Much like the HiBORE driver and fairway woods, the revolutionary new Cleveland HiBORE Hybrid features a lower and deeper centre of gravity compared to other hybrids.

If you're new to the game, you may wish to try Wilson Staff's new Di7 super game-improvement irons.

PGA pro Padraig Harrington recently replaced his 2- and 3-irons with a 19-degree Wilson Staff Dh6 hybrid.

When Todd Hamilton used a Sonartec hybrid club to chip onto the green during his 2004 British Open victory, the hybrid was instantly elevated from cult club to mainstream weapon. A winner from tee to green, the hybrid is the most versatile club in your bag.

Hybrids -- or rescue clubs -- offer the forgiveness of a fairway wood and, in general, offer the same distance as the irons they replace. And they are versatile: use them off the tee, from the fairway, out of fairway bunkers, from the rough, and chipping from the fringe. PGA Tour star Padraig Harrington of Ireland recently replaced his 2- and 3-irons with a 19-degree Wilson Staff Dh6 hybrid. "I can hit it higher (than a 2- or 3-iron), which means I can hit it into the holes I would normally hit a 3-iron on par-3s," explains Harrington. "I can also hit low hard shots. It's versatile." A hybrid club has a low centre of gravity for ease in getting the ball airborne, and offers a fantastic moment of inertia, too, to help eliminate clubhead twisting. The result? Long, straight shotmaking. Today's game-improvement irons also offer forgiveness thanks to larger faces, wide soles and vibration-dampening cavity backs.

If you're looking to improve your game, put a few hybrids in your bag, and start your iron set with mid-irons. Your handicap will thank you.

There are two basic hybrid options: hybrid woods with larger heads and longer shafts; and the more common hybrid irons, with smaller heads and shorter shafts for more of an iron-like character. Both can be used from the tee, out of fairway rough on longer holes, and even for chipping onto the green.

Almost every manufacturer has jumped on the hybrid bandwagon. On the PGA and Champions tours, Adams leads the pack with its Idea and Idea Pro hybrids. TaylorMade's Rescue Dual with adjustable weights reduces turf drag thanks to its sole contour. Nickent's hybrid irons are built for distance. The revolutionary Cleveland HiBORE Hybrid features a lower and deeper centre of gravity compared to other hybrids. And Sonartec's MD hybrids are the choice of better players, providing a penetrating trajectory, plus outstanding distance and performance, thanks to unique sole-positioned cavity rails.

IRONS

Choose your irons carefully. Blades are for professionals and the most competitive of amateurs. Player's irons are more forgiving, but still for better amateurs -- and are also found in the bags of many Tour pros. Game-improvement clubs typically boast wider soles, larger heads and cavity backs for easy launch, high trajectory, distance and forgiveness. And super game-improvement irons are hybrid-like in their design, with huge soles and large cavity backs or carbon-filled cavities so even the beginner golfer can enjoy the game.

If you're new to the game, you may wish to try Wilson Staff's new Di7 super game-improvement irons, with a wide sole, deep cavity and thick rear flange, plus elastomer coating for soft touch and vibration dampening. Mid-handicap golfers have a new friend in the MacGregor MACTEC NVG2 irons, boasting the same Cup Face 360 technology as the driver for a huge sweet spot. And for you better players, there are some solid offerings in the TaylorMade r7 TP, Callaway X-20 Tour or X-Forged, Mizuno MP-60 and Ping S58.

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