
Golf Club Lofts Chart
Club | Standard Lofts (Tour Level Irons) |
Driver | 9°-12.5° |
3-Wood | 15° |
4-Wood | 17° |
5-Wood | 18°-19° |
What is a wood in golf clubs?
A category of golf clubs that includes the driver and the fairway woods. Compared to the other types of clubs woods are longer and feature bigger and rounder clubheads that are designed to shoot the ball over long distances.
What is a 5 Wood golf club used for?
The 5 wood is also an excellent choice for golf courses that have long par 4’s. Chances are you are going to have an approach or two that will need a fairway wood to get into the green at some point. If you have trouble getting a three wood in the air or get more performance from a 5 wood, it is the club for you!
What Wood is used to make golf clubs in Scotland?
In Scotland, the type of wood used to make clubs changed with two American imports: hickory for club shafts in 1826 and persimmon for club heads in 1900.
Who invented metal wood golf clubs?
Gary Adams, founder of TaylorMade Golf, is considered the father of the modern metal wood. Adams began to market his club in the late 1970s, but it was nearly a decade until metal woods became more popular with most golfers.
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Why do you need fairway wood?
Why, you ask? Fairway woods have shorter shafts, more loft and impart more backspin, making them easier to hit straight and with added control despite their diminutive size when compared to a driver.
When should I use 3 wood or 5 wood?
Should You Get A 3 Or 5 Wood? The majority of golfers will hit more fairways and greens with a 5 wood compared to a 3 wood. A 5 wood has a slightly shorter shaft and more loft, and because of that, it makes it much easier to hit from the fairway.
What is a 5 wood used for in golf?
The 5 wood is a great option for approaches to the green from the fairway or even from the semi-rough. If you need more height to approach a tough green then the 5 wood will help you out there too. It creates a softer landing with more spin which will help you stick the ball on the dance floor.
What club does a 5 wood replace?
2 ironThe larger clubhead of a fairway wood compared to an iron makes it easier to achieve more distance without over-swinging. As a rough rule of thumb, a 5 wood would replace a 2 iron, a 7 wood the 3 or 4 iron, a 9 wood the 5 iron.
Why do I hit my 5 wood farther than my driver?
Players who hit their 3- or 5-wood as far or longer than their driver are typically using too little loft with the driver for their clubhead speed. You know, it's a funny thing with the driver and its loft compared to the other clubs in the bag.
What is a 3 wood used for?
A three-wood imparts significantly more backspin, which will help with accuracy most of the time, and it also helps with workability control. The ball is teed much closer to the ground with a three-wood, so the variability of turf interaction does come into play.
Does a 5 wood go further than a 4 hybrid?
Differences Between 4 Hybrid and 5 Wood The 4-hybrid has an average loft of 22 to 24 degrees, while a 5-wood is set at 18 degrees. Naturally, the 5-wood delivers 15 yards more distance than the 4-hybrid.
Is a 3 wood necessary?
For instance, most players agree that without a putter, a pitching wedge, and even a seven iron, it may be hard to get in a great round of golf. However, the 3 wood is one of those clubs that are not necessarily mandatory to keep in the bag.
Drivers
The 1-wood, or driver, is the lowest-lofted, longest, and often lightest club in a player's bag, and is meant to launch the ball the longest distance of any club.
Fairway woods
Higher-number woods are generally known as fairway woods and, as their name suggests, are designed for shots from off the turf of the fairway that still require long distance, such as the second shot of a par-5 or a long par-4 hole.
Design
The head of a wood is roughly spherical in shape with a slightly bulging clubface and a generally flattened sole that slides over the ground without digging in during the swing.
Construction
The shaft is the true engine of the wood. Widely overlooked, the proper shaft increases distance and accuracy, while a poor shaft can lead to inconsistent shots, slices, and reduced distance.
What is wedge golf?
The wedges are the highest-lofted golf clubs. They are used for shorter approach shots into greens, for chips and pitches around greens, and for playing out of sand bunkers.
What is a clubhead in golf?
Clubheads: Clubheads can be a traditional blade; a heel-toe clubhead; or a mallet clubhead. A traditional blade is narrow and shallow, typically with the shaft entering at the heel (although sometimes center-shafted). Heel-toe putters have the same general shape as blades, but with extra weight at the heel and toe to add perimeter weighting, and with other design tricks to help make the clubs more "forgiving" on mishits. Mallet putters have large clubheads that maximize that forgiveness of poor contact. Mallets come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some very large and quite unusual.
What is putter used for?
Putters are used for, well, putting . They are the clubs golfers use on the putting greens, for the last strokes played on a golf hole - for knocking the ball into the hole. There are more varieties of putters on the market than any other club. That may be because choosing a putter is a very personal process.
What is the loft of an iron?
Irons have angled faces (called "loft") etched with grooves that help grip the golf ball and impart spin. They are generally used on shots from the fairway, or for tee shots on short holes. As the number of an iron goes up (5-iron, 6-iron, etc.), the loft increases while the length of the shaft decreases. Meet the Hybrids.
What is a wood golf club?
The category of golf clubs called "woods" includes the driver and the fairway woods. (They are called woods even though their clubheads are no longer made of wood.) The woods are the clubs with the largest heads (typically hollow, extending a few inches from side-to-side and a few inches from front to back, with rounded lines) ...
How long is a mallet putter?
Lengths: Standard-length putters, often referred to as "conventional putters," range from around 32 to 36 inches long, from one end to the other.
What is the difference between a heel toe and a mallet putter?
Heel-toe putters have the same general shape as blades , but with extra weight at the heel and toe to add perimeter weighting, and with other design tricks to help make the clubs more "forgiving" on mishits. Mallet putters have large clubheads that maximize that forgiveness of poor contact.
What clubs do hickory golfers use?
"Hickory golf," where golfers use hickory-shafted clubs, is popular with many golfers. Ralph Livingston III recommends on his website, HickoryGolf.com, that hickory golfers assemble the following clubs: brassie, mid-iron, mashie, mashie niblick, niblick and putter. Some companies make modern clubs that have persimmon wood heads, and some companies sell and make clubs with wood shafts, wood heads, or both.
What wood was used in Scotland?
American Influence. In Scotland, the type of wood used to make clubs changed with two American imports: hickory for club shafts in 1826 and persimmon for club heads in 1900. According to the Antique Golf Club website, woodworkers in Scotland started using American-imported hickory instead of ash to make hand tools, ...
What is an antique golf club?
According to the website, Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland, certain club makers were and still are revered for their craftsmanship. Figuring out the age and value of antique golf clubs is tricky and requires an expert's evaluation. The Antique Golf Club website notes that "many golf clubs made before 1820 used ash instead of hickory for the shafts."
What were golf clubs made of?
Beech and ash were commonly used to make golf clubs in the game's early days.
How many woods are in a long nose golf club?
A set of these early "Troon Clubs" -- also known as "long noses" -- consisted of six woods and two irons. According to the Oracle ThinkQuest Education Foundation website, golf balls were also made of wood until the 17th or early 18th century.
Where did Samantha Prust get her degree?
Samantha Prust earned a BA in English from Minnesota State University and an MFA in creative writing from Colorado State University. She has more than 15 years of experience as a professional editor and writer in book, magazine, academic and online publishing.
What is gap wedge?
As the name "gap wedge" suggests, gap wedges fill a loft and distance gap between a pitching wedge and sand wedge.
What lofts fit within the loft range of the same numbered irons?
Compared to irons, hybrid lofts usually fit within the loft range of the same numbered irons.
What is a 9 iron?
9-iron is the club where the loft difference between game-improvement irons and irons made for the best players starts to narrow again.
What is the loft of a driver?
The standard loft of most drivers is 9 to 12.5 degrees, though some golfers go to further extremes. Keep in mind that drivers are almost always hit with the ball teed up 1.5 inches or more, allowing good drivers of the ball to hit it at a slightly upward angle resulting in additional " dynamic loft ."
What is the loft of a sand wedge?
The standard loft for a sand wedge (SW) is 56 degrees, with some players choosing to go as low as 54 degrees or as high as 58 degrees of loft.
How much loft does a pitching wedge have?
Most standard pitching wedges (PW) have 45 to 47 degrees of loft. Pitching wedges that are part of a game improvement iron set will have lower lofts, some being as low as 43 or even 42 degrees.
How much loft does a wood have?
Woods typically have lower lofts than their iron and hybrid counterparts. For example, a standard 3-wood has around 15 degrees of loft, while most 3-irons have 19-21 degrees of loft.
Why do golfers use fairway woods?
Thanks to the position of their sweet spots – located close to the ground – fairway woods allow golfers to strike the ball over great distances even when away from the tee box , such as on the fairways or in the rough.
What is fairway wood?
The fairway wood represents a category of golf clubs that is found within the woods category, alongside the driver. It designates a collection of clubs that sport both a smaller head and a shorter shaft than the driver while still keeping the general appearance of a wood with a larger round-type head, in contrast to irons.
What is the name of the golf club that makes tight lies?
Some golf club manufacturers have even made that feature central to their club design, such as Adams Golf, famous for their “Tight Lies” product line of fairway woods.
What is the loft angle of a 3 wood?
The loft angle of a 3-wood would vary around 15 degrees whereas it will vary between 18 and 21 degree for what would be a 5-wood.
What is the weight pad on a golf swing?
There is also an internal weight pad inside the head that helps pull the CG downward to promote better shot mechanics on every swing.
Why do pros pull out 7 woods?
Have you ever noticed that even pros pull out a 7 wood at courses like Winged Foot? That’s because the high loft of 7 woods are ideal for launching out of turf that nearly reaches ankle height. They also give you the easy distance to get down particularly large par 4’s.
Is the sweet spot bigger than the 7 wood?
It’s a bit longer and taller than your average 7 wood but that also means that the sweet spot is larger.
Can 7 woods replace irons?
For the everyday golfer though, 7 woods can be an ideal replacement for your longer irons. For anyone that doesn’t like hybrid clubs, 7 woods offer a viable alternative as well. Basically, they are great for anyone looking for higher launching, straighter shots in a more wieldy package.
What wood is better for par 4s?
If you struggle with distance on longer par fours, the 5 wood is going to be a great choice. It is easier to hit than a 3 wood and makes getting the proper ball flight a breeze. A 7 wood has a bit more loft and therefore can get out of the rough more effectively. A 7 wood is a perfect replacement for a long iron or a good choice for a golfer ...
What is a mid handicap?
Mid handicappers are golfers that are doing everything they can to take their golf game to the next level. Being a mid handicapper can be frustrating because you can almost taste the low handicap range but it still manages to remain illusive for now. Mid handicappers will do best with a 5 wood.
What is the difference between a 5 wood and a 7 wood?
There are players who will benefit from the 5 wood and others that will find the 7 wood to be a better fit for their game. The main differences between the 5 and the 7 wood are in the length and the loft of the club. The 5 wood is a longer club that will hitter lower, longer shots and the 7 wood is shorter and will hit higher, shorter shots.
Why is 7 wood easier to hit than 5 wood?
One of the reasons that the 7 wood is usually a bit easier to hit than the 5 wood is that it is about a ½ inch shorter. Slightly shorter clubs are usually easier to control and make it easier to send the ball in the proper direction.
Why are fairway woods important?
Why Fairway Woods Are So Important. Fairway woods are essential to have in your golf bag. The biggest role they play is going to be getting your ball back on track after a poor drive or if you want to go for a golf green in two. The 5 wood and the 7 wood will play an important part in keeping your long game strong.
What is a 7 wood?
A 7 wood is a perfect replacement for a long iron or a good choice for a golfer that does not enjoy playing with a hybrid golf club. Overall both the 5 wood and the 7 wood are also alternatives to the driver or 3 wood off the tee.
Which wood goes further, 7 or 5?
Since the loft is a bit lower and the club’s physical length is longer, the 5 wood is going to go further than the 7 wood.
Why do forgiving irons have higher lofts?
High launching, forgiving irons tend to come with stronger lofts because the ball launches high enough anyway so doesn’t need the extra loft. A lower loft combined with a centre of gravity positioned low and back leads to high iron shots that travel a long way.
What is the loft of a driver?
A driver loft is traditionally somewhere around the 10 degree mark although there are plenty of exceptions. Bryson DeChambeau’s driver loft is 5.5 degrees although most better players will have somewhere between 8-10.5 degrees of loft in their driver.
What is the degree of loft in golf?
The degree of loft on golf clubs helps separate them from each other as the loft influences the flight and distance of shots. A lower loft hits the ball further whilst a higher loft launches the ball up into the air with more spin. There really are no set lofts of golf clubs these days, with manufacturers bringing out clubs at all different lofts ...
How many degrees does a hybrid loft come in?
Hybrid Loft. There really is no set hybrid loft, with hybrids coming in anywhere from 16 degrees all the way through the bag with some beginners and higher handicaps using hybrid irons. Most tour players with hybrids in the bag will have them between 18-22 degrees to replace their 2 and 3 irons.
What is the pitching loft of a wedge?
Pitching Wedge loft. A pitching wedge loft is usually between 45-47 degrees, with most golfers using one that comes with their iron set. However, better players like to use a traditional wedge instead of the one that comes with the set to help with control and spin.
How much loft should a 3 wood have?
Many players will carry a strong 3 wood at around 13-13.5 degrees of loft if it is a club that they want to go as far as possible or like using off the tee.
How many degrees are 3 irons?
3 irons are usually around 21 degrees, equivalent to a 7 wood or 4 hybrid. The loft of a 3 iron tends to be around 21 degrees, equal to a seven wood or 4 hybrid. They are more common than 2 irons but many golfers still prefer to use a hybrid as they are easier to hit.

Overview
A wood is a type of club used in the sport of golf. Woods have longer shafts and larger, rounder heads than other club types, and are used to hit the ball longer distances than other types.
Woods are so called because, traditionally, they had a club head that was made from hardwood, generally persimmon, but modern clubs have heads made fro…
Drivers
The 1-wood, or driver, is the lowest-lofted, longest, and often lightest club in a player's bag, and is meant to launch the ball the longest distance of any club. Originally, the driver was only slightly larger than any other wood and was designed to be used from the tee or the fairway, but with the advent of hollow metal clubhead construction, the driver has become highly specialized for use off the tee by incorporating an oversized head and a deep striking face to maximize the "sweet s…
Fairway woods
Higher-number woods are generally known as fairway woods and, as their name suggests, are designed for shots from off the turf of the fairway that still require long distance, such as the second shot of a par-5 or a long par-4 hole. They have two important features: a higher loft to lift the ball out of the turf and over low obstacles like hills, and a shallower face height which allows a player to hit a ball from the ground using the exact center of the club, providing greater distance …
Design
The head of a wood is roughly spherical in shape with a slightly bulging clubface and a generally flattened sole that slides over the ground without digging in during the swing. Traditional "wood" clubheads were made of wood, hence the name; beech wood or ash were common prior to the twentieth century, and later persimmon or maple became preferable. Modern club heads are usually hollow steel, titanium or composite materials, and are sometimes called "metalwoods" or more rec…
Construction
The shaft is the true engine of the wood. Widely overlooked, the proper shaft increases distance and accuracy, while a poor shaft can lead to inconsistent shots, slices, and reduced distance.
The oldest shafts for all golf clubs were made of Hickory wood. The shaft was whippy and light, but inconsistent in flex from club to club and quite fragile. Beginning in the 1920s, steel shafts started making an appearance, though the USGA and R&A did not allow their use in sanctioned tourname…
External links
• http://golfworldscottsdale.com/2016/08/10-best-golf-putters-2016/