Cannot hit fairway woods

[drawboy]

I cannot hit anything other than an iron from the fairway, believe me I've tried everything, lessons, hybrids, 5 woods, 7 woods and all to no avail. I am going to have to just give up on them, stop carrying them and just play the game to the best of my ability with my irons and driver. I know the mechanics, how to hit them, where to place the ball, everything but I cannot get decent contact with anything and it's doing my swede in. Give me an iron, no problem, anything else waste of space. I'm fed up of seeing high handicappers hit a wood off the deck so, so much better than I ever will. They cannot hit an iron for toffee but can cream a fairway miles.
I can play well enough to around 9 hcp just with the irons so I may as well just carry on doing what I'm doing I suppose.

 

[Llyr]

Tell me about it, ive got the same problem . Only recently bought a 5 wood and can cream it off a driving range mat but one on the course im topping them all over the place. Must all be in the head.

 

[virtuocity]

What did your pro say when he/she was unable to help you hit fairway woods?

 

[drawboy]

He said he couldn't do anything else for me, that I knew all I needed to know but my head couldn't stop me hitting like a caveman from the top of the swing and that until I could stop doing this he could not help me to hit them.

 

[joer422]

I had the same problem up until about 2 weeks ago then i put the ball more forward a little more weight on my back leg and of course made sure I gave it a good whack as you can't half swing a wood off the deck and BOOM! reached every par 5 in two where I never have before.

My advice keep trying there has to be some reason you can't hit them and its worth it to figure out what

 

[garyinderry]

what happens when you use them? top, fat, slice or hook?


i dont hit them the way you are supposed to. throw the textbook out the window. try something different. move the ball way back. hybrids / woods are easy enough to put contact on. direction is the hard part!

 

[drawboy]

TOP, dead straight but topped around 50 yrds down the fairway. Every time without fail.

 

[One Planer]

Sounds to me like it's all in your head and a matter of confidence.

I had the same.

Since I dropped the 3 & 5 wood set up in favor of a 4 wood, I have hit very few, if any, good shots with it.

Then at the weekend I couldn't miss with it, of the tee and turf.

I've got my confidence back with it, I hope you find the same too pal :thup:

I think it'll just take you hitting one flush and you'll find something in that swing that helps you kick on.

 

[Foxholer]

Go out for a couple of rounds with a 3W, 5W, a pitching wedge and a putter!

After 2 or 3 rounds like that you will have found a way to hit them!

 

[bobmac]

So at the top of the back swing you turn into captain caveman and throw everything at the ball. Your body gets too far in front of the ball causing the top.
Rather than trying to reduce the speed of the swing, try and move the bottom of the swing a bit further back nearer the ball rather than 6 inches in front of it.
If you keep the head behind or level with the ball at impact, that will help

 

[One Planer]

So at the top of the back swing you turn into captain caveman and throw everything at the ball. Your body gets too far in front of the ball causing the top.
Rather than trying to reduce the speed of the swing, try and move the bottom of the swing a bit further back nearer the ball rather than 6 inches in front of it.
If you keep the head behind or level with the ball at impact, that will help

Just on this Bob. Would you advise a change in the ball position when hitting from the tee and of the deck or keep it the same for both?

 

[bobmac]

Depends on the shot I was trying to play.
Off the deck, it would be just inside left heel for a standard shot and the same for off the tee. But could move it around for high/low/draw/cut shots.

 

[One Planer]

Depends on the shot I was trying to play.
Off the deck, it would be just inside left heel for a standard shot and the same for off the tee. But could move it around for high/low/draw/cut shots.

Thanks for that Bob.

I used to move it back off the fairways, more to guarantee strike, but found the flight was a little erratic or I would get very steep on it. I tend to keep it, as you suggest, the same for both tee and turf now.

 

[Chris1980]

I cannot hit anything other than an iron from the fairway, believe me I've tried everything, lessons, hybrids, 5 woods, 7 woods and all to no avail. I am going to have to just give up on them, stop carrying them and just play the game to the best of my ability with my irons and driver. I know the mechanics, how to hit them, where to place the ball, everything but I cannot get decent contact with anything and it's doing my swede in. Give me an iron, no problem, anything else waste of space. I'm fed up of seeing high handicappers hit a wood off the deck so, so much better than I ever will. They cannot hit an iron for toffee but can cream a fairway miles.
I can play well enough to around 9 hcp just with the irons so I may as well just carry on doing what I'm doing I suppose.

Im completely same thats why i love them mp clk hybrids! 😃

 

[Big push right!]

Last two rounds I've discovered that I can nail my five wood from the deck, never had much success previously and had stopped carrying it, put it back in on a whim and its my new favourite club Thinking of bringing the matching driver out of retirement for a shot next week

 

[louise_a]

last season I hardly tried a fairway wood in a comp, couldnt hit them at all, then i found a video online, now I am pretty confident with them. With a 3 wood I hit it off the back of my front foot and take the club back low,works a treat for me.

 

[MadAdey]

Looking at your signature you only carry down to a 4i, have you thought about getting 2i & 3i to go with your set? At least then you would have something that will get yourself a bit more distance.

 

[Bomber69]

Your handicap says you play to 12 yet you say you play to 9, am I missing something here. You also say you have no problem hitting irons, I notice you have a 4 iron in your bag and if you can hit it then why would you need a wood or one of the girls hybrids clubs.

Some people just think they are better than they are.........

 

[Andy808]

I would take bobs advice first and if that doesn't help then get a 2i and 3i. It will fill the gap to some degree and you have the confidence to hit them well. I used to struggle like mad with fairway woods so I spent time hitting them for sand. I soon stopped trying to hit them further than my driver, I didn't feel like I was breaking my wrist when I hit one fat and I got a feeling for hitting them cleanly. Now it a club is giving me grief I have 25 balls off some sand and it soon comes back to me.

 

[drawboy]

Your handicap says you play to 12 yet you say you play to 9, am I missing something here. You also say you have no problem hitting irons, I notice you have a 4 iron in your bag and if you can hit it then why would you need a wood or one of the girls hybrids clubs.

Some people just think they are better than they are.........

I'll reply to this but hmmmmm it's a bit OOB mentality, why cannot anyone just ask a question without someone having a go on this forum? Right basically I can play off my 11.6 well enough, not much over often but on a good day I'll happily play a bit better, thought we could all have good and bad days? thankfully I'm pretty steady and should get down to 9 this season.