Pinemeadow Excel Hybrid Review

Pinemeadow Golf has been around since 1985, but I didn’t know much about them until this year. After checking out their website, it’s easy to see they are looking out for the “average” golfer. Most of the die-hard golfing fanatics want the most expensive and popular golf clubs, whether it’s TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway, etc.

Pinemeadow Golf takes a different and much more affordable approach, and it’s very respectable. I started my golfing career with a Dunlop driver from Wal-Mart, a Dunlop putter from Wal-Mart, and some King Snake (knock-off of King Cobra) irons. All in all, my first set of clubs cost about $200 total. I played with these clubs for almost ten years, so I always have a soft spot for inexpensive golf equipment.

I was happy when I got the chance to play some of Pinemeadow’s equipment, especially the Excel Hybrid Wood. My golf club set has come a long way since the King Snake days, but I’ve never carried a hybrid in my bag on a consistent basis. I always preferred to hit my 3-iron or 4-iron, but I knew I had to get with the times eventually. Hybrids are taking over golf bags everywhere, and it’s time for me to take that next step as well.

The Pinemeadow Excel Hybrid Wood is the first hybrid I’ve ever owned, and it has taken me a lot of time to adjust to it. I’ve hit it off the tee on short par fours, and I’ve hit it off the tee on long par threes. It’s been used from the fairway on a number of occasions, and I even tried putting with it from the short rough around the green. The club is versatile and affordable, but how does it stack up to the awesome competition in the hybrid market?

Club Design
One of the key benefits of using hybrids is the ability to hit the ball higher without losing distance in the process. The Pinemeadow Excel Hybrid Woods feature a low-profile club face which enables the higher ball flight. It’s a very simple approach, but it’s also highly effective, no pun intended. With golf courses getting longer and longer by the minute, it’s nice to be able to maintain the high ball flight as well as the distance needed to score low.

The shape of the club head and sole also play an important role with the Excel Hybrid Woods. Like I said earlier, I’ve used the hybrid off the tee, out of the fairway, and around the green. The slender shape of the club head and sole really sets up well for all types of golf shots. Even shots from the rough are possible because the Excel Hybrid is designed to create contact with the ball without getting hung up in the long grass.

Look and Setup
There is nothing special about the look of the Excel Hybrid Wood. It’s pretty plain for the most, and as I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, that’s fine with me. The more ordinary a club is, the more I like it. At address, the top of the club head is solid black, so there should be no distractions from the outset. The bottom of the club head is fairly flat with a small ridge right in the middle.

At address, the first thing you will notice is how closed the club face is. Like any club, this will take a little time to get used to, but it’s nothing too out of the ordinary. Other than that, it’s pretty plain as well. The look and setup of the Excel Hybrid Wood definitely won’t blow you away. If you prefer the new space-age look, then this brand isn’t for you. If you don’t really care what a club looks like, then everything will be fine.

At address, the slick black look as well as the closed club face is most noticeable.

Performance
For those wondering, I’ve been hitting the 3-iron Excel Hybrid with a stiff-flex shaft. I’ve hit my fair share of quality shots with the club, and I’ve hit some bad ones. My best success with the club has been off the fairway on short par-five holes. I have trouble keeping my 3-iron straight off the deck, and the Excel Hybrid has helped me in this aspect. I have hit several shots right at the pin from 200-210 yards out.

For the most part, this particular hybrid is relatively easy to hit off the tee as well. There are a couple long par-three and short par-four holes at my home course, and the Excel Hybrid fits these holes perfectly. I’ve had problems in the past choking down on my 5-wood and hooking the ball left of the target. The hybrid has allowed me to keep the ball on target much more consistently, and that’s definitely a positive.

The downfall with the Excel Hybrid centers around inconsistency with distance control. I mentioned that I’ve been able to keep the ball on target more consistently, but that doesn’t mean I’ve given myself any extra scoring opportunities along the way. I understand the quality of contact affects things slightly, but I’ve received mixed results with the same kind of contact. That’s what frustrates me the most.

The low-profile club face is a key feature that allows higher ball flight while maintaining maximum distance.

The longest I’ve hit the Excel Hybrid Wood is probably 220 yards, and that was with a little wind behind me. There have been times where the contact feels great, yet the ball only goes 170-180 yards. I could have gotten farther than that with my 5-iron, but I’m still thirty yards from the pin. This is even more frustrating on a short par four. Those short holes are the “scoring” holes so-to-speak, and it ticks me off when the hole is made longer after a poor tee shot.

As for overall performance, I’ve hit more quality shots than bad shots with the Pinemeadow Excel Hybrid Wood, but it’s that bad shot or two on occasion that really leaves me shaking my head and thinking what might have been. Unfortunately, that’s just part of it, and it’s still a must to focus on the positive swing results with this club.

Comparison in Relation to Price
I mentioned the inconsistency in distance control in the paragraphs above, and there is probably a reason for that. I’ve hit a few hybrids in the past that really impressed me, most notably the Nickent 3DX Ironwood. I’ve hit it on the driving range, and I’ve hit on the course, and that club is consistent at least 95% of the time. It also has a little more pop than the Excel Hybrid from Pinemeadow.

The slender club head makes it possible to hit shots off the tee, from the fairway, and even out of the rough.

That’s where price comes into play. The Nickent hybrids are pretty affordable as well, but they are still listed at $89 over at various online retailers. They are $100 or more at some retail stores. The TaylorMade Rescue Dual is close to $200, and the TP version of the same hybrid is almost $250. The same goes for other top brands such as Titleist and Callaway.

It’s imperative to take this price difference into effect when looking at the performance and consistency of the Pinemeadow hybrids. The cost of the Excel Hybrid Wood is a very inexpensive $39! There isn’t any exact way to compare two clubs in quality per dollar, but I guarantee Pinemeadow stands up really well in this category from my experience.

Specification and Extras
The Pinemeadow Excel Hybrid Woods that are available for right-handed golfers inclue a 2-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron, and 5-iron replacement. The left-handers only have the 3-iron and 4-iron to choose from. The lofts for these clubs are 17 degrees (2-iron), 20 degrees (3-iron), 23 degrees (4-iron), and 26 degrees (5-iron). Available flex preferences include extra stiff, stiff, regular, and senior.

The Pinemeadow Hybrid Graphite Shaft shown here is the default shaft, but upgrades can be made at additional cost.

The graphite version of the Excel Hybrid Woods come with a Pinemeadow Standard Grip and Pinemeadow Hybrid Graphite Shaft. If you prefer a steel over graphite, the Apollo Lite Steel shaft is available as well. Upgrades to the grip type can be made at extra charge, ranging from $1.50 to $6.00 extra per club. Upgrades can also be made to the shaft type (both steel and graphite), ranging from an extra $6.50 to $60 per club.

Conclusion
Like I mentioned above, you can buy the Pinemeadow Excel Hybrid Wood for $39 online. If you are new to golf, you can’t go wrong with Pinemeadow hybrids. Also, if you don’t have all that extra money to spend on the more expensive hybrids, they may be a great fit for you as well.

I would like to see a little more consistency from the Excel Hybrid Wood, but I’d also like to see more consistency in my driver, irons, and putter as well. All in all, the Pinemeadow hybrids stack up really well in the awesome hybrid market in relation to price for performance. You will be happy with the good shots, and the bad ones won’t leave you in terrible shape. The Excel Hybrid Wood isn’t as good as the Nickent or TaylorMade line of hybrids, but it’s worth every penny of the $39 it costs.