Yonex Ezone Elite 4 Hybrid Review

Yonex Ezone Elite 4 Hybrid Review

Yonex has continued to help make the game easier for high handicap golfers on a budget by releasing the Ezone Elite 4 hybrid. Designed for golfers who are new to the game or those looking for more help in gaining height from their longer clubs, the Ezone Elite 4 hybrid looks set to deliver. I tested it indoors on a CGQuad launch monitor as well as on the course to see how it performed.

One of the first things to note about this hybrid were the looks. The gloss dual-tone blue crown may not be to everyone's liking, but it certainly stands out in the bag and behind the ball. The darker blue sitting above the face frames the ball well and the two silver alignment arrows serve their purpose well. The head size itself actually seems fairly compact, although the diagonal grooves on the face help the head appear larger, which will inspire confidence at address.

From a performance standpoint, the Ezone Elite 4 hybrid held its own and produced the kind of data we were expecting to see. While remembering this hybrid is designed for beginners, and most likely slower swingers, we were impressed with how stable the shaft felt considering it was in a regular flex. The 23° 4-hybrid model we tested produced an average carry of 216 yards and felt soft yet powerful off the face. This club has In-Core groove technology, which is placed around the perimeter of the face to allow for flexibility and faster ball speeds, and I certainly noticed the stability on offer.

Where the Ezone Elite 4 Hybrid impressed us most was how forgiving it proved to be on off-center hits. This hybrid is unique in that it has a diagonal groove pattern on the face, which is said to result in more consistent spin and help in correcting the flight on mishits. It's hard to say with any certainty what impact these had but I was impressed with how user-friendly the performance was. The repositioning of weight in the head has lowered the centre of gravity which also improves launch and has made this one of the most forgiving hybrids we have tested this year.

The Yonex Ezone Elite 4 tended to launch and spin higher than most of the hybrids we have tested recently, however it is designed for ease of use, making it a perfect hybrid for high handicappers or those who swing it slower seeking distance. Those who regularly play at a links or in windy conditions may look for something a little less spinny as it was hard to flight lower when needed. Considering the Ezone Elite 4’s target consumer, there wasn’t much of a draw bias tendency, which we normally find to be beneficial when it comes to catering for a higher handicap golfer.

Apart from keeping the ball flight down, the Yonex Ezone Elite 4 hybrid shone brightly on the golf course, especially when used out of tricky lies. The lower CG helped pinch the ball out of divots, and launched the ball on a high trajectory out of the first cut of rough, perfect for advancing the ball down fairways or playing into greens on longer holes.

The Yonex Ezone Elite 4 hybrid is the perfect club to bridge the gap between irons and woods for the higher handicapper by producing a reliable and consistently high ball flight. The Ezone Elite 4 hybrid will retail at £159, slightly under the price point of many of its competitors among the best golf hybrid clubs, another reason to consider this club especially for those newer to the game. The whole Yonex Ezone Elite 4 range will be available from 1st March 2023.