Temperatures are dropping during this time of year all over the country. Luckily in the southern states, we can still play golf. However, this means playing a shots from a tight lie or a thin lie (little grass) which can be very difficult without the correct club in your hand. Tending to play on a tight or a thin lie from around the green this time of year, presents plenty of physical and mental issues for us to fight through. Many players do not have confidence when it comes to playing a short game shot off of a thin lie to get the ball on the green let alone close to the flag.
From around the green, using a hybrid club from a thin lie could be the answer for you. It will improve your confidence to get the ball up and down from this type of position like a thin lie. Once the hybrid chip is added to your list available shots, it can also be executed it great conditions as well.
A great example of when to use your hybrid from around the green is Pinehurst #2 course in North Carolina or many of the British Open courses. Todd Hamilton was the first person that I remember who really used this type of shot to win The Open and the type of shot was publicized. The finishing hole at this year.s PGA Tour Qualifying school was much the same way. The flag was in the back-left hole position without much green behind and to the left of the hole.
Once off of the green, the grass was shaved so the ball would roll to the bottom of the hill. Once there, the players were face with a shot to an uphill green from a tight flag AND from a tight lie. Whew! Many of these players thought the best option that they had to get the ball close was to chip with their hybrid. The players that did try to throw the ball up in the air wer not bale to get their ball within twenty feet.
Enough is enough. So how do you play this shot? Select one of your hybrid clubs becasue it has at least 18 degrees of loft. With your ball position off of your back foot, hold the shaft as vertical as possible and place the grip so that it runs through the life line of your left-hand (for a right-handed player). With this grip the heel of the club head should be off of the ground.
You will need to choke down on the grip and maybe even to the shaft. Do not be scared to grip the shaft, if it is more comfortable for you. Use the "excess" grip and place it on your left forearm. This will confirm that you will use a one piece motion and not use any hinge in your wrists.
Now that you have a proper setup for the short game shot, simply use your putting stroke and keep the shaft on your left forearm, during the entire motion. Hold your finish for a slow count of three seconds. I am positive that with just a little practice, this shot will be a reliable part of your short game.
David Leadbetter Short Game
Hybrid golf clubs are a lot easier to hit than traditionally shaped long irons. Due to the construction of the club head, the golf ball will typically fly higher and land softer. This construction makes a hybrid ideal for shots deep in the fairway. A hybrid club is also designed to perform well from a variety of other locations on the golf course. The hybrid can be an effective tool for saving your score from the rough, the fringe, even a bunker. Here are different ways to use your hybrid:
Using a hybrid out of a bunker obviously is dependant on the type of lie you have in the bunker. If you decide that the hybrid is the club to use from the bunker, the proper ball position, relative to your stance, is extremely important. You will top the ball or hit the ball thin, if the ball is too far back in your stance. Conversely, play the golf ball too far forward and the tendency will be to hit the golf shot fat or behind the golf ball.
The correct ball position is to situate the ball between a half-inch to one-inch more towards the center of your stance from where you normally would play your hybrid club. This is to make it easier for you to make contact with the golf ball first. In addition, insure you have a solid base. You will have limited lower body movement during the swing. With a good lie in the bunker, hitting a hybrid from the bunker isn.t much different from hitting a regular golf shot from the fairway.
You hear it every weekend while watching a golf telecast. If you miss a green, you need to get the ball rolling on the green as soon as possible. Due to the loft of a hybrid club, the golf ball will start rolling very quickly.
This makes it easier to gauge how far the ball will roll as it will be similar to a putt. You will need to choke down on the grip (more towards the shaft) and hold the club with a putting-style grip. The golf stroke then emulates a body-driven putting stroke. You will want to stroke the golf ball and limit any excessive wrist movement. The pendulum stroke will make it a lot easier to gauge your speed and distance leading you to hit the ball more consistently and get up and down more often.
If you end up in light rough on the high side of the hole, do not assume the putt or lob shot are your only choices. There is another option. Use your hybrid. Like the bump and roll, a chip shot from above the hole will do the same. Begin by making sure there.s room to get the club behind the ball and the key is in knowing where the ball will begin rolling. With your hands slightly forward of the golf ball, address the ball like you would a regular chip shot. Place the majority of your weight on your forward side and proceed to chip the ball so it lands in the light rough if needed.
The extra momentum of the hybrid will cause the ball to move forward even after hitting the light rough. Remember, the ball will tend to slow the ball down so that it will roll onto the green. Using a hybrid is a safer shot than using a lofted wedge from a downhill lie.
Consider the benefits of a hybrid if your ball lies against the collar. A hybrid has a longer, wider sole that can help push the grass down behind the ball. This makes it easier to create solid contact. In turn, a wedge or putter can easily go underneath the golf ball or get hung up in the rough. To play this type of a golf shot, address the ball with your putting grip at the end of the golf grip.
Again, press your hands forward and place the golf ball in the back of your stance. On the backswing, just cock your wrists to lift the shaft a short distance. Then drop the clubhead onto the golf ball. Unlike the bump-and-run, allow your wrists to hinge slightly to help lift the club away from the collar on the backswing. The ball will pop up for a short distance and roll the majority of the way to the hole. It will be important to read the green.
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