Most Forgiving Hybrids in 2023

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***If you’re looking for the most recent reviews for 2023 gear, we will be updating this page in the summer after we’ve had a chance to review them!

If you’re in a hurry and just want to know our top choices, here they are:

To see our other most forgiving golf clubs in 2022, check out this article: Most Forgiving Golf Clubs in 2022!

A few years ago, hybrids were the club of the future. Today, if you do not have a few hybrids in your bag then you are probably missing out on a couple of strokes every round.

Hybrids are much easier to hit than long irons and they have a better launch angle and more control than a fairway wood. At this point, unless you are hitting your 2-iron like Tiger in his prime, there is no reason not to have at least one and probably multiple hybrids in your bag.

Hybrids are no longer experimental, you see them in the bags of the highest handicapped players and you see them in the bags of the top players in the world. The following is a list and review of the most forgiving hybrids out there. A hybrid is built for forgiveness, but in our opinion, these set themselves apart from the rest.

Most Forgiving Hybrids in 2022 Reviewed

 

TaylorMade SIM Max Rescue

There are a lot of reasons to love the TaylorMade SIM Max Rescue. As far as forgiveness goes, the Twist Face technology uses corrective angles across the club face to send the ball on target no matter how off target the strike. The high MOI of the club promotes a squared face at impact so that the corrective angles can do their work. After that, the ball speed, distance, and ball flight that this club produces takes over.

The forgiveness is there so that mishits are few and far between, but this club was really built for speed. It uses much of the same technology that the SIM Max driver has and the “V” sole bottom cuts through the turf so that you make solid contact every time. TaylorMade remains one of the major players in the hybrid category and this club sets itself apart from the others on this list.

Pros

  • Twist Face technology ensures that off center strikes still go straight.
  • The back, bottom weighting gives you a high launch and a high MOI.
  • The higher MOI means that at the moment of impact the club will stay straight and so will the flight path.
  • There is not a lot of spin produced by these clubs which adds distance and accuracy.
  • The high ball flight means a soft landing so that this is a great approach club from longer distances.
  • The ultra strong and thin steel club face adds a lot of ball speed.
  • The “V” shape sole cuts through the turf and adds to the MOI.
  • Available in numerous lofts.
  • A very easy club to hit at a high launch angle.
  • Great contact no matter the lie or the terrain.

Cons

  • On the expensive side for a hybrid.
  • The head is slightly smaller than some of the other hybrids.

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Titleist TS2

The TS2 and TS2 are Titleist’s longest hybrids. The TS3 focuses on adjustability to go along with the speed and the TS2 focuses on forgiveness. The oversized head makes it easier to align and hit while also giving it a high MOI. The thin and fast steel face give you a lot of distance and a huge sweet spot for added forgiveness. These hybrids were created for speed, but speed without control and forgiveness does nothing but ensure you will be spending a lot of time in the woods.

Titleist created the TS2 so that you could take a full swing and full advantage of the extra distance without worrying so much about mishits and off center strikes. The result is a long and very accurate hybrid that is as forgiving as any other out there.

Pros

  • A very forgiving club with a high MOI and huge sweet spot.
  • The speed chassis is a combination of features that creates top end ball speed and a really high launch angle.
  • This hybrid is really good off of the tee. So good when your driver is taking the day off, you may be inclined to hit this off of the tee rather than any other option in your bag.
  • One of the less expensive high end models.
  • A large and very forgiving head.
  • Enhanced aerodynamics gives you a lot less drag and a few extra mph on the swing speed.
  • A very low center of gravity for a very high launch.
  • Effortless distance and launch.

Cons

  • Does not interact with the turf as well as many of the other hybrids.
  • Not as good out of difficult lies.

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Callaway Big Bertha B21

We love the look and feel of this club, and who doesn’t like the “Big Bertha” name. At the same time, this is one of the more technologically advanced clubs on the list. Callaway began using artificial intelligence (AI) technology on their driver a few years ago and created “flash face” technology. That same technology can be found in the Big Bertha B21 giving this hybrid a very fast and very forgiving face.

The forgiveness comes from one of the biggest sweet spots on the market. This is not the technology that helps keep a ball straight, this is an actual sweet spot that gives you virtually the same distance on an off center strike that you get when you hit the ball flush. There are also adjustable tungsten weights in the sole that can lower the center of gravity and raise the MOI. This is a really good 

Pros

  • A huge sweet spot makes for a very forgiving club on off center shots.
  • The adjustable tungsten weights can provide a very low center of gravity for a high launch and they also increase MOI to prevent twisting at impact.
  • The flash face technology creates a lot of ball speed.
  • The AI technology creates a great club.
  • You get a lot of carry and a really soft landing.
  • A slight offset helps cure a slice or promote a draw.

Cons

  • Need a fast swing and a low handicap to really tap into the features of this club.
  • Does not interact with the turf as well as the clubs higher on this list, and that takes away from a player’s ability to take advantage of the forgiveness offered.
  • If you have a natural draw or hook, this is not the club for you.

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Ping G410

Maybe the best thing about the G410 hybrid is that it is just an easy club to hit. The head is a little larger, the face is a little bit hotter, and the club is just a little more adjustable than any of Ping’s previous hybrids and it is just an easy club with which to make solid contact. It is also a very forgiving club which is why we placed it high on this list.

The bigger head and higher MOI with the thinner and more flexible maraging steel equals solid performance even on mishits. The sweet spot is huge and the club gives you that extra distance and accuracy that you need when you are a little (or a lot) off center. You can also adjust the loft and lie of the club with a total of 8 different setups depending on your swing. The Ping G410 looks and feels natural in your hands and it is weighted for optimal control and forgiveness. 

Pros

  • A huge sweet spot and high MOI makes for a very forgiving club.
  • The adjustable lofts and lies make this one of the most versatile hybrids out there, and that is saying something in a market where versatility is key.
  • A very lightweight club but with enough mass in the grip and club head to provide additional control and feel.
  • The high density back weight gives you a great launch angle and increases the MOI discussed above.
  • The oversized head gives you confidence and cuts through the turf very well.
  • Just as good off of the tee as the turf.

Cons

  • Not as long or forgiving as the few clubs ahead of it on the list.
  • The weight is not adjustable even though the hosel is.

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Cobra F-Max Hybrid

This is a great club for slow swingers because it produces a lot of distance and a very low spin rate. The steel face insert gives this hybrid a very large sweet spot so that you get great distance even on mishits. The weight in the back and bottom of the club round out a very lightweight offering which gives the club a high MOI and a lot of accuracy and launch.

The weight pad is inside the head and very low which makes the center of gravity low as well. The club head is slightly offset so that it promotes a draw bias while the alignment aid on top makes it very easy to square your club at address. The F-Max hybrid is a simple club with a simple design, but it is very long and very forgiving. With the lightweight design, this is also a very easy club to control and to get a little extra speed while maintaining that control. 

Pros

  • The steel face insert is very forgiving and adds a lot of distance.
  • The weight pad at the back and bottom of the club give it a very high launch and very little twist at impact.
  • This is a great club off of the tee because of the distance that it provides.
  • You can hit the F-Max hybrid out of any lie and on any terrain and expect an accurate and high ball flight every time.
  • The Cobra badge on top makes alignment easier than ever.
  • The smooth, rounded face allows it to cut through turf easily.
  • The offset design promotes a draw bias.

Cons

  • While the very low spin rate helps with distance, it hurts when it comes to sticking an approach shot.
  • Not as much technology or distance as some of the other clubs on the list.
  • Produces more speed than forgiveness.

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Tour Edge HL4

By far the least expensive option on this list, in this case you actually get more than you pay for. The HL4 looks like a higher end club at address and you can really get a good launch angle with this hybrid. The ball flight is high and it lands very softly on the green. Generally the slightly smaller head would give you less forgiveness, but the variable face thickness, hollow body construction, and the shallow/thin face all provide high end distance and forgiveness in a club with a smaller price tag.

This hybrid is great out of any lie and interacts really well with the turf so that the leading edge of the club always makes clean contact with the ball. While this club does not have all of the bells and whistles of some of its counterparts, this is a very high performing club with a lot of forgiveness and plenty of distance.  

Pros

  • By far the least expensive option on the list.
  • Hollow body design promotes extra explosiveness and a larger sweet spot.
  • High end materials and construction usually reserved for higher end clubs.
  • The thin and shallow face combine with the hollow body design provides some explosive ball speed.
  • The slightly smaller head cuts through the turf or other terrain as well or better than any other hybrid on this list.
  • Very easy to hit and to launch at a high angle.
  • Great for beginners and seasoned golfers alike.

Cons

  • Slightly smaller head size takes away some forgiveness and does not look as good at address.
  • Generates a higher spin rate than most.
  • Not as long as the higher end clubs.

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Cleveland Launcher Halo

A great club for any situation and any lie. It will perform well from the tee, the woods, the rough, the fairway, and everything in between that a year like 2020 could throw at us. This club looks terrific at setup and inspires the confidence you need to stick the green or drive it down the fairway. The Hi-bore crown allows for a lower center of gravity and an even higher launch.

This is another easy club to hit, but it was not ease-of-use that drew us to the Cleveland Launcher. The best thing about this club is that it can get you out of any jam and perform well from any lie. This is a scrambler’s golf club though it performs like a hybrid that you would find in any scratch golfer’s bag. 

Pros

  • A high strength and very slim steel face that makes for a huge sweet spot and great performance even on mishits.
  • The glide rails give you great turf interaction and speed retention as the club cuts through the grass.
  • Lightweight, easy to control and easy to hit. When you can control a club well it becomes very forgiving.
  • It looks and feels really nice and inspires confidence at address.
  • The high launch is perfect for an approach shot and the distance is perfect off of the tee.
  • An easy club to hit and an easy club with which to get a high and penetrating ball flight.

Cons

  • Less loft options than many others.
  • The club head is too large for some golfers.

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Wilson Launch Pad FY

The new Wilson Launch Pad FY hybrid comes in one loft and is specifically designed to fix that slice that so many golfers struggle with. The slight offset, lightweight construction, and weighting allow this club to favor the left side and which promotes a huge draw bias and/or helps to fix a slice.

The Custom 455 steel face is very forgiving with a huge sweet spot and a lot of feel. The club was built to fix a slice, but it also adds distance, takes away spin, and is very forgiving. 

Pros

  • Produces a high launch with low spin.
  • A lot of distance and a lot of ball speed.
  • The sweet spot is large and forgiving.
  • Most of us struggle with a slice and this club was designed to help fix it.
  • The ultra thin crown and ultra thin face combine together for a really lightweight club.
  • The thin and strong steel face produces a lot of action at impact.
  • A less expensive option than many of the other hybrids.

Cons

  • Available in only 1 loft.
  • A lower MOI than most of the other clubs allows for more mishits and less forgiveness.
  • While there are some good features of this club, these features do not match the features in some of the other clubs on this list.
  • Not as accurate or as straight as some of the other hybrids.

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Features To Look For in The Most Forgiving Hybrids

Sweet Spot. The biggest factor in how forgiving a hybrid is going to be is how big the sweet spot of the club is. Of course, the bigger the sweet spot, the more forgiving your club is going to be. 

MOI. The Moment of Inertia (MOI) describes the simple idea that when a club makes contact with a golf ball, its tendency is to twist both in your hand and at the bottom of the shaft. If that twisting is present, then a face that was square at contact is now pointing away from the target. This change in the direction of the ball is also a change in the angle of the face at impact which could cause a lot of problems. 

Launch. Hybrids, in general, should help you get the ball off the ground quickly and easily no matter the lie. At the same time, not every hybrid was made the same way. Find out where a club head is predominantly weighted and if the weight is adjustable. The lower and farther back a club head is weighted, in general, the higher the launch.

Ball Speed. This has little to do with forgiveness other than the fact that a more forgiving club gives you the confidence to swing a little harder and produce a little more speed. However, the ball speed produced by a club is a very important feature to know. Of course, the more ball speed you can generate, the farther your ball can fly and one of the key things you are looking for in a hybrid is length. 

Loft. One of they key features to look for when purchasing hybrids is the loft. You want your hybrids to fill in the gap between your long irons and fairway woods, so if your hybrid is the same loft as your 9-wood then you are essentially carrying the same club twice. Many manufacturers label hybrids in relation to their irons to make it easy to choose the right one. We suggest you carry nothing lower than a 5 iron or higher than a 7 wood and then fill in the gaps from there.

How Important Is a Good Hybrid?

At this point, and depending on your skill level, a good hybrid could very well be the fourth most important club in your bag (after driver, wedge, putter). There are so many uses for a good hybrid and they can replace so many clubs that the versatility alone makes a good hybrid valuable.

Long irons are hard to hit and fairways woods are hard to control, but a good hybrid will go long and high with a soft landing. A lot of hybrids are great off of the tee also and especially when you are playing a course that requires target golf.

It seems like every year hybrid technology gets better and every year having a strong hybrid or 2 in your bag gains in importance.

Who Should Carry At Least One Hybrid in Their Bag?

If any of the following statements describe you and your golf game, you should carry at least one hybrid every time you walk out on the course.

  • If you hit a lot of long irons and you hit them relatively poorly.
  • Longer par-3s are very difficult for you to reach with your irons but you cannot hold the green with your woods.
  • You do not like the look or feel of higher woods and lower irons.
  • You need a consistent tee shot on tight holes that take your driver out of the equation.
  • Hitting a long iron out of the rough escapes your skill set.
  • You hit your fairway woods a lot better than you hit your long irons.

There are a lot of other reasons to carry a hybrid, but at least one of these probably describes 99% of the people who are reading this article. The point is that, yes, in 2020 you should be carrying at least one hybrid in your bag.

Our Choice

 

Best Overall: TaylorMade SIM Max Rescue

The TaylorMade SIM Max Rescue is not only one of the most forgiving hybrids on the market, it is also one of the best. The Twist Face technology really sets it apart for forgiveness because it turns almost the entire face of the club into a sweet spot. Add to that the “V” sole and the well-placed weighting and you have a club with a high MOI that also pushes the ball straight.

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If that was not enough, the SIM Max rescue also produces some of the highest ball speeds and subsequent distance of any other hybrid. That means that it is forgiving enough to put your full swing into it and long enough to get all of the distance possible out of that swing.

Most Affordable: Tour Edge HL4

By far the least expensive option on the list, it is also one of the more forgiving hybrids out there. It performs as well or better than many of the brand name and more expensive clubs.

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