The latest set of clubs in my mailbox are these Dynacraft Avatar Hybrid Irons from Hireko Golf. From the promotional literature.

Part hollow-bodied iron, part hybrid, the Dynacraft Avatar Evolution set takes on a progressive appearance throughout the set. For the weekend warrior who wants to improve their game this set perfectly integrates all the necessary tools to help them achieve that goal.

The #3 and 4 irons have a more a typical hybrid footprint that has an increased breadth and a shallow face to position the center of gravity much lower and more rearward within the design to allow even less skilled players added confidence with the ability to easily get the ball airborne and increase the solidness of contact.

The mid-irons progressively become narrower as less game improvement is required and bridge the gap between conventional iron appearances.

The scoring clubs starting with the #8 look traditional at address as the additional loft beautifully hides the hollow-body but still to help increase the moment of inertia. These have the rounded top line to provide plenty of face area and help to raise the center of gravity enough to control the trajectory. The inclusion of three wedges provide for better course management by eliminating distance gaps.

Unlike most hybrids on the market, the Evolution are designed to be direct replacement in terms of distance and club length to irons where accuracy is at a premium. That way customers don’t have to ask which hybrid replaces what iron.

Winter being what it is here in Michigan, it’s unlikely I’ll be able to give these a worthwhile test until March or April. But from a few swings in the sunroom I like the feel of these things.

PowerPlay System Q Adrenaline Hybrid Hirekogolf.com.

Grade: B
Teacher’s Comments: Another solid Hireko offering.

I’ve not been particularly successful hitting hybrids, so you’re going to have to take this review with a grain of salt.

What I’ve found with the PowerPlay System Q hybrid is that I hit it just as well (or as poorly) as I hit any other hybrid. While I on occasion hit a beautiful shot with a hybrid, I’m just as likely to duff it.

Still, for those shots where things go well, I found the PowerPlay System Q Hybrid to be nicely balanced, with decent distance and a nice high arc. I haven’t had much success with it from the fairway, but from the rough, it performed admirably.

The head is on the small side; on the iron-wood scale, this falls more squarely on the iron side. The grooves on the face also are more reminiscent of an iron; deeper than a wood. The bottom has a rail sole design that I like; other clubs with a similar feature have worked well for me.

The best part about the club is the price: around $40, custom built. And it has a money back guarantee.

Still, to get a better sense of how this plays, I’ve foisted the club off on a friend, who promises to let me know how he likes it. More later.

Acer XF Leggera Driver

Grade: B
Teacher’s Comments: Another solid value

If you’re in the market for a very reasonably priced, solidly performing driver, the Acer Leggera XF just might be the ticket. Designed for a length of at least 46 inches, the Acer XF Leggera Driver is longer than the driver standard. That should translate into more clubhead speed, and thus more distance. Unfortunately—ceteris paribus—lengthening a club also increases the swingweight, potentially making the driver feel heavy and upsetting a player’s balance and rhythm. So to offset this, Acer designed this stick with a lighter clubhead and shaft.

Does it work? Yes. I did get considerable distance out of the Leggera. But that length also comes with another price: decreasing accuracy. Again, all things being equal, the longer the club, the less accurate it is. I wasnt’t spraying this one all over the course, but it’s not as straight as my Nike MachSpeed or my TaylorMade R7.  But it’s also not a club that better player will likely be able to work, with its 1 degree closed face angle.

On the other hand, Hireko did do the job on the swing weight. The Acer XF Leggera swings as smoothly as any club in my bag.

From address, the club is very nice looking, with the white crown that these days is all the rage.

Build quallity on the Acer XF Leggera is very good. The seams on the driver head are smooth, and the ferrules and grip properly installed.

As with all the Hireko products, the Acer XF Leggera is a bargain for what you get: a 460cc titanium driver built to custom specs for just over $100.

System Q Adrenaline Hybrid

I just got one of these for review. The weather still isn’t cooperating here in Michigan, so I’ll have to delay a proper review. Here’s what Hireko has to say:

Based upon our best selling hybrid of all time, the Power Play Adrenaline is more than just a face lift, it is a complete makeover. What is new is a score line pattern and grooves like an iron, improved weight distribution and a slightly larger size at address. Lastly, the addition of a unique uni-rail sole is designed to efficiently get through any lie.

However, a few things did not change. One of which is the hosel position ensures the Adrenaline hybrids are easy to align, easy to hit, accurate and forgiving. But don’t forget about the ultra-low center of gravity over any conventional iron which makes it a cinch for the ball gets up quickly and toward your target. As with the original, the Adrenaline hybrid is available as a full set. Never hit a #1 iron in your life? Now you can!

When regular irons can’t cut the mustard anymore, the Power Play Adrenaline hybrid is there to the rescue.

Acer XF Leggera Driver

Hireko sent one of their Acer XF Leggera drivers for review, but weather in Michigan precludes my taking it to the course, so here are a few notes until I can take it out for a drive:

The first thing I noticed about the Acer XF Leggera is that it’s long ... as in long from clubhead sole to butt of grip. The idea is that a longer club allows players to generate more clubhead speed. But as with everything in life, there’s a tradeoff. A longer club will—ceteris paribus—feel heavier than a shorter one. The solution is to lighten the clubhead as you lengthen the club, thus keeping swingweight constant.

And that’s exactly what Hireko did with the Acer XF Leggera: They made the clubhead lighter by developing a super thin crown. That means that even with the added length, it doesn’t feel too heavy. So you get the distance without the drawbacks.

Swinging the club indoors at GolfBlogger World Headquarters, I concur with Hireko’s conclusion. Longer, but no heavier.

PowerPlay Adrenaline Titanium Driver

Hireko golf recently sent me one of their new PowerPlay Adrenaline Titanium Drivers to test. Unfortunately, there’s still snow on the ground here in Michigan, so I’ll pass on a few highlights and save a full review for a few weeks from now.

The PowerPlay Adrenaline Titanium Driver has a wind-tunnel designed, aerodynamic clubhead that’s supposed to produce less drag, and thus more clubhead speed. The rounded edges and sculpted body allows the air to flow around the clubhead with the least resistance, and then converge and continue on its original path.

The club also stands out because the four pieces of forged titanium that comprise the head are forged together with a Plasma Arc Welding process that requires less solder and prevent uneven seams. The plasma welding also eliminated 7g of weight, which of course were redistributed elsewhere where it is more useful. The face is of the variable cup face construction variety to maintain ball speed even on off-center hits.

Hirekogolf.com – Custom fit golf clubs at value prices! Free online clubfitting!

If two hybrid clubs in your bag are good, nine must be better.

That’s the theory behind the Dynacraft XMOI hybrid irons.  But they didn’t simply repeat the same design with higher lofts and shorter shafts. As you can see in the photo above, the longer irons have wider soles, and as the clubs progress through the set, the soles get more narrow and the backs become scalloped. But they’re all hollow bodied for maximum forgiveness and ease of play.

These clubs would be a great choice for seniors, and the occasional and beginner player who tend to have more of a “sweeping” swing. The design will certainly help the high handicapper get the ball in the air.