Hitting my 5W longer than driver ?

[Skytot]

I measured my 5W off the fairway tonight and I hit it 210yrds. My driver is 200 carry and no run out at the moment. It’s got me wondering what I’m doing wrong regarding distance with my driver (12 degs) .
Ps , I’m im very happy with my 5W distance

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

You are mis-hitting your driver…

Actually 12° is the same loft as I have for my new driver as I was hitting my old driver very low. That was mostly OK distance wise, but I’m happier with the better control and higher ball flight I am getting with my new driver. I am getting a bit but not much more than 200yds carry, that’s fine with current fairway and weather conditions. Come warmer weather and drier fairways my better control and accuracy will maybe sometimes take overall distance to about 250yds…hopefully on the fairway, and for me that is plenty.

My 5w can take care of itself and I’ll be using it when I need to, but rarely off the tee. I hit it distances like you, but I think I tend to catch it low on the clubface, and it is that that gets me the distance, despite the imperfect striking. But the imperfect low strike can sometimes send it skidding away - often out to the right, something that doesn’t happen with my driver.

 

[clubchamp98]

I measured my 5W off the fairway tonight and I hit it 210yrds. My driver is 200 carry and no run out at the moment. It’s got me wondering what I’m doing wrong regarding distance with my driver (12 degs) .
Ps , I’m im very happy with my 5W distance

Do you hit down on your driver.?
this gives a low launch but spins the ball more so you lose distance.

Hitting down with a very shallow divot is perfect for a 5 wood .

 

[Skytot]

You are mis-hitting your driver…

Actually 12° is the same loft as I have for my new driver as I was hitting my old driver very low. That was mostly OK distance wise, but I’m happier with the better control and higher ball flight I am getting with my new driver. I am getting a bit but not much more than 200yds carry, that’s fine with current fairway and weather conditions. Come warmer weather and drier fairways my better control and accuracy will maybe sometimes take overall distance to about 250yds…hopefully on the fairway, and for me that is plenty.

My 5w can take care of itself and I’ll be using it when I need to, but rarely off the tee. I hit it distances like you, but I think I tend to catch it low on the clubface, and it is that that gets me the distance, despite the imperfect striking. But the imperfect low strike can sometimes send it skidding away - often out to the right, something that doesn’t happen with my driver.

Thanks for a great reply. I think you’ve summed my driving & 5w just like yours . I had my driver fit in November and like you , it’s much more in control than my old driver . Think I’m being a bit impatient and need to wait for my South Manchester fairways to dry out .

 

[Skytot]

Do you hit down on your driver.?
this gives a low launch but spins the ball more so you lose distance.

Hitting down with a very shallow divot is perfect for a 5 wood .

I don’t think I do , I get good launch on my driver . One thing I might try is a small tee peg ( using pink atm) , just for experimental reasons.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I don’t think I do , I get good launch on my driver . One thing I might try is a small tee peg ( using pink atm) , just for experimental reasons.

When I was struggling to adapt to my new driver (G425 Max) I tried dropping tee height to a white tee from pink…but it didn’t work…my early days mishitting of my driver was due to ball position in stance and my head‘s reaction to it.

My experimentation with white tee was short lived and I have gone back to pink, but still have to tell myself (my head) to trust what I see at address - that my ball position and address are correct.

 

[bobmac]

1. Where is the ball positioned for the driver in relation to your front foot and
2. Do you slice/fade the ball?

 

[Old Colner]

I read the OP and was wondering what all the replies were on about, I had read 5W as SW and thought that must of been some thin.

 

[Skytot]

1. Where is the ball positioned for the driver in relation to your front foot and
2. Do you slice/fade the ball?

I’m pretty sure it’s standard as in inside my left heal or facing my logo in tee shirt. If I swing with what I think is fast , my ball fades/slices . My steady, standard swing is pretty straight but with only 200 carry . Therefore on a few holes that are 415-420 I have to lay up or use my 5W , but then anything can happen

 

[nyckuk]

It seems similar to me
Obviously your very confident with the 5w so probably give it the full beans without to much worries , Like me with the driver , you've got a slice that can appear at any time so i guess hold back in fear of lost ball/OB etc

Im also the same with a 7 iron and 5 iron , 5 iron only goes a few yards further due to confidence

 

[Skytot]

It seems similar to me
Obviously your very confident with the 5w so probaly give it the full beans , Like me with the driver , you've got a slice that can appear at any time so i guess hold back in fear of lost ball/OB etc

Yea , I agree. Think I need to practice hitting the Center of the club face more then add swing speed .

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yea , I agree. Think I need to practice hitting the Center of the club face more then add swing speed .

The size and shape of my (G425) driver is such that my head had me addressing the ball too much off the toe. This was most probably a consequence of my sticking with a small headed 1990s driver and old ping G10 until fairly recently and what I did to manipulate these clubs to hit it with my old swing.

When my pro had me addressing the ball with the centre of the driver face my head was telling me that I was addressing it too much off the heel, and subsequently I will manipulate the club in the swing to correct that perception and I will hit it off the toe. I am working on preventing this happening by simply telling myself to trust my clubface-ball relationship at address - then put it out of my thoughts by focussing my attention elsewhere.

 

[Crazyface]

I measured my 5W off the fairway tonight and I hit it 210yrds. My driver is 200 carry and no run out at the moment. It’s got me wondering what I’m doing wrong regarding distance with my driver (12 degs) .
Ps , I’m im very happy with my 5W distance

LOL I thought it said sand wedge!

 

[Bratty]

LOL I thought it said sand wedge!

Well, that is a "forum distance" for an SW, isn't it? Certainly is on Golfwrx!
You could try teeing the ball slightly lower for the driver. Contrary to SILH's experience, it that has been very helpful for my driving. The fitter at Precision Golf recommended it and it has made a lot of difference. If I slip back to a higher tee position, I do notice a difference in flight and it fades a lot more... bordering on a huge slice at times!
It may not work for you, but worth a go.

 

[Bratty]

And if you are using a driving range with those electronic tees, set it to the 3rd height and then press and hold to move up in smaller increments... or 4th height and then press and hold and it moves down in increments, I can't blooming well remember which way it is! But it definitely works!

 

[ThinBullet]

It's funny to see this. I bought a G525 max 5 wood with a Ping Tour 75 shaft (S) in it, and was crushing it the same distance as my G425 LST with Tour 65 (S) shaft. the 5 wood is knocked down 1.5 degrees, and a hair open, while my driver is set at static 9, so clearly i'm spinning my driver too much, because it's nearly getting dropped out haha

 

[rosecott]

I measured my 5W off the fairway tonight and I hit it 210yrds. My driver is 200 carry and no run out at the moment. It’s got me wondering what I’m doing wrong regarding distance with my driver (12 degs) .
Ps , I’m im very happy with my 5W distance

Must get new glasses - I read the thread title as hitting my Sand Wedge further than my driver.

 

[Alan Clifford]

LOL I thought it said sand wedge!

So did I.

 

[Alan Clifford]

Because my knee hurts, I've been finding it very difficult to use my driver. So I've been using my three wood of the tee box. Often without a tee because my back hurts as well. It goes lower than my driver and, currently, further because of chalk golf course and lack of rain. I reckon it would be a good strategy anyway on a lot of our holes during the summer months.