What is a 20 Degree Hybrid?
A 20 Degree hybrid golf club has a 20° hybrid loft angle. This club has characteristics of both wood and iron clubs. The face of the clubhead of a hybrid is like that of an iron, but the head is rounded similar to a wood club. These clubs also have a lesser center of gravity than irons, which in turn makes them more forgiving.
When chosen wisely, a hybrid club can make a good substitute for more than one of the usual wood or iron golf clubs in your golf bag. Hybrid clubs are also referred to as rescue clubs or utility clubs.
More and more players are opting for hybrids as they allow you to have only 14 golf clubs in your golf bag.
A hybrid golf club is ideal when you want to hit your shots out of the rough. This is because the clubhead is such that it’s too small to be caught inside the rough. At the same time, it’s big enough for the rough to not turn its face down. This club is also a good choice for playing around the green.
The best feature of a hybrid is that it’s suitable for golfers of all levels. They are helpful not only to amateurs, intermediate, and high-handicap players but also to professionals.
Is a 18 Degree Hybrid Better? Read my answer
A 20° hybrid refers to a hybrid golf club that has a loft of 20 degrees. This golf club is categorized as a moderate-lofted hybrid. Such hybrids have lofts ranging between 18 degrees and 22 degrees.
What is a 20 Degree Hybrid Equivalent To?
The equivalent wood golf club for a 20-degree hybrid varies for both men and women.
A 20-degree hybrid is the equivalent of a 5-wood golf club for women golfers. In the case of men, a 20-degree hybrid is the equivalent to a 7-wood club.
It must be noted that the above values are approximate but hold good most of the time. However, there are instances when there can be deviations based on the golfer’s actual play irrespective of gender.
Make sure that the offset, flex, and shaft type of your hybrid matches that of the equivalent wood golf club.
What Iron Does a 20 Degree Hybrid Replace?
A hybrid is more often used to replace a long iron golf club than a fairway wood counterpart. Hence, a 20-degree hybrid can be considered to be equal to an iron club with the same loft.
A 20-degree hybrid replaces a 2-iron in a woman golfer’s golf bag. For males, a 20 degree hybrid replaces a 3-iron and 4-iron.
Like in the case of wood equivalents, you must choose a hybrid with a flex, offset, and shaft that matches the iron that you are going to replace. This can help to avoid inconsistency in your golf swing.
Also, the above values are approximations and can differ based on the player regardless of male or female. You may consider trying out a hybrid or two at your golf store before you zero in on a specific club.
How to Hit a 20° Hybrid
The swing that you adopt to hit with a 20° hybrid depends on whether you’re using it as a replacement for an iron club, or a fairway wood club.
If you’re putting the hybrid in place of an iron golf club, swing it just like how you would do with a long iron.
On the other hand, if it’s a fairway wood substitute, adopt the same swinging style but ensure that the ball is kept lower to the ground.
Read on to learn different ways to hit a 20° hybrid for a right-handed golfer.
Hitting a hybrid on the fairway
- Position the ball so that it is in the center of your stance, like when you hit with a long iron. But you may need to make a little adjustment because the shot by a hybrid will make the ball fly longer and higher, than a long iron.
- To hit fades or shots slightly curving to the right, it is advisable to keep the ball a little ahead of the stance. The large clubface helps in hitting the ball easily with the middle of the clubface when compared to an iron.
- Position yourself just as if you are about to hit with a long iron. This typically involves squaring your feet, hips, and shoulders to where you wish to have the golf ball to land while centering your weight at the same time.
- Once you have this right, place your hands on the hybrid in such a way that they are in line with the ball as well as the middle of your chest.
Keep in mind that your 20-degree hybrid will tend to make the ball fly longer and higher but will have a softer landing than an iron.
- Hit down on the ball like you would with a long iron. The right hit will make the club leave a mark or a divot in the grass just after making contact in front of the position of the ball.
Hitting off a tee
A hybrid can be helpful if you want to have an accurate drive. One of the best shots you can hit off a tee using your hybrid club is a narrow par 4.
- When teeing off with your 20° hybrid, make sure that you keep the ball so that its bottom is just above the grass. The ball must not be placed at a higher position than this. However, if you are positioning your hybrid quite close to the ball, ensure that only a quarter portion of the ball is present over the clubhead.
- You may consider practicing off the tee shots with your hybrid on a driving range before heading to a golf course.
- Swing the hybrid with a sweeping and flat downswing style just like you would with a fairway wood. Remember to level out the swing just before making contact with the ball.
- Remember that the clubhead and shaft of your hybrid are smaller and shorter than that of a fairway wood. So, you may need to stand nearer to the ball than you would when using a wood golf club. Also, this swinging technique is not the same as when you would use a driver. With drivers, the ball is hit on an upswing.
Remember not to use a wide stance when you use a hybrid. Position yourself for a narrow stance with your feet below your armpits. This will help your render descending blows and preventing roundness that results in fat and thin shots.
Ideally, the clubface must point towards your body while your left heel and the toe of your hybrid must be placed against each other. The ball must be placed opposite to the hosel.
A less-than-full swing can help you cover a reasonably large distance with your 20° hybrid.
20 Degree Hybrid Distance
The average distance of a 20 degree hybrid is 204 yards for males, and 137 yards for females.
It is a known fact that the distance covered by a hybrid golf club depends on its loft angle. In other words, hybrids with lower lofts cover more distance than those with higher lofts.
The distance covered by a golf club is usually specified in yards and is based on amateur average male and female golfers. It also differs for short, mid, and long hitters. Other factors that contribute to the distance spanned include the player’s fitness level, height, type of ball, swing speed, and accuracy of hitting the ball.
On average, the distance that you can expect to cover with your hybrid is given below.
- Short, mid, and long female hitters cover a distance of 104, 137, and 176 yards respectively.
- Short, mid, and long male hitters cover a distance of 176, 204, and 222 yards respectively.
The above-mentioned values are the approximate distances you get from hybrid golf clubs with loft angles in the range of 18 degrees to 20 degrees.
Length of a 20 Degree Hybrid Golf Club
The average length of a 20 degree hybrid golf club is 39.75 inches.
The shaft length of a hybrid golf club with either a lightweight steel shaft or a graphite shaft is typically 0.75 inches longer than its corresponding or equivalent iron golf club. This applies to hybrid clubs for both men and women.
Hence, as a 20-degree club is intended to replace a 2-iron for a female player, the hybrid club will have a length of 39.25 inches.
On the other hand, the 20-degree hybrid takes the place of a 3-iron in a male golfer’s bag. Thus, for them, the hybrid will have a length of 39.75 inches.
How to Use a 20-Degree Hybrid Off the Tee
When you hit your 20° hybrid off the tee, you must adopt a swinging style similar to that of a fairway wood golf club. It is ideal to hit the ball exactly below your swing arc.
In other words, to get the best off the tee shots with your hybrid, you must tee your ball exactly at the point above the ground. In this position, the clubface will cover the ball either partially or completely. If at all the ball is visible, only a very little portion will be seen.
However, it is worth keeping in mind that the carry distance is very likely to be less than what is rendered by the fairway wood although the swinging style is the same. This is the distance traveled by the ball before it makes its first impact.
20 Degree Hybrid Vs 5 Wood
- Some players have found that they are able to be more directionally accurate with a 20-degree hybrid, while with a 5-wood they experience more consistent distance.
- Few golfers have experienced better control using their hybrid over a wood golf club. This is especially true when hitting the ball off the fairway and out of the rough.
- 20-degree hybrids have helped golfers better than 5-woods when they are on tight holes. However, some of them have been able to reach most local par 5s in two shots with the wood and not the hybrid because of its extra length.
- There are players who have found their 20° hybrid’s to be more versatile and forgiving than the 5-woods in their golf bags, as they help in hitting shorter or longer-than-normal shots into the greens.
- Some golfers prefer 5-woods over 20-degree hybrids because of flatter trajectories and the ease to hit off the turf.
20° 3 Hybrid Vs 3 Wood
- Players have experienced more consistency and accuracy with a 3-wood over a 20° hybrid because of the shorter shaft and higher loft.
- A20° hybrid has been found to be better than a 3-wood by golfers who wish to make hitting from the fairway easy to accomplish and launch the ball high up.
- A 3-wood is chosen over a 20° hybrid by players who want to have as much carry distance as possible.
20° Hybrid Vs 3 Iron
- Some golfers have found their 20-degree hybrids to be more helpful for playing throughout the course and off the tee when compared to 3-irons because of consistency and accuracy.
- A few players are able to fare better with their 20-degree hybrids over 3-irons when they have to hit over trees from a distance, because of the greater height rendered.
- Versatility and easy launching have made golfers opt for 20-degree hybrids instead of 3-irons in case of imperfections in the lies.
18° Vs 20° Hybrid
- Few players prefer 20-degree hybrids over 18-degree ones to hit long par 3s and high launching shot into par 5’s.
- Some golfers like to use the 20-degree hybrids in place of its 18-degree counterpart for out of the rough shots.
20 Vs 23° Hybrid
- A 20-degree hybrid is an enhanced option over a 23° hybrid for players who want to extend the distance covered by around 10 to 15 yards.
- The 20-degree hybrid can perform better when it is used from fairways whilst the 23-degree hybrid proves its mettle when it is used to hit high draws.
Best 20 Degree Hybrids
The following are some of the best 20-degree hybrids that you might consider checking out if you are planning to buy one.
Callaway Apex Hybrid
- This hybrid club has a classy look because of its dark PVD finish.
- The golf club features top-quality components like a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip, a Temper Catalyst shaft, and a Forged Carpenter 455 Steel face cup. The forging in the face cup helps to achieve increased ball speed at any point the ball makes an impact.
- The club offers neutral bias for controlled ball flights.
Ping G25 Hybrid
- The Ping G25 hybrid club has a fairly large clubface with a square shape. This design offers a wide hitting area in the toe and heel, thereby proving to be quite forgiving.
- The golf club has a strong, penetrating trajectory that makes the ball go slightly low and straight.
Adams Red Hybrid
- The hybrid club has an upside-down head with a flat sole and a high toe. The sole has a little camber to make it easy to play over various lies.
- The head is smaller than the ones in most other hybrids available in the market, which makes the club ideal for good players.
- The lightweight shaft allows the club to offer a high trajectory that is capable of boring through the wind.
- The hybrid club helps in moving weights to three different positions on the club sole.
- Is a 18 Degree Hybrid Better? Read my answer