In this video, Ted Frick of the Classic Swing Golf School at Legends Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C. shows us how a hybrid club is a better choice than a long iron to hit a longer shot out of the rough – as long as you can see at least half the ball. See how you can do it!
Ted Frick:
Hi, I'm Ted Frick, owner and director of instruction at the Classic Swing Golf School, located at the Legends Resort in Myrtle Beach. Today, we're going to talk about the use of a hybrid and why this versatile instrument is so vital this day and age, especially out of the rough.
All right, two features. One is the low center of gravity. In hybrids, there's a lot of mass down here on the bottom that helps get the golf ball up in the air. Why it becomes so useful on the rough is because of the weight. I'm sitting here, 195 yards away from the green. In the '70s, in the '80s and the '90s, when we didn't even have hybrids, we were trying to hit three irons and four irons and five irons. Out of the rough, those long golf clubs would shut down and close. Well, the hybrid, because of the wider soleplate, it's not going to shut down.
All right. Now, on this side to this pin out there, 195, I'm also going to have to hit a little fade. And when I do this, the fade shot, I'm going to open up my stance based on my line of flight. You'll see that in just a moment. And then through the golf ball, I'm going to do the best I can to keep the clubface open a little bit longer. All right, so here we are. I'm using a hybrid out of the rough and again, the advantage of the hybrid versus a fairway metal, if you will, is a fairway metal is lighter. So I've got the weight here to get through the grass. Now, I've got to hit this hybrid as if I had a nine iron, as in, you’ve got to hit down on it.
This ball is sitting down in the rough and as long as I got half of the ball exposed, I know I can get my hybrid on it. If less than half of the ball was exposed, it was really deep down, no, I’ve got to probably take a pitching wedge or nine iron and just get out of trouble.
All right. My routine begins and it always starts behind the ball. Deep, cleansing breath. I want some oxygen going to the brain and I want to feel that relaxation running through my chest and my shoulders and my arms. All right, I’ve got a vivid picture of my shot. Real clear. I'm going to let my golf swing just respond to this picture. I'm going to set up open with my stance line because I'm going to fade this ball.
All right, setting up, taking care of the fundamentals. I’ve got my line of flight for my aim, my grip, my posture, my ball position. Now my stance is going to be open. I'm going to feel a slight holding off through the golf ball. I got plenty of club that I can get through the rough here with this hybrid.
Now, that is a beautiful shot. I'm telling you, 10, 15, 20 years ago, we didn't have the tools to hit that shot out of the rough. Hybrids work. I hope you enjoyed that. Use your hybrids out of the rough as long as you can see 50 percent of the ball. They work. Hit them like irons. Hit down to make the ball go up!