Fairway woods

Golf / Popular

Sweep fairway woods and hybrids cleanly off the turf.

What coaches agree on

  • If you lack the clubhead speed to get a low-lofted 3-wood airborne, move up to a 5-wood, 7-wood, or hybrid — the extra loft is easier to strike well and often travels just as far.
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Common mistakes

  • Setting the ball too far forward in the stance, as if hitting a driver, is the single biggest cause of topping a fairway wood — it needs to sit just left of center, roughly between where an iron and a driver would go.
  • Swaying side to side instead of rotating around a stable center shifts the swing's low point and leads to topped, inconsistent contact.
  • Letting the weight hang back on the trail foot instead of finishing centered or forward turns into thin, fat, and topped strikes.
HOW TO STRIKE YOUR FAIRWAY WOODS
Beginner

HOW TO STRIKE YOUR FAIRWAY WOODS

Coach's take: The marker-pen drill alone is worth the watch -- dead simple way to see exactly where you're striking it.

3.6
HOW TO HIT FAIRWAY WOODS PURE
Intermediate

HOW TO HIT FAIRWAY WOODS PURE

Coach's take: The wet-grass drill to see your own strike point is worth the price of admission by itself.

3.5