Four Ways to Use the Hybrid Clubs

By now, you've probably thought about or have a hybrid in your bag. If you have and you're using it, you know it's a good replacements for your 3- and 4-irons. A hybrid is shorter and easier to hit than a long iron. It doesn't take as long to learn to swing. And it hits the ball higher, making it idealfor shots in the fairway that must land softly on the green.But the hybrid is one of golf's most versatile clubs. It can beused in a variety of locations other than the fairway, like thefringe, the rough, the tee, and even a bunker, and in situationswhere you need to save strokes. Learn to hit a hybrid well andyou'll chop strokes off your golf handicap. Let's look at four ways this club can improve your game.

===========The Bunker===========A hybrid works well in a fairway bunker, as long as the lip isn't too high. You can hit this shot the same way you hit a normal hybrid shot, except for one adjustment--ball position. It's the key to making the shot. If the ball is too far backin your stance, you'll top it. If it's too far forward, you'll hit it fat. The best position is about an inch backof where you normally hit a hybrid. As you swing, keep yourfeet planted as much as possible and your weight centered.This steepens your swing and ensures first ball contact.

=============Bump and Run=============The key to the bump and run, is getting the ball on the ground as quickly as possible. The sooner it's on the ground,the more control you have over it. With the hybrid, the ballstarts rolling quickly, making it easy to gauge distance. Keeping the ball low to the ground is also one of the bestways of achieving consistency with this shot.The key to hitting the bump and run is choking down on theclub and holding it with a putting style grip. The idea isto emulate your putting stroke. Use a square-to-square stroketo achieve more accuracy and limit wrist movement, making it easier to judge speed and distance. Using the hybrid helpsyou get up and down successfully more often in this situation.

==============On the Collar==============No one likes playing a ball that's up against the collar.You're never sure how to play it or what club to use, the putter or the wedge. If those two choices don't thrill you,try a hybrid. It offers benefits the other clubs don't.It has a longer, wider sole, making it easier to hit solidlyand giving you a wider margin for error. More importantly,it won't slip under the ball or get stuck in the grass,as with a putter or a wedge.Address the ball with a putter style grip, but don't choke up.With the ball in the back of your stance, press the hands forward.On the backswing, cock your wrists to lift the clubhead slightlyand then swing downward on the downswing. Allowing your wriststo hinge slightly helps lift the club from the collar on thebackswing. The ball will pop and roll in a hurry, so read the green before hitting the shot and plan accordingly.

==============Above the Pin==============Here's a shot that I've never mentioned in my golf tips,but can save strokes. When a ball ends up in the light roughon the high side of a pin, most players assume that a puttor a lob would be your only choices. But a hybrid works justas well, as long as you know exactly where to get the ballrolling on the green. Plus, it's a safer shot than a wedge.First, make sure there's room to get the club behind the ball.Then address the ball like a normal chip, with your handsslightly forward and the majority of your weight on yourforward side. Your head should be directly over the ball.Chip the ball so it lands in the rough, not the fringe.The hybrid's extra momentum causes the ball to roll forward through the rough. It will then roll softly onto the green.If you really want to lower that golf handicap, learn to hitthe hybrid in the situations mentioned above. You can also useit in the fairway or the rough. Keep those in mind as well.However you use it, the hybrid is a versatile club that canshave strokes off your scores. Think about adding to your bag if you haven't already.