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Fairway WoodsHybrids Hybrids Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 5 min 🇫🇷 Video in French

Hitting the ball with a hybrid or a wood: Paul Lambersens

Many golfers are terrified of hitting a hybrid or a fairway wood and try to lift the ball off the ground. Paul Lambersens explains that this is exactly what causes fat and thin shots, and suggests a simple exercise to build confidence with the club.

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Paul Lambersens
Paul Lambersens · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

9 minSame problemForearms aligned with the fairway wood: consistent contactDanny Maude · Beginner / Intermediate9 minSame problemHitting Your Hybrid: Aim for a tee in front of the ballLewis Wallace · Beginner / Intermediate3 minFrom the same pro4 Exercises to Improve Swing Speed in GolfPaul Lambersens · Intermediate

What the lesson shows

Paul Lambersens answers a question he is asked very often. In his view, Hybrids and fairway woods are played the same way, and these aren't difficult clubs: they were designed to help you lift the ball. The problem comes from wanting to lift it yourself. We lean back and strum a chord; or, if you avoid the fat shot, the club comes back down on the ball and Let's make a top. It's the same mistake.

In golf, the solution is always the same: rub the grass under the ball with the sole of the club. If you control where the sole of your shoe makes contact with the ground, the ball will rise. The exercise: Place a small object on the ground—a tee, a small pebble, some gravel, or a dead leaf—and hit it off the mat with his usual swing. Since these clubs are longer, they require a little more dexterity, but nothing insurmountable. The same principle applies to irons.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Place a small object on the ground: a tee, a small pebble, some gravel, or a dead leaf.
  2. Grab your hybrid or fairway wood and assume your usual stance.
  3. Take your usual swing with the sole goal of picking up the object from the ground.
  4. Keep practicing until you can control where the sole of your shoe touches the grass.
  5. Next, place a ball and repeat the exact same motion.

Key Takeaways

Hybrids and fairway woods are played the same way.
These clubs are designed to lift the ball—it's not up to you to do that.
Trying to lift the ball causes you to lean back: fat shots or thin shots.
The sole of the shoe must scrape the grass beneath the ball, at the desired spot.
All you need is a tee or a pebble on the ground to practice this shot.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Being afraid of these clubs and wanting to help the ball rise.
  • Leaning back upon impact, which causes a fat shot.
  • Let the club come back toward the ball, causing a top.
  • To think that a hybrid or a wood is played differently from other clubs.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Swing to hit a tee placed on the ground
  2. Same exercise using gravel or leaves
  3. Alternate between the object on the ground and the ball, using the same motion

Your Questions

Should you swing a hybrid differently than a fairway wood?

No. For Paul Lambersens, hybrid and wood are exactly the same thing: it's all about rubbing the sole against the ball.

Why do I make fat shots or thin shots with my hybrid inks?

Because you're trying to lift the ball: you lean back and scrape it, or the club comes down on the ball and you tap it. He sees the same mistake in both cases.

How can you practice making better contact with the ball?

Place a tee, a small pebble, or a leaf on the ground and hit it with your usual swing. If the sole of the clubhead makes contact in the right spot, the ball will fly the same way.

Learn More

All “Fairway wood” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll “Hybrids” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Forearms aligned with the fairway wood: consistent contactBefore swinging: check the lie, adjust the distance with your arms relaxed, align your forearms with the clubface, then take a smooth “one and two” swing. Hitting Your Hybrid: Aim for a tee in front of the ballAgainst the top and hybrid-style chicken wing: keep your chest facing the ground and the clubhead close to the ground until you reach a tee placed in front of the ball. How to Hit Your 3 Wood Off the Fairway, Not Like Off a TeeDon't hit the 3-wood from the fairway the same way you would from the tee: position the ball a little more toward the center, keep your sternum above the ball, and make a small divot right behind the ball. Paul LambersensAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Paul Lambersens). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.

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