Hybrids were once known as golf clubs for the elderly. My how times have changed. Not only do Champions Tour golfers swear by them but now even the PGA Tour pros are choosing these easier-to-hit clubs in exchange for their longer iron counterparts.
Tom Watson is the most famous face associated with the Adams a2 OS hybrids. Every time I watch a Champions Tour event on The Golf Channel there he is with his graceful swing along with the statement claiming that these are the easiest to hit hybrids in golf. I had already taken my long irons out of my bag and stashed them in my “holding bag” in the basem*nt. These clubs were heading for the trade-in bin at the local golf store but they needed replacements. An Idea? How about giving the Adams a2 OS a try?
It was almost twenty years ago that Barney Adams created the Tight Lies fairway wood. If you look around, many golfers still have these woods in their bags today. The phenomenon of the original lower center of gravity “upside-down” design changed the way clubs were created. Could it be that as recently as 2002 Adams’ earnings and stock prices were declining with naysayers claiming the hybrid as a “fad”?”
Still, in spite all of the “gloom-and-doom” surrounding early attempts at creating hybrids, Adams kept plodding along. And they were right! Statistics now show that Adams Golf leads the way in terms of the percentage of all hybrids and fairways woods used by golfers on the Champions Tour. Adams has yet to break onto the PGA Tour in a big fashion, but Tour Championship winner Bart Bryant had an Idea hybrid in his bag for the victory.
In other words, it goes without saying that hybrids are enjoying the limelight. But still, you’re faced with choosing the best ones for your game. For that reason, this review marches on.
Build and Technology
Adams has created technology for two completely different types of players, understanding that golfer’s needs are very different. The most important decision to make is whether the Adams a2 or a2os hybrid is right for you.
The Adams a2 (non-OS) is designed for mid- to high-speed swings and is the preferred hybrid on the Nationwide, PGA, and Champions Tours. The a2 OS features a lower center of gravity, lower spin rate, and higher moment of inertia (MOI = resistance to twisting, loosely “forgiveness”) and are designed for the golfer with aspiring abilities.
Shafts are available in either steel or this, a custom-made Aldila NV hybrid shaft.
Shafts are available in both steel (True Temper Dynalite Players) and graphite (Aldila NV). The weight of the steel shaft is significantly heavier than the graphite at 105 grams to 85 grams even though it is considered a “light” shaft but it is certainly lighter than steel shafts of old. Flexes are available in both stiff and regular and the standard Wynn grips are sticky and fit my hands perfectly.
The i-woods are available from the “1” through the “4” with lofts ranging from 16 degrees through 23 degrees respectively. The Adams hybrid “irons” are available from the “5” through the “9” and There are various wedges available from the pitching wedge through to the lob wedge so that you can fine-tune your game and ability around the greens.
In direct contrast to the Adams a2 hybrids, I decided to try the Adams a2 OS because of its generous offset and extreme low and back center of gravity (CG). Adams claims that the CG is 11% lower and 2.5 times deeper than conventional irons. Its higher launch angle gets the ball airborne quicker, gives you increased distance, and is designed to be easier-to-hit. The 30 percent higher MOI tends to be more forgiving than a standard iron.
The sole is rounded to glide through rough and to get to the ball in bad lies.
Specifications for the different Adams hybrid clubs can be confusing but Adams has them all neatly listed on their website. This is yet another reason that Adams succeeds at their craft. Their explicit shaft specifcations, flex options, lofts, club lengths and lies are available for a variety of golfers, from seniors to women.
Look and Feel
Since I first began noticing hybrids on the market (after I began to have a game) I knew that I had to get closer and analyze them further. Aisles of the local golf store were filled with more basic-looking clubs (in my opinion) like the Sonartec MD Hybrid and the Nickdent 3DX DC Series Hybrids but being a girl, I wanted something with a certain style. As we all know, it’s really important that when you look at your clubs that for your own confidence you have to like the way your clubs look when you take them out of the bag and get ready to hit them. They have to make you feel both content and confident (that’s why you should always keep them clean and polished too!)
If you choose, you can order an entire set of Adams Idea a2 OS irons, from 4-iron to sand wedge.
When I first saw the Adams Idea a2 OS hybrids at my local golf store I was floored. They were colorful (in both an unusually bright red, blue, pink, or my selection, champagne) and sleek in design. I just had to hold one and take a swing or two! The 4-iron replacement has the feel of a small wood but slimmer. It almost has the look of a antique club but with modern technology built into it. These are not traditional looking clubs! The low-profile design creates an air of mystique that make you want to pick it up and look further.
The matching Aldila Ultralight shaft also has a modern look to it. The cover, a matching black/champagne knit sock, snugly covers the head and completes the designer look.
The innovative design of the hybrid 6-iron is also creative in its appearance. Although it reminds me of a sand wedge to a degree the hybrid design confuses me as well. Perhaps I’m just not used to seeing an iron look like a cross between a wedge and a flat blade but it’s not always what the club looks like but how it performs as well.
The only problem I have with the appearance is that the color on the back of the club is already nicked. I really haven’t overused it and I see markings wearing off the champagne portion. This disturbs me because, for a brand new club, it’s starting to look old quickly.
Performance
When I first decided to make a change from a longer iron to a hybrid I had a two-fold reason. Mainly, my longer irons were useless to me as it was difficult for me to gain consistency with ball flight and length off the tee. The heavier weight of the conventional iron was making my shots very inaccurate. If you can’t hit your 4-iron with accuracy you are likely to find many greenside bunkers and the rough making an up-and-down nearly impossible.
The 4 i-wood was sensational. The ball literally catapulted off the clubface every time making the few mis-hits that I had look like my regular shots from my conventional long irons. The club was comfortably weighted so that I swung with ease, not out of my golf shoes. The ball flight was unbelieveably longer than with my traditional 4-iron and very consistent and the sound when you hit it sweet was pleasing to my ear. I actually like pulling that club out of my golf bag. It fills me with confidence.
The Adams 4 i-wood really helped get me out of trouble too! When my ball was sitting in the second cut of rough, the hybrid easily lifted the ball out of trouble and put it back into play. What I didn’t feel comfortable with was the ability to get a golf ball out from under an overhanging branch. Usually I would just choke down on my long iron, put the ball back in my stance and take an easy half-swing. In this instance the club handled too much like a wood despite the advertisem*nts that claimed “you can hit it like an iron”. I felt uncomfortable using this club in this manner so it did not perform well for me in that particular circ*mstance.
In a total reversal of the above, the Adams 6-iron hybrid was unconventional at best. I could not gauge which club it was supposed to take the place of and it filled me with dread using it out of the bag not knowing how far my ball would fly. I took the hybrid iron to the driving range several times along with my current set of irons to try and determine the distance but to no avail. Perhaps I was having difficulties with the club because my current set of clubs are more conventional and not really oversized. My current golf clubs are also a bit heavier than the hybrids so my feel was different right from the start of my experiment.
From what I determined, the ball flight was shorter by about 10 yards than with my current 7-iron (150 yards). I also did not feel that this hybrid was as easy to hit as stated. The fatter sole of the club created too much bounce and although I wasn’t hitting “fat” as is my occasional tendency to do, I felt as if the club had no teeth at all! I didn’t feel as if I was able to hit down on the ball as easily as I normally do thus making me feel as if I was hitting a fairway wood instead of an iron. Perhaps it was too easy to hit? My instincts tell me that I should have tried the Adams a2 hybrid irons instead of the larger soled 6 hybrid.
Conclusion
Whereas I am thoroughly impressed with the Adams a2 OS 4 i-wood I cannot say that I am equally as excited about the 6 hybrid. The 4 i-wood gave me distance and consistency both out of the rough and in the fairway. It is a solid club with no serious drawbacks but with plenty of positives.
The 6-iron hybrid is a totally different story. I am not completely convinced that my game will improve by using the oversized and easier to hit hybrid. Perhaps if I tried the Adams a2 (non-OS) hybrid it would be more conducive to my type of game. But this particular club will suit certain individuals who have trouble getting their shots airborne or people with problems of consistency. Its wider sole limits the cut I feel I can place on the ball and makes me feel more like I am “scooping” rather than hitting down on my Titleist DT So/Lo.
Suggested MSRP for a set (4-sw) is $599.95 and comes in right or left-handed design with the graphite shafts. True Temper steel shafts are $100 less. Separately the i-woods sell for $149.99 and the hybrid. Thank goodness there are companies that consider left-handed golfers as having purchasing power. Our numbers are growing and it’s great that Adams recognizes that fact.
