The Adams Tight Lies Hybrid is surprisingly the first hybrid to feature in the Tight Lies range and it features the same dual slot design of the Tight Lies 2015 fairway.
On the sole you can see a blue polymer insert that is there to stop the dirt getting in. The barbell shape shows how the slot is wider at each end to provide greater flex in the face to reduce the reduction in ball speed from off centre hits.
Turn the club over and on the crown you can just about see the outline of the Ghost Slot, which is a second slot in the crown that effectively allows the face to float from the body of the club to increase the ball speed.
Visually the Ghost Slot on the crown is maybe a little too subtle to see and creating a design or alignment feature out of it may have given the Tight Lies a little more pizzazz.
At address the Tight Lies hybrid is a little more compact than most other game improvement hybrids. This is in line with the Tight Lies philosophy, but given the forgiveness story I would have expected something a little larger.
On the course the head was very playable and I do like the cambered Tri-Sole design that Tight Lies is famous for. It really comes into its own in a hybrid given all the various lies, good and bad, they are usually played from.
I tried it from a tee, fairway, out of some bare lies and some where I stood on the ball first and with all of them, the lower centre of gravity and leading edge easily picked the ball out and delivered good distance.
The sound and feel were very good and the mid-high trajectory was ideal for a hybrid, so you should be able to get enough height to stop the ball quickly on the green.
Distance wise, I tested a 19° version against a couple of competitors on Trackman and it was not quite as long. However, that is not really an issue as your hybrids need to fill gaps between your irons and fairways, so getting them to blend in is more important than out and out distance.
The Tight Lies Hybrid comes in 4 lofts from 19 to 28 deg with a Mitsubishi Rayon KuroKage graphite shaft which is good quality and nice and light.
Like the previous Tight Lies woods, the Ghost retains the Full Choice Adams Standard grip that has rougher grip sections where your fingers should be, if you have a neutral grip. It is light and the level of traction is above average, so it is a nice touch.
It is difficult to nail down exactly who this is aimed at. The head size would indicate single figure handicappers and personally I would prefer to see a larger head. However, for some I think the compact size may make it more playable, even though the forgiveness is still very good for this size of head.
The versatility from all sorts of good and bad lies could make this a great hybrid for rescuing you from places only mid handicappers get into, so maybe a high lofted version could suit that type of player too.
Overall I think the Adams Tight Lies hybrid is a high quality club from a respected name and with its competitive price it offers very good value for money.