How to pure a hybrid
First, it's worth noting that a hybrid is neither a fairway wood nor an iron—it's both. That means it takes a few adjustments from your normal iron or wood swings to get the most out of these clubs. These are extremely useful clubs designed to get the ball up in the air, which is what most average players need help doing. Here's how to pure your hybrids. —Maureen Farrell, director of instruction at Oakwood Country Club in Kansas City, Mo.
- Note your typical 5-iron ball position (above, left)
- Set up a little wider than that for stability (above, right)
- Be careful not to play the ball farther up than that
- Avoid too much spine tilt away from the target
- Determine your backswing path depending on the lie
- For a clean lie, take a wider, shallower path back (above, left)
- Out of the rough, take a steeper, higher path back (above, right)
- Let the design and weight of the head get the ball up
- Feel extended as your club swings through the ball and beyond
- You can use stretch bands (above) to reinforce the feeling of extension
- Drill: Put a club across your hips and mimic a downswing
- Rotate so your pelvis leads the club back to the ball (above, right)
- Stay in your address posture as you rotate
- Re-create this move when you hit hybrid shots and you'll pure them