UTILITY CLUBS
In the 2008 version of Cobra’s Baffler DWS utility metal, engineers have increased moment of inertia and moved the center of gravity lower and deeper to create a club that combines the high launch, forgiveness, and distance of a fairway metal with the playability and control of an iron. The heel-toe weights are 18 percent larger than the previous version and enhance the distribution in the back of the clubhead. Retail price: $150, steel shaft; $175, graphite shaft

New, too: Cleveland HiBore XLS Hybrid, Callaway FT i-brids

Trend: Increasingly, manufacturers are replacing long irons with hybrids in full sets, especially in game improvement sets for beginners and novices. The utility club is becoming more mainstream as more professional players carry them and more amateurs get past the stigma of not playing long irons.