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Can’t hit a fairway wood! So what is your setup?

SuperStroke
Honestly I am inconsistent with fairway woods. When it is on it is a thing of beauty and when it is not I can get in big trouble. I rarely pull one out the bag anymore. I hit my 2u far enough to make it a good second option off the tee and I am more confident hitting it off the fairway then I am a fairway wood. I am actually highly considering dropping all fairways from the bag and just going 2-PW after driver. Especially after smoking the ZX 3U the other day. I mean I honestly carry only 1 fairway 99.9% of the time now and use it maybe 1 time every 20+ rounds. It would make much more sense for me to carry the 3U.
 
Duffer Seamus said:
I couldn't, either, so I didn't play them. Then I read all the comments in the Callaway Mavrik Max fairway woods and hybrids thread along the lines of "these things are so easy to get the ball off the deck it feels like cheating" and "I never could get the ball off the deck with fairway woods, until my Mav Max." So I decided to give them a try.

It's too early to say, yet, because I only had my 5w and 7w out once, late last year, to a range, off a mat, but I was hitting both my 5w and 7w, especially the 7w, better and more easily than I'd ever hit with a wood before.
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After everyone’s comments I’m curious to try a shorter 4 or 5W setup, in a Max or another more forgiving head. I have the X Forged UT which is similar to the 7W spot so might forego that for now…
 
I have a “4 wood” in my bag (16.5 degree 3 wood chopped down to 5 wood length) that I can sometimes hit. Pondering putting my old 7-wood back in the bag, but haven’t hit it in 4-5 years, so that could be a train wreck in the making. Surprisingly, I borrowed a set of clubs for a round, and it only had driver, then 4-iron. And I was blistering that club for most of the round. Go figure.
 
Stryker said:
Honestly I am inconsistent with fairway woods. When it is on it is a thing of beauty and when it is not I can get in big trouble. I rarely pull one out the bag anymore. I hit my 2u far enough to make it a good second option off the tee and I am more confident hitting it off the fairway then I am a fairway wood. I am actually highly considering dropping all fairways from the bag and just going 2-PW after driver. Especially after smoking the ZX 3U the other day. I mean I honestly carry only 1 fairway 99.9% of the time now and use it maybe 1 time every 20+ rounds. It would make much more sense for me to carry the 3U.
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Curious - have you tried a 2H?
 
Once fairway wood production switched from steel shafted 41" to 42" to larger heads and graphite shafted 43"to 43.5" I think lots of players found that shots from ground lies suffered. These days I think large head 5-woods shafted at 42.5" serve the function formerly done by 3-woods. For shorter shots the modern hybrids serve the function once done by 5 woods and 7-woods.
From the tee boxes or other perfect level lie I think the current large head 43" graphite shaft 3-woods are good.
 
jin_xianjun said:
Curious - have you tried a 2H?
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Yes. Hybrids for me a combination of glorious euphoria and wicked hook city. I have always enjoyed hitting irons more then anything and just feel better with one in my hand.
 
Stryker said:
Yes. Hybrids for me a combination of glorious euphoria and wicked hook city. I have always enjoyed hitting irons more then anything and just feel better with one in my hand.
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You and me both
 
DG_1234 said:
Once fairway wood production switched from steel shafted 41" to 42" to larger heads and graphite shafted 43"to 43.5" I think lots of players found that shots from ground lies suffered. These days I think large head 5-woods shafted at 42.5" serve the function formerly done by 3-woods. For shorter shots the modern hybrids serve the function once done by 5 woods and 7-woods.
From the tee boxes or other perfect level lie I think the current large head 43" graphite shaft 3-woods are good.
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you just reminded me…I have a PT 906F4 15.5* in the garage. It was the perfect shape. I might shaft that up at 42.5” and do some testing…
 
Not a great fw player myself. I go with a 4 or 5 wood, the extra loft and bit shorter shaft helps a ton.
 
I was getting 250 carry 275 total on the TrackMan with the same 3W I own at club champion with the furthest offline being 9 feet. That was a good day. Today I might get 250 but it would be more like 150 long and 100 right.
 
I’m still bandying about the idea of getting some sort of utility iron and bagging it in the (probably good) chance my FWs poop the bed.
 
Hamfist said:
I’m still bandying about the idea of getting some sort of utility iron and bagging it in the (probably good) chance my FWs poop the bed.
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I would highly recommend trying the Srixon utilities. They are so easy to hit and launch. My buddies get mad because I often hit my zu85 2 within 10-15yards of their driver
 
jin_xianjun said:
Well I’d still like to know! I need ideas!
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Okay. For me, my 3 fairway metal is a real weapon and it is not coming out of the bag. But it wasn't always that way. I identify with the struggle, but I think learning how to consistently swing the 3W is well worth the effort. Here's what I found were the keys.

Swing the club, don't hit the ball: Any manipulations of the club in an attempt to hit the ball will be exposed swinging the fairway metal. Let the club do the work and swing so the ball just gets in the way.

Swing wide: (1) The backswing needs to be wide where the club head is outside the hands when it reaches parallel and (for me) (2) my back arm forms a 90 degree angle with my forearm pointing straight up at the top of my backswing. (3) Also, keep your weight on the instep of your back foot (no swaying). (4) Gather speed on the downswing as opposed to trying to go 0-100 MPH from the top. (1) Puts you in a position to have a forward swing bottom promoting ball then turf contact. (2) Gets me in the same position at the top so I can start the downswing from a good and consistent starting point. (3) & (4) Puts you in position to transfer your weight to your front foot.

Pay attention to your setup: Once you commit to swinging the club as described above you have to make small changes to your setup. Your swing will be much more consistent, but your setup probably won't match your swing, because of the manipulations and faults you've now eliminated. So now is when you can take several swings and see a consistent swing bottom. Adjust your setup to match. The squaring of the face is automatic, but maybe your old grip leaves it consistently open or closed and needs to be adjusted. You want your setup to allow for the club to swing so that the face squares at the back of the ball and then continues to descend and hit the ground well in front of the ball.

In practice, you'll probably cycle through these a few times as we all are anxious to see improvement from the changes we're making. But eventually you should get to where hitting a fairway metal feels automatic and the ball rockets off your club face.

BONUS: This should make you a better and more consistent ball striker with every club in your bag.
 
I never have been consistently able to hit a 3 wood so right now I have driver and then drop to a 2 iron and 3 utility
 
Before I found my current 4 wood I couldn’t hit a 3 wood so it basically took up space in my bag.

For about a year I went driver, 2-4 Tour Edge ironwood, then 5i. Couldn’t hit hybrids either, until recently.


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I could not hit the Epic Flash 3W off the deck even lofted up by 2° so now I'm trying the Mavrik with little success so far. Off the tee is another story, I'm killing it! For some reason I have no issue with the Epic Flash 5W off the ground at even the N/S setting. I go D, 3W (for use off the tee mostly now) 5W, 4H, with irons starting at the 5i.
 
Driver > heavenwood > 4h
 
Try a Cally Heavenwood. I struggle with FW woods too, but can bomb a HW. I’ve had both Rogue and Mav Max. They both play well. The combination of extra length and loft make them very forgiving.
 
Stryker said:
Yes. Hybrids for me a combination of glorious euphoria and wicked hook city. I have always enjoyed hitting irons more then anything and just feel better with one in my hand.
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I prefer an iron too. Generally prefer a 2U or 3U. Honestly, prefer a straight 3i. I've found some success with hybrids that play more like an iron and can be opened up though to eliminate the dreaded hook. Shaft combination helps too. Pings open up nicely. The new TSi3 -1 flat and 1/2" short has seemed like a straight shooter so far too.
 
OldandStiff said:
I prefer an iron too. Generally prefer a 2U or 3U. Honestly, prefer a straight 3i. I've found some success with hybrids that play more like an iron and can be opened up though to eliminate the dreaded hook. Shaft combination helps too. Pings open up nicely. The new TSi3 -1 flat and 1/2" short has seemed like a straight shooter so far too.
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Same boat. I am going driver then 2-wedges this year. Longest irons will be utilities as they are just so much easier to hit and launch.
 
I never could hit FWs because everything I read told me to sweep the ball off the grass. When I started to hit them like irons, with a slightly descending blow, the problem was solved.
 
My setup is driver-3wd-3hyb-4hyb.
I've always loved hitting the fairway woods but I do wish I was more consistent with them.
 
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