Question:
Hi, I have another newbies question. Do most people have better luck positioning the ball in the center of their stance while hitting the ball off the fairway with a fairway wood? Off the tee, I hit my fairway woods just off the heel of my forward foot just like I would my driver. However, I’m not sure if this is still ideal when hitting off the fairway. Any difference for hitting out of rough stuff vs. the fairway? Thanks all, you’ve been a very valuable resource. Despite the 1,000,000+ web sites dedicated to golf, they don’t always have the answers to my questions….. Mike
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I have another newbies question. Do most people have better luck positioning the ball in the center of their stance while hitting the ball off the fairway with a fairway wood? Off the tee, I hit my fairway woods just off the heel of my forward foot just like I would my driver. However, I’m not sure if this is still ideal when hitting off the fairway. Any difference for hitting out of rough stuff vs. the fairway? Thanks all, you’ve been a very valuable resource. Despite the 1,000,000+ web sites dedicated to golf, they don’t always have the answers to my questions….. Mike
It depends on where your swing bottoms out. Most of us play woods off the deck from the same spot as a teed ball or maybe an inch or two back. And as usual, the ball also moves back if you are using a higher-numbered wood like a 5- or 7-wood. Take a few practice swings, trying to brush the grass. You shouldn’t need to take any divot, assuming the turf isn’t too soft. You want to play the ball about where you begin brushing the grass, where the swing is making a nice level approach into the ball. I do this on most deck shots, often making adjustments with ball position based on where my club tends to best brush the turf. Just don’t waste too much time with it – I usually figure this out while waiting to hit. Dave
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I have another newbies question. Do most people have better luck positioning the ball in the center of their stance while hitting the ball off the fairway with a fairway wood? Off the tee, I hit my fairway woods just off the heel of my forward foot just like I would my driver. However, I’m not sure if this is still ideal when hitting off the fairway. Any difference for hitting out of rough stuff vs. the fairway? Thanks all, you’ve been a very valuable resource. Despite the 1,000,000+ web sites dedicated to golf, they don’t always have the answers to my questions….. Mike It depends on where your swing bottoms out. Most of us play woods off the deck from the same spot as a teed ball or maybe an inch or two back. And as usual, the ball also moves back if you are using a higher-numbered wood like a 5- or 7-wood. Take a few practice swings, trying to brush the grass. You shouldn’t need to take any divot, assuming the turf isn’t too soft. You want to play the ball about where you begin brushing the grass, where the swing is making a nice level approach into the ball. I do this on most deck shots, often making adjustments with ball position based on where my club tends to best brush the turf. Just don’t waste too much time with it – I usually figure this out while waiting to hit. Dave
A ball played AT OR AFTER low point of the swing arc is either going to be critically difficult to hit, or just plain impossible to hit solidly, since the club orbit rises after low point. Better to let the sole design of the fairway woods work for you and play it back fairly close to where you would play a long iron – apx. even with the left side of your head, for a downward enough blow so as not to flirt with the critical low point. If you DO hit a bit fat, the club’s sole design skims on the surface of a fairway and has least slowdown. A ball hit thin will also get airborne enough, since most new fairway woods have their weight as low in the sole as can be made. Orlimar and Adams, especially are good examples. Further back increases the likelihood of slices/pushes… George Hibbard www.perfectimpact.com
Response:
Hi, I have another newbies question. Do most people have better luck positioning the ball in the center of their stance while hitting the ball off the fairway with a fairway wood? Off the tee, I hit my fairway woods just off the heel of my forward foot just like I would my driver. However, I’m not sure if this is still ideal when hitting off the fairway. Any difference for hitting out of rough stuff vs. the fairway?
Play woods off the fairway off your forward heel. Since these are some of the longest clubs in your bag they take longer to square up requiring the ball be played more forward than the shorter clubs. David Laville, G.S.E.M. The Golfing Machine Authorized Instructor Contributor Of Spam Free Golf Advice
Response:
I usually play the ball a couple inches back off my left heel for fairway woods. Same position for in the fairway or off the tee. On the tee box I’ll tee it up just to grass height (maybe 1/4") to produce a ‘good lie’, same as an iron, not really off the ground like a driver. Rob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I have another newbies question. Do most people have better luck positioning the ball in the center of their stance while hitting the ball off the fairway with a fairway wood? Off the tee, I hit my fairway woods just off the heel of my forward foot just like I would my driver. However, I’m not sure if this is still ideal when hitting off the fairway. Any difference for hitting out of rough stuff vs. the fairway? Thanks all, you’ve been a very valuable resource. Despite the 1,000,000+ web sites dedicated to golf, they don’t always have the answers to my questions….. Mike
Response:
Hi, I have another newbies question. Do most people have better luck positioning the ball in the center of their stance while hitting the ball off the fairway with a fairway wood? Off the tee, I hit my fairway woods just off the heel of my forward foot just like I would my driver. However, I’m not sure if this is still ideal when hitting off the fairway.
I think with a driver, especially today’s deeper faced drivers, it’s better to tee the ball slightly more forward than where you’re addressing your fairway woods. Off the fairway, I’d move it back a bit, but center of the stance seems too far to me. I’d only move it back a couple inches.
Response:
Hi, I have another newbies question. Do most people have better luck positioning the ball in the center of their stance while hitting the ball off the fairway with a fairway wood?
I figured this would be the case – but it isn’t for me. But see what a good golfer says.