Take a look at the two clubs in the photo to the right. Left is a 3-fairway and right a 17 degree hybrid. Distance wise they may not be extremely different. The fairway is two degrees stronger so it should go a few more yards under normal conditions. But the loft isn't the primary focus here, the size of the club head is.
As you can see the fairway has considerably more volume and surface area than the hybrid. The club's surface area, especially the bottom of the head, can be good or bad once again depending on the lie.
Ball sitting up in light rough
In light rough with the ball sitting up, a fairway wood is a good choice because the head will slide through the top of the grass easily. The sheer surface area of bottom of the club will prevent the club from digging down too far.
Conversely, the hybrid's head is smaller and has more mass in a tighter area. The hybrid would be prone to going deeper into the light rough, rather than skidding across the top. When this happens the dreaded "pop up" shot is a likely result as the club will strike the ball too low underneath it.
Ball sitting down in rough
In scenario two the ball is sitting down in the rough. Since we determined that the fairway will skid across the top of the grass, it is not a good choice for this shot. The club face will likely hit the top half of the ball sending it deeper into the rough or bounding forward just a few feet.
The better choice for this lie is the hybrid. The hybrid with its smaller surface area will dig down into the rough. The hybrid will make contact in the lower half of the ball and the extra degrees of loft will get the ball airborne.
Conclusion
Next time you're in the rough and need to advance the ball a long distance, don't just grab a fairway wood. Take a look at the lie first and determine which club is best for the shot.
Golf Tips: Fairways or Hybrids in the Rough?
So you have a chance to go for a par-5 in two but your ball has landed in some rough. Do you hit hybrid or fairway wood? The lie will tell you which club to hit.
Take a look at the two clubs in the photo to the right. Left is a 3-fairway and right a 17 degree hybrid. Distance wise they may not be extremely different. The fairway is two degrees stronger so it should go a few more yards under normal conditions. But the loft isn't the primary focus here, the size of the club head is.
As you can see the fairway has considerably more volume and surface area than the hybrid. The club's surface area, especially the bottom of the head, can be good or bad once again depending on the lie.
Ball sitting up in light rough
In light rough with the ball sitting up, a fairway wood is a good choice because the head will slide through the top of the grass easily. The sheer surface area of bottom of the club will prevent the club from digging down too far.
Conversely, the hybrid's head is smaller and has more mass in a tighter area. The hybrid would be prone to going deeper into the light rough, rather than skidding across the top. When this happens the dreaded "pop up" shot is a likely result as the club will strike the ball too low underneath it.
Ball sitting down in rough
In scenario two the ball is sitting down in the rough. Since we determined that the fairway will skid across the top of the grass, it is not a good choice for this shot. The club face will likely hit the top half of the ball sending it deeper into the rough or bounding forward just a few feet.
The better choice for this lie is the hybrid. The hybrid with its smaller surface area will dig down into the rough. The hybrid will make contact in the lower half of the ball and the extra degrees of loft will get the ball airborne.
Conclusion
Next time you're in the rough and need to advance the ball a long distance, don't just grab a fairway wood. Take a look at the lie first and determine which club is best for the shot.
Take a look at the two clubs in the photo to the right. Left is a 3-fairway and right a 17 degree hybrid. Distance wise they may not be extremely different. The fairway is two degrees stronger so it should go a few more yards under normal conditions. But the loft isn't the primary focus here, the size of the club head is.
As you can see the fairway has considerably more volume and surface area than the hybrid. The club's surface area, especially the bottom of the head, can be good or bad once again depending on the lie.
Ball sitting up in light rough
In light rough with the ball sitting up, a fairway wood is a good choice because the head will slide through the top of the grass easily. The sheer surface area of bottom of the club will prevent the club from digging down too far.
Conversely, the hybrid's head is smaller and has more mass in a tighter area. The hybrid would be prone to going deeper into the light rough, rather than skidding across the top. When this happens the dreaded "pop up" shot is a likely result as the club will strike the ball too low underneath it.
Ball sitting down in rough
In scenario two the ball is sitting down in the rough. Since we determined that the fairway will skid across the top of the grass, it is not a good choice for this shot. The club face will likely hit the top half of the ball sending it deeper into the rough or bounding forward just a few feet.
The better choice for this lie is the hybrid. The hybrid with its smaller surface area will dig down into the rough. The hybrid will make contact in the lower half of the ball and the extra degrees of loft will get the ball airborne.
Conclusion
Next time you're in the rough and need to advance the ball a long distance, don't just grab a fairway wood. Take a look at the lie first and determine which club is best for the shot.
