Hybrids have become such pivotal equipment for millions of golfers. However, for many manufacturers, hybrids have become also-ran products that round out sets and don't have a carved-out place in their product cycles. In many cases, they're just kind of there, doing the utility grunt work other clubs can't do.
However, at some point, the boundaries of hybrid design were going to eventually be pushed. Callaway believes they've done that with their new Super Hybrid.
The Super Hybrid is positioned as a hybrid boasting the power of a fairway wood. Callaway has used a titanium face insert with the Super Hybrid, designed to offer higher ball speed and ideal flight for distance. Jailbreak Technology, which features two internal standing bars connected to the all-titanium body, stiffens the structure to allow the face insert to flex more and deliver more speed.
Callaway says it has positioned the Super Hybrid's center of gravity more precisely because of the titanium body. It afforded them the capability to use 68 grams of metal-injection-molded (MIM'd) tungsten in the heel and toe for higher moment of inertia and better ball flight. The hybrid has more of a fairway wood-like footprint, as compared to the iron-like style you might find in some other offerings.
The Super Hybrid has a triaxial carbon fabric with a tighter weave, allowing for the distribution of more discretionary weight toward where engineers want it (low/back, heel/toe) for better performance.
A new, lighter OptiFit 3 hosel offers customization options for the player.
The Callaway Super Hybrid isn't cheap, but then again a player shouldn't expect that here. It's available Nov. 1 for $320 each in 17-, 20- and 23-degree heads with a stock Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 85 shaft.