Fairway club characteristics

[ssp]

I think the fairway club choice has a lot of characteristics to consider, probably more than any club in the bag.  What are your primary interests when chosing?

 

• Overall Distance
• Carry Distance
• Trajectory
• Ability to move it left or right
• Fairway finder from the Tee
• Use 2 fairways to cover all characteristics 
• Other thoughts?

 

Thoughts?

Edited November 22, 2022 by ssp

[Milfordlefty]

For me it is Trajectory, fairway finder, then carry distance. With my lower senior swing speed, need to get the ball up with spin for carry. Blasting a low line drive, off line, that runs into the rough (or OB) doesn't help my score.

[PoeBarrett]

I look for sobering that sits flat and open at address, I want to be able to hit a higher ball of the fairway if possible. Something I can cut is a huge bonus, I feel like a lot of fairway woods are left biased now and I despise that, I’d love to set something down and think “this will cut unless I really try to draw one”

Edited December 10, 2022 by PoeBarrett

[JDTex]

For me its:

 

How does it sit (Need it flat bottomed like a Ping fairway and hate one that sits way open)

Can I elevate it

Sound

Feel

[ChipNRun]

Carry distance, trajectory and a neutral or slightly open face angle. Can get neutral/slightly open by choking down on shaft. 

 

Two fairway woods? That's what I'm using now, with a 4H. But, a couple of seasons it was a 4W and two hybrids.

 

Fairway finder? Mainly for shorter holes where drive would carry through landing area. Also, I'm learning to his a stinger with 4H.

 

BUT, my driver usually is my most accurate long club, so fairway finder is not something I worry about.

[Pepperturbo]

I seldom use a wood off the tee, opting for 2 iron.  A good 3/4 wood must offer trajectory control and ability to move the ball right or left.

[darkhelmet]

For me, a FW is about hitting a higher-trajectory shot without a lot of runout.  Could be either off the tee or off the ground.

 

Lately, fairway-finder on a tight hole is a 3/4 backswing driver

[tannyhoban]

One that hits low one that hits high with some distance in between.

[SwooshLT]

I'm very short but extremely accurate with my driver and the yardage I normally play let's me hit it mostly on every tee. On rare occasion that I need or want to reach a par 5 or left with a much longer shot , then I'll use a lofted down 5wd which accomplishes 2 things: opens face to remove hook bias and gives me a 4wd like club that fits nicely between driver and hybrid....probably right around 190ish of actual carry.