How do you hit your hybrid ?

[paininthenuts]

Well, there appears to be a little controversy here. My club pro insists that all strokes regardless of woods or irons should remain constant, whilst many other pros insist they are different shots. The difference being that a fairway wood stroke shot is sweeping, whereas an iron shot should be hit down on more. I am a relative novice, so I will not give an opinion. The question is, if you believe that an iron and wood shot should be struck differently, how do you use your hybrid ???????????????????????

[Ernest Jones]

50 minutes ago, paininthenuts said:

Well, there appears to be a little controversy here. My club pro insists that all strokes regardless of woods or irons should remain constant, whilst many other pros insist they are different shots. The difference being that a fairway wood stroke shot is sweeping, whereas an iron shot should be hit down on more. I am a relative novice, so I will not give an opinion. The question is, if you believe that an iron and wood shot should be struck differently, how do you use your hybrid ???????????????????????

I hit down with my hybrids. From what I know (very little), some hybrids are closer to irons and should be hit like irons whereas some other models are closer to FW in nature. I could be wrong though. 

I hit down like an iron because there are few things I hate more than topping a hybrid. 

Mind you I also hit down with my 3w unless it's on a tee. Again, nothing worse than topping the stupid thing. 

[paininthenuts]

3 minutes ago, Ernest Jones said:

I hit down with my hybrids. From what I know (very little), some hybrids are closer to irons and should be hit like irons whereas some other models are closer to FW in nature. I could be wrong though. 

I hit down like an iron because there are few things I hate more than topping a hybrid. 

Mind you I also hit down with my 3w unless it's on a tee. Again, nothing worse than topping the stupid thing. 

And don't I know it

[SavvySwede]

The length of the club controls the angle of attack. I see no need to consciously attempt to hit more or less down on the ball. Doesn't matter so long as the ball hits the center of the face.

[paininthenuts]

7 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

The length of the club controls the angle of attack. I see no need to consciously attempt to hit more or less down on the ball. Doesn't matter so long as the ball hits the center of the face.

That's what my pro says, but 

Here is another video, but take no notice of the presenter who appears to have women's breasts

 

Edited March 12, 2016 by paininthenuts

[bkuehn1952]

The old theory of hitting fairway woods was to sweep the ball rather than hit it with a slightly descending blow.  I suspect many of us assumed the same was true with hybrids.

A recent Golf Digest snippet indicated that even the pro's hit slightly down with fairway woods and hybrids should be hit like a long iron with a slighting descending blow, also.

There are much better players who can likely explain this better than I.

[SavvySwede]

1 minute ago, bkuehn1952 said:

The old theory of hitting fairway woods was to sweep the ball rather than hit it with a slightly descending blow.  I suspect many of us assumed the same was true with hybrids.

A recent Golf Digest snippet indicated that even the pro's hit slightly down with fairway woods and hybrids should be hit like a long iron with a slighting descending blow, also.

There are much better players who can likely explain this better than I.

Yeah, there is no true sweep swing. If you have good key#3 and hit the ball in the center of the face the angle of attack takes care of itself.

[Lilfrier]

I hit my hybrid probably with different intent than any of my other clubs. Like that first video suggested, I have it in a similar place in my stance as my long irons, rather than similar to my woods. I even have kind of a separate stance for it. When taking my normal stance, I didn't like the way I hit it, maybe because the shaft is too long. So, to counter that, I stand more upright with my hybrid than anything else I have. I'm also able to give it a somewhat consistent fading curve, where as my other irons only do that if I hit it poorly. So, I use the hybrid when I would PREFER to use my 5 wood, but there's something I need to get around.

I had to do this once last round, I think it was. I needed to get around the left side of a couple of trees and to the fairway, but I didn't want to grab something small (like an 8- or 9-iron). In those cases (once every round or two), I'll use my hybrid, and I can typically get it around the trees on a curve, so I am getting back to/near the fairway and still having some kind of distance.

[dchoye]

I'm more of a 7w man than a hybrid.  When I first tried the hybrid I was hooking the ball. Though recently this winter I been trying the hybrid and if I play the ball more like irons and hit down with more upright swing like I'm trying to take a divot in front of the ball then ball goes higher and straighter 

[saevel25]

7 hours ago, paininthenuts said:

Well, there appears to be a little controversy here. My club pro insists that all strokes regardless of woods or irons should remain constant, whilst many other pros insist they are different shots. The difference being that a fairway wood stroke shot is sweeping, whereas an iron shot should be hit down on more. I am a relative novice, so I will not give an opinion. The question is, if you believe that an iron and wood shot should be struck differently, how do you use your hybrid ???????????????????????

Very small shallow divot. Skim the ground. 

[Jakester23]

9 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Very small shallow divot. Skim the ground. 

If executed correctly this is exactly what I get. I even get this with my 4w when I make a good swing.  When I get into trouble with my hybrids(or fairway woods) I try and help them into the air. My swing thought with these clubs is to just make a good swing and let the club do the work.

[ScouseJohnny]

Quote

How do you hit your hybrid ?

Usually I hit it about three inches forward and directly into the ground at high velocity; I liked to vary this with the occasional godawful top, and periodic wild slice. Then I gave it away.

I just can't get on with hybrids at all. And yet I can hit a 3, 4, or 5 iron 'til the cows come home, which makes no sense, in comparison, I'm sure, for a 13 handicapper...and while I can hit a 5 wood off the deck no problem, a hybrid represents technology I just can't embrace. I don't know why, but I've come to the conclusion that (for me), they're just not worth the effort.

Edited March 13, 2016 by ScouseJohnny

[GolfLug]

Both irons and hybrids have to be swung with downward and outward hand pressure at impact. The swing dynamic is the same. There is no 'hitting down' vs. 'sweeping'.

Hybrids and woods have longer swing arcs and contact is comparatively very close to bottom of swing arc and hence produce a shallow divot. But still travelling downwards to bottom ever so slightly. They also have lower lofts and need to be not travelling as much downward so that they produce sufficient positive dynamic loft at impact.

 

 

[bm85]

10 hours ago, paininthenuts said:

Well, there appears to be a little controversy here. My club pro insists that all strokes regardless of woods or irons should remain constant, whilst many other pros insist they are different shots. The difference being that a fairway wood stroke shot is sweeping, whereas an iron shot should be hit down on more. I am a relative novice, so I will not give an opinion. The question is, if you believe that an iron and wood shot should be struck differently, how do you use your hybrid ???????????????????????

Whether they are different shots or not in reality doesn't really matter to me. I hit my hybrid well, and I swing it the same as I do every other club (regarding the full swing).  

Of note to me is that the variety of clubs throughout a bag can feel different, and it's on you to be true to your swing so that you don't let the "feel" of going from driver to 9 iron mess with you.

[Mike Boatright]

It depends on your lie but in general a hybrids should be hit like a 4 iron with a sweep or just a nice little descending blow! I mean just look at the hybrid a divot will bet to deep and you will dig. In general you can take a 4 iron play it back hood it and take a massive divot as a utility shot to get out of trouble shot but hybrids don't work that way instead take a 3 wood and nip in clean swing easy and it will go low.

 

 

See the difference in weight displacement and the leading edge's of the 4 vs the hybrid? it's like a butter knife vs a fishing fillet knife.

 

Edited March 13, 2016 by Mike Boatright

[iacas]

Ball position dictates a lot of AoA. More forward = less down.

[NJpatbee]

 I play the 2H thru 6H and for me ball position is the primary factor for good contact.  I play my 2,3, and 4 a couple of inches left of center.  My 5 and 6 are just slightly left of center.  I do not make an attempt to swing downward but count on the ball position to have the largest effect on the angle that the ball is struck.  When I make a reasonable swing (I am a 17 HCP and don't always) the results are very good.  I am 64 and hit my 2h longer than my 2I 20 years ago. 

 

[TJBam]

I play the ball in the same position as about a 5iron.  I swing like it's a 5 iron.  I make sure to hit down on the ball like I'm pinching it, as I would with an iron.