How to Hit Fairway Woods

If you’re looking to boost your game, learning how to properly hit fairway woods might just be the very thing to work on.

The most common mistakes are sweeping and lifting, which can cause a “skulled” or thin shot.

While it holds true that these are some of the least used clubs in the bag, there are scenarios where you may need them in the worst way. Such instances include having a chance at an eagle or saving par from wayward drive. When it comes to learning how to hit fairway woods, mechanics and practice are the keys.

Here are some helpful tips and strategies to get you started If you are just learning how to hit fairway woods.

Tip 1: Do not confuse these clubs with your irons.

In the game of golf, distance is often comparable, and quite easily too. However, the swing mechanics are not. Typically, when a golfer plays their long irons, they set their goal to take a big divot. With these fairway woods, you should remove this mentality as it is not the case.

With fairway woods, the aim is to avoid a deep divot. First, at stance and setup, the ball should be more forward than usual to cause your body to be more behind the ball. Second, instead of allowing your hands to be ahead of the ball, adjust them to be more over the ball. These two adjustments will prevent a deep divot.

Apart from these changes, hit as you would with an iron.

Tip 2: Line your feet up with the target.

Unless you are planning to play a fade or a draw, you should line your feet up with the target, about shoulder-width apart. As mentioned above, play the ball a little forward, just about in line with your left foot, for right-handed golfers.
Aside from the ball and your feet, keep your arms extended with your spine straight to allow a little bit more of flex on the knees.

Tip 3: Tap the club head behind the ball.

More specifically, the player should tap the club head behind the ball without touching it, if you are playing out of the rough. This allows you to tamp down some of the grass between the club head and the ball.

In terms of the rules of golf, this remains legal and along the rules as long as you do not make direct contact with the ball itself.

Tip 4: Keep your forward arm as straight as possible.

If you are a player who’s in the process of learning how to hit fairway woods, it is important to remember to keep your forward arm as straight as possible.

In addition to your straight forward arm, allow your hips to turn completely as you go through your backswing and your downswing to maximize the power of your shot. Lastly, keep your head down throughout the swing with your eyes locked on the ball.

Tip 5: Resist the temptation to scoop.

Ultimately, your job is to hit the ball in a clear, solid manner, and the loft of the club will do the rest. With that being said, a player should resist the temptation to scoop the ball off the ground. To help with avoiding the scoop, treat it as you would swing with an iron as a base mentality.

On the topic of resisting, golfers should resist the common urge to hit the ball too hard. The majority of players, especially those just learning how to hit fairway woods, are tempted to smack the ball with maximum force — but, this can be a big mistake. That is not the true, correct source of power, it is all in the hips and the flex of the knees.

The best way to get the ball up, off, and on target, is to make a smooth, controlled movement that remains on the right swing path.

Tip 6: Consider the situation before choosing a club.

More often than not, there are plenty of situations where a player may think the fairway wood is the right club to use. However, in almost every case, you should stop, consider, and analyze the situation before you grab a club out of your bag.

Here is a guide that may deem helpful for reading a current situation.

If you are in the trees and a long way from the green, golfers should consider using an iron to get back into play, in substitute for trying to make the green as a goal. One of the keys to learning how to hit fairway woods, is simply knowing when to use them.

As a specialty club, using one of these in a case where you should be using something else, can cause more trouble than you might think.

Tip 7: Take it to the practice range.

A player can hear all the right tips and techniques, and all in the right amount, and still cannot hit fairway woods.
Undoubtedly, the only way to understand these clubs, is to take them to the practice range and start to put them into use.

Physical training with the clubs will allow you to get the essentials. You need to know what distance you can achieve from each and every one. On top of that, you also become proficient with striking the ball clean and solid. Practice is the only way to attain this.

Conclusion

Tying to training, a golfer should target one or two tips at a time. Once you have mastered this pair and turned them into habit, you can then move onto the next pair. This is the act of building skills and habit. As a bonus while you’re at it, you should practice hitting out of sand traps whenever you have the opportunity.

Only one thing is certain: if you are able to learn to hit fairway woods properly, your game will immensely improve and your scores will reduce. These specialty clubs can be powerful tools when you need them.