The 2007 Open Championship will be remembered for many things, not the least of which will be the great drama and excitement of a four-hole playoff. I know people will want to discuss the double bogey made by Harrington on the 72nd hole, or the bogey made by Garcia on the same hole, which made the playoff necessary.

But as someone who has been fortunate enough to play a round at Carnoustie, I can tell you that there may not be a tougher final stretch of holes in golf. The fact that Garcia and Harrington finished the tournament at 7 under on that course, under those conditions, and under that pressure, it's hard to relate just how impressive that is.

And let's not overlook Padraig Harrington's great play, the 18th hole being a notable exception. He started the day six shots back of the lead. He knew he had to play his best to have a chance, and he came through. And in the playoff, when he knew he had to be at his absolute best, he did it by continually putting himself in a position to score. And how did he do that? By eschewing the driver at crunch time and using his most consistent club -- the hybrid.

In fact, Padraig used his hybrid club for five of his last seven holes off of the tee. He hit one shot to eight feet on the par-3 16th in regulation play and placed his drives with his hybrid in every fairway in the playoff.

His faith in the club was rewarded and that can be a great lesson for all golfers. He was great with the hybrid because his mechanics were superb, and by following these keys to his performance, your hybrid club can one of the strengths of your game as well.

--Place the ball on a tee lowered to the "crown" of the tee top.

--Use a driver width stance and play the ball slightly inside of your left heel. Hybrid clubs are made with a short shaft of 40" or less, and designed to strike down on the ball. Since drivers are much longer and are made to hit up on the ball, they are positioned forward of the left heel.

--Position the top of the grip even with the front of the ball, this will give the shaft a "forward lean". Padraig was able to control the ball through wind by increasing the shaft's forward lean. Driving range tip: Practice hitting your hybrid with the shaft forward to hit lower, then with less lean hit the ball higher.

--Keep weight evenly distributed between your feet.

--Swing the club away low and wide, rotating your chest, arms and club in a "One Piece" takeaway. This wide path away from the ball gives the club's forward swing a more sweeping motion through impact.

--Since hybrid clubs are much lighter than long irons, they will produce higher club head speeds, therefore, use a comfortable, smooth pace with a balanced finish position every time for great consistency.

Of course, make sure that the hybrid club you choose is properly fitted for you through your PGA Professional.

Follow these guidelines and you will appreciate how much a hybrid club can increase your enjoyment and improve your scores.

Joe Plecker is the PGA Director of Instruction at the Baltimore Country Club in Baltimore, Md. Long recognized as a top instructor by many media outlets including Golf Digest's "Top Teachers In Your State", he was recently named the 2007 Middle Atlantic PGA Teacher of the Year.