Everyone should have this club in their bag... (but very few do)

Deputy editor Joel Tadman, who plays off 2, puts the rarely used 4-hybrid up against its long-iron equivalent. Could this be just the club for you?

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Golf is a hard sport to play, especially for those new to the game. However, even more accomplished golfers sometimes make it more difficult through their equipment choices - specifically, the clubs they choose at the point where their hybrids transition into irons.

Every golfer is different and some will prefer the look, feel and flight of an iron compared with a hybrid. Some low-handicap golfers may not have any hybrids in their bag at all. But the overall performance of a hybrid versus its long-iron equivalent cannot be ignored.

The status quo has been for iron sets to start at a 4-iron for a while now. Yes, we're seeing more game-improvement sets starting at a 5-iron, but this is more down to the lofts getting stronger and the 5-iron being, in real terms, a 4-iron in loft with a 5 stamped on the bottom. But golfers should really think hard about where the transition point from tech-infused metalwoods to intimidating long-irons lies, as the versatility and user-friendly performance of the best hybrids is something many still overlook.