With the new wave of hybrid golf clubs appearing on the market, many golfers are jumping on the hybrid bandwagon, thinking that since everyone else is using them, so should they. Well, the arguments for using hybrid golf clubs are strong, but not so strong that you should not do at least a little research.

The big questions are, are hybrids right for you and will they improve your game? I addressed the first question in my article “Why you should be using hybrid golf clubs”. Let’s look at the second question, will they improve your game?

Are you a good long iron player right now? Most amateurs are not, since the long irons are considered the hardest clubs in the bag to hit consistently well. So chances are you are not a great long iron player, and that means hybrids almost certainly will improve your game. But what if you are a good long iron player? Well, let me use myself as an example. I play to a 11 handicap so while I am not a pro by any means, I am better than many casual golfers I have always been a pretty decent long iron player. In fact, my lone hole-in-one came with a 4 iron from 184 yards, and my longest par 4 eagle came with a 5 iron from 173 yards. I hit long irons with confidence and would rather use a 3 iron than a 5 wood if I can get away with it.

Having said all the above, I am still a better golfer when I put hybrid golf clubs in my bag and take out my 3, 4 & 5 irons. So the short answer to the question of whether you should use them is a resounding yes!

So, the next question is, just how do I hit hybrid golf clubs? Many players mistakenly think they should play hybrids like they play fairway woods. This is wrong, and if you play hybrid golf clubs like you play your fairway woods you will not be taking full advantage of their benefits, and you will still be leaving strokes on the golf course.

The short answer to how to hit a hybrid golf club is to tell you to use the same swing as you do with a comparable long iron. That means different things to different people. I don’t get caught up in placing the ball exactly where the pro says to place it, just like I don’t get caught up in listening to others say what is right or wrong with a golf swing. The biggest key to a golf swing is to find comfort and consistency with YOUR swing. I use myself as an example again. I have always placed the ball just inside of my right foot when hitting long irons. I also have a tendency to close the face down and play a draw. Both of those things make me hit a lower than average ball, and play a draw with all my long irons. Most pros would find many flaws with my swing, but my swing is comfortable to me and is a swing I can repeat again and again. If you can repeat it, you can be consistent and apply small changes to produce better results.

So, we all have our own swing. OK, what does that mean for your switch from long irons to hybrid golf clubs? The biggest key is to use the same swing on a hybrid golf club as you would a long iron from a similar distance and lie. You want to hit the ball with a descending blow, just as you should be doing with your long irons. Don’t make the mistake of using your sweeping fairway wood swing with your hybrids. You will not get the same result. Concentrate on a descending blow on the golf ball, and let the club do the work.

So if you use the same swing, why will the result with a hybrid be better? The club itself is the difference. the wider, flatter club face will not stick in the ground like a long iron hit fat. When you hit a ling iron fat or thin, you are likely to either hit a thin slice or a fat hook. Those are bad results in more ways than one. If you hit your hybrid fat or thin, it is likely to still go pretty straight, so unless there is trouble short of your target, your ball should live to be hit again without penalty. When you add right and left into the bad shot equation, you are bringing the possibility of penalty strokes into play a much larger percentage of time.

So simply put, unless you are a pro, using hybrid golf clubs in place of your long irons is almost guaranteed to improve your game and lower your score. When you use your new hybrids, don’t change your swing! Use your long iron swing with your new hybrids. Hit the driving range to get the feel for them, and I would be very surprised if you did not shoot a lower than average round right away when using hybrid golf clubs.

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