Sweeping the Floor with a Hybrid: Charles Marchildon
Should you swing a hybrid like an iron or like a wood? Charles Marchildon, a PGA of Canada professional, answers this question he’s often asked. He’s replaced his 3-iron with a hybrid and explains why he swings it with a sweeping motion.
To be continued
What the lesson shows
Charles Marchildon sums it up this way: The hybrid has the loft of an iron but the shape of a wood. He replaced his 3-iron with a hybrid of roughly the same loft; the difference is evident in the sole, which is much wider, and in the heavier head, which provide greater flexibility. The question asked of him: Where should the ball be placed, and should it be hit like an iron?
It can be used both ways, which is where its name comes from. Professionals often strike a little harder as they bring the club down to pick up a small clump of soil—they “punch” it. The other option, which he prefers: Place the ball on your front foot and sweep the ground as if you were using a wood, because the club was designed to glide across the grass. Its sole purpose, then, is to glide well, and his shots with it are more successful than with his 3-iron. He points out that Tiger Woods, too, has traded a long iron for a 5-wood: Woods and hybrids are easier than long irons.
The Exercise, Step by Step
- Compare your long iron and your hybrid: they have about the same loft, but the hybrid has a much wider sole.
- Choose how you want to play: hitting down like an iron, or sweeping like wood.
- To sweep, place the ball on your front foot, just as you would with your woods.
- Focus on just one thing: sliding the sole of your shoe across the grass.
- Let the club do the job it was designed to do, without trying to hit the ball too hard.
Key Takeaways
Mistakes to Avoid
- It's hard to hit a long iron well, whereas a hybrid is more forgiving.
- Combine the two methods: keep the ball on the front foot but strike it with a very downward swing.
- Forget that the sole was designed to glide across the grass.
- Striving for the professionals' swing without their consistency.
Driving Range Mode
Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.
- Side-by-Side Comparison of a 3-Iron and a Hybrid
- Ball on the front foot, swings that graze the grass
- A series of sweeping strokes followed by a series of downward strokes—take your pick
Your Questions
Should you hit a hybrid like an iron or like wood?
Both are possible, explains Charles Marchildon: professionals often take a slight swing downward to pick up a small clod, but he prefers to sweep the ground as if using wood.
Where should you place the ball when using a hybrid club?
For his preferred method, he stands on his front foot, just as he does with his woods. The idea is then to let the club glide across the grass.
Why is a hybrid easier to hit than a 3-iron?
For roughly the same degree, its base is much wider and its mass greater: this allows for greater maneuverability.
Should you replace your long irons with hybrids?
Here's his advice: he replaced his 3-iron himself, and points out that woods and hybrids are much easier to hit well than long irons.
Learn More
Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Charles Marchildon). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.