How to Hit Fairway Woods
Most amateurs struggle to find consistency when utilizing a fairway wood.
Whether they hit the golf ball from the short grass of the fairway or off the tee box, these clubs can become absolute weapons for the mid—and high-handicapper looking to advance to the next level.
Creating dependable contact with your fairway woods can be one of the most important assets you can add to your golf game. And it’s much easier than most golfers anticipate, as the club is ready to do the heavy lifting for you.
In this article, we tackle the top ten questions that golfers ask and provide answers to help you gain distance, accuracy, and tighter dispersion from your fairway woods.
What is the secret to hitting fairway woods?
When it comes to hitting an intermediate wood, the best-kept secret is developing a swing path unique to the club itself.
You can’t approach hitting fairways like you do irons or hybrids. Instead, the approach must provide a more rounded swing arc that moves the face into the moment of impact just above the turf.
One of the easiest ways to hit a fairway wood is by keeping the shaft perpendicular to the turf at address. Too many golfers want to start their swing with a severe shoulder tilt, but that’s only for the driver.
With this club and its low profile, we want it to remain relatively even with the ball before we start the swing.
What is the best way to hit a 3-wood?
When hitting the 3-wood, you want to first start with a ball position just off the inside of the front heel.
Since most 3-woods carry a 15-degree loft off the face, the forward ball position keeps the shaft relatively perpendicular to the turf. This club position helps get the most launch when you hit the ball.
Due to a steep attack path, you want the bottom of the clubhead to move over the turf rather than snagging or digging into the ground. This path will help the face create clean contact that generates the most length and launch.
In contrast, when it comes to things you want to avoid, playing the ball in the center of your feet can create problems by catching the ball too late in the swing, so you want to prevent poor ball position most of all.
Do you hit down on the ball with fairway woods?
Even if you carry a steep path of attack to the golf ball, you want to round your swing with fairway woods to take full advantage of the club’s shape and style.
In the past, you may have heard, “Let the club do the work,” from a golf coach. That edict holds especially true with a fairway wood shot.
We encourage all golfers to utilize their practice swings to “feel” that rounded swing path to ensure the club head slides under the golf ball to create the lift you need to get it into the air.
With intermediate woods with a higher loft, you can swing with a steeper path but expect a lower flight with less spin and direction. By swinging uniformly with these clubs, you’ll find that you get the most carry and yardage from each swing.
How to properly hit a 5-wood?
Since the 5-wood carries a bit more loft than a 3-wood, you’ll play the ball more off the front heel (about one full ball width) to ensure the club reaches the ball at the swing’s low point.
You want to make that ball-first contact at the right spot, or you could struggle to get the club head too far forward.
The 5-wood also has a smaller clubhead, so it feels more like a hybrid. While that doesn’t mean you should take a divot, you can create a steeper swing path to impact and still reap the benefits of what the wood can do for your game.
The 5-wood has more loft, translating into higher launch but less yardage. However, it does offer a better chance at holding the green on entry shots, helping you get closer to the hole.
Should I put a 7-wood in my bag?
In recent memory, one of the more popular additions to the golf bag on the PGA Tour has been the inclusion of a 7-wood.
Unlike most clubs at that loft, the pros find that the 7-wood gets the ball airborne quicker with more spin to help hold greens on longer par 4s and 5s.
For the amateur looking to pick the ball off the ground cleanly, a 7-wood can provide a straight, long distance with the simple sweep of a swing.
One of the biggest reasons the 7-wood has gained the attention of golfers of all handicap levels is its low profile and club head shape.
With its deeper loft (around 21 degrees, the equivalent of a 4-iron), golfers can even play with a slight forward press that delofts the club and creates more of a stinger ball flight shape.
Should I hit fairway woods instead of a driver off the tee?
Most golfers would do better and have more fun using a fairway wood off the tee box instead of a driver. One of the biggest reasons that’s true is that something like a 3-wood, for example, is easier to hit.
With it being easier to keep the 3-wood low through the impact zone, it certainly helps increase launch and distance and offers more forgiveness. Some golfers feel the 3-wood is easier to hit plus deliver a more dependable flight with a tighter dispersion.
Another benefit of using the 3-wood more off the tee is it helps golfers when they hit the club off the deck.
By playing more shots from the tee with this club, you’ll find that your body creates the muscle memory to hit great shots straight from the ground.
How should I adjust my stance and ball position when hitting fairway woods?
When looking at the correct ball position and how it relates to your stance, you want to start with the ball just off the lead heel with a 3-wood. With each additional fairway wood, you’ll move the ball a full width back in your stance to make sure you are
Another area of concern when hitting a fairway wood comes with the upper body.
Since the swing needs to be more rounded to bring the club low into the ball, there must be more bend forward with the upper body to create that rib crunch you typically see with professional golfers.
Amateurs must understand that each club needs a different attack path to the golf ball. Fairway woods are not like hitting a driver or an iron. You don’t want to take a divot because you are essentially extinguishing the loft and, therefore, the club’s benefits.
What are the common mistakes to avoid when using fairway woods?
One of the biggest mistakes we see with amateurs hitting their fairway woods is failing to make good contact due to a steep path of attack to the golf ball.
Fairway woods are not like irons. We don’t want to take a divot. Instead, we want to sweep the ball off the ground cleanly.
Making good contact comes with a proper ball position that isn’t too far back in the stance but doesn’t push the club forward.
You don’t hit fairway woods like a driver.
With the driver, golfers want to create an upward lift at the point of impact. The same doesn’t hold true with fairway woods. Since we are picking the ball off the ground, in most cases, the wood needs to stay along the ground to hit the shot cleanly.
How can I increase my distance with fairway woods?
A great way to increase your distance with fairway woods is to move your ball position just slightly forward to the inside of the lead thigh.
The longer you can make your swing, even with fairway woods, the better your chance of creating more swing speed.
If you can keep your body coiled, even after you begin your downswing, before releasing into the shot, you create far more power than if you swing the club quickly, hoping to generate more club head velocity.
When should I use a fairway wood versus a long iron or hybrid?
The answer to this question depends on your swing speeds and handicap. Good players with high swing speeds can proficiently utilize their long irons and fairway woods equally from various distances.
For the average golfer, let’s say a 12 handicap, a mid-range wood should be used in most instances over a long iron because it offers a more forgiving sweet spot and higher launch.
When considering whether to use a hybrid vs a 3-wood, for example, you must factor in yardage to target first, then how consistent you are with each club.
Some weekend warriors find the hybrid easier to hit, while most golfers prefer the wider hitting area and lower profile of fairway woods.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right fairway woods comes with understanding how swing speed and consistency are significant in producing the high launch you need to accomplish your goals from the short grass.
While it’s not easy to get better at hitting fairway woods, many golfers find that by putting in the time at the driving range, you can become a good player over time with these golf clubs.