how do I hit my hybrid?

[trob]

I bought a Nike hybrid this summer. How do I set up with it? I'm not sure if I should come down on it like an iron or sweep it like a wood? I usually play it off a tee for par 3's. I'm pushing the thing waaaayyyy right.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by trob

I bought a Nike hybrid this summer. How do I set up with it? I'm not sure if I should come down on it like an iron or sweep it like a wood? I usually play it off a tee for par 3's. I'm pushing the thing waaaayyyy right.

Common wisdom is to play it like you would play an 8-iron.

[Adam Pettman]

I play it forward of centre and hit it with a slight descending blow. This launches the ball out of any lie and imparts quite alot of spin allowing it to stop quickly.

[Pa Jayhawk]

It may also help mentioning which one you have. I know Nike has 2 CPR2's, one that is more on the level of the normal fairway wood with the bigger back end and is the CPR Wood, but is still marketed as a hybrid as well as a fairway wood, and the CPR2 Iron/Wood, which is a more on the lines of a conventional Hybrid.

If it is the CPR2 wood, I would think it may play better if used closer to say a wood. I personally play my Cobra a number of ways depending on what I want to accomplish and my lie. If I have a nice lie, or off the tee I tend to play it like a fairway wood with more of a sweeping motion and further forward in my stance but still hitting with a slight decending blow. If I am in heavier rough, I will move it back slightly with more of a decending blow to get the ball airborne and make solid contact.

[Rockford35]

Yep, play it just as you would an iron. It seems natural to play it as a wood, but in fact, it's designed to play as a middle iron.

Try it out in different places in your stance, but don't be surprised if it's almost right in the middle for ideal ball flight.

R35

[ualtim]

I have found it easier to hit my hybrids by thinking of it as a 5 iron shot. I think of hitting the ball with a descending blow rather than a sweeping shot like a fairway wood. If/when I sweep it, I get a shot much like Tiger's famed Stinger shot. Useful in the wind, but not why you bought a hybrid for the bag. The descending blow 5 -iron swing gets the ball up in the air for a nice soft landing.

[vincel]

I have to agree with the rest of the group, I have a clev. halo took it to the range the other day and found that trying to sweep it I have a tendancy to blade it. If I try to hit down on it like an iron it jumps like a well struck 4 iron. I still have a hard time not sweeping it because at address it looks like a wood.

[trob]

I'll get out to the range and give it a try. Sounds right. I stayed away from it today. I don't feel comfortable useing it until I can get out and knock it around a little. For whom ever asked I have a 22 degree nike cpr.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by trob

For whom ever asked I have a 22 degree nike cpr.

So, that is actually the CPR Wood which is marketed as both a hybrid as well as a fairway wood, with a little bit wider sole as the iron/wood is a 21*, for what it's worth. I know that because mine is a 23* and I looked at both of those. I'm not sure if it plays any different than a regular hybrid. I would only imagine you may setup between a hybrid and a fairway wood, just because I would think the wider sole would give you a different center of gravity and a lower trajectory then most hybrids, and midway between a hybrid and Fairway wood. This is just speculation though.

here are pictures for anyone wondering what I am talking about, I would assume yours is the top one.
http://www.golfsmith.com/products/GP000115
http://www.golfsmith.com/products/NK105

[mediaguru]

I find it hard to play the hybrids like a mid iron because the shaft is so much longer... I hear my 3-iron calling...

[ezra76]

Watch the Masters tomorrow. A lot of guys are hitting hybrids. On the 231yd. par 3 I noticed the guys using hybrids were getting much better results than guys using irons.

[mediaguru]

Originally Posted by trob

I bought a Nike hybrid this summer. How do I set up with it? I'm not sure if I should come down on it like an iron or sweep it like a wood? I usually play it off a tee for par 3's. I'm pushing the thing waaaayyyy right.

I've given up on hybrids for now. Tried the rescue Dual and it was great but I hooked it. Tried the hogan, G5, Nickent and sontartec.

Today I put my 3-iron back in the bag. Guess what? Hit it awesome, straight and just as far as a hybrid. Much easier to hit for me.

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by trob

I bought a Nike hybrid this summer. How do I set up with it? I'm not sure if I should come down on it like an iron or sweep it like a wood? I usually play it off a tee for par 3's. I'm pushing the thing waaaayyyy right.

Oh, I had this problem when first hitting my Sonartec. With the 23*, 25* as well as my 18* TM 5wood I take a little wider stance and really concentrate on getting into the inside slot on the downswing. It is very easy to go outside in with a hybrid and get a slicing shot. The good thing is now you know how to slice it when you need to, don't forget how to do it. Low hard fades with the hybrid save my butt at least once or twice a round after slicing a drive.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by mediaguru

I've given up on hybrids for now. Tried the rescue Dual and it was great but I hooked it.

The Rescue Dual comes from the factory set to Draw Bias, this may have been part of the problem. They also have a TP (Tour Prefered or Proven??) model that addressed this issue in the Mid model, it allows less spin, a lower trajectory, and I believe a change with the face setup. I know many found the Mid to be a hook machine, myself included, and the TP fixed this. Althought the TP model is like $50 more. Not sure if it was the same with the Dual. I personally didn't like the club enough to spend the extra money on the weights to change the club or go to the more expensive TP Model. TM does this to make money on the weights and the wrench, but personally they may be loosing alot of customers in the process. They certainly lost me when the guy told me I would have to spend $40-50 on the weights and wrench to change this, and it was TM marketing that was responsible. They didn't even carry the weights and wrench in stock in 2 of the places.

[Bravo]

I think you can hit the club either way.

1) On long par 3's (like we saw at the Masters this week) you can tee the ball up slightly and hit it like you are hitting a 3 wood or 5 wood with a sweeping motion.

2) On the other extreme, if your ball is down in the rough, you can hit down on it like you would with an iron and still get a good result.

These clubs are so versatile...