Fairway woods are great clubs to add to your bag when you need a confidence boost to execute in certain situations on the course.
A fairway wood is designed for longer shots out of the fairway or even the short rough, and it can also be used to ensure accuracy off the tee when a driver is unsuitable.
Fairway woods are usually a fair bit shorter than a driver when it comes to shaft length and they also offer more loft (between 13–27 degrees in most cases), but they are also longer clubs than most hybrids and irons, making them great to use off the tee and hitting from the fairway when the green is still some way away.
Neglecting fairway woods in favour of hybrids or long irons can leave a hole in your game that is nearly impossible to fill.
Each fairway wood offers benefits for different types of playstyles and golfers, and even among professionals there is great variation in their deployment with some top players using two such clubs.
Here we look at four great reasons to use a fairway wood.
It gives you a great tee alternative for tricky situations
Although your standard driver offers the best chance to maximize distance off the tee, the club is also the hardest to hit straight due to the lower loft and longer shafts that help improve club speed but for higher handicaps or occasional golfers can see a great deal of dispersion.
Because fairway woods are typically more accurate off the tee compared to drivers, it is not uncommon for golfers who are struggling to hit the driver to opt for a 3-wood in some cases. While you might sacrifice distance, 3 woods are great alternatives to keep your ball in play and give yourself more scoring opportunities from the fairway without giving up too much in the power and distance game.
They are easier to hit than long irons
Another advantage to fairway woods is that they’re much easier to hit than long irons for most players.
The bigger clubhead promotes higher launch when compared to 2-5 irons and makes longer approach shots more manageable.
The existence of fairway woods is why we don’t see many 1 or 2 irons on the commercial market or in professional golf.
The majority of golfers, professional and amateurs, generally prefer the forgiveness and launch of 3 woods, 5 woods, and even 7 woods in some cases over the longer irons.
Par five hack
Few clubs improve your chances of scoring low on par fives quite like fairway woods as they are great conquerors of distance.
Par fives are a great opportunity for players to make a birdie or possibly an eagle with a great second shot.
With a good drive, you can possibly get on or near the green in two with the aid of a fairway wood approach shot.
This should make it easier to get a Par or a lower score on the hole.
If you miss-hit your driver, a fairway wood can also help you cover more ground on your second shot to get you closer to the green and it can even be used as a rescue club in some circumstances.
Fairway woods are versatile
Hybrids have become a staple in so many bags and can even be included in a lot of combo sets.
While fairway woods are ideal for certain situations and lies, they lack the same versatility of a smaller, more compact shape of a hybrid golf club.
As a result, many golfers choose to carry a combination of hybrids and fairway woods in their bags as alternatives to longer irons.
Check out our hybrid golf club buying guide for more pro tips on choosing the right clubs for your bag.
