Help hitting my new 3 hybrid

[Lydo]

Bought one a couple of weeks ago and can't hit the thing at all.

Every shot either travels across the ground for about 50 yards or its completely hooked.

Can anyone offer some advice?

 

[SocketRocket]

Play it like an iron. Ball just forward of centre stance, hit down to make a divot.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Don't try and help it. Trust your swing. Check the ball position. I would play it about a ball inside my left heel personally but that's just my preference

 

[3565]

Play it like an iron. Ball just forward of centre stance, hit down to make a divot.

Agree with this.

 

[Lump]

A nice way to think about hitting any club (IMO its more important with woods), is to imagine covering the ball with your chest. As soon as you try to start helping the ball into the air, thins, fats, shanks, slices and hooks come into play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LabsmB9X4fw Explains it simply.
Your hybrids have lots of helpful loft, there is no need to try and add extra. Trust the loft.

 

[3565]

A nice way to think about hitting any club (IMO its more important with woods), is to imagine covering the ball with your chest. As soon as you try to start helping the ball into the air, thins, fats, shanks, slices and hooks come into play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LabsmB9X4fw Explains it simply.
Your hybrids have lots of helpful loft, there is no need to try and add extra. Trust the loft.

agree with this as well.

 

[London mike 61]

Don't try and help it. Trust your swing. Check the ball position. I would play it about a ball inside my left heel personally but that's just my preference

As homer says , play it a ball just inside the left heel but it must still be hit with a downward blow and if you find it difficult to take a divot ( as I do ) then as long as you bruise the grass in a divot like manner then you should be able to make it fly.

As for the shots going left in a sort of hook which I used to do, try opening your left foot about 40 degrees without moving your left heel and that should help your hips to turn to face the target and stop shots hooking.

I found that if I didn't open my left foot then my arms would pull the ball to the left because I am more of a armsy type of golfer than a younger body led type.

 

[MadAdey]

HIt it like a 6i is how I always use them and it works a treat......

 

[Foxholer]

Agree with this.

agree with this as well.

Er. I agree too!

How very agreeable we are!

 

[Lydo]

Thanks for the input. I think I kinda realize what I'm doing wrong. I've been playing it more like a 3 wood than like an iron. I'll need to get up the range and get the practice in before it goes in the bag.I bought it to fill a gap in my bag. I hit my 3 wood approx 200yards and my 6 hybrid 175 yards so I'm hoping this is somewhere in between

 

[duncan mackie]

Thanks for the input. I think I kinda realize what I'm doing wrong. I've been playing it more like a 3 wood than like an iron. I'll need to get up the range and get the practice in before it goes in the bag.I bought it to fill a gap in my bag. I hit my 3 wood approx 200yards and my 6 hybrid 175 yards so I'm hoping this is somewhere in between

a burner fairway wood at 18 degrees is closer to a 5 wood than a 3 wood, and will normally deliver similar distance to a 3h - however so much will depend on the player that such generalisations aren't that relevant IMO.

many people who struggle with 3h clubs do so because they are looking for easy distance and/or from difficult lies. The clubs only come out when the distance is too far for their current favorite, or the lies too poor for their long favorite - hence they become much maligned by lot of handicap golfers. in my experience this is a much bigger issue than trying to hit it like an iron, sweep it, don't sweep it etc etc

The answer is to get used to it's capabilities (what it can do rather than what you can do with it!) on the range and subsequently to use it extensively on the course for a period eg go out to play proper rounds with only that club and you 6iron and down; this doesn't work if you carry them all and only intend to use that club...for many reasons! Then decide if, and how, you can use it best going forwards.

 

[Lydo]

That is my plan, to just take it out on the course withou my driver and 3 wood in the bag and play around with it both on and off the tee, so I can get used to it. Really want to be able to hit the thing cos it's a cracking looking club.

Ps my 3 wood may be less than 18* not 100%

 

[duncan mackie]

That is my plan, to just take it out on the course withou my driver and 3 wood in the bag and play around with it both on and off the tee, so I can get used to it. Really want to be able to hit the thing cos it's a cracking looking club.

Ps my 3 wood may be less than 18* not 100%

probably 15* - the 5 can easily look like an 8

I've just put both the 3 and 5 back in the bag as they are sooooo easy to hit and my swing isn't as strong as it was last year due to injury.

 

[jak kez 187]

I had problems hitting my 20* hybrid.
Watched some videos on ball position for different clubs and started positioning the ball more forward in my stance and couldn't hit the ball well at all, and when I did I was hooking it.
Put it back into the centre of my stance and my shots are going way straighter and with a decent strike.
Treating them as an iron works the best.