Using the hybrid to run the ball onto the green from off the green is a relatively new (due obviously to the fact that hybrids are a relatively new item in the bag) technique. It is a great one to experiment with and learn though, because it makes easier a few annoyingly tough shots around the green. One place to use it is on the many tightly mown run-off areas that have become so popular with new courses and older redesigns. The “skittering” effect of a ball that comes off a 16 to 21 degree club that is leaned forward runs the ball nicely across grass that would bobble a putter and stop a chip shot hit with a normal iron. Another is in the light rough just outside the fringe. The hybrid glides through the grass (as long as the ball is not down too deep) where a regular iron would get stuck in the grass.
The technique is fairly simple. Play the ball in the middle of a fairly narrow, slightly open stance. Put the weight 70/30 left and lean the shaft forward just a bit. The stroke is much like a putting stroke, with no use of the legs or wrists (although there will be some movement here on a longer shot. Make sure to keep the wrists solid, and concentrate especially on keep the right wrist bent through impact.
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