If you’ve struggled to hit your fairway woods consistently, you’re not alone. My partner frequently reminds me that “hitting a 3-wood off the deck is the hardest shot in golf!” Maybe that’s not true for everyone, but it certainly is for me. For women and seniors, hitting fairway woods is crucial to being able to make birdies and sometimes it’s a key part of just being on a green in regulation. Hopefully the following tips will help you hit your fairway woods like a pro!
Remember your posture: Bend forward from the hips so your arms can hang loose. Starting with good posture and a good setup is key!
From Golf.com: “Justin Thomas’ setup always comes to mind as a model. Bend from your hips so that your chest is over your toes. This will allow your arms to hang straight down. Your arms will naturally return to where they hang as you swing. Once you bow and allow your arms to hang, relax your legs, and get ready to hit a good shot.”
Ball position: Isn’t this the key to almost ANY golf shot? Correct ball position? And yet often I forget to check it myself. For fairway woods, you’re going to play the ball forward a little bit, like you would for a hybrid or a long iron.
Brush the ground: You want to brush the ground as you approach the ball with your club. This is going to help you get a higher launch and help that ball fly further. You don’t want to hit it fat, obviously, but taking a small divot is pretty much expected these days with a fairway wood.
Practice makes Perfect: Take a good practice swing! Make sure to do, with your practice swing, exactly what you want to do with your real golf shot. Take 2 or 3 if you need to get the right feeling. Don’t take a terrible practice swing and then try to hit a great shot. It doesn’t work.
And finally, work your way up to a 3-wood. Start by learning to hit great shots with your 7-wood or 5-wood. Starting with a shorter fairway wood gives you a better chance of making good contact and hitting a good shot. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with these clubs, move on to trying the 3-wood. Don’t get discouraged. Hitting great fairway woods takes time! If you find they’re just not for you, consider a 3-hybrid. You’ll still get quite a bit of distance and roll but they’re often shorter and easier to hit!
For more tips on hitting great fairway woods, click here.
