How to hit a hybrid golf club

Hybrid golf clubs are some of the most forgiving and user-friendly golf clubs on the market. When hybrids were first released, they started truly changing the way that golfers played the game.

Hybrid golf clubs have become so popular that some golfers have replaced all of their irons with hybrids.

How to hit hybrids – Consistently

As easy as these clubs are to hit, there are certain things that you should know about how to hit a hybrid the right way.

We have put together some of the best tips out there for helping a golfer learn to hit a hybrid.

What is the purpose of a hybrid?

If you take a better look at their design, you’ll notice that hybrids are visually similar to fairway woods, but have the long irons’ mechanics. The dreadful, long irons!

Since their role is to provide an alternative to difficult-to-hit long irons, they are expected to perform much more straightforward. And, they certainly do!

Many novice golfers have seen tremendous results after the switch from metal woods to a hybrid golf club.

This is no surprise as the larger club head, the extra loft, and the shorter shaft make swings easier to perform. Plus, you can easily hit off the deck, in the rough, and some hit off the tee.

If you are struggling to get the ball out of a tough lie, like under a tree, then hybrids will help you much more than the corresponding long irons.

How-to hit hybrids

Hybrids are not a magic wand to make everything go smoothly, but many would argue they are the best game improvement club in the bag.

Nearly everyone, including higher handicaps say they are easy to hit,  but that doesn’t mean that the ball will fly away with supernatural powers. And, some golfers do struggle with hybrids too.

You need to know how to hit hybrids because their construction varies from both irons and woods construction.

This is the primary reason why some of you fail to deliver those hybrid shots.

The first thing you need to do is to start treating them like hybrids. They are neither woods nor irons, so if you’ve been playing them like either, the chances are that you are not using them to their full advantage.

Perhaps the most common mistake is to treat them like fairway woods swinging with a sweeping motion, which leads to fat or thin contact.

Step by step guide to hitting hybrids straight

The first thing you need to do is to correct your setup. Ideally, your stance needs to be a bit wider than the width of your shoulders.

Basically, you need to follow the general rule, the longer the hybrid, the wider the stance, about an inch away from the ball. This way, you’ll be able to make a full-blown swing.

When you swing the hybrid, treat it as if it were an iron. The impact needs to be down on the ball so that you can take a divot in front of the ball without scooping it.

Of course, most of it will depend on which hybrid you’re using, but make sure you keep your weight centered and play the ball in the middle of your stance, just a bit behind where you’d usually hit a 3 or 4 iron.

Then, prepare to hit the hybrid with a shoulder turn to get enough speed needed to accelerate through the ball.

Are hybrid clubs easy to hit?

For most golfers, Hybrid golf clubs are easier to hit compared to long irons. Hybrids will generally replace the longer irons in a golf bag like the 3, 4 and 5 irons. Rarely will a golfer at any level carry a hybrid and long iron that travel the same distance.

Since hybrids are exceptionally versatile, we’ll take a closer look at how to hit them from different lies.

How-to hit a hybrid from the fairway

When hitting a hybrid from the fairway, you want to stance to be slightly wider than your shoulders, good posture, leaning slightly forward at the waist. The ball position is slightly forward of center, similar to a stance for a typical 7 iron.

Make sure that the ball is not too forward at setup. You hit the rescue club with a bit of a descending blow like a 5 iron, and with the slight sweeping motion of fairway woods.

You can sweep the grass or make a small divot. Then, swing the club as you’d typically swing a 5-iron by hitting the golf ball down and through.

How-to hit a hybrid off the tee

When teeing off with your hybrid clubs, you want to tee low as you should be looking for a lower ball flight. The tee position should be slightly forward of center, and tilt your upper body and hands slightly forward at address creating forward shaft lean.

This will allow you to come into the ball a little steeper compared to a typical tee shot, and you can expect a lower ball flight (Stinger) that will travel straight and long down the center of the fairway.

If you tee the ball higher than ground height, position the ball more forward in your stance resulting in a higher ball flight and a swing more comparable to a teed up 3 wood.

How to hit a stinger

How-to hit a hybrid out of the rough

Hitting the golf ball with your rescue from the rough requires you to open the club face slightly, as the grass will close the face at impact. Take your club back higher than normal to allow you to hit down and through the ball. Finally, grip the hybrid club a bit tighter than normal as the grass tends to turn the club in your hand during impact.

In this situation, their nickname “rescue” clubs, is fully justified. It is much easier to hit the ball out of the rough with a hybrid compared to a Driving iron, long iron or fairway metal like a 3 or 5 wood, even if you have to take the ball out of a thick lie.

You can adjust the length in which you hit this golf club during approach shots by moving your hands up and down on the grip. A “choked down” grip will carry less than a normal grip.
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Conclusion

Replacing your longer irons with hybrids is an excellent way to bring back your confidence in the game. They are easier to hit, have a larger sweet spot, and help you get around the course a little easier and save some strokes.

These sticks are ideal for new golfers, low to high-handicaps, senior golfers, and professionals.

Remember, hybrids are not magical, so you need to work hard to learn how to hit them for all types of shots, but in the end, with this experience you can expect to lower your scores.

Follow the steps as frequently as you can, and you’ll see improvement in your performance. Be sure to follow us for more in-depth reviews in the near future.

Hybrid frequently asked questions

Are hybrids easier to hit than irons?

Some golfers claim that hybrids are easier to hit than irons. However, this is not always the case. There is no question that the majority of golfers are going to find long iron hybrids easier to hit than traditional long iron.

However, some golfers still like the thin and compact look of an iron in the shorter irons. Most professionals will tell you that having a mix of both hybrids and irons is the smartest choice.

Should high handicappers use a hybrid?

High handicappers should absolutely use hybrids. In fact, when you look at the most complete set options sold for high handicappers and beginners, they all contain hybrid golf clubs.

High handicappers should consider putting a 5 hybrid and a 4 hybrid in their bag.

Do professionals use hybrids?

Many golf professionals have hybrids in their golf bags. Tiger Woods carries a hybrid, but doesn’t carry a 3 wood on most weekends. Although golf professionals have the swing speed necessary to hit their long iron shots solid, many will still carry a hybrid.

A hybrid is easier to hit out of the rough, and it is a great club to consider on those long approach shots on a par 5.