The most supportive friend you have on a course!

What is a fairway wood, you ask?? It’s your friend!

A fairway wood is one of the clubs in your bag that you generally use the least when playing a round. However, once you start using them, you get that extra distance you've always wanted that a long iron wouldn't provide, making these clubs your closest ally during an intense round of golf when everything else turns their back on you.

A fairway wood is a lengthier golf club with a loft of between 13 and 22 degrees. It is designed to be used off the tee as well as from a distance in the rough or fairway. Typically, these clubs feature a graphite shaft that makes them a little lighter and a low center of gravity.

Golfers typically use them to gain more control from a tight tee, to complete long par 5s, or for chip shots from within a few feet of the green. But they have also been used by golfers to hit out of bushes, bunkers, and rough. A fairway wood will be simpler to hit and launch away for golfers who prefer a little weight to their clubhead. There is no easier way to put it, but fairway wood should not be undervalued.

Many may believe that since the club loft of a fairway wood is far lower than that of a long iron, you must hit the ball on the upswing to obtain the proper rise. The ball will pass the fairway wood's average loft when you swing it flat and across the plane. Therefore, adopting the appropriate swing technique when utilizing fairway wood will achieve the desired result. Here, we'll go over the stages for using fairway woods and the correct approach to swing them.

Now that you know what a fairway wood is, you need to know how to use it!

1. You get better with practice.

Practice drawing back and sweeping the club head along the turf through the impact zone. Using fairway wood, you want to swing at a shallower angle than you would with iron since the impact of the fairway wood swing is felt as you descend. Since you want to make good contact with the ball on the fairway and avoid leaving big divots, using fairway wood properly requires more concentration and dexterity than using an iron. Lay a club on the ground to indicate the direction you will swing. With the club directed at the target, place your feet shoulder-width apart in a straight line. Place the practice ball where it should be in your stance on the ground and align your feet with it. When you hit with the fairway wood, the ball should be forward of your stance and aligned with the heel of your front foot. To properly address the ball with your club, bend your knees slightly while extending your arms and keeping your back straight.

2. Set up the ball.

Two to three inches should be between your lead foot and ball. When utilizing a driver or iron, don't make contact with the ball during the upswing or the impact. Your objectives are to sweep over for a level hit and make an impact. Keep your shoulders level, back straight, and distribute your weight evenly. To get a sense of the exact moment of contact, many golfers choose to tap behind the ball. As long as you don't touch the ball, this is acceptable. If you are hitting a fairway wood out of a sand trap, remember that you cannot ground your club before striking the ball. Try and remove any grass that might prevent the club head from contacting the ball by tapping behind the ball. This ensures the club has the smoothest path possible.

3. Double-check your posture.

Your posture should be a little wider than when using an iron. If you take a broader stance, you'll be steadier, have a better chance of striking the woods, and exert more force. Pull your club back with your arms while maintaining a straight left arm. At the apex of your backswing, with the club in your hands, your hips should be turned back, your head should be lowered, and your eyes should be locked on the ball.

4. Choke up the fairway by one inch.

The objective is not to strike the ball as hard as you can! Leave the work to the club to handle. When utilizing a fairway wood, be wary of two temptations. Don't look up as soon as the ball makes contact to watch where it goes. Your head should swing naturally with your hips and arms the entire time. If you make sure to finish your swing correctly, you shouldn't have any trouble seeing the ball in flight once your head has come up with your swing. Practice swinging while keeping your head down and moving it in sync with your arm movements. The second temptation is to swing a fairway wood harder than necessary. The location where your shot lands should be reachable with your fairway wood. You must maintain the same swing pace with your fairway wood as you did off the tee. You'll succeed better with your fairway woods if you maintain a constant swing speed throughout the round. Keep your swing steady and resist the urge to swing your fairway woods harder than your driver.

Where to find your ally?

Your game can improve dramatically if you have a fairway wood or two in your bag. Golfers are able to complete more par 5s because of the forgiveness and strength inside the fairway head. They can also run short chip shots through the grass before they reach the green with fairway woods, giving them a more significant margin for error on short game shots. These clubs allow golfers more forgiveness and are typically utilized for longer shots.

If you’re looking to add a fairway club to your bag, see below for some of our most recommended items.

1. Stealth Fairway Wood
2. Titleist Fairway Wood
3. Callaway Fairway Wood
4. Mizuno ST-Z Fairway Wood
5. Cobra LTDx Fairway Wood
6. Srixon ZX Fairway Wood

For more information, please visit us at Golf Superstore.