They offer a 24° and 30° to replace the 4- and 5-irons as well. I found that the 21° traveled much further than my 3-iron, so if I were to make a replacement, I would consider the 24° instead.
As for shafts, all of the Bobby Jones hybrids come with a proprietary JS-6 or JS-7 shaft. I’m not sure what the difference is between the two, but the stiff JS-7 shaft that I received in both of my hybrids performed admirably. You can get the shaft in four different flexes: Senior, Regular, Stiff, X-Stiff.
The head cover provided is a retro, pom-pom looking, knitted sock. While I’m cool with going old-school, it isn’t very functional. I nearly lost both at least twice because they don’t stay on very well. I also don’t think the headcovers will be very durable over the long haul. I think a club that looks as pretty as the Bobby Jones hybrid should be protected a little better than this.
Conclusion
I really was impressed by the Bobby Jones hybrid. I don’t think that it really needs an infomercial to sell it. Just put your hands on one and it will sell itself to you.
The 19° might have had too low of a launch angle, but the 21° was more than adequate. I was surprised at how far I could hit it. I really never thought that any other hybrid could touch my TaylorMade, but I was proven wrong very quickly. I’d also put the Bobby Jones in the same class as the Sonartec as well. If you’re in the market for a hybrid, do yourself a big favor and give the Bobby Jones hybrids a whirl. Just be sure to pick up a spare headcover.
I’d love to try one of these. Unfortunately, if you are one of the 15% of the world that is a lefty – no Bobby Jones hybrids for you! 🙁
I have the 19 degree Bobby Jones hybrid and I know what you mean when you say the trajectory is a little low. I get this low trajectory most of the time. However, whenever I put a little bit extra into my swing, I can produce a towering ball flight. When I do this. I can usually hit it anywhere from 230-235. With a little higher swing speed, you can get the desired trajectory.
The 21 and 25 hybrids are available in left-handed. I played the 21 last season – great club that is not a typical hook machine hybrid.
I bought a 3H and love it! Had it for one month.
Last night I ordered a 2H.
I have and used a Taylormade dual, Callaway ft hybrid and Nickent, 2 & 3H on all brands.
So far I like the Bobby Jones Hybrids the Best!
Cant wait for the 2H to arrive and see what it can do.
Aloha! from Hawaii
I have the bobby jones 5h 30degree and love it. It is my favorite club in the bag. I ordered the 2,3 and 4 and can’t wait to hit them. My name really is Bob Jones.
Can anyone tell me how the BJ Hybrid compares to the Cleveland hibores
I want to know that comparo too, Gino.. I play a HiBore XLS 16 and a 19… they are great hybrids, long and high and soft-landing… if I don’t forget to put the ball in the iron spot instead of trying to swing them like fairway woods, then I can’t miss. But sometimes I let myself forget and put the ball too far forward in my stance.
I’ve been watching the BJ ad on Golf TV for what seems like years, and always wanted to hit these… and I really do wonder if they compare well to the hibore.
Just bought a 3H and 4H model, played this weekend and liked them so much, went back to the PGA Tour Superstore and bought a Bobby Jones 5 wood. I hope it plays as well.
The TaylorMades will probably find their way to the back of the closet.
I have the H2 with stiff shaft and get plenty of height with a nice soft drop at 220 yards. I have always been a good long iron player, but I like the predictability of the BJH, so will now be replacing my 3-iron at age 60 with the H3.
Dave, what do you mean by “the iron spot instead of trying to swing them like fairway woods”
Dave means that we are often taught to play fairway woods well forward and hybrids are better suited to being more middle of stance so we can hit down and take a bit of a divot. any attempt to sweep like a fairway wood is asking for trouble.
Great club…. It takes a while to get use to the set up. The funny thing about this club the easier you swing the longer it goes. 😯 I have been looking for a reasonably price one for over a year. Now I am hooked and on my search for more BJ hybrids.
I just ordered the 5h and can’t wait to try it. I have been told that the tour pros don’t use them and was wondering why. Does anyone know if that’s true and if so, why they are not being used by the pros? I have all Taylormade 3 and 4 and aren’t crazy about them.
I play an average of 175 rounds of golf a year. I have tried different clubs over the last three year. I was looking for a club to hit 160-175 yards. I was lucky enough to find a left handed Bobby Jones club 25 degrees. I just love hit. Even if I am a high handicapper I can hit the ball like a VERY good player using that club. The ball flies high in the air and most of the time land on the green. WHat a pleasure to play golf with this hybrid in my bag. Do yourself a favor in buy one. You will play better golf. Thanks Bert Gagne Toronto Canada
I really didnt care for the feel of the club.I hit the ball about the same as my irons,but i am sticking with the irons because of shot repeatability.
😀 I’ve used several hybrids, ranging from Ping Rapture, to a Taylor Made TP Rescue, to several others. I’ve been in search for a great hybrid, and didn’t find it until I came across the Bobby Jones. I don’t know what it is, but this club is different from all the other hybrids. I loved it so much, I ended up getting H2-H5 to replace my 5-wood, 3-5 irons. It’s so much easier to hit than an iron shot.
Wow…these are great clubs!!!
I am a 60 y/o occasional golfer – playing 3-4 rounds/year to about a 12 handicap. I replaced my 3 iron 2 tears ago with a Bobby Jones H3 (21 degrees). It was awesome from the first shots on the range, and on the course has been the most reliable and consistent club in my bag. It allows me to manipulated the ball for all conditions and I love its look – never liked the iron look of other hybrids. I have stood on the range and hit 20 consecutive good shots. I almost have to try to mishit it. I highly recommend Bobby Jones equipment and recently ordered a gap wedge from them.
I’ve been using the bobby jones 3 hybrid for a few years now with dead on balls accuracy. It’s the go to club for 210+ yards out for me. I tried all the other big names and have not found any to be more reliable and accurate from almost any lie. I’ve bagged 4 eagles with my driver, hybrid, 1 putt trifecta and would reccomend the 3 hybrid to anyone. I’m going to add a fairway wood and possibly a 5 iron hybrid to fill in some yardage gaps and will try out bobby jones for both first. 😎
My name is also Bob Jones. My wife and I just returned from Nashville, TN where I played in The Bobby Jones Open. This tournament is open to only those named Bob Jones and there is a division for friends and wives.
Next years tournament will be held in Shelby, NC. We would love to have you join us. Please contact me if you would like additional info.
This is a great 3 day event!
😛 H3. Like what the other users have said and more. A great permanent replacement for the 3 iron. Now, I’m cautious in hitting because of golfers in front. I have to wait for some ample clearance like the airport traffic control. 😯 I didn’t think I would reach but …, this has great distance. 😆
As a lefty the BJ Company has given us a limited access to their various lofts. I have a 21 degree which works quite well and is easy to hit. I have tried the Wilson’s & the Ping G10 with BJ Company getting a thumbs up. As far as hybrids go this is the best I have tried so far! The jury is still out…….
I have a Bobby Jones 3H and 5H that I found used. Today, I shot 83 which is 5 stokes better than my lowest score. I hit the hybrids in the fairway and on the tee on long par 3’s. I will be getting a 4H to fill the gap between the two clubs. These are definitely the best clubs that I have hit from the fairway. They provide excellent distance and trajectory. I highly recommend them to senior golfers as a great addition to your set.
One of the younger kids at our club cleaned my Hybrid 5 and 6 with a wire brush and put fairly deep grooves in both of my hybrids. The groves are perpendicular on the club face and not diagonal. Do you think this will affect the flight of my ball and should I ask the club to reimburse me for the clubs? Also, is there a way to refinish the face of the clubs or should they be replaced or doesn’t it make a difference in the flight of the ball? Thanks, Nancy
Wow! I’ve been searching and searching for the right hybrid. Just got my H2 in the mail today. Had to go play a round of golf with it and I must say, I’ll never have another hybrid in my golf bag but a Bobby Jones.
Had to hit out of someone elses divot twice and on top of some real hard dirt. The Bobby Jones performed as advertised. I hit those three balls just as good as I hit them when I was in the fairway.
I’m impressed and will be telling friends about this one.
I’ve been looking at this club for a few months now. I hit mostly into a simulator and some outside but I can’t remember how those outside shots flew, trajectory wise. Can anyone comment on the JS7 stiff shaft? I was hoping to have a shaft that is firm but with an active tip so that I could get some nice height if I went after it. By the way, the hybrid I am strongly considering is the 2H. It will be replacing my 2 iron.
I finally purchased a H3 Bobby Jones Hybrid. However, for a 21 degree face the ball flight is low and hot. It seems I get a better, higher and softer landing, ball flight and compatable distance from my Cleveland 3 iron.
Does anyone else have this situation?
Todd, they do make bobby jones hybrids for leftys but they only make them in 3 and 4
I recently found a used Bobby jones 3 wood with a stiff shaft in the used section of the local golf store and love it! I was just hitting it to pass time as couldn’t justify putting it down. It has helped my game tremendously and is the go to club if my driver isn’t workin. I only give up a few yards of distance compared to my driver, I hit the 3 wood 264 the other day and parked one next to the green from the tee. Can’t wait to add a few more Bobby jones products to my bag.
Bought the 4H on a whim and found it to be a very comfortable club. Added the 3H and 5H and they have permenently replaced the 3-5 irons in my bag. With the shorter shafts I find them predictable to use and very easy to get up from almost any lie. Not as long as the TMs or the Nickent’s- but much more reliable.
I was so impressed I ordered the WE Driver as well. If its as good as the Hybrids I will be having a good season!
i have the 3h 21degree it is so easy to hit, and very long,the best club!
I’ve never carried or really even hit a hybrid before. Tonight before my league I was talking to my buddy and he told my to take one of his Bobby Jones hybrids out with me. I hit it three times, once from the fairway, once off the tee and the third time from the rough. All three shots were great. The third shot was about 225 from the rough and I stuck it 8-10 feet from the pin. I’ve already been on Ebay tonight looking for some for myself.
The Bobby Jones name is not what interested me in this line of clubs. Jesse Ortiz is what really caught my attention. I have carried the Orlimar Tri Metal+ fairway woods for a long time they are great. I am hoping the hybrids he has designed improve my game just as the tri metals did. I cant wait for them to arrive.
Thomas, I still carry first generation Orlimar Tri Metals. I’ve always loved them. Since my previous post, I’ve picked up 17, 21, 25 & 30 Bobby Jones hybrids. They are fantastic clubs. In fact, the 17 degree has replaced my 15 degree Orlimar Tri Metal in my bag. That’s quite an accomplishment.
I was interested when the Bobby Jones line first came out. I have been waiting for a price break. I didnt look like it was happening, how long have they been on the market anyway? Anyway i did get 10 % off for buying 5, 17, 21, 25, 30 and 35. they are ariving the 5th of august. Hope the workout for me.
Just got my H3 club from Bobby Jones, after reading all the reviews on the best hybrid clubs I went with Bobby Jones, man I’m I glad I did. It was so easy to hit with, first thing i did was drop a few balls in my yard and hit them across the road and i set them sailing! i went golfing the next day and i used it a few times on the par 5s, once out of the rough which i hit as far and as straight as i did on the fairway. It was a great buy and i will be ordering the H5 this week.
The Bobby Jones hybrids are the best that I have ever hit. However, their service is absolutely terrible. After 5 Rounds my 25 degree hybrid started wobbling around the hosel. I called them, left a message and despite their promise to get back with me in r8 hours, they did not.
I’m late to these “spoons”, but here’s my two cents… I bought a H2, 19*off ebay.
After reading the review I thought maybe I should’ve got the H3, 21*. So I picked up one of thise also to test them myself….
These are great, if your a reasonadly good player. They have a smaller, tight, solid head that really packs a punch. I love bith of them and will add one to each of my bags. I had NO problem launching the H2-19* .
Are there any plans to make 8, 9, and pw hybrids.
I am looking for a 30 degree preferred senior flex but will take reg. Bobby Jones by jesse ortiz hybird.
Is there a hybrid pitching wedge. I love the 21. 25. And 35 loft hybrids but would love a pitching wedge hyprid
I’m looking for a 34 or 35 degree hybird js6 regular shaft players series.
IM 71 Years old and play to 14 hdc Im really looking for a 7 hybrid–34 or 35 *loft. Does Bobby Jones Hybrids make one? Tony Leo tljr59@gmail.com
I am 81 and have had Bobby Jones Driver ,3 wood ,19 and 21 degree hybrids for 26 yrs. I am not consistent but in the past 5 weeks from the senior tee box I scored 75 raw score twice ,and had my second hole in one. I love the feel ( 19 & 21 slightly left of center ) of these woods and recommend all golfers of any age to try them.
JOE PRO , FLORIDA