Hybrids from the rough video

David Howell shares his knowledge on how best to hit hybrids from the rough and recover from trouble effectively.

Hybrids from the rough video

When you find your ball nestling in the rough, your hybrid will come into its own. When the lie in the rough is good, just take your normal approach.

Long irons will tend to get snagged up, and the ball is likely to come out low and not go very far. Hybrids are designed to cut through the rough and get the ball out and up in the air.

You should be able to find a good contact, and even though the flight won’t be quite the same as from the fairway (you’ll get a little less carry and a little more run), you should still be able to hit a normal shot.

However, if the ball has settled down in thicker rough, this is where the hybrid will offer you a lot more distance.

From this lie, if I was hitting an iron I could probably only hit a 6-iron, but with my 20 ̊ hybrid I can still get this to 200 yards. However, I do need to make a couple of adjustments.

Start by opening the clubface a little at address. You need to do this because the grass is so thick and strong that it will close the face through impact.

Secondly, move the ball slightly further back in your stance and place more weight on your left side.

This should help you find a steeper angle of attack to avoid taking too much grass before the ball. With those slight changes, I’d still expect to hit this ball 200 yards.

Sometimes it might even go further if you get some grass trapped between the club face and the ball at the moment of impact, generating what's often referred to as a 'flyer'.

Remember

• Open the club face at address
• Move the ball back in your stance
• Place more weight on your left side
• Generate a steeper angle of attack
• Avoid taking too much grass before the ball