Franck Wang 
Fairway woods are often overlooked by golf players these days, especially handicappers and beginners. However, they are very crucial in covering long distances. The fairway wood also offers outstanding versatility in your overall gameplay. Besides, you are allowed to carry about 14 golf clubs at one given time. Putting in a fairway wood in there shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience.
Getting the right wood is however not always easy, especially for people who are doing it for the very first time. There are many options and all have unique features of their own. Nonetheless, there are a few things you can look for in order to make the right choice. In this guide, we give you all the information you need about fairway woods for high handicappers and how to find them.
Why Use Fairway Wood?
A lot of golfers tend to use hybrid clubs instead of specific fairway woods. Hybrids are quite popular no doubt and can be perfect alternatives for hard to hit long irons. Despite this, fairway woods have a stronger loft. They can actually hit the ball further compared to a hybrid. Additionally, the fairway wood features a head shape with a unique design. This makes it easier for it to fly and roll out further than a lofted hybrid. As a result, it would be a better choice for long shots off the fairway or even for tee shots.
The woods also have longer shafts and will deliver better ball speeds. But how does all this apply to a handicapper? High handicappers’ clubs are created with two important things in mind. The clubs are meant to offer more forgiveness and distance on off the center strikes. Fairway woods also do the same thing. The heads are bigger and the wood’s weight is moved to the perimeter. This essentially gives you a bigger surface to hit the ball. There are some woods too that have a manipulated center of gravity. You can find others where the face has been significantly thinned. All these features are significantly important in hitting the ball.
Factors to Consider in Fairway Wood
Before you buy fairway wood, there are a few factors you need to understand.
Here are some of them:
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Loft
The Loft determines the flight trajectory and the distance of every shot. Higher lofts offer a high flight trajectory and vice versa. In addition to this, a higher trajectory also means that the ball travels over a shorter distance. Traditionally, fairway woods for high handicappers have higher lofts than driver clubs. But various fairway woods feature different lofts. You can choose whatever range you want based on your desired gameplay.
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Shaft Length
The shaft length in fairway woods is determined by two factors; the club number and the loft. A higher club number and a higher loft lead to a shorter shaft length. The shaft length is important because it plays a central role in generating club-head speed that drives the ball into the air.
But this still depends on the wood. For example, a 3-wood will need to have a longer shaft in order to generate the required club-head speed. 5-woods, on the other hand, will require a higher loft which in turn makes the shaft length shorter.
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Material
Fairway woods are normally made using three distinct materials. You can go for stainless steel, titanium, and also multi-material composite. The material doesn’t really have any effect on the performance of any club. It’s just a matter of personal choice. Besides, these are fairly strong materials and they can offer long-term durability for the wood.
Other Considerations
There are also other considerations that you will need to make when you buy fairway woods. At the end of the day, the kind of wood you choose should be determined by what you intend to achieve. Always pay attention to the head size though. Fairway woods are generally going to feature larger head sizes. Remember that the wood is created to offer as much forgiveness as possible. Larger heads tend to accommodate bigger moments of inertia and this leads to increased forgiveness.
Additional technological features in fairway woods can help to increase forgiveness. These features vary greatly between different manufacturers. However, most woods will have a manipulated center of gravity. Others enable the face to flex more while you may get woods that offer a bigger sweet spot. These factors are designed to help with forgiveness on miss-hits. But different manufacturers are better in doing these than others. In that case, try to understand the technologies in various clubs before you buy.
Also, don’t forget distance focused technologies or features. Every golfer regardless of their level wants to get as much yardage as possible from the club they use. Fairway wood brands in the market may feature additional technology to help with this. However, adjustability should help you customize the wood which will help you optimize the distance. For a high handicapper, you may want to select a light club head with a springy clubface. This will ensure you can hit the ball far without too much effort.
Should Beginners Use Fairway Woods?
Absolutely yes. If you are new to golf, it’s probably the easiest club you will ever use. This is because fairway woods are very light and this helps to generate good clubhead speed. Besides, the size of the wood is also forgiving which is perfect for people who are still practicing their shots.
One of the biggest challenges for many beginners is getting the ball airborne with precision. The technique needs to be learned over time but you will find it easier getting used to it with fairway woods. The woods have a low center of gravity too and this gives you a little bit more control when you hit.
Fairway woods are an essential part of golfing and even though most golfers tend to overlook them, they can offer great benefits. The simple guide above should help you find quality fairway woods for high handicappers that will positively impact your gameplay in the long run.
