How a fairway wood works

Fairway woods instead of driver?

Because of their higher loft, fairway woods are easier to use than a driver. They don't give as much length, but a 3-wood in the right hands can still reach over 210 meters. If you're looking for a more user-friendly alternative to your driver, consider a 2-, 3- or 4-wood.

Replace the long irons with fairway woods

Many golfers prefer to hit a high-lofted wood toward the green instead of a 2-, 3-, or 4-iron. With this in mind, you should look for a 5-wood or higher. The larger clubhead of a fairway wood, compared to an iron, makes it easier to achieve length without overswinging. As a rule of thumb, a 5-wood can replace a 2-iron, a 7-wood a 3- or 4-iron, and a 9-wood a 5-iron.

To reach the par 5 in two

If you're going for the win, there are certain holes that are too long to reach with a driver and a long iron. The only way to get on the green in two shots is by combining a drive with a fairway wood. For this purpose, you should choose a 3- or 4-wood. If you primarily use your 3- or 4-wood from the fairway, you should choose one with a relatively hollow head. It can still be used off the tee, but a low profile head will be better for shots from tight lies.

Fairway woods heads

As with drivers and standard models, almost all manufacturers are offering fairway woods with 'Offset', 'Draw' or 'Neutral' designs. Let's look at why this is the case.

Most golfers find that they slice the ball, which means that the ball (for right-handed players) does not intentionally turn to the right. This happens because the clubhead is too open at impact – often as a result of the player's hands being behind the ball instead of in front, which they should be in a correct swing. This error creates sidespin, which sends the ball off course.

To counteract this, manufacturers place weight in the clubhead, typically heavy material such as tungsten, in a position that helps keep the clubhead more perpendicular at impact.

A draw is a gentle right-to-left swing of the ball, the opposite of a slice, and much more desirable to some golfers. Therefore, many fairway woods have a draw function.

Another solution against slicing is clubs with a head that sits slightly behind the shaft. This also helps keep the clubhead square at impact.

Most fairway woods on the market are standard models, so you don't need to be overwhelmed by all the options. If in doubt, you can start with a standard model.

See our used fairway woods

Check out our selection of used fairway woods here: Fairway woods

Also check out our stand system so you know how the stand is on our used golf clubs: Stand system