Sub 70 949X Pro Hybrid Review

Sub 70 949X Hybrid

As Sub 70 was looking at the hybrid market and considering golfer’s needs, they realized that most “better players” tend to be able to play their long irons fine and don’t necessarily need to replace them in their bag. So then they thought to themselves “well, what are the reasons better players WOULDN’T play a hybrid?” Sub 70 ultimately came to the conclusion it was the reduced ability to shape shots, and the ease of overdrawing the ball with most hybrids. Their response? The anti-left Sub 70 949X Pro hybrid that will appeal to the better player, but many others can benefit from it as well.

The Looks

Ok, I’ve seen a lot of discussion on this topic since this hybrid was first announced, so I’m just going to address it head on. Yes, the Sub 70 949X Pro hybrid does have a unique look at address. The profile is definitely on the smaller side like many player’s-biased hybrids. But as you stand over the club, you can’t help notice the toe is somewhat pointy. During a round of golf with Jason Hiland of Sub 70 last season, he had this club in his bag and told me to try it, and the first thing that jumped out at me was this unique look. Yes, it is different, but it also makes a lot of sense as you get used to it.

The way Jason explained it to me way back then was that this is the ultimate anti-left hybrid. If you look at the club from address, it’s almost like they slightly shaved the toe of the face back into the head. By doing this, the face sits a little more open as is often desired by lower-handicap players with their metalwoods. Something about the way the club sits behind the ball just gives you the confidence to swing away as hard as you need to and the ball won’t hook. Did it take me a single shot to adjust to it? Yes, but after that, I really liked the look of it. A smooth and clean all black hybrid with a slightly open face. Perfect, yet tastefully non-traditional. That’s the Sub 70 way.

How Does it Feel?

Crisp and clean. That’s exactly how I would describe the feel of the Sub 70 949X Pro hybrid. Striking the ball well results in a reaffirming pop off the face that’s very pure. The sweet spot is fairly generous so you get that feeling over a good portion of the face. Heel and toe misses are firmer and you know you’re losing some distance from the feel of the strike alone. Though my phrasing here is fairly generic and subjective, I think the 949X Pro feels extremely smooth.

Helping that smooth feel is the 949X Pro’s sole. The sole is somewhat unassuming, but it’s shaped in such a way that turf interaction is minimized for better control of the club. Like I said above, between the shape of the 949X Pro and its feel, I have a lot of confidence to just swing away and let the club release through impact. It really controls and balances well.

How Does it Sound?

On a clean fairway lie, the Sub 70 949X Pro hybrid makes a nice “whoosh” sound as it grazes the grass and a quiet precise “tink” at impact. Even at faster swing speeds, the sound stays subtle with a small metallic hint. If you happen to take a reasonable divot on a good shot, the sound is a similar “thwap” to what you’d expect from a tight iron shot. Through the rough, impact sounds the same, but the turf interaction has a sweeping “rip” sound to it. It doesn’t sound too heavy, but the club does have to work through a little more grass so there’s a little more resistance in the sound.

On-Course Performance

I don’t know if I told you this yet, but the Sub 70 949X Pro hybrid is designed to cut out the dreaded “overdraw” of a hybrid. In addition to the 1º open face and very minimal offset, Sub 70 also implemented a sole weight toward the toe to influence face angle. This weight helps keep the face from rotating too quickly so it’s less inclined to close at impact. As such, making impact with a square or slightly open face is quite literally built into the club.

The built in shot for me was a pretty straight mid-trajectory flight that I could easily lower or raise as necessary. Based on the design of this club, hitting the high-fading floater that comes down easy into a green is extremely easy. Of course, sometimes you actually want to hit a draw with your hybrid. Don’t worry, not a problem…assuming you know the mechanics of hitting a draw. Shout out to the VA Raijin hybrid shaft I put in the club which was a great match for me.

One last performance characteristic I want to point out is how easy the 949X Pro is to hit. I’m not bad with a hybrid, but I don’t typically find them super easy to hit. I mean, it might just be me, but even though the 949X Pro was designed with better players in mind, it’s almost automatic. I had absolutely zero struggle hitting the shots I wanted to hit, and I genuinely think this is a good option for many more players than just the low handicappers.

Final Thoughts – Sub 70 949X Pro Hybrid

Players that want to be just as creative with their hybrids as they’re able to be with their irons will really appreciate the Sub 70 949X Pro. What’s really nice about the 949X Pro hybrid is you don’t HAVE to be a scratch player to benefit from it. It’s easy to get launched in the air on a straight and penetrating line at your target. There have been some, but very few, hybrids I’ve experienced that with before. So often I feel like it’s a fight just to hit a simple straight shot with a hybrid and having that naturally built into this club was quite satisfying. And at a mere $150 with nominal charges for shaft upgrades, the 949X Pro is an unbelievable value.