By Jennifer Gardner
The Wire Equipment Editor

Hybrids certainly are popular these days. We take something from one object, something from another and combine them to have the best of both worlds. Hybrid materials, hybrid cars and, of course, hybrid golf clubs.

Hybrid golf clubs are, essentially, a blend of the best features of fairway woods and long irons. They make it easier for the average golfer to get the ball in the air and can be hit from both fairway and rough, because they have a lower center of gravity.

Just about every major manufacturer offers hybrids -- sometimes called utility clubs -- and touts them as game improvement clubs. But increasingly, even professionals are putting the hybrids in their bags. The 1-iron, for example, has nearly become extinct, both for amateurs and tour players.

Popular especially on the Champions and LPGA tours, the hybrids are used by pros who swap long irons, fairway woods and utility clubs depending on the terrain and features of each course they play.

Adams Golf is one company name showing up in those professionals' bags quite a bit.

Adam Golf's IDEA a2 hybrids

Nearly half of all the hybrids used on the Champions Tour last week turned out to be from Adams, and the company has ranked first in hybrids on that tour for six consecutive weeks.

"Our position on the tours continues to strengthen in the hybrid and fairway wood categories as indicated by the most recent Darrell Survey results," Adams Golf CEO Chip Brewer said.

Adams offers two types of hybrids, the IDEA a2 and a2 OS. The a2 is aimed at low-handicap players and pros, while the a2 OS is more forgiving for mid- to high-handicappers. Options in the lines include i-Woods, which have lower lofts and longer shafts that more closely resemble a fairway wood, and hybrid irons, which would be likely to replace mid-irons in the bag.

The a2s ship with an 85-gram graphite Aldila NV shaft specifically designed for hybrids, or a True Temper steel shaft. Grafalloy ProLaunch 75-gram shafts come in the a2 OS regular version clubs, while a 75-gram Aldila NVS shaft comes in the senior version of the set. Women's versions are also available.

Jerry Pate, an Adams Golf staff player, won last month's Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am with a 20-degree a2 hybrid.

Sonartec's Md

Sonartec also manufactures a popular hybrid club on tour. The Md, introduced about three years ago, has found a place in professionals' bags based on strong performance over time. In February, for example, Kirk Triplett won the Chrysler Classic of Tucson with a 17-degree Sonartec Md, and Rory Sabbatini won the Nissan Open with a 19-degree version of the club.

"The Md has been played by more than 150 PGA Tour professionals since the 2004 season," said Bob Gotfredson, Sonartec's vice president of sales and marketing. "It continues to be the hybrid of choice for Tour professionals and amateurs alike."

Md clubs can replace any long iron, from a 1-iron to a 5-iron, and feature UST iRoD shafts made specifically for the hybrid.

Although hybrid clubs are nothing new for the amateur player, having been popular game improvement clubs for about three years, the momentum is picking up on the tours.