Why Can’t I Hit My Hybrid Clubs (Solutions Included)

Hybrid golf clubs are supposed to be easy to hit!

Unfortunately, some golfers struggle with these clubs. Below, we have the top 5 typical reasons golfers struggle with their hybrids and then leave you with a solution for each of the potential issues.

Hybrids were designed to help the golfer hit the ball higher and further from any type of lie they might encounter over the 18 holes. Golfers can typically use these clubs from the fairway, rough, sand trap and the tee box.

They usually replace a 3, 4, or 5 iron and sometimes golfers replace their fairway woods with hybrids. Some women, junior and senior golfers might even replace the 6 and 7 iron with a hybrid.

Why Can’t I Hit My Hybrid Clubs?

Many golfers struggle to hit their irons due to one of the following reasons:

Poor Setup

Poor Low Point Control
Lack of a Shot Pattern
Lack of Swing Speed

Wrong Concept

Most golfers rely on their hybrids for shots over 180 yards or from thick lies in the rough

Issue #1: Poor Setup

When it comes to poor setup with a hybrid, the issue usually is centered around the ball position. Some golfers might play the ball too far back or too far forward. Depending on the lie, the golfer should have the ball somewhere between the middle of the stance to just inside the front foot.

They also need to make sure the clubface is square to where they want the ball to start and then make a confident swing from a confident setup.

Solution #1: Practice and Rehearse Your Setup

The great news is that golfers pretty much all have a video camera in their pocket through their smartphone. The next time you are at the range, set up the smartphone to the side of you and take note of the ball position when you hit a quality hybrid. The more difficult the lie, the more you will want to play the bal slightly back to ensure quality contact. If you get a great lie in the rough and really want to launch it, you can move the ball up a bit.

You might be surprised that the ball isn’t where you think it is or the ball position on a good shot. Become consistent in your setup and make sure you are meticulous with the ball positioning.

Issue #2: Poor Low Point Control

The better the golfer, the better the low point control is for the most part. The best golfers are able to control their low point 99.9% of the time, while the worst golfers struggle to even control the low point 50% of the time. Oftentimes, this control comes from hitting thousands of golf balls and working on their clubface control.

Most golfers find their hybrids more accurate than fairway woods.

Solution #2: Low Point Control Drill

The Drill: The Low Point Control Drill

Take some yard paint and paint a 1-2 yard long line.
Setup with 55% of your weight on your front side.

Try to hit the target side of the line and see how many times out of 10 you can do this successfully!
Repeat this drill every day for a month, tracking your progress and your ability to to this successfully in trials of ten.
You may need to start with half swing and progress to full swings.

If you are struggling, put more weight forward and work on keeping your head still to help control the low point in the swing.

Continue to use this drill frequently until you are in the upper 90% in the controlling the low point. Focus on making that divot start after the ball with the irons.

Over the course of playing the game more and being specific in your drill work, you can get better at low point control, which will help you through the entire golf bag.

Issue #3: Lack of a Shot Pattern

Too many golfers have no idea what direction the golf ball is going to fly in or what direction the ball will curve in. The best golfers have a consistent shot pattern, where the ball will draw or fade a high percentage of the time. The key is to develop a shot pattern which will help you with the hybrids and every other club in the bag.

Solution #3: Stock Shot Drill

Once you can develop a stock shot, you can play with confidence and actually manage your game vs always fighting your golf swing. I would highly recommend this drill below:

Here is a wonderful drill you can use to build a stock shot:

At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.

The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.

*I enjoy doing this drill in my golf simulator setup as I can see the curve of the ball and the spot where my ball hit on the impact screen. However, it can easily be utilized at the driving range. See below for more about my golf simulator setup and the impact it has had on my game!

Hybrids are very helpful on par 5 holes and long par 3s.

Issue #4: Lack of Swing Speed

If your swing speed is too slow, it will be difficult to hit quality shots in golf. The good news is that there are options for golfers to improve their swing speed. More research has been completed in the past 10 years to help golfers truly improve. One area that we know a lot more about is gaining speed in the golf swing.

Solution #4: Train for Speed

Training for speed is a great idea and one worth exploring!

If you are going to train for speed, I would highly recommend the SuperSpeed Training System.

Gone are the days of simply being content with the distance you currently hit your golf ball. Many older golfers have proven over the past several years that an increase in swing speed is possible.

There are training systems to help you get your game to the next level and distance is arguably the fastest way to make this happen!

My number one recommendation is to check out SuperSpeed Golf and their protocols to help you find a safe way to increase your swing speed.

I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!

At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.

Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.

Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.

SuperSpeed Golf

The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!

Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.

The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.

The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.

For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.

My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!

Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!

Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!

Original Swing Speed	After 4-6 Weeks	New Carry Distance	Total Distance
95	102	245	265
100	108	259	279
105	113	271	291
110	118	283	303

The hybrid usually provides a higher launch when compared to an iron.

Issue #5: Wrong Concept

Golfers who are struggling with a hybrid might have the wrong concept in mind. For example, they might be trying to hit up on the ball too much or down on the ball too much. Most hybrids are best utilized by hitting the ball just past the low point of the swing, similar to a fairway wood or long iron. However, if you hit up too much or down too much, you will struggle. This is connected to the low point drill and gaining control over your low point.

Issue #6: Watch Video

Take video of your swing and take note of if you are hitting too much down or swinging too much open. The video can help with your setup, low point control, and making sure you are striking the ball in the right point of the golf swing.

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Rain or Shine Golf Packages

Practice 365 days a year and see how much better you can get!

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions: