Adams Pro Mini Hybrid
We review ten of the latest golf hybrids on the market but which is the best?
Brand: Adams
Hybrid: Pro Mini
RRP: £159
Available lofts: 16-, 18-, 20-, 23- & 26-degree
Shaft: Aldila Tour Green
Click on images to enlarge
Watch the video above to see how the Golfmagic Hybrids Test 2014 was conducted
Summary
For players who prefer a more compact head shape, the Adams Golf Pro Mini features a sleek Velocity Slot in the crown and Cut Thru Slot in the sole just like the Pro Hybrid to create higher ball speeds and more forgiveness across the entire face. The Pro Mini borrows heavily from the original Adams Idea Pro Black and Super 9031. As you might expect, the language is geared towards better players.
Appearance
The stylish grey and red sole of the Adams Pro Mini exudes class in the palm of glove and should appeal to a large audience. The dark grey finish of the crown is complimented by a black shaft and the traditional hybrid headshape filled all four testers with confidence at address. The Velocity Slot Technology on top of the club may distract some but we found it particularly useful for alignment down our targets. Slimmer head profile than Pro Hybrid makes it look more like an iron, so there's more of a personal preference as to which we preferred. Do you want some bulk or do you want something a little more slimline? Two testers favoured the looks of the Pro Mini, while two preferred the Pro. 4.25 (out of 5)
Feel
Great head weighting presents a nice solid feel when striking it out the meat but Rich found it was pretty tough to hit that spot regularly. Less forgiving than the Pro Hybrid but much more forgiving than the Pro DHy and for that we can see the market of lower handicappers clamouring to get hold of one. Very stable Aldila Tour shaft. 8 (out of 10)
Performance
Majority of testers experienced a slightly lower trajectory than the Pro Hybrid. Very long off the tee, like its brother, and easy to get airborne and work both ways when cracking one out the centre. Brian thought this club was harder to hit off a tee peg than the Pro Hybrid, but did comment it was one of his favourite hybrids in the test. Clubhead swishes nicely through the fairway grass with ease. Not quite as forgiving as the Pro Hybrid, though. On the occasional off-centre hit from each tester, the ball veered a little offline. 8.25 (out of 10)
Verdict
More of a hybrid for the lower handicapper with a high swing speed as there's not quite as much forgiveness on offer in relation to the Adams Pro Hybrid. The head size may scare a few people away as there are others in this test that have larger sweetspots, but the Pro Mini has a real distance advantage and and in today's market that usually sells well. Well worthy of its place high up the board in this test. 20.5 (out of 25)