Next to go under the microscope in our Retro Review series is the Adams Pro DHY hybrid iron. First introduced in 2014, this was one of a vast number of utility iron style releases around this period, with the iron/hybrid combination coming very much into fashion. Up until this point, players had to make a choice whether they wanted the softer, higher flight of one of the best hybrid clubs or a more penetrating option with a long iron. The Pro DHY aimed to change this and offer a never-before-seen level of versatility.
WATCH: Joe Ferguson puts the Adams Pro DHY Utility Iron through its paces
Original launch date: 2014
Original RRP: £160
Price we paid: £63.99
Who used it on tour: Justin Rose, Chad Campbell
What was the tech?
The main technology story was the bulge of the face which has become more of a talking point in recent months with Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed irons. Essentially what Adams created was a head profile small enough to still be considered an iron, but with the gear effect benefits of a wood.
The bulge of the face allowed unwanted side spin from toe and heel strikes to be mitigated somewhat and tightened dispersion. In addition to that, the Pro DHY featured a ‘speed slot’ just behind the face to encourage flexing and boost ball speeds.
How did it perform?
To put the Pro DHY through its paces, I wanted to test it in a number of different scenarios as I ask a lot from the club filling the gap between my 3 wood and irons. Firstly, I wanted to see if it could operate as a reliable fairway finder for me from the tee, so I set up a fairway on my practice ground 25 yards wide and hit 20 shots to see what sort of a percentage I could keep within those parameters. I was pleasantly surprised that 15 out of 20, or 75% kept me on my imaginary fairway which I was very pleased with, particularly with some questionable strikes.
Next up, I wanted to see if the Pro DHY could provide me with versatility of flight, so I spent several enjoyable minutes trying to hit the ball as high and low as humanly possible, and also attempting some gentle draw and fade shots. Results were good for me with the high and low shots but I did find it harder work to get the ball curving significantly.
Finally, I wanted to see how this club could perform from the rough, and here I was particularly impressed. Even from the tee and fairway I found strikes low on the face especially forgiving, so when the ball was nestled down somewhat, this was a seriously useful attribute facilitating some good distance numbers even from some very poor lies.
Conclusion
I can genuinely say that I would be happy to game this club today. The level of versatility and forgiveness is as good as anything I have tried in the decade following the launch of the Pro DHY. For full disclosure, it should be noted that mishits feel pretty clunky off the face, however, the performance doesn’t suffer much at all in terms of ball speed or dispersion. For less than £65, this is an extremely strong-performing hybrid iron.
