# Fairway woods - for hitting off the deck



## MarkA (Mar 18, 2013)

Im struggling with hitting my fairways wood off the deck - havent got a problem with off the tee but a soon as it comes to playing one off the deck my confidence goes! - Havent got a problem with a hybrid ( ping i20) but im really struggling with my TM R11s 4 wood. Can anyone suggest an easy to hit fairway wood ( I dont want a super large headed game improvement club). Im considering a 910 or 913 as id like to linker with the lie angle as my irons are fitted at 4 degrees upright and plus 0.5 inches. If anyone could offer some sugestions id be grateful.


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## One Planer (Mar 18, 2013)

MarkA said:



			Im struggling with hitting my fairways wood off the deck - havent got a problem with off the tee but a soon as it comes to playing one off the deck my confidence goes! - Havent got a problem with a hybrid ( ping i20) but im really struggling with my TM R11s 4 wood. Can anyone suggest an easy to hit fairway wood ( I dont want a super large headed game improvement club). Im considering a 910 or 913 as id like to linker with the lie angle as my irons are fitted at 4 degrees upright and plus 0.5 inches. If anyone could offer some sugestions id be grateful.
		
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Changing the club is not likely to solve a swing issue.

What exactly is the swing issue? Fat? Thin? Top? Hook? Slice?

All of the above


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## In_The_Rough (Mar 18, 2013)

4 wood shouldnt be that hard off the deck to be honest. What type of shots are you hitting that are going wrong? Having said that I dont think the 910,913 fairways are the most forgiving out there. I have the Burner superfast in a 3 wood and dont have any trouble off the deck it is a doddle to hit. Most of the ping woods are easy to hit the G series in particular and the heads aren't that big. Callaway offer a nice range as well. 4 degrees upright in your irons is a lot were you fitted for that


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## Jensen (Mar 18, 2013)

I don't think you need a new fairway wood, it's more likely to be your technique. You can hit the ball off the tee as its off the ground so you feel more confident, no need to help it in the air. However when it's on the fairway and not raised up you're probably trying to help it in the air by leaning back at impact, weight on right side to get it up. This might be compounded by anxiety hence you may swing quicker and look up - result topped and thin shots. 
Does that sound right ?
If so stop trying to help get the ball airborne and TRUST the club to do the work. Don't swing quicker keep your tempo but commit to the shot. Swing right through and that ball will fly.


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## MarkA (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks for the replies
 4 degrees upright  fitting is correct - something to do with long body in relation to wrist length om the floor  ( ive been told im a classic example of the benefits of custom fit - height wise i should be in standard clubs but the lie is totally wrong for me.- I have AP2s which i hit well, I just have this problem with fairway woods . I think you are probably right, I should have a lesson on hitting my woods off the deck - its just started to peeve me as my round yesteray was ruined by inconsistency off the deck on par 5s as i was out of range of the hybrid and i ended up duffing the 4 wood  4 times which does nothing for your confidence and probably made me worse.


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## In_The_Rough (Mar 18, 2013)

Provided you have been fitted for them then thats fine. With regards to hitting woods off the deck have a look at these 2 videos. I know it is for a 3 wood but pretty much everything applies. See if there is anything that you can relate to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htyMZJgkEqc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8nYG4ha3ys


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## MarkA (Mar 18, 2013)

Gareth its just a duff - not geting of the deck no distance!!!!!! its daft i hit my irons long and hi


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## Foxholer (Mar 18, 2013)

R11S 4 wood is about as forgiving as anything out there!

Could well be worth getting lie checked out on that to see whether your 'peculiar shape' has anything to do with it.

There are some, but not many, woods that are suitable for bending but it's a pretty risky process. Sonartec SS07 (from quite a few years ago) was one that was actually designed to be bendable I believe. There could be some more modern long-hoseled FWs that are suitable too.


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## kid2 (Mar 18, 2013)

MarkA said:



			Gareth its just a duff - not geting of the deck no distance!!!!!! its daft i hit my irons long and hi
		
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Do you sweep them or take a Divot?


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## JT77 (Mar 18, 2013)

Without seeing you hit one I would say its tough to tell you where your going wrong, but if your duffing it, I would hazard a guess that your coming in to the ball too steep which is causing the ball and club head to dig into the deck.  If you can get to the range try taking the club away low and slow, place a ball maybe a foot or even 18 inches behind the ball your going to hit, then on your back swing, push that ball away, and then continue to swing, i found that by deliberately exagerating the backswing i could come into the ball in more of a sweeping motion.


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## MarkA (Mar 18, 2013)

kid2 said:



			Do you sweep them or take a Divot?
		
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Im a sweeper though my pro is trying to get me to compress the ball more and take a divot


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## In_The_Rough (Mar 18, 2013)

I thought Fairway woods should be swept TBH, least I do with mine and never have any trouble, compressing and taking a divot takes some doing you need to be a fast powerful swinger to do that and get the ball launching at its desired loft, could be why your having problems I reckon. When the ball is on a tee its already partly airbourne so will be easier to get launching up in the air


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## duncan mackie (Mar 18, 2013)

Foxholer said:



			R11S 4 wood is about as forgiving as anything out there!
		
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glad you posted that  - I would tend to agree, although the R11 non S is one of those that's more forgiving!

4 woods are about as forgiving as fairway woods get

all fairway woods are designed to be hit off the fairway

based on what you have posted (the OP) it's got in your head.....only solution is to take everything other than 5 iron up out of the bag (that's *really out* - in car/home) and play a few rounds with the 4 wood as your only tee and fairway distance solution - make friends with it.


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## kid2 (Mar 18, 2013)

In_The_Rough said:



			I thought Fairway woods should be swept TBH, least I do with mine and never have any trouble, compressing and taking a divot takes some doing you need to be a fast powerful swinger to do that and get the ball launching at its desired loft, could be why your having problems I reckon. When the ball is on a tee its already partly airbourne so will be easier to get launching up in the air
		
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I always take a slight divot with mine off the fairway..... But i also hit down on it too....I was just asking as if he sweeps the ball then it could be a ball position problem.....

I play my 3 wood off my left chest muscle....Any further forward and it's very easily topped unless the weight moves correctly.....

Also what a lot of players forget is that to get a fairway away off the grass it needs a good lie and also to get good contact i always grip down about 1.5 inchs and stand a little closer to the ball....I get the height and distance then.


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## In_The_Rough (Mar 18, 2013)

Yes I play mine faitly well forward in the stance. When I was a begginer I used to play it too far forward and like you say topped shots were commonplace. I bairly take a divot at all just sweep it off the turf, again agree that you do need a good lie to hit them, cant understand club golfers that try to hit fairway woods out of the rough thats what rescue clubs are for.


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## kid2 (Mar 18, 2013)

In_The_Rough said:



			I bairly take a divot at all just sweep it off the turf, again agree that you do need a good lie to hit them, cant understand club golfers that try to hit fairway woods out of the rough thats what rescue clubs are for.
		
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Cant understand that Logic either Pal...... I play regular enough with a chap off 16......Every time he hits a drive on a Par 5 its out with the 3 wood....Now Iv a good belt of a ball but unless i know i can get home...Usually in the summer......Ill always lay up......He could pull the 3 wood out when he's yards left or right of the fairway......The result...My 6 or 7 iron to 100 mtrs or just inside.....His 3 wood to just about anywhere *IF* he manages to get to the back of the ball in the rough.....He's got this mentality that he has to try and get as close as he can to the green in 2.

Ill take my Par he's walking of with 6's and 7's more often than not....


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## In_The_Rough (Mar 18, 2013)

kid2 said:



			Cant understand that Logic either Pal...... I play regular enough with a chap off 16......Every time he hits a drive on a Par 5 its out with the 3 wood....Now Iv a good belt of a ball but unless i know i can get home...Usually in the summer......Ill always lay up......He could pull the 3 wood out when he's yards left or right of the fairway......The result...My 6 or 7 iron to 100 mtrs or just inside.....His 3 wood to just about anywhere *IF* he manages to get to the back of the ball in the rough.....He's got this mentality that he has to try and get as close as he can to the green in 2.

Ill take my Par he's walking of with 6's and 7's more often than not....
		
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Some poeple just like the challenge of playing risky or tough shots. I played in a club comp a while back and one guy was off about 20 and he was trying to hit woods out of fairway bunkers, needless to say the odd time he got the ball out the sand it did not go very far


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## kid2 (Mar 18, 2013)

In_The_Rough said:



			Some poeple just like the challenge of playing risky or tough shots. I played in a club comp a while back and one guy was off about 20 and he was trying to hit woods out of fairway bunkers, needless to say the odd time he got the ball out the sand it did not go very far
		
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....It would make you wonder...


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## In_The_Rough (Mar 18, 2013)

Must have cost 5 or 6 shots during the round, that and trying to smash his tee shots into the middle of next week allowed for around 12 shots overall and then they wonder why they cant get their handicap any lower. I only hit driver on about 4 holes at my place he was hitting it on every hole bar the par 3's


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## HomerJSimpson (Mar 18, 2013)

Simple answer is get a lesson. Better long term fix and cheaper than a new bat. I have been working hard on compessing down with my irons but been told to sweep the hybrid and fairways


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## MarkA (Mar 19, 2013)

Thanks guys! Lesson it is - Im sure it has got in my head!


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