Ping

What it does: Rather than designing a hybrid to be just a little bit better than the iron it’s replacing, Ping’s philosophy is refreshingly practical. Hybrids by their nature should be full of all the help they can possibly provide because the player who really needs a hybrid isn’t looking for subtlety. Hence, Ping brings the house here, wrapping the thin steel face around the crown, toe and sole for better overall flexing. Then, for the first time, it adds a carbon-composite crown that wraps around the edges of the perimeter to save mass. The saved weight is redistributed low and to the perimeter for better launch and more stability on mis-hits. Finally, again, because hybrids can really help challenged golfers, Ping extends the range deep into the iron set, even providing a replacement for your 7-iron.

Why we like it: Another reason Ping gets what hybrids should really be: the way these faces curve from crown to sole improves how shots hit low on the face perform. With less loft on the lower part of the face, thin shots will launch with less spin for better velocity and more distance. In other words, they perform better on our worst shots, which is why we have hybrids in the first place.

Lofts 17, 19, 22, 26, 30, 34