I’ve played golf off and on for the last 10 years, though I have to admit I was mostly ‘off’. I’d play a season a few times, and wouldn’t get back out on the course until seasons later. With my most recent career change (almost 3 years ago), I ended up on a team with multiple ‘golf players’ as colleagues. For this reason, my golf trips have greatly increased in frequency. I can actually say ‘I golf regularly’, which is far beyond any claims I could make previously.

A few years back I had picked up a set of clubs off of a friend. These were my clubs through the 2005/2006 seasons. Unfortunately, off the shelf clubs tend to be a bit short for my height, which led to some really frustrating games! Late last season I finally convinced myself to correct my ‘equipment issues’. After reviewing my options (extending current clubs, getting new clubs, etc), I decided to purchase new clubs. After comparing a few brands, I landed on Adams Golf OS2 Idea Irons (Graphite).

What is a ‘Hybrid’ Club?

Hybrid clubs contain elements from both irons and woods in the same club. This combination actually produces a club that is much easier to hit in many cases. They tend to be much more forgiving, especially when you aren’t the best golfer (I can attest to that)! The lower irons actually look more like woods, while the higher irons look more like traditional irons (though they aren’t quite the same).

In most cases, the Hybrid irons such as 3 and 4 actually replace your existing woods (say 3 and 5 woods) with the exception of your driver. Since these clubs have the same properties as a wood club and are equivalent (for the most part), you don’t need those additional woods. No complaint here, as this saves the need to purchase and carry two additional clubs!

What does the set contain?

When it comes to irons, they’re all pretty much the same as far as content is concerned. Your first choice here is steel or graphite shafts. I’m a graphite junky personally, but steel shaft is great too. To be honest, graphite usually costs $100 more per set so steel is cheaper too! The clubs are well made, and have stood up to the torture I’ve put them through so far.

In the case of the Adams Golf OS2 IDEA Irons, you get the following clubs:

- Hybrid Irons (look more like woods than Irons: club covers included)
- 3, 4
- Hybrid Irons (look like oversized Irons: club covers included)
- 5, 6
- Hybrid Irons (look more like traditional irons)
- 7, 8, 9, P

You’ll notice here, that this isn’t a COMPLETE set. You still need a bag and a few more clubs (putter, driver, and a sand wedge) to finish off. There are some other wedge options (like Lob and Gap wedges), but only get those when you’re ready.

This leads me to my only gripe with these clubs. As with most, I prefer to have a matching set of clubs. Unfortunately, it’s been quite difficult finding the additional matching wedges for this set. I finally broke down and purchased a set of wedges (yup, still Adams Golf) instead. They don’t match the set, but they’re nice!

How has it affected MY game?

I can’t give you numbers on how many strokes I’ve dropped, or how it has impacted my handicap. Until recently, I wasn’t really concerned about these factors. What I CAN tell you is, they really do help. I’m enjoying the game much more (less frustration), and I’ve been told that my shots are much more consistent and improving!

When you look at the low irons (say, 3/4/5/6), they pose a challenge for most golfers. In my case this is especially true, as I barely ever had a decent shot using my traditional clubs. With the OS2 Hybrid Irons, it’s quite the opposite. Shot after shot I’m getting a hold of the ball. I’m no longer struggling with club, and can really focus on improving my game.

Once you break into the higher irons (7/8/9/P), these clubs aren’t as difficult to hit. With that said, it’s definitely easier hitting the hybrid clubs over a traditional club. These hybrid irons actually have more mass toward the end of the club to help you swing through, and it definitely helps. Again, I’m making much more consistent shots with these clubs, allowing me to start improving my game.

Do you have any other advice?

I’m not a pro golfer here, so please keep that in mind. With that said, there are a few tips I’d like to pass along. I’ve either learned these the hard way, or was given the friendly ‘heads up’ myself.

- If you’re still not sure if you’ve caught the ‘golf’ bug yet, don’t spend tons of money on equipment! There are plenty of ‘starter’ sets out there with decent clubs you can buy, even hybrids! If you decide golf isn’t for you, you’re only out a couple hundred bucks!
- When you purchase your clubs, get them sized to you! There’s nothing more frustrating than playing with short (or long) clubs. Save the frustration (like I didn’t) and get them sized!
- Pick a golf ball and stick to it! If you play with a different type of golf ball every day, you’ll never learn to take advantage of the ball! It will only keep you on your toes and impact your consistency (yup, it really does!).

And last of all, don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

In Conclusion

As I’ve probably stated numerous times so far, I’m quite pleased with the clubs. They were a bit pricey, but they’ve been worth the money so far. They’re significantly easier to hit, and make for a quite enjoyable round of golf. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for their next set of clubs!

So far this season I’m hovering around the 100 stroke range for 18 holes. I admit it’s high (25-30 over par), but it’s consistent and IMPROVING! I’m hoping to break into the 90’s by the end of the season. While this might be ambitious of me, I think it’s quite possible. Not having to wrestle my equipment allows me to focus on my game!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 599.99
Shaft Material: Graphite