Many golfers love the distance they get out of fairway woods over long irons, but they're so freaking hard to hit off of the ground. If only someone would combine the feel and power of a wood and the accuracy and forgiveness of an iron; and if it came out to be easy on the eyes then so much the better. Rejoice then brothers and sisters, for La Jolla Golf Club Company has you covered with their new Knife Hybrid club. The Knife Hybrid takes the benefits of woods and lower irons and fuses them into one utility club with an added benefit. The big idea: three shallow blades on the sole of the club act as hydrofoils when the head strikes the ground, thereby reducing deflection and greatly improving accuracy and distance. By keeping the club "steered" through the bottom of the swing, a more controlled ball flight is virtually guaranteed, even on off center hits.

Sounds neat, but can it hit. Like bully at space-camp. We tried the 21-degree Knife Hybrid with a regular flex graphite shaft and were stunned. First, the balance on this club is exceptional; it swings easy with minimal power loss. The three-blade technology does a great job of keeping the swing steady no matter what the hitting surface. And since it cuts through the divot rather than digging in, you never lose loft even in the thickest rough. The feel at contact is also amazingly solid and tight.

This utility works nicely off the tee and from the bare turf. There is also noticeably less energy transfer into the ground, which means almost all of your power goes into the ball, where it should. If you have trouble hitting woods off the fairway, then this is definitely the club for you.

The bottom line is that if you want a club that hits like a wood with the forgiveness of an iron, then La Jolla's Knife Hybrid belongs in your bag. It's a sure bet that once you hit one, you'll want a full set. They come in 3, 4, and 5 models in Men's right hand only. For about one hundred dollars, you can get one just about anywhere clubs are sold or one of the dealers listed at www.LaJollaClub.com.