Fairway Woods were quite popular until the appearance of Hybrids. Between a golf driver and hybrid, the position of a fairway wood is always confusing. Nevertheless, fairway wood is still a popular option, especially the 3-wood and 5-wood. While choosing the right-fit fairway, many essential aspects require our consideration, and the loft of the wood is one of them.
In case you don’t know what the loft of any golf club defines, the loft of any golf club is the angle between the clubface and the ground. The loft of any golf club is one of the most critical aspects that allow you to control the ball’s trajectory and distance.
Throughout this whole article, we will be explaining everything you need to know regarding the loft of a fairway and how you can ensure that you are choosing the right fairway.
Fairway Wood loft chart
Before explaining everything regarding the fairway wood, let us determine the loft angle that every type of fairway wood possesses.
|
Club name |
Loft |
|
2 Wood |
12° |
|
3 Wood |
14-15° |
|
4 Wood |
16-18° |
|
5 Wood |
20-22° |
|
7 Wood |
22° |
|
9 Wood |
26° |
|
11 Wood |
30° |
|
13 Wood |
33° |
|
15 Wood |
36° |
|
17 Wood |
39° |
|
19 Wood |
42° |
|
21 Wood |
46° |
|
23 Wood |
50° |
|
25 Wood |
55° |
Now that you know the range of a wood club can be many, you may wonder how you should choose from this huge list. Don’t worry. You just simply don’t need to go for all of them. In most cases, a 3-wood or a 5-wood is the most popular option, and you also need no deviation from the popular conception. All the rest higher-lofted woods, including 7, 9, and so on, are considered utility woods.
Now that we are familiar with every type of fairway wood’s loft angle, let us find out how the club’s loft affects the distance and trajectory.
How the loft of the club impacts the distance and trajectory?
- It is valid for any golf club that the higher the club’s loft, the lower the ball’s distance. This is because the higher launch makes the ball get a higher trajectory, allowing the ball to reach less distance.
- That means, if you are aiming at a longer distance, it would be better to choose a club with a lower loft. And for accuracy, the opposite should be true.
Choosing the right fairway wood
It is almost certain that if you are thinking about choosing wood, you probable are confused between the 3-wood and 5-wood. That is why, in this particular section, we will be defining the 3-wood and 5-wood so that you can have a clearer sense of perception.
3-wood loft
- As we have mentioned in the size chart, the 3-wood will have a loft angle between 15-18 degrees, allowing the club to make a great distance.
- This one is also the longest fairway wood possible.
- In case you are looking for long-distance, but with accuracy, then 3-wood should be the ideal choice to pick up.
5-wood loft
- As mentioned in the loft chart, a 5-wood will have a loft angle between 20-22 degrees, allowing the club to get a moderate distance.
- This one is the second longest wood club in the fairway wood category.
- In case you are looking for an average distance during the second or third stroke, this one might be the item to pick up.
Replacing the driver with a Fairway Wood
Many people prefer replacing the driver with the 3 or 5 fairway wood because the driver is pretty much hard for many players to strike properly. The question is, should you be really replacing the driver with a wood? Let’s find out-
- The fairway wood will have a shorter shaft and smaller head than a driver, meaning with a fairway wood, you will be able to get a distance lower than the driver.
- Because of its shorter shaft and smaller face design, a fairway wood is much easier to strike than a driver. In that sense, you may think about replacing the driver with a fairway.
- If you are playing in a course that has a short par 4s or long par 3s hole, replacing the driver with the 3-wood should be okay.
- On the other hand, if you are playing in a course with par 5s holes, or long par 4s holes, keeping the driver should be ideal. You may also think about using the 3-wood or 5-wood for the second stroke in these kinds of circumstances.
Hybrid or fairway
The most confusing fact arises when choosing between a hybrid golf clubs and fairway wood. Many people prefer hybrid, whereas many others will go for a fairway.
- When it is about distance, a 3-hybrid and a 5-wood will work nearly the same. It is the comfort zone of both of the clubs that differs.
- There is no doubt about the fact that a fairway wood is much easier to strike than a long iron or driver. On the other hand, a hybrid will be much easier to strike than wood if you know how you should do the hitting.
- The swing technique of both these two kinds of clubs is also different. A hybrid needs to be swing like an iron club, whereas while hitting with a fairway wood, the clubface needs to be parallel to the ground, allowing you to get distance and accuracy at the same time.
What’s my opinion and strategy
- It’s always about finding the balance. My recommendation would be to find out what works best for you.
- The hybrid is a quite recent invention, and for its multi-material construction, the club tends to be more forgiving in nature. That does not mean a fairway wood is no way there when it is about comparing both the clubs. Many people still prefer a 3-wood against a 5-hybrid because of the versatility the fairway provides.
Final words
While choosing any club, the loft of the club plays a crucial role. While choosing the club, you need to keep in mind that the higher loft of the club, the lower the distance the ball is supposed to go.
