Fairway woods vs Utilities

[Timbo]

What is the difference between hitting a fairway wood and a utility club? Is there a difference in ball flight or distance?

I've never really gotten on with fairway woods (Adams RPM 3 wood, seem to top a lot), but my 3 and 4 iron utilities (Adams A2) are so sweet.

I know, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!", but am interested to know if I should persevere with the fairway (another lesson with the Pro), reaching for it in certain situations rather than always taking the utility?

 

[Parmo]

Imho the Fairway gives you a lower more penatrating ball flight with lower margins for user error but can give longer distance but can be hard to use from rough and tight lies.

The Hybrid gives a higher ball flight from all lies and gives greater recovery on off center hits, but are generally shorter than fairways due to the higher flight, but its down to condictions and roll.

Its horses for courses really, I had thought about dropping my 3 wood for a 16* Hybrid as I struggle with fairways off the deck at times, but kept the fairway as you know once you cream one its the best flight and distance.

 

[FourRight]

I can hit my Baffler's futher and with better consitancy from all lies than I ever could with my older Fairways. Hence why I have a 2, 3 and 4 Utility.

I have only hit a few of the newer Fairways when I was replacing my clubs, and from my experiance I got on better with the Utilities.

 

[USER1999]

It depends. Sometimes my fairways have a good day, sometimes my utility. Recently my utility is the one. However, it is a players utility (585H), and so still has a low penetrating flight. I could buy a lower lofted version (mine is 21 degrees), but would I hit it as well as the 21, or would that join my fairways (15 and 18) as being harder to hit? I will stick with what I have, but am considering relegating the 3w and getting a 50 degree wedge.

 

[Billser]

I struggled for a long time with woods, changed to a ping g5 5 wood & a taylormade r7 rescue, use the rescue from the rough & the 5 wood from the fairway, have to say I have plenty of confidence in them both now, just needed to slow down the swing a bit.

 

[Parmo]

Some of the Juniors at our place have the G5 fairway and they cream it every shot.

 

[mono217]

I love my fairway wood they are the best thing since sliced bread

 

[Parmo]

Mono, what fairway do you have?

 

[Atticus_Finch]

I've recently ditched my 15* 3wood for a 17* hybrid and it's the best bag decision I've ever made.
It's much easier to control and to be honest the distance lost(if any) isn't an issue for me.
I'm convinced that switching will play a huge part in my handicap coming down this year.(Famous last words eh?)

 

[GB72]

I have a few options amongst my clubs but like to have a fairway and a hybrid in the bag as I hit a reasonble wood off the deck but like a hybrid for the rough. Currently carry a 3 and 5 wood and a 4 iron hybrid but have a 3 iron to swap in as necessary

 

[Herbie]

I have not noticed a huge difference between them, though the hybrid seems to give me the better and more consistant performance.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I tend to carry both unless I'm using my 3 wedge set up (52, 56 and 60). The fairway I tend to use specifically for those shots into long par 4's and the par 5's and tend to use the hybrid off the tee on some of our longer par 3's and if I'm in the rough on longer holes

 

[RGDave]

I like a fairway wood, and would happily carry 3/5/7/9 woods. I don't need a 7, as I carry a rescue (and don't own a 7, never have) but I do have a 9 wood in my bag at present.

A 9 wood Dave......what??

Yup, off yellows, it get's left in the dark and lonely place that is the cupboard. But off whites (the tees are far left), I'm using it on 3 holes off the tee to great effect....we have three holes where there are big trees encroaching over the left half of the fairways at about 140-160-ish from the tee. The big boys bosh it over with a high driver, the "hookers" bend it round with a 3i/rescue, I'm just sailing over the top with a 9 wood.....crazy.....

Hopeless off the fairway, give me a 4 or 5 iron any day.

I'd be nowhere without a 5 wood and would never swap it for an equivalent distance hybrid club.

I play nearly all the tight 310-330 yarders with it, leaving a 9/PW/GW in.......

 

[Cernunnos]

Everything I can do with hybrid I can do with a fairway wood. Only real difference is hybrids tend to fly a little higher & have shorter shafts than fairway woods.

 

[TonyN]

Just added a 24* 585H to may bag to gap my 3 wood and 4 iron.

I Now have Driver, 3 wood, 24*hybrid. The hybrid is good for 190-200, the 3 wood 200-210. I am now hitting alot more longer par 4's and leaving short irons, wedges, pitchs even chips into the par 5's. Transformed my game alot and gave me the ability to attack the hole more often.

Great out of most lies and just super from the fairway, feels like I am hitting no more than a 5 iron!