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Adjustable fairway woods

SuperStroke
ddec

ddec

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The Driver
Currently I am reviewing the Callaway XR16 Fairway Wood from Callaway. Four months ago it was the Big Bertha Alpha 816 3 wood that was going through it's paces. Out at #TheGrandaddy during a fitting we tinkered some, but not a lot with all the offerings that Callaway has in the FW department. We see a lot of companies produce FW's that have adjustable loft & weight, and others that might offer something that is a glued hosel. When looking to add a fairway wood to your bad, do you need it to be adjustable? Do you need to tinker with the loft or weight? If you have those options, do you tinker at all or are you in the set and forget camp?
 
Really good question.
My honest answer is I am not sure. My current FW (GBB Heavenwood) I did change the loft. My previous one, I could change the loft and didn't. Its not something necessary for me, but adjustments are fun.
 
I feel the need to tinker; specifically with the lie, for example, i have set my Titleist woods upright compared to stock. I don't really mess with the launch angle, but could find this useful if i get to the point where i am trying to gap stuff. For some reason, if it's bonded, i feel like i'm stuck with what i get off the rack. Not sure if the bonded options can be adjusted at all if special ordered.
 
I like having the option to adjust the loft on these the most. I tend to set and forget the driver but depending if I want to use the fairway off the tee or the deck, I like having the ability to at least adjust the loft.
 
I prefer adjustable hosel because it gives me more options when it comes to gapping. Weights I'm not too worried about.

And I generally find a setting that works, and then stick with it.
 
I prefer the adjustable hosel but its not completely necessary. It does make gapping and swapping out shafts a ton easier, and for the tinkerer in me, that is what its true benefit is.
 
The top of my bag is a mess right now. I'm not a consistent enough hitter with my woods to get a reliable number from tinkering. So for me, right now I'd be fine with a fixed hosel ... especially if it resulted in a more economical price point.
 
I went through this exact situation recently and decided I don't need my FW's to be adjustable. I wouldn't mind it if the ones I hit the best also happened to be adjustable, but I don't need them to be.
 
I'm very much a set it and forget it golfer. It's very rare that I adjust any of my adjustable clubs. I guess I like the option, but I don't usually do it, so what's the point in buying one that does. At least, not in the fairway wood or hybrid area.
 
I've never had a FW that is adjustable so I guess I can't miss something I've never tried. I've only ever bagged a 3W and I hit a handful until I found one I liked/could hit and stuck with it.
 
I like the ability to tinker. My wood is a huge gap filler between my driver and my first hybrid and having the ability to change lofts as needed for the right gap filler is something that I want.
 
I've played both and like the idea of adjustable clubs and how easy they make it to swap shafts. But I'm playing a bonded 3 wood now and don't feel like I'm missing out on anything at the moment.
 
One thing I wish more fairways and even hybrids offered in adjustability more so then loft is lie angle. As someone with a flatter swing, I know I would benefit from an option to have the lie angle be adjutstable. Ping offers to bend via their WRX department but thats not as user friendly as I think could be available.
 
-CRW- said:
I've played both and like the idea of adjustable clubs and how easy they make it to swap shafts. But I'm playing a bonded 3 wood now and don't feel like I'm missing out on anything at the moment.
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that's kind of where I am. I had an adjustable 3w that I didn't touch out of the box. Have the XR16 right now and it's a performer. Tonight it goes up against the 816 in a similar setting. I just don't know if it's anything I need.
 
I like having the adjustability to dial it in as I see fit. I'm also one that may tweak by 2* depending on course/weather conditions, etc.
 
fupresti said:
One thing I wish more fairways and even hybrids offered in adjustability more so then loft is lie angle. As someone with a flatter swing, I know I would benefit from an option to have the lie angle be adjutstable. Ping offers to bend via their WRX department but thats not as user friendly as I think could be available.
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I have a flat swing as well and I think a lot of the lie issues can be solved by figuring out the ideal playing length for that club for you.
 
I'm just a big fan of being able to hot swap shafts. I do tinker with the asjustability some, but I mostly just like being able to demo and own several different shafts. If I'm currently gaming a shaft I really like and I'm not crazy about the stock offering in whatever the new model is, I can order something I want to try in the new head and always add in my current gamer if I don't like the new one.
 
I prefer the idea of having it adjustable (I like hosel adjustability mainly for ease in swapping out shafts if need be).

I don't tinker a lot with them though. At most probably a slight loft adjustment.

In the bag now though, both of my FW are not adjustable, and I am sort of ok with it.
 
It is my opinion that all fairway woods should have loft adjustability.
 
I think the ability to adjust is definitely an added benefit. If you make changes to the top of your bag it's nice to have the ability to adjust the loft to fill in yardage gaps. For those in windier conditions it could also be nice to adjust the weight placement for launch.
 
Not sure. If a line offers enough loft options in a bonded model I am good, but when of the options a re limited I prefer to have the flexible to change the loft to what suits my needs/gaps. The ability to swap shafts is easier in adjustable woods which is nice for a tinkerer.
 
Honestly, I don't look for adjustable vs. non-adjustable. I look for performance. If it's a non-adjustable option, you can have it built to certain specs. For example, my AeroBurner TP (by far the BEST fairway wood I've ever hit) is built 1.5* open. My previous fairway wood was an R9 TP and I know I had that setup like .5* open.
 
I don't think it's a huge deal for me. I like to tinker enough that I've been known to change lofts on my clubs, but don't think that it makes that huge of a difference in my game. While I like the ability to make minor adjustments to my gapping, at that distance it's probably not that effective, and I could probably get similar results by carefully selecting a bonded option. I will say that the tinkerer in me does like being able to swap out shafts if I'm so inclined.
 
SkiBumGolfer said:
I prefer adjustable hosel because it gives me more options when it comes to gapping. Weights I'm not too worried about.

And I generally find a setting that works, and then stick with it.
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This is exactly how I approach it, and is the main reason I'm swapping the XR 3H for the GBB Heavenwood.
 
give me bonded or glued. no need for adjustment. I like the idea of moveable weights and maybe even gbb or f6 type adjustability, perhaps with a cover plate to keep on while playing to keep debris out. but I've never needed to adjust a fw.


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