What is a rescue club in golf?
Rescue clubs are a type of golf club designed to replace hard-to-hit, difficult-to-control shots with long irons such as 3-, 4-, and 5-irons. This makes them incredibly useful for golfers who may struggle to hit these types of clubs accurately or don't have the power required to hit them very far.
The most common version of a hybrid is wood-style club, sometimes also referred to as Utility Club or a Rescue Club after the first TaylorMade hybrid of the same name launched in 2002. The long, hollow head design makes it easier to hit from tough lies than either a fairway wood or a long iron.
A low-lofted hybrid (14° to 17°) is ideally suited to replace your 3-wood or your 5-wood. This club is easier to hit than a long iron off the fairway.
Why is it called a rescue club? These clubs are called "rescue clubs" as they are often used by golfers to get them out of tricky situations on the golf course, such as deep rough or as a go to club for use off the tee.
As a general rule, you'll want to use a hybrid instead of an iron for any shots over 180 yards.
A 5-wood can go further than a 3-hybrid and depends on the loft, length, and type of club. For example, if both clubs are the same loft, the 5-wood will still probably go further as there is more mass behind the ball. You'll notice this same effect when comparing hybrid distances to iron distances.
The tendency when you put a 3-wood in your hand is to sweep the ball or try to swing up. That's wrong. Just like with a 9-iron, you want to hit the ball and take a little turf after contact. You want to make contact with a 3-wood at that ball the same as you would with an iron."
Not allowed to ground your club in the bunker
The main rule to follow in bunkers is you are not allowed to touch the sand with your club whether that be grounding it behind the ball, shifting sand on your backswing or having a practice shot in the sand.
Touch the sand in a bunker with a club in making a practice swing, in grounding the club right in front of or behind the ball, or in making the backswing for a stroke.
In a bunker, the club can touch the ground. Please level sand after hitting the ball. Some golf courses have bunkers (sandy covered bare ground, sandbox) as obstacles to make park golf more interesting.
Why am I topping my rescue club?
Typically, a ball is topped because the club has not gone far enough down towards the ball or you catch the ball on the way up, instead of at the bottom point. A lot of things can cause this to happen: A club that's too short. An awkward stance.
Even though hybrids have a smaller head size than fairway woods, they're usually considered easier to hit than a fairway wood due to their shorter shafts.
A player is allowed precisely 14 clubs in a golf bag, as stated by both the R&A (The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) and the USGA (United States Golf Association).
Players teeing off with a hybrid is a great way to improve your shot-to-shot management on the course. Hybrids have many of the same benefits you see in a fairway wood off the tee: higher loft, less side spin, shorter length, and more control.
A lot of bad shots with the hybrids come from poor setup positions like ball position and shoulder position. The reason the shoulder position is important is that you want to hit down with a hybrid, not up, and if you tilt your shoulders up too much (to try to sweep it off the ground), more than likely you will top it.
Yes, Hybrids Are Easier for Most Golfers to Hit Than Long Irons. The first question is easy to answer: Yes. Yes, hybrids are easier to hit than their corresponding long irons.
A golfer with an average swing speed and average club lofts should be able to hit the 7 iron about 140 yards. For a senior golfer, the yardage could be closer to 130, and the same applies to the slower swing speed player.
| Club | Men (Distance in Yards) | Women (Distance in Yards) |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 180 | 145 |
| 3 Wood | 150 | 125 |
| 5 Wood | 145 | 120 |
| 3 Hybrid | 140 | 115 |
Which club is easier to control, the 2 hybrid or the 5 wood? The 2 hybrid is generally easier to control than the 5 wood due to its shorter shaft length, which makes it easier to generate spin and hit accurate shots.
The 2 hybrid and 3 wood are two very versatile golf clubs that can be used in many of the same scenarios, but they also have some important differences. The 2 hybrid goes shorter but is easier to hit, while the 3 wood goes significantly farther but should ideally be hit off a tee.
Is it easier to hit a hybrid out of the rough?
Hybrids are known as rescue clubs for a reason — to rescue you out of trouble! One of the biggest benefits of using hybrids is that they are very easy to hit out of the rough, even if your ball ends up in the thick stuff.
For a hybrid club, tee the ball slightly higher, about a half inch above ground level. Hybrids have more weight built into the sole, and you want that weight to get under the ball so you're taking advantage of the technology. When you get to a fairway wood, set the tee so a quarter of the ball is above the face.
- Yonex. Ezone Elite 4 Hybrid. View.
- Cleveland. Launcher XL Halo Hybrid. Check Price.
- Cobra. LTDx Hybrid. Check Price.
- TaylorMade. Stealth Rescue. Check Price.
- Callaway. Apex Hybrid. Check Price.
- Ping. G425 Hybrid. View.
- Titleist. TSi2 Hybrid. View.
- Wilson Staff. D9 Hybrid. Check Price.
The average golfer should carry 2-3 wedges in their bag, and it will all depend on your skill level. Beginners and high handicappers should only carry a pitching and sand wedge while mid handicappers should consider adding a gap wedge.
Hybrids incorporate features of an iron and fairway wood but have the highest trajectory. They come together as a combination that's easier to hit and splits the distance difference between the two. For example, a 5 fairway wood goes farther than a 5 hybrid, and a 5 iron cannot go as far as either.
Ball Position For A Hybrid Off The Tee
Keep the ball position around the center of your stance. Faster swing-speed players that carry a 2 hybrid can start to move closer to the left heel but not nearly as far up as the driver. If you notice you are hooking shots, you could be playing it too far forward.
Avoid trying to pick the ball off the ground when you hit your fairway wood. Instead, you should try to press the golf ball into the ground and compress it as you complete your swing. Though, off the tee, you should look to sweep the ball down the fairway.
Although you are playing the ball forward in your stance and attempting to make a flatter swing, you still need to hit slightly downward on the ball.
Lateral relief in the bunker
The player may take lateral relief in the bunker within one club length of their ball for a one-stroke penalty. In other words, for a one-stroke penalty, you can move your ball a few feet to either side.
When a player's ball is in a bunker: The player may take unplayable ball relief for one penalty stroke under any of the options in Rule 19.2, except that: The ball must be dropped in and come to rest in the bunker if the player takes either back-on-the-line relief (see Rule 19.2b) or lateral relief (see Rule 19.2c).
Can you touch the sand on your backswing?
A. Touching the sand with your club immediately in front of or behind your ball, during a practice swing or during your backswing is a penalty (see Rule 12.2b(1)). If you do this, you get a loss of hole penalty in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play.
(3) You may drop in the bunker within two club-lengths of where your ball lies but not nearer to the hole (see Rule 19.2c). (4) Your fourth relief option comes with two penalty strokes – you may get out of the bunker using the back-on-the-line relief option (see Rule 19.3b).
Question: If you swing and miss your ball, is it a penalty? Answer: It depends on intent. If a player is trying to hit his ball and misses it, it will count as a stroke. If the player stops or alters swing in an effort to miss the ball and does not make the ball move, then there is no penalty.
Regardless, under Rule 12.2b, it's the general penalty of two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play for touching the sand in a bunker with a practice swing.
Rule 16.3 allows relief for a ball embedded anywhere in the “general area” (that is, the area previously known as “through the green”), except when embedded in sand.
Tidy as you go
(Note: there are specific rules against "testing the conditions" of sand in a bunker. To ensure you don't violate the rules, be sure to only use the rake to "Tidy Up", and only your own footprints.) You can place the rake in the sand near your ball before your shot.
The ball nearest to the hole must be marked and lifted.
If it is too close it can be marked 1 or 2 putter head lengths away from its spot. This is the same procedure used when a ball is on the line of your putt on the putting green.
As its name suggests, the rescue club should be used when you're in a sticky situation. If you've ever tried, you'll know how tough it is to cut through thick rough grass with a standard iron or fairway wood.
According to Shotscope, “In general terms, a hybrid will travel 8 to 12 yards further than the corresponding iron, but in reality accuracy and consistency are the keys. Due to the fact that most golfers carry either a hybrid or an iron, it is very difficult to compare them directly.”
That means you can lean on a club to rest, to balance yourself or prevent a fall, you can place objects (including your clubs) in the bunker and you can even chuck them in if you want. You already know you can dig in with your feet to make a stance either for the shot itself, or a practice swing.
Do you hit down on a 3-wood?
You want to hit down on it, like an iron. With the ball in the right place, your shoulders will tilt back and your hands will hang below your left ear (right, top). You shouldn't have to stretch to reach the ball.
Although you are playing the ball forward in your stance and attempting to make a flatter swing, you still need to hit slightly downward on the ball.
WHICH HYBRID REPLACES A 3-IRON? Typically, a 3-iron is replaced by a 19 degree hybrid or a 5-wood, a 4-iron is replaced by a 22 degree hybrid or a 7-wood, a 5-iron is replaced by a 25 degree hybrid, and a 6-iron is replaced by a 28 degree hybrid.
While a 5-hybrid is the closest hybrid to replace a 4-iron. Most golfers think they can just swap a 4-iron for a 4H but that's not the case. Even if the loft of an iron and hybrid are the same, a hybrid club will produce more ball speed and distance thanks to the larger head.
A lot of bad shots with the hybrids come from poor setup positions like ball position and shoulder position. The reason the shoulder position is important is that you want to hit down with a hybrid, not up, and if you tilt your shoulders up too much (to try to sweep it off the ground), more than likely you will top it.
