Fairway woods.....getting the ball launched.

[RGuk]

First, the Maths.....stick with me.....

A golf ball is 4.5 cm top to bottom (give or take), and to get the thing launched with a fairway wood, you've got to hit hit under the equator, so that's about 2 and 1/4 cm to play with....not a lot.

Now, with an iron, as long as you don't fat it, you've got a bit to play with if striking down somewhat? But with a fairway wood, the ideal "swing" would mean that you catch it right at the bottom or a tiny bit on the up. A bit on the up would require the club to be below the level of the turf the ball is sat on a few mm.s before contact. This is easily achievable on springy turf...but on a muddy parkland course with winter grass.....a bit dubious???

I tried a few 3 woods off the mat at the range and they went quite well......but surely, the margin for error is not that good is it??

With this in mind, if I can hit off a tight-lie/mat lie, then why tee the ball up 2 cm or something on the course?? I reckon if I graze the winter mat off the tee, then I must be almost skying my 3 woods?

Anyone got a set plan for fairway woods/utilities off a tee peg? set height? or do you try to swing it clean and deliberately not graze the turf?

Boring, I know, but my new technique is bringing the clubface in steeper and I think I need to re-think my tee heights.....

 

[MVP]

I find the fairway wood the hardest club to hit consistent.. maybe its just me. I play mine just inside where i'd play a driver , if i use it off the tee i keep the ball teed low, same height as if im hitting an iron.

 

[tpred]

hi realgolfer.
when i play a 3wood off the tee or a rescue i always tee it up as my driver height wise Half a ball above the club head (normaly in line with the logo).

When hitting off the grass with 3 or 5 wood 3" inside left foot and sweep it off the deck.

A utility i always hit down like an iron and place the ball is i would for a long iron.

Hope this is of some help

 

[billyg]

I always use a yellow length plastic tee for a 3 wood off the tee( for consistancy) but then don't use it off the grass - the Rapture 3 wood isn't that good for me off the deck. I use the hybrid and i'll live with the distance loss for now.

It's a blue length on the tee for the irons.

I'm not sure I can agree with your reasoning about (what I think) it being harder to 'sweet' a wood than an iron. But I can sort of see where you're coming from.

 

[brendy]

I play my 5 wood an inch or two left of centre.

 

[RGuk]

I've been using blue step tees or that height with a regular tee.....seemingly a bit high today...???

tp...if you are doing the half way up thing (as I've always done) are we not therefore catching it higher on the face than a 3 wood off the deck....or is it in the swing d'you reckon.

 

[billyg]

I've been using blue step tees or that height with a regular tee.....seemingly a bit high today...???

tp...if you are doing the half way up thing (as I've always done) are we not therefore catching it higher on the face than a 3 wood off the deck....or is it in the swing d'you reckon.

good point.

I'm a bit dubious about the 'half ball' thing. Fine if you play it right off the toe I suppose but it's skysville for me if I tee it up that high

(i'm probably not transferring my weight properly to be fair)

 

[tpred]

its the way ive been taught to hit it from the tee and it works well for me.I tend to use my 3 wood a lot from the tee and im confident in my swing with 3&5 wood whether from tee or the grass.

Im just getting used to my ping fairways after the injury but still seem to strike them as sweet as i did my t mades.

 

[John_Findlay]

Dave,

I find that the trick with fairway woods (or indeed long irons) off the turf is to feel like you're dragging the ball off the ground with your left hand. That seems to promote a lovely shallow angle through the ball. The loft does the rest.

My 3 wood is only 13 degrees and it seems to fly high enough with this feeling.

 

[TonyN]

yeah i beleive the perfect fairway wood shot would be able to sweep the ball off a sheet of ice with out cracking it. If i was to tee up it would be an orange one or a white wooden right down!

 

[RGuk]

I'll give that a try J_F.....I understand the thinking behind your recommendation. Thanks.

 

[RGuk]

yeah i beleive the perfect fairway wood shot would be able to sweep the ball off a sheet of ice with out cracking it. If i was to tee up it would be an orange one or a white wooden right down!

Thats a good mental picture....and one that I try to feel....

Just goes to show though (returning to my orignal post) that you only have 2 1/4 cm to play with. Off a tee the margin is much better....or am I misunderstanding? If the ball is teed up 2 cm, you're going to have almost 5 cm varible height to catch it nice....or do I need some therapy.

 

[johng]

BALLS!!

apparently!

Part of the reason is that the 'new' golf balls are desigend to spin less, as to straighten their flight etc. This reduces the ammount of back spin as well, which helps create height on a shot. From what I've read fairway woods are harder to launch for this reason, especially from the fairway. Also the larger club heads do seem more suited to tee shots than from the short stuff.

As John mentioned the ideal swing is too come in shallow and sweep the ball away, easier said than done.

John.

 

[RGuk]

BALLS...(you could have a theory there, mate).

t.b.h. if you catch it good, you catch it good. My post was more in regard to tee height, if I can hit a 3w off the ground 8/10 well, then I'm grazing the turf, therefore a 2-3cm tee might explain the sky'ed shots.....it's not in my swing, that's perfect...

(dave , come on lad, get with it )

actually my swing is far from good (for my h'cap) but at least I'm really catching/hitting the mat on every shot these days.....a few months ago, I needed a small tee for almost eveything. Could hardly hit a ball off the fairway....thank goodness for pro tuition....

 

[TonyN]

To be honest dave if you can launch a ball of the deck with a 3 wood then sticking it on a tee is a bonus and will prob just give you a few more yards maybe. When i tee up an iron i only ever use the smallest orange tee's which are prob about 2 cm's at the most i would think. I seen a good video on this i will try find it for you,

( i know your post eas regarding tee's but this vid is great for understanding the fairway wood shot)

Wait out.

 

[Gazzery]

I find my 3 wood off the deck fly's well and i try and sweep it away, but when i use the blus tee peg i tend to fade the ball, some times a bit too much

 

[TonyN]

Maybe when you tee it up you should move the ball back very slightly, see if this helps.

 

[TonyN]

O and sorry dave, just remembered that the video i was talkin about was from the setanta archives, so cant show you it. Shame, as is a great vid.

 

[RGuk]

I find my 3 wood off the deck fly's well and i try and sweep it away, but when i use the blus tee peg i tend to fade the ball, some times a bit too much

Welcome zagman....do you zig-zag your way round then?

Odd that you get more fades (slicey ones) off a tee peg....more to do with alignment on the tee area, I suspect.
I get more pulls off pegs than off the fairway.....horses for course I guess. Annoying, whatever..

 

[thecraw]

I always use a yellow length plastic tee for a 3 wood off the tee( for consistancy) but then don't use it off the grass - the Rapture 3 wood isn't that good for me off the deck. I use the hybrid and i'll live with the distance loss for now.

It's a blue length on the tee for the irons.

I'm not sure I can agree with your reasoning about (what I think) it being harder to 'sweet' a wood than an iron. But I can sort of see where you're coming from.

The Rapture has quite a strong loft for a 3 wood, think its only 14 degrees. The new G10 has 15.5 degrees.