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Fairway Woods on the Fairway

Skinny

Skinny

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Need some help with hitting the ball on the fairway with the "fairway woods." I hit pretty good from the tee box with my 3 and 5 woods but when I try and hit it from the fairway, I end up topping it or it just goes erratic. Are you supposed to use the same swing as off the tee or am I going to try and hit more down on the ball like an iron? Any help on this is appreciated guys, thanks!
 
It can be a low percentage shot in many cases. I find that I would often have been better off just hitting a hybrid or an iron and going from there. I try to put the ball a tiny bit farther back and just swing the same, but it doesn't always work out.
 
Skinny said:
Need some help with hitting the ball on the fairway with the "fairway woods." I hit pretty good from the tee box with my 3 and 5 woods but when I try and hit it from the fairway, I end up topping it or it just goes erratic. Are you supposed to use the same swing as off the tee or am I going to try and hit more down on the ball like an iron? Any help on this is appreciated guys, thanks!
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You need to move the ball back some in your stance, you have to hit down some on a fairway wood. With it on a tee you are sweeping it off which is fine but you need to catch it about a ball width sooner off the ground. Fairway woods are not as hard to hit even as a 5 iron so if you can hit a 5 you can hit a FW wood. Just don't swing too hard, let the club do the work.
 
Good thread and I think moving the ball back and swinging like a smooth iron shot with good tempo is the ticket.
 
For me, I move the ball back in my stance slightly and my focus is staying down on the ball with a smooth swing. Topped shots usually result from over swinging.
 
TripleBogieTim said:
For me, I move the ball back in my stance slightly and my focus is staying down on the ball with a smooth swing. Topped shots usually result from over swinging.
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Definitely. The times I miss a FW wood are always when I'm trying to "kill it" and being stupid instead of laying up like an intelligent person should...
 
I tend to put the ball middle of the stance and sweep it almost like I'm on the tee. IfI want to put a little air under it I hit down on it a bit like a iron or hybrid shot. At least when I do hit a FW off the fairway that is. I'd rather use a hybrid unless the fiarway is wide open to the hole
 
Interesting topic.... I used to hit down on it, and I'd come in very steep. I've been working on sweeping and hitting up on the last few weeks and it has done wonders.

I was good with my FW off the deck before but now that I'm sweeping it as opposed to hitting down on it, I'm seeing a much different shot. I may still fade or push it but the ballflight is a bit more penetrating.

I just use the same swing and setup as I would off the tee.
 
Great article, thanks for the link Kelly. He describes exactly what I've been doing.
 
Yoccos said:
Interesting topic.... I used to hit down on it, and I'd come in very steep. I've been working on sweeping and hitting up on the last few weeks and it has done wonders.

I was good with my FW off the deck before but now that I'm sweeping it as opposed to hitting down on it, I'm seeing a much different shot. I may still fade or push it but the ballflight is a bit more penetrating.

I just use the same swing and setup as I would off the tee.
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I agree. Fairway woods are designed to sweep the ball off the turf. One way to help, is to keep your takeaway low, keeping the clubhead on the ground a good foot or so behind the ball. This is how our longtime PGA pro teaches. For me, ball position is off my left foot for a fade and back ever so slightly for a draw.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
I agree. Fairway woods are designed to sweep the ball off the turf. One way to help, is to keep your takeaway low, keeping the clubhead on the ground a good foot or so behind the ball. This is how our longtime PGA pro teaches. For me, ball position is off my left foot for a fade and back ever so slightly for a draw.
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Different strokes for different folks. Literally. I'm from the school that says you should take a divot with every shot you hit that isn't a teed-up wood. And that one guy that just hired a new caddie usually takes a divot when he hits fw wood off the tee.


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TwoGlovesGarcia said:
Different strokes for different folks. Literally. I'm from the school that says you should take a divot with every shot you hit that isn't a teed-up wood. And that one guy that just hired a new caddie usually takes a divot when he hits fw wood off the tee.


Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
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I take a divot with 3W and have no problem hitting it into the green as long as the green is not too protected. If there is a bunker to aim for on one side I will aim there, if there is any hazard or out of bounds within 10 yards of either side I will lay up with something, but if not it is a go. I think it is a little confusing to think only in terms of all sweep or only hit down with this club, what you want is a slight hit down on the ball. If you are a sweeper anyway you are going to take less turf with every club even a 9 iron, if you are a gouger then you will cut some turf with every shot that isn't teed up. Based on what you say you were doing taking the club back lower and slower is a mistake, especially if you are drifting back onto your right (back) foot a little with the longer club on your backswing. My advice is to stay centered, move the ball back a little and make what feels like a tighter turn back to the top, eliminate that drift away from the ball. Use a training stick or a broken shaft or a broom handle stuck in the ground touching the outside edge of your right (back) foot and your right (back) hip and don't push or move it going back. By doing this you can eliminate the variable that drifting or leaning back away from the ball will add to the shot and focus on a turn back and through. This will help you with contact on every shot, fairway wood or not.
 
I would like to comment but my 3W and I have separated due to irreconcilable differences
 
RonInThornton said:
I would like to comment but my 3W and I have separated due to irreconcilable differences
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Are you sure you weren't "sweeping" around on her? :act-up:
 
Hawk said:
It can be a low percentage shot in many cases. I find that I would often have been better off just hitting a hybrid or an iron and going from there. I try to put the ball a tiny bit farther back and just swing the same, but it doesn't always work out.
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This. I try and hit down if I want to launch it slightly higher, but otherwise I'm putting it a little further back and trying to sweep it mostly... For whatever reason a lot of the par 5s I play seem to be uphill. So if I can hit it a little lower and get it to run up hill it seems to work better. Or maybe that's why I'm a 19 handicap.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
I agree. Fairway woods are designed to sweep the ball off the turf. One way to help, is to keep your takeaway low, keeping the clubhead on the ground a good foot or so behind the ball. This is how our longtime PGA pro teaches. For me, ball position is off my left foot for a fade and back ever so slightly for a draw.
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After breaking the shaft in my last Octane Tour 3W I have gone away from taking divots lol. That's what really lead to the change.
 
I had a request for Jrod related to this issue yesterday

Me: "Jrod, if I grab a fairway wood again for an approach shot can you tell me I suck at that shot and have no business hitting it?:

Jrod: "Ummm. I don't know if I can say that dude."

Me: "Ok, can you just ask me if that's really a good idea?"

Jrod: "No problem."
 
Yoccos said:
After breaking the shaft in my last Octane Tour 3W I have gone away from taking divots lol. That's what really lead to the change.
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Was it a small divot or something you'd make with a short iron? A little scrape with a fairway wood won't hurt you any, and for me helps get the ball in the air. How'd the shaft break? And where on the shaft?
 
mward2002 said:
Was it a small divot or something you'd make with a short iron? A little scrape with a fairway wood won't hurt you any, and for me helps get the ball in the air. How'd the shaft break? And where on the shaft?
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Broke where it connects to the head. The Tour version has a standard set up. Broke when I took a divot at the Morgan Cup. They're smaller than iron divots.

I'm definitely breaking that habit so I don't even have to worry about it.
 
I don't have many issues hitting woods off the deck so here's my thought... like many said I play it a touch back and even maybe hit down on it (not too steep) maybe take a little divot. My thinking is the worst that can happen in that situation is you lose distance. The worst mishit you can have on a 3w is the toppies and a lot of times that happens when you try to kill the ball. What I like to do is to try to sweep the deck with the sole of the club. Someone told me that the best FW woods shots are when you get the feeling like you're slapping the deck with the sole of the club. Worked for me ever since. It also actually works with driver off the deck not that I recommend that shot any. :D
 
well you're just an animal dude lol

Yoccos said:
After breaking the shaft in my last Octane Tour 3W I have gone away from taking divots lol. That's what really lead to the change.
Click to expand...
 
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