Golf Digest South Africa Hotlist 2025

PLAYERS-DISTANCE IRONS

WANT MORE FROM YOUR HYBRID? STOP TREATING IT LIKE A WOOD These clubs work a lot better if you approach them like irons

TITLEIST T200 R27 000

GOLD

OVERALL RATING ★★★★★

• The dual-tapered

L-face insert (in which the face wraps around the sole) improves deflection and helps shots maintain a tight dispersion. • The use of tungsten weights allowed for precise centre-of- gravity placement to promote a high launch in the low and middle irons. • The sole’s variable bounce makes the T200 play smoother through the turf. • Top 5 in Performance, middle- and high-handicaps • Specs: 7-iron: 30.5 degrees; PW: 43 degrees

PERFORMANCE ★★★★★ INNOVATION ★★★★ ½ LOOK / SOUND / FEEL ★★★★★

There’s no question that higher-lofted fairway woods have really increased in popularity in recent years. Even some tour pros are using 7-woods when they were once thought of as taboo for better players. That said, hybrids still are a popular, user-friendly option for average players who struggle to hit middle and long irons. To that point, the thing to remember about hybrids is that they are intended to be used more like irons. With the beefy clubhead, I know they sort of look like a fairway wood, but you’ll get a lot more out of these clubs if you set up and swing like you’re holding a 5-iron. That means playing the ball more in the middle of your stance and strik- ing the ball with a slightly downward angle of attack. The feeling you want as you stand over a hybrid shot is that your chest is over the ball. You might have heard the term “cover- ing the ball.” That’s what I mean when I tell you to get your chest over it ( below ). This thought, combined with a ball position that’s further back than if you were using a fairway wood, puts you in position to pinch the ball slightly off the grass before the club takes a small divot. – Jason Guss, Golf Digest Best in State Teacher, Naperville CC, Illinois.

‘Not a lot of noise in this design, but you see that explosive ball flight. It gave me the highest ball speed that I’ve had. A crisp click on contact.’ – 12-HANDICAP

AESTHETICS

Plain

Elaborate

ACOUSTICS

Quieter

Louder

SENSORY

Softer

Firmer

LAUNCH

Lower

Higher

FORGIVENESS

Least

Most

88 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA

HOT LIST 2025

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