Hybrid Clubs Continue to Proliferate

Don’t look now, but 1 and 2 irons have gone the way of persimmon heads. And 3 and 4 irons don’t look too safe either. Here’s a quick run down on four of the newest hybrids vying for a spot in your bag.

Bag DropClub manufacturers aren’t shy about jumping on a bandwagon. Witness the recent explosion of 460cc drivers, moveable weights, and high MOI (moment of inertia) putters. But no other recent development in equipment has had such an impact on the makeup of clubs in a bag as have hybrids.

Over the last few years, hybrid woods and irons have gone from crutches for senior hackers like me to standard issue in the bags of many PGA Tour pros. Todd Hamilton wielding his Sonartec hybrid to win the British Open at Royal Troon in 2004 underscored their versatility and acceptance.

What’s interesting is that club manufacturers large and small have had considerable success in pursuing this niche. And more models keep coming. Here’s a look at some of the latest offerings that have caught my eye…

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Volume Sixty-Seven

The first link is all you’ll have time for today. You’ll spend hours looking at it.

Another Monday, another Hittin’ the Links. From Tiger’s flawless swing, to a man who “took the 90s off” from golf and returned in high form, to Wie’s heat woes, to the latest MySpace wannabe, this week’s pile of links has it all. Enjoy!

Oh, and if you’ve got links you’d like to see next week, look up my email on our staff page and send me your links.

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Golf Talk [Episode 030]

Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Michelle Wie, and Annika Sorenstam all fell to underdogs last week.

PodcastTrevor Immelman, Allen Doyle, and Brittany Lincicome all knocked off some big names to claim titles the past week (Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Michelle Wie and Annika Sorenstam). Plus, Tiger vs. Ozzie Guillen, Michelle Wie vs. the heat of the John Deere Classic, Nick Faldo to TGC, Mickelson at Hoylake, Tiger’s loss of intimidation, Natalie Gulbis winning her first tournament (we predict!), and thoughts on metal spikes. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 030 as an MP4 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.

For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.

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Padraig Harrington

Coming off a two-win season in 2005 Irishman Padraig Harrington is a steady player. Can he live up to his potential?

ProFilesEasily identified by his Wilson Staff hat, thick Irish accent, and wide putting stance, Padraig Harrington has grabbed his piece of the golf pie. Many of you will remember one of Harrington’s defining moments: the 65-foot eagle putt he holed on the final hole to beat Jim Furyk by a stroke at the 2005 Barclays Classic. It was one of the best moments in 2005 even though Furyk didn’t appreciate it. “There’s no consolation,” Furyk said. “Finishing second really stinks!”

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MacGregor MACTEC NVG2 Tour Driver Review

MacGregor’s new MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver is aimed at skilled golfers, but packs plenty of forgiveness.

MacGregor MACTEC NVG2 Tour HeroOne of the most impressive drivers I hit all of last year was the MacGregor MACTEC NVG. I played it for several weeks before writing a positive review of the driver. In short, I found it long, loud, and very straight.

A year later, you can add another adjective to my description of the MACTEC NVG: “discontinued.” That’s right. Thanks to the ever-decreasing length of the product cycle in the golf business, MacGregor launched two new versions of the driver this January. I’ve had the chance to play several rounds with the new MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver, giving me the chance to decide whether to add “improved” to the MACTEC adjective collection.

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Grey Hawk Golf Club (LaGrange, OH) Review

Grey Hawk will drop the jaws of the higher handicapper, but it fails to appeal to better players and fans of architecture.

Grey Hawk LogoGrey Hawk Golf Club in LaGrange, OH is a residential golf course built in 2004. 45 minutes from Cleveland, the course is a bit out of the way, but worth the trip if only to see what warranted its inclusion in Golf Digest’s “Best New Affordable Public Courses” list. A friend and I visited the course in late June, 2006 to give the course a look. Measuring anywhere between 7079 and 5091 yards, Grey Hawk offers a linksy Florida blend at reasonable prices.

Before we begin, we’d like to thank forum member Mark (aka “ezmoney5150“) for the invitation. If I’ve ever played with a more gregarious fellow, I can’t remember it. Mark’s company made what could have been a very dull round much more interesting.

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Drop In Distance

There has been a drop in distance off the tee this year and now we only have eleven golfers averaging more than 300 yards per drive.

The Numbers GameLast year, one of The Sand Trap‘s favorite golf course architects had a regular update his site about the number of players averaging over 300 yards on the PGA Tour. This year, he’s spared us from such updates. I didn’t really understood why until I took a closer look.

There were 26 players last year averaging over 300 yards per drive. This year, it has dropped to eleven. This week in The Numbers Game I’ll look not only at the longer players, but the rest of the tour to see if the drop in distance is spread out and how it affects another stat.

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2006 John Deere Classic Preview

Once again, Michelle Wie will attempt to qualify to make the cut in a PGA event. This will hopefully provide some excitement throughout the week(end?).

John Deere Classic LogoWhat a birthday present. This week, Sean O’Hair will turn 24, but it may be his 23rd birthday he will be thinking about this week. The young man earned the respect of the field and gallery last year by putting together what he called the best round of his life on Sunday to win the 2005 John Deere Classic.

Robert Damron, who finished in a tie for second place just one shot behind O’Hair, quashed any murmurs about O’Hair’s longevity on tour by saying “this guy is going to be around for a while.” Although O’Hair currently ranks 100th on the money in 2006, the brilliance he displayed last year is likely to surface again soon.

However, much of the spotlight this week will be shining on Michelle Wie, as the youngster will once again try to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.

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Old School Bomb and Gouge

A quote on hitting driver and wedge… but who is it from?

Guess where this quote comes from?

I’d rather play a wedge second shot out of rough than a 5-iron from the fairway if I gain 40 or 50 yards by doing it… There’s ninety ways to get out of the rough after a long drive, but no way at all to pick up those yards you’ve lost by hitting them soft.

Tiger after his T2 at the Western Open? Phil discussing his strategy at Hoylake or Winged Foot?

How about Sam Snead in his 1962 book Education of a Golfer? You wouldn’t have guessed it, but the same problems that “plague” the PGA Tour these days “plagued” the game in the 1950s, too. Or was golf “in ruins” back then, too? If so, how did it survive?

Guess what? The game back then was still won by the guys that put the ball on the green in regulation and putted well, just as Dave has shown it does now.

Thanks to Golf Blogger for the lead.