Can’t get down on the Hybrid

[Green Golfer]

My Adams Idea 3-hybrid A12OS is a great club when i can hit it. However, it seems to be the hardest to hit club in my bag (that and fairway woods). I primarily use it for second cut rough shots when more than 250 yards from the green, but upon striking it i hit it fat and topple it 50 yards or less. Its very discouraging and i often will sacrifice the added distance i could get with it from the rough by using my 4-iron for its dependable 180+ yards. I recently took it to Golfsmith and had a new Proforce V2 shaft +1 inch installed with an extra 16 grams of weight (86 total). I  haven’t tested it out besides hitting a few balls at the Golfsmith's simulator. I guess my thought process is that maybe the added weight and customized length will help me hit down on it. Any suggestions that might help augment my new adjustments? Thanks.

___________________________________

Driver: Taylormade R1 Stiff Adjustable Loft

Fairway woods: Taylormade Rocketballz Stage 2 Stiff 3 & 5 Woods

Hybrid: Adams A12OS 3 Hybrid Customized Proforce V2 Shaft

Irons: Taylormade Rocketbladez Stiff 4-PW

Wedges: Taylormade ATV 52 and 56 degree Stiff

Putter: Cleveland Classic HB1 milled satin finish

[boogielicious]

@Green Golfer

Hitting out of rough can be a challenge with any club.  How deep is the rough?  Below are two threads that talk about hitting out the rough.  If it is too deep, even a good hybrid won't be able to get a clean strike.

[ev780]

Ball position is my issue.  Looks like a wood but I need to remember to use the ball position of an iron.

[rrobo]

Have to remember to hit down on the hybrids, like an iron.

[rrobo]

I have the same club and the same problem.  It is difficult to look at the way it is made and not think of it as a wood instead of an iron.  No matter what the length of the cut, hit down on it.  Took me almost an entire summer to get that through my skill into the brain, even took it out of the bag.  When I made the decision to hit it the way hybrids are made to be hit, it became a plus for my game.

[Green Golfer]

Thanks for those links. I usually play in courses with about 1-3 inches of rough. Will have to take a look. Recently played Torrey Pines 10 days after the Farmers Insurance Open and was dealing with about 4 1/2 INCHES rough! Was the most frustrating experience in my golfing life trying to get it back into fairway much less anywhere near flagstick. That experience alone helped with curing some of my rough lie swing ineptitude.

[TheMadness]

Thanks for those links. I usually play in courses with about 1-3 inches of rough. Will have to take a look. Recently played Torrey Pines 10 days after the Farmers Insurance Open and was dealing with about 4 1/2 INCHES rough! Was the most frustrating experience in my golfing life trying to get it back into fairway much less anywhere near flagstick. That experience alone helped with curing some of my rough lie swing ineptitude.

I've struggled a bit with that club as well, and at first, I thought I just wasn't "hitting down" on it enough.  But I think the issue was more of failure to load/unload issue.  When I let my torso flow drive the backswing, that helps get my weight load on the backswing, and I then focus on moving that torso back through forward swing.  No stopping.  Make it a dynamic movement back and forward.  If you get your weight forward on the downswing, you will be in a better position to hit down on the ball.  You may be trying to hit down on the ball but are unable to consistently because you aren't putting yourself in the position you need to be in to get down to the ball.  And when you have a hybrid, make sure your stance is wide enough to allow you to make a full turn. Good luck!

[trickyputt]

I was thinking turn also. After all, hitting fat was in the description and its hard to hit down more than that.

[Dr Hook]

My Adams Idea 3-hybrid A12OS is a great club when i can hit it. However, it seems to be the hardest to hit club in my bag (that and fairway woods). I primarily use it for second cut rough shots when more than 250 yards from the green, but upon striking it i hit it fat and topple it 50 yards or less. Its very discouraging and i often will sacrifice the added distance i could get with it from the rough by using my 4-iron for its dependable 180+ yards. I recently took it to Golfsmith and had a new Proforce V2 shaft +1 inch installed with an extra 16 grams of weight (86 total). I  haven’t tested it out besides hitting a few balls at the Golfsmith's simulator. I guess my thought process is that maybe the added weight and customized length will help me hit down on it. Any suggestions that might help augment my new adjustments? Thanks. ___________________________________ Driver: Taylormade R1 Stiff Adjustable Loft Fairway woods: Taylormade Rocketballz Stage 2 Stiff 3 & 5 Woods Hybrid: Adams A12OS 3 Hybrid Customized Proforce V2 Shaft Irons: Taylormade Rocketbladez Stiff 4-PW  Wedges: Taylormade ATV 52 and 56 degree Stiff Putter: Cleveland Classic HB1 milled satin finish

Thankfully I haven't had those issues with mine. In fact my A12OS 3 and 4 hybrids are soo fun to hit and, for my swing, the easiest hybrids I've ever hit. I mean the ball just jumps off the face of these sweet hybrids. Yeah it could be a shaft issue. I have the pro launch blues in R flex and really they feel almost exactly the same as stiff.

[95124hacker]

I prefer iron-like hybrids (aka "driving irons") vs wood-like (wide sole), for the reason that I don't feel comfortable with ball position.  I'm not a good ball striker in general but find wood-like hybrids the hardest clubs to hit consistently for me.  2nd hardest are FW woods for me.

[trickyputt]

My 1 iron came in yesterday. Now the rain cant go away fast enough!

[Green Golfer]

Update: It turns out the old shaft was too short/light for me (hence many topped balls). New shaft helped dramatically in achieving loft. Now just need to work on accuracy :)

[joekelly]

A one-iron?   Was Lee Trevino auctioning off his garage materials?

[onthehunt526]

A one-iron?   Was Lee Trevino auctioning off his garage materials?

Nah... it was one of his lumberjack tools

[trickyputt]

A one-iron?   Was Lee Trevino auctioning off his garage materials?

No blade here, in fact I kinda hesitate to call it an iron, but it is magnetic. Taylormade Ultimate Driving Iron, 16 degree. The shaft is just a fraction shorter than my 17 degree 2 hybrid, and is carbon fiber, the KBS C-taper Lite 11O mid bend high ball flight, high spin etc etc. I LOVE the 3 iron, so once the 4 hybrid it replaced came out of the bag, I figured I had to try the 1 iron.

[Traveller]

About a year late on this one but I have both the 3 and 4 Adams hybrids and find them very useful. My way of hitting them on the down is to drop my left shoulder at address and keep my weight over the left foot to punch the ball out of the rough. Leaning back with weight over the back foot spells bad bad bad. Hth

[Mike Boatright]

Hybrids have got to be the easiest clubs to hit it's like cheating. I found a l flex meaning ladies flex burner 22 deg and nail it!! Basically from a fairway lie place it the same position as a 5 iron nip or hit down a bit and it's as easy as that. From the rough it can be a challenge because it's like a mini wood and sometimes chunks it out a bit but never tops it. You must be doing something wrong in your swing no other answer than that because I can hit any brand of hybrid like it's a 9 iron on a mat.