Equipment
GolfWRX Members Choice: The Best Hybrids of 2017
Figuring out which hybrid is the best hybrid of 2017 is simple: Hit every single one of them against each other and decide which one is longest, straightest, best from the fairway, best from the tee, flies the highest, flies the farthest, is best out of the rough, is most versatile, feels and looks the best.
OK, maybe it’s not so simple. Hybrids are asked to perform many jobs; they are utility players that are hit from the tee, the fairway, the rough, on par 3s, into par 5s and long par 4s, and even used to chip around the greens and hit out of fairway bunkers. Some players want them to fly low and hot and run forever off the tee, while others need them to fly as high as possible to provide forgiveness as long-iron replacements.
But if there’s any group of people knowledgeable and dedicated enough to test out a variety of hybrids and determine what’s “best,” it’s GolfWRX forum members.
We recently asked GolfWRXers — after they performed their thorough testing of this year’s stock of hybrids — to vote on what they believed to be the best hybrid of 2017, and explain why. Here are the top hybrids selected, and what our members had to say about them.
Check out the forum thread for the full results and discussion.
TaylorMade M2 2017 (4.53 percent of votes)
Bomber_11: Taylormade M2 tops my list and checks all the boxes you need in a hybrid. It’s long, forgiving, accurate, and aesthetically pleasing.
Callaway Apex (7.17 percent)
Sef: I haven’t found anything to top the Apex hybrid, looking forward to trying the 818 H2 though. I did not vote for it since I haven’t hit it…
Titleist 818 H2 (10.94 percent)
GC70: Just got fit for the 818 H2 and it’s amazing. Can’t wait to get it on the course.
KCCO: I’ve played with a Titleist H2 21-degree and loved it. Compact, great shaft offerings for those not just scoring the head. Definitely curbed my 915, and no more dealing with the dirt slot. Performance was perfect for me. That list is pretty big, and have played a few, but the Titleist wins for me.
Callaway Epic (12.08 percent)
jimwright: The Callaway Epic hybrid is just the perfect size and shape. Not too big, not too small. The internal weighting and the materials used are fantastic. Great selection of no up charge shafts also.
Crabbie50: I moved from the 816H2 (21 degree) to the Epic and love the flight characteristics. Highly recommend it.
Cobra King F7 (13.58 percent)
chch3: Cobra F7 made me a believer in hybrids again. Great club.
dcorun: Voted for the F7 but, I’m currently playing the F6. The best hybrid I’ve played so far. Easy to hit, accurate, longer than I thought and not draw biased like most hybrids. I did hit the F7 but, did not see a big enough difference to change for now.
Dasenergi: F7 vote. The rails really shine on the hybrid. King slowly took over my bag again.
ChubbsWoodenHand: Tie between cobra F7 and Srixon h65. I like hybrids to act like irons and prefer to hit down on them like normal irons. Haven’t tried the apex though.
thevaultsky: Cobra F7 — being able to adjust the loft makes it much more useful as an iron replacement. The rails also come in handy. It has become my go to in a variety of situations.
Titleist 818 H1 (13.96 percent)
DougE: I have played many hybrids over the years. It took me 5 years to replace an old Nike CPR2, because I couldn’t find something I liked more. I tried many, including an Adams A7, A12, Ping G25, and some others, but always liked the old CPR best. The Adams and Ping were the best of all those I tried. Eventually, the Ping G25 became a mainstay in my bag alongside a 19-degree Titleist 913H. I never brought out the CPR again. Then the Titleist 816H1 came out and proved to be the best hybrid I have ever played, bar none… until last week. The new 818H1 is even better as I realized in a fitting this week. Felt fantastic. A 19-degree 818H1 is on my list to replace my 915F 5W in 2018. My present 816H 21-degree (set to 22 degrees) will stay in the bag until I can afford to replace it with an 818H2 21-degree. (The H2 is a bit more iron-like, with a smaller head, which fits my eye even better for the shorter hybrid.)
pmang: I have owned TM M2 and Ping G400 hybrids this year. I hit the Titleist 818 H1 today. Titleist was the best of the 3 for me.
Ping G400 (16.23 percent)
SirPercival: I’ve played a Ping G400 hybrid for some weeks now. So they get my vote. Imagine 818 would be nice though.
elwhippy: Difficult to choose as the majority of choices never make it to the UK or are only stocked in boutique stores around London. G400 looks and feels great.
Members Choice 2017
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.
TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.
The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.
One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.
Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.
See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:
MySpider Tour
MySpider Tour X
Equipment
Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory
In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.
McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.
So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?
Driver
2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)
McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.
What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)
The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.
Fairway woods
2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X
The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.
The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.
Irons
2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.
With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.
Wedges
2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.
Putter
2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.
Ball
2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)
As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Grips
2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC
Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
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Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black...
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Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
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RG
Oct 8, 2017 at 3:15 am
Every year when new hybrids hit the market I go to my local big name Golf shop and hit them all. I check the numbers and if theres one that gives me good numbers I get a demo and try it on the course heads up against my Adams XTD. So far every year Ive returned the demo.
RG
Oct 8, 2017 at 3:13 am
Every year when new hybrids hit the market I go to my local big name Golf shop and hit them all. I check the numbers and if theres one thats gives me good numbers I get a demo and try it on the course heads up against my Adams XTD and every year I return the demo.
Joe J
Oct 7, 2017 at 3:12 pm
Cobra F7 over everything I’ve tried. Disclaimer: Best use is out of rough because of the bottom rails. I have a steep, upright swing (my irons are + 1/2″ with 3 degree upright lie angles) so no hybrids work for me out of tight fairway lies. I only use hybrids out of the rough and nothing comes remotely close to the F7 for that purpose for me.
Lee
Oct 6, 2017 at 4:47 pm
Did each of these voters test each of the Hybrids? Does not sound like it.
Robert Parsons
Oct 6, 2017 at 4:11 pm
The best hybrids weren’t made in 2017. How about the Adams Pro a12? That was a great hybrid. Several others, but not from 2017. PnT?
Smiller
Oct 6, 2017 at 11:46 am
I knock the snot out of an old mizuno t-zoid 5 wood. Best hybrid I have ever owned. It’s friggin incredible when you have a tucked back pin over warter.
Crackshot
Oct 6, 2017 at 3:31 pm
Keep on dreamin’……..
Swingman/Jerry
Oct 6, 2017 at 11:26 am
I like the Big Bertha OS 2016 Hybrids – forgiving, long, and consistent, EZ
Crackshot
Oct 6, 2017 at 3:32 pm
You like the Big Bertha? Now try a real woman!
Jerry
Oct 28, 2017 at 10:57 am
You do know the “Big Bertha” was a WW1 Cannon, right?
John Krug
Oct 6, 2017 at 11:20 am
The Callaway Epic shown is a 2 hybrid, but the loft is 18 degrees, hardly a 2, more of a 3.
Crackshot
Oct 6, 2017 at 3:34 pm
Yer dominant eye is really sharp… you know it all
John
Nov 18, 2019 at 8:37 am
Based on your comments here, id say its clear who the “know it all is”….
A bit insecure and sensitive are we?
Hybrid Expert
Oct 7, 2017 at 9:17 am
If the loft is 18*, I sure wouldn’t call it a #3 hybrid. If that were the case, a 2 would be 15*? 18* is close to an old #1 iron.
jbrunk
Oct 6, 2017 at 1:32 am
My WITB:
Cobra King F6+ 1W 11.5° Diamana D+ 63 S
Cobra King F6 3-4W 14.5° LTD Rogue Black 70 S
Cobra King F6 Baffler 18.5° 4-5W LTD Rogue Black 70 S
Cobra King F6 4-5Hy 22° Matrix Red Tie HQ4 S
Mizuno JPX-850 Forged 5i-GW C-Taper Lite 110 S
Mizuno S5 56•14 & 60•10
Odyssey White Hot Pro 7 CS
Crackshot
Oct 6, 2017 at 3:33 pm
A Cobra King man….watch out!!!!
Shooter McGavin
Oct 5, 2017 at 9:01 pm
Been hitting the Mizuno CLK and loving it over my 816 H2. Looking at maybe doing even a 16 degree to replace my 3 wood.
Crackshot
Oct 6, 2017 at 1:28 am
I will never replace my trusty 3 wood. Hybrids look like sissy clubs.
Michael
Oct 6, 2017 at 11:08 am
Only a sissy would make that remark. You spot it, you got it.
Crackshot
Oct 6, 2017 at 3:29 pm
I bag a 2-iron…..you start at a 6-iron…..ya sissy!!!!!!!!!!
Vegas Bullet Dodger
Oct 7, 2017 at 4:43 pm
I start at 8i….
And break par
Vegas Bullet Dodger
Oct 5, 2017 at 5:29 pm
Nothing can beat the g25 2,3,&4h and g20 5&6 hybrids
Skait up yo
Crackshot
Oct 6, 2017 at 1:29 am
Buy American…. not Chinese
John Krug
Oct 6, 2017 at 3:13 pm
You must walk around naked.
Crackshot
Oct 6, 2017 at 3:25 pm
Hey, gurK…. yer chow mein
Peter in Parker
Oct 5, 2017 at 12:28 pm
The title should be renamed ‘Most Popular Hybrids of 2017 for owners that bothered to Vote’.
SK
Oct 5, 2017 at 3:43 pm
It’s well known in marketing circles that golf club purchases are based on emotions… and after having bought the clubs trying to justify the purchase with desperate logic like “they are the best”, and “I love them”, and “so-and-so plays them and he won with them”!!!
Geeerheads just buy new clubs for the pride of ownership… and don’t even play them for fear of scratching the soles and wearing the grooves. “Here’s my WITB, now tell my about yours and how do they feeel?”
Think or Thwim
Oct 5, 2017 at 12:08 pm
A panoply of personal preferences…. pa thetic !!!
Dennis Mcmahon
Oct 10, 2017 at 3:30 pm
Perhaps