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September

Playing over water
When playing a shot over water, don't make the common mistake of thinking that by adding a couple of extra clubs, even a bad strike will escape the water. A miss-hit shot is unlikely to get over anyway and you are making the shot harder for yourself not easier.

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Hybrid Buying Guide

Back in the early 20th century the aluminium faced Mills NK Niblick was used to help players escape from bad lies and bunkers and could rightly be described as a hybrid or utility club, and in the mid-70s Cobra launched its legendary Baffler range, but in those days they were more difficult to hit.

Nowadays, through advances in design and technology, the hybrid is a multi-functional club that combines the power and forgiveness of a wood with the accuracy of an iron to allow more loft and distance with less effort. More commonly known as a rescue club, it has really caught on and now it's not only a question of, "Have you got a hybrid"? but "How many do you have"?

Addressing the ball with a hybrid that sort of looks like an iron, but also looks like a wood, can take some getting used to, but it's worth persevering as these clubs provide golfers with shot-making options and a confidence boost to attempt shots never before imagined. For example, it's a great club to use on a long par-3, a short par-4 if you need to carry a hazard, on long bunker shots and even around the green for a bump and run shot.

Shaft

The shaft of a hybrid is somewhere between the length of a wood and iron, so while it's not possible to generate as much distance as with a fairway wood, the shorter shaft makes them easier to swing and control. For example, unlike a fairway wood, a hybrid is a valuable asset in the rough as it can get both at, and under the ball, to propel it from the hazard.

Loft

Before buying, know the distance you hit your clubs so you don't create a yardage gap if you decide to replace a wood or iron with a hybrid. Lofts vary between manufacturers, but approximate comparisons to woods and irons are:

14-16 degrees - 3-wood or 1-iron
17-19 degrees - 5-wood or 2-iron
20-22 degrees - 7-wood or 3-iron
23-25 degrees - 9-wood or 4-iron
26-28 degrees - 5-iron

Price