Natalie Adams – PGA Teaching Pro

Here we are going to have a look at the best three ways for you to get the most from your Hybrid Golf Clubs. Now Hybrid Golf Clubs are really, really versatile and you can hit a variety of shots with them, because you can do so much with them. So first of all let's consider hitting from the rough. If you've got yourself into a position where you are in the rough and you’re still along way from the green, it's very difficult to hit a fairway wood out of this type of a situation. You don’t have a lot aloft on the fairway wood face, so it’s very difficult to get the ball up and out of this longer grass. So have a go with your hybrid they're much more for giving and you will find that the hybrid you'll be able to swing and get it through the grass quite a lot easier than you would your fairway wood and that’s what they’ve been designed to do.

The cub head is still a large club head for forgiveness, but is not quite as large as the club head as the fairway wood. So to you play at the rough with the hybrid, set the ball so that it's in the middle of your feet and then just set your weight slightly on to your left and make sure your hands are left of that golf ball. So you’re really look into set this straight-line look from the left shoulder down to the left arm to the hands and then straight down into the shaft and then to the club head and that will really help you with this, slightly more weight on the left side at set up. Now the reason we want to do that is that as you swing back, you’ll stop to hinge your wrist and set the club head at a steeper angle than usual and the steeper that you swing the club back the steeper you will attack the club head back down at the ball, so you’ll have a really sharp angle of attack which would mean that you cut down over the top of the rough, cut down and hit the golf ball cleanly rather than getting the club stuck in the roughs. So that’s one way you’re going to use your hybrids in a different situation, hit it out of the rough and the lowest center of gravity of the hybrid is going to mean that the club head, because it has its low center of gravity really gives you a much higher launch angle, so the ball comes up at a much higher angle and gets out of the rough much quicker.

Second way to get more from your hybrids is to play them around the green and to use them to chip with. There's so much more forgiving an easier to play, you’ve got a lot more angles on the club face, so you will get a really nice chipping shot. And there's very little to go wrong, because all you have to do is set the ball in the middle of the feet, just pull the left foot directly back around four inches and lean slightly on the left. That will just help you turn through the shot, so you can extend at the target and it will; just aide your accuracy with the shot.

Hold down the handle to the arms nice and straight, this will give you added control for the club head and then just set this straight line from the left shoulder down the arms to the hand and continue that arm down the shaft to the club head. Now all you have to do is to play the chipping action with the hybrid, is to move that straight line to the right and then to swing back through the ball just brushing the ground as you go through and to finish an equal distance to the left with the club head as you did swing back to the right with the club head. So very, very simple to hit this shot, just swing that straight line to the right and to the left an equal distance and it pops the ball up brilliantly and you'll find it very, very easy to chip around the green.

And finally if we’re looking for another versatile option for the hybrid is use it to get the ball low under trees, under overhanging branches and back into play when you go into the trees. So rather than just play an easy chip to the side of the trees and back on to the fairway, look at hit the hybrid, so that you get the ball chasing up the fairway and make it to the green and the best way to do this is when you set up, play the ball again from the center of the stance, so back in the stance, get the weight on the left and get the hands forward, so you set back that straight line again. As you swing back really restrict the back swing and maintain that straight line look, so no hinging of the wrist. If you keep the straight line look, as you swing back in you’re really going to angle the shaft with the club forward in this way and it will deal off the club and you will get a very low trajectory from under the trees. So just really focus on keeping that straight line as you swing back, keeping the weight on the left and then look at restricting that follow through, again you've maintained that straight line, the club head is very low to the floor compared the hands and the height of the hands there, so just keep the straight line and keep the weight on the left and you will get a much lower launch angle which will give you a shot that will fly under the trees, but it really chase the fairway and maybe you will male the green with it as well to lower the scores, take less shots.

So three totally different ways to play your hybrid clubs, the hybrid is such a versatile club to have in the bag. Have a look at the Thomas Golf Website they have a whole variety of golf clubs available all the way through the loft options, there's something for everyone so have a look through and replace those clubs that you struggle with, get back to enjoying your game again.