Hybrid, 7-Wood, Driving Iron: "My Secret Weapon?"

Player Driving Iron, Amateur Golfer Hybrid: "Hunting Two Rabbits of Distance and Accuracy"

While professional players prefer driving irons, amateur golfers find hybrids to be the perfect all-around clubs.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "My own secret weapon."

World No.1 Dustin Johnson (USA) is making headlines by using a 7-wood in actual play. It is interesting that this club is usually favored by women and senior golfers. Recently, it has evolved into a hybrid, becoming an all-weather golf club for amateur golfers. It has become possible to "hunt two rabbits" with the distance of a fairway wood and the precision of an iron. Most players actually prefer 1- or 2-driving irons to improve tee shot accuracy.

In the first round of the Genesis Invitational (total prize money $9.3 million) of the PGA Tour held last January at Riviera Golf Club in Pacific Palisades, California, Johnson attempted a "1-on" with a 7-wood on the 10th hole (par 4, 309 yards). He boasted, "I first tried it at the PGA Championship last August, and it has the same distance as a 5-wood, but the trajectory is relatively higher, so the ball doesn't roll far, which is attractive."

It is surprising that Johnson's 7-wood shot exceeds 300 yards. A new weapon has been born that surpasses the 5-wood and driving iron. On the other hand, 'Shrek' Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) still places emphasis on driving irons. He explained, "They are easier to control than woods." Tiger Woods once amazed golf enthusiasts with his 2-iron 'stinger shot.' It flies over 250 yards with a low trajectory and is especially effective on narrow and hard courses.

However, amateur golfers find 1- to 3-long iron shots difficult. Club makers are even excluding up to 4-irons and tend to configure iron sets starting from 5-irons. This is why the hybrid category is expanding. First, the shaft length is shorter than woods, making it easier to swing, and it aims for distance through a high-trajectory, low-spin flight starting from a thin face. Optimized center of gravity placement and improved moment of inertia (MOI) lead to forgiveness.

With less roll, it is also easier to stop the ball on the green. Hybrids especially play a big role in reducing mishits such as topping or fat shots. Attention should be paid to loft. There are various lofts such as 16 degrees, 19 degrees, 22 degrees, 25 degrees, 28 degrees, and 31 degrees. This breaks the traditional concept of 3- to 5-woods. 16 degrees corresponds to a 3-wood, 19 degrees to a 4-wood, and 22 degrees to a 5-wood. Selecting the loft that matches your distance and putting it in your golf bag completes your secret weapon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.