Simply put, a hybrid club is a cross between a conventional iron and a fairway wood. For many golfers, this combination is an improvement on both of those clubs.

A relatively new invention, hybrids have exploded in popularity since the year 2000. Originally designed for play from thick rough or fairway bunkers, hybrid golf clubs boomed when golfers realized they could be used in place of traditional long irons, which are notoriously difficult to hit.

These days, nearly every golfer – including the top pros – carries at least one hybrid club. Peruse the tips below to learn why hybrids should be in your bag (if they’re not already), and how to get the most from these innovative weapons.

It may be golf’s least versatile club, but the driver sure gets plenty of attention.

Every golfer wants to hit the driver long, and preferably straight. It’s about more than ego, though. Since the driver is the first club used on most holes, hitting it well is the key to placing the ball in good position on or near the fairway.

Because it features the longest shaft and least-lofted face (aside from the putter), the driver – or #1 wood – poses unique challenges to every golfer. These golf driver tips make it easier to blast tee shots with maximum distance and accuracy.

They may lack the driver’s glamour and the novelty of hybrids, but fairway woods are an integral part of most golfers’ sets.

Numbered anywhere from 2 to 25 based on loft and shaft length, fairway woods are useful in a variety of situations. For instance, from the tee of a par 4 where accuracy is more important than length, or for the second shot on a long par 5.

Hitting fairway woods, particularly off the turf, can be challenging. This section’s tips can help you maximize your distance and accuracy with these clubs; you’ll find tutorials explaining the benefits of different fairway woods, too.

All of history’s greatest golfers have been brilliant golf iron players. He who can hit the irons with accuracy and control enjoys a major advantage on most competitors.

Many amateurs neglect practicing with their golf irons in favor of hitting the driver, shot after shot. Since proper iron play requires striking the ball with a downward blow – the opposite of the ideal driver swing – these golfers fail to develop this crucial skill.

This section includes a step-by-step guide to a solid iron swing as well as golf tips on choosing the right clubs for you.

As the most lofted of all golf clubs, the wedges are handy tools for a wide range of situations.

Used for full shots to the green, usually from inside 125 yards, wedges lift the ball high in the air with an abundance of backspin. They’re also useful on shots from bunkers – the sand wedge is specially built for this purpose – and for playing chips and pitch shots near the green.

Aside from the sand wedge, many golfers carry a pitching wedge, gap wedge and lob wedge on the course. The golf tips here will sharpen your wedge skills and lower your scores.

No matter how far you hit your driver, how accurately you play iron shots, or how deftly you chip and pitch, golf is all about getting the ball in the hole. That means the shortest club in the bag – the putter – is also the most important.

Statistics bear this out. Most golfers, including pros, use the putter for about 40 percent of all shots in a typical round. No other club comes close.

The tips below cover every aspect of putting, from reading greens to lining up, from backstroke to follow-through. You’ll also find drills designed to improve your putting and cure common mistakes.