5 Best Hybrid Golf Clubs for High Handicappers in 2023

Updated
golf hybrid in the fairway

The hybrid golf club can be your best friend on the golf course. It can get you out of some sticky situations, especially if you duff your drive or need a little more distance to reach a specific spot on the hole. If you don’t have confidence in your longer irons, a hybrid can get you the distance you need when you’re facing a long way to the green. It will also deliver accuracy for those longer shots that you may not get with a fairway wood. It’s a highly versatile club that is a must in any golfer’s bag. 

You can use it off the tee or from the fairway. You can even use it from the rough if you have a nice lie. The key is to get the ball out of the spot you’re in and get some distance on your next shot.

When it comes to picking a hybrid golf club, deciding which is the right one for your bag can be challenging. You need to keep in mind what kind of golfer you are and your level of handicap. For newer golfers and those with high handicaps, there are certain features of a hybrid that you’re going to want to look for.

Here are the best hybrid golf clubs for high handicappers in 2023.

Best Hybrid Golf Clubs for High Handicappers: Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Cleveland Golf Launcher Halo Hybrid
Best Adjustable Hybrid: Callaway Golf 2021 Apex Hybrid
Best for Accuracy: TaylorMade SIM Max Hybrid
Best Out of the Rough: Cobra Golf 2020 Speedzone One Length Hybrid
Best Loft Options: Callaway Big Bertha B21 Hybrid

Best Overall

Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Hybrid

This hybrid has the highest MOI of any Cleveland model to date, giving you plenty of forgiveness. The stepped crown drops the center of gravity for high-launching shots.

Pros:
  • Maximum forgiveness
  • Easy to launch
  • Can hit it from any lie
  • Higher ball speeds on off-center strikes
  • Helps you keep clubface straight from the rough
Cons:
  • Harsh impact sound
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This is a great club to use, whether you’re hitting off the tee, in the rough, or still have a ways to go from the fairway. You’ll notice the difference when you’re making contact with the turf, as there are three sets of Guiderails. The leading edge and sole geometries provide you with the best turf interaction. That means you can get better speed retention when you’re coming through.

This is a good club for any handicap, as it delivers a good launch and, even if you hit a shot a little fat, it’ll still carry. The redesigned HI Bore Crown provides a lower center of gravity position. Your ball won’t spin much, but it will go high. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow your swing speed is. This club will deliver a solid impact through the striking zone. It is available in a 3-hybrid and a 4-hybrid option. The shafts available are regular, senior, and stiff. A variable face insert provides higher COR over a larger area of the clubhead.

Best Adjustable Hybrid

Callaway Apex 21 Hybrid

The Jailbreak Technology makes this one of the most forgiving hybrids you’ll find. With excellent adjustability, you can find the setup you need.

Pros:
  • Unrivaled adjustability
  • Forgiving
  • High ball speeds
  • Easy to launch
  • Consistent ball flight
  • Premium quality
Cons:
  • High price
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Before committing to a club, you want to make sure you can hit it well. But if you want a club that you can adjust how you’re hitting it right after a round, this is for you. The adjustable hosel lets you customize your game and allows you to control your hitting more. It is offered in four different loft options. You can choose a 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-hybrid in this model. If you are getting used to hitting a hybrid, this is one to start with. It is a forgiving club, thanks to the Jailbreak A.I. Velocity Blades. They are engineered to increase the vertical stiffness near the sole of the club. That will, in turn, create more speed lower on the face, which helps out players who tend to mishit.

Finding the correct loft will help you get it up in the air from tougher lies. You’ll get better spin rate consistency because of the Blades as well. Each option has a lot of tungsten weighting, giving it a lower center of gravity. As a result, you can get the ball in the air more efficiently. The shafts come in regular, stiff, and light, so you can choose the amount of flex you want. 

Best for Accuracy

TaylorMade SIM2 MAX Hybrid

This is designed to help you hit the ball straighter. The corrective face angles help you overcome your tendency to slice it. 

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Lining up properly is half the battle when you’re about to shoot a golf shot. This is simple to align with your shot, allowing you to swing through the ball and make the best contact. Keeping the ball straight, especially when you’re in thicker rough, can be difficult. But this considers that with its design. The twisted face uses corrective face angles to help you overcome your tendency to mishit the ball. TaylorMade has already taken into consideration your slicing habit for you.

The V Steel Sole Design is crafted to better interact with the turf by reducing friction. You’ll have versatility hitting from tight or difficult lies. Getting better ball speeds off the C300 Ultra Strong Steel Face helps deliver a more explosive shot. You can choose between a 19°, 22°, or 25° loft angle. This also has a speed pocket that provides the distance you want, even if you mishit it slightly.

Best Out of the Rough

Cobra Golf Speedzone One Length Hybrid

It will help get you out of some sticky situations. This has a hot spot area that gives you a better launch from almost anywhere on the course.

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If you struggle with your driver and frequently top drives or spray them into the rough, this is a club you want on hand. It can help you address balls in lower to medium rough and get you farther down the hole to hopefully let you chip and putt sooner. This features hollow speed rails that flex more than solid rails. That provides you with a 70% larger hot spot area from heel to toe to get more ball speed and launch. 

There are also dual baffler rails that provide stability through the turf. You’ll be able to swing the club through the grass more easily and get more of the club on the ball. The weight distribution offers a better launch for high trajectory. The head is slightly larger than a traditional hybrid. It won’t deliver the distance of some other clubs, but you’ll have more control with this club.

Best Loft Options

Callaway Big Bertha B21 Hybrid

You may not believe it, but this is offered in six loft options. Like the original Big Bertha driver, the head is large and easy to hit.

Pros:
  • Lower spin for increased distance
  • Higher launching hybrid
  • Increased offset 
Cons:
  • Not a great choice for workability 
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If you’re trying to find the right hybrid for your bag, consider the Big Bertha B21 hybrid. That’s because this is offered in six different loft options. In this model, you can choose a 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-hybrid. The head is aligned offset to help overcome your slicing tendency. The advanced A.I.-designed Flash Face creates fast ball speeds upon impact. This also has the Jailbreak bars for more impact. 

This features a new RCH shaft, specifically designed for Big Bertha. There is an Active Tip Flag section that makes the launch more simple. This helps you combine accuracy and distance, as not many hybrids do. It’ll help you overcome mishits more easily.


How to Choose the Best Hybrid for High Handicappers

When it comes to finding the best hybrid golf club for high handicappers, you have to think about your swing. Most golfers who need a lot of strokes tend to not have as quick of swings as others. There tends to be a natural slice, which is a common cause for those who don’t have a straightened-out swing. 

When trying to decide which hybrid to go with, you need to remember that there is a difference between a 3-wood and a 3-hybrid. A fairway wood versus a hybrid can be a tough comparison when trying to figure out the proper club to hit. Of course, there are spots for either. But when you need a hybrid, here are some of the features you should consider when selecting your hybrid. 

Loft angle

Just like you find in a driver, there are different loft angles in a hybrid. If you’re looking at a hybrid, there are typically 3-, 4-, and 5-hybrid clubs. These all have to do with different lofts, and they can carry different distances. As you can imagine, as you see with your drivers and irons, a 3 goes farther than a 4, and a 4 goes farther than a 5. They generally cover between 19° and 26°. More than a fairway wood, a hybrid is easier to get in the air from the rough and the fairway. So depending on the distance that you typically get off the tee, you may want a lower loft angle to get more carry. 

Forgiveness

Like with any club, you want to find the sweet spot. You’ll find that many drivers have larger sweet spots. The same is true with hybrids. This will give you more forgiveness when you miss the sweet spot. You want a larger head. Hybrids have smaller heads than drivers, so you have to find the best of both worlds. Giving yourself more forgiveness may limit your ability to get the most distance out of your hit from the rough or fairway, but it will allow you to hit it straighter. Utilizing a hybrid will keep your shot straighter than a higher iron might. That’s because you’ll have a bigger head and more forgiveness. By having one in your bag, you’re giving yourself a better chance of hitting it straight. 

Shaft and Length

If you’re a higher handicap, you likely will want a regular flex shaft versus a stiff one. That’s because your swing speed is probably slower than a mid to low handicapper. This allows the head of your hybrid to reach the ball at the point of your swing that you want it to. You’ll be dealing with graphite shafts more often than not, which are great for beginner golfers. You have to get the right length of a club for your height. Hybrids tend to be shorter clubs than drivers, so you have to get the proper length. 

Center of gravity

It may not seem like a big deal, but it can throw off your swing if you have a bulky club with a larger head. However, even if you have a higher handicap, you can still focus on hitting the ball in the proper place. With the right center of gravity for your swing, you can keep your swing more consistent and prevent your ball from slicing. The center of gravity influences things like launch, speed, spin, and forgiveness, and it works with your shaft. 

Some clubs allow you to adjust the center of gravity by displacing the weight. A low center of gravity generally works the best for golfers, especially those with high handicaps. That’s because the ball will go higher and spin less. If you’re trying to hit straighter shots, worrying about spin isn’t on your mind. While this isn’t something you’re going to notice in your club, knowing where your club’s center of gravity is can help you hit it better.

How to Choose the Best Hybrid for Beginners High Handicappers

As stated above, things like loft angle, forgiveness, shaft and length, and center of gravity are very important in choosing the right hybrid for a high handicapper. For beginners, the most important aspect is probably the shaft. Like most beginners, your swing speed does not match up with your power, meaning your club head will trail behind your swing. That means you are more likely to slice a drive or shot. As you get more comfortable in your swing, your swing speed will be able to build up. A hybrid with a flex shaft is the best option for beginners.

What Hybrids are Good for High Handicappers?

If you’re a newer golfer or someone with a high handicap, you aren’t going to be hitting monster drives. So having a three- or four-hybrid is a smart decision. Those will get you the distance you’re looking for if, say, you slice your first drive into the trees.

The best hybrids for high handicappers offer forgiveness with a decent size club head, allowing you to get the most out of the club and make the most out of the contact. A hybrid isn’t helpful to you if you’re not hitting it properly near the sweet spot. So one with a larger sweet spot makes a lot of sense.

Are Hybrids Good for High Handicappers?

Everybody should have a hybrid in their bag. It can be used off the tee or from the fairway, short rough, or even thicker rough if you get a nice lie. For high handicappers, it makes sense to add one to your bag because of how often you may need to cover farther distances. High handicappers don’t tend to get a lot of length off the tee, so considering a hybrid rather than, say, a 5-wood is smart as it’s easier to hit the hybrid from the areas outside the fairway. 

How Many Hybrids Should a High Handicapper Carry?

The maximum amount of hybrids you should have in your bag is two. They’re meant to replace anything from your 5-wood to your 3-5 irons. If you’re a high handicapper, you aren’t going to be playing from the tips. So saving some distance will help you decide how you best want to outfit your bag.

If you don’t want to carry a 3-iron or a 4-iron, either a 3-hybrid or 4-hybrid could be a better decision. Either would offer you better stability when hitting shots, as the club heads are larger and club faces are more forgiving. But if you’d prefer to work on your longer irons as your game progresses, having just one hybrid in your bag is also suitable.

Wrapping It Up and Heading for the Clubhouse

Using a hybrid can get you out of some tougher lies. It gives you accuracy and distance from the rough that fairway woods do not. This is a must if you have a high handicap and aren’t great at hitting your longer irons. Some hybrids take into consideration high handicappers’ tendencies. You’ll be able to find one for your bag.

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Joe Morelli

Joe Morelli is the founder of TopRankGolf, a passionate golfer with decades of experience playing this amazing sport. He's dedicated to helping golfers learn, improve and enjoy the game of golf.