Nail the green with the right fairway woods
Think of fairway woods as mini drivers. You can hit them off the tee or hit them from—you guessed it—the fairway. Fairway woods just have higher loft, smaller heads, and shorter shafts than drivers. Their features make hitting center of the clubhead easier, which in turn makes it a more forgiving club. Proof that small can still be mighty.
Want a quick overview of some basic (and important) golf club definitions before you play through fairway woods? Head over to our general Golf Clubs 101 Buying Guide to get the scoop on the anatomy of a golf club.
Material and design
Today’s fairway woods aren’t made from wood at all. They’re made from steel, titanium, and composites (meaning made with two or more materials).
Steel is the most common fairway wood material, while titanium is a lighter option used for faster swing speed and max distance. Fairway woods made from composite material have a lower center of gravity, which helps to establish better launch and consistency.
Loft
Just like irons, different fairway woods are numbered. Fairway woods with a higher number will have higher loft. The loft varies between 13 and 30 degrees, with women’s clubs typically having higher loft than men’s.
We know we sound like a broken record, but the greater the loft, the higher the ball will go, and the shorter the distance. A flat trajectory (and lower loft) will send the ball further.
Length
Fairway woods are typically 40”-43” long, with the standard 3 wood length being 35”. As you start selecting your own fairway woods, keep in mind that higher club numbers will have a shorter shaft, which means more loft.
Take your fairway play further
We’ve got a few tips up our sleeve to make the most of our your fairway play.
Start with set up
- We sound like mom, but she’s right: Have good posture. Bend from your hips so your chest is over your toes. This helps your arms naturally hang straight down, right where you want to hold your club. Don’t forget to relax your legs.
Ball position
- When you’re not teeing off, the ball should be just a bit forward from the center of your body. We’re not hitting a fairway wood from the grass like how we hit a driver from the tee box, so your ball position shouldn’t be too far forward.
Take a (practice) swing
- Practice makes progress. And progress is what we strive for with the game. Taking one or two practice swings allows your body to get the feel for the real hit. You’ll know you have a proper swing when the bottom of your club just brushes the top of the grass.
