2018
TaylorMade M4 – £199
➤ www.taylormadegolf.com
➤ Review: TaylorMade M4
TECH: A bigger, wider body than the M3, which is ideal for golfers who tend to sweep hybrid shots off the deck like a fairway wood. The speed pocket sole boosts speed and forgiveness particularly on shots hit low on the face.
WHY IT’S WON: It may be controversial, but we’re going to say it anyway… the M4 hybrid is the wide-body hybrid of 2018. It’s a decent step forward in terms of looks and shaping over the old M2. It’s really powerful, too, and for the vast majority of club golfers will out-perform any long iron or narrow body hybrid for forgiveness and all-out playability.
It’s ironic the Fujikura Atmos shaft in the M4 driver, which wasn’t the best fit for any of our testers (each saw improved results switching to a custom shaft), was actually a great fit for both fairways and hybrids.
It probably goes some way to explaining why TaylorMade chooses it, especially considering fewer golfers get fitted for their fairways and hybrids compared to their drivers. The M4 and its friendly, low profile excelled for our two amateur testers, posting one of their second longest carries (187 yards, two yards back from the longest) from a ball speed 5mph slower than his longest club.
Cleveland Launcher HB – £179
➤ www.clevelandgolf.co.uk
➤ Review: Cleveland Launcher HB
TECH: The whole story with Launcher HB is simple distance with excellent forgiveness. A HiBore crown lowers and deepens the centre of gravity, Flex-Fins in the sole direct more energy back at the ball for excellent distance and speed retention, especially on off-centre hits.
WHY IT’S WON: Cleveland promised simple distance with the Launcher and it certainly delivered. It was our test pro’s longest carrying hybrid of the year (229 yards). It registered among the top three for ball speed and carry distance for our two amateurs, too. All three thought the shaft felt quite long (which in part is down to the tip section being white), which we thought would zap a bit of confidence for a few golfers.
The majority of club golfers who want a forgiving hybrid to launch from the turf probably wouldn’t want the long head to be any narrower either. The loud, high- pitched impact sound of the original Launcher (due to the body vibrating at impact) has improved, as the body has stiffened to improve acoustics and energy transfer. Fitting options are deliberately limited, as Cleveland says it’s optimised to go from rack to range without the need for fitting.
Mizuno CLK – £245
➤ golf.mizunoeurope.com
➤ Review: Mizuno CLK
TECH: The CLK’s wave sole pushes mass low and closer to the face for higher launching, lower spinning shots. A thin maraging 1770 steel face is fast and forgiving and Mizuno says the CLK’s versatile profile sits right between a long iron and fairway wood.
WHY IT’S WON: Ever since hybrids first became popular, their purpose of delivering extra playability over long irons has dictated how they’ve come with some pretty funky head shapes. We can’t think of another hybrid like the CLK that we’d describe as being cute. Yes, it’s a compact head which will be intimidating for some. But thanks to the CLK’s cheekiness, we were drawn into hitting tons of different types of shots, which adds a good degree of versatility on the course.
The CLK produced our test pro’s second fastest ball speeds (141mph, tied with the TaylorMade M3), but thanks to some extra back spin (over the test average) it recorded a carry distance just a yard further than the test average. Like most Mizuno products, the CLK comes with a top-notch Fujikura shaft. It’s designed to launch low, which means it’s ideally suited to average and above swing speeds.
Readers’ Choice
The TG Shortlist
| Hybrid | RRP | Club |
| TaylorMade M3 | £239 |  |
| Callaway Rogue X | £229 |  |
| Cobra F-Max | £149 |  |
| Titleist 818 H1 | £255 |  |
| Cobra King F8 | £169 |  |
| Mizuno CLK | £245 |  |
| Cleveland Launcher HB | £179 |  |
