N.Y. GOLF
As golfers get older, sometimes they become afflicted with a terrible malady known as iron deficiency, and it has nothing to do with blood.
There’s no need to be ashamed. When it becomes painful to hit iron shots, perhaps it’s time to see what Dr. Technology can do for you. Maybe a new set of “hybrid” irons can cure your ills.
Joe Rehor, head pro at Bethpage State Park, is a big believer in hybrid clubs. He says seniors, beginners and women can benefit greatly from playing them, particularly if they have trouble hitting long irons or fairway woods.
“Basically a hybrid iron is a small metal wood,” says Rehor. “It’s different from a regular iron because it has a hollow back and the club is shorter, easier to hit.
“The manufacturer moves the weight around to increase the sweet spot. That makes it more forgiving if you mis-hit the ball, and the higher launch makes it carry longer.
“It’s strictly an individual thing,” Rehor says. “Some people like their 7-woods and 9-woods but there are some people who like to hit irons.”
Rehor says some manufacturers are charging up to $180 per club retail for a set of hybrids, which usually come nine to a set. But at $130 per club, Rehor says you get “more bang for your buck with the Adams club.”
Adams Golf, known best for its popular Tight Lies fairway woods and its founder, Barney Adams, over the past few months has become a champion of hybrid clubs, notably their Idea irons.
On the Champions’ Tour, it’s no coincidence that many of the top players on the over-50 set are playing Adams clubs.
Tom Watson, Bruce Lietzke, Allen Doyle, Larry Nelson and Sammy Rachels are some of the notables stars who play the Adams clubs and do so without “tee up money.”
“Easy-to-hit clubs are our specialty,” said Chip Brewer, Adams’ CEO. “Our clubs take the guesswork out of hitting good shots. That’s why we dominate the senior tour.”
Brewer points to Rachels, who jokingly once said his old 3-iron has a lot in common with his mother-in-law. “I’d like to hit both,” Rachels said, “but I can’t.”