golf which woods to have

What wood should I use golf?

Is a 3-wood or 5-wood better off the tee? The 3-wood is the better option off the tee for most players due to its lower loft and propensity for distance. The SIM2 3-wood has been engineered to generate low spin rates with a high launch – which is the standard recipe for increased distance in golf.

Which woods should I carry?

So Which Fairway Wood?Degrees of LoftDescription and Notes17 - 184 wood. Safer than a 3 wood, longer than a 518 - 19Strong 519 - 21Easy hitting long wood. Along with the driver, often carried with a 3 wood23 - 24Strong 7. Shaft should be a little longer than a regular seven. A good complement to 4 woods.5 more rows

Should I carry a 3 wood and 5 wood?

For average golfers, adding 5 wood to the bag will perform better than having 3 wood. The increased loft and shorter shaft length will hit the ball almost as far but will hit more fairways and greens in regulation.

How do I choose golf woods?

Rule No. Pick a fairway wood with more loft than 15 degrees. ... If you want a back-up driver, choose a 15-degree or lower lofted fairway wood with a clubhead size above 200 cc (that information is usually available on a company's website).More items...•

Should I use a driver or 3 wood?

Most players use a shorter shaft in their three-wood, which will offer greater control and consistency of impact on the face. Most players swing the driver faster, and the ball tends to go farther, so offline shots will go even farther offline with the driver.

Is a 5 wood necessary?

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.

Why do I hit my 5 wood farther than my 3 wood?

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's easier to hit a 5 wood or 3 hybrid?

Overview of The 5 Wood vs 3 Hybrid Therefore it is easier for beginners and high handicappers to strike the golf ball consistently. Conversely, the longer shaft on a 5-wood is easier to swing on tee shots, and it offers increased workability and yardage over the hybrid golf club.

Should I use a 5 wood or hybrid?

10:4612:22Should You Use a Hybrid? Or a 5-Wood? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe 5-wood goes higher it spins more it also goes a little bit further. So if you're looking for aMoreThe 5-wood goes higher it spins more it also goes a little bit further. So if you're looking for a club for off the fairway. That's gonna land nice and soft you hit a lot of fairways. Maybe.

When would you use a 7 wood in golf?

Players with slightly slower swing speeds that are looking for a go to club from the fairway to approach a green should choose the 7 wood. The 7 wood is very easy to launch and will make attacking a green a much easier job.

What is better hybrid or fairway wood?

Fairway woods tend to hit the ball greater distances with lower spin, they are clubs designed mainly for distance. Hybrids are clubs designed to be an easier to hit version of long irons and so they spin the ball more. Hybrids tend to have a higher ball flight and so can stop the ball on the green faster.

Do I need a 3 wood if I have a 3 hybrid?

You are more likely to hit accurate and precise shots with your 3-hybrid than a 3-wood. You are likely to have both a 3-wood and a 3-iron or 3-hybrid in your bag but not a 3-iron and a 3-hybrid. The 3-hybrid should replace your 3-iron if you wish to add the hybrid to your collection.

What is a wood in golf?

Wood (golf) An Adams Insight BUL 5000 460 cm 3 9.5° (left), an early 1980s Pinnacle Persimmon driver (right). 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 ...

What is the best material for a golf club?

Today, many metal wood clubfaces (and most driver clubfaces) are constructed out of titanium. Titanium has a higher strength to weight ratio than steel and has better corrosion resistance, so it is an ideal metal for golf club construction.

What is fairway wood?

Fairway woods are typically made with a slightly shorter and stiffer shaft, a smaller clubhead and more loft than a driver or 2-wood. While the most common modern clubset includes only one fairway wood, the 3-wood, woods are typically available from major brands in lofts up to a 9-wood.

What is a wood clubhead?

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 recently "fairway metals". Pinseeker Golf Corp. innovated the first stainless steel metalwood called the Bombshell in 1976. The design was somewhat untraditional and did not have the promotional success needed for profitable long term marketing - it was discontinued 3 years later. In 1979 Taylor Made produced a traditionally shaped stainless steel wood head called "Pittsburgh Persimmon" which achieved market acceptance by the mid-1980s. Oversized heads made from aluminum appeared in the mid-1980s but were slow to catch on since their introduction was via independent component manufacturers and not the larger endorsement based club manufacturers. Very large size drivers (300-500cc) arrived with titanium metallurgy which meant reasonable 'headweights' could be achieved with very large thin shelled but strong structures. By the mid-2000s, titanium heads could be made to 1000 cc (Golfsmith Inc made 1,000 cc (61.0 cu in) in the mid-2000s). Around this time the USGA decided to limit the size of driver heads to 460 cc (28.1 cu in) since the rule requiring heads to be of a traditional shape was being unduly stretched. However, during this period the club-making business needed some financial help, so the USGA relaxed the "traditional shape" rule while enforcing the new 460cc limit, and new head shapes appeared, such as "torpedo" and square/rectangular shapes, to attract the buying public to potentially game improving designs particularly regarding better mishit outcomes.

How much loft is a 3 wood?

The average 3-wood has a 13-16 degree loft (typically 15°) and the average 5-wood has an 18-21 degree loft. Higher lofts than that overlap with irons in distance, but many players prefer high-number woods to low-number irons wherever they can be used as the wood is easier to hit than a "long iron".

What is a strong 2 wood?

A Strong 2 Wood. 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.

What is a 25 wood club?

Some custom clubmakers offer woods in lofts up to 55° (a "25-wood" equivalent to a sand wedge); these can be used to replace the entire standard set of irons with woods, for players who prefer the swing mechanics and behavior of woods to that of irons and wedges.

Why use fairway woods?

Fairway woods are some of the more difficult clubs in your bag to hit correctly since you have to hit them off the deck on most occasions. Golfers select a fairway wood to close the gap between the distance they achieve with a driver and the best that they get out of their highest iron. We take a look at the difference between the 3 wood vs ...

Why is the 3 wood so hard to hit?

Many golfers find the 3-wood difficult to hit because they get stuck on the trailing foot resulting in a stretch and commonly it results in a fade. Staying stuck on the trailing foot will cause you to have to stretch to get to the ball and possibly hit it on the up. This is also the most common cause of golfers topping the golf ball with the 3-wood.

What flex do you use for a fast swing?

Extremely fast swingers will use the X (extra stiff) flex, fast swingers that have a swing speed between 95 miles per hour and 105 miles per hour will benefit most from selecting an S (stiff) flex. If your swing speed is below 95 miles per hour the R (regular) flex will suit your swing the best.

What is the hardest club to master?

The 3-wood is arguably the most difficult club to master and should be left in the bag until you are super confident in your swing and can achieve the distances regularly. Rick Shiels gives some advice on hitting a 3-Wood off the deck in this video. Many golfers try to hit the ball on the up with a 3-wood rather than sweeping it off the grass.

What is the role of loft angle in golf?

The loft angle plays a significant role in the trajectory of the ball and the distance that the ball travels through the air. The lower the loft, the lower the ball should travel but it will provide more distance.

How far should I place my golf ball in the fairway?

For good contact between the ball and the fairway wood, you should place the ball a few inches inside your leading heel. It is good practice not to have to stretch to get to your golf ball. The ball placement for a 5-wood will be an inch further back than the placement of the ball for a 3-wood.

How long is a 3 wood?

The most commonly used lengths on a 3-wood are between 42 inches and 43 inches while the 5-wood comes in lengths of 41 inches and 42 inches.

What woods are good for airborne golf?

Final Thoughts. Fairway and utility woods make getting the ball airborne a much simpler task and ideal for golfers that struggle with long irons or even hybrids. It offers an alternative with similar lofts that you would find on long irons. Some golfers may feel it affects their ego to carry a 5 wood or a 7 wood.

Which is better, 5 wood or 3 hybrid?

The 5 wood will generate a higher ball flight than the 3 hybrid and thus land softer on the green. The 5 wood is recommended for shots from good lies that you want to stop quickly while the 3 hybrid is better for situations where you want more rollout and the hybrid is much better at hitting the ball from the rough.

What is a 3 wood fairway club?

The 3-wood fairway club is generally part of the make-up of a complete set and can be found in most bags. The 3 wood can be used off the tee or off the deck and it can help to sort out a lot of problems for high handicappers who cant hit their drivers.

What is the difference between a hybrid club and a fairway wood?

The major difference between a hybrid club and a fairway woods is the size of the fairway woods sole. It is approximately twice the size of a hybrid thus doubling the chance of getting stuck in the turf on a mishit. Hybrids are also more forgiving and get the ball airborne at a higher trajectory than a fairway wood.

Why is the shaft length shorter on a 7 wood?

You are likely to get slightly more height and distance from a 5-wood and 7-wood than you will get from the corresponding iron due to the larger clubhead on the woods. Just as loft changes on the various clubs, the shaft length gets shorter as the number of the wood increases.

What wood does Dustin Johnson carry?

However, the fact that Dustin Johnson carries a 7 wood should put that argument to rest. The 7 wood has a ½ inch shorter shaft than the 3 wood and 5 wood making it easier to control. The extra loft makes it much easier to launch high for a soft landing on the green on those long approach shots. A shorter shaft also adds to ...

What is the difference between a 3 and 5 wood?

The lofts are different between a 3 (15 to 18 degrees) and a 5 wood (20 to 22 degrees). While a 3-wood is often referred to as a fairway wood the 5-wood is frequently referred to as a utility wood.

What is the highest lofted club in golf?

The Phil Mickelson favorite! The lob wedge is your highest lofted club ranging between 58-64 degrees. The purpose of the lob wedge is to get the ball up into the air as quickly as possible so that it lands softly on the green. It is best used when going over a bunker or when you in thick rough and need to “pop” the ball into the air.

What is the difference between a 5 wood and a 7 wood?

7 Wood: 23- 28 degrees. A 5 wood is comparable to a 4 iron. And a 7 wood, is similar in loft to a 5 iron. These days, it is common for most golfers to have either a 3 wood and/or 5 wood. This is because of the popularity of hybrids which we will discuss next.

What is gap wedge?

The gap wedge is the club you use when you have a distance between your full pitching wedge and your full sand wedge. (Hence the gap). Sometimes it is marked with an “A” which stands for approach wedge. The gap wedge is significant because it allows you to take full swings at the green. It’s much easier to know your distances with a full swing over half swings. Gap wedges are lofted between 50-53 degrees, so practice with different lofts to find distances that work best for your swing!

What is fairway wood?

Fairway woods are lower lofted clubs that you use to reach long distances out on the course. You need fairway woods for long holes like par 5’s where you have a lot of yards to make up for.

What is the difference between player improvement irons and improvement irons?

Player improvement irons also have a cavity back. The difference is that the player improvement irons have larger club faces, and a thicker bottom. Their larger club faces allow a higher percentage for you to hit the sweet spot which is what makes them very attractive for beginners.

How to tell what the bounce angle is on a wedge?

You can tell what the bounce of the wedge is by looking at the bottom of your club. The numbers range between 8 and 14 degrees of bounce for wedges.

How many clubs can you put in your golf bag?

The USGA allows 14 golf clubs in your bag, including your putter. It is essential to know this rule so you can strategically set your bag in a way the best suits your game. Also, when playing in competitive or tournament play, it is a penalty if you have more than 14 clubs in your bag.

1. Posture is key

Being in good posture, where you bend forward from your hips so that your arms can hang, is key to good contact. If your setup is great, hitting a golf ball becomes a lot easier. Hand eye coordination is nice, but it cannot override a bad setup.

2. Better ball position

While all golfers and golf swings are not the same, ball position is certainly a key to great fairway woods.

3. Hit the ground

Watching the best players in the world hit fairway woods is so interesting, because it’s quite common to see slight divots.

4. A good practice swing is key

If you understand that you need to hit the ground, it can be a very smart and effective reminder to do this in your practice swing.

5. Straighten trail arm

Now that you are in good posture and know you need to hit the ground, I want to give you a very specific method to get the club down to the ground.

6. Work your way up to a 3-wood

A 3-wood may be the fairway wood which goes the longest, but that doesn’t always make it the right choice.

7. Embrace loft

Having a fairway wood with enough loft to help increase launch can improve consistency and confidence.

What type of clubs do low handicap golfers use?

The types of clubs that lower handicap golfers use are going to be more of a blade style club . Their strong points will be precision, spin, and workability but not forgiveness. Low handicap players need to use high performing wedges in their golf bag.

What is hybrid golf?

A hybrid is a very valuable club to keep in the golf bag. It will perform out of the rough better than any of the other golf clubs in the bag. For long-distance shots out of the rough, people tend to try fairway woods and long irons, and the results are not all that good.

How many irons should a low handicap player have in the bag?

In fact, our list says that a low handicapper should keep the four iron in the bag, but many will also keep the three iron in the bag. It takes a lot of swing speed and precision to hit long irons properly. Lower handicap players tend to have the abilities necessary to hit these types of shots.

What is gap wedge?

Gap Wedge. Sand Wedge. High handicappers generally need to focus on two things, forgiveness and distance. Golfers that have high handicappers should not put long irons in their golf bag, and they should rely on their fairway woods at times off the tee.

Why do high handicappers need different clubs?

A high handicapper and a low handicapper need to carry different clubs. This is because of the different strengths and weaknesses they will have in their game .

What is the 14 club rule?

The great thing about the 14 club rule is that it is fair for everyone involved. It does not matter if your handicap is a 30 or a two; you will still be able to carry 14 clubs. The tricky part can be knowing what clubs are the must have golf clubs. Which are the ones that are worthy of having their own space in your bag.

Why do pros carry 14 clubs?

Most pros and better players are going to carry all fourteen because they want as many tools as possible within their set of clubs. At a higher skill level, the distances that players can hit each individual club will be very well defined, making it more important to carry as many clubs as they can.

Golf Club Lofts Chart

We'll explore the lofts of each golf club in more detail below, but here is a chart summarizing each club's loft.

Wood Lofts

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.

Hybrid Lofts

Like irons, hybrids have more loft than their wood counterparts. Most 3-hybrids have 19 degrees of loft, while the most common 3-wood loft is 15 degrees.

Putter Loft

Unless you're Bryson Dechambeau, chances are a putter is the lowest lofted club in your bag. A traditional putter loft is 3 to 4 degrees.

Golf Clubs Loft Comparison Table

The table below compares lofts of irons, woods, hybrids, and drivers. We've gathered data from top manufacturers like TaylorMade, Cobra, Callaway, and Mizuno.

Overview

Drivers

Fairway woods

Design

Construction

External links