It has been a while since I have written anything. Never good for a blog, but it gives me a chance to reflect on how much the clubs in my bag change in a season. While I still have the 2016 M2 driver in play, I have added a 2017 M1 3HL (3 wood). I will review that one shortly. The other change for me is a return to hybrids.
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Way back in 2006, when I started getting serious about golf, I purchased a set of Adams clubs that came with hybrids all the way down to 6 iron. The A2OS’s were a great set of clubs for someone who was just starting out. But as my game improved, I ditched the hybrid, and when with straight sets of irons, with less and less, offset. My last hybrid was the Taylormade RBZ, and I loved it, until it became a hook-monster. Sound familiar?
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After a couple of years with no hybrids in the bag, I found the Adams 9031 prototype hybrid at a ridiculous price, and I had to try it. Adams had been purchased by Taylormade, and on the way out they made some fantastic hybrids for better players. The 9031, as an all white club with a very compact head, a flat bottom, with a velocity slot on the bottom, and a visible slot on top. This ugly duckling has become my favorite club in the bag. It is workable, does not hook, unless I hook it, and I can hit it consistently 200 yards in the fairway. Love it.
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Fast forward to August 2017, I was poking around on Global Golf’s website, and to my surprise, I found that they had some new 2015 Adams Red hybrids in 18 and 20 degree lots (3h, 4h). And best of all they are pro hybrids, with an adjustable weight system, and a Golf Digest Gold hybrid in the better player category. Since the golf world has moved on from Adams, they were $29(US). I picked up a both the 3h, and 4h and they came with headcovers and wrenches. I did not expect the wrenches, so that was a nice surprise.
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Well Adams did not disappoint on the way out the door. These are the best hybrids I have ever hit. The shaft is a Matrix Altus in a stiff flex. (That’s all they have left of the new ones) The shaft is incredibly stable, light and feels perfectly balanced to the Red Hybrids. The feel is solid, and substantial, but the face flexes beautifully and in a center strike it is soft and the ball rockets off the face. By moving the weight the the heel position, I could produce a consistent draw, It gives you that help you might need if your miss is a slice. With the weight on the toe position, you can try as you might to hook the club but I could not get it to draw. Duck hook now that is a different story. Trying to hook it with the weight in the toe I did produce a duck hook, but there is no weight I know of that can prevent that. If you want to eliminate the left side of the course and want to go hard after the ball without the fear of a hook, you will like these clubs with the weight in the toe.
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With the weight in the middle, or neutral position you get a club that goes where you point it. I hit these clubs with a little 3 – 5 yard drow just like my 7 iron. But I can hit it dead straight, and I can fade it as well. I don’t see me moving the weights, but it is also nice to know that I can. Many times a new club seems perfect, and half-way through a season, you can’t hit it anymore.
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So these are in my bag now, very happy with them. But it also goes to show how you can get great deals on clubs that are only a couple of years old. When these clubs were new and on the Golf Digest Hot List, they retailed for over $200(US).
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But keep an open mind toward hybrids, they are much improved over the years, and now with adjustability almost a standard feature on all top-line clubs, you should be able to get them setup to give you confidence, They do not have to be the hook-monster you live with out of the rough, and fight off the tee.
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